Cotton module builder

In a cotton handling machine comprised of a generally rectangular frame structure including a pair of side walls interconnected by a front wall and a rear wall, said frame structure being open at the top and the bottom thereof and said side walls being inclined inwardly toward each other at the top edges thereof, a plurality of web members extending outwardly from each of said side walls in spaced vertical planes in order to strengthen said side walls, and compactor means mounted for longitudinal movement along the upper portion of said frame structure and including a platen movable vertically in opposition to the ground to compress cotton or the like within said frame structure;

• the improvement wherein said frame structure includes a plurality of rigidly interconnected beams attached to and forming an upper extension of the upper ends of said side walls and said front and rear walls, each of said beams comprising a closed tubular structure triangular in cross section, said web members being connected to said triangular beams to transfer torsional loads from said side walls to the associated triangular beams.

In a cotton handling machine comprised of frame means having opposite side walls, and a front wall and a rear wall interconnecting said side walls, said frame means being open at the top and bottom thereof, and compactor means mounted on the upper portion of said frame means, said compactor means including a platen movable vertically in opposition to the ground so as to compress cotton or the like within said frame means,

• the improvement comprising independently suspended carriage means mounted to each of the side walls of the frame means, each carriage means comprising at least two wheels, each wheel being connected to an opposite end of a rotatable generally horizontal bar, means for rotatably mounting the central portion of the bar so that the wheels can move vertically relative to one another as the bar assumes a non-horizontal position, and powered lift means connected between said means for rotatably mounting said means for rotatably mounting said horizontal bar and the associated side wall whereby the carriage means may be raised or lowered relative to said side wall.