Method and device for stacking and removing seedling containers

Abstract

To address the problem in which conventionally, when trying to forcibly stop a previously seeded seedling-raising container by bringing it into contact with a stopper and then initiating upward movement, the impact of the forced stoppage by the stopper results in the seeded portion at the front side of the rear wall of the seedling-raising container to move forward due to inertia, creating gaps.SOLUTION: A method for stacking and retrieving seedling-raising containers comprises receiving a seeded seedling-raising container A, transferred from a transfer platform 1 for seeding, on a receiving and lifting body 18 on a lifting roller 20 of a lifting mechanism 19, the received seeded seedling-raising container A is raised by rotationally driving the lifting roller 20 and is stopped at a prescribed position by contact resistance of the receiving and lifting body 18, the lifted seeded seedling-raising container A is supported by a support device 24 provided on a loading / unloading transfer platform 15, a subsequent seeded seedling-raising container A is received and raised below the supported seeded seedling-raising container A, and this work is repeated and the stacked seeded seedling-raising containers A are retrieved.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for stacking and removing seedling containers in which seeds have been sown, and an apparatus for stacking and removing seedling containers. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a configuration has been known in which the start end of an unloading transfer table is connected to the end of a sowing transfer table for sowing seeds into empty seedling containers, the unloading transfer table is provided with transfer rollers for transporting the seeded seedling containers, lifting rollers for lifting them, and supports for supporting the seedling containers lifted by the lifting rollers, and a transport transfer table is connected to the end of the unloading transfer table (see Patent Document 1). In the known example, a stopper is provided at the end of the unloading transport platform to forcibly stop the seeded seedling container, and when the seeded seedling container hits the stopper, the platform begins to rise. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-148864 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned known example, the seeded seedling container is forced to stop by abutting it against a stopper, and then the container is allowed to start rising.However, the impact of the forced stop by the stopper causes the seeded part at the front of the rear wall of the seedling container to move forward due to inertia, which creates a gap. Furthermore, depending on the sowing conditions in the seedling containers where seeds have already been sown, there is a problem in that the high moisture content can cause the seeds and covering soil to move forward due to the impact caused by the forced halt, resulting in spotty sowing. The present application is configured to stack and remove seedling raising containers with seeds, but allows the seedling raising containers to be received and stacked at a predetermined position without using a stopper, and prevents disturbance of the seeding surface, enabling stable removal work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The invention of claim 1 receives the seeded seedling raising container A transferred from the sowing transfer table 1 onto the receiving and lifting body 18 on the lifting rollers 20 of the lifting mechanism 19, drives and rotates the lifting rollers 20 to raise the received seeded seedling raising container A, and stops it at a predetermined position due to contact resistance with the receiving and lifting body 18, and supports the raised seeded seedling raising container A with a support device 24 provided on the unloading transfer table 15, By the support device 24 Accept and lift the subsequent seeded seedling container A below the supported seeded seedling container A; The seeded seedling raising container A received from the seeding transfer table 1 onto the receiving and lifting body 18 is raised and supported by the support device 24, and the subsequent seeded seedling raising container A is received and lifted below the seeded seedling raising container A supported by the support device 24. This is a method for stacking and removing seedling containers, in which the stacked seedling containers A containing seeds are removed by repeating the operation. In the invention of claim 2, the preceding seeded raising container A that has been transferred onto the receiving and lifting body 18 is rapidly transported relative to the succeeding seeded raising container A by the rapid-forward transport rollers 17A provided on the unloading transport platform 15, and begins to rise by the lifting rollers 20 that are driven to rotate, and then detaches from the rapid-forward transport rollers 17A and moves on the receiving and lifting body 18 by inertia, and stops at a predetermined position due to contact resistance with the receiving and lifting body 18. The seeded seedling container A was stopped. This is a seedling raising container stacking and removal method in which the support device 24 is raised by the lifting rollers 20 until it can support the seedling raising containers A, and the seeded seedling raising containers A are stacked and removed. The invention of claim 3 is a method of receiving the seeded raising container A transferred from the sowing transfer table 1 onto the receiving and lifting body 18 on the lifting roller 20 of the lifting mechanism 19, and the preceding seeded raising container A transferred onto the receiving and lifting body 18 is transferred in fast forward relative to the succeeding seeded raising container A by the fast forward transfer roller 17A provided on the unloading transfer table 15, and when the preceding seeded raising container A transferred in fast forward contacts the start sensor 45, the stacking motor M is energized to drive and rotate the lifting roller 20 to start rising, and the preceding seeded raising container A during the rise is The bottom surface moves away from the fast-forward transfer roller and the drive is cut off, and the previously sown seedling raising container A moves on the receiving and lifting body 18 by inertia and stops at a predetermined position due to contact resistance with the receiving and lifting body 18, and when the previously sown seedling raising container A is raised by the lifting roller 20 to a height that can be supported by the support device 24, it is supported at a predetermined height by the support device 24, and the receiving and lifting body 18 descends together with the lifting roller 20 which rotates downward and returns to the standby position, receiving the subsequent sown seedling raising container A and again lifting the subsequent sown seedling raising container A, Receiving and lifting This is a method for stacking and removing seedling containers in which the seeded seedling containers A are removed by repeating the operation. The invention of claim 4 is an apparatus for removing sown seedling containers, which is provided with a transport section H having transport rollers 17 for supporting and transporting the seedling containers A transferred from the sowing transport table 1, which are provided integrally or separately at the end of the sowing transport table 1 for sowing bed soil and seeds into empty seedling containers A, and a lifting mechanism 19 having a pair of lifting rollers 20 which rotate on a horizontal axis in the front and rear to lift the seedling containers A, and a receiving and lifting body 18 which supports the bottom of the seedled seedling containers A in the lifting mechanism 19. The receiving and lifting body 18 is configured to lift the received seeded seedling raising container A, drive and rotate the rollers 20 to raise it, and stop it at a predetermined position due to contact resistance with the receiving and lifting body 18. A support device 24 is provided on the unloading transfer platform 15 above the receiving and lifting body 18 to support the seeded seedling raising container A lifted by the receiving and lifting body 18, and the following seeded seedling raising container A can be received below the seeded seedling raising container A supported by the support device 24. This is a device for stacking and removing seedling containers. The invention of claim 5 is characterized in that the receiving and lifting body 18 is a flat plate member, At least, the length of the roller 17A is long enough to stop the seeded seedling container A from being fast-forwarded by the fast-forward transport roller 17A due to contact resistance. formation At the same time, Loading platform 15 side The seedling container stacking and removal device is configured so that the containers are placed on a support portion 77 provided on the container holder. The invention of claim 6 is a structure in which the receiving and lifting body 18 receives the seeded seedling container A from the seeding transfer table 1 while being placed on the support part 77, and moves up and down together with the lifting rollers 20 by the rotation of the lifting rollers 20. The receiving and lifting body 18 is formed to have a predetermined front-to-rear length so that both the front and rear lifting rollers 20 can contact each other. This is a device for stacking and removing seedling containers. The invention of claim 7 is a seedling container stacking and removal device in which some of the transport rollers 17 in the conveying section H are fast-forward rollers 17A that separate the preceding seedling container A from the subsequent seedling container A, and the fast-forward transport rollers 17A are configured to act on the seeded seedling container A on the receiving and lifting body 18. The invention of claim 8 is a seedling container stacking and removal device in which the fast-forward transport roller 17A is configured to be constantly driven and rotated by a fast-forward motor 17B, and the lifting roller 20 is configured to be driven by a stacking motor M upon detection by a start sensor 45. The invention of claim 9 is a seedling container stacking and removal device in which the lifting rollers 20 are configured to start operating when a seedling container A is detected by a start sensor 45, and the start sensor 45 is installed so that its forward and backward position can be adjusted so that the lifting rollers 20 lift the seedling container A before the front end of the sown seedling container A abuts against the fall prevention plate 44 provided at the end of the unloading transfer table 15. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] In the invention of claim 1, the seeded seedling raising container A transferred from the sowing transfer table 1 is received on the receiving and lifting body 18 on the lifting roller 20 of the lifting mechanism 19, the received seeded seedling raising container A is raised by driving and rotating the lifting roller 20, and stopped at a predetermined position due to contact resistance with the receiving and lifting body 18, and the raised seeded seedling raising container A is supported by a support device 24 provided on the unloading transfer table 15 and the stacked seeded seedling raising containers A are removed.Therefore, although the seeded seedling raising containers are stacked and removed, they can be removed without using a stopper, preventing disturbance of the sowing surface in the seedling raising container and allowing for stable removal work. In the invention of claim 2, the previously seeded seedling raising container A that has been transferred onto the receiving and lifting body 18 is rapidly transported relative to the subsequently seeded seedling raising container A by the fast-forward transport rollers provided on the unloading transport platform 15, and begins to rise by the driven and rotating lifting rollers 20, then detaches from the fast-forward transport rollers and moves on the receiving and lifting body 18 by inertia, stopping at a predetermined position due to contact resistance with the receiving and lifting body 18.In this state, the lifting rollers 20 raise the container until it can be supported by the support device 24, so that the seeded seedling raising container A can be stopped at a predetermined position without coming into contact with the stopper, and the seeded seedling raising containers A lined up front and back can be stacked and removed. In the invention of claim 3, the seeded raising container A transferred from the sowing transfer table 1 is received on the receiving and lifting body 18 on the lifting rollers 20 of the lifting mechanism 19, and the preceding seeded raising container A transferred onto the receiving and lifting body 18 is transferred in fast forward relative to the succeeding seeded raising container A by the fast forward transfer rollers provided on the unloading transfer table 15, and when the preceding seeded raising container A transferred in fast forward contacts the start sensor 45, the stacking motor M is energized to drive and rotate the lifting rollers 20 to start rising, and the bottom of the preceding seeded raising container A during the rise leaves the fast forward transfer rollers and the drive is cut off, and the preceding seeded raising container A moves on the receiving and lifting body 18 by inertia and stops at a predetermined position due to contact resistance with the receiving and lifting body 18, and when the preceding seeded raising container A is raised by the lifting rollers 20 to a height that can be supported by the support device 24, the support device The receiving and lifting body 18 is supported at a predetermined height by the support device 24, and the receiving and lifting body 18 descends together with the lifting rollers 20 which rotate downward to return to the standby position, receiving the succeeding seeded seedling raising container A, and then lifting the succeeding seeded seedling raising container A again, and this operation is repeated to remove the seeded seedling raising container A.The preceding seeded seedling raising container A received on the receiving and lifting body 18 on the lifting rollers 20 of the lifting mechanism 19 comes into contact with the start sensor 45 while being fast-forward transported by the fast-forward transport rollers and begins to rise.As a result, the bottom of the sown seedling raising container A separates from the fast-forward transport rollers and the drive is cut off.The inertial force at this time and the contact resistance with the receiving and lifting body 18 cause it to stop at a predetermined position and further rise, and it is supported by the support device 24.This process can be repeated to stack and remove the seedlings, and removal can be performed without using a stopper, preventing the sowing surface in the seedling raising container from becoming disturbed and allowing for stable removal work. In the invention of claim 4, the device for removing seeded seedling containers is provided with a transport section H having transport rollers 17 that support and transport the seedling containers A transferred from the sowing transport table 1, which are provided integrally or separately at the end of the sowing transport table 1 on which bed soil and seeds etc. are sown into empty seedling containers A, and a lifting mechanism 19 having a pair of lifting rollers 20 that rotate on a horizontal axis in front and behind to lift the seedling containers A. The lifting mechanism 19 is provided with a receiving and lifting body 18 that supports the bottom of the seeded seedling containers A, so that the seeded seedling containers A transferred from the sowing transport table 1 are received on the receiving and lifting body 18, and the received seeded seedling containers A are raised together with the receiving and lifting body 18 by the lifting rollers 20, but are stopped at a predetermined position due to contact resistance with the receiving and lifting body 18. Although the device is configured to remove seeded seedling containers by stacking them up, they can be removed without using a stopper, preventing disturbance of the sowing surface inside the seedling containers and allowing for stable removal work. In the invention of claim 5, the receiving and lifting body 18 is formed from a flat plate member and is configured to be placed on a support portion 77 provided on the unloading transfer table 15, so that the removal structure can be easily configured without using a stopper, and a seedling container stacking and removal device can be provided at low cost. In the invention of claim 6, the receiving and lifting body 18 is configured to receive the seeded seedling container A from the sowing transfer table 1 while placed on the support part 77, and to move up and down together with the lifting rollers 20 as the latter rotate.Therefore, installation is completed simply by placing the receiving and lifting body 18 on the support part 77 of the unloading transfer table 15, and it can be attached to existing seedling container stacking and removal devices, improving versatility. In the invention of claim 7, some of the transfer rollers 17 of the conveying section H are fast-forward rollers 17A that separate the preceding seedling raising container A from the subsequent seedling raising container A, and the fast-forward transfer rollers 17A are configured to act on the seeded seedling raising container A on the receiving and lifting body 18.Therefore, by simply lifting the seeded seedling raising container A together with the receiving and lifting body 18, the driving force of the fast-forward transfer rollers 17A can be cut off, and a seedling raising container stacking and removal device can be realized that does not use a stopper and can prevent the sowing surface in the seedling raising container from becoming disturbed. In the invention of claim 8, the fast-forward transport roller 17A is configured to be constantly driven and rotated by a fast-forward motor 17B, and the lifting roller 20 is configured to be driven by a stacking motor M upon detection by a start sensor 45, so that the lifting roller 20 can be reliably started to be driven, and the seedling container stacking and removal device can be operated stably. In the invention of claim 9, the lifting roller 20 is configured to start operating when the seedling raising container A is detected by the start sensor 45, and the start sensor 45 causes the lifting roller 20 to lift the seedling raising container A before the front end of the seeded seedling raising container A contacts the fall prevention plate 44 provided at the end of the unloading transport table 15.This ensures that the lifting roller 20 starts operating and improves the reliability of stopping the seeded seedling raising container A at the specified position due to contact resistance with the receiving and lifting body 18, allowing the seedling raising container stacking and removal device to operate stably. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] Schematic diagram of a device for transporting seeded seedling containers. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a plan view of a stacking and unloading device with a receiving and lifting body attached, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of a stacking and unloading device with a receiving and lifting body removed; [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a partial vertical cross-sectional side view of the stacking and unloading device with the receiving and lifting body attached. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12]1A and 1B are a side view, a front view, and an assembled state view of a support body of the support device; [Figure 13] An explanatory diagram of the stacked state of seedling containers. [Figure 14] FIG. [Figure 15] Side view of seedling containers stacked up. [Figure 16] Rear view of the same. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0008] One embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings. 1 is a seeding transfer platform that supplies and transfers bed soil, seeds, and covering soil to an empty seedling container A. At the upper starting end of the seeding transfer platform 1 is a bed soil supplying device 2 that supplies bed soil to the seedling container A during transport. Downstream in the transport direction of the bed soil supplying device 2 is a seed supplying device 3 that supplies seeds to the seedling container A during transport. Downstream in the transport direction of the seed supplying device 3 is a covering soil supplying device 4 that supplies covering soil to the seedling container A during transport (Figure 1). In addition to the bed soil supply device 2, etc., the sowing transport platform 1 may be provided with a rotating brush for leveling the bed soil, an irrigation device, etc., so that the system can be configured to sow seeds into the seedling containers A during transport. In addition, when explaining the embodiments of the present invention, in order to make it easier to understand, the seedling growing container A is configured to be transported forward, and directions such as front / back, left / right, up / down, etc. are explained based on the transport direction (transport path) of this seedling growing container A, but this does not limit the configuration of the present invention. A stacking and unloading device 10 is provided at the end of the sowing transport table 1. The stacking and unloading device 10 is used to stack and pile up seeded seedling containers A from bottom to top, and unloads a group of stacked seeded seedling containers A that have been stacked a predetermined number of times, and is configured with an unloading transport table 15 for transporting the seeded seedling containers A.

[0009] This unloading transport platform 15 may be configured as an integral part of the sowing transport platform 1 or as a separate entity, and in this embodiment it is configured as a separate entity and is connected to the end of the sowing transport platform 1. The unloading transfer table 15 has a pair of left and right frames 16 and is placed on the floor by support legs 14. The unloading transfer table 15 has multiple transfer rollers 17 arranged side by side in the transfer direction as a transport section H. The transfer rollers 17 are installed with transfer roller rotation shafts 18 mounted on the frames 16. Of the multiple transfer rollers 17, at least the transfer roller 17 at the start end is configured to rotate freely and is configured to receive the leading seedling raising container A received from the sowing transfer table 1 by being pushed by the following seedling raising container A. Furthermore, certain transfer rollers 17 are configured as fast-forward transfer rollers 17A that are constantly driven and rotated by a fast-forward motor 17B to fast-forward the leading seedling raising container A and create a gap between it and the following seedling raising container A (Figure 2).

[0010] When the seedling raising container A, which has been fast-forwarded by the fast-forward transport rollers 17A, reaches a predetermined position, the lifting mechanism 19 lifts the seedling raising container A upward. The configuration of this lifting mechanism 19 is arbitrary, but the lifting mechanism 19 has a pair of front and rear lifting rollers 20, which are rotatably attached to the tip of an arm 21, the base of which is fixed to a roller mounting shaft 22. The roller mounting shaft 22 is configured to rotate about a horizontal axis in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the seedling containers A to lift the seeded seedling containers A, and both ends of the roller mounting shaft 22 are rotatably attached to the frame 16. In this case, the lifting roller 20 is rotatably attached to the tip of the arm 21, and a pair of lifting rollers 20 are arranged side by side on the left and right, with a space 20B formed between the left and right lifting rollers 20 into which a hand can be inserted.By making it possible to insert a hand through the space 20B, it is possible to remove the stacked seedling container A that is already supported by the support body 25 of the support device 24 described below, thereby making the entire removal process easier and more efficient.

[0011] A pair of lifting rollers 20 are provided in front and behind in the conveying direction, and lift the seedling container A while rotating. When the lifted seedling container A is supported by the support body 25 of the support device 24 described later, the rollers rotate downward and wait to lift the next seedling container A. The transmission configuration to the lifting mechanism 19 is arbitrary, but as an example, a lifting chain 29 is looped between an output gear 27 provided on the output shaft 26 of the stacking motor M and arm gears 28 provided on a pair of front and rear roller mounting shafts 22, to transmit the driving rotation of the stacking motor M (Figures 6 and 7). In this case, the stacking motor M is attached to a mounting portion 30 provided on the underside of the frame 16, the output gear 27 and the front and rear arm gears 28 are arranged in an inverted triangle, and a tension gear 31 is engaged with the upper side of the lifting chain 29 between the front and rear arm gears 28 (Figure 6).

[0012] The tension gear 31 is attached to the tip of a tension arm 32, and the base of the tension arm 32 is rotatably attached to the mounting part 30 by a mounting shaft 33. When the tension gear 31 is moved downward relative to the mounting part 30, it tightens the lifting chain 29, and when the tension gear 31 is moved upward relative to the mounting part 30, it loosens the lifting chain 29. In this case, the stacking motor M is attached to the mounting portion 30 so that it can move up and down freely, and the up and down movement of the output gear 27 of the stacking motor M is combined with the up and down movement of the tension gear 31 to enable synchronous adjustment of the height positions of the front and rear lifting rollers 20 and arms 21. In other words, when the stacking motor M (output gear 27) is moved upward relative to the mounting part 30 to loosen the lifting chain 29, the lifting chain 29A between the rear arm gear 28 and the output gear 27 is locked and does not move, but by moving the tension gear 31 up and down using the adjustment bolt 31A, the lifting chain 29B that runs from the rear arm gear 28 to the front arm gear 28 and then to the output gear 27 can rotate the front arm gear 28. For example, when the tension gear 31 is moved downward using the adjustment bolt 31A, in Figure 6, the front arm gear 28 rotates clockwise, and when the tension gear 31 is moved upward using the adjustment bolt 31A, the front arm gear 28 rotates counterclockwise.

[0013] Therefore, for example, if the front and rear lifting rollers 20 are placed in an approximately horizontal position, it becomes easy to see the difference in height between the front and rear lifting rollers 20. In this state, if the tension gear 31 is moved up and down using the adjustment bolt 31A so that the height of the front lifting roller 20 matches the height of the rear lifting roller 20, the synchronized (harmonized) adjustment of the height positions of the front and rear lifting rollers 20 can be easily performed. In this state, if the stacking motor M is moved downward relative to the mounting portion 30 to adjust the tension of the lifting chain 29, the synchronized adjustment of the height positions of the front and rear lifting rollers 20 and arm 21 and the adjustment of the tension of the lifting chain 29 are completed. Of the plurality of transfer rollers 17 arranged in a row, predetermined transfer rollers 17 are the fast-forward transfer rollers 17A, which are provided in front of the front and rear lifting rollers 20, respectively.

[0014] Therefore, the preceding seedling raising container A is pushed and transported by the succeeding seedling raising container A from the sowing transport table 1 until it reaches the fast-forward transport roller 17A. The fast-forward transport roller 17A has multiple rollers arranged in parallel in the axial direction on a fast-forward roller rotation shaft 39, a passive gear 40 is fixed to the fast-forward roller rotation shaft 39, and a fast-forward chain 42 is wound between the fast-forward roller and a drive gear 41 of the fast-forward motor 17B to transmit the driving rotation of the fast-forward motor 17B. In addition, an intermediate gear 40A is fixed to the fast-forward roller rotation shaft 39, and a chain 42A is wound between the fast-forward roller rotation shaft 39 of the rear fast-forward transport roller 17A and a fixed passive gear 40B, transmitting the driving rotation of the fast-forward motor 17B.

[0015] This allows the seedling raising container A to be transported to the start sensor 45 described later by utilizing the transport force of the subsequent seedling raising container A transported by the sowing transport table 1, resulting in a rational configuration and cost reduction. A start sensor 45 for starting the rotation of the stacking motor M is provided on the downstream side of the front fast-forward transfer roller 17A in the conveying direction (FIG. 2). In this embodiment, a start sensor 45 that starts the rotation of the stacking motor M is provided between the front fast-forward transport roller 17A and the front lifting roller 20 (Figure 9), and when the front end of the preceding seedling container A passes the fast-forward front transport roller 17A and is fast-forwarded by the fast-forward transport roller 17A, the start sensor 45 activates the stacking motor M, so that the seedling container A can be fast-forwarded in a stable state and lifted by the lifting roller 20.

[0016] In this case, the front end of the seedling container A passes over the fast-forward transfer roller 17A and then contacts the start sensor 45, turning on the start sensor 45 and starting to drive the stacking motor M.The front and rear positions of the start sensor 45 are adjustable so that the lifting roller 20 lifts the seedling container A while leaving a predetermined gap S before the front end of the seedling container A abuts the fall prevention plate (stopper) 44 provided at the end of the unloading transfer table 15 (Figure 15). In addition, a fast-forward transport roller 17A is also provided behind the rear lifting roller 20, which ensures that the seeded seedling containers A are quickly transported and improves the processing capacity per hour of the seedling container stacking and removal device.

[0017] The support body 25 of the support device 24 allows the seedling container A to be raised by the lifting rollers 20, but holds the seedling container A once raised to prevent it from lowering.The configuration is arbitrary, but as an example, as shown in Figure 12, the support body 25 has the base of an arm 60 rotatably attached to an attachment part 62 by an attachment shaft 61, and a support part 64 is formed on the upper part of the arm 60 to support the raised seedling container A. The support portion 64 is formed to be inclined so that it becomes lower toward the center of the unloading transport platform 15 in the lateral direction as it goes upward. The tip 64B of the support surface 64A passes under the underside of the raised leading seedling container A, and the leading seedling container A falls onto the upper surface of the succeeding seedling container A. However, if the support surface 64 is horizontal, the distance between the apex of the rotation trajectory centered on the mounting axis 61 and the support surface 64A on which the seedling container A is resting is large, and as a result, when the support body 25 retreats from the underside of the leading seedling container A, the drop from the leading seedling container A to the upper surface of the succeeding seedling container A becomes larger in proportion to the distance, and the vibration caused by the fall disturbs the sowing surface of the seedling container A.

[0018] However, in the present application, when the support surface 64A of the support portion 64 is inclined, the distance between the apex of the rotation trajectory centered on the mounting axis 61 and the support surface 64A on which the seedling raising container A is placed becomes smaller, and as a result, vibration generated when the tip portion 64B of the support surface 64A retreats from the bottom surface of the seedling raising container A below the underside of the raised preceding seedling raising container A can be suppressed, preventing the sowing surface of the seedling raising container A from being disturbed. Furthermore, the tip 64B of the support portion 64 is configured to be able to support a side rib 64C provided on the side of the seedling raising container A when the support surface 64A retreats from the bottom surface of the seedling raising container A (FIG. 13).

[0019] In other words, the support surface 64A of the support portion 64 is formed as an inclined surface, so that the bottom surface of the seedling raising container A is supported by point contact at either the left or right side of the support surface 64A, but when the support surface 64A retreats from the bottom surface of the preceding seedling raising container A as the subsequent seedling raising container A rises, the lower surface of the side rib 64C on the side of the seedling raising container A abuts against the tip portion 64B of the support portion 64, thereby providing support. This reduces the shock when the support portion 64 retreats from the bottom surface of the seedling raising container A, suppresses vibrations in the stacked seedling raising containers A, and prevents the sowing surface of the seedling raising container A from being disturbed.

[0020] The configuration of the support body 25 is arbitrary, and in this embodiment, a pair of front and rear vertical plate members each form an arm 60, the upper edges of the arms 60 form a support surface 64A, the upper inner ends of the front and rear arm sections 60 form tip sections 64B, the tip sections (connecting sections 64D) 64B of the front and rear arm sections 60 are connected by an axial rod member, and the tip sections 64B support the side ribs 64C (Figure 13). The support 25 may also be manufactured by bending a plate member. In addition, the support parts 64 of the left and right supports 25 are each inclined downwards toward the center, so that when the succeeding seedling raising container A is placed on the support parts 64 of the left and right supports 25, it moves by its own weight along the inclined surface toward the center of the left and right frames 16 of the unloading transfer platform 15, and the left and right supports 25 can stack and support the seedling raising container A aligned with the center of the frame 16, making it easy to remove.

[0021] An evacuation guide surface 65 is formed on the inner surface of the arm 60 below the support portion 64, which causes the support 25 to rotate outward when it comes into contact with the rising seedling container A. A spring 66 is provided between the arm 60 and the mounting portion 62 (unloading transfer platform 15 / frame 16) to constantly urge the support 25 to protrude toward the center between the left and right frames 16 (Figure 12). An upwardly projecting stopper projection 67 is provided on the outer upper portion of the arm 60, and a spring 66 abuts against the upper portion of the mounting portion 62 to restrict the inward rotation of the arm 60 and hold the support 25 in the supporting position. The support body 25 is constantly urged by a spring 66 to rotate toward the center of the left and right sides of the unloading transfer platform 15, and is kept in a support position by abutting against a stopper protrusion 67 of the mounting portion 62.When the seedling raising container A rises and abuts against the retraction guide surface 65, it rotates outward and retreats from the seedling raising container A, and when the bottom surface of the seedling raising container A passes the upper end of the retraction guide surface 65, it rotates inward due to the elasticity of the spring 66, and the support portion 64 is positioned below the bottom surface of the seedling raising container A to support it, preventing the seedling raising container A, which has once been raised, from descending.

[0022] Furthermore, the tip of the support portion 64 of the support body 25 is positioned outside the rotation path of the lifting roller 20 in plan view (FIG. 4). Therefore, interference between the rotation trajectory of the lifting roller 20 and the tip position of the support portion 64 of the support 25 can be avoided, and there are no restrictions on the movement of the support 25 in the conveying direction.As a result, the pair of left and right supports 25 can be positioned in predetermined front and rear positions, and the stacking posture of the seedling containers A using the supports 25 can be improved. In addition, in this embodiment, the mounting shaft 61 is welded and fixed to the base of the arm 60, and the mounting portion 62 is formed by dividing it into front and rear halves. The mounting shaft 61 of the arm 60 is supported by being sandwiched between front and rear mounting members 62A. In this state, the divided mounting members 62A are connected together with bolts 62B and attached to the frame 16 of the unloading transfer platform 15 so that the position can be freely adjusted in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions (Figure 12).

[0023] Therefore, the frame 16 of the unloading transport platform 15 and the support 25 of the support device 24 can be installed while absorbing manufacturing errors, thereby enabling the stacked seedling raising containers A to be stably and reliably supported. A cam body 70 is provided on the roller mounting shaft 22 of the lifting roller 20, and a stacking stop switch 71 is provided near the cam body 70.When the connection terminal 72 of the stacking stop switch 71 is in contact with the outer surface 73 of the cam body 70, current is applied to the stacking motor M.When the preceding seedling container A is supported by the support body 25 and the lifting roller 20 returns to the standby position, the connection terminal 72 of the stacking stop switch 71 fits into the notch 74 on the outer surface of the cam body 70, cutting off the current to the stacking motor M (Figure 14).

[0024] FIG. 14 shows a state in which the connection terminal 72 of the stacking stop switch 71 is fitted into the notch 74 on the outer circumferential surface of the cam body 70. In addition, a stacking detection switch 75 is provided at a predetermined position on the frame 16 of the unloading transfer table 15 to detect when a predetermined number of seedling containers A have been stacked on the support 25 (Figure 2), and when the stacking detection switch 75 detects that the predetermined number of layers have been stacked, it cuts off the power to the sowing transfer table 1. When the seeded seedling container A transferred from the seeding transfer table 1 is received on the lifting rollers 20 of the lifting mechanism 19, a receiving and lifting body 18 is prepared in advance on the lifting rollers 20, and the seeded seedling container A is transferred onto the receiving and lifting body 18 (Figures 2 and 3).

[0025] Therefore, the seeded seedling raising container A can be stopped at a predetermined position due to contact resistance when it is transferred onto the receiving and lifting body 18, and instead of adopting a conventional stopping configuration in which the seeded seedling raising container A is stopped by abutting it against a stopper, the seeded seedling raising container A can be stopped gently at a predetermined position, preventing the sowing surface inside the seeded seedling raising container A from being disturbed and allowing for stable stacking and removal work. In other words, the previously sown seedling container A that has been transferred onto the receiving and lifting body 18 is rapidly transported relative to the subsequently sown seedling container A by the fast-forward transport rollers 17A provided on the unloading transport platform 15, and begins to rise by the rotating lifting rollers 20, then detaches from the fast-forward transport rollers 17A and moves on the receiving and lifting body 18 by inertia, stopping at a predetermined position due to contact resistance with the receiving and lifting body 18, and in this state is raised by the lifting rollers 20 until it can be supported by the support device 24.

[0026] Therefore, by lifting the seeded seedling container A using the lifting roller 20 of the lifting mechanism 19, the driving force acting on the seeded seedling container A from the fast-forward transport roller 17A is cut off, and the seeded seedling container A can be stopped at a predetermined position without causing an impact collision with other components such as a stopper, and the seeded seedling container A can be stacked upside down and removed.

[0027] In addition, when the previously seeded seedling raising container A, which has been transferred from the sowing transfer table 1 and placed on the receiving and lifting body 18, is transferred in fast forward by the fast forward transfer roller 17A, it contacts the start sensor 45, energizes the stacking motor M, drives and rotates the lifting roller 20, and begins to rise, and the bottom surface of the previously seeded seedling raising container A as it rises moves away from the fast forward transfer roller, and the drive is cut off, and the previously seeded seedling raising container A moves on the receiving and lifting body 18 by inertia and stops at a predetermined position due to contact resistance with the receiving and lifting body 18, and further, when the previously seeded seedling raising container A rises by the lifting roller 20 to a height that can be supported by the support device 24, it is supported at a predetermined height by the support device 24, and the receiving and lifting body 18 descends together with the lifting roller 20 which rotates downward, The device returns to the standby position, accepts the next seeded seedling raising container A, and then lifts the next seeded seedling raising container A again. This process is repeated to remove the seeded seedling raising container A. The previous seeded seedling raising container A received on the receiving and lifting body 18 on the lifting rollers 20 of the lifting mechanism 19 comes into contact with the start sensor 45 and begins to rise while being fast-forward transported by the fast-forward transport rollers. As a result, the bottom of the seeded seedling raising container A moves away from the fast-forward transport rollers and the drive is cut off. The inertial force at this time and the contact resistance with the receiving and lifting body 18 cause the container to stop at a predetermined position and further rise, and then be supported by the support device 24. This process can be repeated to stack and remove the containers, and they can be removed without using a stopper, preventing the sowing surface in the seedling raising container from becoming disturbed and allowing for stable removal work.

[0028] Therefore, the lifting mechanism 19 is configured to have a lifting roller 20 and a receiving and lifting body 18 that supports the bottom surface of the seeded seedling raising container A. Therefore, the receiving and lifting body 18 has the functions of smoothly receiving seedling containers A having various bottom shapes, absorbing the impact of stopping the seeded seedling container A due to contact resistance, and blocking the fast-forward drive of the seeded seedling container A by the fast-forward transport roller 17A. The receiving and lifting body 18 is formed by a main body 76 made of a flat plate member, and a predetermined portion of the bottom surface of the main body 76 is placed on a support portion 77 provided on the unloading transfer table 15. In this embodiment, the main body 76 of the receiving and lifting body 18 is formed with a left-right width that positions the fast-forward transfer roller 17A, which is composed of three rollers 78, between the left and right rollers 78, and also inside the supports 25 of the left and right support devices 24.

[0029] Therefore, the receiving and lifting body 18 does not interfere with the seeded seedling raising containers A being rapidly transported by the fast-forward transport rollers 17A, and can move up and down to stack the seeded seedling raising containers A without interfering with the support device 24 that supports the seeded seedling raising containers A. The main body portion 76 is formed to have at least a predetermined front-to-rear length that allows both the front and rear lifting rollers 20 to abut against each other, and also has a front-to-rear length that allows the seeded seedling container A, which has been cut off from the fast-forwarding of the fast-forwarding transport roller 17A by the lifting of the lifting roller 20, to be stopped by contact resistance. Therefore, the rear end of the main body 76 is positioned in front of the rear fast-forward transfer roller 17A, and the front end of the main body 76 is positioned behind the front frame 79 of the unloading transfer table 15 at a predetermined distance.

[0030] The support parts 77 that support the receiving and lifting body 18 may be provided at predetermined positions on the unloading transfer platform 15, but in this embodiment, the base parts of the arms 21 of the front and rear lifting rollers 20 in the standby position are formed in an arc shape, and the outer peripheral surfaces of the base parts of these arms 21 serve as support parts 77, and the receiving and lifting body 18 is supported by four support parts 77 on the front, back, left and right. The rear end of the main body 76 is provided with a rear inclined portion 80 that becomes lower toward the rear. This prevents interference between the front bottom surface of the sown seedling-raising container A and the main body 76, making it easier to move onto the receiving and lifting body 18. A downwardly protruding engagement leg 82 is provided at a predetermined position on the underside of the main body 76. The engagement leg 82 has an engagement groove 83, which is inserted from above into the roller mounting shaft 22 of the lifting mechanism 19 to engage with it.

[0031] Therefore, the receiving and lifting body 18 does not require a special dedicated drive mechanism, and is configured so that the receiving and lifting body 18 moves up and down following the lifting rollers 20, and the receiving and lifting body 18, which moves up and down due to the lifting rollers 20, has its up and down movement guided by the engagement between the engagement groove 83 of the engagement leg 82 and the roller mounting shaft 22. Therefore, the engaging legs 82 and the engaging grooves 83 are formed to be larger (longer) than the vertical movement width of the receiving and lifting body 18. Furthermore, the receiving and lifting body 18 can be attached by simply inserting the engaging grooves 83 of the engaging legs 82 onto the roller mounting shafts 22 of the lifting mechanism 19 from above. Therefore, the receiving and lifting body 18 is positioned in the front and rear directions by the engagement between the engaging grooves 83 of the engaging legs 82 and the roller mounting shafts 22, resulting in a rational configuration. An opening 84 is provided in the main body 76 of the receiving and lifting body 18, and the opening 84 is configured to fit over the fast-forward transport roller 17A.

[0032] Therefore, the opening 84 is opened to a size that allows the fast-forward transport roller 17A to fit therein. Furthermore, the upper surface of the main body 76 in the loading standby state is positioned below the upper surface of the fast-forward transport roller 17A. Therefore, the seeded seedling raising container A transferred onto the receiving and lifting body 18 is always rapidly transported by the rapid-forward transport rollers 17A. The fast-forward transport roller 17A is configured to be constantly driven and rotated by a fast-forward motor 17B.

[0033] The lifting roller 20 is configured to start operating when the start sensor 45 detects the seedling container A, and the start sensor 45 is attached so that its position can be adjusted forward and backward so that the lifting roller 20 raises the seedling container A before the front end of the sown seedling container A abuts against the fall prevention plate 44 provided at the end of the unloading transport table 15. Reference numeral 85 denotes an opening in the main body 76 of the receiving and lifting body 18 into which the start sensor 45 fits, and reference numeral 86 denotes a cover provided on the front side of the main body 76, which prevents foreign objects from getting caught between the main body 76 and the front frame 79 of the unloading transfer platform 15 during vertical movement.

[0034] (Operation of the embodiment) The present invention has the above-described configuration, and the starting end of the unloading transport platform 15 of the piling and unloading device 10 is connected to the end of the sowing transport platform 1 that supplies soil, seeds, etc. to the empty seedling container A. Next, the main body 76 of the receiving and lifting body 18 is placed on the support portion 77 of the unloading transfer table 15 . Next, an empty seedling container A is supplied to the starting end of the sowing transport table 1, and during transport the seedling container A is supplied with bed soil below the bed soil supply device 2, is irrigated, is supplied with seeds below the seed supply device 3, is supplied with covering soil below the covering soil supply device 4, and is then sown. The seeded seedling container A that has been sown and transported to the end of the sowing transport table 1 is transferred onto the transport roller 17 of the unloading transport table 15 of the stacking and removal device 10, and is pushed by the following seedling container A, moving straight along the freely rotating transport roller 17, and is fast-forwarded by the rear fast-forward transport roller 17A located behind the rear end of the receiving and lifting body 18, until it is transferred onto the receiving and lifting body 18 and comes into contact with the start sensor 45.

[0035] When the seedling raising container A comes into contact with the start sensor 45, the stacking motor M is energized, driving and rotating the lifting rollers 20 to raise the preceding seedling raising container A until it is supported by the support 25. When the seedling raising container A is raised by the lifting rollers 20, the guide surface 29 is pushed outward by the seedling raising container A rising against the elastic force of the spring 31, and the support 25 rotates outward to retreat from the seedling raising container A, and when the bottom surface of the seedling raising container A passes the upper end of the guide surface 29, the support 25 rotates inward due to the elastic force of the spring 31, and the support surface 30 slips under the bottom surface of the seedling raising container A to support it and wait.

[0036] When the preceding seedling-raising container A is supported by the support 25, the connection terminal 72 of the stacking stop switch 71 enters the notch 74 on the outer circumferential surface of the cam body 70, and the power supply to the stacking motor M is cut off. While the preceding seedling raising container A is supported by the support 25, the succeeding seedling raising container A transfers from the end of the sowing transfer table 1 onto the transfer roller 17 of the unloading transfer table 15 of the stacking and unloading device 10, is fast-forwarded by the fast-forward transfer roller 17A and again contacts the start sensor 45, and the start sensor 45 energizes the stacking motor M, driving and rotating the fast-forward transfer roller 17A to fast-forward and transfer the seedling raising container A, forming a gap between it and the succeeding seedling raising container A, and at the same time, rotates the lifting roller 20 to lift the second seedling raising container A.

[0037] When the second seedling raising container A is raised by the lifting rollers 20, the second seedling raising container A rising against the elastic force of the springs 31 pushes the guide surface 29 outward, the support 25 rotates outward and retreats, the top surface of the second seedling raising container A is pressed against the bottom surface of the first seedling raising container A and they are stacked, the lifting rollers 20 raise the seedling raising containers A while they are still stacked, and when the bottom surface of the second seedling raising container A passes the top end of the guide surface 29, it rotates inward due to the elastic force of the springs 31, and the support surface 30 slips under the bottom surface of the second seedling raising container A to support it. When the second seedling container A is supported by the support 25, the connection terminal 72 of the stacking stop switch 71 enters the notch 74 on the outer surface of the cam body 70, cutting off the power to the stacking motor M and completing the two-tier stacking.

[0038] In this way, the seeded seedling containers A sown on the sowing transfer table 1 are stacked up to a predetermined number of layers (number of sheets) by repeating the above operation, and the seedling containers A stacked up to a predetermined number of layers are manually removed from the unloading transfer table 15 as appropriate. When a predetermined number or more of seedling raising containers A are piled up on the support 25, the pile-up detection switch 75 detects this and stops the sowing transport table 1.

[0039] As described above, when the seeded seedling raising container A transferred from the sowing transfer table 1 is received on the lifting rollers 20 of the lifting mechanism 19, a receiving and lifting body 18 is prepared in advance on the lifting rollers 20, and the seeded seedling raising container A is transferred onto the receiving and lifting body 18.Therefore, the seeded seedling raising container A can be stopped at a predetermined position due to the contact resistance when it is transferred onto the receiving and lifting body 18.This means that the seeded seedling raising container A can be stopped at a predetermined position without impact, without adopting the conventional impact stopping mechanism in which the seeded seedling raising container A is stopped by abutting it against a stopper.This prevents the sowing surface inside the seeded seedling raising container A from being disturbed, and allows for stable stacking and removal work.

[0040] In other words, the previously seeded seedling raising container A that has been transferred onto the receiving and lifting body 18 is rapidly transported relative to the subsequent seeded seedling raising container A by the fast-forward transport rollers 17A provided on the unloading transport platform 15, and begins to rise by the lifting rollers 20 that are driven to rotate, then detaches from the fast-forward transport rollers 17A and moves along the receiving and lifting body 18 by inertia, stopping at a predetermined position due to contact resistance with the receiving and lifting body 18.In this state, the lifting rollers 20 raise the seeded seedling raising container A until it can be supported by the support device 24.Therefore, by raising the seeded seedling raising container A by the lifting rollers 20 of the lifting mechanism 19, the driving force acting on the seeded seedling raising container A from the fast-forward transport rollers 17A is cut off, and the seeded seedling raising container A can be stopped at a predetermined position without causing an impact collision with other parts such as a stopper, and the seeded seedling raising containers A can be stacked up and removed in a vertically aligned manner.

[0041] In addition, when the previously seeded seedling raising container A that has been transferred from the sowing transfer table 1 and placed onto the receiving and lifting body 18 is transferred in fast forward by the fast forward transfer roller 17A, it comes into contact with the start sensor 45, which energizes the stacking motor M, driving and rotating the lifting roller 20 and causing it to begin to rise, and as it rises, the bottom of the previously seeded seedling raising container A moves away from the fast forward transfer roller and the drive is cut off, so that the previously seeded seedling raising container A can be stopped at a predetermined position on the receiving and lifting body 18 simply by lifting the previously seeded seedling raising container A together with the receiving and lifting body 18 without using any special mechanism. Since each seeded seedling raising container A sent out from the seeding transfer table 1 has approximately the same weight, the seeded seedling raising containers A moving on the receiving and lifting body 18 due to inertia stop at the same predetermined position due to contact resistance, and by this stacking operation, the seeded seedling raising containers A can be stacked with the front end positions of each seeded seedling raising container A aligned without the need for special stoppers or the like.

[0042] In this way, the lifting mechanism 19 is composed of lifting rollers 20 and a receiving and lifting body 18 that supports the bottom of the seeded seedling raising container A, so that the receiving and lifting body 18 has the function of smoothly receiving seedling raising containers A having various bottom shapes, absorbing the stopping impact of the seeded seedling raising container A due to contact resistance, and blocking the fast-forward drive of the seeded seedling raising container A by the fast-forward transport roller 17A. The receiving and lifting body 18 is formed by a main body 76 made of a flat plate member, and a predetermined portion of the bottom surface of the main body 76 is placed on a support portion 77 provided on the unloading transfer table 15. Therefore, when the main body 76 is placed on the support portion 77 of the unloading transfer table 15, installation is completed.

[0043] Therefore, if the lifting mechanism 19 has a pair of front and rear lifting rollers 20, simply by providing a support part 77 on the sowing transfer table 1, it becomes possible to create a seedling container stacking and removal device using the receiving and lifting body 18, which makes it possible to use it as a so-called retrofit, thereby improving versatility. The main body 76 is formed to have a predetermined front-to-rear length that allows at least both the front and rear lifting rollers 20 to abut against it, and also has a front-to-rear length that allows a seeded seedling container A that has been blocked from the fast-forward movement of the fast-forward transport roller 17A by the lifting of the lifting roller 20 to be stopped by contact resistance, so that seedling containers A of various shapes can be received and stacked. The rear end of the main body 76 is provided with a rear inclined portion 80 that becomes lower toward the rear, thereby preventing interference between the front bottom surface of the seeded seedling raising container A and the main body 76 and facilitating transfer onto the receiving and lifting body 18.

[0044] An engagement leg 82 having a vertically elongated engagement groove 83 that protrudes downward is provided at a predetermined position on the underside of the main body 76, and when the engagement leg 82 has the engagement groove 83 and is inserted from above into and engaged with the roller mounting shaft 22 of the lifting mechanism 19, the installation of the receiving and lifting body 18 is completed. Therefore, the receiving and lifting body 18 can be attached to and detached from the unloading transfer platform 15 without the need for special tools. In addition, the receiving and lifting body 18 can move up and down following the lifting roller 20 by engaging the engagement groove 83 of the engagement leg 82 with the roller mounting shaft 22, thereby stacking the seeded seedling containers A, thereby providing an inexpensive seedling container stacking and removal device. Furthermore, the receiving and lifting body 18 is attached by inserting the engagement grooves 83 of the engagement legs 82 into the roller mounting shaft 22 of the lifting mechanism 19 from above, so that the receiving and lifting body 18 is positioned in the front and rear directions by the engagement between the engagement grooves 83 of the engagement legs 82 and the roller mounting shaft 22, resulting in a rational configuration.

[0045] An opening 84 is provided in the main body 76 of the receiving and lifting body 18, and a fast-forward transport roller 17A is fitted into the opening 84, so that the fast-forward transport roller 17A exposed from the opening 84 of the receiving and lifting body 18 in a standby state acts on the seeded seedling raising container A and always causes it to be fast-forwarded. The lifting roller 20 is configured to start operating when the start sensor 45 detects the seedling raising container A, and the start sensor 45 is attached so that its front and rear position can be adjusted so that the lifting roller 20 lifts the seedling raising container A before the front end of the seeded seedling raising container A comes into contact with the fall prevention plate 44 provided at the end of the unloading transfer table 15.Therefore, without adopting the conventional impact stopping mechanism in which the seeded seedling raising container A comes into contact with a stopper, the seeded seedling raising container A can be stopped in a predetermined position without giving an impact, preventing the sowing surface inside the seeded seedling raising container A from being disturbed and allowing for stable stacking and removal work. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1... Seeding transport platform, 2... Bed soil supply device, 3... Seed supply device, 4... Covering soil supply device, 10... Stacking and unloading device, 15... Unloading transport platform, 16... Frame, 17... Transport roller, 17A... Rapid traverse transport roller, 17B... Rapid traverse motor, 18... Receiving and lifting body, 19... Lifting mechanism, 20... Lifting roller, 20B... Space, 21... Arm, 22... Roller mounting shaft, 23... Guide member, 24... Support device, 25... Support body, 26... Motor output shaft, 27... Output gear, 28... Arm gear, 29... Lifting chain, 30... Mounting part, 31... Tension gear, 32... Tension arm, 33... Mounting shaft, 39... Rapid traverse roller rotation shaft, 40... Passive gear, 40 A, 40B...intermediate gear, 41...intermediate gear, 42...fast-forward chain, 42B...chain, 45...start sensor, 50...one-way clutch, 60...arm, 61...mounting shaft, 62...mounting portion, 62A...mounting member, 62B...bolt, 64...support portion 64, 64A...support surface, 64B...tip portion, 64C...side rib, 65...retreat guide surface 65, 66...spring, 67...stopper protrusion, 70...cam body, 71...stacking stop switch, 75...stacking detection switch, 76...main body, 77...support portion, 78...roller, 79...front frame, 80...rear inclined portion, 82...engaging leg, 83...engaging groove, 84...opening, 85...opening, 86...cover, H...conveying portion, M...stacking motor, S...gap.

Claims

1. A seeded seedling container stacking and removal method in which a seeded seedling container A transferred from a sowing transfer table (1) is received onto a receiving and lifting body (18) on a lifting roller (20) of a lifting mechanism (19), the received seeded seedling container A is raised by driving and rotating the lifting roller (20) while being stopped at a predetermined position due to contact resistance with the receiving and lifting body (18), the raised seeded seedling container A is supported by a support device (24) provided on an unloading transfer table (15), a subsequent seeded seedling container A is received and lifted below the seeded seedling container A supported by the support device (24), the seeded seedling container A received from the sowing transfer table (1) onto the receiving and lifting body (18) is raised and supported by the support device (24), and a subsequent seeded seedling container A is received and lifted below the seeded seedling container A supported by the support device (24), and this operation is repeated to remove stacked seeded seedling containers (A).

2. In claim 1, the seedling-containing container A that has been transferred onto the receiving and lifting body 18 is rapidly transported relative to the subsequent seedling-containing container A by the fast-forward transport rollers 17A provided on the unloading transport platform 15, and begins to rise by the driven and rotating lifting rollers 20, detaches from the fast-forward transport rollers 17A, moves on the receiving and lifting body 18 by inertia, and stops at a predetermined position due to contact resistance with the receiving and lifting body 18, and the stopped seedling-containing container A is raised by the lifting rollers 20 until it can be supported by the support device 24, and the seedling-containing container A is stacked and removed in this seedling-containing container stacking and removal method.

3. The seeded seedling raising container A transferred from the sowing transfer table 1 is received on the receiving and lifting body 18 on the lifting roller 20 of the lifting mechanism 19, and the preceding seeded seedling raising container A transferred onto the receiving and lifting body 18 is transferred in fast forward relative to the succeeding seeded seedling raising container A by the fast forward transfer roller 17A provided on the unloading transfer table 15, and when the preceding seeded seedling raising container A transferred in fast forward contacts the start sensor 45, the stacking motor M is energized to drive and rotate the lifting roller 20 to start rising, and the bottom surface of the preceding seeded seedling raising container A during the rise leaves the fast forward transfer roller and the drive is cut off, and the preceding seeded seedling raising container A The seedling container A containing the seedlings sown in the next row moves on the receiving and lifting body 18 due to inertia and stops at a predetermined position due to contact resistance with the receiving and lifting body 18. Furthermore, the seedling container A containing the seedlings sown in the previous row is raised by the lifting rollers 20 to a height that can be supported by the support device 24, and is supported at the predetermined height by the support device 24. The receiving and lifting body 18 then descends together with the lifting rollers 20 which rotate downward and returns to the standby position, receiving the subsequent seedling container A, and again lifting the subsequent seeded seedling container A, and the receiving and lifting operations are repeated to remove the seeded seedling containers A.

4. The device for removing sown seedling containers is provided with a transport section H having transport rollers 17 for supporting and transporting the seedling containers A transferred from the seeding transport table 1, which are provided integrally or separately at the end of the seeding transport table 1 for sowing bed soil and seeds into empty seedling containers A, and a lifting mechanism 19 having a pair of lifting rollers 20 which rotate on a horizontal axis at the front and rear for lifting the seedling containers A. The lifting mechanism 19 is provided with a receiving and lifting body 18 which supports the bottom of the sown seedling containers A, and the receiving and lifting body 1 8 is a seedling container stacking and removal device configured to lift the received seeded seedling container A by driving and rotating a roller 20 to raise it and stop it at a predetermined position due to contact resistance with the receiving and lifting body 18, and to provide a support device 24 on the unloading transfer platform 15 above the receiving and lifting body 18 to support the seeded seedling container A lifted by the receiving and lifting body 18, so that subsequent seeded seedling containers A can be received below the seeded seedling container A supported by the support device 24.

5. In claim 4, the receiving and lifting body 18 is formed from a flat plate member having at least a front-to-back length that allows the seeded seedling container A, which has been blocked from the fast-forward movement of the fast-forward transfer roller 17A, to be stopped by contact resistance, and is configured to be placed on a support portion 77 provided on the side of the unloading transfer table 15.

6. In claim 4 or claim 5, the receiving and lifting body 18 is placed on the support part 77 and receives the seeded seedling container A from the sowing transfer table 1, and moves up and down together with the lifting rollers 20 as the latter rotates, and the receiving and lifting body 18 is formed with a predetermined front-to-back length so that both the front and rear lifting rollers 20 abut against each other, thereby forming a seedling container stacking and removal device.

7. In any one of claims 4 to 6, the transfer roller 17 of the transfer section H is The seedling container stacking and removal device is configured so that the rapid-forward transfer roller 17A separates the seedling container A from the subsequent seedling container A, and the rapid-forward transfer roller 17A acts on the seeded seedling container A on the receiving and lifting body 18.

8. In claims 4 to 7, the seedling container stacking and removal device is configured so that the fast-forward transport roller 17A is constantly driven and rotated by a fast-forward motor 17B, and the lifting roller 20 is driven by a stacking motor M upon detection by a start sensor 45.

9. In any of claims 4 to 8, the lifting rollers 20 are configured to start operating when a seedling container A is detected by a start sensor 45, and the start sensor 45 is installed so that its front and rear positions can be adjusted so that the lifting rollers 20 lift the seedling container A before the front end of the seeded seedling container A abuts against a fall prevention plate 44 provided at the end of the unloading transfer table 15.

Images