Cylindrical module handler with panels
AssigneeStover Equipment Co., Inc.
InventorJimmy R. Stover
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for removing a plastic wrap from a cylindrical module includes a conveyor transporting the cylindrical module toward a disperser with the cylindrical axis of the module parallel to the direction of conveyor movement. The direction of the wrap around the module is determined and the cover is removed during rotation of the module, either by unwrapping the plastic or by slitting the plastic and then rotating the module. In one embodiment, the equipment used to handle a cylindrical module is moved out of the path of movement of a conventional rectangular module so an installation can handle both rectangular and wrapped cylindrical modules.
Claims19
A module feeder for a cotton gin, comprising:
- a disperser having a vertically extending open front and comprising at least three disperser drums disposed therein, wherein the disperser drums are vertically spaced from one another;
- a powered conveyor for conveying a cotton module into the open front of the disperser, wherein the disperser drums are located above a conveying surface of the conveyor;
- equipment separate from the conveyor and located adjacent the conveyor for at least partially elevating the cotton module relative to the conveying surface prior to entry into the disperser;
- and
- a panel disposed on each side of the conveyor, wherein each panel extends upwardly from a first location no higher than the conveying surface of the conveyor to a second location above the lower most disperser drum in the disperser.
A cotton gin comprising
- at least one gin stand to remove cotton seed from lint;
- a disperser for reducing cotton modules to clumps and delivering the clumps to the at least one gin stand, the disperser having a vertically extending open front and a series of disperser drums therein, the disperser drums comprising a topmost drum, a bottom most drum and at least one intermediate drum vertically spaced between the topmost and bottom most drums;
- a conveyor having powered conveyor elements supported from a base and delivering round cotton modules toward the disperser,
- equipment adjacent the conveyor facilitating removal of a cover from a round cotton module,
- a panel disposed at a fixed location on each side of the conveyor extending from the open front of the disperser toward the equipment, the panels extending upwardly from a first location no higher than the conveyor elements to a second location above the conveyor to at least a predetermined height above the lowermost intermediate disperser drum to prevent material in the module from escaping off a side of the conveyor between the cover removal location and the disperser.
A module feeder for a cotton gin, comprising:
- a disperser having a vertically extending open front and comprising at least three disperser drums disposed therein, wherein the disperser drums are vertically spaced from one another;
- a powered conveyor for conveying a cotton module into the open front of the disperser, wherein the disperser drums are located above a conveying surface of the conveyor;
- equipment separate from the conveyor and located adjacent the conveyor for changing an orientation of the cotton module prior to entry into the disperser;
- a panel disposed on each side of the conveyor, wherein each panel extends upwardly from a first location no higher than the conveying surface of the conveyor to a second location above the lower most disperser drum in the disperser.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.