Abstract: The transplant head of the transplanter has an upper plate with four pinholes spaced at the corners of a square of a determined width. A lower plate is adjustably spaced beneath the upper plate and has four pinholes located at the corners of a square of a lesser width than the upper plate pinhole spacing. Four transplant pins extend between the upper and lower holes such that when the upper plate is brought closer to the lower plate by a pneumatically activated mechanical linkage, the pins converge within a seedling plug. Additional pins and pinholes provide for transplanting of an array of seedlings. A pneumatic actuator is connected to the lower plate and is adapted to elevate the transplant head with engaged plug. A carriage is driven by a pneumatic actuator to position a growth pot beneath the engaged plug. A computer controller causes the plug to be lowered into the soil of the growth pot after which the mechanical linkage may be activated to space the plates to disengage the pins from the plug.

Abstract: The transplant head of the transplanter has an upper plate with four pinholes spaced at the corners of a square of a determined width. A lower plate is adjustably spaced beneath the upper plate and has four pinholes located at the corners of a square of a lesser width than the upper plate pinhole spacing. Four transplant pins extend between the upper and lower holes such that when the upper plate is brought closer to the lower plate by a pneumatically activated mechanical linkage, the pins converge within a seedling plug. Additional pins and pinholes provide for transplanting of an array of seedlings. A pneumatic actuator is connected to the lower plate and is adapted to elevate the transplant head with engaged plug. A carriage is driven by a pneumatic actuator to position a growth pot beneath the engaged plug. A computer controller causes the plug to be lowered into the soil of the growth pot after which the mechanical linkage may be activated to space the plates to disengage the pins from the plug.

Abstract: In a continuous cycle the apparatus denests stacked plant pots and plant flats and fills the flats with the pots. Two piston mounted vacuum grippers employing arrays of suction cups are mounted to a frame. The flat gripper moves vertically to destack an array of plant flats or trays, and the pot gripper moves vertically to destack an array of plant pots. Both grippers are moveable between a retracted position, an unloading position, and a multiplicity of loading positions. A carriage is reciprocated on wheels between a first position beneath the flat gripper in its unloading position and a second position beneath the pot gripper in its unloading position.Stacks of nested plant flats and arrays of stacks of nested pot--both of which may be contained in their original shipping containers--are positioned beneath their respective grippers and aligned with the flat and pot grippers by means of adjustable alignment flanges.

Abstract: A seed planting apparatus (10) is disclosed having a seed distribution tray (11) with a top plate (17) with perforations (18) therein at the desired spacing of the seeds to be planted. Vacuum draw is provided to a vacuum chamber (25) defined by walls (23, 24) of the tray to hold seeds spread onto the top plate at the position of the perforations (18). The excess seeds not held to the perforations (18) are removed by tilting the tray upwardly, allowing the seeds to be gathered along the upright side walls (19) of the tray and discharged therefrom, with the inverted tray being thereafter supported on a holding pan (12) in an accurately located position over a planting tray or cell flat which is also held in the holding pan (12). When the seed distribution tray (11) is so located, the vacuum to it is cut off and the seeds are allowed to drop down into their desired positions in the planting tray.