Automatic plant setting apparatus

Claim 1

Mobile apparatus, for advancing, singulating and planting seedlings growing in strips, comrising: a frame having means for travel along a path on an earth surface to be planted; means for opening the earth at predetermined locations along the path for implanting seedlings; a plurality of plant container strips each having a plurality of upwardly and laterally opening pockets each adapted to contain a seedling plant; said strips each having a bottom wall provided with a plurality of abutments projecting downwardly therefrom and spaced longitudinally of said strip the same as the spacing of walls defining said pockets; a tray having parallel guide walls between which said strips are guided for sequential advancing movements parallel to said path of travel in order to sequentially position successive pockets at a predetermined discharge point of said frame; means successively engageable with said abutments for effecting said sequential movements in response to said travel in order to successively position said pockets at a oredetermined discharge point in said frame; a powered bar means carried by said frame for reciprocating movements in response to said travel of said frame; a downwardly projecting finger carried by said bar for sequentially sweeping plants laterally out of said pockets as said bar is reciprocated; said tray having barrier walls extending upwardly at the ends of said guide walls and effective to engage succeeding strips to retain them against advancing movements; means for lifting one of said strips to a height such as to allow a following strip to be extended over a barrier wall when a previous strip is discharged; and a pair of spaced parallel rails in which said tray is supported and guided for advancing movements transversely of said path to position a suceeding strip for consecutive movements parallel to said path, said rails having upwardly extending flanges retaining said tray.