Claims
- 1. The apparatus for discharging soil plugs having seedling growing therein comprising: rigid carrying trays defining plug receiving apertures extending between the top and bottom thereof for forming successive columns of plant plugs; at least one plug comprising intermixed soil and binder having a seedling plant disposed therein, each said plug within a supporting aperture in said rigid carrying tray having a bottom soil portion exposed on one side of said rigid carrying tray, a top and plant protruding portion on the other side of said rigid carrying tray and having a plug longitudinally extending between said bottom and top with said rigid carrying tray forming the sole support for said plug; paired and opposed tray support members for holding said rigid carrying tray vertically at the edges thereof only and conveying said rigid carrying trays along a path; conveyor means for restricting the path of travel of said rigid carrying tray between said support members to thereby transport successive apertures containing plugs for extraction at an extraction station; at least one receiving station juxtaposed to said extraction station for receiving from said rigid carrying tray said plugs, said receiving station disposed to receive plugs from the top side of said rigid carrying tray; at least one plant discharging member for penetrating through the bottom side of defined plug receiving aperture in said rigid carrying tray and contacting said plug at said soil exposed portion to cause at least one plug to be dislodged from said defined plug receiving aperture of said rigid carrying tray and discharged from its respective defined plug receiving aperture in said rigid carrying tray to and towards said receiving station; and means for vertically registering said rigid carrying tray in successive columns to said extraction station operatively connected to said conveyor means whereby plugs from said successive columns can be discharged from said rigid carrying tray, said rigid carrying tray forming the sole supporting substrate between said paired and opposed tray support members for the conveyance and discharge of plugs at said extraction station to said receiving station.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 62,667, filed Aug. 1, 1979 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,294,179.
US Referenced Citations (9)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
48111 |
Nov 1981 |
EPX |
48201 |
Jan 1982 |
EPX |
48203 |
Mar 1982 |
EPX |
733009 |
Sep 1932 |
FRX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
62667 |
Aug 1979 |
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