Apparatus and method for transferring seedlings from plant trays
US5644999A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 1, 1995 |
| Grant date | Jul 8, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 1, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA01C11/025
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A transplanter for transferring seedlings from plant trays to a planting position includes a special plant tray having a series of longitudinal indexing grooves and a transverse alignment groove for engagement with indexing rods and support rings that are joined together to form an indexing drum. The indexing drum is mounted adjacent a loading frame for guiding the plant trays into position for ejection of the plant seedlings and includes an integrally internally mounted plug ejector subassembly which moves relative to the indexing drum at each of a number of successive indexing positions of the drum for ejection of seedlings from the plant tray. The indexing grooves and transverse alignment groove on the plant tray provide datum surfaces for ensuring accurate positioning of the plug ejector subassembly relative to the seedlings in the plant tray.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.