Patent ID: 6073564
Filing Date: 2000-06-13
Classification: A01C,Y10S

Abstract:
A seedling ball replacement device for removing deficient seedling balls carrying deficient seedlings and replacing the deficient seedling balls with proper seedling balls carrying proper seedlings during automatic transplanting, comprising;compartments for retaining and transferring seedling balls, the compartments comprising at least one side aperture and a shutter for allowing a detected deficient seedling ball to exit from the compartment by gravity;a sensor for detecting through the aperture if the compartment is carrying one of the deficient seedling balls or one of the proper seedling balls;replacement means for replacing the detected deficient seedling ball that has been exited through the shutter with a replacement proper seedling ball by dropping the replacement proper seedling ball into the exited compartment from a supply of the replacement proper seedling balls located above the compartments; and planting means for planting the proper seedling balls.