The present invention relates to a sowing machine, viz. a sowing machine of the kind as defined in the preamble of claim 1. _t In forestry there is an ever increasing rate;of change from bare-root plants to covered-root plants. In the latter case the seed is permitted to germinate and grow up, preferably under controlled conditions, within a growing unit which is filled by a substrate or is made from a substrate. In practise a sutiable number of growing units are made or formed into cassettes which permit a rational handling at filling, sowing, storing and transport from and to growing beds.

The present invention has for its object to provide a machine which makes the just described growing easier and less expensive.

To the just mentioned end the machine according to the present invention has been designed so as is defined in principle in the characterizing clause of claim 1. With the machine according to the invention the filling and sowing may take place directly above the growing bed, and the germination, growing and extraction of the final plants may take place at one and the same site without transport and movements. The transport of the growing substrate to the growing beds, and of the finished plants therefrom is carried out in rational packages. With this growing technique machine halls for production and intermediate storing of the cassettes are avoided. Thus, considerable savings with regard to , investments in machinery and buildings are achieved.

The invention will be disclosed in more details below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of one embodiment of a machine according to the invention; FIG. 2 is a part view, partly in section, of a filling drum ^" ;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a filling station; FIG. 4 shows a substrate packing unit; FIG. 5 shows a take-up unit;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing the machine in operation.

In the present case - which is one example of one embodiment - ready prepared growing units in the shape of mats are placed on a support in the shape of a net of a suitable width (in this case 1,3 meters). This is carried out by means of a drum 1, mounted on a self ropelling wheeled chassis 2. The driving of the drum is correlated to the propulsion of the chassis. The envelope surface of the drum is provided with dies 3, disposed in rows and with mutual spacings correlated to the actual growing cassette. The dies serve to hold the cassettes- which are placed thereon, and also to form seed chambers as the growing substrate is filled in. For the just mentioned purpose the growing units have been provided with holes 4 which fit closely on the dies to be held on the drum in that way.

The growing cassettes which now turn their under sides upwardly pass a unit for filling with growing substrate, usually peat. This unit comprises a container 10 with a frame 11, journalled on the stub shafts of the drum. Thus, the container can move concentrically along the envelope surface of the drum and at a distance which is adjustable in relation to the height of the growing cassette. The container which has its open bottom over¬ lapping a plurality of growing cassettes or rows of growing units may follow the movement of the drum during the filling step, and then return to the start position. Thus, the filling takes place intermittently during a continuous movement of the drum. The intermittent move¬ ment is brought about by toothes 12 or a row of holes along the periphery of the drum which are engaged by rotationally working latches 13 on the container. The return movement is brought about by springs 14 which are tensioned during the filling movement.

The filling of the growing units with substrate through the open bottom of the container is activated by a packing means, FIG. 4, comprising push rods or plungers 15, one for each growing unit, which are imparted a ^ft\3RE_

movement upwardly and downwardly by means of eccentrically operating shafts 16. These shafts are journalled in side portions 17 which during the movement of the container are pressed upwardly by means of a stationary cam 18. There- fore, the push rods will follow the filling upwardly and carry out a homogenous packing of the substrate. When the container returns the push rods are permitted to move downwardly to the start position for a new packing opera¬ tion. The packing function may be controlled by a change of the position of the cam member or by a change of the inclination thereof.

One or more nets 19 are fed from a roll 20 against the cassettes and further out on the growing bed (the earth) . The net functions to catch the growing units to prevent them from loosening from the dies. Diverters 21 arranged tangentially with respect to the drum catch the growing cassettes and disengage them from the drum. The cassettes are then moved rearwardly on the net, pass a sowing apparatus 22 (known.per se) for naked or pelletized seed, with or without irrigation, and further on in a ^' ready prepared condition out on the bed where there is thus obtained a growing unit mat of desired length.

The above described method of laying out ready pre¬ pared growing units may be varied in different ways. If the growing cassettes are formed as sheets or rigid growing cassettes then these may be fed linearly through the sowing machine, and the drum may be replaced by a belt conveyor having similarly intermittent operating filling device and sowing apparatus. In case rigid growing cassettes are used it will not be necessary to utilize a lower binding net.

OMPI