Potting machines and methods

Abstract

Plant potting machines and methods have synchronized continuous motion pot track and soil drilling systems. In especially preferred forms, potting machines and methods of forming a planting recess in soil contained within a pot are provided which move a soil-filled pot continuously along a linear segment of a pot track, and move a drill bit continuously in synchronized registry with the soil-filled pot at the same time as the pot moves continuously along the linear segment of the pot track. Most preferably, simultaneous horizontal and vertical motion components are imparted to a soil-drilling drill bit relative to the linear segment of the pot track, for example, by moving the drill bit in an arcuate (preferably circular) orbit above the pot track. Such simultaneous horizontal and vertical motion components cause the drill bit to track linearly in registry with the pot conveyed by the pot track along the linear segment thereof and to be moved vertically into and out of contact with soil contained within the pot to thereby drill the planting recess therein.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A soil drilling system for drilling a recess in soil contained within a pot moving continuously linearly along a segment of a pot track, said soil drilling system comprising: 
 a drill support platform assembly;    a drill bit carried by said drill support platform assembly; and    a drive system connected to the drill support platform assembly for moving the drill support platform assembly and the drill bit carried thereby along an arcuately orbital path in synchronized registry with the pot as it moves continuously linearly along a segment of the pot track, whereby a recess in the soil contained within the pot is drilled thereby.    
     
     
         2 . The soil drilling system of  claim 1 , wherein said drive system comprises a pair of support sprockets, and an endless drive chain for simultaneously rotating said pair of support sprockets.  
     
     
         3 . The soil drilling system of  claim 2 , wherein said drill support platform is mounted in a cantilevered manner to said support sprockets at respective eccentric locations thereof.  
     
     
         4 . The soil drilling system of  claim 2 , wherein said drill support platform includes upper and lower support platforms, wherein said upper support platform is mounted at respective eccentric locations to said support sprockets, and wherein said lower support platform is dependently supported by said upper support platform.  
     
     
         5 . The soil drilling system of  claim 2 , wherein one of said support sprockets includes a counterweight.  
     
     
         6 . The soil drilling system of  claim 4 , further comprising adjustable support posts connecting said upper and lower support platforms to allow for adjustments in separation distance therebetween.  
     
     
         7 . The soil drilling system of  claim 6 , further comprising a compaction ring surrounding the drill bit.  
     
     
         8 . The soil drilling system of  claim 7 , comprising reciprocally moveable mounting rods for connecting the compaction ring to the lower support platform to allow the compaction ring to move reciprocally towards and away from the lower support platform.  
     
     
         9 . The soil drilling system of  claim 1 , wherein said arcuately orbital path is a circular orbital path.  
     
     
         10 . A potting machine comprising: 
 a pot track having at least one linear segment along which soil-filled pots are sequentially conveyed;    a soil drilling system having a drill bit positioned relative to said at least one linear segment to drill a recess within soil contained within the pots; and    a drive system for continuously moving the pot track along said at least one linear segment thereof and the soil drilling system in synchronized registry with a pot conveyed by the pot track along said at least one linear segment thereof, wherein 
 said drive system imparts simultaneous horizontal and vertical motion components to the drill bit of the soil drilling system relative to the at least one linear segment of the pot track to thereby cause the drill bit to track linearly in registry with the pot conveyed by the pot track along said at least one linear segment thereof and be moved vertically into and out of contact with soil contained within the pot to thereby drill a recess therein.  
   
     
     
         11 . The potting machine of  claim 10 , wherein said drive system comprises a pair of support sprockets, and an endless drive chain for simultaneously rotating said pair of support sprockets.  
     
     
         12 . The potting machine of  claim 11 , wherein said soil drilling system includes a drill support platform for supporting said drill bit.  
     
     
         13 . The potting machine of  claim 12 , wherein the drill support platform is mounted in a cantilevered manner to said support sprockets at respective eccentric locations thereof.  
     
     
         14 . The potting machine of  claim 13 , wherein said drill support platform includes upper and lower support platforms, wherein said upper support platform is mounted at respective eccentric locations to said support sprockets, and wherein said lower support platform is dependently supported by said upper support platform.  
     
     
         15 . The potting machine of  claim 11 , wherein one of said support sprockets includes a counterweight.  
     
     
         16 . The potting machine of  claim 14 , further comprising adjustable support posts connecting said upper and lower support platforms to allow for adjustments in separation distance therebetween.  
     
     
         17 . The potting machine of  claim 15 , further comprising a compaction ring surrounding the drill bit.  
     
     
         18 . The potting machine of  claim 16 , comprising reciprocally moveable mounting rods for connecting the compaction ring to the lower support platform to allow the compaction ring to move reciprocally towards and away from the lower support platform.  
     
     
         19 . A potting machine comprising: 
 a endless pot track system which establishes a pot conveyance path;    a soil feed system for filling pots with soil conveyed along the pot conveyance path;    a soil drilling system having a drill bit positioned above a linear segment of the pot conveyance path downstream of the soil feed system so as to drill a planting recess in a soil-filled pot; and    drive means for (a) moving a soil-filled pot continuously along the linear segment of a pot track, and (b) moving a drill bit continuously in synchronized registry with the soil-filled pot as the pot moves continuously along the linear segment of the pot track; wherein 
 said drive means imparts simultaneous horizontal and vertical motion components to the drill bit relative to the linear segment of the pot track to thereby cause the drill bit to track linearly in registry with the pot conveyed by the pot track along the linear segment thereof and to be moved vertically into and out of contact with soil contained within the pot to thereby drill the planting recess therein.  
   
     
     
         20 . The potting machine of  claim 19 , wherein said drive means comprises a pair of support sprockets, and an endless drive chain for simultaneously rotating said pair of support sprockets.  
     
     
         21 . The potting machine of  claim 20 , wherein said soil drilling system includes a drill support platform for supporting said drill bit.  
     
     
         22 . The potting machine of  claim 21 , wherein the drill support platform is mounted in a cantilevered manner to said support sprockets at respective eccentric locations thereof.  
     
     
         23 . The potting machine of  claim 22 , wherein said drill support platform includes upper and lower support platforms, wherein said upper support platform is mounted at respective eccentric locations to said support sprockets, and wherein said lower support platform is dependently supported by said upper support platform.  
     
     
         24 . The potting machine of  claim 21 , wherein one of said support sprockets includes a counterweight.  
     
     
         25 . The potting machine of  claim 23 , further comprising adjustable support posts connecting said upper and lower support platforms to allow for adjustments in separation distance therebetween.  
     
     
         26 . The potting machine of  claim 25 , further comprising a compaction ring surrounding the drill bit.  
     
     
         27 . The potting machine of  claim 26 , comprising reciprocally moveable mounting rods for connecting the compaction ring to the lower support platform to allow the compaction ring to move reciprocally towards and away from the lower support platform.  
     
     
         28 . The potting machine of  claim 19 , wherein said soil feed system includes a soil hopper, and a feed conveyor for feeding soil from the hopper to a pot conveyed along the pot conveyance path upstream of the soil drilling station.  
     
     
         29 . The potting machine of  claim 28 , wherein said soil feed system comprises a recycle conveyor positioned below the pot conveyance path for receiving excess soil fed to pots conveyed along the pot conveyance path.  
     
     
         30 . The potting machine of  claim 29 , wherein said soil feed system comprises a soil return conveyor system which receives the excess soil from the recycle conveyor and conveys the excess soil to the soil hopper.  
     
     
         31 . The potting machine of  claim 19 , having a discharge plate positioned in the pot conveyance path downstream of the soil drilling station for pushing the soil-filled pots away from the pot track.  
     
     
         32 . A method of forming a planting recess in soil contained within a pot, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) moving a soil-filled pot continuously along a linear segment of a pot track; and    (b) moving a drill bit continuously in synchronized registry with the soil-filled pot as the pot moves continuously along the linear segment of the pot track; wherein 
 step (b) comprises (b1) imparting simultaneous horizontal and vertical motion components to the drill bit relative to the linear segment of the pot track to thereby cause the drill bit to track linearly in registry with the pot conveyed by the pot track along the linear segment thereof and to be moved vertically into and out of contact with soil contained within the pot to thereby drill the planting recess therein.  
   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein step (b1) is practiced so as to cause the drill bit to move in an arcuate orbit above the linear segment of the pot track.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the arcuate orbit is circular.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the arcuate orbit is non-circular.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein prior to step (a) there is practiced the step of (a1) filling an empty pot carried by the pot track with potting soil upstream of the drill bit.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein step (a1) comprises feeding potting soil from a soil supply hopper to an awaiting empty pot moving continuously along another linear segment of the pot conveyance path.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 32 , comprising after step (b), the step of (c) pushing the soil-filled pot out of the pot track.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37 , comprising (a2) recovering excess potting soil and returning the excess potting soil to the soil supply hopper.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 32 , which comprises balancing movement of the drill bit with a counterweight.