Machine for the planting of rice seedlings

Claim 1

A MACHINE FOR PLANTING SEEDLINGS WHICH COMPRISES A FRAME, A HOPPER FOR SEEDLINGS AT THE UPPER PORTION OF THE FRAME, SAID HOPPER HAVING AN OPENING AT ITS LOWER END FOR THE PASSAGE OF THE SEEDLINGS, A GRIPPER AT SAID OPENING FOR GRIPPING THE SEEDLINGS, A DRUM BELOW SAID OPENING WITH MEANS FOR ROTATING THE SAME, SAID GRIPPER BEING MOUNTED ON SAID DRUM, MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID DRUM AND WITH THE GRIPPER FOR CLOSING THE GRIPPER WHEN IT RECEIVES A SEEDLING FROM THE HOPPER AND FOR OPENING THE GRIPPER WHEN THE GRIPPER IS IN POSITION ABOVE OUTLET CHUTE, STRIPPER PLATE MOUNTED ON THE DRUM ADJACENT TO THE PERIPHERY OF THE DRUM, SAID PLATE SURROUNDING THE GRIPPER, MEANS FOR MOVING THE STRIPPER PLATE TOWARD THE DRUM ON CLOSING MOVEMENT OF THE GRIPPER AND FOR MOVING SAID PLATE AWAY FROM THE DRUM UPON THE OPENING OF THE GRIPPER TO CAUSE THE STRIPPER PLATE TO ENGAGE PARTS OF A SEEDLING HELD BY THE GRIPPER AND TO FORCE THE SEEDLINGS AWAY FROM THE GRIPPER, AN OUTLET CHUTE LOCATED BELOW THE DRUM AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE SEEDLINGS WHEN THEY ARE RELEASED FROM THE GRIPPER, A HOLDER AT THE LOWER END OF THE CHUTE TO RETAIN THE SEEDLINGS, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID HOLDER OUT OF THE CHUTE AND RELEASING SAID HOLDER, A RECIPROCATING PLANTING ROD ON SAID FRAME AND CONNECTED TO THE CHUTE, THE LOWER END OF SAID ROD BEING OPERATIVE AT THE LOWER END OF THE CHUTE AND ADAPTED TO CONTACT SAID RELEASED SEEDLING AND IMPLANT IT.