Patent US1452257A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US3726041A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3726041A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for filling and packing soil
Assignee: Nippon Beet Sugar Manufacturing Co Ltd
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Filing: 1971-12-27
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Granted: 1973-04-10
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Expires: 1991-12-27
Abstract
Abstract The present invention relates to an apparatus for filling and packing soil in containers adapted to temporarily receive seeds or plant seedlings. The apparatus includes means for compressing the soil in the containers by pressing the lower lap of a conveyor belt downwardly thereon and means for packing the soil in the containers and forming an opening therein.
Inventors
- 👤 A Ota
- 👤 N Nakamura
- 👤 R Tsuru
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 21:47
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01G; A01G9/00; A01G9/08; A01G9/081; A01G9/088; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S47/00; Y10S47/901
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
156 words
Apparatus for filling containers with soil and packing the soil therein, which apparatus comprises: lower conveyor means to convey said containers from an input end to an output end, continuous upper conveyor means positioned above said lower conveyor means and having upper and lower laps, means above said upper conveyor means for supplying soil to said upper lap, said upper lap being positioned to transfer said soil to containers being conveyed by said lower conveyor means, means for pressing down a part of said lower lap as it passes above the containers on said lower conveyor means to flatten and compress the soil in said containers, a reciprocating packing plate at the output end of said lower conveyor for packing the soil in said containers by vertical reciprocation, and projections attached to the bottom of said packing plate to dig openings in the soil in said containers to permit the introduction of a cultivatable organism therein.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
156 words
Apparatus for filling containers with soil and packing the soil therein, which apparatus comprises: lower conveyor means to convey said containers from an input end to an output end, continuous upper conveyor means positioned above said lower conveyor means and having upper and lower laps, means above said upper conveyor means for supplying soil to said upper lap, said upper lap being positioned to transfer said soil to containers being conveyed by said lower conveyor means, means for pressing down a part of said lower lap as it passes above the containers on said lower conveyor means to flatten and compress the soil in said containers, a reciprocating packing plate at the output end of said lower conveyor for packing the soil in said containers by vertical reciprocation, and projections attached to the bottom of said packing plate to dig openings in the soil in said containers to permit the introduction of a cultivatable organism therein.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
45 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the upper and lower conveyor means are driven by a power source to travel at the same speed, with said lower conveyor means and the lower lap of said upper conveyor means travelling in the sAme direction.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which said soil supplying means comprises a bottomless hopper having an adjustable gate adapted to regulate the rate of discharge of the soil.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
43 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which said flattening means comprises a tension roller connected with a spring provided within the loop formed by the continuous upper conveyor belt in order to press down the lower lap of the upper conveyor belt.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the lower conveyor means is equipped with a cradle for holding a plurality of containers in rows, which cradle is transferred to a position beneath said packing plate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 which comprises a clutch through which said packing plate is driven and means for engaging said clutch when said cradle is beneath said packing plate.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-04-09 | 1976-10-09 | 1977-04-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-04-09 | 1980-10-09 | 1981-04-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-04-09 | 1984-10-09 | 1985-04-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |