Ride-on seedling planter

Abstract

To solve the problem in which: conventionally, a sulky type seedling transplanter which plants a seedling while traveling on a paddy field has a preliminary seedling stand in a front side of a traveling vehicle body; workability and work efficiency of operations which supply, while the sulky type seedling transplanter pulls up at a levee or a road from the front part thereof, the sulky type seedling transplanter with a seedling box where a seedling is raised from the levee or the road and bring out an empty seedling box from the sulky type seedling transplanter are not good; and a sulky type seedling transplanter which can improve the workability and the work efficiency is required.SOLUTION: A sulky type seedling transplanter comprises: a seedling planting part 30 which is disposed at a rear part of a traveling vehicle body 2; a preliminary seedling stand 50 which is disposed in a front side of the traveling vehicle body 2; and an empty seedling box stand 64 which is disposed above the preliminary seedling stand 50 to place an empty seedling box N.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a riding seedling planter having a seedling planting unit attached to a traveling body. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, among riding seedling planters that plant seedlings while traveling in a paddy field, there is one that is provided with a spare seedling carrier on the front side of the traveling vehicle body (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-176792 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The tasks of placing the front of the riding-type seedling planter on a ridge or road and supplying seedling boxes filled with seedlings from the ridge or road to the riding-type seedling planter, and removing empty seedling boxes from the riding-type seedling planter, were difficult to work with and inefficient.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and has an object to provide a riding type seedling planter that can improve workability and work efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention relates to In a riding seedling planting machine having a seedling planting section (30) attached to the rear of a traveling body (2) and a spare seedling carrying section (50) provided at the front of the traveling body (2), an empty box carrying section (64) for carrying an empty seedling box (N) is provided above the spare seedling carrying section (50), The spare seedling carrying section (50) can be freely switched between a stacked state in which the multiple upper loading tables (51U) and lower loading tables (51D) of the spare seedling carrying section (50) are stacked in multiple vertical stages in a plan view, and an expanded state in which the upper loading table (51U) is moved forward of the lower loading table (51D) and the upper loading table (51U) and the lower loading table (51D) are expanded linearly in the front-to-rear direction, and an empty box carrying section (64) is provided above the upper loading table (51U), The empty box mounting portion (64) is an empty box mounting portion (64) on which an empty seedling box (N) is placed vertically, A lower platform frame (53D) is fixed to the upper end of a seedling platform frame (52R) whose base is fixed to the machine frame of the traveling body (2), a lower loading platform (51D) is fixed to the lower platform frame (53D), an upper platform frame (53U) is pivotally supported to the upper end of front and rear parallel links (54F, 54R) whose bases are pivotally supported on the lower platform frame (53D), and an upper loading platform (51U) is fixed to the upper platform frame (53U), The base of the support frame (57) of the empty box carrier (56) is welded to the upper carrier frame (53U). The support frame (57) has an upper support base (58U) with a U-shaped cross section and a flat lower support base (58D) welded to the upper end and the middle part of the support frame (57). The empty box carrier (56) is made up of an empty box carrier (64) for storing two empty seedling boxes (N) side by side in a horizontal and vertical manner, an empty box carrier frame (62), and a mounting portion (63) fixed to an end of the empty box carrier frame (62), When attaching the empty box carrier (56) to the upper support base (58U), the attachment portion (63) is connected to the upper support base (58U), When attaching the empty box carrier (56) to the lower support base (58D), the attachment portion (63) is connected to the lower support base (58D), The empty box mounting section (64) is configured by fixing two rail-shaped receiving stands (67) long in the front-rear direction in parallel to the empty box mounting frame (62) for receiving the lower end of the empty seedling box (N) that is long horizontally and vertically placed. A receiving frame (68) is provided above the receiving stand (67) to receive empty seedling boxes (N), The receiving frame (68) is a frame body formed by bending a rod whose base is fixed to the empty box carrying frame (62), and is composed of left and right side frames (68a) extending in the front-rear direction, front and rear frames (68b) extending in the left-rear direction, and a middle partition frame (68c) extending in the front-rear direction and disposed between the left and right side frames (68a), The left frame (68a) and the partition frame (68c) inside the machine are inclined toward the inside of the machine, and the right frame (68a) outside the machine is arranged substantially upright. This is a riding seedling planter. The first invention related to the present invention This is a riding seedling planter having a seedling planting unit 30 attached to the rear of the running body 2 and a spare seedling carrying unit 50 at the front of the running body 2, and an empty box carrying unit 64 for placing empty seedling boxes N above the spare seedling carrying unit 50.

[0007] The first invention related to the present invention According to the above, an empty box carrying section 64 for placing empty seedling boxes N is provided above the spare seedling carrying section 50, so that the supply of raised seedling boxes N from the ridge or road to the riding-type seedling planter 1 and the removal of empty seedling boxes N from the riding-type seedling planter 1 can be performed with good workability and efficiency. In addition, the empty box carrying section 64 can be arranged by utilizing the space above the spare seedling carrying section 50, so there is no adverse effect on other equipment to the left and right of the machine body or narrowing the movement space for workers passing by the side, and the machine body can be configured compactly without widening the left and right width.

[0008] Second Invention Related to the Present Invention The spare seedling loading section 50 can be freely switched between a stacked state in which the multiple upper loading tables 51U and the lower loading tables 51D of the spare seedling loading section 50 are stacked in multiple vertical stages in a plan view, and a spread state in which the upper loading table 51U moves forward of the lower loading table 51D and the upper loading table 51U and the lower loading table 51D are spread out linearly in the front-to-rear direction, and an empty box loading section 64 is provided above the upper loading table 51U. The first invention related to the present invention It is a riding seedling planter.

[0009] The third invention related to the present invention is an empty box placement section 64 on which an empty seedling box N is placed vertically. The first or second invention related to the present invention It is a riding seedling planter.

[0010] The fourth invention related to the present invention The empty box mounting portion 64 is provided with left and right side frames 68a and front and rear frames 68b for supporting empty seedling boxes N, and the heights H1 and H2 of the front and rear frames 68b are formed lower than the height H3 of the left and right side frames 68a. The third invention related to the present invention It is a riding seedling planter.

[0011] Fifth Invention Related to the Present Invention The empty box carrying section 64 is provided so as to be freely switched between a working position protruding high above the spare seedling carrying section 50 and a storage position located low. Any of the first to fourth inventions related to the present invention It is a riding seedling planter. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a riding seedling planter according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the main parts of the riding seedling planter. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a main part showing a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a side view of a main part showing a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a front view of the main part of the third embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a plan view of the main part of the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a riding type seedling planter disclosed in the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below.

[0014] <Overall composition> As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the riding seedling planter 1 includes a traveling body 2 capable of traveling in a paddy field. The traveling body 2 includes a pair of left and right front wheels 3 and a pair of left and right rear wheels 4. The traveling body 2 is a four-wheel drive vehicle in which the front wheels 3 and the rear wheels 4 are driven.

[0015] A seedling planting unit 30 that is raised and lowered by a lifting device 20 is attached to the rear of the traveling body 2. In addition, a main body of a fertilizer applicator 40 is attached to the upper rear of the traveling body 2.

[0016] On both the left and right sides of the front part of the traveling body 2, there are provided spare seedling carriers 50 consisting of a right spare seedling carrier 50R and a left spare seedling carrier 50L.

[0017] <Running vehicle 2> The traveling body 2 includes a machine frame 5, an engine E mounted on the machine frame 5, and a power transmission device 6 that transmits the power generated by the engine E to the front and rear wheels 3, 4, the seedling planting section 30, and the fertilizer application device 40. In other words, the power generated by the engine E, which is the power source, is not only used to move the traveling body 2 forward or backward, but also to drive the seedling planting section 30 and the fertilizer application device 40.

[0018] The engine E is disposed in the center of the traveling body 2 in the left-right direction, at a position that protrudes above a floor step 7 on which an operator who boards the traveling body 2 places his / her feet. A heat engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine is used as the engine E. The floor step 7 is provided at the front of the traveling body 2 in the front-rear direction. The floor step 7 is provided from the front of the traveling body 2 to the rear of the engine E.

[0019] The floor step 7 is attached onto the vehicle frame 5. For example, a part of the floor step 7 near the cockpit 9 described later is formed in a lattice shape in a plan view so that mud adhering to the worker's shoes can be removed into the rice paddy field. A front step is provided at the front of the floor step 7, and left and right extended side steps are provided on the left and right outer sides of the floor step 7. A rear step 7R that also serves as a fender for the rear wheel 4 is provided at the rear of the floor step 7, and boarding and disembarking steps 7J for workers to board and disembark from the vehicle are provided on the outer sides of the left and right extended side steps.

[0020] The engine E is covered by an engine cover 8. A cockpit 9 is provided above the engine cover 8. The power transmission device 6 includes a belt-type power transmission unit 6a to which power is transmitted from the engine E, a hydrostatic continuously variable transmission HST which is a transmission that changes the speed of the power transmitted from the engine E via the belt-type power transmission unit, and a transmission case 6b.

[0021] The hydrostatic continuously variable transmission HST can change the output (rotation speed) and output direction (rotation direction) by operating the main shift lever. In other words, the hydrostatic continuously variable transmission HST can change the forward / reverse movement and traveling speed of the traveling vehicle body 2 by changing the rotation speed and rotation direction.

[0022] The transmission case 6b is provided with a transmission device that transmits the power from the engine E, which is changed in speed by the hydrostatic continuously variable transmission HST, to each part. The transmission case 6b is equipped with an auxiliary transmission mechanism that switches the traveling speed when traveling and when working. When the auxiliary transmission lever is operated, the transmission case 6b switches the traveling speed of the traveling body 2 to a seedling planting speed during planting work and a road traveling speed that is faster than the seedling planting speed.

[0023] The traveling body 2 is provided with a driver's seat 9 on the floor step 7. The driver's seat 9 is a seat where an operator sits when operating the vehicle. The traveling body 2 is provided with a steering handle 10, a planting lever, and the like, in front of the driver's seat 9. The steering handle 10 is provided on the top of the bonnet 11 of the traveling body 2, and is operated by an operator to steer the traveling body 2. The planting lever is provided on the bonnet 11, and is a lever that is operated to raise and lower the seedling planting unit 30 and to start and stop planting of seedlings by the seedling planting unit 30.

[0024] The traveling body 2 also includes a main speed change lever and an auxiliary speed change lever. The main speed change lever is a lever that is operated when changing the speed of the hydrostatic continuously variable transmission HST to change the forward / reverse movement and traveling speed of the traveling body 2. The auxiliary speed change lever is a lever that is operated when changing the traveling speed of the traveling body 2 to a speed appropriate for the traveling location (a paddy field or a road).

[0025] The bonnet 11 is provided so as to protrude upward from the floor step 7, and is covered with a front cover 11a. A display unit (meter panel) is provided on the upper part of the bonnet 11. The display unit has a display surface that is inclined downward toward the rear so as to face an operator who is seated in the cockpit 9 and faces forward.

[0026] The display unit displays information from various sensors, such as a marker sensor that detects whether line drawing markers, described below, which form a travel reference line that serves as a guide for straight ahead in a paddy field scene, are present on the left and right sides of the traveling vehicle body, a planting lever position sensor that detects the operating position of the planting lever, a fertilizer shortage sensor that detects when the amount of fertilizer stored in the storage hopper 41 of the fertilizer application device 40 falls below a predetermined amount, and a fertilizer clogging sensor that detects when fertilizer sent from the storage hopper 41 becomes clogged in the supply path.

[0027] The riding seedling planter 1 includes a lifting device 20 and a seedling planting unit 30. The lifting device 20 includes a lifting link 21. The lifting link 21 is a parallel link that connects the rear of the traveling body 2 and the seedling planting unit 30, and is connected to the link frame at the rear of the traveling body 2 and the seedling planting unit 30 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction, thereby connecting the seedling planting unit 30 to the traveling body 2 so that it can be raised and lowered.

[0028] The lifting device 20 also includes a hydraulic lifting cylinder 22. The lifting cylinder 22 extends and retracts when the planting lever is operated to switch the hydraulic valve. The lifting cylinder 22 extends and retracts to drive the lifting link 21 and raise and lower the seedling planting unit 30. That is, when the planting lever is operated, the lifting cylinder 22 switches between a non-working position where the seedling planting unit 30 is raised and a ground work position (planting position) where the seedling planting unit 30 is lowered.

[0029] <Seedling planting section 30> As described above, the seedling planting unit 30 is attached to the rear of the traveling body 2 via the lifting link 21. The seedling planting unit 30 can plant seedlings in multiple rows (rows), for example. The seedling planting unit 30 includes a seedling placement table 31, a float 32, and a planting device 33.

[0030] The seedling placement platform 31 has seedling placement surfaces in the left-right direction of the machine body, the number of which corresponds to the number of planting rows. Each seedling placement surface is a downward-sloping surface on which multiple mat-like seedlings with soil can be placed in the vertical direction. The floats 32 level the ground while gliding over the muddy surface of the paddy field as the traveling body 2 moves. The floats 32 are equipped with a center float located in the center of the machine body in the left-right direction, and side floats located on the outside in the left-right direction, sandwiching the center float. In the illustrated example, the riding seedling planter 1 further includes a ground leveling rotor 13, which is a ground leveling device.

[0031] The rear parts of the floats 32 (center float and side floats) are rotatably attached to the traveling body 2 so that the front parts can move up and down in response to the unevenness of the paddy field scene, and the up and down movement of the front part of the center float is detected by a rotation sensor for controlling the angle of attack. In the seedling planting section 30, the up and down movement of the front part of the center float is detected by the rotation sensor during planting work, and in response to the detection result of the rotation sensor, the control section switches the hydraulic valve that controls the extension and contraction operation of the lifting cylinder 22 to raise and lower the seedling planting section 30, and the planting depth of the seedlings can be adjusted by automatic control.

[0032] The planting device 33 is supported by the planting support frame of the seedling placing table 31 and is disposed below the seedling placing table 31. The planting device 33 plants the seedlings with the mat-like soil attached placed on the seedling placing table 31 in a paddy field. The planting device 33 includes a planting rod 331, a rotary case 332, and a planting case 333. The planting rod 331 takes one seedling from the seedlings with the mat-like soil attached placed on the seedling placing table 31 and plants it in the paddy field.

[0033] The rotary case 332 rotatably supports the planting case 333. The rotary case 332 is provided with a variable speed transmission mechanism capable of rotating the planting rod 331 while changing the rotation speed of the planting rod 331. The planting rod 331 rotates while changing the rotation speed depending on the rotation angle relative to the rotary case 332.

[0034] <Fertilization equipment 40> The riding seedling planter 1 includes a fertilizer applicator 40. The fertilizer applicator 40 is an apparatus for spreading fertilizer in a paddy field. In the riding seedling planter 1, the seedling planting unit 30 plants seedlings in the paddy field while the fertilizer applicator 40 spreads fertilizer in the paddy field.

[0035] The fertilizer application device 40 comprises a storage hopper 41 for storing fertilizer located above the rear of the running body 2 and behind the driver's seat 9, a delivery section 42 for delivering fertilizer from the storage hopper 41, a fertilizer pipe 44 for transporting the fertilizer delivered from the delivery section 42 using the wind power of an electric blower 43, and a furrow maker 45 for creating furrows to the side of the seedling planting position and spreading the fertilizer delivered by the fertilizer pipe 44 into the furrows.

[0036] <50 spare seedlings> The riding seedling planting machine 1 is provided with spare seedling carriers 50 on both the left and right sides in front of the traveling body 2, the spare seedling carriers 50 being made up of a right spare seedling carrier 50R and a left spare seedling carrier 50L.

[0037] The right spare seedling loading section 50R has two upper loading tables 51U and a lower loading table 51D. The upper loading table 51U and the lower loading table 51D are pallet-shaped and have a pair of side walls and a bottom surface. The right spare seedling loading section 50R is configured to be switchable between a stacked state in which the upper loading table 51U and the lower loading table 51D are stacked in two levels, one above the other, and a spread state in which the upper loading table 51U and the lower loading table 51D are spread out linearly in the front-rear direction.

[0038] That is, a lower platform frame 53D is fixed to the upper end of the right seedling platform frame 52R, the base of which is fixed to the machine frame of the traveling body 2, and a lower loading platform 51D is fixed to the lower platform frame 53D.

[0039] An upper platform frame 53U is pivotally supported on the upper ends of front and rear parallel links 54F, 54R whose bases are pivotally supported on the lower platform frame 53D, and an upper loading platform 51U is fixed to the upper platform frame 53U.

[0040] Therefore, by grasping either of the front and rear gripping portions 55F, 55R fixed to the front and rear of the upper loading platform frame 53U and rotating the front and rear parallel links 54F, 54R to move the upper loading platform 51U in parallel, it is possible to switch between a stacked state in which the upper and lower stages overlap in a planar view, and an expanded state in which the upper loading platform 51U and the lower loading platform 51D are expanded in a straight line in the front-to-rear direction.

[0041] The base of the support frame 57 of the empty box support 56 is welded to the upper support frame 53U. The upper end of the support frame 57 is welded to an upper support base 58U having a U-shaped cross section, and a flat lower support base 58D at the middle position. The upper support base 58U has a fixing hole 60 at its top surface in the center of the front and rear, through which a knob bolt 59 is inserted and fixed with a nut, and a pin hole 61 is provided on its side. The lower support base 58D has a fixing hole 60 at its top surface in the center of the front and rear, through which a knob bolt 59 is inserted and fixed with a nut.

[0042] The empty box loading platform 56 consists of an empty box loading frame 62, an L-shaped mounting portion 63 welded to the end of the empty box loading frame 62, and an empty box loading portion 64 for storing two empty seedling boxes N side by side in a horizontal and vertical position.

[0043] The mounting portion 63 has a hole 65 on the top surface at the center of the front and rear, through which the knob bolt 59 is inserted, and a pin 66 on the side surface.

[0044] Therefore, when attaching the empty box platform 56 to the upper support platform 58U, the pin 66 on the side of the attachment portion 63 is fitted into the pin hole 61 on the side of the upper support platform 58U, and the knob bolt 59 is inserted through the hole 65 on the top surface of the attachment portion 63 and the fixing hole 60 on the top surface of the upper support platform 58U and screwed in place to secure the empty box platform 56 to the upper support platform 58U. Thus, the empty box platform 56 can be firmly attached to the upper support platform 58U by the simple method of tightening the knob bolt 59.

[0045] When mounting the empty box platform 56 to the lower support platform 58D, the knob bolt 59 is inserted through the hole 65 on the top surface of the mounting portion 63 and the fixing hole 60 on the top surface of the lower support platform 58D and screwed into place.

[0046] The empty box mounting section 64 has two rail-shaped resin receiving stands 67 fixed in parallel to the empty box mounting frame 62 in a long forward / backward direction to receive the lower end of empty seedling boxes N that are horizontally long and placed upright, and a receiving frame 68 rising upward from the receiving stands 67 to receive the bottom, top, front and rear surfaces of the empty seedling boxes N.

[0047] The receiving frame 68 is a frame formed by bending a rod (a round iron bar) whose base is welded to the empty box mounting frame 62, and is composed of left and right side frames 68a, front and rear frames 68b, and a center partition frame 68c.

[0048] The left side frame 68a and the partition frame 68c inside the machine body are inclined toward the inside of the machine body, and the right side frame 68a outside the machine body is provided substantially upright.

[0049] Therefore, the two empty seedling boxes N placed on the empty box carrying section 64 are placed horizontally and vertically in a posture tilted toward the inside of the machine body, and are placed in a stable state. Therefore, even if the machine body vibrates while traveling during seedling planting work or if a strong wind blows, the empty seedling boxes N placed on the empty box carrying section 64 can be prevented from falling.

[0050] The partition frame 68c is provided with two vertical partition rods 68c' so that the empty seedling boxes N placed side by side on the left and right sides do not move to the adjacent receiving tray 67.

[0051] The height H1 of the front frame 68b and the height H2 of the rear frame 68b are formed lower than the height H3 of the left and right side frames 68a, so that the empty seedling boxes N can be easily loaded and removed from the empty box loading section 64 from the front and rear of the machine body. The height H2 of the rear frame 68b is also formed lower than the height H1 of the front frame 68b, so that the operator on the machine, who is busy with the task of removing seedling boxes N containing grown seedlings from the upper loading platform 51U and the lower loading platform 51D on the machine body, supplying seedlings to the seedling placement platform 31 of the seedling planting section 30, and loading the empty seedling boxes N on the empty box loading section 64, can more easily load the empty seedling boxes N onto the empty box loading section 64 from the rear of the machine body.

[0052] The support frame 57 is provided with a drink holder 69 made of synthetic resin.

[0053] The left spare seedling loading section 50L is provided with three loading platforms, an upper loading platform 51U, a middle loading platform 51C and a lower loading platform 51D, on the upper part of the left seedling platform frame 52L, the base of which is fixed to the machine frame of the traveling body 2. The upper loading platform 51U, the middle loading platform 51C and the lower loading platform 51D are pallet-shaped and have a pair of side walls and a bottom surface, and each can carry a seedling box N containing grown seedlings.

[0054] <Planting seedlings> The empty box loading platform 56 is attached to the upper support platform 58U of the right spare seedling loading section 50R, and one of the front and rear gripping parts 55F, 55R fixed to the front and rear of the upper loading platform frame 53U is gripped to rotate the front and rear parallel links 54F, 54R to move the upper loading platform 51U forward in parallel, switching to an expanded state in which the upper loading platform 51U and the lower loading platform 51D are expanded in a straight line in the front-to-rear direction.

[0055] An operator seated in the operator's seat 9 of the riding type seedling planter 1 operates the machine to place the front part of the riding type seedling planter 1 on a ridge or a road.

[0056] An operator on a ridge or road unfolds the seedling boxes N containing raised seedlings placed on the ridge or road, places them on the upper loading platform 51U at the front, pushes them toward the rear of the machine body, and slides them to the lower loading platform 51D at the rear.

[0057] The operator on board the machine picks up the seedling box N that has been slid to the lower loading platform 51D, removes the seedlings with mat-like soil from the seedling box N, and supplies them to the seedling placement platform 31 of the seedling planting section 30. Then, the empty seedling box N is placed on the empty box placement section 64.

[0058] An operator standing on the ridge or road takes out the empty seedling boxes N placed on the empty box carrying section 64 and places them on the ridge or road, unfolds the seedling boxes N filled with seedlings placed on the ridge or road, places them on the upper loading platform 51U at the front, pushes them toward the rear of the machine body, and slides them to the lower loading platform 51D at the rear.

[0059] In this way, seedling boxes N filled with seedlings placed on the ridges or roads can be supplied efficiently, easily and with good workability to the seedling placement table 31 of the seedling planting section 30 using the unfolded upper loading platform 51U, lower loading platform 51D and empty box loading section 64.

[0060] Then, when the seedling supply work to the seedling placement table 31 of the seedling planting section 30 is completed, the worker on the ridge or road spreads out the seedling boxes N placed on the ridge or road, places them on the upper loading platform 51U at the front, pushes them toward the rear of the machine body, slides them to the lower loading platform 51D at the rear, and then places the seedling boxes N on the upper loading platform 51U. Also, seedling boxes N are placed on the upper loading platform 51U, the middle loading platform 51C, and the lower loading platform 51D of the left spare seedling placement section 50L.

[0061] Also, the fertilizer bag placed on the ridge or road is picked up and carried to the storage hopper 41 of the fertilizer applicator 40 to supply fertilizer.

[0062] An operator seated in the operator's seat 9 of the riding seedling planter 1 operates the machine to move along a predetermined route in the field, and drives each part to perform seedling planting and fertilizing operations.

[0063] When there are only a few seedlings with soil mats on the seedling placement table 31 of the seedling planting section 30, the machine stops, picks up the seedling boxes N placed on the right spare seedling placement section 50R or the left spare seedling placement section 50L, removes the seedlings with soil mats from the seedling boxes N and supplies them to the seedling placement table 31 of the seedling planting section 30, and places the empty seedling boxes N on the empty box placement section 64. Then, the machine moves forward again to drive each section and perform seedling planting and fertilizing work.

[0064] Then, when the seedlings with soil mats remaining on the seedling placement table 31 of the seedling planting section 30 become scarce and the spare seedlings on the right spare seedling placement section 50R and the left spare seedling placement section 50L also run out, the front of the riding seedling planter 1 is parked on the ridge or road, and seedlings with soil mats are supplied to the seedling placement table 31 of the seedling planting section 30 in the manner described above, and seedling boxes N with grown seedlings are placed on the right spare seedling placement section 50R and the left spare seedling placement section 50L. Also, if the fertilizer in the storage hopper 41 of the fertilizer applicator 40 is running low, fertilizer is also supplied to the storage hopper 41.

[0065] When work in the field is finished and the seedlings are to be loaded onto a truck or stored in a barn, the upper loading platform 51U is moved backward in parallel by gripping either of the front and rear gripping parts 55F, 55R fixed to the front and rear of the upper loading platform frame 53U and rotating the front and rear parallel links 54F, 54R, so that the upper loading platform 51U and the lower loading platform 51D are stacked in two levels, one above the other, in a top-down stacked state. Then, the empty box loading platform 56 is attached to the lower support platform 58D of the right spare seedling loading part 50R.

[0066] Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the upper end of the empty box carrier 56 becomes equal to or lower than the upper end of the left spare seedling carrier 50L, allowing compact loading and storage when loading onto a truck or storing in a barn, etc.

[0067] In summary, the right spare seedling loading section 50R is provided with a plurality (two) upper loading tables 51U and lower loading tables 51D, and is configured to be switchable between a stacked state in which the upper loading table 51U and the lower loading table 51D are stacked in two levels, one above the other, and a spread state in which the upper loading table 51U moves forward of the lower loading table 51D and the upper loading table 51U and the lower loading table 51D are spread out linearly in the front-to-rear direction. An empty box loading section 64 is provided for placing the boxes N, so that by placing the front of the riding-type seedling planter 1 on a ridge or road and moving the upper loading platform 51U forward of the lower loading platform 51D so that the upper loading platform 51U and the lower loading platform 51D are deployed in a linear manner in the front-to-back direction, the supply of raised seedling boxes N from the ridge or road to the riding-type seedling planter 1 and the removal of empty seedling boxes N from the riding-type seedling planter 1 can be performed efficiently and with good workability.

[0068] In addition, by providing the empty box loading section 64 above the upper loading platform 51U of the right spare seedling loading section 50R, the empty box loading section 64 can be positioned by utilizing the upper space above the upper loading platform 51U, so that there is no adverse effect on other equipment to the left and right of the machine body or narrowing the movement space for workers passing through the side floor step 7, and the machine body can be configured compactly without increasing the left and right width. (Another embodiment)

[0069] (1) In the above first embodiment, an example was shown in which the left side frame 68a and the partition frame 68c of the empty box loading section 64 were arranged at an angle toward the inside of the machine body, but the left and right side frames 68a and the partition frame 68c may also be arranged upright so that the two empty seedling boxes N placed on the empty box loading section 64 are placed horizontally and vertically in an upright position.

[0070] (2) FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment of the empty box mounting portion 64, in which a partition rod 68c' of a middle partition frame 68c is provided laterally in the front-rear direction.

[0071] (3) FIGS. 7 to 9 show a third embodiment of the empty box carrying portion 64. FIG.

[0072] That is, the empty box loading section 64 of the third embodiment is composed of left and right rail sections 71 in the front-to-rear direction provided on the upper part of a support leg 70 whose base is fixed to the upper loading platform 51U, and an empty box loading frame 72 that slides forward-backward along the left and right rail sections 71 to stack and load empty seedling boxes N horizontally.

[0073] The empty box mounting frame 72 is provided with front and rear support rods 73 which are U-shaped when viewed from the side and can be freely rotated between an upright supporting state to support the front and rear of an empty seedling box N placed on it, and a tilted, inoperative state with the front and rear open.

[0074] The front and rear support rod 73 is provided with front and rear gripping portions 73F, 73R consisting of rod bodies at the front and rear, and an operator grasps either of the front and rear gripping portions 73F, 73R to change the position of the front and rear support rod 73 between a receiving state and a non-operating state, and slides the empty box mounting frame 72 in the front and rear direction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 2 Running vehicle 30 Seedling planting department 50 Spare seedling carrier 51U upper loading platform 51D Lower Loading Platform 64 Empty box loading section 68a Left and right side frames 68b Front and rear frames H1 Height of front frame 68b H2 Height of rear frame 68b H3 Height of left and right side frames 68a N seedling box

Claims

[Claim 1] In a riding seedling planting machine having a seedling planting section (30) attached to the rear of a traveling body (2) and a spare seedling carrying section (50) provided at the front of the traveling body (2), an empty box carrying section (64) for carrying an empty seedling box (N) is provided above the spare seedling carrying section (50), The spare seedling loading section (50) can be freely switched between a stacked state in which the multiple upper loading tables (51U) and lower loading tables (51D) of the spare seedling loading section (50) are arranged in multiple vertical stages and overlap each other in a plan view, and an expanded state in which the upper loading table (51U) is moved forward of the lower loading table (51D) and the upper loading table (51U) and the lower loading table (51D) are expanded linearly in the front-to-rear direction, and an empty box loading section (64) is provided above the upper loading table (51U), The empty box loading section (64) is an empty box loading section (64) on which an empty seedling box (N) is placed vertically, A lower platform frame (53D) is fixed to the upper end of a seedling platform frame (52R) whose base is fixed to the machine frame of the traveling body (2), a lower loading platform (51D) is fixed to the lower platform frame (53D), an upper platform frame (53U) is pivotally supported to the upper end of front and rear parallel links (54F, 54R) whose bases are pivotally supported on the lower platform frame (53D), and an upper loading platform (51U) is fixed to the upper platform frame (53U); The base of the support frame (57) of the empty box platform (56) is welded to the upper platform frame (53U), The support frame (57) has an upper support base (58U) having a U-shaped cross section and a flat lower support base (58D) welded to the upper end and the middle position, respectively. The empty box loading platform (56) is composed of an empty box loading section (64) for storing two empty seedling boxes (N) side by side in a horizontal and vertical manner, an empty box loading frame (62), and a mounting section (63) fixed to an end of the empty box loading frame (62), When attaching the empty box carrier (56) to the upper support base (58U), the attachment portion (63) is connected to the upper support base (58U), When attaching the empty box carrier (56) to the lower support base (58D), the attachment portion (63) is connected to the lower support base (58D), The empty box mounting section (64) is configured by fixing two rail-shaped receiving stands (67) for receiving the lower end of the empty seedling box (N) placed vertically in a horizontal direction in parallel to the empty box mounting frame (62), and the two rail-shaped receiving stands (67) are long in the front-rear direction. A receiving frame (68) is provided which rises upward from the receiving stand (67) and receives an empty seedling box (N); The receiving frame (68) is a frame body formed by bending a rod whose base is fixed to the empty box carrying frame (62), and is composed of left and right side frames (68a) extending in the front-rear direction, front and rear frames (68b) extending in the left-rear direction, and a middle partition frame (68c) extending in the front-rear direction and disposed between the left and right side frames (68a), This riding seedling planting machine has a left frame (68a) and a partition frame (68c) inside the machine body that are inclined toward the inside of the machine body, and a right frame (68a) outside the machine body that is approximately upright.

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