Deflector for a cotton harvester row unit
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorsTimothy A. Deutsch, Russell D. Copley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A deflector for directing the upper portion of tall cotton plants downwardly below the top of the cotton opening on a row unit of a cotton picker. A single sheet of metal includes a connecting portion having an upright slotted section which is bolted to unit at the top of the opening. An inclined portion extends downwardly and forwardly from the connecting portion to a rounded portion for gently urging the plant below the level of the uppermost row of spindles on the picker drum to prevent drum overloads. The inclined portion in combination with a relatively large radius of curvature of the crop contacting portion minimizes cotton loss and trash build-up.
Claims16
In a cotton harvester including a row unit with a housing defining a plant passage with a forward opening of preselected width, the forward opening having an upper boundary and adapted to receive a row of cotton plants including cotton plants which extend above the upper boundary, and an upright picker drum supported in the housing rearwardly of the opening, a deflector comprising:
- a crop contacting portion including a forward curved portion with radius of curvature equal to or greater than about one inch and width equal to at least approximately the preselected width, and
- means for supporting the crop contacting portion from the housing with the curved portion located forwardly of and below the upper boundary to deflect cotton plants downwardly below the upper boundary and thereby reduce the amount of cotton picked by the uppermost portion of the drum.
In a cotton harvester including a row unit with a housing defining a plant passage with a forward opening of preselected width, the forward opening having an upper boundary and adapted to receive a row of cotton plants including cotton plants which extend above the upper boundary, and an upright picker drum supported in the housing rearwardly of the opening, a deflector comprising:
- a crop contacting portion including a forward curved portion and an inclined portion connected to the curved portion;
- means for supporting the crop contacting portion from the housing with the curved portion located forwardly of and below the upper boundary and with the inclined portion sloping downwardly and forwardly from the upper boundary toward the curved portion to deflect cotton plants downwardly below the upper boundary and thereby reduce the amount of cotton picked by the uppermost portion of the drum.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.