US 12,245,538 B2
Apparatus for feeding a transplanter and a method for feeding a transplanter
Guillaume Verner, Sherrington (CA); and Daniel Gagnon, Sherbrooke (CA)
Assigned to EQUIPEMENTS VEGTECH, Sherrington (CA)
Filed by EQUIPEMENTS VEGTECH, Sherrinton (CA)
Filed on Oct. 14, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/501,254.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/156,038, filed on Mar. 3, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0279707 A1, Sep. 8, 2022
Int. Cl. A01C 11/02 (2006.01); A01C 11/00 (2006.01)
CPC A01C 11/025 (2013.01) [A01C 11/006 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for feeding a transplanter of plants from a multi-celled tray, the multi-celled tray comprising cells each having a plant and forming at least one row of plants, the transplanter comprising a frame and a plant dropping means connected to the frame, and defining a planting speed, and the apparatus comprising:
a support frame including a base connectable to the frame of the transplanter, a body extending from the base along a first direction, and defining an upper portion and a lower portion;
a tray actuation means connected to the body, and configured to selectively move the multi-celled tray along the first direction;
a pick up means including a first portion pivotally connected to the body, a second portion spaced from the first portion, and a gripper selectively movably connected to the second portion;
a conveyor assembly located at the lower portion of the support frame and below the gripper, connected to the body, oriented along a second direction transversal to the first direction, having an endless belt, a plurality of receptacles connected to the endless belt, each of the plurality of receptacles being configured to receive one plant, and at least one sensor for detecting empty receptacles;
wherein the gripper picks up the plants of the at least one row of plants by their foliage such that the plants without foliage are left in the multi-celled tray; and
wherein the tray actuation means, the pick up means, and the conveyor assembly operate in a cooperative manner to skip empty receptacles detected by the at least one sensor and continuously feed the plant dropping means with plants with foliage.