Abstract: A belt mounted support and a group of bags for support on the belt mounted support is used in the harvest of produce. The belt mounted support includes a tube and a belt mounting loop connected to the tube. A bag supporting rod is threaded through the tube to freely rotate with two hooked bag supporting ends. A group of bags is supported on the belt mounted support, each bag formed from perforate plastic sheet. Each individual bag has a front rectilinear panel, a rear and larger rectilinear panel, and a folded gusset at a bottom of the bag folded upward between the front rectilinear panel and the rear and larger rectilinear panel. Logo on the bags is formed from an outside of the bag to be read from an inside of the bag whereby the bag is manufactured in an inverted disposition with respect to the logo. The group of bags is registered one to another at a rear panel protrusion.

Abstract: A lettuce cultivar of the Vanguard-group is disclosed which has heads having a mean diameter of 14 cm with medium green, glossy leaves, which is highly resistant to corky root rot and which is adapted to summer planting in mineral soils in summer cool regions along the Pacific Coast of North America.

Abstract: In combination with a carton stacked pallet, a collar is disclosed for indexing to an interstitial layer of cartons on the pallet for stabilizing the palletized stack of cartons above and below the collar both during and after palletization. The collar preferably consists of a continuous piece of corrugated board having a length corresponding to the circumference of the four sides of the palletized load to be enclosed. The corrugated board of the collar is folded and fitted to each of the four sides of the palletized cartons. A gusset member protrudes normally inward from each of the four collar sides for entrapment between the interstitial layers of the of cartons of the palletized load of cartons. At the palletizing site, the band is unfolded into a rectangular carton surrounding configuration with the folded gussets disposed to the inside.

Abstract: An improved transfer mechanism for extracting and transporting plants from a high density incubating tray to a singulated constant velocity conveyed path in which each plant is gripped by planting fingers is disclosed. The planter is moved across a field at relatively constant velocity and has the planting fingers conventionally depositing the plant upright and stationary with respect to the passing ground where they are covered by conventional furrowing and packing apparatus. The conveying planting fingers are serially mounted on an endless conveyor and hence pass the vicinity of the incubating tray from which extraction and transfer of the plants must occur at a relatively constant velocity. A tray extraction mechanism is provided which includes a tray conveyor, plant extractor plugs and a tray extraction reciprocation apparatus. The tray extraction reciprocation apparatus functions to oscillate the tray conveyor and plant extractors parallel to the path of the planting fingers.

Abstract: An improved transfer mechanism for extracting and transporting plants from a high density incubating tray to a singulated constant velocity conveyed path in which each plant is gripped by planting fingers is set forth. The planter is moved across a field at relatively constant velocity and has the planting fingers conventionally depositing the plant upright and stationary with respect to the passing ground where they are covered by conventional furrowing and packing apparatus. The conveying planting fingers are serially mounted on an endless conveyor and hence pass the vicinity of the incubating tray from which extraction and transfer of the plants must occur at a relatively constant velocity. A tray extraction mechanism is provided which includes a tray conveyor, plant extractor plugs and a tray extraction reciprocation apparatus. The tray extraction reciprocation apparatus functions to oscillate the tray conveyor and plant extractors parallel to the path of the planting fingers.

Abstract: A transplant tray comprises a number of germination cells, each cell including side walls for holding and retaining a growth medium and seeds or seedlings for germination. Each cell has an opening at the top for retrieval of the growth medium and seedlings for transplanting after germination. The cells are connected to or are integral with one another forming a planar structure. The tray further comprises a skirt connected to or integral with the perimeter of the planar structure. When two trays are stacked the skirts of the two trays are nested within each other thereby enclosing the space between the two trays forming a germination chamber. Vent holes of appropriate sizes are provided in the skirts permitting limited and controlled gas exchange between the germination chamber and the environment to enhance the uniformity of germination conditions within the chamber. The vent holes are not so large as to cause significant loss of moisture to an uncontrolled environment.

Abstract: A planting finger assembly having paired planting fingers is disclosed for use with a planter of the type wherein plants are removed from a nursery tray, preferably by the stem, and transported to a secondary growing location preferably in a field for harvest. Each planting finger assembly has a pair of planting finger shafts mounted in parallel. The finger shafts each terminate in radially extending wedged shaped gripping fingers for holding and releasing the plant. The two fingers on each plant finger assembly rotate on the finger shafts towards and away from one another responsive to oppositely disposed spiral cams and a joined pair of cam followers. Opposite rotation of the fingers moves the fingers from an opened position for receiving or discharging a plant to a closed position for gripping and transporting the plant.

Abstract: A harvesting system for wet soil crops, such as broccoli and cauliflower, includes a harvest/shuttle vehicle and complementary trailer. The vehicle may be operated in a harvest mode in concert with detachable harvesting wings to accumulate a load of produce during a harvest. Thereafter, the harvest vehicle may either transfer the load to a similar vehicle used in a shuttle mode to transport the load to the highway, or the wings may be detached from the vehicle and the vehicle may be operated in the shuttle mode to transport the load to the highway. In either application, the harvest remains uninterrupted because the harvesting wings continue to remain in use in the field. After a load is transported from the field to the highway, it is readily transferred to a trailer. The trailer includes a trailer bed that is readily adjusted between a load receiving elevation and a load transporting elevation.

Abstract: A tape dispenser for an agricultural/industrial environment having wind and dirt dispenses tape adhesive side upwardly exposed. Centrally of the dispenser there is placed a roll of tape conventionally wound in a spiral. The roll of tape has an outwardly exposed adhesive release surface and an inwardly exposed adhesive coated surface and is wound in a first direction. In the dispenser, the tape is threaded from the first direction of its spiral wound path to a reversed path around the roll in a second and opposite direction. Typically, the reversed path is defined over the surfaces of four rollers with the adhesive release side inwardly exposed to the rollers and the adhesive coated side outwardly exposed. The roll and reverse path are encased within a housing to prevent the outwardly exposed adhesive from adhering either to ambient dust or nearby objects. The tape passes free from the housing along a dispensing path to a convention severing tape knife.

Abstract: A cooling chamber for drawing down freshly picked and field warmed unitized (for example in cartons stacked on pallets) vegetables, such as cauliflower, is disclosed. Freshly picked cauliflower is placed in rectangular cartons in side-by-side stacks of four extending approximately fourteen cartons high. A group of individual pallets (typically 10 to 12) so loaded are typically placed in the field on a transport chassis and brought to the vicinity of the cooling chamber where they are simultaneously unloaded by a multi-pallet forklift truck. The chamber receives multi-pallet load through an open door and is inserted into the chamber. This chamber has a rear seal which conforms to the periphery of the load and defines in the interstitial volume between the chamber backwall and load a warm air return plenum to forced draft refrigeration apparatus. The load when placed within the chamber has a door closed to form an air-tight seal.

Abstract: A seeder is disclosed which includes prior art elements of a bottom stationary drop plate, an intermediate and sliding reciprocating cell plate with individual singulating cells, and "wiper bars" overlying and in sliding engagement with the cell plate. The improvement herein has the overlying wiper bars apertured in registry to the underlying drop holes. The cell plate at each individual singulating cell reciprocates to and from a position of registry with and to the wiper bar apertures above and drop apertures below. Reciprocation to a position of registry typically accumulates a singulated seed in each cell of the cell plate, and thus places the seeder in position for seeding with singulation. A probe, registered to the wiper bar aperture is mounted for reciprocation relative to the wiper bar aperture. The probe is actuated in its reciprocation when registration of the singulating cell to the wiper bar aperture and drop hole is effected.

Abstract: A machine for automatically removing soil plugs from the densely packed configuration of their growing tray and presenting them serially in a reliable and precisely positioned manner to appropriate plug takeup portions of an automated plug handling system. Broadly, the plug loader and feeder according to the present invention comprises a reciprocating plug ejection mechanism operable to remove a complete row of plugs from the tray, a tray indexing mechanism for incrementally moving the tray, one row at a time, past the plug ejection mechanism, and a carousel feeder which acts first as a receiving station and then as a plug presenting system. The machine further comprises a synchronous drive mechanism for taking motion from any appropriate input drive and generating the timed motions of the above-mentioned components over each machine cycle.

Abstract: A planter is moved through a field to place two rows of four plants on the top of a planting bed between adjacent irrigation furrows. Plants ready for transplant are disposed in trays within polymerized cast soil plugs. Each plug is disposed within the tray in a hole. Each tray has rows and columns of plant receiving holes extending through each tray. The planter carrying the plugs moves in increments and sets the planter mechanism in a stationary position over the top of the planting bed prior to plug planting. The tray carrying the transplants is registered horizontally and vertically to a plug receiving cylinder by respective cams and a supporting chain. Upon registry, polymer plugs containing sprouted plants therein are ejected, typically eight at a time, by ejecting fingers penetrating the plant receiving holes. Ejection occurs with the plants horizontally disposed into receiving concavities defined within a rotating cylinder.

Abstract: A machine for transplanting soil plugs with great uniformity and a minimum of manual labor comprising a conveyor having a plurality of soil plug gripping mechanisms mounted thereto, a furrow opening device, and a furrow closing device. The furrow closing device of the present invention is preferably defined by portions of a bed shaper that operates to form the soil into a trapezoidal planting bed. In addition to the normal function of shaping the bed, the bed shaper establishes a ground level with respect to which the plugs are planted, while the rear portions of the bed shaper act to close the furrow, and include adjustable tabs that may be set to control the timing of the closure relative to the plug positioning. Each plug gripping assembly preferably comprises a center opening clip having opposed resilient fingers.

Abstract: In a wheel drive mechanism adapted to produce high torque, low speed power to the wheel through a gearing system that includes a sun gear and a plurality of planetary pinion gears meshed therewith, a mechanism for disengaging the sun gear to ready the vehicle for high speed travel over a highway. The sun gear is supported on a drive shaft that has an elongated splined portion so that the sun gear can be moved axially into a position at which it is disengaged from the planetary pinion gears. A spring biases the sun gear into engagement with the planetary pinion gears and there is mechanism for controllably sliding the sun gear along the splined shaft portion against the spring. The mechanism is accessible from the exterior of the wheel hub, is fast acting and provides for locking the sun gear in either its engaged position or disengaged position.

Abstract: A planter is moved through a field to place two rows of four plants on the top of a planting bed between adjacent irrigation furrows. The tray carrying the transplants is registered horizontally and vertically to a plug receiving cylinder by respective cams and a supporting chain. Upon registry, polymer plugs containing sprouted plants therein are ejected, typically eight at a time, by ejecting fingers penetrating the plant receiving holes. Ejection occurs with the plants horizontally disposed into receiving concavities defined within a rotating cylinder. Rotation of the cylinder drops the ejected plants into receiving funnels, one for each plant. Plant downward travel halts at a reciprocating plate. Insertion of the plug into the ground begins with penetration of the ground by a dibble spike followed by circumscribing penetration of a dibble tube around the spike.

Abstract: A carton supporting platform mounted on a vehicle for rotative movement about a vertically extending axis. Rigid side walls are provided on two opposite sides of the platform and are movable between an upright position and an outwardly diverging retracted position. In the upright position the side walls retain parallelepiped produce cartons placed on the platform in a unitized entity during transportation of the same. In order to unload the unitized entity from the carton supporting platform without adversely affecting the integrity of the unitized entity, the platform is pivoted 90.degree. to permit access by a fork lift truck from the side of the vehicle and the side walls are pivoted outward to release the unitized entity. Mechanism for locking the rotative position of the platform and for moving the side walls is provided. Also provided is a method for effecting formation of the unitized entity and for transporting the same without adversely affecting the integrity of the unitized entity.

Abstract: The flatbed of a truck that is geared for traverse of an agricultural field is provided with at least one pair of longitudinally extending tracks. Disposed in the tracks for rolling movement thereon is a plurality of roller supported assemblies which are adapted to support pallets of more or less conventional form. The roller supported assemblies are arranged to retain a plurality of pallets consolidated into a single group. An over-the-road carrier, such as a trailer or a semi-trailer, has a similar pair of longitudinally extending slots so that after the agricultural truck is loaded during transverse of the field, it can be backed adjacent to the carrier so that the tracks on the vehicle and the tracks on the carrier are in registry. A winch carries a cable which is attachable to the grouped pallets to effect transfer of the pallets from the truck bed to the carrier bed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for harvesting and processing head lettuce wherein the lettuce is shredded immediately upon harvesting and before deterioration occurs. The shredded lettuce is retained in an insulated or refrigerated enclosure and then promptly transported to a mobile processing trailer where it is further cleaned and chilled and finally packaged for shipment. The practice of the method and apparatus permits the lettuce to be on its way to the consumer on the same day that it is harvested from the field.A method and apparatus for simultaneously chilling, washing and adding preservatives to the chilled lettuce in a continuous fashion. A mobile enclosure embodying the apparatus and adapted to perform the method wherein the lettuce is maintained at a reduced temperature throughout all stages of processing.

Abstract: A palletizing system for a plurality of generally parallelepiped cartons containing crushable products such as heads of lettuce. A pallet dimensioned to receive thereon a plurality of uniform size cartons in a rectangular pattern whereby orthogonal vertical confronting zones are formed intermediate the cartons. Two or more thin elongate compression resistant members and means for supporting the members on the pallet and within the zones. A rigid plate substantially congruent to the pallet for placement in bearing relation at the upper extremities of the compression resistant members so that the load from a plurality of cartons stacked on top of the plate will be transferred to the pallet and will not unduly compress or damage the cartons disposed below the plate.