JP7497701B2 - Ride-on seedling planter - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a riding seedling planter with a seedling planting unit attached to the traveling body.

Conventionally, some riding seedling planters that plant seedlings while traveling through a paddy field have a spare seedling carrier on the front side of the traveling body (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2021-072873 A

The tasks of placing the front of the riding seedling planter on a ridge or road and supplying trays of raised seedlings from the ridge or road to the riding seedling planter, and removing empty trays from the riding seedling planter, were difficult to work with and inefficient.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a riding seedling planting machine that can improve workability and work efficiency.

The first invention relates to a riding seedling planting machine having a seedling planting section (30) attached to the rear of a traveling body (2) and a spare seedling carrying section (50) provided at the front of the traveling body (2), and an empty box carrying section (58) for carrying empty seedling boxes (N) is provided near the spare seedling carrying section (50) so as to be freely switched between an extended use state that is long in the fore-and-aft direction of the machine body and a stored state that is short in the fore-and-aft direction of the machine body,
The empty box carrying section (58) is composed of a front carrying section (58F) and a rear carrying section (58R), and the rear carrying section (58R) can be changed in position between an expanded use state in which the rear carrying section (58R) is in series with the front carrying section (58F) and communicates with it in the front-rear direction, and a stored state in which the rear carrying section (58R) is folded above the front carrying section (58F);
The upper loading platform (51U) and the lower loading platform (51D) of the spare seedling loading section (50) can be switched between a stacked state in which they are overlapped, and a spread state in which the upper loading platform (51U) and the lower loading platform (51D) are spread out in the front-rear direction,
A base of a support frame (57) of an empty box loading platform (56) having an empty box loading section (58) is fixed to the upper loading platform (51U),
The front loading section (58F) and the rear loading section (58R) are respectively composed of a front receiving stand (59F) and a rear receiving stand (59R) for receiving empty seedling boxes (N), and a front receiving frame (60F) and a rear receiving frame (60R) rising upward from the front receiving stand (59F) and the rear receiving stand (59R),
The bottom of the front support (59F) of the front loading portion (58F) is fixed on the support frame (57), and the upper ends of left and right arms (61, 61) standing on the left and right sides of the rear end of the front loading portion (58F) and the upper ends of left and right arms (62, 62) standing on the left and right sides of the front end of the rear loading portion (58R) are pivotally supported by pivot pins (63, 63) provided in the left and right direction so as to be freely rotatable.
This riding seedling planter is characterized in that the empty box carrying section (58) can be changed in position by rotating the rear carrying section (58R) around pivot pins (63, 63) between an expanded use state in which the rear carrying section (58R) is in line with the front carrying section (58F) and connected in the fore-and-aft direction, and a stored state in which it is folded above the front carrying section (58F).
The second invention is a ride-on seedling planter of the first invention, which can be freely switched between a stacked state in which the multiple upper loading platforms (51U) and lower loading platforms (51D) of the spare seedling loading section (50) overlap in a planar view in multiple vertical tiers, and an expanded state in which the upper loading platform (51U) has moved forward of the lower loading platform (51D) and the upper loading platform (51U) and the lower loading platform (51D) are expanded in a linear manner in the fore-and-aft direction, and which is characterized by having an empty box loading section (58) provided above the upper loading platform (51U).
The third invention is a riding seedling planter of the first or second invention, characterized in that an empty box carrying section (58) which is extended in an extended use state in the fore-and-aft direction of the machine body extends from the front end to the rear end of a spare seedling carrying section (50) which is extended in an extended state with a plurality of upper loading platforms (51U) and lower loading platforms (51D) extended in a straight line in the fore-and-aft direction.
The fourth invention is a riding seedling planter of any of the first to third inventions, characterized in that the empty box loading section (58), which is stored in a short state in the fore-and-aft direction of the machine body, fits within the range from the front end to the rear end of the spare seedling loading section (50), which has multiple upper loading platforms (51U) and lower loading platforms (51D) stacked in multiple vertical tiers that overlap when viewed in a plane.
In the fifth aspect of the present invention, a drink holder (64) is provided on the upper part of the support frame (57) and on the inside of the aircraft body of the empty box carrying portion (58),
The front receiving frame (60F) and the rear receiving frame (60R) on the outside of the machine body are configured to be higher than the front receiving frame (60F) and the rear receiving frame (60R) on the inside of the machine body, and the empty seedling box (N) stored in the empty box carrying section (58) is supported in an outwardly inclined position,
This is a riding seedling planter of any of the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, characterized in that the empty box carrying portion (58) supports an empty seedling box (N) with mud adhering thereto in an outwardly tilted state.
A sixth aspect of the present invention is a riding seedling planter according to any one of the first to fifth aspects of the present invention, characterized in that it has an empty box carrying section (58) on which an empty seedling box (N) is placed vertically.
The first invention related to the present invention is a riding seedling planter having a seedling planting unit 30 attached to the rear of the running body 2 and a spare seedling carrying unit 50 at the front of the running body 2, in which an empty box carrying unit 58 for placing empty seedling boxes N near the spare seedling carrying unit 50 can be freely switched between an extended use state that is long in the fore-and-aft direction of the machine body and a stored state that is short in the fore-and-aft direction of the machine body.

According to the first invention related to the present invention , an empty box loading section 58 for loading empty seedling boxes N is provided near the spare seedling loading section 50 so as to be freely switchable between an expanded use state which is long in the fore-and-aft direction of the machine body and a stored state which is short in the fore-and-aft direction of the machine body. Therefore, by putting the empty box loading section 58 in an expanded use state which is long in the fore-and-aft direction of the machine body, the supply of grown seedling boxes N from the ridges or roads to the riding-type seedling planter 1 and the removal of empty seedling boxes N from the riding-type seedling planter 1 can be performed with good workability and efficiency.

In addition, when not supplying seedlings, the empty box loading section 58 can be stored in a short position in the fore-aft direction of the machine body so that it does not get in the way of work.

A second invention related to the present invention is a ride-on seedling planter of the first invention related to the present invention, which can be freely switched between a stacked state in which the multiple upper loading platforms 51U and lower loading platforms 51D of the spare seedling loading section 50 overlap in a planar view in multiple vertical tiers, and an expanded state in which the upper loading platform 51U has moved forward of the lower loading platform 51D and the upper loading platform 51U and lower loading platform 51D are expanded in a linear manner in the fore-and-aft direction, and which has an empty box loading section 58 provided above the upper loading platform 51U.

A third invention related to the present invention is a ride-on seedling planter of the first or second invention related to the present invention, in which an empty box carrying section 58 is deployed in an extended use state in the fore-and-aft direction of the machine body, and extends from the front end to the rear end of a spare seedling carrying section 50 in an extended state in which multiple upper loading platforms 51U and lower loading platforms 51D are deployed in a linear manner in the fore-and- aft direction.

A fourth invention related to the present invention is a ride-on seedling planter of any of the first to third inventions related to the present invention, in which the empty box loading section 58, which is stored in a short state in the fore-and-aft direction of the machine body, fits within the range from the front end to the rear end of the spare seedling loading section 50, which has multiple upper loading platforms 51U and lower loading platforms 51D stacked in multiple vertical tiers that overlap when viewed in a plane.

A fifth invention related to the present invention is a riding seedling planter of any of the first to fourth inventions related to the present invention , in which the empty box loading section 58 is composed of a front loading section 58F and a rear loading section 58R, and the position can be changed between an expanded use state in which the rear loading section 58R is in line with the front loading section 58F and connected in the fore-and-aft direction, and a stored state in which it is folded above the front loading section 58F.

A sixth invention related to the present invention is a riding seedling planter of any of the first to fifth inventions related to the present invention , which has an empty box carrying section 58 on which an empty seedling box N is placed vertically.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a riding seedling planter showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a main part of a riding seedling planter showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of a main part of the riding seedling planter showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a front view of a main part of a riding seedling planter showing a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a front view of a main part of a riding seedling planter showing a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a main part of a riding seedling planter showing another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a side view of a riding seedling planter showing another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a side view for explaining the operation of a main part of a riding seedling planter showing another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a side view of a riding seedling planter showing another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a perspective view for explaining the operation of a main part of a riding seedling planter showing another embodiment of the present invention.

The following describes in detail the embodiments of the riding seedling planter disclosed in the present application with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The bonnet 11 protrudes upward from the floor step 7 and is covered by a front cover 11a. A display unit (meter panel) is provided on the top of the bonnet 11. The display unit has a display surface that is tilted downward and rearward so that it faces an operator seated in the cockpit 9 and facing forward.

The display unit displays information from various sensors, such as a marker sensor that detects whether a line-drawing marker (described later) that forms a travel reference line serving as a guide for going straight in a paddy field scene is present on the left or right side of the traveling vehicle body, a planting lever position sensor that detects the operating position of the planting lever, a fertilizer shortage sensor that detects when the amount of fertilizer stored in the storage hopper 41 of the fertilizer applicator 40 falls below a predetermined amount, and a fertilizer clogging sensor that detects when the fertilizer sent from the storage hopper 41 becomes clogged in the supply path.

The riding seedling planter 1 comprises a lifting device 20 and a seedling planting section 30. The lifting device 20 comprises a lifting link 21. The lifting link 21 is a parallel link that connects the rear of the traveling body 2 to the seedling planting section 30, and is connected to the link frame at the rear of the traveling body 2 and the seedling planting section 30 so that it can rotate freely in the vertical direction, thereby connecting the seedling planting section 30 to the traveling body 2 so that it can be raised and lowered.

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

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

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

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

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

The rotary case 332 rotatably supports the planting case 333. The rotary case 332 is provided with a variable speed transmission mechanism that can rotate the planting rod 331 while changing the rotational speed of the planting rod 331. The planting rod 331 rotates while changing its rotational speed depending on the rotation angle relative to the rotary case 332.

<Fertilizer application device 40>
The riding seedling planter 1 includes a fertilizer applicator 40. The fertilizer applicator 40 is an apparatus for spreading fertilizer in a paddy field. In the riding seedling planter 1, the seedling planting unit 30 plants seedlings in the paddy field while the fertilizer applicator 40 spreads fertilizer in the paddy field.

The fertilizer applicator 40 is equipped with a storage hopper 41 for storing fertilizer, which is located above the rear of the traveling body 2 and behind the driver's seat 9, a delivery section 42 for delivering fertilizer from the storage hopper 41, a fertilizer pipe 44 for transporting the fertilizer delivered from the delivery section 42 using the wind power of an electric blower 43, and a furrow maker 45 for creating a furrow to the side of the seedling planting position and dispersing the fertilizer delivered by the fertilizer pipe 44 into the furrow.

<Spare seedling carrying section 50>
The riding seedling planter 1 is provided with spare seedling carriers 50 on both the left and right sides in front of the traveling body 2, the spare seedling carriers 50 consisting of a right spare seedling carrier 50R and a left spare seedling carrier.

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

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

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

Therefore, by gripping the gripping portion 55 fixed to the front of the upper loading platform frame 53U and rotating the front and rear parallel links 54F, 54R to move the upper loading platform 51U in parallel, it is possible to switch between a stacked state in which the upper and lower stages overlap in a plan view, and an expanded state in which the upper loading platform 51U and the lower loading platform 51D are expanded linearly in the front and rear directions.

The base of the support frame 57 of the empty box platform 56 is welded to the upper platform frame 53U.

The empty box platform 56 is configured with an empty box loading section 58 that stores two empty seedling boxes N in a horizontal and vertical arrangement in a row when deployed on a support frame 57.

The empty box loading section 58 is composed of a front loading section 58F and a rear loading section 58R.

The front and rear loading sections 58F and 58R are each made up of a front support stand 59F and a rear support stand 59R made of rail-shaped resin that support the bottom end of an empty seedling box N placed vertically, and a front support frame 60F and a rear support frame 60R made of rods that rise upward from the front support stand 59F and the rear support stand 59R and support the bottom and top of the empty seedling box N.

The bottom of the front support 59F of the front loading section 58F is fixed onto the support frame 57, and the upper ends of the left and right arms 61, 61 raised on the left and right sides of the rear end of the front loading section 58F and the upper ends of the left and right arms 62, 62 raised on the left and right sides of the front end of the rear loading section 58R are pivotally supported by pivot pins 63, 63 provided in the left and right direction so as to be freely rotatable.

The empty box loading section 58 of the empty box loading platform 56 can therefore be changed in position by rotating the rear loading section 58R around the pivot pins 63, 63 between an expanded use state in which the rear loading section 58R is connected to the front loading section 58F in the fore-and-aft direction and in a straight line (two empty seedling boxes N are stored in a straight line, horizontally and vertically), and a storage state in which it is folded above the front loading section 58F.

The front loading section 58F and rear loading section 58R of the empty box loading section 58 are configured to have a length that is slightly shorter (almost the same length) than the front-to-rear length of the upper loading platform 51U and lower loading platform 51D.

In other words, when the upper loading platform 51U and the lower loading platform 51D are deployed in a linear fashion in the fore-and-aft direction, if the front loading section 58F and the rear loading section 58R of the empty box loading section 58 are deployed in a linear fashion in the fore-and-aft direction, the fore-and-aft length of the front loading section 58F and the rear loading section 58R of the empty box loading section 58 will be approximately the same as the length of the upper loading platform 51U and the lower loading platform 51D in the deployed state in a linear fashion in the fore-and-aft direction.

In addition, when the upper loading platform 51U and the lower loading platform 51D are stacked, if the front loading section 58F and the rear loading section 58R of the empty box loading section 58 are stored, the length of the empty box loading section 58 becomes shorter than the front-to-rear length of the upper loading platform 51U, so that the empty box loading section 58 does not protrude from the rear of the upper loading platform 51U and does not get in the way, making it compact.

The left spare seedling loading section has three loading platforms, an upper loading platform, a middle loading platform, and a lower loading platform, located on the top of the left seedling tray frame 52, the base of which is fixed to the machine frame of the traveling vehicle body 2. The upper loading platform, middle loading platform, and lower loading platform are pallet-shaped, have a pair of side walls and a bottom surface, and can each hold a seedling box N containing grown seedlings.

<Planting seedlings>
The right spare seedling loading section 50R is switched to the deployed state. That is, the gripping section 55 fixed to the front part of the upper loading frame 53U is gripped to rotate the front and rear parallel links 54F, 54R to move the upper loading platform 51U forward in parallel, thereby switching to the deployed state in which the upper loading platform 51U and the lower loading platform 51D are deployed linearly in the front and rear direction.

Then, the rear loading section 58R of the empty box loading platform 56 is deployed in series with the front loading section 58F and communicated in the front-rear direction.

The operator, seated in the operator's seat 9 of the riding seedling planter 1, operates the machine to place the front of the riding seedling planter 1 on the ridge or road.

The worker on the ridge or road unfolds the seedling boxes N containing the seedlings that have been placed on the ridge or road, places them on the upper loading platform 51U at the front, pushes them toward the rear of the machine, and then slides them to the lower loading platform 51D at the rear.

The worker aboard the machine picks up the seedling box N that has been slid to the lower loading platform 51D, removes the seedlings with mat-like soil from the seedling box N, and supplies them to the seedling placement platform 31 of the seedling planting section 30. The worker then places the empty seedling box N on the empty box placement section 58, which is in an expanded, in-line state with the rear placement section 58R communicating with the front placement section 58F in the fore-aft direction.

The worker on the ridge or road removes the empty seedling boxes N placed on the empty box loading section 58 and places them on the ridge or road, then unfolds the seedling boxes N filled with seedlings placed on the ridge or road, places them on the upper loading platform 51U at the front, pushes them toward the rear of the machine, and slides them to the lower loading platform 51D at the rear.

In this way, seedling boxes N filled with seedlings placed on the ridges or roads can be efficiently and easily supplied to the seedling placement table 31 of the seedling planting section 30 using the unfolded upper loading platform 51U, lower loading platform 51D and empty box loading section 58.

Then, when the worker has finished supplying seedlings to the seedling placement platform 31 of the seedling planting section 30, he or she on the ridge or road unfolds the seedling boxes N that have been placed on the ridge or road, places them on the upper loading platform 51U at the front, pushes them toward the rear of the machine, slides them to the lower loading platform 51D at the rear, and then places seedling boxes N on the upper loading platform 51U as well. Seedling boxes N are also placed on the upper loading platform, middle loading platform, and lower loading platform of the left auxiliary seedling placement section.

It also picks up fertilizer bags placed on the ridges or roads and carries them to the storage hopper 41 of the fertilizer applicator 40 to supply fertilizer.

The operator sits in the driver's seat 9 of the riding seedling planter 1 and drives the machine to move along a predetermined route in the field, driving each part to plant seedlings and apply fertilizer.

When there are only a few seedlings with soil mats on the seedling placement table 31 of the seedling planting section 30, the machine stops, picks up the seedling boxes N placed on the right spare seedling placement section 50R or the left spare seedling placement section 50L, removes the seedlings with soil mats from the seedling boxes N and supplies them to the seedling placement table 31 of the seedling planting section 30, and places the empty seedling boxes N on the empty box placement section 58. The machine then advances again to drive each section and perform seedling planting and fertilization work.

When there are only a few seedlings with soil mats remaining on the seedling placement platform 31 of the seedling planting section 30 and there are no more spare seedlings on the right spare seedling placement platform 50R or the left spare seedling placement platform 50L, the front of the riding seedling planter 1 is placed on the ridge or road, and seedlings with soil mats are supplied to the seedling placement platform 31 of the seedling planting section 30 in the manner described above, and seedling boxes N with grown seedlings are placed on the right spare seedling placement platform 50R and the left spare seedling placement platform 50L. Also, if there is only a little fertilizer in the storage hopper 41 of the fertilizer applicator 40, fertilizer is also supplied to the storage hopper 41.

When work in the field is finished and the empty boxes are to be loaded onto a truck or stored in a shed, the rear loading section 58R of the empty box platform 56 is folded up above the front loading section 58F to be stored.

Then, the gripping portion 55 fixed to the front of the upper loading platform frame 53U is gripped to rotate the front and rear parallel links 54F, 54R to move the upper loading platform 51U in parallel to the rear, switching the upper loading platform 51U and the lower loading platform 51D to a stacked state in which they overlap in a plan view, forming two levels, one above the other.

In summary, the right spare seedling loading section 50R is equipped with multiple (two) upper loading platforms 51U and lower loading platforms 51D, and is configured to be switchable between a stacked state in which the upper loading platform 51U and the lower loading platform 51D are stacked in two levels, one above the other, and an expanded state in which the upper loading platform 51U moves forward of the lower loading platform 51D and the upper loading platform 51U and the lower loading platform 51D are expanded linearly in the front-to-back direction. An empty box loading section 58 is provided above the upper loading platform 51U to place empty seedling boxes N. By placing the front of the riding seedling planter 1 on a ridge or road and expanding the upper loading platform 51U and the lower loading platform 51D in a linear expanded state in the front-to-back direction, the supply of raised seedling boxes N from the ridge or road to the riding seedling planter 1 and the removal of empty seedling boxes N from the riding seedling planter 1 can be performed efficiently and with good workability.

In addition, by providing the empty box loading section 58 above the upper loading platform 51U of the right spare seedling loading section 50R, the empty box loading section 58 can be positioned by utilizing the space above the upper loading platform 51U, without adversely affecting other equipment to the left and right of the machine body or narrowing the movement space for workers passing through the floor step 7 on the side, and the machine body can be configured compactly without increasing its left and right width.

The empty box loading section 58 can be changed in position by rotating the rear loading section 58R around the pivot pins 63, 63 between an expanded use state in which the rear loading section 58R is connected to the front loading section 58F in the front-rear direction and in a straight line, and a folded-up storage state above the front loading section 58F. This allows the empty seedling boxes N to be collected easily and efficiently in the expanded use state during rice planting work, and allows two empty seedling boxes N to be stored in a straight line, horizontally and vertically. If the rear loading section 58R of the empty box loading platform 56 is folded up above the front loading section 58F in a straight line state, it can be loaded onto a truck or stored compactly in a barn, and does not protrude rearward and get in the way when the upper loading platform 51U and lower loading platform 51D of the right spare seedling loading section 50R are stacked.

(Another embodiment)

(1) Figure 4 shows a second embodiment of the empty box mounting section 58, in which two sets of empty box mounting sections 58 are provided in parallel on a support frame 57, and in the deployed use state, two empty seedling boxes N are stored in series in a horizontally elongated and vertical position.

Therefore, since two sets of empty box loading sections 58 are provided in parallel, seedling supply work can be performed more easily and efficiently by utilizing the two sets of empty box loading sections 58 in parallel.

In addition, a total of four empty seedling boxes N can be placed on the two sets of empty box loading sections 58 arranged in parallel.

(2) Figure 5 shows a third embodiment in which a drink holder 64 is provided on the empty box platform 56.

That is, a synthetic resin drink holder 64 is provided on the upper part of the support frame 57 of the empty box platform 56, on the inside of the aircraft body of the empty box loading section 58.

The front and rear support frames 60F and 60R on the outside of the machine are configured to be higher than the front and rear support frames 60F and 60R on the inside of the machine, so that the empty seedling boxes N stored in the empty box loading section 58 are supported in an outwardly tilted position.

The empty box support section 58 therefore supports the empty seedling box N with mud attached in an outwardly tilted state, so that it is separated from the drink holder 64 on the inside of the machine body, preventing mud from getting on plastic bottles and the like placed in the drink holder 64.

(3) Figure 6 shows another embodiment of the right spare seedling loading section 50R.

That is, the base of the support frame 157 of the empty box platform 56 is welded to the upper platform frame 53U. The upper end of the support frame 157 is welded to an upper support platform 158U with a U-shaped cross section, and a flat lower support platform 158D is welded to the middle position.

The upper support base 158U has a front fixing hole 160F and a rear fixing hole 160B at the front-rear center and rear end, through which a knob bolt 159 is inserted and secured with a nut. The lower support base 158D has a fixing hole 160 at the front-rear center, through which a knob bolt 159 is inserted and secured with a nut.

The empty box loading platform 56 is composed of an empty box loading frame 162, an L-shaped mounting section 163 welded to the end of the empty box loading frame 162, an empty box loading section 58A for storing one empty seedling box N in a horizontally long vertical position, and an empty box tray 58B for storing four empty seedling boxes N in a horizontally long vertical position stacked in the left-right direction.

A hole is provided on the top surface of the mounting portion 163 at the center of the front and rear, through which the knob bolt 159 is inserted.

Therefore, when attaching the empty box platform 56 to the upper support platform 158U, the knob bolt 159 is inserted through the hole on the top surface of the attachment portion 163 and the front fixing hole 160F on the top surface of the upper support platform 158U and screwed into place to secure the empty box platform 56. This allows the empty box platform 56 to be firmly attached to the upper support platform 158U by the simple method of tightening the knob bolt 159.

If the pilot on the aircraft is small and wishes to place the empty box platform 56 near the cockpit 9, the empty box platform 56 can be placed closer to the cockpit 9 by inserting the knob bolt 159 through the hole on the top surface of the mounting part 163 and the rear fixing hole 160B on the top surface of the upper support base 158U and screwing it in place.

When attaching the empty box platform 56 to the lower support platform 158D, the knob bolt 159 is inserted through the hole on the top surface of the mounting portion 163 and the fixing hole 160 on the top surface of the lower support platform 158D and screwed into place to secure the empty box platform 56.

The empty box mounting section 58A has a rail-shaped resin receiving base 59 that is long in the front-to-back direction and is fixed to the empty box mounting frame 162 to receive the lower end of the empty seedling box N that is placed horizontally and vertically. A receiving frame 168 is provided that rises upward from the receiving base 59 and receives the bottom, top, front and rear surfaces of the empty seedling box N.

The receiving frame 168 is a frame formed by bending a rod (a round iron bar) whose base is welded to the empty box mounting frame 162, and is composed of left and right side frames 168a and front and rear frames 168b.

The left frame 168a inside the aircraft is inclined toward the inside of the aircraft, and the right frame 168a outside the aircraft is approximately upright.

Therefore, the empty seedling box N placed on the empty box loading section 58A is placed horizontally and vertically in a tilted position toward the inside of the machine, resulting in a stable loading state. Therefore, even if the machine vibrates while traveling or a strong wind blows during seedling planting work, the empty seedling box N placed on the empty box loading section 58A can be prevented from falling.

The height of the front and rear frames 168b is made lower than the height of the left and right side frames 168a, making it easy to load and unload empty seedling boxes N onto and from the empty box loading section 58A from the front and rear of the machine body.

The empty box tray 58B is composed of a right frame 168a and an outermost frame 169a on the outside of the receiving frame 168, a front-rear frame 169b that extends the front-rear frame 168b of the receiving frame 168 outward, and a middle frame 169c provided at the midpoint between the front and rear, and stores four empty seedling boxes N in a horizontally elongated and vertically stacked manner in the left-right direction.

In the case of a five-row planting riding-type rice transplanter, as described above, the empty box tray 58B is sized to store four empty seedling boxes N in a horizontally long and vertically stacked manner, and in the case of a four-row planting riding-type rice transplanter, the empty box tray 58B is sized to store three empty seedling boxes N in a horizontally long and vertically stacked manner.

The lower support base 158D is provided with a synthetic resin drink holder 64. The upper support base 158U may also be provided with a drink holder 64.

(4) Figures 7 and 8 show another embodiment of the right spare seedling loading section 50R.

That is, the lower loading platform 51D of the right spare seedling loading section 50R is configured so that the front part rotates downward from a horizontal position by the rear pivot shaft 200, and the front part is biased by the tension spring 201 to return to the horizontal position.

The pedal 202 is provided on the floor step 7 located inside the machine, slightly forward of the rear end of the lower loading platform 51D. By stepping on the pedal 202, the front part of the lower loading platform 51D is rotated downward from the horizontal position against the biasing force of the tension spring 201, via the connecting rod 203, with the rear rotation pivot shaft 200 as the rotation fulcrum.

When the upper loading platform 51U and the lower loading platform 51D are deployed in a linear manner in the front-to-rear direction, stepping on the pedal 202 causes the front of the lower loading platform 51D to rotate downward from the horizontal position against the biasing force of the tension spring 201, via the connecting rod 203, with the rear pivot shaft 200 as the rotation fulcrum. This creates a vertical gap between the front end of the lower loading platform 51D and the rear end of the upper loading platform 51U through which the seedling box N can be inserted, allowing empty seedling boxes N to be removed from the machine body to the front outside, making seedling supply work easy and efficient.

If the loading surface of the lower loading platform 51D is made flat or has ribs in the front-to-rear direction, the empty boxes will slide easily and can be easily removed.

In addition, when the upper loading platform 51U and the lower loading platform 51D are deployed in a linear manner in the front-to-rear direction, if the rear lower loading platform 51D is configured to be one level lower than the front upper loading platform 51U, when scooping seedlings with a mat-like soil from the seedling box N on the lower loading platform 51D with a seedling removal plate, the front end of the seedling box N can be received by the rear end of the front upper loading platform 51U, making it easy to remove the seedlings.

(5) Figures 9 and 10 show another embodiment of the right spare seedling loading section 50R.

That is, an empty box recovery rail 300 is provided below the lower loading platform 51D of the right spare seedling loading section 50R.

The empty box collection rail 300 is a slider-shaped structure with left and right side walls 302, 302 on both sides of the bottom surface 301, the front of which is inclined downward, and the front end of which is approximately aligned with the front end of the aircraft body.

The front of the empty box collection rail 300 is provided with an extension rail 303 that can be freely switched between a use state where it is pulled out forward and a storage state where it is stored inside.

The extension rail 303 is made up of a rod, the front of which is bent upward to receive the front end of the seedling box N.

Therefore, the operator seated in the operator's seat 9 of the riding seedling planter 1 steers the machine to place the front of the riding seedling planter 1 on the ridge or road.

A worker on the ridge or road pulls out the extension rail 303 of the empty box recovery rail 300 to put it into use, and places the raised seedling box N placed on the ridge or road on the right spare seedling loading section 50R. The worker aboard the machine picks up the seedling box N from the right spare seedling loading section 50R, removes the seedlings with mat-like soil from the seedling box N, and supplies them to the seedling loading table 31 of the seedling planting section 30. The empty seedling box N is then placed on the rear end of the empty box recovery rail 300.

A worker on the ridge or road removes the empty seedling box N that has been slid down the empty box recovery rail 300 and places it on the ridge or road, and places the seedling box N with grown seedlings that has been placed on the ridge or road on the right spare seedling loading section 50R.

In this way, seedling supply work can be carried out easily and efficiently.

2 Traveling vehicle body 30 Seedling planting section 50 Spare seedling carrying section 51U Upper loading platform 51D Lower loading platform 58 Empty box carrying section 58F Front loading section 58R Rear loading section N Seedling box

Claims (6)

In a riding seedling planting machine having a seedling planting section (30) attached to the rear of a traveling body (2) and a spare seedling carrying section (50) provided at the front of the traveling body (2), an empty box carrying section (58) for carrying empty seedling boxes (N) is provided near the spare seedling carrying section (50) so as to be freely switched between an extended use state that is long in the fore-and-aft direction of the machine body and a stored state that is short in the fore-and-aft direction of the machine body,
The empty box carrying section (58) is composed of a front carrying section (58F) and a rear carrying section (58R), and the rear carrying section (58R) can be changed in position between an expanded use state in which the rear carrying section (58R) is in series with the front carrying section (58F) and communicates with it in the front-rear direction, and a stored state in which the rear carrying section (58R) is folded above the front carrying section (58F);
The upper loading platform (51U) and the lower loading platform (51D) of the spare seedling loading section (50) can be switched between a stacked state in which they are overlapped, and a spread state in which the upper loading platform (51U) and the lower loading platform (51D) are spread out in the front-rear direction,
A base of a support frame (57) of an empty box loading platform (56) having an empty box loading section (58) is fixed to the upper loading platform (51U),
The front loading section (58F) and the rear loading section (58R) are respectively composed of a front receiving stand (59F) and a rear receiving stand (59R) for receiving empty seedling boxes (N), and a front receiving frame (60F) and a rear receiving frame (60R) rising upward from the front receiving stand (59F) and the rear receiving stand (59R),
The bottom of the front support (59F) of the front loading portion (58F) is fixed on the support frame (57), and the upper ends of left and right arms (61, 61) standing on the left and right sides of the rear end of the front loading portion (58F) and the upper ends of left and right arms (62, 62) standing on the left and right sides of the front end of the rear loading portion (58R) are pivotally supported by pivot pins (63, 63) provided in the left and right direction so as to be freely rotatable.
This riding seedling planting machine is characterized in that the empty box carrying section (58) can be changed in position between an expanded use state in which the rear carrying section (58R) is in line with the front carrying section (58F) and communicates in the front-rear direction, and a stored state in which the rear carrying section (58R) is folded above the front carrying section (58F) by rotating the rear carrying section (58R) around pivot pins (63, 63) . The riding seedling planter according to claim 1, characterized in that the spare seedling loading section (50) can be freely switched between a stacked state in which the multiple upper loading tables (51U) and lower loading tables (51D) are stacked in multiple vertical stages in a plan view, and a spread-out state in which the upper loading table (51U) is moved forward of the lower loading table (51D) and the upper loading table (51U) and the lower loading table (51D) are spread out linearly in the front-to-rear direction, and an empty box loading section (58) is provided above the upper loading table (51U). The riding seedling planter according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the empty box loading section (58), which is in an extended use state in the fore-and-aft direction of the machine body, extends from the front end to the rear end of the spare seedling loading section (50), which is in an extended state in which multiple upper loading platforms (51U) and lower loading platforms (51D) are linearly extended in the fore-and-aft direction. The riding seedling planter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the empty box loading section (58), which is stored in a short state in the fore-and-aft direction of the machine body, fits within the range from the front end to the rear end of the spare seedling loading section (50), which has multiple upper loading tables (51U) and lower loading tables (51D) stacked in multiple vertical tiers that overlap each other in a plan view. A drink holder (64) is provided on the upper portion of the support frame (57) and on the inside of the aircraft body of the empty box carrying portion (58);
The front receiving frame (60F) and the rear receiving frame (60R) on the outside of the machine body are configured to be higher than the front receiving frame (60F) and the rear receiving frame (60R) on the inside of the machine body, and the empty seedling box (N) stored in the empty box carrying section (58) is supported in an outwardly inclined position,
The riding seedling planter according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the empty box carrying portion (58) supports an empty seedling box (N) having mud adhering thereto in an outwardly inclined state . The riding seedling planter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it is an empty box loading section (58) on which an empty seedling box (N) is placed vertically.