Patent ID: 6385903
Filing Date: 2002-05-14
Classification: A01G

Abstract:
A plug tray formed from a thermoformed, thin, polymeric sheet having a thickness within the range of about 0.025 to about 0.075 inches and comprising:a surface member having a pair of opposing ends, a pair of opposing sides, and a major axis; a plurality of rows of inner cells formed in said surface member, each inner cell of said plurality of rows of inner cells having a center and dimensioned to receive a charge of growing material and at least one seed, each inner cell having a fist shape, a plurality of side top edges, and a center; a pair of rows of outer cells formed in said surface member, each outer cell of said pair of rows of outer cells having a center, a plurality of side top edges, and dimensioned to receive a charge of growing material and at least one seed, each row of said pair of rows of outer cells positioned adjacent an end of said pair of opposing ends of said surface member, wherein each inner cell of said plurality of rows of inner cells and each outer cell of said pair of rows of outer cells is positioned at a preselected offset angle extending between said major axis which extends from one of said opposing sides to the other of said sides through said centers of said cells in any one row of inner and outer cells and a plane including a side top edge of a cell in said one row, said offset angle being between about 15Â° to 45Â°, each outer cell of said pair of rows of outer cells having a second shape, wherein said first shape is different than said second shape; a plurality of apertures formed in said surface member to provide aeration for plant growth, each aperture of said plurality of apertures being separated from said inner cells and said outer cells by said surface member; each inner cell of said plurality of inner cells having sides defining a downwardly tapered configuration, and each outer cell of said plurality of outer cells having sides defining a downwardly tapered configuration said surface member further comprising a skit depending from said pair of opposing sides and said pair of opposing ends, said skirt having an outer edge and being flared outwardly at a pre-selected angle to said pair of opposing ends and to said pair of opposing sides to facilitate strength and rigidity of said plug tray, said flared skirt and downwardly tapered configuration of said inner and outer cell sides cooperating to allow compact stacking of said plug tray in a vertical arrangement with others of said plug tray; wherein the center-to-center distance between adjacent inner cells, the center-to-center distance between adjacent outer cells, and the center-to-center distance between adjacent inner and outer cells are all substantially equal and comprise a fast distance, and the distance between the center of any one of said outer cells of said plug tray and said outer edge of said flared skirt adjacent to such outer cell taken together with the distance between the center of an adjacent outer cell of another of said plug trays and the adjacent outer edge of the flared skirt on the other plug tray being substantially equal to said first distance when the other plug tray is placed end to end with said plug tray and said flared skirt on said plug tray and the flared skirt on the other plug tray are contacting one another whereby said plug tray is useful in continuous automated planting and transplantation processes.