Air system for a cotton harvester

An air system for a cotton harvester movable over a field of cotton plants and including a cotton harvester unit comprising a housing assembly, a spindle rotor assembly rotatably mounted on said housing assembly for removing cotton from the cotton plants, said spindle rotor assembly including a plurality of rows of cotton picker spindles, said picker spindles being vertically arranged one above the other, a doffer assembly for removing cotton from the spindle rotor assembly, said doffer assembly including a series of vertically arranged doffer pads, each doffer pad being rotatably moved about an axis relative to a row of cotton picker spindles in a manner removing the cotton therefrom and discharging the removed cotton into an upright compartment structure, said compartment structure being supported by the housing assembly and having an upper end and an opening at a lower end thereof through which cotton passes, and duct means leading away from said compartment structure toward a cotton receptacle, said air system comprising:

• means connected to a source of air and located downstream of said opening for creating a suction effect at said opening tending to draw cotton therethrough;
• means connected to said source of air and arranged within said upright compartment structure alongside said doffer assembly and extending of substantially coequal length therewith for facilitating movement of the cotton discharged from the doffer assembly toward the compartment structure in a manner inhibiting cotton from repeating around the doffer assembly;
• and
• means connected to said source of air for directing a column of air downwardly into said compartment structure to entrain the cotton discharged from the doffer assembly within the air column and inhibit an accumulation of cotton toward an upper end of the compartment structure.

An air system for a cotton harvester movable over a field of cotton plants and including a cotton harvester unit comprising a housing assembly, a spindle rotor assembly rotatably mounted on said housing assembly for removing cotton from the cotton plants, said spindle rotor assembly including a plurality of rows of cotton picker spindles, said spindles being vertically arranged one above the other, a doffer assembly for removing cotton from the spindle rotor assembly, said doffer assembly including a series of vertically arranged doffer pads, each doffer pad being rotatably moved about an axis relative to a row of cotton picker spindles in a manner removing the cotton therefrom, and discharging the removed cotton into an upright compartment structure supported by the housing assembly and having an opening at a lower end thereof through which cotton passes, and duct means leading away from said compartment structure toward a cotton receptacle, said air system comprising:

• means connected to a source of air and located downstream of said opening for creating a suction effect at said opening tending to draw cotton therethrough;
• means arranged proximate said doffer assembly for facilitating movement of the cotton discharged from the doffer assembly toward the compartment structure, said means for facilitating movement of the cotton comprising an upright hollow structure connected to source of pressurized air and defining a plurality of air jet means for facilitating of and positively propelling the cotton discharged from the doffer assembly toward the compartment structure in a manner inhibiting cotton from repeating around the doffer assembly;
• and
• means connected to a source of air for directing a column of air downwardly in said compartment structure to entrain the cotton discharged from the doffer assembly within the air column and inhibit an accumulation of cotton toward an upper end of the compartment structure.