• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.445-456
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• 2000

A can type high-speed transplanting mechanism was developed. The mechanism consists of a cam and an epicycle gear train with one sun gear in the middle and four planet gears in a row but symmetric with respect to the sun gear. Two planting knives are pivoted on the two outer gears. When sun gear rotates with a constant velocity the planting knife rotates also with a constant velocity. This constant motion of the transplanting knife is accelerated partially by a cam fixed in the gear housing so that the locus of the planting knife becomes similar to that generated by a crank-type transplanting mechanism. This cam-type transplanting mechanism can solve the problems associated with the rotary-type transplanting mechanisms. The mechanism was designed with an aid of computer simulation and proved applicable to high speed transplanters by its mock-up model. The design process of the mechanism was presented and dynamic analysis was also carried out to show the advantages of the mechanism over the rotary type high-speed planting mechanism.