Picker drum slip clutch monitor

In a cotton harvester having a picker unit housing supporting an upright picker drum including a plurality of spindles for removing cotton from cotton plants, a drive shaft driving connected to and providing torque to the picker drum, a main drive, a slip clutch supported by the housing and releasably connecting the main drive and the drive shaft, said slip clutch including a portion movable from a first position with respect to the unit housing to a second position in response to an increase in torque requirement to the picker drum beyond a preselected upper limit to disconnect drive between the main drive and the drive shaft, an activatable alarm, and switch means supported by the unit housing responsive to movement of said portion for activating the alarm.

In a cotton harvester, a picker unit housing, an upright picker drum supported in the housing, a vertical drum shaft extending upwardly from and drivingly connected to the picker drum and carrying a drum gear, a vertical shaft carried by the housing offset from the axis of the drum shaft and supporting a clutch assembly, the clutch assembly including a drive portion connected to a source of power and a driven portion drivingly connected to the drum gear, biasing means for urging the portions towards each other, said drive and driven portions including cammed and lobed sections constraining the portions to rotate together when the torque required to drive the driven portion is below a preselected level but urging the portions apart against the bias of the biasing means when the torque required is above the preselected level, a contact member carried by the unit housing adjacent one of the portions and contacted thereby as the portions are urged apart, and alarm circuit means responsive to the member contacting said one of the portions for providing an indication when the torque is above the preselected level.