PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To excellently and surely perform separation work of a seedling raising box, by avoiding reaction of the separation work acting in the direction for moving an upper claw to the nonaction side by an interval expanding mechanism for separating the seedling raising box at the lowest stage.SOLUTION: The upper claw 51 includes the interval expanding mechanism 7 constituted so that an attitude can be switched to a separation attitude of expanding an interval between an upper stage side seedling raising box 20 and a lower stage side seedling raising box 20 and a separation releasing attitude of releasing the separation attitude. The interval expanding mechanism 7 includes a separation operation body 70 capable of switching an attitude to a separation attitude of pushing down the lower stage side seedling raising box 20 and a separation releasing attitude of releasing the pushing-down by rotation around the horizontal directional axis z1 in the distance direction to a seedling raising box group 2A in an action position for intruding the upper claw 51 into a vertically moving locus of the seedling raising box group 2A.COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT【課題】最下段の育苗箱の分離を行う間隔拡張機構による分離作用の反力が上部爪を非作用側へ移動させる方向に作用することを回避して、育苗箱の分離作業を良好、かつ確実に行えるようにした。【解決手段】上部爪51に、上段側の育苗箱20と下段側の育苗箱20との間隔を広げる分離姿勢と、その分離姿勢を解除する分離解除姿勢とに姿勢切り換え可能に構成された間隔拡張機構7を備え、間隔拡張機構7は、上部爪51を、育苗箱群2Aの上下移動軌跡内に侵入させた作用位置で、かつ育苗箱群2Aに対する遠近方向での水平方向軸芯z1周りの回転で、下段側の育苗箱20を押し下げる分離姿勢と、その押し下げを解除する分離解除姿勢とに姿勢切り換え可能な分離操作体70を備えている。【選択図】図19
