Vegetable transplanter

Abstract

The supply device consists of a pair of belts that bend in two directions, one in the direction of the rotating surface and the other perpendicular to the rotating surface, and slides along guide rails corresponding to the bending of the belts, transferring seedlings by gripping them between the contact surfaces. However, this method transports seedlings grown in paper tubes filled with growing medium and sown using the belts, and cannot transport soil seedlings grown in cell pots. Therefore, we provide a vegetable transplanter equipped with a supply device that can transport any type of seedling, including soil seedlings grown in cell pots. [Solution] In a vegetable transplanter equipped with a planting device 20 for planting seedlings in a field and a supply device 30 in which a plurality of seedling containers 31 move in a circular motion to supply seedlings to the planting device 20, a preliminary supply rail 40 is arranged along the seedling containers 31 that move in a circular motion of the supply device 30, and freely rotating rolling rollers 42 for moving seedlings are arranged side by side on the bottom surface of the preliminary supply rail 40.

Description

Technical Field

[0004] ,

[0006] , , , , , ,

[0005] , , ,

[0003] , ,

[0007] , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a vegetable transplanter for transplanting root vegetables such as potatoes and vegetable seedlings such as lettuce into a field.

Background Art

[0002] The supply device consists of a pair of belts, bends and turns in two directions, namely the direction of the rotating surface and the direction perpendicular to the rotating surface, and is provided with a guide rail corresponding to the bending of the belt to slide, and sandwiches and transports the seedlings between the opposing surfaces (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the method of transporting paper tube seedlings that are filled with culture soil in a paper tube, sown, and raised in a nursery by sandwiching them with a belt, it is not possible to transport soil seedlings raised in a cell pot by sandwiching them with a belt.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to provide a vegetable transplanter equipped with a supply device capable of transporting seedlings of various types such as soil seedlings raised in a cell pot without limitation. <00​​​​​​​​ According to the invention described in claim 1, a preliminary supply rail 40 is arranged along the circulating seedling container 31 of the supply device 30, and freely rotating rolling rollers 42 for moving seedlings are arranged side by side on the bottom surface of the preliminary supply rail 40. As a result, seedlings move appropriately along the preliminary supply rail 40 along the circulating seedling container 31, and seedling transplanting work can be performed smoothly.

[0008] The invention described in claim 2 is a vegetable transplanter according to claim 1, wherein the height of the bottom surface of the pre-supply rail 40 is gradually reduced from the starting end 40S to the ending end 40E.

[0009] According to the invention described in claim 2, the height of the bottom surface is gradually reduced from the starting end 40S to the ending end 40E, so that the seedlings are properly moved by the rolling rollers 42 of the auxiliary supply rail 40.

[0010] The invention described in claim 3 is a vegetable transplanter according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a driving rotation detection sensor 61 is provided to detect the rotation speed of the driving output shaft to the drive wheels 7L and 7R of the driving transmission case 6 that transmits the driving force of the driving electric motor 3, and a planting rotation detection sensor 62 is provided to detect the rotation speed of the planting output shaft to the planting device 20 and supply device 30 of the planting transmission case 8 that transmits the driving force of the planting electric motor 4, and the rotation speeds of the driving electric motor 3 and the planting electric motor 4 can be changed, and the driving speed and planting speed can be gradually changed.

[0011] According to the invention described in claim 3, when the prime mover is an engine, the rotational speed increases rapidly and is difficult to control stably, but with an electric system, it is possible to control it easily and stably, so that the travel speed and planting speed can be gradually changed to a predetermined speed, and transplanting work can be carried out appropriately according to the operator's ability and working environment.

[0012] The invention described in claim 4 is a vegetable transplanter according to claim 3, wherein when an imaging device 70 that images the inside of the seedling container 31 of the supply device 30 detects that there are no seedlings continuously in the seedling container 31, it controls the speed of the planting electric motor 4 to automatically and gradually reduce the speed at which it rotates the seedling container 31, and when it detects that there are seedlings continuously in the seedling container 31, it automatically and gradually increases the speed at which it rotates the seedling container 31 to a preset upper limit speed.

[0013] According to the invention described in claim 4, the supply of seedlings to the supply device 30 is performed by the operator, but the speed of the vegetable transplanter is gradually and automatically changed according to the operator's ability, so the operator can work at maximum capacity without burdening them. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a vegetable transplanter illustrating an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the front of a vegetable transplanter illustrating an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of the front of a vegetable transplanter illustrating an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a control flow diagram of a vegetable transplanter illustrating an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a control flow diagram of a vegetable transplanter illustrating an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view of the rear of a vegetable transplanter, illustrating another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a perspective view of the main part of a vegetable transplanter, illustrating another embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0016] A vegetable transplanter for transplanting vegetable seedlings in an embodiment of the present invention to a field will be described below. In the following description, the side where the steering handle 2 is arranged is taken as the rear, and the opposite side is taken as the front. And, the right side toward the front side of the machine body is taken as the right, and the left side is taken as the left.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, this transplanter includes a traveling vehicle body 1 capable of traveling forward, a steering handle 2 for walking operation provided at the rear of the traveling vehicle body 1, and a planting device 20 for planting root vegetables such as potatoes and vegetable seedlings such as lettuce (hereinafter collectively referred to as seedlings) in a field, and a supply device 30 for supplying seedlings to the planting device 20.

[0018] The traveling vehicle body 1 includes a traveling electric motor 3 and a planting electric motor 4, a battery 5 for supplying power to the traveling electric motor 3 and the planting electric motor 4, left and right drive rear wheels 7L, 7R that are driven to rotate by the driving force from a traveling transmission case 6 that transmits the driving force of the traveling electric motor 3 through speed change, a planting transmission case 8 that transmits the driving force of the planting electric motor 4 to the planting device 20 and the supply device 30, and left and right front wheels 9L, 9R that are supported rotatably in front of the left and right drive rear wheels 7L, 7R.

[0019] A main frame 10 is arranged on the rear side of the traveling electric motor 3, and front portions of left and right traveling case bodies 11L, 11R that are long in the front-rear direction are rotatably attached to both left and right side portions of the main frame 10.

[0020] The left and right drive rear wheels 7L, 7R are mounted on left and right axles that protrude to the rear side of the left and right traveling case bodies 11L, 11R for traveling.

[0021] And, the driving force of the traveling electric motor 3 is transmitted to the left and right axles through the traveling transmission case 6, and the left and right drive rear wheels 7L, 7R are driven to rotate.

[0022] Furthermore, the left and right case bodies 11L and 11R are integrally attached to the mounting parts of the main frame 10, with the left and right arms 12L and 12R extending upward being attached together. The upper ends of each arm are connected to the tips of the piston rods of the left and right rear wheel electric cylinders 13L and 13R, which are fixed to the main frame 10.

[0023] When the left and right rear wheel electric cylinders 13L and 13R are activated and their piston rods protrude to the rear of the aircraft, the left and right arms 12L and 12R rotate to the rear, and consequently the left and right case bodies 11L and 11R rotate downward, causing the aircraft to rise. Conversely, when the piston rods of the left and right rear wheel electric cylinders 13L and 13R move to the front of the aircraft and retract into the cylinders, the left and right arms 12L and 12R rotate to the front, and consequently the left and right case bodies 11L and 11R rotate upward, causing the aircraft to descend.

[0024] The left and right rear wheel electric cylinders 13L and 13R are operated by ground sensors that make contact with the ridge surface and operate in response to changes in the vertical distance between the machine and the ridge surface. The operation of the ground sensors detects the height of the ridge surface relative to the machine, and the left and right rear wheel electric cylinders 13L and 13R are configured to operate based on the detection operation of the ground sensors so that the machine is at a set height relative to the height of the ridge surface.

[0025] Furthermore, the rear wheel left and right electric cylinders 13L and 13R are configured to operate in such a way that the machine can be manually raised or lowered by manual operation of a planting / lifting control device located near the control handle 2. This planting / lifting control device is also configured to switch the drive of the planting device 20 and the supply device 30 on and off.

[0026] Furthermore, the left and right rear wheel electric cylinders 13L and 13R operate independently, and move to keep the aircraft horizontal based on the detection results of left and right tilt sensors located in the center of the aircraft's left and right sides.

[0027] Furthermore, since the left and right rear wheel electric cylinders 13L and 13R are located on the left and right sides of the machine body above the bases of the left and right case bodies 11L and 11R, space can be secured in the center of the vehicle body 1. In addition, since the left and right drive rear wheels 7L and 7R are moved up and down by the left and right rear wheel electric cylinders 13L and 13R respectively, the operating speed is increased and work efficiency is improved.

[0028] The left and right front wheels 9L and 9R are mounted on the left and right front axles, which are located at the lower ends of the left and right support members 14L and 14R, respectively, that are rotatably provided on both the left and right sides of the main frame 10.

[0029] Furthermore, the left and right support members 14L and 14R are integrally attached to the mounting portions of the main frame 10, with the left and right arms 15L and 15R extending upward being attached to each other. The upper ends of each arm are connected to the tips of the piston rods of the left and right front wheel electric cylinders 16L and 16R, which are fixed to the main frame 10.

[0030] When the left and right front wheel electric cylinders 16L and 16R are activated and their piston rods extend forward, the left and right arms 15L and 15R rotate forward, and consequently the left and right support members 14L and 14R rotate downward, causing the aircraft to rise. Conversely, when the piston rods of the left and right front wheel electric cylinders 16L and 16R move to the rear of the aircraft and retract into the cylinders, the left and right arms 15L and 15R rotate backward, and consequently the left and right support members 14L and 14R rotate upward, causing the aircraft to descend.

[0031] These front wheel left and right electric cylinders 16L and 16R, like the rear wheel left and right electric cylinders 13L and 13R, are operated by ground sensors that make contact with the ridge surface and operate in response to changes in the vertical distance between the machine and the ridge surface. The operation of the ground sensors detects the height of the ridge surface relative to the machine, and the front wheel left and right electric cylinders 16L and 16R are configured to operate based on the detection operation of the ground sensors so that the machine is at a set height relative to the ridge surface.

[0032] Furthermore, the system is configured so that the front wheel left and right electric cylinders 16L and 16R operate in the same way as the rear wheel left and right electric cylinders 13L and 13R, allowing the aircraft to be manually raised or lowered by manual operation of the planting / lifting control device located near the control handle 2.

[0033] Furthermore, when the planting / lifting device is operated to the swivel position, the electric motor 4 for planting stops, stopping the planting device 20 and the supply device 30 at the predetermined position. The left and right electric cylinders 13L and 13R of the rear wheels are activated to lower the left and right drive rear wheels 7L and 7R to their lowest position, and the left and right electric cylinders 16L and 16R of the front wheels are activated to raise the left and right front wheels 9L and 9R to their highest position. This allows for easy turning at the end of the furrow without the left and right front wheels 9L and 9R hitting the furrow, and prevents damage to the furrow.

[0034] The planting device 20 includes a beak-shaped seedling planting body 21 with its tip pointing downward, an up-and-down movement mechanism 22 that moves the seedling planting body 21 up and down between a position where the lower end of the seedling planting body 21 is above the field surface and a position where it is below the field surface, and an opening and closing mechanism that opens and closes the seedling planting body 21 into a closed state in which the lower end of the beak-shaped seedling planting body 21 is closed to receive seedlings from above and house the seedlings inside, and an open state in which the lower end of the seedling planting body 21 is opened to the left and right to release the seedlings housed inside downward.

[0035] The supply device 30 includes a plurality of seedling containers 31 that receive seedlings from above and house the seedlings inside, a moving mechanism that moves the seedling containers 31 in a circular motion so that they pass above the seedling planting body 21, and an opening mechanism that opens the bottom of the seedling containers 31 at a position above the seedling planting body 21, allowing the seedlings housed inside to fall out and supply seedlings to the seedling planting body 21, thus serving as a seedling drop supply mechanism.

[0036] The planting device 20 has a four-row planting configuration with four seedling planting units 21 arranged in the left-right direction of the machine.

[0037] The opening and closing mechanism of the seedling planting body 21 is configured to open downwards when the seedling planting body 21 reaches the lower end position, in conjunction with the operation of the vertical movement mechanism 22, and to close the lower side of the seedling planting body 21 when the seedling planting body 21 reaches the upper end position, thereby closing it.

[0038] The supply device 30 has a configuration comprising: a plurality of seedling containers 31 having a cylindrical body that opens at the top and bottom and a bottom cover that opens and closes the lower opening of the cylindrical body, and being connected to each other in a loop like an endless chain; a movement mechanism that rotates the seedling containers 31 counterclockwise in an elongated oval loop-shaped trajectory that is long from left to right in a plan view of the machine body, while passing near the top of the seedling planting body 21; an opening mechanism that opens the bottom cover of the seedling container 31 at a position above the seedling planting body 21; and a cover body 32 that guides the inner circumference of the plurality of seedling containers 31 connected in a loop and covers the inner circumference.

[0039] The cover body 32 has a shallow, basin-like structure and can hold a large number of seedlings to be supplied to the seedling container 31.

[0040] The opening mechanism of the supply device 30 is configured such that when the seedling container 31 passes above the seedling planting body 21, the bottom cover is released from the support and rotates downward, opening the bottom cover so that the seedlings inside the seedling container 31 can fall downward. The timing of the opening of the bottom cover of the seedling container 31 is adjusted so that it opens when the seedling planting body 21 rises to directly below the seedling container 31.

[0041] Furthermore, on the rear and left sides of the supply device 30, a reserve supply rail 40 is provided in a curved shape along the rear and left sides of the supply device 30 for supplying seedlings to each seedling container 31 of the supply device 30.

[0042] The auxiliary supply rail 40 has numerous rolling rollers 42 arranged in parallel on inner and outer support plates 41, 41 provided on the supply device 30 side and the outside, allowing seedlings to move freely on these rolling rollers 42.

[0043] Furthermore, the auxiliary supply rail 40 gradually decreases in height from its starting end 40S on the right side of the machine body to its curved end 40E along the left side of the supply device 30, allowing seedlings placed on the auxiliary supply rail 40 to move smoothly along the rolling rollers 42 towards the end 40E.

[0044] This transplanting machine has soil-covering wheels 50 that can freely rotate near the rear left and right sides of the seedling planting area of ​​the seedling planting unit 21, for compacting the soil over the seedlings planted by the planting unit 21.

[0045] Meanwhile, a drive rotation detection sensor 61 is provided on the drive output shaft to the left and right drive rear wheels 7L and 7R of the drive transmission case 6, which transmits the driving force of the drive electric motor 3 at a variable speed, and a planting rotation detection sensor 62 is provided on the planting output shaft to the planting device 20 and supply device 30 of the planting transmission case 8, which transmits the driving force of the planting electric motor 4 at a variable speed.

[0046] Furthermore, an auxiliary battery is installed in the space formed below the floor step between the driving transmission case 6, which is equipped with a driving rotation detection sensor 61, and the planting transmission case 8, which is equipped with a planting rotation detection sensor 62.

[0047] Therefore, the space between the driving transmission case 6 and the planting transmission case 8 can be effectively utilized to install an auxiliary battery, and if the auxiliary battery runs out of power, it can be easily replaced by opening the floor step.

[0048] Furthermore, the rotational speed (revolutions per unit time) of the electric motor 3 for driving and the electric motor 4 for planting can be freely changed by inverter control by the control device, and by gradually changing the rotational speed of the electric motor 3 for driving and the electric motor 4 for planting, the driving speed and planting speed can be gradually changed.

[0049] Therefore, while engine-powered systems can rapidly increase rotational speed and are difficult to control stably, electric systems can be easily and stably controlled. This allows for gradual adjustment of the travel speed and planting speed, enabling transplanting work to be performed appropriately according to the operator's abilities and the work environment.

[0050] Furthermore, an imaging device 70 is provided on the left side of the cover body 32 of the supply device 30 to image the inside of the seedling container 31 on the left side of the supply device 30.

[0051] As shown in the flowcharts in Figures 4 and 5, when the imaging device 70 detects that there are no seedlings continuously placed in the seedling container 31 of the supply device 30, the control device automatically and gradually reduces the speed at which the planting electric motor 4 rotates the seedling container 31 (which inevitably also reduces the operating speed of the planting device 20). When it detects that there are seedlings continuously placed in the seedling container 31, it automatically and gradually increases the speed at which the seedling container 31 rotates to a preset upper limit (which inevitably also increases the operating speed of the planting device 20 to its upper limit).

[0052] Furthermore, in order to maintain the predetermined spacing between plants, the control device adjusts the speed of the electric motor 3 for travel in accordance with the change in the speed at which the seedling container 31 is rotated, thereby changing the travel speed as well.

[0053] Therefore, although the worker supplies seedlings to the supply device 30, the speed of the vegetable transplanter is gradually and automatically adjusted to match the worker's ability, allowing the worker to perform the work at maximum capacity without burdening them.

[0054] Furthermore, since the system automatically determines if the supply of seedlings to the supply device 30 is not keeping up, the operator can concentrate on the seedling supply work.

[0055] The vegetable transplanting machine is equipped with a worker's seat 43 so that an operator can sit on it and perform the seedling replenishment work on the supply device 30.

[0056] Specifically, a worker's seat 43 is positioned facing backward at the center left and right of the machine, in front of the supply device 30.

[0057] The worker seated in this seat 43 sits facing backward towards the front of the supply device 30 and performs seedling replenishment work on the front of the supply device 30, particularly the straight section at the front of the path in which the seedling container 31 moves counterclockwise.

[0058] To explain the procedure for transplanting seedlings into the field using a vegetable transplanter, the machine is placed in the field and positioned at the beginning of the furrow so that the left and right front wheels 9L and 9R and the left and right drive rear wheels 7L and 7R straddle the furrow.

[0059] The worker removes seedlings from the seedling trays and places them into each seedling container 31, and also places a large number of them inside the cover body 32.

[0060] The operator sits in the seat 43 and operates the throttle to increase the rotational speed of the electric motor for travel 3 and the electric motor for planting 4, and engages the main clutch lever. The machine moves forward, and the seedling container 31 of the supply device 30 moves in a circular motion so that it passes above the seedling planting body 21. When the seedling planting body 21, which is moving along an up-and-down trajectory, reaches the upper position, the bottom of the seedling container 31 opens, dropping the seedlings contained inside and supplying them into the seedling planting body 21. When the seedling planting body 21 reaches the lower end position, the lower side of the seedling planting body 21 opens to the left and right, planting the seedlings in the field, and the soil covering wheel 50 compacts and covers the soil on both sides of the planted seedlings.

[0061] The worker seated in seat 43 takes seedlings placed on the cover body 32 and places them sequentially into each seedling container 31 that moves in a circular manner. The worker also takes seedlings from the end portion 40E of the reserve supply rail 40 and places them sequentially into each seedling container 31. The reserve supply rail 40 gradually decreases in height from the starting end 40S on the right side of the machine to the curved end portion 40E along the left side of the supply device 30. As a result, the seedlings placed on the reserve supply rail 40 move smoothly along the rolling rollers 42 towards the end portion 40E, allowing the seedlings to move sequentially to the end portion 40E and enabling efficient seedling supply.

[0062] Furthermore, in addition to placing seedlings on the cover body 32, seedlings can also be placed on the auxiliary supply rail 40, which reduces the number of times the machine needs to be stopped to load seedlings onto the machine, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0063] In this process, as described above, when the imaging device 70 detects that seedlings are not continuously placed in the seedling container 31 of the supply device 30, the control device automatically controls the speed of the planting electric motor 4 to gradually reduce the speed at which the seedling container 31 rotates. When it detects that seedlings are continuously placed in the seedling container 31, it automatically increases the speed at which the seedling container 31 rotates to a preset upper limit. As a result, the speed of the vegetable transplanter is gradually and automatically adjusted to match the operator's capabilities, allowing the operator to work at maximum capacity without burdening them.

[0064] Furthermore, when the driver is seated in seat 43, supplies seedlings to the supply device 30, and then operates the throttle to increase the rotational speed of the driving electric motor 3 and the planting electric motor 4, and engages the main clutch lever, the control system will initially reduce the rotational speed of the driving electric motor 3 and the planting electric motor 4 for the first few seconds before starting operation. After that, the rotational speed of the driving electric motor 3 and the planting electric motor 4 will be increased to the position where the throttle was operated.

[0065] Furthermore, when working with seedling trays placed on the cover body 32, the worker removes seedlings from the seedling trays on the cover body 32 and supplies them to each seedling container 31. In this case, it is necessary to store the empty seedling trays.

[0066] Therefore, left and right tray storage frames 44L and 44R are attached to the aircraft body on the inside of the left and right drive rear wheels 7L and 7R, between the spare supply rail 40 and the left and right case bodies 11L and 11R, to store empty trays.

[0067] The left and right tray storage frames 44L and 44R are designed to be higher towards the rear so that the empty tray storage openings face the seat 43.

[0068] Therefore, a worker seated in seat 43 can easily place empty trays into the left and right tray storage frames 44L and 44R with one hand, allowing transplant work to be carried out continuously and efficiently without stopping the machine.

[0069] Furthermore, a monitor is installed in the right corner of the supply device 30 (to the left of the worker seated in the seat 43), and a camera is installed immediately behind the seedling planting body 21 of the planting device 20 located at the lower rear of the main frame. The camera recognizes missing plants from images of seedlings planted in the field and displays the image and provides notification of missing plants (display and audio notification) on the monitor.

[0070] Therefore, if consecutive plant shortages occur, the operator can immediately recognize them on the monitor, allowing them to concentrate on supplying seedlings. Furthermore, when the monitor notifies of plant shortages, the operator temporarily stops the machine and moves to the rear to check the machine's status.

[0071] Figure 6 shows an example in which an additional rail 45 is provided at the starting end 40S on the right side of the machine body of the auxiliary supply rail 40.

[0072] Specifically, the additional rail 45, like the spare supply rail 40, has numerous rolling rollers 42 arranged in parallel on inner and outer support plates 46, 46 so as to be able to rotate freely, and one end is connected to the starting end 40S on the right side of the machine body of the spare supply rail 40 with a connecting pin 47.

[0073] Therefore, by providing an additional rail 45 at the starting end 40S on the right side of the machine body of the spare supply rail 40, the number of seedlings that can be loaded can be further increased.

[0074] Furthermore, even when the additional rail 45 is installed, the height of the additional rail 45 gradually decreases from the starting end on the right side towards the terminal end 40E, allowing the seedlings placed on the additional rail 45 and the spare supply rail 40 to move smoothly along the rolling roller 42 towards the terminal end 40E.

[0075] Furthermore, it is advisable to raise the surrounding walls of the rolling rollers 42 on the additional rail 45 and the spare supply rail 40 to prevent the seedlings from falling off as they move along the rolling rollers 42.

[0076] Figure 7 shows an example in which, instead of the supply device 30 equipped with multiple seedling containers 31 connected in a loop like the endless chain described above, a supply device 30 is provided in which a large number of seedling containers 31 are evenly arranged on the circumference of a rotating disc 35 that rotates with its center as the pivot point, and the above-mentioned auxiliary supply rail 40 is replaced with a box-shaped supply unit 80.

[0077] The supply unit 80 consists of a main supply unit 81 and left and right auxiliary supply units 83L and 83R that are rotatably supported on both sides by support pins 82.

[0078] Furthermore, the left and right sides of the main supply unit 81 and the main supply unit 81 side of the left and right sub-supply units 83L and 83R are in communication with each other.

[0079] The supply unit 80 is installed at an angle such that the supply device 30 side is lower, and the supply device 30 side of the main supply unit 81 is provided with a supply port 81a that extends toward the supply device 30, and seedlings or potatoes placed on the supply unit 80 fall into the seedling container 31 from the supply port 81b at the tip of the supply port 81a.

[0080] The left and right auxiliary supply units 83L and 83R rotate around the support pin 82 via an operating wire when the worker seated in the seat 43 places their feet on the left and right operating pedals 91L and 91R located on the right drive rear wheel 7R side of the right step 90R, for example, and tilts so that the left and right outer sides are higher.

[0081] The left and right auxiliary supply units 83L and 83R are normally on the same plane as the bottom surface of the main supply unit 81, and a large number of seedlings or potatoes are placed on the main supply unit 81 and the left and right auxiliary supply units 83L and 83R at the start of operation.

[0082] As the work progresses and the number of seedlings or potatoes placed decreases, if the worker seated in seat 43 presses, for example, the left operating pedal 91L, the left auxiliary supply unit 83L rotates around the support pin 82 via the operating wire, tilting so that the left outer side is higher, and the seedlings or potatoes placed in the left auxiliary supply unit 83L move to the main supply unit 81. If the worker presses, the right operating pedal 91R, the right auxiliary supply unit 83R rotates around the support pin 82 via the operating wire, tilting so that the right outer side is higher, and the seedlings or potatoes placed in the right auxiliary supply unit 83R move to the main supply unit 81.

[0083] Therefore, as the work progresses and the number of seedlings or potatoes placed decreases, the worker seated in seat 43 can press down on the left operating pedal 91L and / or the right operating pedal 91R, causing the left auxiliary supply unit 83L and / or the right auxiliary supply unit 83R to rotate around the support pin 82 and tilt so that the outer side is higher. As a result, the seedlings or potatoes placed on the left auxiliary supply unit 83L and / or the right auxiliary supply unit 83R move to the main supply unit 81. This increases the number of seedlings or potatoes in the main supply unit 81, and the seedlings or potatoes placed on the supply unit 80 fall smoothly into the seedling container 31 from the supply opening 81b at the tip of the supply opening 81a.

[0084] Furthermore, the left operating pedal 91L and the right operating pedal 91R are positioned on either side of the tire guard 92 for the right drive rear wheel 7R, which is located at the end of the right step 90R. They are positioned so as not to protrude beyond the tire guard 92 towards the operator, thereby improving operability and ensuring sufficient foot space for the right step 90R. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0085] 3. Electric motor for driving 4. Electric motor for planting 6. Transmission case for driving 7L Drive Wheel (Left Drive Rear Wheel) 7R Drive wheel (right drive rear wheel) 8. Planting Mission Case 20 Planting equipment 30 Feeding device 31 Seedling container 40 spare supply rails 40E Termination 40S starting point 42 Rolling rollers 61. Rotation detection sensor for driving 62 Rotation detection sensor for planting 70 Imaging device

Claims

1. A vegetable transplanter comprising a planting device (20) for planting seedlings in a field and a supply device (30) in which a plurality of seedling containers (31) move in a circular motion to supply seedlings to the planting device (20), characterized in that a preliminary supply rail (40) is arranged along the seedling containers (31) that move in a circular motion of the supply device (30), and freely rotating rolling rollers (42) for moving seedlings are arranged side by side on the bottom surface of the preliminary supply rail (40).

2. The vegetable transplanter according to claim 1, characterized in that the height of the bottom surface of the auxiliary supply rail (40) gradually decreases from the starting end (40S) to the ending end (40E).

3. The vegetable transplanter according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is provided with a driving rotation detection sensor (61) that detects the rotation speed of the driving output shaft to the drive wheels (7L, 7R) of the driving transmission case (6) that transmits the driving force of the driving electric motor (3), and a planting rotation detection sensor (62) that detects the rotation speed of the planting output shaft to the planting device (20) and supply device (30) of the planting transmission case (8) that transmits the driving force of the planting electric motor (4), and the rotation speed of the driving electric motor (3) and the planting electric motor (4) can be changed, and the driving speed and planting speed can be gradually changed.

4. The vegetable transplanter according to claim 3, characterized in that when an imaging device (70) that images the inside of the seedling container (31) of the supply device (30) detects that there are no seedlings continuously in the seedling container (31), it controls the speed of the planting electric motor (4) to automatically and gradually reduce the speed at which it rotates the seedling container (31), and when it detects that there are seedlings continuously in the seedling container (31), it automatically and gradually increases the speed at which it rotates the seedling container (31) to a preset upper limit speed.

Images