Independent doffer drive system for a cotton harvester row unit
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorsCharles F. Ostermeier, Joel M. Schreiner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A doffer assembly for a cotton harvester having at least one drum and a spindle. The doffer assembly includes an outer housing and a plurality of doffers adapted to remove cotton from the spindle. The assembly further includes a drive unit coupled to the outer housing for rotatably driving the plurality of doffers independently of at least one drum and spindle. A drive shaft is rotatably driven by the drive unit, and an interface adapter is coupled between the drive shaft and the plurality of doffers. The drive unit may be an electric motor, hydraulic motor, a mechanical drive system, or a combination thereof.
Claims12
A doffer assembly for a cotton harvester having a drum, a plurality spindles rotatably coupled to the drum, and a drum and spindle drive unit, the doffer assembly comprising:
- an outer housing;
- a plurality of doffers adapted to remove cotton from the plurality of spindles of the harvester;
- a drive unit coupled to the outer housing for rotatably driving the plurality of doffers independently of the at least one drum and spindle;
- a drive shaft rotatably driven by the drive unit, the plurality of doffers arranged in a column on the drive shaft;
- an interface adapter removably coupled between the drive shaft and the plurality of doffers for transferring power from the drive shaft to the plurality of doffers;
- an inverter operatively connected to the electric motor configured to control the electric motor via a current draw;
- and
- a controller operatively connected to the inverter and configured to detect a load on the electric motor based on the current draw, wherein the controller is configured to compare the current draw to a threshold value to determine a plugged condition and, in response to the plugged condition, is configured to provide one of a change in motor speed or a direction of rotation of the doffer assembly;
- wherein the drive unit includes an electric motor operatively connected to the drive shaft for rotatably driving each of the plurality of doffers.
A doffer assembly for a cotton harvester having a drum, a plurality spindles rotatably coupled to the drum, and a drum and spindle drive unit, the doffer assembly comprising:
- an outer housing;
- a plurality of doffers adapted to remove cotton from the plurality of spindles of the harvester;
- a doffer drive unit comprising an electric motor, the doffer drive unit coupled to the outer housing for rotatably driving the plurality of doffers independently of the at least one drum and spindle;
- a drive shaft rotatably driven by the drive unit, the plurality of doffers arranged in a column on the drive shaft;
- an interface adapter coupled between the drive shaft and the plurality of doffers for transferring power from the drive shaft to the plurality of doffers;
- an inverter operatively connected to the electric motor configured to control the electric motor via a current draw;
- and
- a controller operatively connected to the inverter and configured to detect a load on the electric motor based on the current draw, wherein the controller is configured to compare the current draw to a threshold value to determine a plugged condition and, in response to the plugged condition, is configured to provide one of a change in motor speed or a direction of rotation of the doffer assembly;
- wherein the electric motor is operatively connected to the drive shaft for rotatably driving each of the plurality of doffers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.