Potting and repotting machine

Claim 1

In a potting and repotting machine having a conveying mechanism for flowerpots, said flowerpots having a rim structure adjacent the top projecting radially outwardly therefrom and a sidewardly facing surface thereon, said sidewardly facing surfaces on each of said pots in said stack defining a continuous surface with practically no discernable dividing space between said pots and support means for supporting a vertical stack of said flowerpots, the improvement comprising: dispensing means secured to said support means adjacent the bottom of said vertical stack and above said pot conveying mechanism and adapted to dispense said flowerpots one at a time onto said pot conveying mechanism, said dispensing means comprising vertically spaced first and second holders and guide means for supporting said first and second holders for reciprocatory movement between positions engaging and spaced from said vertical stack, said first holder consisting of a generally flat, horizontally arranged first plate, one edge of which being adapted to engage, when said first plate is in said engaging position, the bottom-most pot beneath the rim structure thereof to support the weight of said vertical stack and having means defining a first slot therein extending at a first angle to the direction of movement of said first plate, said second holder consisting of a generally flat second plate parallel to said first plate and having engaging means thereon for engaging, when said second plate is in said engaging position, said sidewardly facing surface of said rim structure of the next pot positioned vertically above said bottommost pot in said vertical stack to frictionally engage said next pot positioned vertically above said bottommost pot, said second plate having means defining a second slot therein extending at a second angle to the direction of movement of said second plate, said first slot and said second slot extending at a third angle with respect to each other; and plate actuating means for effecting said reciprocatory movement of said first and second plates, said plate actuating means consisting of pin means received in said first and second slots and supported for reciprocal movement in a first direction transverse to the direction of movement of said first and second plates and transversely to each of said first and second slots and drive means for moving said pin means.