Patent ID: 11864486
Assignee: SQUARE ROOTED, LLC
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 14:
15. An automated planter apparatus, the planter apparatus comprising: a grabber mechanism mounted on a chain loop, the chain loop continuous and wrapped around a rear sprocket and a forward sprocket; the rear sprocket and the forward sprocket mounted on a planter frame, the planter frame having a forward frame end and a rearward frame end; the grabber mechanism including a pair of grabbers, the pair of grabbers having a first grabber coupled with a second grabber, and the grabber mechanism attached to the chain loop; a rooting stock received by the grabber mechanism at a pick-up station, the rooting stock having a root end and a sprout length, and the rooting stock placed into the grabber mechanism with the root end above the sprout end, relative to a soil surface beneath the planter frame; the first grabber having a first grab rod and the second grabber having a second grab rod, the first grab rod and the second grab rod comprising a grab rod pair; the first grab rod and the second grab rod of the grab rod pair each terminate at a grabber end, the grabber end located proximate to a grab tine, and each grab rod terminates at a base end, the grabber end located opposite to the base end, and the base end located proximate to a cam leg; the first grab rod received into a first sleeve bearing, and the second grab rod received into a second sleeve bearing, the first sleeve bearing located approximately between the grab tine and the cam leg, the first sleeve bearing located approximately between the grab tine and the cam leg on the first grab rod and the second sleeve bearing located approximately between the grab tine and the cam leg on the second grab rod, the first sleeve bearing and the second sleeve bearing oriented parallel relative to each other; the first sleeve bearing and the second sleeve bearing operate together to grasp the rooting stock, and the grab rod pair rotatable to grasp the rooting stock, with the first grab rod rotates in the first sleeve bearing and the second grab rod rotates within the second sleeve bearing; the grab rod pair rotates from an open grab position to a closed grab position, and the grab rod pair rotates back and forth from the open grab position to the closed grab position, repeatedly in a rotational movement; the rotational movement of the grabber mechanism accomplished by the action of the cam leg located proximate to the base end of each grab rod; the first grab rod having a first grab tine and the second grab rod having a second grab tine, the cam leg extends from the grab rod, and the cam leg terminates with a cam; the grab rod pair rotates from the closed grab position to the open grab position by a top cam opener engaging the cam, and the top cam opener mounted to the planter frame proximate to the pick-up station; each cam leg of the grab rod pair disengages from the top cam opener and return to the closed grab position after the grabber mechanism travels past the top cam opener, by movement of the chain loop; each grabber mechanism receives the rooting stock in turn at the pick-up station, and the chain loop proceeds in the forward chain movement direction around the forward sprocket, and rotates the grabber mechanism to a planting release station; the grab rod pair of the pair of grabbers rotate from the closed grab position holding the rooting stock, to the open grab position releasing the rooting stock at the planting release station, the rotational movement of the grab rod pair accomplished by the action of the cam on the cam leg proximate to the base end of each grab rod; and the grab rod pair rotates from the closed grab position to the open grab position by a bottom cam opener, the bottom cam opener located proximate to the planting release station to engage the cam, and the bottom cam opener mounted to the planter frame.