Plug mix seed and sprout planter

7~7 S P E C I E I C A T I 0 N This invention consists of an automatic plug mix planter for the planting of tomatoes and other vegetables such as cucumbers, melons, tobacco, etc.

In the process of planting tomatoes, which i~ the vegetable here used to illustrate the action o~ the invention, the tomato seeds are mixed into a rich specially prepared 90il mixture in which they are allowed to sprout to a certain point, after which they are tran~planted in the field. In transplanting these seeds, into the field, equally spaced plugs of the soil mixture containing these sprouts, are inserted into the ground in equally spaced rows so as to provide growing and picking space.

With few exceptions, prior to this invention 7 the planting of tomatoes has been done manually. Where a machine has been used in the planting of tomatoes, it usually consisted of the use of a pot planter, a system which proved to be complicated, unreliable and expensive, mainly beca~se pot planters are too heavy, too complicated, and not actually designed for planting plug mix items, into the ground.

It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide an automatic plug mix planting machine, which is specifically designed to perform efficiently for that purpose~ which is of simple con truction~ and which will, at the same time, provide a reliable and a considerable cost saving performance, This is accomplished in the invention by providing a machine in which the automation is electrically operated, thereby reducing the weight of the mechanism by the elimination of com plicated meohanical components, and increasing ~ts reliability by reducing the number of possible sources of damage replacemen~, break down time, and costly repairs. The saving in oper ' -1- ~ 106~7~ ation costs results from the elimination of at least one hired worker per row, by the use of this invention.

In describing the invention, reference will be made to the attached drawings in which, Figure 1, is an elevation of the invention, Figure 2, is a plan of the invention, Figure 3, is a rear view of the invention, Figure 4, is the plough component of the invention, Figure 5 , is a plan view of the sprouting plug mixture container, Figure 6, is a view of the chute leading from the plug mixture container to the ground, Figures 7,8,9,10, and 11 are various views of the components of the automatic plug mixture intermitt~nt di~charge device.

In the drawings, the planter is shown consisting of a rectangular frame 1 which is supported at the rear end there ; of by two rubber tired wheels 2,2, and iB provided at its front end with means for attachment to a tractor (tractor not shown ~: 20 in the drawings).

- On the top of the frame and near the ~ront end thereof is centrally located a comparatively large cylindrical container 13 in which is stored the plug mixture. A rectangular, vertical chute 19 discharges thQ plugs ~rom the container 13 to the ground.

Just below the chute 19 and traveling upon the ground -~ is a triangular plough in the ~orm of a floating shoe 22, the ~orward point of which digs a furrow, the depth of which is more or less controlled by the skid plates 23, which are turned upwardly to float upon the ground, and located one on each side of the said shoe. The floating shoe 22 is connected to the frame 1 by a ~rame member 25 and a pair o~ pivoting spaced horizontal and parallel arms 26 and 28 which are pivotally - -2 held in their iront ends by the frame member 25, and in the rear, by a short vertical support 27 which also attaches the arms to the floating shoe 22. The front end of the lower arm 28 extends into a clevis 29 which contains a knurled roller 30 5 which levels and firms the soil and makes it ready for the shoe 22. A spring 24, between the frame 1 and the upper arm 26 helps to stabilize the shoe 22.

Rotating components within and at the bottom of the the container 13 are provided to maintain a faultless discharge 10 of plugs at predetermined regular intervals. Theæe components consist of a rotating agitator bar 15 which is attached to a central shaft 16, whose purpose is to prevent packing and binding of the plug mix. Attached to the center and below the base of the container 13, is a shallow circular pan 14 of a smaller diameter than that o~ the container 13. Within the pan 14, rotates a circular wheel 18 (see Figure 7), provided with equally spaced walls 18A at its perimeter which divide the space within _ the pan 14 into a plurality o~ equal and rotating c~partment~ - 18B, each of sai~ oompartmenkbeing large enough to contain and pass through it freely a single measured amount of plug mix, The pan 14 is provided at its rim with an opening 42 which corresponds in shape and size with the cross-seotion of a compartment 18B, so that a plug mix in said eompartment, when it coincides with the opening 42, falls through said opening, 2~ into the chute 19, and is released to fall to the ground by a solenoid operated, double hinged tripping door 21 located within the chute 19. A plate cover 1~ is located between the agitator 15 and the pan 14, and directly above the discharge hole 42, to prevent any plug mix, other than the measured plug, from enter ing the chute.

In the rear of the framework 1 is a pair of downwardlyconverging furrow wheels 31,31. These wheels serve the purpose of covering the inserted plug with the earth dug up by the shoe 22.

'7~7 The wheels 31,31, are supported from the frame by frame members 32 and 33, and said wheels being allowed a small amount of free up and down motion by a spring 34 which is held in position by an internal guide rod 35.

5 The various rotating members of the planter are activated by the rotation of the wheels 2,2, upon which the planter rides, by means of a train of sprockets and interconnected chains.

Thus, a sprocket 3 which is fixed to the shaft of the . wheels 2, drives a sprocket 5, by means of a chain 4.

The sprocket 5 i~ attached to a shaft 46 which operates electrical contact points 44 which in turn operate a spring loaded solenoid "S" that intermittently opens and closes the plug release mechanism 21 in the discharge chute 19 (see Figure 7). The electrical points are attached to the frame by a bracket 45 and a frame part 48~ while the shaft 46 has a flat part in its wall which .~ allows contact, or breaks contact of the said points, depending ` upon the position of the flat part 47, during the shaft's rotation (see Figures 11 and 12).

An outer sprocket 6 is also fixed to the shaft 46.

. 20 An intermediate shaft, rotatably attached to the framework 1 has an outer sprocket 8 and a smaller inner sprocket 9, fixed to it. A chain 7 joins sprockets 6 and 8, : The mechanism which supplies rotation to the central shaft 16, which rotates the agitator 15 and the feed wheel 18, - 25~ consists of a pair of level gears 12~ the horizontal gear being attached to the shaft 16, and the vertical gear is fixed to a shaft 43, to the outs3de end of which is attached a sprocket 11 which i8 rotated by a chain 10 from the intermediate sprocket 9.

An enlarged, and more detailed drawing of the plug release mechanism 21 iæ shown in Figure 5. ~ainly, this mechanism consists of two doors 49 and 50, each being hinged at their . upper edges to oppos3te walls on the inside of the chute 19.

- In the closed position, the lower edges of the walls come to --4- 1~6g7~ gether to prevent plugs from passing through them. The door 49 has a short upright extension 51, above the hinge, which is linked to the door 50 by a link 52. When the solsnoid "S~ pu118 the door 49 to the position shown by 49', the extension 51 as sumes the position shown by 51', this pushes the link 52 to the52' position, and the door 50 to the 50' position, leaving the chute 19 open for the discharge of the plugs.

The planter is provided with a hitch which allows a great deal of flexibility to the connection between the planter and its tractor (see Figure 1). It consists of a clamp made of two separate and oppositely grooved parts 36 and 37, which are bolted together to contain within their grooves the attachment - bar of the tractor. ~he rear part 37 of the clamp is somewhat loosely attached to a pair of parallel,spaced bars 38 and ~9 the rear ends of which are similarly attached to frame bracket 40.

A "Un-shaped yoke 41 which is attached to the frame 1 rides over the lower bar 39, for the purpose of limiting the degree - of flexibility to what is required.

Field trials have shown that this planter can travel over any terrain or type of soil and maintain a consistent pIant~ng depth, because of the independent shoe or plough suspension. It has also been found due to the light weight construction of this planter, it can be pulled by a small tractor, thereby freeing heavy duty tractors to prepare the ground for other typeB of planting where greater power of operation and æoil compressions is required.

Further experimentation has shown this planter capableof traveling up to a speed of 7 miles per hour in performing the planting operation, as compared to other planters whose speed i8 limited to 0.4 miles per hour.

Other proven advantages in the use of this invention can be listed as follow6~ (a) As can be seen from the attached drawings, this planter --5- 97~;7 can be built sufficiently narrow in width to allow the plantingof the plugs in rows as close as 24 inches apart as compared to 36 inches æpaced rows used at the present time.

(b) The plug mix hopper can be made large enough to con æiderably reduce the costly refill time: and the size of the plug and planting space is easily adjustable.

Although thi~ planter is shown operating on electricity, which is supplied by the electrical source of the tractor which is pulling it, the source of power can be pneumatic. Electricity a~ the 60urce of power for the operation of thi~ invention is preferred because this choice of power reduceæ itæ weight and cost of manufacture, requires less maintenance, and reduces the cost of operation.

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