Spare seedling tray

Abstract

To improve strength in a spare seedling table.SOLUTION: A spare seedling table includes: one frame 21; the other frame 21; and a seedling placing part 31 fitted to the one and the other frames 21 and mounting and supporting seedlings. The one and the other frames 21 have: flat plate parts 28 which are flat along a vertical direction in a cross-sectional view and are extended along a longitudinal direction of the seedling placing part 31 in a lateral view; and hollow parts 29 which are hollow, are wider than the flat plate parts 28, are connected to the flat plate part 28, and extended along a longitudinal of the seedling placing part 31 in the lateral view. The seedling placing 31 is fitted to the one and the other flat plate parts 28.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a spare seedling carrier equipped on a riding rice transplanter or a walking rice transplanter. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a spare seedling tray equipped on a riding rice transplanter. In the spare seedling tray of Patent Document 1, the right vertical wall portion, the left vertical wall portion, and the entire seedling placement portion provided between the right and left vertical wall portions are integrally formed from synthetic resin. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-62159 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for spare seedling trays to be able to hold a large number of seedlings, and this has increased the need to improve the strength of the portions of the spare seedling tray that correspond to the right and left vertical walls. The present invention aims to improve the strength of spare seedling trays. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The spare seedling rest of the present invention comprises one frame, another frame, and a seedling rest attached across the one and other frames and on which seedlings are placed and supported, and the one and other frames have a flat plate-like shape extending in the up-down direction in cross-section and a flat plate portion extending along the longitudinal direction of the seedling rest in side view, and a hollow portion having a width greater than the flat plate portion in cross-section, connected to the flat plate portion and extending along the longitudinal direction of the seedling rest in side view, and the seedling rest is attached across the one and other flat plate portions.

[0006] According to the present invention, the one and other frames to which the seedling placement parts are attached have flat plate parts that are flat in the vertical direction in cross section, and hollow parts that are hollow and have a width larger than that of the flat plate parts in cross section and are connected to the flat plate parts. As a result, the flat plate parts and hollow parts of the frames ensure the strength of the frames in the vertical direction, and the hollow parts of the frames ensure the strength of the frames in the lateral direction.

[0007] When attaching the seedling placing section across one and the other frames, it is easier to attach the seedling placing section to the flat portion of the frame than to the hollow portion of the frame, so the seedling placing section can be attached easily across the one and the other frames. As a result, according to the present invention, by providing the frame with a flat plate portion and a hollow portion, it is possible to obtain a spare seedling rest that makes it easy to attach the seedling placing portion to the frame and ensures the strength of the frame.

[0008] In the present invention, it is preferable that the hollow portion is connected to the upper and lower portions of the flat portion when viewed in cross section, the portion of the hollow portion facing the center of the seedling placing portion is formed in a straight line along the up-down direction when viewed in cross section, and the portion of the hollow portion opposite the center of the seedling placing portion is formed in an arc shape extending toward the opposite side to the center of the seedling placing portion when viewed in cross section.

[0009] According to the present invention, the upper hollow portion is connected to the upper part of the flat plate portion and the lower hollow portion is connected to the lower part of the flat plate portion in the frame, thereby improving the strength of the frame of the spare seedling support.

[0010] When seedlings are placed on the seedling rest, the hollow portion of the frame that faces the center of the seedling rest often comes into contact with the seedlings on the seedling rest. According to the present invention, the portion of the hollow part of the frame facing the center of the seedling placing section is straight along the vertical direction when viewed in cross section, so that when the seedling placed on the seedling placing section is moved along the longitudinal direction of the spare seedling platform, the seedling placed on the seedling placing section is smoothly guided by the portion of the hollow part of the frame facing the center of the seedling placing section. According to the present invention, the portion of the hollow portion of the frame opposite the center of the seedling placing section is formed in an arc shape that protrudes toward the opposite side of the center of the seedling placing section when viewed in cross section, thereby ensuring the strength of the frame.

[0011] In the present invention, it is preferable that the seedling placing portion is a plurality of support rollers that are attached across one and the other flat plate portions and arranged in a row along the longitudinal direction of the frame so as to be rotatable around an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the frame.

[0012] According to the present invention, when the seedlings placed on the support rollers are moved along the longitudinal direction of the spare seedling tray, the seedlings can be moved smoothly by the rotation of the support rollers. According to the present invention, for example, when a mat-like seedling is rolled up into a roll and placed on a spare seedling tray, the rolled seedling can be placed, for example, by dropping it between adjacent support rollers, and the rolled seedling can be placed stably on the spare seedling tray.

[0013] In the present invention, the support roller is provided with a support shaft on which it is rotatably supported, and a bearing portion attached to one and the other flat plate portions and supporting one and the other portions of the support shaft, and it is preferable that the bearing portion has an attachment portion that is inserted into an opening formed in the flat plate portion, and an engagement portion that engages with the edge of the opening when the attachment portion is inserted into the opening, thereby preventing the attachment portion from falling off from the opening.

[0014] According to the present invention, when a support shaft supporting a support roller and a bearing portion supporting the support shaft are provided, when the mounting portion of the bearing portion is inserted into an opening made in the flat portion of the frame, the engagement portion of the bearing portion engages with the edge of the opening of the frame, and the bearing portion is attached to the flat portion of the frame. According to the present invention, as described above, the bearing portion can be easily attached to the flat plate portion of the frame, and the ease of assembling the spare seedling tray can be improved.

[0015] The spare seedling tray of the present invention comprises one frame, another frame, and a seedling placement section attached across the one and other frames and on which seedlings are placed and supported, the one and other frames each having a flat plate-like shape along the up-down direction in cross section and a flat plate section extending along the longitudinal direction of the seedling placement section in side view, and a hollow section having a width greater than that of the flat plate section in cross section, connected to the upper and lower parts of the flat plate section and extending along the longitudinal direction of the seedling placement section in side view, the seedling placement section being attached across the one and other flat plate sections, a portion of the hollow section facing the central portion of the seedling placement section being formed in a straight line along the up-down direction in cross section, and the central portion of the seedling placement section in the hollow section being formed in a straight line along the up-down direction in cross section. a portion of the seedling placement section opposite the one end of the plate portion is formed in an arc shape that juts out toward the opposite side from the center of the seedling placement section in a cross-sectional view, the seedling placement section is attached across one and the other of the plate portions so as to be rotatable around an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the frame, and is a plurality of support rollers arranged in a line along the longitudinal direction of the frame, the support rollers being rotatably supported by a support shaft, and a bearing portion attached to one and the other of the plate portions and supporting one and the other parts of the support shaft, the bearing portion having an attachment portion that is inserted into an opening opened in the plate portion, and an engagement portion that engages with an edge of the opening when the attachment portion is inserted into the opening to prevent the attachment portion from falling off from the opening, The bearing portion attached to the flat plate portion comes into contact with the hollow portion, thereby preventing the bearing portion from rotating around the axis. do.

[0016] According to the present invention, the one and other frames to which the seedling placement parts are attached have flat plate parts that are flat in the vertical direction in cross section, and hollow parts that are hollow and have a width larger than that of the flat plate parts in cross section and are connected to the flat plate parts. As a result, the flat plate parts and hollow parts of the frames ensure the strength of the frames in the vertical direction, and the hollow parts of the frames ensure the strength of the frames in the lateral direction. When attaching the seedling placing section across one and the other frames, it is easier to attach the seedling placing section to the flat portion of the frame than to the hollow portion of the frame, so the seedling placing section can be attached easily across the one and the other frames. As a result, according to the present invention, by providing the frame with a flat plate portion and a hollow portion, it is possible to obtain a spare seedling rest that makes it easy to attach the seedling placing portion to the frame and ensures the strength of the frame. According to the present invention, the upper hollow portion is connected to the upper part of the flat plate portion and the lower hollow portion is connected to the lower part of the flat plate portion in the frame, thereby improving the strength of the frame of the spare seedling support. When seedlings are placed on the seedling rest, the hollow portion of the frame that faces the center of the seedling rest often comes into contact with the seedlings on the seedling rest. According to the present invention, the portion of the hollow part of the frame facing the center of the seedling placing section is straight along the vertical direction when viewed in cross section, so that when the seedling placed on the seedling placing section is moved along the longitudinal direction of the spare seedling platform, the seedling placed on the seedling placing section is smoothly guided by the portion of the hollow part of the frame facing the center of the seedling placing section. According to the present invention, the portion of the hollow portion of the frame opposite the center of the seedling placing section is formed in an arc shape that protrudes toward the opposite side of the center of the seedling placing section when viewed in cross section, thereby ensuring the strength of the frame. According to the present invention, when the seedlings placed on the support rollers are moved along the longitudinal direction of the spare seedling tray, the seedlings can be moved smoothly by the rotation of the support rollers. According to the present invention, for example, when a mat-like seedling is rolled up into a roll and placed on a spare seedling tray, the rolled seedling can be placed, for example, by dropping it between adjacent support rollers, and the rolled seedling can be placed stably on the spare seedling tray. According to the present invention, when a support shaft supporting a support roller and a bearing portion supporting the support shaft are provided, when the mounting portion of the bearing portion is inserted into an opening made in the flat portion of the frame, the engagement portion of the bearing portion engages with the edge of the opening of the frame, and the bearing portion is attached to the flat portion of the frame. According to the present invention, as described above, the bearing portion can be easily attached to the flat plate portion of the frame, and the ease of assembling the spare seedling tray can be improved. According to the present invention, as described above, the bearing portion is attached to the flat portion (opening) of the frame, so that the bearing portion comes into contact with the hollow portion of the frame and prevents the bearing portion from rotating. Therefore, the hollow portion of the frame can also be used as an anti-rotation portion for the bearing portion, which is advantageous in terms of simplifying the structure.

[0017] According to the present invention, the flat portion and the hollow portion are connected in the frame, so that when the bearing portion is attached to the flat portion (opening) of the frame as described above, the bearing portion is close to the hollow portion of the frame, and the hollow portion of the frame can easily prevent the bearing portion from rotating.

[0018] In the present invention, it is preferable that a shaft insertion portion that supports the support shaft by inserting the support shaft is provided in the bearing portion, and a rotation prevention portion that stops rotation of the support shaft around the axis is provided in the shaft insertion portion.

[0019] According to the present invention, the support shaft is supported by the bearing by being inserted into the shaft insertion portion of the bearing, and a rotation prevention portion that prevents the support shaft from rotating is provided in the shaft insertion portion of the bearing. This gives the shaft insertion portion of the bearing a support function for the support shaft and a rotation prevention function, which is advantageous in terms of simplifying the structure.

[0020] In the present invention, it is preferable that the anti-rotation portion is a flat groove into which a flat portion at the end of the support shaft is inserted.

[0021] According to the present invention, the support shaft is prevented from rotating by inserting a flat-plate-shaped portion at the end of the support shaft into the groove (rotation prevention portion) of the bearing portion (shaft insertion portion). Since the rotation prevention portion of the bearing portion (shaft insertion portion) is simply configured by the groove, this is advantageous in terms of simplifying the structure.

[0022] In the present invention, it is preferable that the shaft insertion portion be provided with a positioning portion that determines a position of the support shaft in the axial direction by contacting an end of the support shaft.

[0023] According to the present invention, the support shaft is supported by the bearing by being inserted into the shaft insertion portion of the bearing, and a positioning portion that determines the axial position of the support shaft is provided in the shaft insertion portion of the bearing. This gives the shaft insertion portion of the bearing a function of supporting and positioning the support shaft, which is advantageous in terms of simplifying the structure.

[0024] In the present invention, it is preferable that the support roller is provided with a bearing attached to the outer surface of the support shaft, and a bearing holder which is divided into two and attached to the outer surface of the bearing, the support roller is formed in a cylindrical shape with one and the other ends open, the bearing is attached to the outer surface of the support shaft, the bearing holder is attached to the outer surface of the bearing, and the bearing holder is pressed into the end of the support roller, thereby the support roller is rotatably supported on the support shaft via the bearing and the bearing holder.

[0025] According to the present invention, with the bearing attached to the support shaft, the bearing holder is attached to the outer surface of the bearing and the bearing holder is pressed into the end of the support roller, so that the support roller is rotatably supported on the support shaft via the bearing and the bearing holder. According to the present invention, the bearing holder is constructed in two parts, and the two-part bearing holder can be easily attached to the outer surface of the bearing from outside the bearing, thereby improving the ease of assembly of the support roller and support shaft.

[0026] In the present invention, it is preferable that when the bearing holder is pressed into the end of the support roller, a convex portion is provided on the outer surface of the bearing holder which is pressed against the inner surface of the end of the support roller to reinforce the attachment of the bearing holder to the support roller, and that the convex portion is formed from a portion a predetermined length away from the end of the bearing holder opposite the insertion side into the support roller toward the insertion side into the support roller, toward the end of the bearing holder on the insertion side into the support roller.

[0027] According to the present invention, a convex portion is formed on the outer surface of the bearing holder, so that when the bearing holder is pressed into the end of the support roller as described above, the convex portion of the bearing holder is pressed firmly against the inner surface of the support roller, and the bearing holder is firmly attached to the support roller.

[0028] As described above, when a bearing holder having a protrusion formed on its outer surface is pressed into an end of a support roller, the protrusion of the bearing holder may be scraped by the end of the support roller, generating shavings, and when the pressing of the bearing holder into the end of the support roller is completed, the shavings may come out of the support roller.

[0029] According to the present invention, the outer surface of the bearing holder is not provided with a convex portion across the entire width of the bearing holder, but rather the convex portion is provided from a portion a predetermined length away from the end of the bearing holder opposite the insertion side into the support roller toward the insertion side into the support roller, and there is a portion near the end of the bearing holder opposite the insertion side into the support roller where no convex portion is provided.

[0030] According to the present invention, when the convex portion of the bearing holder is scraped off by the end of the support roller as the bearing holder is pressed into the end of the support roller, generating shavings, the convex portion of the bearing holder disappears shortly before the bearing holder is completely pressed into the end of the support roller, making it less likely that shavings will be generated. Even if the bearing holder is then further pressed into the end of the support roller, shavings are unlikely to be generated, so when the bearing holder is completely pressed into the end of the support roller, shavings are less likely to come out onto the outside of the support roller, which is advantageous in terms of improving the ease of assembly of the support roller and support shaft. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] This is a left side view of the support frame and the first, second, and third spare seedling trays. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a left side view of the first, second, and third spare seedling trays. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a plan view of the first spare seedling tray. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a left side view of the first spare seedling tray. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an oblique view of the frame of the spare seedling tray. [Figure 8] This is a left side view of the support frame and the frame of the first spare seedling tray. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is an exploded oblique view of the support rollers, one bearing portion, and frame of the spare seedling tray. [Figure 10] This is a vertical cross-sectional front view of the support rollers of the spare seedling tray, one of the bearing portions, and the frame. [Figure 11] This is a cross-sectional plan view of the support rollers, one bearing portion, and frame of the spare seedling tray. [Figure 12] A longitudinal front view of the support rollers of the spare seedling tray, the other bearing portion, and the frame. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a plan view of a second spare seedling tray. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a longitudinal side view of a second spare seedling tray. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a plan view of the third spare seedling tray. [Figure 16] A left side view of the third spare seedling tray. [Figure 17] This is an oblique view of the rear part of the left third spare seedling tray (working position) and the left front part of the step. [Figure 18] This is a vertical cross-sectional side view of the rear part of the right third spare seedling tray (working position) and the right front part of the step. [Figure 19] FIG. 11 is a left side view of the first, second and third spare seedling trays in the first alternative embodiment of the invention. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a left side view of the first, second and third spare seedling trays in a sixth alternative embodiment of the invention. [Figure 21] FIG. 13 is a left side view of the first, second and third spare seedling trays in a sixth alternative embodiment of the invention. [Figure 22] FIG. 13 is a left side view of the first, second and third spare seedling trays in a sixth alternative embodiment of the invention. [Figure 23]FIG. 13 is a left side view of the third spare seedling tray in the seventh alternative embodiment of the invention. [Figure 24] FIG. 23 is a left side view of the first, second and third spare seedling trays in a tenth alternative embodiment of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0032] Figures 1 to 24 show a riding rice transplanter equipped with a spare seedling tray, and in Figures 1 to 24, F indicates the forward direction, B indicates the backward direction, U indicates the upward direction, D indicates the downward direction, R indicates the right direction, and L indicates the left direction.

[0033] (Overall configuration of riding rice transplanter) As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a machine body 3 is supported by right and left front wheels 1 and right and left rear wheels 2, and a seedling planting device 4 for planting seedlings in the rice field surface is supported at the rear of the machine body 3 so that it can be raised and lowered.

[0034] A floor 5 is provided on the machine body 3, a step 6 is provided at the rear of the machine body 3 so as to be located at a higher position than the floor 5, and a driver's seat 7 is provided in front of the step 6. A fertilizer applicator 8 that supplies fertilizer to the rice field surface is provided at the rear of the step 6 so as to be located at a higher position than the step 6.

[0035] A bonnet 9 that houses an engine (not shown) is provided in front of the driver's seat 7 and in the center of the left and right front part of the floor 5, and a steering wheel 10 for steering the front wheels 1 is provided at the rear of the bonnet 9. Right and left frames 14 for handrails are connected to the body 3 and extend upward past the outer right and left sides of the step 6. A frame 15 is connected to the right and left frames 14 in the left-right direction.

[0036] (Configuration of the support frame that supports the spare seedling tray) 1 and 2, the right and left support frames 17 are connected to the right and left parts of the front lower part of the fuselage 3 and extend upwardly outwardly from the right front part and the left front part of the floor 5. A support frame 20 is connected across the upper parts of the right and left support frames 17 in the left-right direction.

[0037] The right and left support frames 16 are connected to the right and left parts of the front lower part of the fuselage 3 and extend upwardly on the laterally outer side of the right front part and the left front part of the floor 5, and the upper part of the support frame 16 is connected to the upper part of the support frame 17. The right and left support frames 18, 19 are connected to the right and left parts of the front lower part of the fuselage 3 and extend upwardly on the laterally outer side of the right front part and the left front part of the floor 5.

[0038] Right and left lights 27 that illuminate the front are attached to the support frame 16. Right and left spare seedling trays 24, on which one mat-shaped seedling can be placed, are attached to the upper parts of the support frames 16, 17. As described above, the support frames 16 to 20 are provided at the front of the body 3.

[0039] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, there are provided spare seedling trays 11 which are first spare seedling trays on the right and left, spare seedling trays 12 which are second spare seedling trays on the right and left, and spare seedling trays 13 which are third spare seedling trays on the right and left.

[0040] As described later in (Overall Configuration of the First Spare Seedlings Stand), the spare seedlings stand 11 is supported by support frames 16-20. As described below (Configuration for supporting the second spare seedling tray) (Configuration for supporting the third spare seedling tray), the spare seedling tray 12 is supported by the support frames 16-20 via the spare seedling tray 11, and the spare seedling tray 13 is supported by the support frames 16-20 via the spare seedling tray 11.

[0041] (Overall configuration of the first spare seedling tray) As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the spare seedling tray 11 has a right frame 21 which is one frame, a left frame 21 which is the other frame, a plurality of support rollers 31 which are seedling placing sections, right and left first fulcrum portions 41, right and left fulcrum portions 43, right and left first contact portions 51, a first horizontal frame 61 and a horizontal frame 63.

[0042] The right and left first fulcrum portions 41 are connected to the front end portion, which is the end portion in the front-rear direction of the frame 21, and the right and left first abutment portions 51 are connected to the first fulcrum portions 41, and the first abutment portions 51 are connected to the front end portion of the frame 21 via the first fulcrum portions 41. A first horizontal frame 61 is connected across the right and left first fulcrum portions 41, and the first horizontal frame 61 is connected to the front end portions of the right and left frames 21 via the first fulcrum portions 41 along the left-right direction.

[0043] The right and left fulcrum parts 43 are connected to the rear end part, which is the end part in the front-to-rear direction of the frame 21, and the horizontal frame 63 is connected across the right and left fulcrum parts 43, and the horizontal frame 63 is connected to the rear end part of the right and left frames 21 in the left-right direction via the fulcrum parts 43. The overall rigidity of the spare seedling tray 11 is ensured by the right and left frames 21, the first horizontal frame 61, and the horizontal frame 63.

[0044] A plurality of support rollers 31 are supported across the right and left frames 21 so as to be rotatable about an axis P1 along the left-right direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the frames 21.

[0045] The support rollers 31 are arranged side by side along the front-to-rear direction, and are supported by the right frame 21 and the left frame 21 at intervals from each other in the front-to-rear direction so that a gap C1 is formed between adjacent support rollers 31. The length (spacing) L1 in the front-to-rear direction of the gap C1, which is the distance between adjacent support rollers 31, is set to be larger than the outer diameter D1 of the support roller 31.

[0046] In the right and left spare seedling trays 11 configured as described above, in the right spare seedling tray 11, the right frame 21 is supported on the upper part of the support frames 18, 19, and the left frame 21 is supported on the support frames 16, 17. In the left spare seedling tray 11, the right frame 21 is supported on the support frames 16, 17, and the left frame 21 is supported on the upper part of the support frames 18, 19. In this way, the spare seedling tray 11 is supported by the support frames 16-20.

[0047] As shown in Fig. 4, the mat-like seedlings E rolled up into a roll and secured with strings, bands, or the like can be dropped into the gaps C1, C2, C3 between the adjacent support rollers 31, 32, 33. The roll-like seedlings E can be stacked between the roll-like seedlings E placed on the support rollers 31, 32, 33. As a result, the roll-like seedlings E are positioned by the right and left frames 21, 22, 23 and the adjacent support rollers 31, 32, 33 in the front and rear, and are stably placed on the spare seedling stands 11, 12, 13 without rolling.

[0048] (Frame configuration for the first spare seedling tray) As shown in FIGS. 7 to 10, the frame 21 is made of aluminum material, and is provided with a flat plate portion 28 and a hollow portion 29.

[0049] The flat plate portion 28 is flat and extends in the front-rear direction, which is the longitudinal direction of the frame 21 (seedling placement portion) in side view. The flat plate portion 28 has an opening 28a for attaching the support roller 31 and a long hole 28b that is a position adjustment portion and extends in the front-rear direction.

[0050] As described above in (Overall configuration of the first spare seedling tray), when the frame 21 is attached to the support frames 16-19, the bolts 30 (see Figs. 3 and 8) are passed through the long holes 28b of the flat plate portion 28, and the flat plate portion 28 is attached to the support frames 16-19. This makes it possible to adjust the attachment position of the spare seedling tray 11 on the support frames 16-19 in the front-rear direction by the long holes 28b of the flat plate portion 28.

[0051] The hollow portion 29 is hollow and has a width greater than that of the flat portion 28 when viewed in cross section, is connected to the upper and lower portions of the flat portion 28, and extends along the front-to-rear direction, which is the longitudinal direction of the frame 21 (seedling placement portion) when viewed from the side.

[0052] A portion 29a of the hollow portion 29 facing the center of the support roller 31 (seedling placing portion) is formed in a straight line along the vertical direction in cross section. A portion 29b of the hollow portion 29 opposite the center of the support roller 31 (seedling placing portion) is formed in an arc shape that juts out toward the opposite side of the center of the support roller 31 (seedling placing portion) in cross section, and the hollow portion 29 is formed in the shape of a quarter circle in cross section.

[0053] Due to the above configuration, the frame 21 has a vertically symmetrical shape, and the right and left frames 21 are identical. The right and left frames 21 are arranged so that the portions 29a of the hollow portions 29 of the right and left frames 21 face each other (so that they face the centers of the support rollers 31).

[0054] (Configuration of support rollers in the first spare seedling tray) 9 to 12, the support roller 31 is made of aluminum and formed into a cylindrical shape, with one and the other ends being open. A support shaft 34 for supporting the support roller 31, right and left bearings 35, and right and left bearing holders 36 are provided.

[0055] The support shaft 34 is made of a round pipe. A flat plate-shaped portion 34a is formed at one end of the support shaft 34, and the other end 34b of the support shaft 34 is cylindrical. A bearing 35 is attached to the outer surface of the support shaft 34 from the end 34b of the support shaft 34.

[0056] The bearing holder 36 is made of synthetic resin and is divided into two semi-ring shapes. It has a semi-cylindrical holder portion 36a, a plurality of protrusions 36b provided on the outer surface of the holder portion 36a, and a flange portion 36c provided at the end of the holder portion 36a.

[0057] In the bearing holder 36, the end of the convex portion 36b is located a predetermined length away from the flange portion 36c, which is the end of the bearing holder 36 opposite the insertion side into the support roller 31, toward the opposite side of the flange portion 36c, which is the insertion side into the support roller 31.

[0058] In the bearing holder 36, the convex portion 36b is formed from the aforementioned portion toward the end of the bearing holder 36 on the insertion side into the support roller 31. As a result, on the outer surface of the holder portion 36a of the bearing holder 36, a portion 36d where the convex portion 36b is not provided exists between the convex portion 36b and the flange portion 36c.

[0059] With the above configuration, holder portion 36a of the two-piece bearing holder 36 is attached to the outer surface of the bearing 35, and the bearing holder 36 is press-fitted into the end of the support roller 31. As the bearing holder 36 is press-fitted into the end of the support roller 31, convex portion 36b of the bearing holder is strongly pressed against the inner surface of the support roller 31 while being scraped by the end of the support roller 31.

[0060] Before the flange portion 36c of the bearing holder 36 reaches the end of the support roller 31 (shorterly before the bearing holder 36 is completely pressed into the end of the support roller 31), the portion 36d of the bearing holder 36 where the convex portion 36b is not provided reaches the end of the support roller 31, so that shavings are less likely to be generated.

[0061] When the flange portion 36c of the bearing holder 36 reaches the end of the support roller 31, the bearing holder 36 is completely press-fitted into the end of the support roller 31. As a result, the support roller 31 is rotatably supported on the support shaft 34 via the bearing 35 and the bearing holder 36.

[0062] (Configuration of support of support rollers in the first spare seedling stand) In the support roller 31 and support shaft 34 configured as described above (Configuration of the support rollers in the first spare seedling support bed), a bearing portion 37 is provided to support one part and the other part of the support shaft 34, as shown in Figures 9 to 12.

[0063] The bearing portion 37 is integrally formed from synthetic resin, and includes a main body portion 37a, a mounting portion 37b, an engagement portion 37c, a shaft insertion portion 37d, a groove portion 37e serving as a rotation prevention portion, a positioning portion 37f, and the like.

[0064] In the bearing portion 37, the main body portion 37a is formed in a square shape (rectangular shape) in a side view. The mounting portion 37b is formed in an octagonal shape (polygonal shape) in a side view and is attached to the main body portion 37a. A pair of claw-shaped engagement portions 37c are attached to the main body portion 37a so as to be located on both sides of the mounting portion 37b. A hole-shaped shaft insertion portion 37d is formed from the main body portion 37a to the mounting portion 37b, and a groove portion 37e and a positioning portion 37f are provided in the innermost part of the shaft insertion portion 37d.

[0065] In the frame 21 (flat plate portion 28 and hollow portion 29) and the bearing portion 37, the mounting portion 37b and the engaging portion 37c of the bearing portion 37 are inserted into the opening 28a of the flat plate portion 28. When the mounting portion 37b and the engaging portion 37c of the bearing portion 37 are inserted into the opening 28a of the flat plate portion 28 until the main body portion 37a of the bearing portion 37 comes into contact with the flat plate portion 28, the engaging portion 37c of the bearing portion 37 engages with the edge of the opening 28a of the flat plate portion 28, preventing the mounting portion 37b of the bearing portion 37 from falling off from the opening 28a of the flat plate portion 28.

[0066] At the same time, the main body 37a of the bearing part 37 fits between the upper and lower hollow parts 29, and the upper side of the main body 37a of the bearing part 37 comes into contact with the lower side of the upper hollow part 29, and the lower side of the main body 37a of the bearing part 37 comes into contact with the upper side of the lower hollow part 29, thereby preventing the bearing part 37 from rotating around the axis P1. As a result, the bearing part 37 is attached to the flat plate part 28 of the frame 21.

[0067] The flat portion 34a of the support shaft 34 is inserted into the shaft insertion portion 37d of the bearing portion 37 attached to one of the right and left frames 21, and then into the groove portion 37e of the bearing portion 37, so as to abut against the innermost portion of the groove portion 37e of the bearing portion 37. The end portion 34b of the support shaft 34 is inserted into the shaft insertion portion 37d of the bearing portion 37 attached to the other of the right and left frames 21, and abuts against the positioning portion 37f of the bearing portion 37.

[0068] As a result, one and the other portions of the support shaft 34 are supported by the bearing portions 37, and the support roller 31 is attached across the flat plate portions 28 of the right and left frames 21 so as to be rotatable around an axis P1 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the frames 21. The upper end portion of the support roller 31 is located lower than the upper end portion of the right frame 21 and the upper end portion of the left frame 21.

[0069] The groove 37e of the bearing portion 37 prevents rotation around the axis P1 of the support shaft 34. The groove 37e of one bearing portion 37 and the positioning portion 37f of the other bearing portion 37 determine the position of the support shaft 34 in the direction of the axis P1.

[0070] (Overall configuration of the second spare seedling tray) As shown in Figures 13 and 14, the spare seedling tray 12 has a right frame 22 which is one frame, a left frame 22 which is the other frame, a plurality of support rollers 32 which are seedling placing portions, right and left second fulcrum portions 42, right and left second contact portions 52, a front guide roller 38 which is a front guide member, a locking portion 39, a second horizontal frame 62 and a horizontal frame 64.

[0071] The right and left second fulcrum portions 42 are connected to the rear end portion, which is the end portion in the front-to-rear direction of the frame 22, and the right and left second abutment portions 52 are connected to the second fulcrum portions 42, and the second abutment portions 52 are connected to the rear end portion of the frame 22 via the second fulcrum portions 42. A second horizontal frame 62 is connected across the right and left second fulcrum portions 42, and the second horizontal frame 62 is connected to the rear end portions of the right and left frames 22 via the second fulcrum portions 42 in the left-right direction.

[0072] The right and left support parts 44 are connected to the front end parts, which are the ends of the frame 22 in the fore-and-aft direction, and the horizontal frame 64 is connected across the right and left support parts 44, and the horizontal frame 64 is connected to the front ends of the right and left frames 22 in the left-right direction via the support parts 44. A locking part 39 formed into a channel shape in a plan view is connected to the front part of one of the frames 22. The overall rigidity of the spare seedling tray 12 is ensured by the right and left frames 22, the second horizontal frame 62, and the horizontal frame 64.

[0073] In the spare seedling stand 12, the frame 22 has a flat plate portion 28 and upper and lower hollow portions 29, similar to the frame 21 of the spare seedling stand 11 (see the above (Frame configuration in the first spare seedling stand) and Figures 7 to 12). In this case, the frame 22 does not have the long hole 28b of the flat plate portion 28.

[0074] The spare seedling stand 12 is provided with the same support rollers 32 as the support rollers 31 of the spare seedling stand 11, and is provided with the support shafts 34, bearings 35, bearing holders 36, and bearing parts 37 described above in (Configuration of the support rollers in the first spare seedling stand) (Support configuration of the support rollers in the first spare seedling stand). As with the spare seedling stand 11, the support rollers 32 are attached across the flat plate parts 28 of the right and left frames 22 so as to be rotatable about the axis P2 along the left-right direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the frames 22.

[0075] (Configuration of the front guide roller in the second spare seedling tray) As shown in Figures 13 and 14, a front guide roller 38 having a length spanning the right and left frames 22 is supported across the upper parts of the right and left support portions 44 so as to be rotatable around axis P4, which is the front axis and is an axis along the left-right direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the frame 22.

[0076] The front guide roller 38 is provided at the front end of the spare seedling tray 12 so as to be positioned higher than the support roller 32 (seedling placement portion) and higher than the frame 22 (upper hollow portion 29).

[0077] (Positional relationship between the front guide roller and the support roller in the second spare seedling tray) As shown in Figures 13 and 14, the support rollers 32 are arranged in a line along the front-to-rear direction and are supported by the right frame 22 and the left frame 22 at intervals from each other in the front-to-rear direction so that a gap C2 is formed between the front guide roller 38 and the support rollers 32 and between adjacent support rollers 32.

[0078] Of the multiple support rollers 32, the length (spacing) L21 of the gap C2, which is the distance in the front-to-rear direction between the front guide roller 38 and the first support roller 32(1), is set to be sufficiently large in the first support roller 32(1) closest to the front guide roller 38 and the second support roller 32(2) adjacent to the rear side of the first support roller 32(1).

[0079] The length (spacing) L22 of the gap, which is the distance in the front-rear direction between the first support roller 32(1) and the second support roller 32(2), is set to be sufficiently small. As a result, the length (spacing) L22 is set to be smaller than the length (spacing) L21.

[0080] If we imagine an imaginary line K1 connecting the upper end of the front guide roller 38 and the upper end of the first support roller 32(1) in a side view, the imaginary line K1 overlaps with the second support roller 32(2) in a side view and is located above the axis P2 of the second support roller 32(2) in a side view.

[0081] In the third support roller 32(3), fourth support roller 32(4), and fifth support roller 32(5) adjacent to the rear side of the second support roller 32(2), the gap C2, which is the distance in the front-rear direction between the second support roller 32(2) and the third support roller 32(3), has a length (distance) L23. The gap C2, which is the distance in the front-rear direction between the third support roller 32(3) and the fourth support roller 32(4), has a length (distance) L24. The gap C2, which is the distance in the front-rear direction between the fourth support roller 32(4) and the fifth support roller 32(5), has a length (distance) L25.

[0082] Length (spacing) L23 is set to be greater than length (spacing) L22, length (spacing) L24 is set to be greater than length (spacing) L23, and length (spacing) L25 is set to be greater than length (spacing) L24, so that lengths (spacing) L22, L23, L24, and L25 are larger in that order.

[0083] The length (spacing) L21 is set to be larger than the lengths (spacing) L22, L23, L24, and L25, and the lengths (spacing) L21, L23, L24, and L25 are set to be larger than the outer diameter D2 of the support roller 32. The length (spacing) L22 is set to be approximately the same as the outer diameter D2 of the support roller 32 or slightly smaller than the outer diameter D2 of the support roller 32.

[0084] As a result, the lengths (spacing) L23, L24, and L25 of the gaps C2 of the support rollers 32(3), (4), and (5) other than the first support roller 32(1) and the second support roller 32(2) among the multiple support rollers 32 are set to be larger than the length (spacing) L22 of the gaps C2 of the first support roller 32(1) and the second support roller 32(2).

[0085] As described above (overall configuration of the first spare seedling tray) and shown in Figure 4, similar to the spare seedling tray 11, roll-shaped seedlings E can be placed by dropping them between the front guide roller 38 and the support roller 32 (gap C2), or between adjacent support rollers 32 (gap C2).

[0086] (Configuration regarding support of second spare seedling tray) As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the first fulcrum portion 41 of the spare seedling support 11 and the second fulcrum portion 42 of the spare seedling support 12 are swingably connected, and the spare seedling support 12 is swingably supported around the first support axis P11, which is a support axis along the left-right direction of the front part of the spare seedling support 11.

[0087] As a result, the front-to-back ends of the right frame 21 and the left frame 21 of the first spare seedling tray 11 and the front-to-back ends of the right frame 22 and the left frame 22 of the second spare seedling tray 12 are supported in a swingable manner around the first support axis P11, which is a support axis that runs along the left-right direction.

[0088] Since the spare seedling stand 12 is supported so as to be swingable around a first support axis P11 at the front of the spare seedling stand 11, the spare seedling stand 12 can be changed between a working position A11, which is a first working position in which the spare seedling stand 12 is extended forward from the front of the spare seedling stand 11 so as to be connected to the spare seedling stand 11, and a storage position A21, which is a first storage position in which the spare seedling stand 12 is folded upward from the front of the spare seedling stand 11.

[0089] When the spare seedling tray 12 is operated to the working posture A11, the first contact portion 51 of the spare seedling tray 11 and the second contact portion 52 of the spare seedling tray 12 abut against each other, thereby setting (maintaining) the spare seedling tray 12 to the working posture A11.

[0090] When no seedlings E are placed on the spare seedling tray 12 that has been operated to the working posture A11, the spare seedling tray 12 is set (maintained) in the working posture A11 by the abutment of the first contact portion 51 and the second contact portion 52. The first horizontal frame 61 (see FIG. 5) of the spare seedling tray 11 and the second horizontal frame 62 (see FIG. 13) of the spare seedling tray 12 are close to each other, but there is a slight gap between the first horizontal frame 61 and the second horizontal frame 62.

[0091] When seedlings E are placed on the spare seedling tray 12 operated to the working posture A11 and the spare seedling tray 12 tries to move downward, the first horizontal frame 61 and the second horizontal frame 62 come into contact with each other over substantially the entire length in the left-right direction. As a result, the contact between the first contact portion 51 and the second contact portion 52, and the contact between the first horizontal frame 61 and the second horizontal frame 62, stops the spare seedling tray 12 from moving downward, and the spare seedling tray 12 is set (maintained) in the working posture A11.

[0092] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the front holding portion 25 is provided on the support frame 16 at a portion extending upward from the spare seedling tray 11 and below the spare seedling tray 24 . The spare seedling tray 12 can be held in the storage position A21 by manipulating the spare seedling tray 12 to the storage position A21 and holding the locking portion 39 of the spare seedling tray 12 in the front holding portion 25. The spare seedling tray 12 can be operated to the working position A11 by releasing the holding of the front holding portion 25.

[0093] (Overall configuration of the third spare seedling tray) As shown in Figures 15 and 16, the spare seedling tray 13 has a right frame 23 which is one frame, a left frame 23 which is the other frame, a plurality of support rollers 33 which are the seedling placing portion, right and left fulcrum portions 45, right and left engagement portions 46, a locking portion 40, and horizontal frames 65, 66.

[0094] The right and left fulcrum parts 45 are connected to the front end parts, which are the ends of the frame 23 in the fore-and-aft direction, and the horizontal frame 65 is connected across the right and left fulcrum parts 45, and the horizontal frame 65 is connected to the front end parts of the right and left frames 23 along the left-right direction via the fulcrum parts 45.

[0095] The right and left engagement portions 46 are connected to the rear ends, which are the ends in the front-to-rear direction of the frame 23, and the horizontal frame 66 is connected across the right and left engagement portions 46, and the horizontal frame 66 is connected to the rear ends of the right and left frames 23 in the left-right direction via the engagement portions 46. The locking portion 40, which is formed into a channel shape in a plan view, is connected to the rear of one of the frames 23. The overall rigidity of the spare seedling tray 13 is ensured by the right and left frames 23, the horizontal frames 65 and the horizontal frames 66.

[0096] In the spare seedling stand 13, the frame 23 has a flat plate portion 28 and upper and lower hollow portions 29, similar to the frame 21 of the spare seedling stand 11 (see the above (Frame configuration in the first spare seedling stand) and Figures 7 to 12). In this case, the frame 23 does not have the long hole 28b in the flat plate portion 28.

[0097] The spare seedling stand 13 is equipped with the same support rollers 33 as the support rollers 31 of the spare seedling stand 11, and is equipped with the support shaft 34, bearing 35, bearing holder 36, and bearing portion 37 described above in (Configuration of the support rollers in the first spare seedling stand) (Support configuration of the support rollers in the first spare seedling stand). As with the spare seedling stand 11, the support rollers 33 are attached across the flat plate portions 28 of the right and left frames 23 so as to be rotatable around an axis P3 along the left-right direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the frames 23.

[0098] The support rollers 33 are arranged side by side along the front-rear direction, and are supported by the right frame 23 and the left frame 23 at intervals from each other in the front-rear direction so that a gap C3 is formed between adjacent support rollers 33. The length (spacing) L3 in the front-rear direction of the gap C3, which is the distance between adjacent support rollers 33, is set to be larger than the outer diameter D3 of the support rollers 33.

[0099] As described above (overall configuration of the first spare seedling tray) and shown in Figure 4, roll-shaped seedlings E can be placed by dropping them between adjacent support rollers 33 (gap C3), similar to the spare seedling tray 11.

[0100] (Configuration regarding support for the third spare seedling tray) As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the fulcrum portion 43 of the spare seedling stand 11 and the fulcrum portion 45 of the spare seedling stand 13 are swingably connected, and the spare seedling stand 13 is swingably supported around a second support axis P21 that runs along the left-right direction at the rear of the spare seedling stand 11.

[0101] As a result, the front-to-back ends of the right frame 21 and the left frame 21 of the first spare seedling stand 11 and the front-to-back ends of the right frame 23 and the left frame 23 of the third spare seedling stand 13 are supported so as to be swingable around the second support axis core P21 along the left-right direction.

[0102] Since the spare seedling stand 13 is supported so as to be swingable around the second support axis P21 at the rear of the spare seedling stand 11, the spare seedling stand 13 can be changed between a working position A12, which is a second working position in which the spare seedling stand 13 is extended rearward from the rear of the spare seedling stand 11 so as to be connected to the spare seedling stand 11, and a storage position A22, which is a second storage position in which the spare seedling stand 13 is folded upward from the rear of the spare seedling stand 11.

[0103] 17 and 18, round bar-shaped support frames 47 serving as supports are provided along the left-right direction at the front right and left parts of the step 6. When the spare seedling platform 13 is operated to the working posture A12, the lateral frames 66 of the spare seedling platform 13 are placed on the support frames 47, and the rear part of the spare seedling platform 13 is supported by the support frames 47. As a result, the front part of the spare seedling platform 13 is supported by the rear part of the spare seedling platform 11, and the rear part of the spare seedling platform 13 is supported by the step 6 (support frames 47).

[0104] When the spare seedling tray 13 is operated to the working posture A12, the support frame 47 enters between the rear end of the frame 23 and the engagement portion 46, and the engagement portion 46 engages with the support frame 47. As a result, the rear end of the frame 23 and the engagement portion 46 determine the position of the spare seedling tray 13 in the front-rear direction.

[0105] As described above (frame configuration of the first spare seedling tray) and as shown in Fig. 8, the attachment position of the spare seedling tray 11 on the support frames 16-19 can be adjusted in the front-rear direction. By adjusting the attachment position of the spare seedling tray 11 in the front-rear direction, the position of the spare seedling tray 13 in the working posture A12 can be adjusted in the front-rear direction.

[0106] As a result, as shown in Figures 17 and 18, when the spare seedling tray 13 is operated to the working posture A12, the support frame 47 can be set to fit between the rear end of the frame 23 and the engagement portion 46 without coming off, and the engagement portion 46 can be set to engage with the support frame 47 without coming off.

[0107] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the rear holding portion 26 is provided on the support frame 17 at a portion extending upward from the spare seedling tray 11 and below the spare seedling tray 24 . The spare seedling tray 13 can be held in the storage position A22 by manipulating the spare seedling tray 13 to the storage position A22 and holding the locking portion 40 of the spare seedling tray 13 in the rear holding portion 26. The spare seedling tray 13 can be operated to the working position A12 by releasing the holding of the rear holding portion 26.

[0108] (Configuration of the third spare seedling tray and fuel tank on the right) 2 and 18, the fuel tank 48 is disposed inside the right front part of the step 6 and is provided on the machine body 3, and a fuel filler port 48a of the fuel tank 48 protrudes upward through the opening 6a of the step 6. When the right spare seedling tray 13 is operated to the working posture A12, the fuel tank 48 (fuel filler port 48a) is located below the right spare seedling tray 13.

[0109] In the right spare seedling tray 13, a flat cover 49 serving as a protective part is connected to the horizontal frame 66 and extends forward below the support rollers 33. When the right spare seedling tray 13 is operated to the working posture A12, the cover 49 covers the upper part of the fuel tank 48 (fuel filler port 48a) and the upper part of the opening 6a of the step 6.

[0110] (Posture of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd spare seedling trays) As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the spare seedling tray 11 is set in a front-up position relative to the machine body 3, in which the front of the spare seedling tray 11 is higher than the rear of the spare seedling tray 11. When the spare seedling trays 12, 13 are operated to the working positions A11, A12, the spare seedling trays 12, 13 are set to a front-up position relative to the machine body 3 in which the front of the spare seedling trays 12, 13 is higher than the rear of the spare seedling trays 12, 13.

[0111] When the spare seedling tray 12 is operated to the storage position A21, the storage position A21 is set so that the angle B1 in a side view between the spare seedling tray 12 and the spare seedling tray 11 in the storage position A21 is smaller than a right angle. When the spare seedling tray 13 is operated to the storage position A22, the storage position A22 is set so that the angle B2 in a side view between the spare seedling tray 13 in the storage position A22 and the spare seedling tray 11 is smaller than a right angle.

[0112] The storage postures A21 and A22 are set so that the angle B2 is slightly smaller than the angle B1. As a result, the storage posture A21 is set to a posture that is more upright from the spare seedling tray 11 than the storage posture A22, and the storage posture A22 is set to a posture that is closer to the spare seedling tray 11 than the storage posture A21.

[0113] With the above configuration, at least one of the storage posture A21 and the storage posture A22 is set to a posture closer to the working posture A11 and the working posture A12 than the posture in which the spare seedling tray 12 and the spare seedling tray 13 are stacked on the spare seedling tray 11.

[0114] (First Alternative Embodiment of the Invention) As shown in Figure 19, when imaginary line K2 is assumed to extend in the front-to-back direction along the spare seedling platform 11 in a side view, the first fulcrum portion 41 and the second fulcrum portion 42, the first contact portion 51 and the second contact portion 52 may be configured so that when the spare seedling platform 12 is operated to the working position A11 and no seedlings E are placed on the spare seedling platform 12, the working position A11 of the spare seedling platform 12 is set to a position upward relative to the virtual line K2.

[0115] The front-to-rear length of the spare seedling tray 13 may be set to be shorter than the front-to-rear length of the spare seedling tray 12. With this configuration, when the spare seedling tray 13 is operated to the working posture A12, the rear part of the spare seedling tray 13 may not be supported by the support frame 47 (see Figures 17 and 18).

[0116] In this case, the spare seedling tray 13 may be configured to be set (maintained) in the working position A12 by the abutment of the fulcrum 43 of the spare seedling tray 11 and the fulcrum 45 of the spare seedling tray 13. The configuration relating to the first horizontal frame 61 and the second horizontal frame 62 described above (Configuration relating to supporting the second spare seedling tray) may also be adopted for the horizontal frame 63 of the spare seedling tray 11 (see Figure 5) and the horizontal frame 65 of the spare seedling tray 13 (see Figure 15).

[0117] In the above-mentioned configuration, the fulcrum portions 43, 45 may be configured so that, as shown in Figure 19, when the spare seedling tray 13 is operated into the working posture A12 and no seedlings E are placed on the spare seedling tray 13, the working posture A12 of the spare seedling tray 13 is set to a posture upward relative to the imaginary line K2.

[0118] (Second Alternative Embodiment of the Invention) The front-to-rear length of the spare seedling tray 12 may be set to be shorter than the front-to-rear length of the spare seedling tray 13. In this configuration, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the front end of the spare seedling tray 11 may be configured to be located at approximately the same position as the front end of the bonnet 9 and the front end of the floor 5 in the front-to-rear direction of the machine body 3.

[0119] (Third Alternative Embodiment of the Invention) As shown in Figure 3, the storage positions A21 and A22 may be set so that the angle B1 in a side view between the spare seedling tray 12 and the spare seedling tray 11 in the storage position A21, and the angle B2 in a side view between the spare seedling tray 13 and the spare seedling tray 11 in the storage position A22, are smaller than a right angle, and angle B1 is slightly smaller than angle B2.

[0120] The spare seedling tray 12 may be configured to assume a vertical position (a position parallel to the support frame 16) when the spare seedling tray 12 is operated to the storage position A21. In this configuration, the angle B1 is slightly larger than a right angle.

[0121] The spare seedling tray 13 may be configured to assume a vertical position (a position parallel to the support frame 17) when the spare seedling tray 13 is operated to the storage position A22. In this configuration, the angle B2 is slightly smaller than a right angle.

[0122] (Fourth Alternative Embodiment of the Invention) In Figure 3, when the spare seedling tray 12 is operated to the storage position A21, the spare seedling tray 12 is stacked above the spare seedling tray 11 throughout the entire tray, and when the spare seedling tray 13 is operated to the storage position A22, it may be configured to be in the position shown in Figure 3. In this configuration, the front holding portion 25 is eliminated, and the front-to-back length of the spare seedling tray 12 is set to be the same as the front-to-back length of the spare seedling tray 11, or slightly shorter than the front-to-back length of the spare seedling tray 11.

[0123] If the front holding section 25 is not eliminated but is left in place, the spare seedling tray 12 may be configured to have a storage position A21 in which it is held by the front holding section 25, and a position in which the spare seedling tray 12 is operated to the storage position A21 in which the entire spare seedling tray 12 is stacked above the spare seedling tray 11. In this configuration, the spare seedling tray 12 has two different storage positions A21.

[0124] (Fifth Alternative Embodiment of the Invention) In Figure 3, when the spare seedling tray 12 is operated to the storage position A21, the spare seedling tray 12 takes the position shown in Figure 3, and when the spare seedling tray 13 is operated to the storage position A22, the spare seedling tray 13 takes a position in which the entire spare seedling tray 13 is stacked above the spare seedling tray 11.

[0125] In this configuration, the rear holding portion 26 is eliminated, and the front-to-rear length of the spare seedling stand 13 may be set to be the same as the front-to-rear length of the spare seedling stand 11, or slightly shorter than the front-to-rear length of the spare seedling stand 11. When a worker gets on and off the floor 5 from the ground and from the floor 5 to the ground, the worker can hold onto both the frame 14 (see FIG. 1) and the support frame 17 as handrails.

[0126] If the rear holding section 26 is not eliminated but is left in place, the spare seedling tray 13 may be configured to have a storage position A22 in which it is held by the rear holding section 26, and a position in which the spare seedling tray 13 is operated to the storage position A22 in which the entire spare seedling tray 13 is stacked above the spare seedling tray 11. In this configuration, the spare seedling tray 13 has two different storage positions A22.

[0127] (Sixth Alternative Embodiment of the Invention) In Figure 3, when the spare seedling tray 13 is operated to the storage position A22, if the spare seedling tray 13 is configured to be stacked above the spare seedling tray 11 throughout the entire tray 13, the spare seedling tray 12 may be configured as described below.

[0128] 20, 21, and 22, a first support part 53, which is a front-rear support part, is provided at the front of the spare seedling tray 11 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction, and a second support part 54, which is a front-rear support part, is supported at the front of the first support part 53 so as to be swingable about an axis P5 along the left-right direction. The spare seedling tray 12 is supported at the front of the second support part 54 so as to be swingable about the first support axis P11.

[0129] The state shown in Figure 20 is a state in which the spare seedling tray 12 has been operated into the working posture A11, and the first support part 53 and the second support part 54 have been operated rearward (inward of the spare seedling tray 11) to a position where the rear of the spare seedling tray 12 contacts the front of the spare seedling tray 11.

[0130] As shown in Fig. 20, when the spare seedling stand 13 is operated to the storage position A22, the spare seedling stand 12, the first support part 53 and the second support part 54 are operated to move forward as shown in Fig. 21, and the position of the axis P5 is moved to a position forward of the front part of the spare seedling stand 11. Next, as shown in Fig. 22, the spare seedling stand 11 and the second support part 54 are operated to swing upward about the axis P5, and the position is changed to face upward relative to the spare seedling stand 11.

[0131] As a result of the above-mentioned operation, the position of the first support shaft core P11 becomes approximately the same as the upper surface of the spare seedling tray 13 in the storage position A22, or a position slightly higher than the upper surface of the spare seedling tray 13 in the storage position A22, so the spare seedling tray 12 is swung backward around the first support shaft core P11 to be placed in the storage position A21 in which the entire spare seedling tray 12 is stacked above the spare seedling tray 13.

[0132] (Seventh Alternative Embodiment of the Invention) In the above-mentioned (sixth embodiment of the invention), the first support part 53 may be provided at the rear of the spare seedling tray 11 so as to be movable in the front-to-rear direction, the second support part 54 may be supported at the rear of the first support part 53 so as to be swingable around an axis P5 along the left-to-right direction, and the spare seedling tray 13 may be supported at the rear of the second support part 54 so as to be swingable around the second support axis P21.

[0133] According to this configuration, the spare seedling tray 12 is operated to a storage position A21 in which the entire tray 12 is stacked above the spare seedling tray 11, and the spare seedling tray 13 is operated to a storage position A22 in which the entire tray 13 is stacked above the spare seedling tray 12 in the storage position A21.

[0134] (Eighth Alternative Embodiment of the Invention) As shown in Figure 23, in the spare seedling loading platform 13, right and left brackets 55 are provided on the right and left engagement portions 46, and a rear guide roller 50, which is a rear guide member having a length spanning the right and left frames 23, is configured to be supported across the right and left brackets 55 so as to be rotatable around axis P6, which is the rear axis, which is an axis along the left-right direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the frame 23.

[0135] As a result, the rear guide roller 50, which is rotatable about an axis P6 along the left-right direction, is provided at the rear end of the spare seedling platform 13 so as to be positioned higher than the support roller 33 (seedling placement portion).

[0136] (Ninth Alternative Embodiment of the Invention) Instead of the front guide roller 38 and the rear guide roller 50, the spare seedling trays 12, 13 may be provided with a fixed cylindrical member (not shown) that does not rotate, a flat front guide plate (not shown) set in an inclined position facing diagonally downward and rearward, or a flat rear guide plate (not shown) set in an inclined position facing diagonally downward and forward.

[0137] (Tenth Alternative Embodiment of the Invention) As shown in Figure 24, when placing roll-shaped seedlings E on the spare seedling stands 11, 12, and 13, the roll-shaped seedlings E may be stacked and placed in a seedling box 56, and this seedling box 56 may then be placed on the spare seedling stands 11, 12, and 13. In FIG. 24, one seedling box 56 is placed on each of the spare seedling trays 11, 12, 13, but the seedling boxes 56 loaded with roll-shaped seedlings E may be stacked vertically.

[0138] (Eleventh Alternative Embodiment of the Invention) The seedling placing section of the spare seedling tray 11 may be configured to include a mixture of support rollers 31 or support members (not shown) whose main function is to support the seedlings E, and support rollers 31 whose main function is to transport the seedlings E in the fore-and-aft direction. In this case, the support roller 31, whose main function is to support the seedlings E, may be configured as a fixed, non-rotating member. The support member may be configured as a fixed, non-rotating rod-shaped member or a long, thin, flat member. The above-mentioned configuration may be adopted for the spare seedling tray 12 and the spare seedling tray 13.

[0139] The spare seedling platform 11 may be configured such that fixed, non-rotating support rollers 31 and rotatable support rollers 31 are alternately arranged in the front-rear direction. In this case, the fixed support rollers 31 that do not rotate have a function of supporting the seedlings E, but have little or no function of transporting the seedlings E in the front-to-rear direction. The rotatable support rollers 31 have both a function of supporting the seedlings E and a function of transporting the seedlings E in the front-to-rear direction. The above-mentioned configuration may be adopted for the spare seedling tray 12 and the spare seedling tray 13.

[0140] (Twelfth Alternative Embodiment of the Invention) An ultrasonic or infrared type boarding / disembarking detection unit (not shown) may be provided so as to detect the boarding / disembarking actions of the worker from the ground to the floor 5 and from the floor 5 to the ground, and an electric motor (not shown) may be provided as a storage mechanism that drives the spare seedling tray 13 to oscillate around the second support axis P21.

[0141] In this way, when the spare seedling tray 13 is operated to the working position A12, and the boarding / disembarking detection unit detects the operator's boarding / disembarking actions from the ground to the floor 5 and from the floor 5 to the ground, the electric motor automatically operates the spare seedling tray 13 to the storage position A22 or a position in which it is stacked on the spare seedling tray 11 (storage position A22).

[0142] (Thirteenth embodiment of the invention) The frames 21, 22, 23 of the spare seedling trays 11, 12, 13 may be provided with a flat plate portion 28 and an upper hollow portion 29, and the lower hollow portion 29 may be eliminated. The frames 21, 22, 23 of the spare seedling trays 11, 12, 13 may be provided with a flat plate portion 28 and a lower hollow portion 29, and the upper hollow portion 29 may be eliminated. The cross-sectional shape of the hollow portion 29 may be formed into a circular shape instead of a quarter circle shape.

[0143] (14th Alternative Embodiment of the Invention) In the spare seedling trays 11, 12, 13, the support rollers 31, 32, 33 may be eliminated, and a flat member may be attached across the right and left frames 21, 22, 23 as a seedling placement section.

[0144] In the spare seedling tray 12, a support roller 32 may be used as the seedling placing section, and in the spare seedling trays 11, 13, the support rollers 31, 33 may be eliminated and a flat member may be attached across the right and left frames 21, 23 as the seedling placing section.

[0145] In the spare seedling tray 13, a support roller 33 may be used as the seedling placing section, and in the spare seedling trays 11, 12, the support rollers 31, 32 may be eliminated and a flat member may be attached across the right and left frames 21, 22 as the seedling placing section.

[0146] In the spare seedling trays 12, 13, support rollers 32, 33 may be used as seedling placing sections, and in the spare seedling tray 11, the support roller 31 may be eliminated and a flat member may be attached across the right and left frames 21 as the seedling placing section.

[0147] (15th Alternative Embodiment of the Invention) In the spare seedling trays 11, 12, and 13, the spare seedling trays 11 and 12 may be provided and the spare seedling tray 13 may be eliminated. In this configuration, the rear guide roller 50 may be provided at the rear end of the spare seedling tray 11.

[0148] In the spare seedling trays 11, 12, and 13, the spare seedling trays 11 and 13 may be provided and the spare seedling tray 12 may be eliminated. In this configuration, the front guide roller 38 may be provided at the front end of the spare seedling tray 11.

[0149] The spare seedling trays 11, 12, 13 may be connected to the spare seedling tray 11 in the working postures A11, A12 so that the spare seedling trays 12, 13 cannot be folded into the storage postures A21, A22. In this configuration, the spare seedling trays 11, 12, 13 may be supported by the support frames 16, 17 aligned vertically with vertical intervals between each other.

[0150] (16th Alternative Embodiment of the Invention) The spare seedling trays 11, 12, 13 may be separated from each other to form independent spare seedling trays 11, 12, 13. In this configuration, the spare seedling trays 11, 12, 13 may be supported by the support frames 16, 17 in a vertical line with vertical intervals between each other. In this configuration, a front guide roller 38 may be provided at the front end of each of the spare seedling trays 11, 12, 13, and a rear guide roller 50 may be provided at the rear end of each of the spare seedling trays 11, 12, 13. [Industrial Applicability]

[0151] The present invention can be applied not only to spare seedling trays used in riding rice transplanters, but also to spare seedling trays used in walk-behind rice transplanters, and also to spare seedling trays supported along the left-right direction at the rear of the machine body. [Explanation of symbols]

[0152] 21 Frame 22 Frames 23 Frame 28 Flat plate part 28a opening 29 Hollow part 29a part 29b part 31 Support roller (seedling placement section) 32 Support roller (seedling placement section) 33 Support roller (seedling placement section) 34 Support shaft 34a part 34b end 35 Bearings 36 Bearing holder 36b Convex part 37 Bearing 37b Mounting part 37c Engagement part 37d Shaft insertion part 37e Groove (anti-rotation part) 37f Positioning part P1 axis center P2 axis center P3 axis center

Claims

1. One frame, the other frame, A seedling placement section is attached across the one and other frames, and on which seedlings are placed and supported. The one and the other frames have a flat plate shape along the up-down direction in cross section, and a flat plate portion extending along the longitudinal direction of the seedling placement section in side view, and a hollow portion having a width larger than that of the flat plate portion in cross section, connected to the flat plate portion, and extending along the longitudinal direction of the seedling placement section in side view. A spare seedling tray in which the seedling placing portion is attached across one and the other flat plate portions.

2. The hollow portion is connected to an upper portion and a lower portion of the flat plate portion in a cross-sectional view, The portion of the hollow portion facing the center of the seedling placement portion is formed in a straight line along the vertical direction in cross-sectional view, A spare seedling rest as described in claim 1, wherein the portion of the hollow portion opposite the center of the seedling placing section is formed in an arc shape extending toward the opposite side of the center of the seedling placing section when viewed in cross section.

3. The seedling placing portion is a plurality of support rollers that are attached across one and the other flat plate portions and arranged in a line along the longitudinal direction of the frame so as to be rotatable around an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the frame.

4. A support shaft on which the support roller is rotatably supported; a bearing portion attached to the one and other flat plate portions and supporting the one and other portions of the support shaft, The spare seedling rest described in claim 3, wherein the bearing portion has an attachment portion that is inserted into an opening formed in the flat plate portion, and an engagement portion that engages with the edge of the opening when the attachment portion is inserted into the opening to prevent the attachment portion from falling off from the opening.

5. One frame, the other frame, A seedling placement section is attached across the one and other frames, and on which seedlings are placed and supported. The one and the other frames have a flat plate shape along the up-down direction in cross section, and a flat plate portion extending along the longitudinal direction of the seedling placement section in side view, and a hollow portion having a width larger than that of the flat plate portion in cross section, connected to the upper and lower parts of the flat plate portion, and extending along the longitudinal direction of the seedling placement section in side view. The seedling placement portion is attached across one and the other flat plate portions, The portion of the hollow portion facing the center of the seedling placement portion is formed in a straight line along the vertical direction in cross-sectional view, The portion of the hollow portion opposite the center of the seedling placement portion is formed in an arc shape extending toward the opposite side of the center of the seedling placement portion in a cross-sectional view, The seedling placement portion is attached across one and the other flat plate portions so as to be rotatable around an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the frame, and is a plurality of support rollers arranged in a line along the longitudinal direction of the frame; A support shaft on which the support roller is rotatably supported; a bearing portion attached to the one and other flat plate portions and supporting the one and other portions of the support shaft, the bearing portion has an attachment portion that is inserted into an opening formed in the flat plate portion, and an engagement portion that engages with an edge of the opening when the attachment portion is inserted into the opening to prevent the attachment portion from falling off from the opening, The bearing portion attached to the flat plate portion comes into contact with the hollow portion, thereby preventing the bearing portion from rotating around the axis. This is a spare seedling rest.

6. a shaft insertion portion into which the support shaft is inserted to support the support shaft is provided in the bearing portion; 6. The spare seedling tray according to claim 4, wherein a rotation stopper for stopping rotation of the support shaft about the axis is provided at the shaft insertion portion.

7. 7. The spare seedling tray according to claim 6, wherein the anti-rotation portion is a flat groove into which a flat portion at the end of the support shaft is inserted.

8. 8. The spare seedling tray according to claim 6 or 7, wherein a positioning portion for determining a position of the support shaft in the axial direction by contacting an end of the support shaft is provided on the shaft insertion portion.

9. a bearing attached to an outer surface of the support shaft; a bearing holder which is divided into two and attached to an outer surface of the bearing; The support roller is formed in a cylindrical shape with one and the other ends open, A spare seedling holder as described in any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein the bearing is attached to the outer surface of the support shaft, the bearing holder is attached to the outer surface of the bearing, and the bearing holder is pressed into the end of the support roller, such that the support roller is rotatably supported on the support shaft via the bearing and the bearing holder.

10. a protrusion is provided on an outer surface of the bearing holder to be pressed against an inner surface of the end of the support roller by press-fitting the bearing holder into the end of the support roller, and the protrusion reinforces the attachment of the bearing holder to the support roller; A spare seedling holder as described in claim 9, wherein the convex portion is formed from a portion a predetermined length away from the end of the bearing holder opposite the insertion side into the support roller toward the end of the bearing holder on the insertion side into the support roller.

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