Seedling transplanter

Abstract

To provide a seedling transplanter which can surely send seedlings dropped and supplied from a seedling storage body into a planting device.SOLUTION: There is provided a seedling transplanter in which a handover hopper which temporarily stores the seedlings dropped from a seedling storage body is provided in a vertical space between a position of the seedling storage body from which the seedlings are dropped in a seedling supply table and a planting device such that a left-right position thereof can be changed, an opening for dropping the seedlings to the planting device is formed on the bottom of the handover hopper, a shutter for closing the opening is arranged, and the shutter is opened / closed in an interlocked manner with the planting operation of the planting device by a planting operation mechanism.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transplanter for planting seedlings of vegetables or the like in a field. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a seedling transplanter capable of transplanting seedlings housed in a planting device into a field. Hereinafter, the seedling transplanter will also be simply referred to as the "machine."

[0003] The seedling transplanter disclosed in Patent Document 1 comprises a planting device (specifically a planting hopper) that plants seedlings in a field, a seedling supply table that drops the seedlings into the planting device and supplies them, and a traveling vehicle body that supports the seedling supply table.The traveling vehicle body is provided with a work seat where an operator can sit to make it easier to place seedlings into each seedling container (so-called cup) that moves around on the seedling supply table.

[0004] Each seedling container is moved around on a seedling supply table that is roughly elliptical when viewed from above, and when positioned above the planting device, the bottom of the seedling container is rotated open and the seedlings contained in the seedling container are dropped into the planting device through an opening formed at the top of the device.

[0005] The planting device is configured to repeat the planting action of rising and falling at regular intervals using a lifting link mechanism, and when the seedlings fall from the seedling container, it is positioned at the top dead center to receive the seedlings, and as it descends it is inserted into the soil of the field, and when it opens near the bottom dead center, the seedlings are planted. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-184951 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In this way, the planting device receives the seedlings when it is positioned at top dead center, but even when it is positioned at top dead center, there is a vertical gap between the planting device and the seedling container positioned above it.Therefore, if the slope of the field causes the machine to tilt significantly to the left or right, or if strong winds blow during planting work, the seedlings falling from the seedling container may not enter the opening of the planting device, and they may not be planted in the field.

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a seedling transplanter that can reliably feed seedlings dropped from a seedling container into a planting device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The object of the present invention is to a traveling vehicle body that travels on a field; A seedling supply table into which a plurality of seedling containers into which the seedlings are fed moves around; A plurality of planting devices are provided below the seedling supply table and plant the seedlings dropped from the seedling container into the field; A planting operation mechanism that performs a planting operation by lifting and lowering and opening and closing each of the planting devices; A seedling transplanter comprising an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the left and right positions of each of the planting devices, A transfer hopper for temporarily storing the seedlings dropped from the seedling container is provided between the seedling container where the seedlings are dropped on the seedling supply table and the planting device, and the transfer hopper is provided so that its position can be changed to the left and right. An opening is formed at the bottom of the transfer hopper to drop seedlings into the planting device, and a shutter is arranged to close the opening. This is achieved by the seedling transplanter, wherein the shutter is opened and closed in conjunction with the planting operation of the planting device by the planting operation mechanism.

[0010] According to the present invention, a transfer hopper is provided between the position of the seedling container into which the seedlings fall on the seedling supply table and the planting device, and the transfer hopper relays the seedlings that fall from the seedling container on the seedling supply table into the planting device, so that seedlings can be reliably supplied from the seedling container into the planting device even when the wind is strong or the machine is tilted significantly to the left or right, preventing planting errors.

[0011] In addition, according to the present invention, the shutter that closes the opening formed at the bottom of the transfer hopper is opened and closed in conjunction with the planting operation of the planting device, i.e., the lifting and opening and closing operations, thereby preventing multiple seedlings from being dropped and supplied to the planting device from the transfer hopper at the same time.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, A planting transmission case is provided to transmit power to the plurality of planting devices and the seedling supply table, The planting operation mechanism includes a lifting link mechanism that receives power from the planting transmission case and lifts and lowers the planting device, and an opening and closing mechanism that opens and closes the planting device, A non-circular cam forms part of the opening and closing mechanism, and an arm to which a cable that opens and closes the shutter is attached is biased to abut against the cam, which determines the timing for opening and closing the planting device.

[0013] According to this preferred embodiment of the present invention, an arm to which a cable that opens and closes the shutter is attached is biased so as to abut against a non-circular cam that determines the timing for opening and closing the planting device, so that the shutter can be opened and closed in conjunction with the planting operation of the planting device, thereby ensuring that the next seedling to be planted can be reliably inserted into the planting device.

[0014] Furthermore, according to this preferred embodiment of the present invention, the opening and closing of the shutter that closes the opening formed at the bottom of the transfer hopper is performed in conjunction with the opening and closing mechanism of the planting device, so that even if the row spacing or number of plants planted by the planting device is changed, the opening and closing of the shutter can be synchronized with the planting of the seedlings, thereby preventing poor planting of the seedlings.

[0015] In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, In the seedling supply table, the seedling containers are connected to each other endlessly and are configured to move in a circular motion by the driving force transmitted from the planting transmission case, Each seedling container has openings at the top and bottom, the upper opening having a larger diameter than the lower opening, and when connected to each other endlessly, the horizontal distance from the outer edge of the upper edge of the seedling container to the center point of the lower opening is longer than the horizontal distance from the inner edge of the upper edge of the seedling container to the center point of the lower opening.

[0016] In this preferred embodiment of the present invention, the horizontal distance from the outer edge of the upper rim to the center of the lower opening is longer than the horizontal distance from the inner edge of the upper rim to the center of the lower opening, thereby shortening the distance between the seedling container and the operator facing the seedling supply table, thereby making it easier to load seedlings into the seedling container and reducing the burden on the operator.

[0017] In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, In the seedling supply table, the seedling containers are connected to each other endlessly and are configured to move in a circular motion by a driving force transmitted from a planting transmission case, Each seedling container has openings at the top and bottom, the upper opening being larger in diameter than the lower opening, and when connected to each other endlessly, the outer edge of the upper edge of the seedling container is higher in height than the inner edge of the upper edge of the seedling container.

[0018] According to this preferred embodiment of the present invention, the seedling containers are connected to each other endlessly, and the outer edge of the upper edge, i.e., the end of the upper edge of the seedling container facing the operator, is higher in height than the inner edge of the upper edge, so that seedlings can be slid into the seedling container from near the outer edge, making it easy and reliable to insert the seedlings.

[0019] In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, a ridge end detection means for detecting when the traveling vehicle body has reached the end of the ridge; a bridge diode that full-wave rectifies the AC voltage of the AC power supply; a first notification means for notifying an operator when the ridge end detection means detects that the ridge has reached its end, the first notification means is configured to operate on power rectified by the bridge diode; the bridge diode is formed by combining a plurality of LEDs, which are second notification means for notifying an operator when the ridge end detection means detects that the ridge has reached its end, At least one of the plurality of LEDs is disposed on the seedling supply table.

[0020] According to this preferred embodiment of the present invention, a bridge diode that full-wave rectifies AC voltage is formed by combining multiple LEDs that indicate when the end of the ridge has been reached. This bridge diode has both the function of indicating when the end of the ridge has been reached and the function of rectifying voltage, thereby reducing the number of components and simplifying the circuit.

[0021] Furthermore, according to this preferred embodiment of the present invention, the AC voltage of the AC power supply can be full-wave rectified and converted into DC voltage using a bridge diode, thereby increasing the effective power and enabling the first notification means, which notifies that the traveling vehicle has reached the end of the ridge, to operate stably when powered on, thereby making it easier for the operator to know that the traveling vehicle has reached the end of the ridge.

[0022] In addition, according to this preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the LEDs forming the bridge diode is provided on the seedling supply table, making it easier for workers who place seedlings in the seedling containers on the seedling supply table to notice when they have reached the end of the ridge.

[0023] In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, A work seat on which an operator sits is provided in front of the seedling supply table, and the work seat is arranged so that the operator faces away from the traveling direction of the traveling vehicle body, At the rear of the machine, there is a control handle that the operator holds from outside the machine, and an operation panel for operating the machine. The first notification means is composed of a buzzer that notifies by sound and an LED that notifies by lighting up, and the LED and at least one LED among the plurality of LEDs are arranged in front of the seedling supply table, Other LEDs of the plurality of LEDs are arranged at the rear of the seedling supply table and on the operation panel.

[0024] According to this preferred embodiment of the present invention, power rectified by a bridge diode is sent to the buzzer and LED that constitute the first notification means and the multiple LEDs that constitute the second notification means, thereby preventing the buzzer sound from cutting out or becoming quieter, and preventing the LEDs from flashing or lighting up at low intensity, and preventing the operation noise of the seedling transplanter or sunlight from interfering with the notification that the end of the furrow has been reached.

[0025] Furthermore, according to this preferred embodiment of the present invention, an LED, which is one of the first notification means, and at least one of the multiple LEDs, which is the second notification means, are located at the front of the seedling supply table facing the operator seated in the work seat, making it easy for the operator to notice that the end of the ridge has been reached, even while he is putting seedlings into the seedling container of the seedling supply table. This prevents the traveling vehicle from continuing to travel after passing the end of the ridge, causing seedlings to fall onto the field or the vehicle to come into contact with the edge of the field.

[0026] In addition, according to this preferred embodiment of the present invention, a second notification means, an LED, is also located at the rear of the seedling supply table near the control handle that the operator holds from outside the machine, and on the operation panel.Therefore, the LED light is visible to an assistant near the control handle or an operator operating the operation panel 11 without boarding the machine, making it easy to know that the end of the furrow has been reached, even in bright daylight, thereby ensuring safety. [Effects of the Invention]

[0027] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a seedling transplanter that can reliably send seedlings dropped from a seedling container into a planting device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic right side view of a seedling transplanter according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic rear view of the seedling transplanter shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of the seedling transplanter shown in FIG. [Figure 4] Figure 4(a) is a left side view showing the vicinity of the travel transmission case and the front wheel arm when the seedling transplanter shown in Figure 1 is planting, and Figure 4(b) is a left side view showing the vicinity of the travel transmission case and the front wheel arm when the seedling transplanter is turning. [Figure 5] 5 is a schematic left side view of the vicinity of a pair of left and right planting devices of the seedling transplanter shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a schematic rear view of the vicinity of a pair of left and right planting devices of the seedling transplanter shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged view of the vicinity of the hopper opening / closing cam shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8(a) is a schematic rear view of the vicinity of the takeover hopper with the shutter closed, and FIG. 8(b) is a schematic rear view of the vicinity of the takeover hopper with the shutter open. [Figure 9]FIG. 9 is an enlarged side view of the vicinity of the work seat shown in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram showing a power supply circuit of the seedling transplanter shown in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement positions of the ridge end warning LED lamps provided on the seedling supply table of the seedling transplanter shown in FIG. [Figure 12] 12 is a schematic perspective view showing the vicinity of a starter knob of a recoil starter that starts the engine of the seedling transplanter shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic rear view showing the vicinity of a pressure wheel of a seedling transplanter according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a partially enlarged view showing the vicinity of the upper part of the crusher wheel frame supporting the crusher wheel shown in FIG. [Figure 15] 15(a) is an enlarged perspective view showing the angle adjustment mechanism of the crusher wheel shaft shown in FIG. 13, and FIG. 15(b) is an enlarged side view of the angle adjustment mechanism shown in FIG. 15(a). [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a schematic perspective view showing the vicinity of a pressure wheel of a seedling transplanter according to yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] Figure 17(a) is a schematic side view showing the state in which the outer periphery of the upper edge of the seedling container has been widened, Figure 17(b) is a schematic plan view of the seedling container shown in Figure 17(a), and Figure 17(c) is a schematic plan view of the vicinity of the seedling supply table showing the state in which the seedling containers shown in Figure 17(a) are connected to each other in a closed loop shape. [Figure 18] Figure 18(a) is a schematic side view showing the state in which the outer periphery of the upper edge of the seedling container is formed wide and high, Figure 18(b) is a schematic plan view of the seedling container shown in Figure 18(a), and Figure 18(c) is a schematic plan view of the vicinity of the seedling supply table showing the state in which the seedling containers shown in Figure 18(a) are connected to each other in a closed loop shape. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a schematic side view showing a state in which the rotation fulcrum of the work seat is disposed at a position below the center in the front-rear direction of the work seat. [Figure 20]FIG. 20 is a schematic perspective view showing a guide bar of a starter knob with an improved winding portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] FIG. 1 is a schematic right side view of a seedling transplanter 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] 2 is a schematic rear view of the seedling transplanter 1 shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of the seedling transplanter 1 shown in FIG.

[0032] In this specification, as shown by the arrow in Figure 1, the side in the direction of travel of the seedling transplanter 1 is referred to as the front (F), and unless otherwise specified, the left side in the direction of travel of the seedling transplanter 1 is referred to as the "left" ("L" in the drawing), and the opposite side is referred to as the "right" ("R" in the drawing).

[0033] The seedling transplanter 1 comprises a traveling vehicle body 2 that moves the machine forward, a pair of left and right planting devices 3 attached to the traveling vehicle body 2 and used to plant seedlings in the field, a seedling supply table 6 that supplies seedlings to the planting devices 3, a pair of left and right transfer hoppers 45 that relay seedlings supplied from the seedling supply table 6 to the pair of planting devices 3, and two pairs of left and right compacting wheels 90 that compact the soil around the seedlings planted by each planting device 3. The seedling transplanter 1 according to this embodiment has a two-row planting configuration with two planting devices 3 arranged side by side, but three or more rows may also be used. Hereinafter, the traveling vehicle body 2 will also be referred to simply as the "vehicle body."

[0034] The running vehicle body 2 is equipped with an engine 9 that drives the vehicle body 2, the planting device 3, and the seedling supply table 6, a transmission case 10 that changes the power of the engine 9, a pair of left and right rear wheels 14 and a pair of left and right front wheels 13 that are idle wheels (see Figure 3), which will be described in detail later, a planting transmission case 20 (see Figure 5) that branches and supplies power from the transmission case 10 (see Figure 3) to the planting device 3 and the seedling supply table 6, a work seat 18 on which the operator sits when dropping seedlings into the seedling supply table 6, and a handle frame 23 that extends rearward from near the planting transmission case 20.

[0035] The work seat 18 is disposed facing rearward at the front of the vehicle body 2. In other words, the work seat 18 disposed at the front of the vehicle body 2 is disposed so that the worker faces away from the traveling direction of the traveling vehicle body 2.

[0036] The power for driving output from the transmission case 10 is transmitted to a transmission mechanism in a pair of left and right driving transmission cases 16, and then transmitted to the rear wheel axles to rotate the rear wheels 14, thereby moving the vehicle body 2 forward. A tank holder 118 that supports a water tank 117 is provided in the driving transmission case 16.

[0037] The handle frame 23 is provided with a pair of left and right control handles 12 that are gripped from outside the machine body when moving the machine without planting seedlings, and an operation panel 11 located between the pair of control handles 12 (see Figure 2). "Holding from outside the machine body" as used here means that the handles are held by an operator who is not on board the machine body.

[0038] The operation panel 11 is used to operate the vehicle 1, and in this embodiment, the operation panel 11 is provided with a side clutch operation lever 24 (see Figure 1) that switches the transmission to the rear wheels 14 on and off, a throttle lever 26 that increases or decreases the output of the engine 9, a main speed change lever 27, a main clutch lever 17, and a vehicle height adjustment lever 25.

[0039] The vehicle height adjustment lever 25 is used to operate the extension and contraction of the lifting hydraulic cylinder 28 shown in FIG. 1, and can raise and lower the vehicle height of the traveling vehicle body 2.

[0040] Specifically, an arm 29 extending upward is integrally attached to the attachment portion of the travel transmission case 16 to the transmission case 10, and this arm 29 is connected to both the left and right sides of a connecting body attached to the tip of the piston rod of a lifting hydraulic cylinder 28 fixed to the transmission case 10.

[0041] When the lifting hydraulic cylinder 28 extends rearward, the left and right arms 29 rotate rearward, causing the rear portion of the travel transmission case 16 to rotate downward, thereby raising the vehicle height.

[0042] On the other hand, when the lifting hydraulic cylinder 28 contracts, the left and right arms 29 rotate forward, causing the rear portion of the travel transmission case 16 to rotate upward, thereby lowering the vehicle height.

[0043] As shown in Figure 3, a planting speed change lever 123 is provided on the right side of the machine body to change the seedling planting speed, i.e., the spacing between plants. The planting speed change lever 123 is supported by a spacing change cover 124.

[0044] In addition, at the rear of the machine body, a side step 121 that serves as a foothold during work, an inter-plant main speed change lever 120, and an inter-plant sub-speed change lever 119 are arranged.

[0045] Figure 4(a) is a left side view showing the vicinity of the travel transmission case and the front wheel arm when the seedling transplanter shown in Figure 1 is planting, and Figure 4(b) is a left side view showing the vicinity of the travel transmission case and the front wheel arm when the seedling transplanter is turning.

[0046] As shown in Figure 4(a), the travel transmission case 16 and the front wheel arm 38 (see also Figure 2) that supports the front wheel 13 are connected by a link mechanism 33 including multiple joints, and this link mechanism 33 is held in a contracted state by a cable 36 when the planting device 3 is traveling and planting. A spring 34 that urges the front wheel 13 and front wheel arm 38 upward is attached to the front of the link mechanism 33, and the cable 36 pulls the front wheel 13 and front wheel arm 38 in a direction that is opposite to the urging direction of the spring 34, i.e., downward.

[0047] When the operator turns the seedling transplanter 1 after the pair of planting devices has finished planting the seedlings in the furrows, the lifting hydraulic cylinder 28 is extended by operating the vehicle height adjustment lever 25, and the vehicle height rises to near its highest position. As shown in Figure 4(b), the cam mechanism 35, which operates in conjunction with the rotation of the travel transmission case 16, slides the rear of the cable 36 forward, loosening the cable 36. As a result, the link mechanism 33 extends straight forward, and at the same time, the spring 34 rotates the front wheel 13 and front wheel arm 38 upward (see solid line in Figure 4(b)).

[0048] In this way, when the vehicle height is raised by operating the vehicle height adjustment lever 25, the pair of front wheels 13 are automatically rotated upward, so that the pair of front wheels 13 can be easily raised to a position above the top surface of the ridge without having to press down heavily on the steering handle 12, making it easy to straddle the ridge and turn the machine 1. In addition, when the vehicle height is raised to near its highest position, the cable 36 slackens, allowing the forward tilt angle of the machine to be increased and the steering handle 12 to be pressed down easily.

[0049] In addition, the lifting hydraulic cylinder 28 is configured to automatically extend and retract to adjust the vehicle height in accordance with the detection results of the height position of the ridge surface by the ridge surface sensor 42 shown in Figure 1, thereby maintaining a constant planting depth of the seedlings by the pair of planting devices 3.

[0050] Figure 5 is a schematic left side view of the area near the pair of left and right planting devices 3 of the seedling transplanter 1 shown in Figure 1, and Figure 6 is a schematic rear view of the area near the pair of left and right planting devices 3 of the seedling transplanter 1 shown in Figure 1.

[0051] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, a transmission shaft 39 extends from the top of the planting transmission case 20, which receives power from the transmission case 10, to the seedling supply table 6 located above, driving the seedling supply table 6 and allowing multiple seedling containers 40 connected to the seedling supply table 6 in an endless (closed loop) shape to move in a circular motion.

[0052] Specifically, the circular movement mechanism for the seedling containers 40 is equipped with a sprocket that receives power from the transmission shaft 39, and the rotational drive of this sprocket causes each seedling container 40 to move circularly counterclockwise while connected to adjacent seedling containers 40 (see Figure 17, etc.).

[0053] Each seedling container 40 is cylindrical and has openings at the top and bottom, and a bottom lid that closes the lower opening is rotatably attached to the bottom of the cylindrical body.

[0054] The bottom lid of each seedling container 40 is normally held down from below by the frame of the seedling supply table 6 or the like and cannot be opened, so the seedlings placed in each seedling container 40 by the worker are held inside the seedling container 40, but only when each seedling container 40 is positioned above the corresponding planting device 3 during rotation does the bottom lid rotate downward and the seedlings inside the seedling container 40 fall out of the opening on the bottom of the seedling container 40. Each seedling container 40 corresponds to either the left or right planting device 3.

[0055] On the seedling supply table 6, the position of the seedling container 40 into which the seedlings fall (two positions where the bottom cover is rotated downward and opened while moving around) can be adjusted left and right by sliding the drop position adjustment plate 43 to match the seedling planting position in the left and right direction, i.e., the row spacing.

[0056] When adjusting the planting position of the seedlings in the left-right direction, in addition to the position of the seedling container 40 into which the seedlings fall as it moves around, it is necessary to adjust the left-right positions of the transfer hopper 45, which will be described in detail later, the left-right positions of the planting device 3 that plants the seedlings that fall from the transfer hopper 45 in the field, and the left-right positions of the compression wheel 90 so that they all match.

[0057] The seedlings that have fallen from the seedling container 40 are temporarily stored in the left and right transfer hoppers 45, and then supplied to the left and right planting devices 3 and planted in the field.

[0058] As shown in Figures 17(a) and 17(b), the seedling container 40 is configured so that the upper opening has a larger diameter than the lower opening 69, and as shown in Figure 17(c), when a plurality of seedling containers 40 are connected to each other in a closed loop (endless), the outer peripheral end A of the upper edge of each seedling container 40 (in other words, when connected to each other endlessly by the seedling supply table 6, the outer end of the upper edge of the seedling container 40 in the short diameter direction of the seedling supply table 6, which is approximately elliptical in plan view, The horizontal distance Ax from the inner peripheral end B of the upper edge of each seedling container 40 (part A) to the center point C of the lower opening 69 of the seedling container 40 when multiple seedling containers 40 are connected in a closed loop (endless) shape (in other words, when connected to each other endlessly by the seedling supply table 6, the part B of the upper edge of the seedling container 40 that is the inner end in the short diameter direction of the seedling supply table 6, which is approximately elliptical in plan view) to the center point C of the bottom of the seedling container 40 may be longer than the horizontal distance Bx from the inner peripheral end B of the upper edge of each seedling container 40 (in other words, when connected to each other endlessly by the seedling supply table 6, the part B of the upper edge of the seedling container 40 that is the inner end in the short diameter direction of the seedling supply table 6, which is approximately elliptical in plan view) to the center point C of the bottom of the seedling container 40.

[0059] This configuration allows the outer peripheral edge A of the upper edge of the seedling container 40 to be closer to the worker seated on the work seat 18, and when placing seedlings into each seedling container 40 on the seedling supply table 6 while seated, the worker can easily reach out near the outer peripheral edge A inside the seedling container 40 without having to bend forward, improving the worker's working posture. Seedlings placed near the outer peripheral edge A inside the seedling container 40 slide smoothly along the inner surface of the seedling container 40 and are stored inside the seedling container 40.

[0060] The seedling container 40 may also be configured so that the horizontal distance Ax from end A to the center point C of the opening 69 is longer than the horizontal distance Bx from end B to the center point C of the opening 69, and so that the height position of end A is higher than the height position of end B, as shown in Figure 18. In this case, the bottom of the seedling container 40 is closer to the operator, so that the operator can more easily slide the seedlings along the inner surface of the seedling container 40 while seated on the work seat 18.

[0061] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, a planting operation case 21 is connected to the side of the planting transmission case 20, and receives power from the planting transmission case 20 to move the planting device 3 up and down (raise and lower).

[0062] Each planting operation case 21 is provided with a lifting link mechanism 19 including an upper link arm 47 and a lower link arm 48 for raising and lowering the planting device 3, and an opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing the planting device 3 (more specifically, for opening and closing the planting hopper 62 of the planting device 3).

[0063] Specifically, the device includes a lifting drive shaft 51 that receives power from the planting transmission case 20 to move the planting device 3 up and down, an unequal circular lifting cam 50 attached to the lifting drive shaft 51, a lifting crank 52 that has one end attached to a rotating shaft that extends from the lifting cam 50 to the outside of the machine body and rotates the upper link arm 47 up and down, a connecting plate 53 that is attached to the other end of the lifting crank 52 and attached to the inside of the machine body of the upper link arm 47, a hopper opening / closing cam 46 that rotates with power from the planting transmission case 20 and has a non-circular (non-perfect circular) shape, and an opening / closing arm 64 that has an opening / closing wire 63 attached to its upper end that opens and closes the planting device 3. Hereinafter, the mechanism that causes the planting device 3 to perform the planting operation, i.e., the lifting link mechanism 19 and the opening / closing mechanism that raise and lower the planting device 3 and open and close it, will be collectively referred to as the "planting operation mechanism."

[0064] When the lifting drive shaft 51 is rotated by the power transmitted from the planting transmission case 20, the lifting link mechanism 19 is activated, and the planting device 3 is raised and lowered. Specifically, the rotation of the lifting drive shaft 51 drives the lifting cam 50, the lifting crank 52, and the connecting plate 53, and the upper link arm 47 and the lower link arm 48 are repeatedly rotated upward and downward toward the rear. As a result, the planting device 3 is raised and lowered.

[0065] The lower link arm 48 rotates up and down in conjunction with the upper link arm 47, and the lower end of an opening / closing arm 64 is rotatably attached to the front end of the lower link arm 48.

[0066] The front end of the upper link arm 47 is attached to the hopper opening / closing cam 46 via an adjustment plate 54, and its attachment position is set to a position in the static trajectory of the planting device 3 such that the planting device 3 changes from a backward-leaning position to a position approximately perpendicular to the field surface between receiving seedlings from the transfer hopper 45 and heading towards the bottom dead point, and also changes from a nearly vertical position to a forward-leaning position when it begins to rise from the bottom dead point.

[0067] In FIG. 5, the front portion of the upper link arm 47 is omitted in order to expose the hopper opening / closing cam 46, which has a non-circular vertical cross section.

[0068] The rear end of the upper link arm 47 and the rear end of the lower link arm 48 are connected by a link holder 55, and a row-to-row adjusting plate 56 is fixed to the rear of this link holder 55.

[0069] As shown in Figure 6, a slot 57 is formed in the row-spacing adjustment plate 56, and a hopper holder 58 that supports the planting device 3 is fixed to the slot 57 using a fastening member 59 shown in Figure 5. As shown in Figure 6, the slot 57 extends in the left-right direction, so the left-right position of the planting device 3 can be adjusted by changing the left-right position of the hopper holder 58 within the range of the slot 57 to match the row spacing. Note that Figure 2 shows the planting device 3 moved to the right end.

[0070] Each of the left and right planting devices 3 is equipped with a planting hopper 62 having a pair of left and right hopper components 60 that are inserted into the field, a seedling guide 61 that guides seedlings that fall from the transfer hopper 45 into the pair of hopper components 60, a rotating support shaft 66 for the pair of hopper components 60, and a pair of rotating arms 67 attached to each rotating support shaft 66, and as the pair of upper and lower link arms 47, 48 move up and down, the planting hopper 62 repeats the action of rising to a position directly below the transfer hopper 45, descending to a position where it is inserted into the furrow, and then rising to a position directly below the transfer hopper.

[0071] Here, one end of the planting hopper opening / closing wire 63 is attached to the upper end of the opening / closing arm 64 shown in Figure 5, and the other end of the planting hopper opening / closing wire 63 is attached to a pivoting arm 67 as shown in Figure 6.

[0072] A contact roller 65 is provided on the opening / closing arm 64, and when the outer surface of the large diameter part of the hopper opening / closing cam 46, which rotates due to the driving force received from the planting transmission case 20, comes into contact with this contact roller 65, the opening / closing arm 64 is rotated forward around the pivot point 70, the planting hopper opening / closing wire 63 is pulled, and the planting hopper 62 is closed.

[0073] Furthermore, when the outer peripheral surface of the large diameter portion of the hopper opening / closing cam 46 is no longer in contact with the contact roller 65, the opening / closing arm 64 is rotated rearward, the planting hopper opening / closing wire 63 is loosened, and the planting hopper 62 is opened. The opening and closing operation of the planting hopper 62 by the planting hopper opening / closing wire 63 is performed in conjunction with the lifting and lowering operation (up and down movement) of the planting hopper 62 that accompanies the up and down movement (up and down rotation) of the pair of upper and lower link arms 47, 48.

[0074] Specifically, from the time when the planting hopper 62 receives the seedlings from the takeover hopper 45, descends, and inserts them into the furrows in the field, until it passes the bottom dead center and begins to rise, the planting hopper 62 is open and the seedlings are planted in the furrows, and from the time when it begins to rise after the seedlings are planted, until it receives the seedlings from the takeover hopper 45, descends again, and inserts them into the furrows, the planting hopper 62 is closed, and the seedlings received from the takeover hopper 45 are held inside the planting hopper 62. The shape of the hopper opening / closing cam 46 corresponds to the opening / closing and lifting operations described above, and the hopper opening / closing cam 46 is a cam that determines the timing for opening and closing the planting hopper 62.

[0075] On the other hand, each transfer hopper 45 is located above each planting device 3 and below the position of each seedling container 40 where the seedlings fall on the seedling supply table 6 (in other words, the position where the bottom lid of the seedling container 40 is opened while it moves around), and is cylindrical.

[0076] An opening is formed at the top of each transfer hopper 45 to receive seedlings that are dropped from the seedling storage body 40 of the seedling supply table 6, and an opening is formed at the bottom of the transfer hopper 45 to drop the seedlings into the planting device 3.

[0077] As shown in Figure 6, a shutter 49 is provided at the bottom of each transfer hopper 45 to open and close an opening formed at the bottom, and when closed, receives seedlings dropped from the seedling container 40. The shutter 49 swings around the edge of the bottom of the transfer hopper 45 as a fulcrum to open and close.

[0078] In this embodiment, the shutter 49 is swingably attached to the right edge of the bottom of the transfer hopper 45 by a hinge 76 shown in Figure 8. The opening and closing mechanism of each shutter 49 will be described below.

[0079] FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged view of the vicinity of the hopper opening / closing cam 46 shown in FIG.

[0080] Also, Figure 8(a) is a schematic rear view of the vicinity of the transfer hopper 45 showing the shutter 49 in a closed state, and Figure 8(b) is a schematic rear view of the vicinity of the transfer hopper 45 showing the shutter 49 in an open state.

[0081] In FIG. 7, the pair of upper and lower link arms 47, 48 and the like are omitted in order to expose the vicinity of the hopper opening / closing cam 46.

[0082] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, a shutter opening / closing arm 71 is rotatably attached to a rotation fulcrum 70 of the lower link arm 48.

[0083] The shutter opening / closing arm 71 is biased by the biasing force of a spring (not shown) so as to rotate rearward and upward, and a protrusion 72 formed at the rear of the shutter opening / closing arm 71 is always in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the hopper opening / closing cam 46. One end of a shutter opening / closing cable 73 is attached to the rear end of the shutter opening / closing arm 71, and the other end of the shutter opening / closing cable 73 is attached from above to the edge of the shutter 49 (see Figure 8).

[0084] While the hopper opening / closing cam 46 rotates and the projection 72 of the shutter opening / closing arm 71 abuts against the outer circumferential surface of the large diameter portion of the hopper opening / closing cam 46, the shutter 49 closes the bottom of the transfer hopper 45 (see Figure 8(a)). At this time, seedlings fall from the seedling container 40 and are temporarily stored in the transfer hopper 45.

[0085] Then, as the rotation of the hopper opening / closing cam 46 continues and the convex portion 72 of the shutter opening / closing arm 71 abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 74 of the hopper opening / closing cam 46 (in other words, when the small diameter portion of the hopper opening / closing cam 46 rotates to a position diagonally downward and behind where it abuts against the convex portion 72), the shutter opening / closing arm 71 is rotated upward and rearward.

[0086] As a result, as the shutter opening / closing cable 73 is pulled, the right edge of the shutter 49 is pulled upward, as shown in Figure 8(b), and the shutter 49 is swung open around the bottom edge of the transfer hopper 45 as a fulcrum, causing the seedlings contained in the transfer hopper 45 to drop into the planting device 3.

[0087] Thereafter, when the hopper opening / closing cam 46 rotates and the convex portion 72 of the shutter opening / closing arm 71 again abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the large diameter portion of the hopper opening / closing cam 46, the shutter opening / closing arm 71 is rotated rearward and downward, and the end of the shutter opening / closing cable 73 attached to the shutter 49 extends downward, closing the shutter 49. Note that a separate spring may be used to close the shutter 49, and in this case, when opening the shutter 49, the shutter opening / closing cable 73 must be pulled with a force greater than the biasing force of the spring.

[0088] As described above, the shutter 49 is repeatedly opened and closed as the hopper opening / closing cam 46 rotates, which determines the timing for opening and closing the planting hopper 62. This opening and closing operation of the shutter 49 is performed in conjunction with the planting operation of the planting device 3, but is also performed in conjunction with the dropping supply of seedlings from the seedling storage body 40 of the seedling supply table 6, which also receives power from the planting transmission case 20.

[0089] Specifically, when seedlings fall from the seedling container 40 on the seedling supply table 6, the shutter 49 of the transfer hopper 45 located below it is closed. When the planting device 3 is positioned near the top dead center, the shutter 49 is opened, and the seedlings are dropped into the planting device 3. The opened shutter 49 is then closed until the next time seedlings fall from the seedling container 40. When seedlings are dropped into the planting device 3, the planting device 3 is closed (more specifically, the planting hopper 62 of the planting device 3 is closed), and the seedlings are accommodated in the planting device 3. The planting device 3 is then lowered and inserted into the furrow in the field, where it is opened. After the seedlings are planted, the planting device 3 is raised and closed. At this time, the seedlings that fell from the seedling container 40 are accommodated in the transfer hopper 45, and when the planting device 3 is again positioned near the top dead center, the shutter 49 is opened, and the seedlings are dropped into the planting device 3. By repeating the above steps, seedlings are planted continuously and reliably in the furrows of the field.

[0090] In this embodiment, transfer hoppers 45 are placed above and below each of the two positions (two locations) of the seedling container 40 where the seedlings fall as the container 40 moves around, and each of the two planting devices 3. Seedlings that fall from the seedling container 40 on the seedling supply table 6 are temporarily stored in the transfer hopper 45 located below it, and when each planting device 3 is near its top dead center, the shutter 49 is opened and the seedlings are supplied from each transfer hopper 45 to the planting device 3 located directly below it.

[0091] Therefore, even when the wind is strong or the machine body tilts significantly to the left or right, it is possible to prevent mistakes in supplying seedlings from the seedling container 40 into which the worker has put seedlings on the seedling supply table 6 to each planting device 3, and to prevent the occurrence of areas where seedlings are not planted.

[0092] The left and right planting devices 3 are alternately lowered and raised, and seedlings are alternately planted, so the timing at which the shutters 49 are opened and closed is different between the left and right transfer hoppers 45. In other words, the hopper opening and closing cams 46 provided on the left and right planting operation cases 21 have different rotation phases.

[0093] In this embodiment, the left and right transfer hoppers 45 are fixed to the drop position adjustment plate 43 of the seedling supply table 6 using bolts, and the left and right positions of the left and right transfer hoppers 45 and the shutter 49 can be changed by changing the fastening holes into which the bolts are inserted from among the multiple fastening holes formed in the drop position adjustment plate 43. However, it is also possible to form elongated holes extending in the left and right direction in the drop position adjustment plate 43, and to configure the left and right positions at which the left and right transfer hoppers 45 are fixed using bolts so that they can be arbitrarily adjusted. Note that in Figure 6, the transfer hoppers 45 and shutters 49 after their positions have been changed are shown by dashed lines.

[0094] In this way, by making it possible to change the left and right positions of each of the left and right transfer hoppers 45, the left and right positions of each transfer hopper 45 can be adjusted to match the drop position of the seedling container 40 in the left and right direction and the position of the planting device 3 when changing the row spacing for planting.

[0095] Furthermore, if the upper opening of each transfer hopper 45 is made wide in the left-right direction, when adjusting the planting position, it is no longer necessary to adjust the left-right position of the seedling container 40 into which the seedlings fall by sliding the drop position adjustment plate 43, and the planting position can be adjusted simply by adjusting the left-right positions of the transfer hopper 45 and planting device 3.

[0096] The soil around the seedlings planted by the pair of left and right planting devices 3 is compressed as the two pairs of left and right compression wheels 90 rotate on the top surface of the ridges as the traveling body 2 moves forward.

[0097] The crushing wheels 90 are fixed to crushing arms 91 (see Figure 1) formed by bending a single rod into a roughly J-shape in plan view, and the crushing arms 91 are attached to the rear of the vehicle body 2 so as to be able to rotate freely up and down. An upwardly extending avoidance portion 92 is formed at the rear of the crushing arms 91, and this avoidance portion 92 creates a gap between each pair of crushing wheels 90. The left and right positions of the gaps between each pair of crushing wheels 90 coincide with the left and right positions of the planting hopper 62, so the crushing wheels 90 pass on the left and right of the planted seedlings, preventing contact between the seedlings and the crushing wheels 90.

[0098] 9 is an enlarged side view of the vicinity of the work seat 18 shown in FIG.

[0099] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, a ridge end detection sensor 30 having a ridge contact ground roller 32 is provided at the front of the traveling vehicle body 2. The ridge end detection sensor 30 is supported by a ridge end detection stay 31 and rotates downward due to the biasing force of a ground contact spring 37 and its own weight, making contact with the ridge surface during planting. When the traveling vehicle body 2 reaches the end of the ridge and no longer makes contact with the ground, it rotates further downward to detect the end of the ridge. The ridge end detection sensor 30 is an example of the "ridge end detection means" of the present invention.

[0100] When the end of the ridge is detected, the seedling transplanter 1 is configured to notify the operator by a buzzer sound and a lamp (see FIG. 10).

[0101] When the ridge end detection sensor 30 detects the end of the ridge and the traveling vehicle body 2 continues to move forward, and the ridge surface sensor 42 passes the ridge end and no longer touches the ground, the control unit of the seedling transplanter 1 is configured to automatically stop the engine 9, which prevents overrunning. The safety mechanism that automatically stops the engine 9 operates on the condition that the seat sensor detects that someone is sitting on the work seat 18.

[0102] In conventional seedling transplanters, the work seat is designed to be rotatable around a fulcrum located at the lower rear of the seat (in this case, "rear" refers to the seedling supply table side, the side the operator faces), and the seating sensor is located below the center of the work seat in the front-to-back direction.Therefore, when a small operator sits in a leaning forward position (leaning forward toward the seedling supply table), the work seat does not rotate fully forward and downward, and as a result, there is a risk that the seating sensor will not detect that the operator is seated, and the above-mentioned safety mechanism will not operate.

[0103] In consideration of this situation, in this embodiment, the cushioning rubber 78 that was placed in front of and below the seat in conventional seedling transplanters is placed behind and below the work seat 18, as shown in Figure 9, and the pivot point 77 of the work seat 18 is placed in front of and below the seat (in this case, "front" means behind the worker who is seated facing the rear of the machine body).

[0104] Therefore, even if the worker sits leaning forward (leaning forward toward the seedling supply table), the work seat 18 is reliably rotated to the full extent, and the seating sensor 79 located below the approximate center in the fore-and-aft direction of the work seat 18 can reliably detect that the worker is sitting. The fore-and-aft position of the rotation fulcrum 77 can be changed by changing the hole into which the pin is inserted.

[0105] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 19, even if the rear portion of the seat stay 81 supporting the work seat 18 is made short and the pivot point 77 and seating sensor 79 of the work seat 18 are located directly above the upper end of the seat frame 80 supporting the seat stay 81 and below the center of the work seat 18 in the fore-and-aft direction, it is possible to reliably detect whether the worker is seated.

[0106] Figure 10 is a circuit diagram showing the power supply circuit of the seedling transplanter 1 shown in Figure 1, and Figure 11 is a schematic plan view showing the placement positions of each ridge end warning LED lamp provided on the seedling supply table 6 of the seedling transplanter 1 shown in Figure 1.

[0107] The power supply to the machine, which consists of the engine's lighting coil wire, is AC, and the ridge end warning buzzer, which alerts the operator by sound when the ridge end detection sensor detects the end of the ridge, and the ridge end warning LED lamp, which alerts the operator by light, are AC, so in conventional seedling transplanters, only half-wave rectification was used, which meant that the buzzer sound and the light intensity of the ridge end warning LED lamp were unstable. Specifically, the buzzer sound would cut out or become quieter, and the ridge end warning LED lamp would sometimes flicker or light up at low intensity.

[0108] In consideration of this situation, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 10, a bridge diode 88 formed by combining four ridge end warning LED lamps 84 to 87 is arranged in the power circuit of the ridge end warning buzzer 82 and the main ridge end warning LED lamp 83.When the ridge end detection sensor 30 detects the end of the ridge, as shown in Figure 10, current is passed through the bridge diode 88, which is configured to full-wave rectify the AC voltage of the AC power supply consisting of the lighting coil wire of the engine 9.

[0109] The power (voltage and current) full-wave rectified by the bridge diode 88 is supplied to and drives the ridge end warning buzzer 82 and main ridge end warning LED lamp 83, which are examples of the first warning means of the present invention, and therefore the effective power supplied to the ridge end warning buzzer 82 and main ridge end warning LED lamp 83 increases, improving and stabilizing the volume of the buzzer sound of the ridge end warning buzzer 82 and the illuminance of the main ridge end warning LED lamp 83.

[0110] Of the four ridge end warning LED lamps 84 to 87 that form a bridge diode 88, two ridge end warning LED lamps 84, 85 are arranged at a distance from each other on the left and right at the rear of the seedling supply table 6 (see Figure 11), and one ridge end warning LED lamp 86 is provided on the operation panel 11 located at the rear of the machine body (see Figure 2), and the remaining one ridge end warning LED lamp 87 and the main ridge end warning LED lamp 83 are arranged side by side at the front of the seedling supply table 6.

[0111] Therefore, the light from the four ridge end warning LED lamps 83 to 85 and 87 is noticeable to the worker sitting in the work seat 18, and the light from the ridge end warning LED lamp 86 is also noticeable to an assistant near the control handle 12 or a worker operating the operation panel 11 without being on the machine, making it easy to know when the ridge end has been reached, thereby ensuring safety.

[0112] It is desirable to place one or more of the four ridge end warning LED lamps 84 to 87 forming a bridge diode 88 at the front of the seedling supply table 6 (towards the work seat 18) and one or more at the rear of the seedling supply table 6 (towards the operating handle 12), but all four ridge end warning LED lamps 84 to 87 may be placed in a row on the seedling supply table 6, or one to three ridge end warning LED lamps 84, 85, 86 or 87 may be placed on the seedling supply table 6. The four ridge end warning LED lamps 84 to 87 correspond to the "second notification means" of the present invention.

[0113] FIG. 12 is a schematic perspective view showing the vicinity of the starter knob of the recoil starter that starts the engine 9 of the seedling transplanter 1 shown in FIG.

[0114] In conventional seedling transplanters, the winding portion of the guide bar that holds the starter knob of the recoil starter that is pulled to start the engine 9 is large, and when the operator lets go and winds it up, the position of the starter knob becomes unstable, making it difficult for the operator to grasp.

[0115] In contrast to this, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 12, the diameter of the winding portion 111a of the guide bar 111 that holds the starter knob 110 is configured to be smaller than in the conventional case, and when the end face on the base side of the starter knob 110 abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the winding portion 111a, the posture of the starter knob 110 can be stabilized.

[0116] 20, it is desirable that winding end portion 111a1 of winding portion 111a of guide bar 111 extend linearly and sufficiently from the wound portion, so that the edge of the winding end portion does not interfere with starter knob 110, further stabilizing the posture of starter knob 110. This increases the degree of freedom in designing the orientation of guide bar 111.

[0117] According to this embodiment, a transfer hopper 45 for temporarily storing seedlings that have fallen from the seedling container is provided between the position of the seedling container 40 on the seedling supply table 6 where the seedlings fall and the planting device 3. Since the seedlings that fall from the seedling container 40 on the seedling supply table 6 and are supplied into the planting device 3 are relayed by the transfer hopper 45, seedlings can be reliably supplied from the seedling container 45 into the planting device 3 even when the wind is strong or the machine body 1 is tilted significantly to the left or right, preventing planting errors.

[0118] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the shutter 49 that closes the opening formed at the bottom of the transfer hopper 45 is opened and closed in conjunction with the planting operation of the planting device 3, i.e., the lifting and opening / closing operation, thereby preventing multiple seedlings from being dropped and supplied to the planting device 3 at the same time from the transfer hopper 45.

[0119] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the shutter opening / closing arm 71, to which the shutter opening / closing cable 73 that opens and closes the shutter 49 is attached, is biased to abut against the non-circular hopper opening / closing cam 46 that determines the timing for opening and closing the planting device 3. Therefore, the shutter 49 can be opened and closed in conjunction with the planting operation (lifting and lowering operation and opening / closing operation) of the planting device 3, and therefore the next seedling to be planted can be reliably introduced into the planting device 3.

[0120] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the opening and closing of the shutter 49 that closes the opening formed at the bottom of the transfer hopper 45 is performed in conjunction with the opening and closing mechanism of the planting device 3. Therefore, even if the row spacing or number of plants planted by the planting device 3 is changed, the opening and closing of the shutter 49 can be synchronized with the planting of the seedlings, thereby preventing poor planting of the seedlings.

[0121] In addition, according to this embodiment, a bridge diode 88 that full-wave rectifies AC voltage is formed by combining four ridge end warning LED lamps 84 to 87 that notify when the end of the ridge has been reached, and this bridge diode 88 has both the function of notifying when the end of the ridge has been reached and the function of rectifying voltage, so the number of parts can be reduced and the circuit can be simplified.

[0122] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the bridge diode 88 shown in Figure 10 can full-wave rectify the AC voltage of the AC power supply consisting of the lighting coil wire of the engine 9 and convert it into DC voltage, thereby increasing the effective power and allowing the ridge end warning buzzer 82, which is the first notification means for notifying that the traveling body 2 has reached the end of the ridge, and the main ridge end warning LED lamp 83 to operate stably when powered on, thereby making it easier for the worker to know that the traveling body 2 has reached the end of the ridge.

[0123] In addition, according to this embodiment, at least one of the four ridge end warning LED lamps 84 to 87 that form the bridge diode 88 is provided on the seedling supply table 6, making it easier for workers who place seedlings into the seedling container 40 on the seedling supply table 6 to notice that they have reached the end of the ridge.

[0124] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, power rectified by a bridge diode 88 is sent to the first notification means, the ridge end warning buzzer 82 and the main ridge end warning LED lamp 83, and the second notification means, the four ridge end warning LED lamps 84 to 87, thereby preventing the buzzer sound from cutting out or becoming quieter, and preventing each LED 83 to 87 from flashing or lighting up at low intensity, and preventing the operating noise of the seedling transplanter 1 or sunlight from interfering with the notification that the end of the ridge has been reached.

[0125] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the ridge end warning LED lamp 83, which is one of the first notification means, and one of the ridge end warning LED lamps 84 to 87, which is the second notification means, are located in front of the seedling supply table 6 facing the operator seated in the work seat 18, making it easy for the operator to notice that the end of the ridge has been reached, even while he is putting seedlings into the seedling container 40 of the seedling supply table 6. This prevents the traveling vehicle body 2 from continuing to travel after passing the end of the ridge, causing the planting hopper 62 to open without being inserted into the ridge, causing seedlings to fall onto the field, or the vehicle body 1 from coming into contact with the edge of the field.

[0126] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, as shown in Figure 11, the second notification means, ridge end warning LED lamps 84, 85 and 86, are also located at the rear of the seedling supply table 6 near the control handle 12 that the operator holds from outside the machine body 1, and on the operation panel 11. Therefore, the LED light is visible to an assistant near the control handle 12 or an operator operating the operation panel 11 without being on the machine body, making it easy to know that the ridge end has been reached, thereby ensuring safety.

[0127] 17, each seedling container 40 that moves around on the seedling supply table 6 is configured so that the horizontal distance from the outer edge A of its upper edge to the center point C of the lower opening 69 is longer than the horizontal distance from the inner edge B of its upper edge to the center point C of the lower opening 69. This shortens the distance between the worker facing the seedling supply table 6 and the seedling container 40. This makes it easier to load seedlings into the seedling container 40, reducing the burden on the worker.

[0128] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 18, each seedling container 40 that moves around on the seedling supply table 6 is configured so that the outer edge A of the upper edge, i.e., the end A of the upper edge of the seedling container on the worker's side, is higher in height than the inner edge B of the upper edge, allowing the seedlings to be slid into the seedling container 40 from near the outer edge A, making it easy and reliable to insert the seedlings.

[0129] FIG. 13 is a schematic rear view showing the vicinity of the pressure wheel 90 of the seedling transplanter 1 according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0130] In addition, Figure 14 is a partially enlarged view showing the vicinity of the upper part of the crusher wheel frame supporting the crusher wheel 90 shown in Figure 1, Figure 14(a) is a partially enlarged oblique view of the vicinity of the upper part of the crusher wheel frame supporting the crusher wheel 90 shown in Figure 1 viewed from the left rear diagonal, Figure 14(b) is a partially enlarged oblique view of the vicinity of the upper part of the crusher wheel frame shown in Figure 14(a) viewed from the left front diagonal, and Figure 14(c) is a partially enlarged rear view showing the vicinity of the upper part of the crusher wheel frame and the shaft.

[0131] In this embodiment, there are four planting devices 3 (not shown), four transfer hoppers 45, four positions where seedlings fall from the seedling supply table 6, and four pairs of crushing wheels 90, and the configuration near the crushing wheels 90 is different as described below, but the configuration is the same as the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 11.

[0132] As shown in FIG. 13, four pairs of crushing wheels 90 are provided in correspondence with the four planting devices 3 provided.

[0133] Each pair of crushing wheels 90 is supported by a separate crushing wheel frame 93, and each of the four crushing wheel frames 93 is attached to a crushing wheel shaft 94 extending in the left-right direction of the vehicle body. In addition to each crushing wheel frame 93, a partition frame 35 is fixed to the crushing wheel shaft 94, separating the crushing wheel frames 93 from each other to the left and right.

[0134] Of the four crushing wheel frames 93, the two crushing wheel frames 93 located on the left and right are fixed in their left and right positions by fixing members 102, respectively.

[0135] On the other hand, of the four crushing wheel frames 93, the two crushing wheel frames 93 located in the center in the left-right direction each have their left-right positions determined by a first mounting member 96 fixed to the partition frame 35 and a second mounting member 97 attached by being stacked on top of the first mounting member 96.

[0136] Specifically, as shown in Figure 14(b), a pair of upper and lower mounting holes 98 are formed in the first mounting member 96, and as shown in Figures 14(a) and 14(c), the second mounting member 97 is formed with two pairs of left and right mounting holes 99 and a clamping portion 100 that clamps the arm plate 93a of the suppression wheel frame 93, and the left and right position of the suppression wheel frame 93 having the arm plate 93a clamped by the clamping portion 100 is determined depending on which of the two pairs of left and right mounting holes 99 the upper and lower pair of mounting holes 98 are overlapped with when a bolt (not shown) is inserted into the mounting holes 98 and 99 and fastened.

[0137] Therefore, the worker can change the left and right position of the crushing wheel frame 93 by changing the pair of mounting holes 99 into which the bolts are inserted from one to the other.

[0138] In this way, in this embodiment, the arm plate 93a of the crushing wheel frame 93 is clamped by the second mounting member 97, and the left and right positions of the crushing wheel frame 93 can be determined by changing the mounting hole of the second mounting member 97 relative to the first mounting member 96, so there is no need to use the C-fastening groove and C-fastening configuration of the crushing wheel shaft 94, and the number of parts can be reduced.

[0139] As shown in Figures 14(a) and 14(c), the arm plate 93a of the crushing wheel frame 93 is configured so that its angle can be adjusted by the degree of extrusion of the flat button (receiving bolt) 101 attached to the second mounting member 97.

[0140] 15(a) is an enlarged perspective view showing the angle adjustment mechanism 89 of the crusher wheel shaft 94 shown in FIG. 13, and FIG. 15(b) is an enlarged side view of the angle adjustment mechanism 89 shown in FIG. 15(a).

[0141] As shown in Figure 15, the angle adjustment mechanism 89 includes an angle adjustment plate 113 connected to the crusher wheel shaft 94 and rotatable integrally with the crusher wheel shaft 94, a bolt 112 that restricts the rotation of the angle adjustment plate 113 and maintains the angle of the crusher wheel shaft 94, and a plate 114 that is fixed in contact with the angle adjustment plate 113.

[0142] The plate 114 is formed with a notch 114a extending substantially in the vertical direction, and a flange 115 is provided within this notch, and a pressing bolt 116 is attached to the flange 115.

[0143] The tip (upper end) 116a of the pressing bolt 116 protrudes from the flange 115 and abuts against the underside of the angle adjustment plate 113, and the more the pressing bolt 116 is tightened upward, the more the angle adjustment plate 113 is rotated upward and rearward, changing the angle of the compression wheel shaft 94.

[0144] Here, in conventional crusher wheel shaft angle adjustment mechanisms, if there is no jig (a base such as a jack) to determine the angle of the crusher wheel shaft, the worker must hold the crusher wheel frame to maintain the angle of the crusher wheel shaft, and then tighten the bolt that holds the angle of the crusher wheel shaft, which creates the problem that it takes a great deal of time and effort to adjust the angle of the crusher wheel shaft.

[0145] In contrast, in this embodiment, the vertical position relative to the flange 115 can be changed by tightening or loosening the pressing bolt 116, and the rotation angle of the angle adjustment plate 113 and the angle of the compression wheel shaft 94 can be adjusted, making adjustment work easy.

[0146] Furthermore, when the bolt 112 that maintains the angle of the crushing wheel shaft 94 becomes loose, the push bolt 116 comes into contact with the angle adjustment plate 113, preventing the angle adjustment plate 113 from being rotated excessively backward and downward. This prevents the angle of the crushing wheel 90 from changing significantly during planting work, and prevents a decrease in the effectiveness of the crushing wheel 90 in crushing the soil.

[0147] FIG. 16 is a schematic perspective view showing the vicinity of the pressure wheel 90 of the seedling transplanter 1 according to yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0148] The seedling transplanter 1 in this embodiment has a four-row planting configuration with four planting devices 3 arranged in the left-right direction, and is configured in the same way as the embodiment shown in Figures 13 and 14, except for the following points.

[0149] As shown in Figure 16, a pair of scraper arms 105 are provided in front of the pair of crushing wheels 90 (left side of the drawing) located on the outer side in the left-right direction out of the four pairs of crushing wheels 90, and a pair of scraper arms 105 are provided in front of the pair of crushing wheels 90 (right side of the drawing) located on the center side in the left-right direction, each of which has the function of opening to the left and right depending on the opening of the planting hopper 62.

[0150] Specifically, a plate-shaped base member 104 is welded to the arm 103 of the suppression wheel frame 93. Then, pin portions 106 of a pair of scraper arms 105 on the left and right, to which scrapers (not shown) made of rubber sheets that remove mud adhering to the outer surface of the planting hopper 62 are attached, are inserted into hubs 107 attached to the base member 104 and fixed with a split pin. The hub 107 on the right side of the drawing is welded to the bent surface of the base member 104.

[0151] When the planting hopper 62 is lowered, the lower part is inserted into the field through a notch carved into the scraper, and when the planting hopper 62 is raised again, mud adhering to the lower part of the planting hopper 62 is removed by the scraper.

[0152] Springs 108 are attached to holes formed in the front of each of the pair of scraper arms 105, preventing the scraper arms 105 from opening too far when the planting hopper 62 is opened. Scrapers are attached to the other holes formed in the pair of scraper arms 105.

[0153] In addition, when the pair of left and right scraper arms 105 close inward in the left-right direction due to the spring 108, the stopper portions 109 of the pair of left and right scraper arms 105 abut against the curved surface of the base member 104, thereby restricting the movement, preventing the scraper arms 105 from closing excessively toward the center in the left-right direction and preventing excessive load from being placed on the planting hopper 62.

[0154] In this way, in this embodiment, the opening degree of the pair of left and right scraper arms 105 that support the scraper can be kept within an appropriate range with a simple configuration.

[0155] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims, and it goes without saying that these modifications are also included within the scope of the present invention.

[0156] For example, in the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 12, there are two planting devices lined up on the left and right, two positions on the seedling containers 40 onto which the seedlings are dropped on the seedling supply table 6, and two transfer hoppers, while in each of the embodiments shown in Figures 13 to 16, there are four, but the number of planting devices lined up on the left and right, two positions on the seedling containers 40 onto which the seedlings are dropped on the seedling supply table 6, and two transfer hoppers is not particularly limited as long as it is two or more.

[0157] Furthermore, in each of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-16, the bridge diode 88 is formed by four ridge end caution LED lamps 84-87, but may be formed by six LEDs. [Explanation of symbols]

[0158] 1 Seedling transplanter 2 Running vehicle 3 Planting equipment 6 Seedling supply table 9 Engine 10 Mission Case 11 Operation panel 12 Control handle 13 Front wheel 14 rear wheels 15 rear wheel axle 16 Travel transmission case 17 Main clutch lever 18 Work seat 19 Lifting link mechanism 20 Planting transmission case 21 Planting operation case 23 Handle frame 24 Side clutch operating lever 25 Vehicle height adjustment lever 26 Throttle lever 27 Main gear shift lever 28 Lifting hydraulic cylinder 29 Arm 30 Ridge end detection sensor 31 Ridge end detection stay 32 Ridge surface roller 33 Link mechanism 34 Spring 35 Cam 36 Cable 37 Ground bias spring 38 Vertical Frame 39 Transmission shaft 40 seedling container 42 Ridge surface sensor 43 Drop position adjustment plate 44 Cylindrical body 45 Transfer Hopper 46 Hopper opening / closing cam 47 Upper link arm 48 Lower link arm 49 Shutter 50 Lifting cam 51 Lifting drive shaft 52 Lifting crank 53 Connecting plate 54 Adjustment Plate 55 Link holder 56 Row spacing adjustment plate 57 long hole 58 Hopper holder 59 Fastening members 60 Hopper component 61 Seedling Guide 62 Planting hopper 63 Planting hopper opening and closing wire 64 Opening and closing arm 65 Contact roller 66 Rotation spindle 67 Rotating arm 69 Seedling container opening 70 Lower link arm pivot point 71 Shutter opening / closing arm 72 Convex part 73 Shutter opening / closing cable 74 Small diameter section 76 Hinge 77 Seat pivot point 78 Rubber cushioning 79 Seat sensor 80 seat frame 81 seat stay 82 End of ridge warning buzzer 83 Ridge end warning LED lamp 84 Ridge end warning LED lamp 85 Ridge end warning LED lamp 86 Ridge end warning LED lamp 87 Ridge end warning LED lamp 88 Bridge Diode 89 Angle adjustment mechanism 90 Suppression Wheel 91 Suppression Arm 92 Avoidance part 93 Crushing wheel frame 93a Arm plate, arm 94 Crushing wheel shaft 95 Divider Frame 96 First mounting member 97 Second mounting member 98 Mounting hole 99 Mounting hole 100 Clamping part 101 Flat Button 102 Fixing member 103 Arm 104 Base member 105 scraper arm 106 Pin section 107 Hub 108 Spring 109 Stopper part 110 Starter knob 111 Guide bar 111a Winding section 112 volts 113 Angle adjustment plate 114 Plate 114a Notch 115 flange 116 Push Bolt 117 Water Tank 118 Tank Holder 119 Inter-plant sub-shift lever 120 Inter-plant main speed change lever 121 Side Step 123 Planting speed change lever 124 Plant spacing change cover

Claims

1. a traveling vehicle body that travels on a field; A seedling supply table into which a plurality of seedling containers into which the seedlings are fed moves around; A plurality of planting devices are provided below the seedling supply table and plant the seedlings dropped from the seedling container into the field; A planting operation mechanism that performs a planting operation by lifting and lowering and opening and closing each of the planting devices; A seedling transplanter comprising an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the left and right positions of each of the planting devices, A transfer hopper for temporarily storing the seedlings dropped from the seedling container is provided between the seedling container where the seedlings are dropped on the seedling supply table and the planting device, and the transfer hopper is provided so that its position can be changed to the left and right. An opening is formed at the bottom of the transfer hopper to drop seedlings into the planting device, and a shutter is arranged to close the opening. The shutter is opened and closed in conjunction with the planting operation of the planting device by the planting operation mechanism, The seedling supply table is provided with a drop position adjustment plate that is slidably attached in the left and right direction, This seedling transplanter is characterized in that by sliding the drop position adjustment plate left and right, the bottom cover of the seedling container can be rotated downward to change the position at which the seedlings are dropped and the left and right position of the transfer hopper can be changed simultaneously.

2. A planting transmission case is provided to transmit power to the plurality of planting devices and the seedling supply table, The planting operation mechanism includes a lifting link mechanism that receives power from the planting transmission case to lift and lower the planting device, and an opening / closing mechanism that opens and closes the planting device, The seedling transplanter described in claim 1, characterized in that an arm to which a cable for opening and closing the shutter is attached is biased so as to abut against a non-circular cam that constitutes part of the opening and closing mechanism and determines the timing for opening and closing the planting device.

3. In the seedling supply table, the seedling containers are connected to each other endlessly and are configured to move in a circular motion by the driving force transmitted from the planting transmission case, The seedling transplanter of claim 2, characterized in that each seedling container has openings at the top and bottom, the upper opening having a larger diameter than the lower opening, and when connected to each other endlessly, the horizontal distance from the outer edge of the upper edge of the seedling container to the center point of the lower opening is longer than the horizontal distance from the inner edge of the upper edge of the seedling container to the center point of the lower opening.

4. In the seedling supply table, the seedling containers are connected to each other endlessly and are configured to move in a circular motion by a driving force transmitted from a planting transmission case, The seedling transplanter of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each seedling container has openings at the top and bottom, the upper opening having a larger diameter than the lower opening, and when connected to each other endlessly, the outer edge of the upper edge of the seedling container is higher in height than the inner edge of the upper edge of the seedling container.

5. a ridge end detection means for detecting when the traveling vehicle body has reached the end of the ridge; a bridge diode that full-wave rectifies the AC voltage of the AC power supply; a first notification means for notifying an operator when the ridge end detection means detects that the ridge has reached its end, the first notification means is configured to operate on power rectified by the bridge diode; the bridge diode is formed by combining a plurality of LEDs, which are second notification means for notifying an operator when the ridge end detection means detects that the ridge has reached its end, 5. The seedling transplanter according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of LEDs is disposed on the seedling supply table.

6. A work seat on which an operator sits is provided in front of the seedling supply table, and the work seat is arranged so that the operator faces away from the traveling direction of the traveling vehicle body, At the rear of the machine, there is a control handle that the operator holds from outside the machine, and an operation panel for operating the machine. The first notification means is composed of a buzzer that notifies by sound and an LED that notifies by lighting up, and the LED and at least one LED of the plurality of LEDs are arranged in front of the seedling supply table, 6. The seedling transplanter according to claim 5, wherein other LEDs of the plurality of LEDs are arranged at the rear of the seedling supply table and on the operation panel.

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