Independent doffer drive system for a cotton harvester row unit
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorsCharles F. Ostermeier, Joel M. Schreiner
Life of this patent
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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.
Claims20
A doffer assembly for a cotton harvester having at least one drum and a spindle, comprising:
- an outer housing;
- a plurality of doffers adapted to remove cotton from the spindle 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;
- and
- an interface adapter coupled between the drive shaft and the plurality of doffers.
A picker unit assembly of a cotton harvester, comprising:
- a drum and a plurality of spindles rotatably coupled to the drum;
- a drum and spindle drive unit for rotatably driving the drum and the plurality of spindles;
- a doffer assembly including a plurality of doffers configured to remove cotton from the plurality of spindles;
- and
- a doffer drive unit for rotatably driving the doffer assembly, wherein the doffer drive unit rotatably drives the doffer assembly independently of the plurality of spindles.
A cotton harvester, comprising:
- a drive unit for producing mechanical power;
- a controller for controlling the cotton harvester;
- a plurality of picker units configured to harvest cotton, wherein each of the plurality of picker units comprises:
- a drum;
- a plurality of spindles rotatably coupled to the drum;
- a drum and spindle drive for rotatably driving the drum and the plurality of spindles;
- a doffer assembly including a plurality of doffers configured to remove cotton from the plurality of spindles;
- and
- a doffer drive unit for rotatably driving the doffer assembly, wherein the doffer drive unit rotatably drives the doffer assembly independently of the drum and spindle drive.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.