Plant husbandry – Seed tape or mat – method or apparatus
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-11
2001-06-05
Carone, Michael J. (Department: 3643)
Plant husbandry
Seed tape or mat, method or apparatus
Reexamination Certificate
active
06240674
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a seedling raising sheet appropriately used in raising seedlings of paddy, a process for producing the seedling raising sheet, a seedling raising process and a cultivating process using the seedling raising sheet, and a transplanter using the seedling raising sheet.
2. Description of the Related Art
There Is a seedling raising sheet disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 50-57808, wherein a large number of paper cylinders are bonded together to produce an assembly, so that rice seeds are sowed and raised in each of paper cylinders filled with soil, and after the raising, the paper cylinders are separated from one another and planted.
In the above seedling raising sheet, however, the paper cylinders are bonded together to form the assembly and hence, the assembly is bulky and is not easy to handle. In addition, since the soil is filled in each of the paper cylinders, the assembly of the paper cylinders has a relatively large weight and as a result, too much labor is required for transporting the assembly. Moreover, during filling of the soil into the paper cylinders, the soil is scattered in the surrounding and as a result, the surrounding is liable to become dirty. Further, to conduct a mechanical transplantation, it is necessary to define the relative position of the paper cylinders strictly uniformly, making it difficult to provide an industrial mass-production.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a seedling raising sheet, wherein the size and weight thereof are reduced, and it is unnecessary to use soil, thereby solving the above problem and enabling an industrial mass-production, a process for appropriately producing the seedling raising sheet, an appropriate seedling raising and cultivating process using the seedling raising sheet, and a transplanter a capable of appropriately transplanting seedlings by the seedling raising sheet.
To achieve the above object, according to a first aspect and feature of the present invention, there is provided a seedling raising sheet comprising a porous sheet having open cells and attached to one surface of a thin support band extending with its widthwise direction being an up-and-down direction, the porous sheet being provided with accommodating recesses for accommodating seedling seeds. Herein, the term “seedling seeds” includes seeds and germination-hastened seeds.
With such construction of the seedling raising sheet, the structure of the seedling raising sheet can be simplified, whereby the seedling raising sheet can be industrialized. In addition, in a state in which seedling seeds such as rice seeds have been in the accommodating recesses, the raising of seedlings can be carried out, thereby enabling a clean handling which does not require soil. The lightweight and simplified seedling raising sheet can be formed in a compact fashion, whereby the labor can be alleviated during transportation of the seedling raising sheet. Moreover, the raising of a large number of seedlings can be carried out at one time, leading to an industrial mass-production. The band-like seedling raising sheet is easily fed in the lengthwise direction thereof and hence, seedlings after being raised can be easily transplanted. Thus, the transplantation can be carried out without special provision of a complicated feed mechanism in a transplanter such as a rice planting machine. As a result of use of the support band extending in a band-like shape, the seedling feeding length is not varied, whereby an uniform planting of seedlings can be achieved; a trouble cannot arisen; and the generation of a stock lack can be prevented during transplantation such as a rice plantation.
According to another aspect and feature of the present invention, feeding lock portions for feeding the support band in a lengthwise direction thereof are provided in at least one row. Thus, it is possible to simplify the feed mechanism of the transplanter, to easily regulate the feeding speed of the seedling raising sheet and to prevent the generation of a stock lack to the utmost. In a case where the feeding lock portions are disposed at equal distances, the feed speed of the seedling raising sheet can be maintained substantially constant.
According to a further aspect and feature of the present invention, slits enabling the porous sheet formed into a band-like shape to be separated into a plurality of sheet pieces are provided in the porous sheet at locations substantially equally spaced apart in a lengthwise direction of the porous sheet to extend long in an up-and-down direction. Thus, it is easy to peel off the sheet pieces having seedlings from the support band, and it is possible to prevent the tangling of roots during raising of seedlings.
According to a yet further aspect and feature of the present invention, the porous sheet has a lower end protruding from a lower end of the support band. Thus, it is easy to peel off the porous sheet from the support band.
According to a yet further aspect and feature of the present invention, the porous sheet has accommodating recesses provided in an upper portion thereof. Thus, the upward growth and development of seedling seeds from the seedling raising sheet can be promoted during raising of seedlings, and almost all of the seeding seeds can be normally grown and developed, thereby preventing the generation of stock lack during transplantation to the utmost.
Further, according to another aspect and feature of the present invention, the accommodating recesses are formed into a shape which permits the attitude of seedling seeds accommodated in the accommodating recesses to be defined substantially vertically and substantially horizontally. Thus, it is possible to uniformize the direction of germination and the direction of growth and development to more normalize the raising of seedlings.
According to a further aspect and feature of the present invention, the seedling raising sheet is rolled in the raising and transplantation of seedlings. Thus, the seedling raising sheet can be formed compactly, thereby reducing the size of a seedling raising equipment and facilitating the setting of the seedling raising sheet to a transplanter.
According to a yet further aspect and feature of the present invention, the seedling raising sheet is folded in a zigzag fashion in the raising and transplantation of seedlings, so that the entire sheet assumes a rectangular shape. Thus, the seedling raising sheet can be moved in such a manner that unoccupied space produced with feeding of the seedling raising sheet is closed, thereby replenishing the seedling raising sheet, leading to a simplified structure of replenishment of seedlings on a transplanting stand.
According to a yet further aspect and feature of the present invention, the porous sheet has a claw hooking bore provided in a lower portion thereof for engagement of a transplanting claw in the transplantation. Thus, it is possible to facilitate the operation of peeling off the porous sheet from the support band.
In a process for producing a seedling raising sheet according to the present invention, a seedling raising sheet is produced by sequentially carrying out the following steps: a step of producing a continuous block of a porous material having open cells; a step of milling the block into a thickness of 3 to 10 mm to provide a porous sheet; a step bonding a support band and the porous sheet to each other; and a step of stamping the porous sheet to form at least accommodating recesses in the porous sheet.
With such producing process, the seedling raising sheet including the porous sheet bonded to the support band can be rationally produced, so that the porous sheet can be easily peeled off from the support band in the transplantation.
In a seedling raising process according to the present invention, seedlings seeds accommodated in the accommodating recesses are raised by a hydroponic culture. Therefore, the raising of seedlings is simplified and easily co
Fukuzumi Yasumi
Isoyama Shigetaka
Numabe Masashi
Onodera Tsuneo
Otake Tsuneo
Arent Fox Kintner & Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
Carone Michael J.
Gellner Jeffrey L.
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
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