Bud Antle, Inc.

Peter F deGroot

In combination with a carton stacked pallet, a collar is disclosed for indexing to an interstitial layer of cartons on the pallet for stabilizing the palletized stack of cartons above and below the collar both during and after palletization. The collar preferably consists of a continuous piece of corrugated board having a length corresponding to the circumference of the four sides of the palletized load to be enclosed. The corrugated board of the collar is folded and fitted to each of the four sides of the palletized cartons. A gusset member protrudes normally inward from each of the four collar sides for entrapment between the interstitial layers of the of cartons of the palletized load of cartons. At the palletizing site, the band is unfolded into a rectangular carton surrounding configuration with the folded gussets disposed to the inside. The pallet is partially stacked with a rectilinear sectioned stack of cartons to expose the top of a continuous interstitial layer of the cartons at a partial height of the ultimately palletized load. The collar is registered to the top of the continuous interstitial layer so the bottom portion of the collar below the gusset confines and stabilizes the top cartons on the pallet. When layers of further cartons are placed within the collar on the gusset there results a combination of forces stabilizing the palletized cartons below and above the collar both during and after the palletizing process.

Collar for palletized load

An improved transfer mechanism for extracting and transporting plants from a high density incubating tray to a singulated constant velocity conveyed path in which each plant is gripped by planting fingers is disclosed. The planter is moved across a field at relatively constant velocity and has the planting fingers conventionally depositing the plant upright and stationary with respect to the passing ground where they are covered by conventional furrowing and packing apparatus. The conveying planting fingers are serially mounted on an endless conveyor and hence pass the vicinity of the incubating tray from which extraction and transfer of the plants must occur at a relatively constant velocity. A tray extraction mechanism is provided which includes a tray conveyor, plant extractor plugs and a tray extraction reciprocation apparatus. The tray extraction reciprocation apparatus functions to oscillate the tray conveyor and plant extractors parallel to the path of the planting fingers. When the oscillation is in the same direction as the conveyed planting fingers, the speed of the planting conveyor is synchronized to the speed of the planting fingers. After this synchronization has occurred, the tray conveyor advances a row of plants into the opened planting fingers and the fingers close gripping the plant at the stem. At substantially the same time, the plug extractors and tray move relative to one another so that in cooperation with the gripping planting fingers the plants are urged out of the tray. Once the plants are clear of the tray, the plug extractors retract completely through and out of the tray and the oscillation continues with movement opposite to the direction of the conveyed chain for the next cycle. By the expedient of loading the serially conveyed fingers with tray wide rows of plants, plant acceleration forces occur when the plant is protected by its incubating tray. Both transporting and transplanting of the plant occurred with the required forces of acceleration held to a minimum.

Plant transfer mechanism

An improved transfer mechanism for extracting and transporting plants from a high density incubating tray to a singulated constant velocity conveyed path in which each plant is gripped by planting fingers is set forth. The planter is moved across a field at relatively constant velocity and has the planting fingers conventionally depositing the plant upright and stationary with respect to the passing ground where they are covered by conventional furrowing and packing apparatus. The conveying planting fingers are serially mounted on an endless conveyor and hence pass the vicinity of the incubating tray from which extraction and transfer of the plants must occur at a relatively constant velocity. A tray extraction mechanism is provided which includes a tray conveyor, plant extractor plugs and a tray extraction reciprocation apparatus. The tray extraction reciprocation apparatus functions to oscillate the tray conveyor and plant extractors parallel to the path of the planting fingers. When the oscillation is in the same direction as the conveyed planting fingers, the speed of the planting conveyor is synchronized to the speed of the planting fingers. After this synchronization has occurred, the tray conveyor advances a row of plants into the opened planting fingers and the fingers close gripping the plant at the stem. At substantially the same time, the plug extractors and tray move relative to one another so that in cooperation with the gripping planting fingers, the plants are urged out of the tray. Once the plants are clear of the tray, the plug extractors retract completely through and out of the tray and the oscillation continues with movement opposite to the direction of the conveyed chain for the next cycle. By the expedient of loading the serially conveyed fingers with tray wide rows of plants, plant acceleration forces occur when the plant is protected by its incubating tray. Both transporting and transplanting of the plant occured with the required forces of acceleration held to a minimum. A timing screw is set forth for driving the tray conveyor. An array of the set forth planters is set forth.

A planting finger assembly having paired planting fingers is disclosed for use with a planter of the type wherein plants are removed from a nursery tray, preferably by the stem, and transported to a secondary growing location preferably in a field for harvest. Each planting finger assembly has a pair of planting finger shafts mounted in parallel. The finger shafts each terminate in radially extending wedged shaped gripping fingers for holding and releasing the plant. The two fingers on each plant finger assembly rotate on the finger shafts towards and away from one another responsive to oppositely disposed spiral cams and a joined pair of cam followers. Opposite rotation of the fingers moves the fingers from an opened position for receiving or discharging a plant to a closed position for gripping and transporting the plant. When paired finger assemblies are disposed in side-by-side relation and the respective planting fingers of each assembly are opened, the wedge shaped fingers of adjacent assemblies form separating wedges for the plants. Typically, the separating wedges separate the foliage of plants in adjacent cells and direct them into the receiving pockets formed by the open gripping fingers on each finger assembly. Thereafter, when the fingers are closed, adjacent fingers on each finger assembly grab only the immediately intended plant and do not entangle the foliage of adjacent plants.

Planting finger assembly

A tape dispenser for an agricultural/industrial environment having wind and dirt dispenses tape adhesive side upwardly exposed. Centrally of the dispenser there is placed a roll of tape conventionally wound in a spiral. The roll of tape has an outwardly exposed adhesive release surface and an inwardly exposed adhesive coated surface and is wound in a first direction. In the dispenser, the tape is threaded from the first direction of its spiral wound path to a reversed path around the roll in a second and opposite direction. Typically, the reversed path is defined over the surfaces of four rollers with the adhesive release side inwardly exposed to the rollers and the adhesive coated side outwardly exposed. The roll and reverse path are encased within a housing to prevent the outwardly exposed adhesive from adhering either to ambient dust or nearby objects. The tape passes free from the housing along a dispensing path to a convention severing tape knife. The dispensing path includes a section open to the interior of the casing which allows the adhesive release side of tape on the dispensing path to attach to a small portion of the exposed adhesive on the reversed path. Thus, the tape is held by adhesive at the adhesive release coating and can be dispensed from the dispensing path and firmly held in the vicinity of the severing knife when tape is severed.

Growing community of inventors

Monterey, CA, United States of America

Peter F deGroot