Seed cotton module handler with trash separator
AssigneeHarrell Company, Inc.
InventorBilly J. Blalock
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An infeed conveyor feeds seed cotton modules successively to a feeder head having disperser drums which reduce the modules to clumps of cotton. Incorporated into the conveyor are fluted rollers and beater rollers which cooperate to agitate the bottom portion of the modules and work the fibers on the bottom of each module so as to stretch and relax these fibers, thereby causing the sand, dirt, mud, trash and other debris accumulated along the bottom of the modules to be released. A conveyor feeds this debris to a hopper.
Claims14
A cotton module conveyor for removing sand and dirt from the bottom portions of modules as they are successively fed in a prescribed linear direction along a path of travel toward a feeder head where clumps of cotton are progressively removed from said modules, said modules each having a bottom surface on which the module rests and which may contain debris retained by the fibers of the cotton adjacent to the bottom surfaces of the modules, wherein the improvement comprises:
- a non-round rotatable roller having a central axis and a periphery about said axis, said roller being disposed transversely adjacent to said path of travel and over which said modules successively pass in their path of travel so that the upper peripheral portion of said roller contacts said bottom surface of each successive module, the periphery of said roller having circumferentially spaced transverse portions for engaging spaced transverse portions of the bottom surface of each module as said non-round roller rotates, for thereby beating said spaced transverse portions of said bottom surface and loosening said sand and dirt without removing appreciable amounts of the cotton fibers from said modules and so that said sand and dirt fall from said modules during the travel of each module along its path of travel.
A cotton module conveyor for removing sand and dirt from the bottom portions of modules as they are successively fed along a path of travel, said modules each having a bottom surface on which the module rests and which may contain debris retained by the fibers of the cotton adjacent to the bottom surfaces of the modules, wherein the improvement comprises:
- a rotatable roller having a central axis and a periphery about said axis, said roller being disposed transversely adjacent to said path of travel and over which said modules successively pass in their path of travel so that the upper peripheral portion of said roller receives successive transverse portion of said bottom surface of each successive module, the periphery of said roller having circumferentially spaced transverse portions for engaging spaced transverse portions of the bottom surface of each module as said non-round roller rotates, for thereby loosening said sand and dirt without removing appreciable amounts of the cotton fibers from said modules and so that said sand and dirt fall from said modules during the travel of each module along its path of travel;
- said transverse portions of said non-round rotatable roller including a plurality of circumferentially spaced bars forming the outer periphery of said roller, said bars being disposed parallel to the axis of said roller.
A cotton module conveyor for removing sand and dirt from the bottom portions of modules as they are successively fed along a path of travel, said modules each having a bottom surface on which the module rests and which may contain debris retained by the fibers of the cotton adjacent to the bottom surfaces of the modules, wherein the improvement comprises:
- a rotatable roller having a central axis and a periphery about said axis, said roller being disposed transversely adjacent to said path of travel and over which said modules successively pass in their path of travel so that the upper peripheral portion of said roller receives successive transverse portion of said bottom surface of each successive module, the periphery of said roller having circumferentially spaced transverse portions for engaging spaced transverse portions of the bottom surface of each module as said non-round roller rotates, for thereby loosening said sand and dirt without removing appreciable amounts of the cotton fibers from said modules and so that said sand and dirt fall from said modules during the travel of each module along its path of travel;
- said transversely extending portions including adjacent flat plates disposed around said axis of said roller, said plates being along arcs of said roller and being angularly disposed with respect to each other and joined at common edges to provide a plurality of equally spaced straight transverse apexes, the plates being at acute angles to each other so as to impart to said bale a beating action when said roller is rotated.
A cotton module conveyor for removing sand and dirt from the bottom portions of modules as they are successively fed along a path of travel, said modules each having a bottom surface on which the module rests and which may contain debris retained by the fibers of the cotton adjacent to the bottom surfaces of the modules, wherein the improvement comprises:
- a first rotatable roller having a central axis and a periphery about said axis, said roller being disposed transversely adjacent to said path of travel and over which said modules successively pass in their path of travel so that the upper peripheral portion of said roller receives successive transverse portion of said bottom surface of each successive module, the periphery of said roller having circumferentially spaced transverse portions for engaging spaced transverse portions of the bottom surface of each module as said non-round roller rotates, for thereby loosening said sand and dirt without removing appreciable amounts of the cotton fibers from said modules and so that said sand and dirt fall from said modules during the travel of each module along its path of travel;
- a second rotatable roller disposed adjacent said first roller, said second roller having an axis parallel to said axis of said first roller and having a non-uniform periphery so that said first and second rollers cooperate for imparting a beating and stretch action to fibers in successive portions of the bottom surface of each module as the modules pass over each of said rollers;
- and
- means for rotating said rollers with said first roller being rotated at a different speed of rotation than said second roller and wherein said transverse portions of said first roller have flat surfaces circumferentially spaced from each other and joined along common edges, said flat surfaces being disposed angularly with respect to other of said rollers, such that the flat surfaces act to beat the bottom portion of said modules when said modules pass thereover.
A cotton module conveyor for removing sand and dirt from the bottom portions of modules as they are successively fed along a path of travel, said modules each having a bottom surface on which the module rests and which may contain debris retained by the fibers of the cotton adjacent to the bottom surfaces of the modules, wherein the improvement comprises:
- a first rotatable roller having a central axis and a periphery about said axis, said roller being disposed transversely adjacent to said path of travel and over which said modules successively pass in their path of travel so that the upper peripheral portion of said roller receives successive transverse portion of said bottom surface of each successive module, the periphery of said roller having circumferentially spaced transverse portions for engaging spaced transverse portions of the bottom surface of each module as said non-round roller rotates, for thereby and loosening said sand and dirt without removing appreciable amounts of the cotton fibers from said modules and so that said sand and dirt fall from said modules during the travel of each module along its path of travel;
- a second rotatable roller disposed adjacent said first roller, said second roller having an axis parallel to said axis of said first roller and having a non-uniform periphery so that said first and second rollers cooperate for imparting a beating and stretch action to fibers in successive portions of the bottom surface of each module as the modules pass over the rollers, and with said second roller being provided with a plurality of radially extending rectangular rods circumferentially, equally spaced from each other for engaging the bottom surfaces of the modules which are fed successfully thereover, the adjacent of said bars being spaced apart sufficiently so that the cotton will not fill in the space between said bars to reduce the effectiveness of said bars in engaging in the bottom surfaces of said modules;
- and
- means for rotating said rollers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.