JP7567445B2 - Seedling transplanter - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a seedling transplanter for transplanting vegetable seedlings such as onions and lettuce into farm fields.

The seedling transplanter described in Patent No. 6705536 has a seedling supplying device on the machine body into which an operator inserts seedlings, and a seedling transplanting device on which the operator receives seedlings from the seedling supplying device and transplants them into the furrows while ascending and descending.

Patent No. 6705536

The seedling transplanter described in the publication has a handle frame that curves in an arc upward from the rear of the traveling body in a side view, with an operating handle for steering at its rear end, and wires for various operating levers are routed along the handle frame to each device on the machine body. If the wires become loose, the operation of the various operating levers is not easily transmitted to each device, resulting in delayed operation or the loose wire interfering with the raising and lowering operation of the seedling transplanter, hindering the seedling transplanting operation.

In addition, because the spare seedling loading platform is located at the top front of the machine, workers near the operating handle have difficulty removing the spare seedlings.

The present invention aims to provide a seedling transplanter that simplifies the handle frame structure of the steering handle installed at the rear of the traveling body and enables the seedling transplanting device to perform transplanting operations smoothly.

The above problem of the present invention is solved by the following technical means.

The first aspect of the present invention is
A seedling transplanter having a seedling supply device (15) and a single planting device (14) mounted on a traveling body (11) and a steering handle (13) mounted on the rear of the traveling body (11),
A traveling vehicle body (11) and a steering handle (13) are connected by a single linear handle frame (20), and wires (21a, 22a) for operating each device by levers (21, 22) of a steering panel (24) are arranged along the handle frame (20);
A planting device (14) is provided at the center on the left and right of a transmission case (19) mounted on a traveling vehicle body (11);
The handle frame (20) is provided on the side of the planting device (14) in a substantially horizontal position,
The seedling supply device (15) has a supply transmission shaft (151), a supply disk (153) and a supply table (155),
A supply transmission shaft (151) protruding upward from the transmission case (19) can rotate a supply disk (153) having a plurality of circular seedling transport pots (154) into which an operator can feed seedlings.
The supply table (155) forms a placement surface on the left and right outer sides and the rear side of the supply disk (153) large enough to place seedling trays on,
A floor step (30) for an operator to move on is provided on the front side of the seedling supply device (15) and on the upper surface of the traveling vehicle body (11);
A seat frame (34) is provided on the front side of the floor step (30) and a work seat (35) is provided on the upper part of the seat frame (34) for a worker who puts seedlings into the seedling supply device (15), the backrest side of the work seat (35) being located on the front side of the machine body;
This seedling transplanter is characterized in that spare tray support tables (50) for placing seedling trays in multiple tiers are provided on the left and right sides of the running body (11), and the left and right outer portions of the supply table (155) are positioned near the rear ends of the spare tray support tables (50).
The second aspect of the present invention is
A ridge guide frame (41) is attached to the front of the traveling vehicle body (11) facing in the left-right direction of the vehicle body, side bosses (42) are attached to both the left and right sides of the ridge guide frame (41) so as to be slidable in the left-right direction, and base sides of slope roller arms (43) that rotatably support slope rollers (44) that come into contact with the slope of the ridge are attached to the side bosses (42) on both the left and right sides,
This is a first seedling transplanter of the present invention, characterized in that the bases of the left and right central roller arms (45) are arranged between the left and right side bosses (42) in an orientation facing the left-right center of the running body (11) so as to be able to rotate up and down, and furrow surface rollers (46) that contact the furrow surfaces are rotatably attached to the front ends of the left and right central roller arms (45).
The first invention related to the present invention is a seedling transplanter having a seedling supplying device (15) and a planting device (14) mounted on a running body (11) and a control handle (13) mounted on the rear of the running body (11), characterized in that the running body (11) and the control handle (13) are connected by a linear handle frame (20) and wires (21a, 22a) for operating each device using levers (21, 22) on a control panel (24) are arranged along the handle frame (20).

A second invention related to the present invention is a seedling transplanter of the first invention related to the present invention, characterized in that a planting device (14) is provided in the center left and right of a transmission case (19) mounted on a running body (11), and a handle frame (20) is provided on the side of the planting device ( 14 ) in an approximately horizontal position.

The third invention related to the present invention is the seedling transplanter of the first invention related to the present invention, characterized in that a supply table (155) for placing trays for storing seedlings is provided around the seedling supply device (15).

The fourth invention related to the present invention is the seedling transplanter of the third invention related to the present invention, characterized in that spare tray support tables (50) for placing seedling trays in multiple tiers are provided on the left and right sides of the running body (11), and the side of the supply table (155) is positioned near the rear end of the spare tray support tables (50).

According to the present invention, the straight wires (21a, 22a) transmit the operation of the levers (21, 22) smoothly to the operating device without slack, and the seedling transplanter can be operated reliably. In addition, the straight handle frame (20) does not require bending, and the manufacturing cost is reduced. Furthermore, since the number of seedling transport pots provided on the supply disk is generally small, it is necessary to continue supplying seedlings at all times, but this makes it easier for two workers, the worker at the work seat (35) and the worker walking next to him, to supply seedlings.
According to the first invention related to the present invention , the wires (21a, 22a) of the levers (21, 22) provided on the operation panel (24) of the operation handle (13) are arranged along the linear handle frame (20), so that the linear wires (21a, 22a) smoothly transmit the operation of the levers (21, 22) to the operating device without slackening, thereby enabling the seedling transplanter to be operated reliably.

In addition, the straight handle frame (20) does not require bending, reducing production costs.

According to the second invention related to the present invention, in addition to the effects of the first invention related to the present invention , the handle frame (20) to which the steering handle (13) is attached is connected to the running body (11) via a sturdy transmission case (19), so that the running body (11) can be turned by tilting using the steering handle (13), and the wires (21a, 22a) of the handle frame (20) and the levers (21, 22) do not interfere with the lifting and lowering operation of the planting device (14) which transplants in the center of the left and right of the running body (11), so that seedlings can be reliably transplanted using the planting device (14).

According to the third invention related to the present invention, in addition to the effects of the first invention related to the present invention , it is possible to load seedling trays on the supply table (155), directly remove the seedlings, and supply them to the seedling supply device (15), thereby efficiently supplying a large number of seedlings.

The fourth invention related to the present invention has the effect of the third invention related to the present invention , and in addition thereto, the seedling tray can be moved by a simple operation of lowering it from the spare tray support stand (50) onto the supply stand (155), thereby enabling efficient spare seedling replenishment work.

FIG. FIG.

The following describes a preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a left side view of a transplanter 10 for transplanting seedlings as an example of a transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 is a plan view.

In the following explanation, the side where the control handle 13 is located will be referred to as the rear, and the opposite side, i.e., the side where the engine 12 is located, will be referred to as the front. The right hand side facing the front of the aircraft will be referred to as the right, and the left hand side will be referred to as the left.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the transplanter 10 in this case is equipped with a running body 11 that allows the machine to travel forward, a steering handle 13 for walking operation that is provided at the rear of the running body 11, a planting device 14 that plants seedlings in the field, and a seedling supplying device 15 that supplies seedlings to the planting device 14.

The traveling vehicle body 11 has a transmission case 16 at the front of the vehicle body, and an engine 12, which serves as a drive unit, is provided in front of the transmission case 16. On both the left and right sides of the transmission case 16, traveling transmission cases 18 that transmit driving force to the traveling wheels 17, which serve as the rear wheels, are mounted so as to be able to rotate up and down.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the left and right running wheels 17 are attached to the rear side of the running transmission case 18 with the transmission axle 17a protruding outward, but this transmission axle 17a can also be rearranged to protrude toward the inside of the machine, and the running wheels 17 can also be configured to be positioned between the left and right sides of the running body 11 and the running transmission case 18.

The position of the running wheels 17 is changed when the ridge width varies depending on the type of crop being transplanted, the soil quality of the field where planting work is being done, or the local practice of the work area. This allows the transplanter 10 to travel stably in the furrows formed on the left and right sides of the ridge, making it possible to plant seedlings aligned in the center of the ridges.

Depending on the type of crop, some crops are planted in so-called flat ridges, where the ridges are low or no ridges are made at all. When planting seedlings in flat ridges, if the transplanter 10 runs while stepping on the area near the planting position of the seedlings, the soil is compacted and the weight of the transplanter 10 creates depressions that make it easy for water to accumulate, preventing the roots of the seedlings from taking root and causing them to absorb excess accumulated water, which may result in poor growth.

Therefore, even when working on flat ridges, by ensuring an appropriate left-right distance between the left and right running wheels 17 relative to the seedling planting position, the growth of the seedlings after planting is stable.

The left and right travel transmission cases 18 rotate due to the extension and contraction of the lifting cylinders 62 and rolling cylinders 63 described below, which changes the height from the ground contact surface of the running wheels 17 to the running body 11, thereby adjusting the vehicle height.

This vehicle height adjustment is not only performed when setting the planting depth to match the height of the furrows, but also when the operator presses down on the steering handle 13 to make it easier to lift the front of the machine before turning, and when moving without planting seedlings to prevent the planting device 14 and other parts from coming into contact with the ground.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a transmission case 19 is provided at the rear of the traveling vehicle body 11, which receives driving force from the transmission case 16 and branches it to the planting device 14 and the seedling supply device 15. Specifically, the planting device 14 is provided on one of the left and right sides of the transmission case 19, and the seedling supply device 15 is provided on the upper side of the vehicle body.

As shown in Fig. 1, the front end of the handle frame 20, which connects the steering handle 13 to the traveling vehicle body 11, is connected to the top of the transmission case 19 by a U-shaped mounting frame 36. The handle frame 20 is a straight pipe material, and the rear end of the machine is connected to the left and right center of the handle shaft 13a located on the left and right front side of the machine of the steering handle 13. The steering handle 13 is composed of the handle shaft 13a in the left and right direction of the machine, and handle arms 13b that are provided on both the left and right sides of the handle shaft 13a and protrude to the rear of the machine.

The handle frame 20 is positioned on the right side so as not to interfere with the planting device 14, which is located in the center of the traveling body 11, and the steering handle 13 is also positioned to the right of the traveling body 11.

At the rear of the machine body of the handle shaft 13a and between the left and right handle arms 13b near the base side, there is provided a vehicle height adjustment lever 21 that adjusts the vehicle height by extending and retracting the lifting cylinder 62, and a main clutch lever 22 that switches on and off the main clutch built into the transmission case 16 to transmit power to the left and right travel transmission cases 18 and transmission case 19, connected by wires 21a, 22a routed along the handle frame 20. Above and in front of this operation panel 24, there is provided a main speed change lever 23 that extends from the transmission case 16 and switches the travel transmission of the traveling body 11 between travel speed, planting work speed, travel neutral, and reverse.

The left and right handle arms 13b are also fitted with side clutch levers 28 that are housed in the left and right travel transmission cases 18 and operate a side clutch that switches the drive to the travel wheels 17 on and off. The side clutch levers 28 are positioned so that the operator can easily grip the left and right handle arms 13b of the steering handle 13 when turning or moving the vehicle.

As a result, when turning or moving around and not planting seedlings, the operator stands in a position that makes it easy to operate the control handle 13 and control panel 24 at the rear of the machine, making it easier to operate appropriately according to the situation, improving work efficiency.

In addition, when planting seedlings with an operator aboard the traveling vehicle body 11, the operator is separated from the control handle 13 and the control panel 24, preventing the operator's body from touching and moving the various control components, preventing the seedlings from being misaligned when planting, the occurrence of missing stalks where seedlings cannot be planted, or reduced work efficiency due to travel being halted.

In addition, since it may be necessary to correct deviations in the direction of travel when boarding, or to turn the main clutch on and off when interrupting work, it is a good idea to provide side clutch operation pedals on the left and right sides of the traveling body 11, for example below the seedling supply device 15, and to place a separate lever for operating the main clutch.

Turning wheels 25, which also serve as front wheels and rotate due to ground resistance with the ground, are provided on both the left and right sides of the front of the traveling body 11. The position of the turning wheels 25 can be changed in the left-right direction of the body, and together with the traveling wheels 17, they can be adjusted to an appropriate position according to the width of the furrows or the width of the planting rows.

Next, we will explain in detail the planting device 14 installed on either the left or right side of the transmission case 19.

On one side of the transmission case 19, an upper link arm 141 that rotates up and down in accordance with the speed of the traveling vehicle body 11 and the set planting interval in the fore-and-aft direction of the seedlings, i.e., the so-called plant spacing, and a lower link arm 142 that has an arc shape in a side view and rotates up and down in conjunction with the upper link arm 141, are attached via a rotating shaft. The arc of the lower link arm 142 protrudes downward toward the rear of the machine body, so that the planting hopper 145, which will be described later, is configured to swing in the fore-and-aft direction when it is raised and lowered.

The rear ends of the upper link arm 141 and the lower link arm 142 are attached to the link stays 143 in the vertical direction, and a hopper support arm is attached to the rear side of the link stays 143 from one left or right side of the machine body toward the other left or right side of the machine body, and a planting hopper 145 is attached to the rear part of the hopper support arm and the inner end of the machine body. The planting hopper 145 is configured by providing a pair of left and right hopper components that are each rotatable, and is configured to rotate in accordance with the vertical rotation of the upper link arm 141 and the lower link arm 142 to open and close.

The mounting position of the planting hopper 145 is the left-right direction of the traveling body 11, more specifically, the middle position between the left and right running wheels 17 and the ground contact wheels 25 in the left-right direction. When the left-right width of the left and right running wheels 17 and the ground contact wheels 25 is appropriately adjusted to match the furrow or the planting position of the seedlings, the planting position of the seedlings is automatically adjusted to near the left-right middle position.

As a result of the above, it is possible to prevent the planting position of the seedlings from being significantly shifted from the center position on the left or right side of the ridge or planting row, which prevents the roots from being exposed and causing poor growth, and prevents the planted seedlings from falling over due to the effects of wind, etc.

In addition, an upper link arm 141 and a lower link arm 142 that raise and lower the planting hopper 145 are provided on one side of the transmission case 19, and the front end of the handle frame 20 is connected to the other side, so that the transmission case 19 can be effectively used as a support member.

In addition, since the transmission case 19 supports the planting device 14, the seedling supply device 15, and the operating handle 13, the exterior part is designed to be particularly strong, and is unlikely to break or malfunction even when subjected to the weight of multiple heavy objects or driving loads.

In addition, by locating the seedling planting position in the center of the left and right of the machine, the machine's weight balance in the left and right direction is stable, making it less likely for the machine to shift in the direction of travel or tilt left and right, stabilizing the accuracy of planting seedlings.

Next, we will explain the seedling supply device 15.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a supply transmission shaft 151 protruding upward from the transmission case 19 drives a supply disk 153, which has multiple circular seedling transport pots 154 into which the operator places seedlings. The supply disk 153 is supported on a supply table 155 so that it can rotate in the center of the left and right sides of the machine body. The supply table 155 is supported on the transmission case 19 in a position that does not interfere with the raising and lowering of the planting hopper 145.

The supply table 155 is wide on the left, right, and back, so that a seedling tray containing seedlings can be placed on it, and the seedlings can then be removed from the seedling tray and placed in the seedling transport pot 154.

Each seedling transport pot 154 is configured with a rotatable bottom lid 154a, which is biased in the opening direction by the biasing force of a torque spring or the like. The supply disk 153 is provided with a regulating rail that contacts the bottom lid 154a, and the regulating rail is shaped to be divided above the planting hopper 145 below the seedling supply device 15, so that the bottom lid 154a rotates downward and opens above the planting hopper 145, allowing the seedlings that have been put in to be dropped and supplied. At this time, the seedlings are introduced at the rear left side of the body of the seedling supply device 15, near the center in the left-right direction, and the seedlings that have been put in are dropped and supplied after the seedling transport pot 154 has rotated a specified angle.

When receiving seedlings that are dropped, the planting hopper 145 is positioned at or near the upper end (top dead center) of its vertical rotation trajectory, to prevent the seedlings from falling away from the inlet of the planting hopper 145 due to wind or other factors.

As a result, the seedlings that the worker places into the seedling transport pot 154 are rotated and transported to a position where they can be dropped into the planting hopper 145, making it possible to plant multiple seedlings in succession.

In addition, because the seedlings are dropped and delivered to the seedling transport pot 154 after the worker inserts them and the pot rotates, even if the worker makes a mistake in inserting the seedlings, there is time for the worker to insert them again, eliminating the need for workers to manually replant seedlings that would otherwise be missing.

The planting depth of seedlings by the planting device 14 described above is set by changing the vehicle height of the traveling body 11 when entering the furrow, but since furrows are not necessarily flat, and the furrow along which the traveling body 11 moves is also not flat, the planting depth may differ from the setting due to the vertical swaying of the machine body, etc.

A ridge surface sensor 26 that detects the ridge surface is attached to the bottom of the transmission case 19 so that the vehicle height can be changed according to the ridge surface and ridge furrows and the planting depth of the seedlings can be kept approximately constant. One side of an interlocking wire (not shown) that is connected to a hydraulic valve (not shown) that expands and contracts the lifting cylinder 62 is attached to this ridge surface sensor 26, and when the amount of rotation changes, the opening of the hydraulic valve is changed, the lifting cylinder 62 expands and contracts, and the vehicle height of the traveling body 11 is automatically raised or lowered.

The ground contact portion of the furrow surface sensor 26 on the rear side of the machine body is configured to be long in the front-to-rear direction to improve detection accuracy, and the rear end side faces below the planting hopper 145. Naturally, if left in this state, the furrow surface sensor 26 will interfere when the planting hopper 145 descends to plant seedlings, so an entry groove (not shown) is formed in the ground contact portion of the furrow surface sensor 26 to allow the planting hopper 145 to enter the furrow.

This entry groove may be, for example, U-shaped, with its end faces covered with an elastic member such as a rubber plate, and may act as a scraper that elastically deforms while coming into contact with the outer periphery of the planting hopper 145 to remove soil that has adhered to it.

The ridge surface sensor 26 may also be configured to be biased toward the underside of the machine body, i.e., toward the ground contact direction with the ridge surface, by a load adjustment spring (not shown) whose biasing force is adjustable, and by adjusting the biasing force of this load adjustment spring, the detection sensitivity of changes in the height of the ridge surface and the force with which the sensor presses against the mulch film laid on the ridges can be changed.

When the sensitivity is set so that the vehicle height is automatically adjusted even for slight unevenness, if the vehicle height is changed frequently, planting operations may occur while the vehicle height is being changed, which may result in the planting depth differing from the setting. Therefore, by increasing the biasing force, the furrow surface sensor 26 can push and smooth out any slight unevenness, preventing changes in the vehicle height from occurring.

In addition, by changing the pressure applied to the mulch film, it is possible to prevent the mulch film from being torn or from becoming slack and causing the seedlings to lose their planting position.

In addition, there is no longer a need to position the sensor close to either the left or right side of the ridge to avoid the ridge surface sensor 26 or the planting hopper 145, and the height and unevenness of the ridge near the center of the ridge on the left and right, where the seedlings are planted, can be detected, so the planting depth is automatically adjusted to match the seedling planting position, improving the accuracy of seedling planting.

A floor step 30 for workers to move on is provided at the front of the seedling supply device 15 and on the top surface of the traveling vehicle body 11. A cutout is formed near the center of the left and right sides of the front of the floor step 30 to avoid the engine 12 and transmission case 16. A bonnet cover 31 that covers the engine 12 and transmission case 16 is detachably provided above this cutout. Note that the sides of the engine 12 and transmission case 16 are not covered by the bonnet cover 31 and are exposed to the outside air in order to efficiently cool and exhaust the engine 12 and transmission case 16.

An inter-plant transmission case (not shown) that changes the transmission speed when changing the spacing of the planting hopper 145 is connected to the transmission case 16, and an inter-plant main speed change lever 32 and an inter-plant auxiliary speed change lever 33 that switch the gear mechanism inside the inter-plant transmission case are arranged on either the left or right side of the front of the machine body of the floor step 30. The inter-plant main speed change lever 32 and the inter-plant auxiliary speed change lever 33 are arranged side by side above and below, and protrude toward the front of the machine body from lever operation holes formed in the left and right direction on the floor step 30, so that the operator can operate them while remaining on the traveling body 11 or from outside the traveling body 11.

A seat frame 34 is provided on the front side of the floor step 30, straddling the top of the bonnet cover 31, and a work seat 35 is provided on the upper part of the seat frame 34, on which an operator who inserts seedlings into the seedling supply device 15 sits. The backrest of this work seat 35 is located on the front side of the machine body, and the operator who sits on it faces the rear side of the machine body.

The worker in the work seat 35 can supply seedlings facing the seedling supply device 15, making it easier to insert the seedlings and visually checking whether an error has occurred in inserting the seedlings. In addition, because the worker's line of sight is directed toward the rear of the traveling vehicle body 11, the worker can see whether the seedlings are being planted in the correct position and whether they have been planted at all. This allows for quick response to abnormal planting positions or missing stalks, reducing the time and effort required for replanting.

On the other hand, since the driver is facing away from the traveling direction of the traveling vehicle body 11, he needs to look back to check whether the traveling vehicle body 11 is traveling correctly along the furrows, which creates the problem that it becomes difficult to concentrate on the task of planting the seedlings.

If the left and right widths of the running wheels 17 and the contact rollers 25 are properly adjusted to the ridge width before work begins, the running body 11 is configured to move straight along the ridges; however, in an actual field, factors such as collapse of the ridges and unevenness of the ridge furrows can cause the running wheel 17 and the contact rollers 25 to deviate slightly from a straight line when they come into contact, so as the travel distance increases, the planting position may shift from the left and right center of the ridge.

To address this issue, it is conceivable to provide a ridge guide roller mechanism 40 on the front side of the traveling body 11. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the ridge guide roller mechanism 40 is configured by mounting a ridge guide frame 41 facing the left-right direction of the machine body on the front side of the traveling body 11, and mounting side bosses 42 on both the left and right sides of the ridge guide frame 41 so that they can slide left-right. The base sides of slope roller arms 43 that rotatably support slope rollers 44 that come into contact with the slope of the ridge are mounted on the left and right side bosses 42, respectively.

The slope roller 44 is attached to the front end of the slope roller arm 43, which is U-shaped in plan view, and is preferably attached in an inclined position with the lower end positioned further outboard than the upper end so that the slope roller 44 comes into contact with the slope in a nearly horizontal position. Furthermore, it is preferable that the base side of the slope roller arm 43 or the front end where the slope roller 44 is attached is configured to be rotatable and the angle can be adjusted as desired, so that it can freely respond to the angle of the slope.

The left and right central roller arms 45 are provided between the left and right side bosses 42 with their bases rotatable up and down in a position facing the left-right center of the traveling vehicle body 11, and ridge surface rollers 46 that come into contact with the ridge surface are rotatably attached to the front ends of the left and right central roller arms 45. More specifically, the left and right central roller arms 45 support ridge surface roller stays 47 that are U-shaped in plan view, and the ridge surface rollers 46 are rotatably attached to the ridge surface roller stays 47.

The ridge surface roller 46 can be configured to be pressed downward by a biasing spring (not shown), and this biasing force can be made strong to level the ridge surface before seedlings are planted. On the other hand, in ridges where mulch film has been laid, the biasing force can be reduced to prevent the mulch film from peeling off, and the mulch film can be stretched together with the slope roller 44 to prevent poor planting of seedlings due to sagging.

The ridge roller 46 is positioned closer to the rear of the machine than the left and right slope rollers 44, and the force pressing down on the mulch film can be adjusted by changing the front-to-back position by rotating the left and right central roller arms 45 up and down.

This configuration eliminates the need to change the springs to suit the mulch film or ridges being used, and also simplifies the configuration because there is no need to attach an extension mechanism to the left and right central roller arms 45. In addition, there is no need to significantly change the force pressing against the mulch film, so the configuration can be simplified by only rotating the left and right central roller arms 45.

This forms the ridge guide roller mechanism 40.

In this configuration, the side bosses 42 can be slid left and right to match the width of the ridges, changing the contact positions of the left and right slope rollers 44. This prevents spaces from being created between the ridges and the left and right slope rollers 44, and prevents the traveling vehicle body 11 from moving in a direction that deviates from the ridges.

In addition, the furrow surface roller 46 is positioned near the center in the left-right direction and does not move left or right, so the center of the seedlings where they are planted can be leveled and the mulch film can be stretched appropriately, so the seedlings are planted in the correct position, growth is stabilized, and there is no need to replant seedlings that are out of position.

In addition, by providing a front-to-back distance between the ridge surface roller 46 and the left and right slope rollers 44 and by allowing the front-to-back position of the ridge surface roller 46 to be changed, it is possible to set an appropriate pressing force according to the mulch film being used and the ridges on which the mulch film is laid, which prevents the mulch film from tearing and also prevents the mulch film from becoming loose, which can cause poor planting.

It is desirable that the ridge guide roller mechanism 40 be in a position as low as possible so as to come into contact with the ridges when planting seedlings in the ridges, but it is desirable that it be retracted upward to prevent contact with the ground during movement, etc. Therefore, the ridge guide frame 41 may be configured as a pivot shaft and a pivot pipe on its outer periphery, and this outer periphery pipe may be connected to the telescopic side of the lifting cylinder 62 with a wire or the like, so that when the vehicle height of the traveling body 11 is raised to a predetermined height or higher, the ridge guide roller mechanism 40 is pivoted upward to assume a front-upward tilted position, increasing the distance from the ground.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, spare seedling frames 50 for loading seedling boxes containing replacement seedlings are provided on both the left and right sides of the traveling body 11. The spare seedling frames 50 have the bases of seedling frame supports 51 attached to both the left and right sides of the work seat 35 of the traveling body 11, and at least one seedling loading platform 52 is placed on the upper side of the seedling frame supports 51, or multiple seedling loading platforms 52 are placed at regular intervals in the vertical direction.

The seedling loading platform 52 is mounted on the traveling vehicle body 11 side, i.e., on the inside of the machine body, and the front and rear sides of the machine body are open, so that the worker positioned on the work seat 35 or floor step 30 can remove the seedling boxes with almost no movement, improving work efficiency and reducing the worker's effort.

In addition, to prevent the seedling boxes from falling while they are being moved, if receiving sections that are shorter in vertical length than the seedling boxes are arranged or formed facing upward on the front, rear and inside of the body of the seedling loading platform 52, this eliminates the need to retrieve dropped seedling boxes and reduces the height to which the seedling boxes need to be lifted when being removed, reducing the labor required by the worker.

11 Traveling vehicle body 13 Steering handle 14 Planting device 15 Seedling supply device 19 Transmission case 20 Handle frame 21 Levers (height adjustment lever)
22 Levers (main clutch lever)
21a, 22a Wire 50 Spare tray support table 155 Supply table

Claims (2)

A seedling transplanter having a seedling supply device (15) and a single planting device (14) mounted on a traveling body (11) and a steering handle (13) mounted on the rear of the traveling body (11),
A traveling vehicle body (11) and a steering handle (13) are connected by a single linear handle frame (20) , and wires (21a, 22a) for operating each device with levers (21, 22) of a steering panel (24) are arranged along the handle frame (20) ;
A planting device (14) is provided at the center on the left and right of a transmission case (19) mounted on a traveling vehicle body (11);
The handle frame (20) is provided on the side of the planting device (14) in a substantially horizontal position,
The seedling supply device (15) has a supply transmission shaft (151), a supply disk (153) and a supply table (155),
A supply transmission shaft (151) protruding upward from the transmission case (19) can rotate a supply disk (153) having a plurality of circular seedling transport pots (154) into which an operator can feed seedlings.
The supply table (155) forms a placement surface on the left and right outer sides and the rear side of the supply disk (153) large enough to place seedling trays on,
A floor step (30) for an operator to move on is provided on the front side of the seedling supply device (15) and on the upper surface of the traveling vehicle body (11);
A seat frame (34) is provided on the front side of the floor step (30) and a work seat (35) is provided on the upper part of the seat frame (34) for a worker who puts seedlings into the seedling supply device (15), the backrest side of the work seat (35) being located on the front side of the machine body;
This seedling transplanter is characterized in that spare tray support tables (50) for placing seedling trays in multiple tiers are provided on the left and right sides of the running body (11), and the left and right outer portions of the supply table (155) are positioned near the rear ends of the spare tray support tables (50) . A ridge guide frame (41) is attached to the front of the traveling vehicle body (11) facing in the left-right direction of the vehicle body, side bosses (42) are attached to both the left and right sides of the ridge guide frame (41) so as to be slidable in the left-right direction, and base sides of slope roller arms (43) that rotatably support slope rollers (44) that come into contact with the slope of the ridge are attached to the side bosses (42) on both the left and right sides,
A seedling transplanter as described in claim 1, characterized in that the bases of the left and right central roller arms (45) are arranged between the left and right side bosses (42) in an orientation toward the left-right center of the running body (11) so as to be able to rotate up and down, and furrow surface rollers (46) that contact the furrow surfaces are rotatably attached to the front ends of the left and right central roller arms (45).