WO1992003907A1

WO1992003907A1 - System for handling plants

Info

Publication number: WO1992003907A1
Application number: PCT/FI1991/000270
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kim Murmann
Original assignee: Lännen Tehtaat Oy
Priority date: 1990-09-03
Filing date: 1991-09-03
Publication date: 1992-03-19
Also published as: AU8416691A; FI904346L; FI904346A7; FI904346A0

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for handling plants. In the system, the plants are transferred from the pots of a honeycomb by means of a gripping device (18) fastened to a circulating conveyor (17). The invention is especially suitable for automatic large-scale growing systems. The system can be used e.g. for transferring plants into empty pots in a second honeycomb.

Description

System for handling plants

The invention relates to the growing of plants in honeycombs. It is known to grow plants in honeycombs, the bottoms cell of which are open. Thus balled seedlings can be removed from honeycombs by pushing them from the bottom towards the opening. For example from the published patent application FI 874803 (corresponds to US-patent 4893571) it is known an equipment, whereby balls are pushed from these kind of honeycombs to a horizontal gripping device with two tines, after which the gripping device is turned downwards and the ball is removed and transferred to substrate.

Now it has been invented methods and equipment described in the independent claims of the application. Some advantageous embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

According to the invention, the plant balls are taken out of the pots by means of a gripping device fastened to a circulating conveyor. The conveyor is preferably a vertically circulating belt in which there are several gripping devices.

The gripping device preferably comprises at least one, preferably two, tines to which the plant ball is pushed. There are preferably also means for supporting the plant in the tines. The supporting means comprises preferably at least one spring pressing the ball. The spring will absorb vibrations which might break the ball.

The plant balls can be transferred especially into empty pots in a second honeycomb from which balls containing no proper plant have been removed. In this case, the cells of the first honeycomb may comprise preferably an inner pot of decaying material.

The invention is especially suitable for automatic large- scale growing systems. Some of the embodiments of the invention will be described in more detail in the following referring to the accompanying drawings, whereby Fig. 1 shows a honeycomb for growing plants,

Fig. 2 shows photographing system for recognizing balls containing no seedlings,

Fig. 3 shows graphics system for recognizing balls containing no seedlings,

Fig. 4 shows equipment for removing balls containing no seedlings from the honeycomb,

Fig. 5 shows equipment for bringing balled seedlings into empty pots in the honeycomb in side view, Fig. 6 shows the equipment according to Fig. 5 from behind,

Fig. 7 shows a rod for pushing balls from the honeycomb,

Fig. 8 shows a total system for handling plants in a side view, Fig. 9 shows the system of Fig. 8 from above,

Fig. 10 shows the pushing of a ball to a gripping device,

Fig. 11 shows the gripping device of Fig. 10 with a ball in front view, and

Fig. 12 shows the gripping device of Fig. 11 in a side view.

In the system according to the invention honeycombs for plants are used, which honeycombs consist of one longitudinal row of pots or of several longitudinal rows of pots. The pots are preferably open both in the opening and in the bottom and narrowing towards the bottom. The most suitable is a honeycomb consisting of pots fixed firmly together, which honeycomb is reusable. In the following examples the invention is described as an embodiment in connection with this kind of 12 x 12 honeycomb (e.g. PLANTEK^R 144) . Empty pots are first filled with substrate (e.g. horticultural peat) , seeds are sown in the pots, after which the seeds are germinated and the plants are grown under the circumstances desired. After sowing the surface can be, if desired, covered by a layer (e.g. by vermiculite) protecting the germinating procedure. After growing the plants with their balls are transferred into a new habitat. In order for the balled seedling to remain undamaged during the transfer, a substrate should be used, which together with the rootage forms a ball firm enough. A suitable agent for binding the ball can be used if desired in the substrate.

According to one aspect of the invention, separate inner pots 2 are used in honeycombs 1, which inner pots are made of a material decaying under the growing circumstances and are placed in the honeycomb before taken it into use (Fig. 1) . The inner pots can be separate or they can form e.g. a sheet corresponding to the honeycomb, in which case the inner pots are cut separate off the sheet when needed. As material for the inner pots can be used e.g. peat or suitable paper.

The inner pot forms a protecting binding layer on the ball surface in order to prevent it from breaking. Thickness of the inner pot is chosen in a manner, that the inner pot prevents the ball from breaking in growing phases and during the transfers in the final planting in case, when the rootage of the plant does not bind the ball enough, but that the inner pot, however, does not prevent rooting of the seedling planted. When the plants are allowed to grow in the pots for a relative long time, the rootage binds the ball to be firm.

Thus there is no need for the inner pot to bind the ball but during possible transfers in the initial phase. In each case an inner pot is chosen, decaying time of which is the most suitable in case in question. By using inner pots also advantage of other kind is achieved: by using an inner pot plenty of prongy root ends are formed on the outer surface of the ball during the growing, which root ends forward the rooting of the plant in the final habitat. Further when the inner pots are used, it might not be necessary to send the reusable honeycombs to the customer.

All seeds do not develop into plants during the germinating procedure and some plants developed are not good enough for planting. Balls containing no good plants should be able to be recognized and removed in a phase as early as possible. Thus the entire substrate area can be used as effectively as possible. In addition to this wasted watering and fertilization can be avoided. In many cases it is also most important to avoid gaps in the plantations since these cause the mighbouring plants to grow unevenly. There are approx. 5-15 % of the balls to be removed depending on case. According to one aspect of the invention, the balls containing no plant are recognized by a camera and by digital graphics attached to it.

Figures 2 and 3 show a system for recognizing plants in schematical representation. The entire honeycomb 1 containing plants is photographed from above by a camera 3. The photographing is carried out in a phase as early as possible, when leaves of the plants do not yet extend sidewards over the edges of their own pots but all plants in germ however are in seedling phase. Depending on the plant and circumstances the germinating period needed is approx. 6-15 days. The photograph is treated and brought into digital form by a graphic system 4. In this system the photograph of the honeycomb 1 consisting of pots 5 is divided into squares 6 corresponding to the separate pots (Fig. 3) . In the photo of each square a green 7 and a non-green area 8 is separated. If there is no green area to be found or it is beneath the minimum value determined by a control system 9, the balled seedling in question is registered as containing no plant. Also plants turned yellow and otherwise sick as to their colour become registered as well. The information gathered is then fed through the channel 10 into the removing unit of balls containing no plant. By the control system it it also possible to adjust the size of the square 6. It is thus possible to eliminate a recognizing error caused by leaves extending a little from one pot to another. Also plants growing near the edge and developing one-sided roots can be elimated.

The digital graphics system 4 also consists of a monitor 11, with which the original or the digitized picture can be followed. The monitor helps in finding suitable set values. It also helps in observing factors (e.g. unequal sowing or germinating circumstances) causing systematically errors in sowing or germinating phase. During the photographing procedure the honeycomb 1 is placed in a cupboard 12 protected from the light outside, which cupboard is illuminated by lamps 13. The illuminating conditions can thus be optimized. According to an embodiment, UV light is used for illuminating, which UV light excites the living green leaves of the plant to emit fluorescence radiation, which fluorescence radiation is then detected by the camera 3.

According to one aspect of the invention, the empty balls are removed from the honeycomb especially by blowing.

In the system for removing plants according to Fig. 4 the honeycomb 1 is transferred in an oblique position on its side by a synchronized conveyor 14. The information of balls containing no plant is achieved through the channel 10 into the control unit 15 in the removing system. The removing itself is carried out by air blowing system 16. In this system there is a row of nozzles, in which there is a nozzle 17 beneath each pot 5 in the row, through which nozzle a compressed-air jet can be directed. When a pot containing an empty ball comes to the nozzle, the control system alerts the blowing system. A valve in the nozzle in question opens for a time desired, and the ball is thrown out off the pot. When the honeycomb moves during the blowing procedure, rest of a possible broken ball are removed as well. There can naturally be, if desired, several rows of nozzles placed in the system. Instead of a movable honeycomb movable nozzles can be used. Also water or mixture of water and air can be used for blowing.

If desired, pesticides can be added in the shower as well, in order to eliminate the possible pathogenic agents remaining in the pot from a sick plant.

According to one aspect of the invention, plants are transferred from the honeycomb into another substrate, especially to another honeycomb from which the balls containing no good plant have been removed. This is described referring to Fig. 5 and 6.

In the equipment there is a rotating belt 17, in which there are gripping devices 18 with tines facing perpendicularily outwards from the belt. The belt rotates around a top wheel 19 and a bottom wheel 20. (In Fig. 5 and 6 only part of the belt can be seen.) Spacing between the gripping devices on the belt is the same as the spacing between the pots in the honeycomb 1.

Balled seedlings are brought from the honeycomb 1 row by row to the gripping devices 18 by pushing the balls from the bottom by a pushing device, in which there is a rod 21 for each honeycomb. The honeycomb is on its edge and slightly tilted backwards, in order for the balls not to fall by themselves. The part of the belt, which meets the row of pots, is correspondingly parallel with the row of pots. During the pushing the belt does not move. After the row of balls has been pushed in tines of the gripping devices, the belt moves forward (in Fig. 5 counterclockwise) . Simultaneously a new row of balls is brought in front of the pushing device, and when the belt has rotated by one row, the belt is stopped and a new row of balls is pushed into the tines. In the end of each rod 21 there are two tines 22, which penetrate into the ball from its bottom side and thus prevent it from twisting or turning during the pushing. Fig. 7 shows a rod in end view in enlarged scale. When balls with very hard shell walls are used, it might be preferable not to use the tines, since in that case the penetration of the tines through the bottom wall might be difficult.

In the gripping device 18 there are two parallel tines for preventing the ball from twisting. The tines are placed in a line parallel with the belt 17. In order to prevent the ball from falling by itself the tines are equipped with barbs.

The ball is released from the gripping device 18 in its bottom position. The ball is released by pushing it from top of the gripping device with help of a pushing device for releasing 23. There are two feet in the pushing device, which settle on the opposite sides of the ball. The pushing device is run by a pneumatic cylinder 24.

Moving the belt 17 with balls in the gripping device 18 downwards to the bottom position is preferable in order to avoid accidental release of the balls.

Movement for the belt 17 is transmitted from a wheel 25 continuously rotated by a motor through a transmission gear 26 and the top wheel 19. The transmission gear can be lifted apart of the top wheel, whereby the movement of the top wheel and the belt stops. An exact stopping of the top wheel is secured by a brake shoe 27, which presses against the top wheel at the same time when the transmission gear releases from the top wheel. Releasing of the transmission gear and simultaneous braking of the top wheel is realized by a pneumatic cylinder 28 and a lever mechanism 29.

From the gripping devices 18 in the belt 17 the balls are released into a honeycomb 1.1 moving beneath, from which honeycomb the balls containing no plants have been removed.

Before the releasing point of the ball there is an observing station at the row of pots in moving honeycomb 1.1, in which station there is a positional detector 30, which detects the incoming pot and an identifying detector 31, which detects whether the pot possibly is empty. The positional detector is exactly a multiple of certain spacing of pots away from the releasing point of the ball. The detectors are connected to a control system controlling the transferring of the honeycomb and releasing of the balled seedling. When a pot detected as empty comes to the releasing point of the ball, the honeycomb is stopped, the belt 17 is rotated one step so that a ball is transferred to the releasing position, where it is then pushed downwards by the pushing device 23, and whereby the ball then falls into the empty pot. Then the transferring of the honeycomb is continued until next empty pot comes to the releasing point of the ball.

The equipment also consists of a controlling detector 33, which controls if there is a ball in the gripping device coming next to the releasing point. If that is not the case, the belt 17 is rotated further until there is a ball coming to the releasing point. It is thus possible to bring balls to the gripping devices 18 also from a shorthanded honeycomb 1, e.g. a such, from which the balls containing no plant have been removed. And if the ball releases by accident too early, there will still not be any empty pots in the honeycomb 1.1. The honeycomb 1.1 is moved stepwise by means of a wheel 34, on the circle of which there are rods parallel with the axle of the wheel. The spacing of the rods is the same as the spacing of the pots of the honeycomb. Thus the pots are always placed exactly at the right position beneath the pushing device 23. Especially in the honeycombs 1 from which the plants are transferred it is preferable to use such inner pots as described in Fig. 1 in order to avoid breaking of the balls during the transfer. For the same reason it is also preferable to use in the system e.g. hydraulic absorption of shocks for the honeycombs to be moved.

In the equipment shown in Fig. 5 and 6 there are six parallel belt systems, which are run by the same axle. Each belt thus having its own transmission gear 26 with its mechanism. (In Fig. 6 there are bottom wheels 20 of each belt to be seen, but not all the belts, and other mechanisms.) By the equipment it is possible to complete every second row of pots of a honeycomb 1.1 having 12 rows at a time. Other rows can be completed by running the honeycomb again through the equipment either sidewards after having moved it by a row or backwards. Other possibility is to install two completing units sequently. Naturally an own belt for each row can be used parallel, but when using narrow pots the construction becomes inconvenient due to lack of space.

Each belt 17 can have its own row of pushing rods 21 or also one row or several rows of pivots movable in crossward direction can be used.

In Fig. 6 there are shown also supporting means for the ball.

Fig. 8 and 9 show a complete system according to the invention. From germinating phase honeycombs 1 and l.l are brought into an observating unit 35, where balls containing no plant are recognized. The empty balls are thereafter removed. Honeycombs for growing purposes are brought to control 36, where defective honeycombs can be removed. The honeycombs 1.1 are then brought through a conveyor 37 into a completing unit 38, where empty pots are filled by a completing equipment described above, where half of the rows of pots is treated at a time. Honeycombs having run through are rotated around 39, returned 40 and run again through the completing unit. After the completing unit there is located a releasing unit 41 for full honeycombs. From the observating and removing unit honeycombs 1 are taken when needed into the completing unit through a conveyor 42 and an assembler 43 of the honeycomb, from which honeycombs the replacing balls are then taken. The conveyor 42 and the assembler 43 are placed above the rotating and returning units 39 and 40. In the completing unit there is also a releasing unit 44 for empty honeycombs. The system forms together with the sowing and germinating units a complete and automatically guidable process, in which no separate growing lines for replacing plants are needed.

According to one embodiment of the invention, there are means for supporting the seedling ball in the gripping device. The supporting means of the exemplified embodiment (Fig. 10- 12) there is a steel strip 45 with arms 46 joined transversely on the belt 17. The arms 46 are bent first backward and then straight forward from the belt, so as to press lightly the ball from opposite sides between the arms (Fig. 11) .

The strip 45 is provided with a mechanism for opening the strip when a ball is pushed to the gripping device 18. The mechanism comprises two pivots 47 and a pin 48 and cylinder 49 between ends of the pivots. In free position the other ends of the pivots are outside the back bends 50 of the strip. When the strip is to be opened for pushing the ball to the gripping device, the said ends of the pivots press the bends of the strip so that the arms 46 open (Fig. 10) .

In the releasing position of the ball, the arms 46 are opened by the pushing means 23. (The supporting means 45 are not shown in Fig. 5.) The honeycomb 1.1 can differ from the honeycomb 1. Thus the equipment can be used when transplanting plants from small pots into bigger ones. A ball is then placed in each pot. There can be substrate or if desired also a planting hole already in the pot. Suitable compacting devices for compacting the plant can also be attached in the equipment in this case. A recognizing detector for an empty pot is naturally not used in this case. In the same manner the equipment can be used when planting in pots. Then instead of a honeycomb 1.1 separate pots are used.

It is, of course, also possible to use a horizontally placed honeycomb from which the balls are pushed directly upwards to the gripping means. In that case it would be preferably to use cylindrical or nearly cylindrical pots in the honeycomb in order to make the direct upward push more sure.

The equipment is in modified version adapted for use in planting into the soil. In this case the equipment is placed on a base movable on the ground. The transporting mechanism for the honeycomb 1.1 is left out and instead is attached a suitable equipment for making and compacting a planting furrow or planting holes and if desired a suitable arrangement for supporting seedlings in the planting phase.

Claims

1. Method for transferring plants from a honeycomb, in which honeycomb there is one row of pots or are several rows of pots with top openings located parallel in regard to each other and there are plant balls formed by growing substrate and a seedling in the pots, and in which method the plant ball is taken out of the pot into a gripping device, from which gripping device the ball is released, characterized in that the gripping device is fastened to a circulating conveyor, by which the gripping device and the ball in it are brought into a releasing station, where the ball is released, after which the gripping device returns in order to bring a new ball.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the honeycomb is placed essentially vertically on its edge for taking out the plant balls.

3. Method according to claim 2, wherein the honeycomb is placed essentially vertically but slightly tilted backwards.

4. Method according to claim 2 or 3 characterized in that the gripping device, after the ball has been taken into is, is brought downwards by the conveyor.

5. Method according to any of claims 1 - 4, wherein the pots have open bottoms, and the ball is pushed out of the pot through the top opening of the pot.

6. Method according to any of claims 1 - 5, characterized in that there are several gripping devices in the conveyor.

7. Method according to claim 6, characterized in that several balls in the row of pots, preferably all the balls in the row, are taken into the gripping devices at a time.

8. Method according to any of claims 1 - 7 for transferring plants into empty pots.

9. Method according to claim 8 for transferring plants into empty pots in a second honeycomb, in which second honeycomb there is one row of pots or are several rows of pots with top openings located parallel in regard to each other, characterized in that the second honeycomb is transported through a completing station, where plant balls are transferred into it.

10. Method according to claim 9, characterized in that the second honeycomb is transported in the direction of the row or rows of pots.

11. Method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the second honeycomb is transported through an observating and completing station, where an empty pot is first recognized and a plant ball thereafter transferred into it.

12. Method according to claim 11, in which method growing substrate has been placed in the pots of the second honeycomb, seeds have been sown into the pots and allowed to germinate, and after germinating, it has been recognized whether there is a proper plant in each pot, and the balls containing no proper plant have been removed from the honeycomb.

13. Method according to claim 12, characterized in that after germinating, the second honeycomb has been photographed from above in order to recognize whether there is a proper plant in each pot.

14. Method according to claim 13, characterized in that the entire second honeycomb has been photographed from above before the plants have grown essentially so much that their leaves extend from one pot to another.

15. Method according to claim 14, characterized in that according to the information gathered in the photographing, the balls containing no proper plant have been automatically removed from the second honeycomb.

16. Method according to claim 15, wherein the second honeycomb consists of one row of pots or several rows of pots with top openings and located parallel in regard to each other, which pots have open bottoms, characterized in that balls containing no plant have been removed through the top openings of the pots.

17. Method according to claim 16, characterized in that balls have been removed by directing a shower through the pot.

18. Method according to claim 17, characterized in that the shower is an air jet.

19. Method according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that the second honeycomb has been moved in the direction of the honeycomb level simultaneously directing a shower through the honeycomb.

20. Method according to any of claims 1 - 19, characterized in that the plant ball to be transferred is taken from a honeycomb, from which the balls containing no proper plant have been removed.

21. Method according to any of claims 1 - 7 for transferring plant balls into growing substrate.

22. Method according to claim 21 for transferring plant balls into growing substrate in pots.

23. Method according to any of claims 1 - 22, characterized in that the plants are transferred from a honeycomb comprising an outer honeycomb undecaying under the growing circumstances and inside it inner pots decaying under the growing circumstances during the growing procedure.

24. Equipment for transferring plants from a honeycomb, in which honeycomb there is one row of pots or are several rows of pots with top openings, located parallel in regard to each other, and there are balls formed by substrate and a seedling in the pots, and in which equipment there is a gripping device for gripping in a ball, a device for taking the ball into the gripping device, and a device for releasing the ball from the gripping device, characterized in that the gripping device (18) is fastened to a circulating conveyor (17).

25. Equipment according to claim 24, characterized in that the conveyor circulates at a plane.

26. Equipment according to claim 25, characterized in that the conveyor circulates at a plane parallel to the row of pots and located perpendicularily in regard to the honeycomb.

27. Equipment according to any of claims 24 - 26, characterized in that the conveyor is a belt circulating around two wheels.

28. Equipment according to any of claims 24 - 27, characterized in that in the gripping device there is one tine or are several tines, preferably two, penetrating into the ball perpendicularily from the belt.

29. Equipment according to claim 28, characterized in that there are two tines placed on a line in the direction of the conveyor.

30. Equipment according to claim 28 or 29, characterized in that there is a supporting means (45) for supporting the ball in the gripping device.

31. Equipment according to claim 30, characterized in that the supporting means comprises at least one spring (46) pressing the ball.

32. Equipment according to claim 31, characterized in that there are two springs.

33. Equipment according to claim 32, characterized in that the springs (46) are placed on opposite sides of the ball.

34. Equipment according to claim 33, characterized in that the springs (46) are opened for pushing the ball into the gripping device.

35. Equipment according to any of claims 24 - 34 for transferring plants from pots, which have open bottoms, and in which equipment there is one rod or are several rods for pushing the ball out off the pot through the top opening of the pot, characterized in that there is one tine or are several tines (22) , preferably two, in the end of the rod penetrating into the bottom of the ball.

36. Equipment according to any of claims 24 - 35 for transferring plants into empty pots in a second honeycomb, in which second honeycomb there is one row of pots or are several rows of pots located parallel in regard to each other, characterized in that in the equipment there is a conveyor (34) for transporting the second honeycomb in the direction of the row.

37. Equipment according to claim 36, characterized in that in the equipment there is a device (31) for recognizing the empty pot.

38. Honeycomb for growing plants, in which honeycomb there is one row of pots or are several rows of pots with top openings located parallel in regard to each other, characterized in that there is an outer honeycomb undecaying under the growing circumstances and inside of it an inner honeycomb (2) decaying under the growing circumstances during the growing procedure.