Method and apparatus for transporting seedlings in a planting machine

摘要

The invention relates to a seedling transportation process and apparatus ( 1 ) for a transplanting machine to be mounted on a planting vehicle. It includes a seedling tray transportation section that comprises means ( 35 ) for guiding and removing an empty tray ( 36 ) from the apparatus and means ( 28 ) for feeding and advancing an adjacent new tray ( 29 ) carrying the seedlings ( 2 ) along a path into the apparatus. It comprises also means ( 30 ) for positioning said new tray in view of the picking-up of said seedlings per row ( 32 ) from said new tray by a row of picking means ( 34 ) mounted in a seedling transfer device ( 3 ) for depositing the seedlings onto a first horizontal conveyor ( 4 ) in the apparatus ( 1 ). The means for guiding and removing an empty tray ( 36 ) include guiding rails ( 35 ) for temporarily supporting the opposite side edges of said empty tray, which rails are pivotably mounted in the neighbourhood of their outer edge to enable said tray ( 36 ) to be removed on a support ( 37 ) and to actuate abutment means ( 59 ) for the front side of the adjacent new tray ( 29 ).