US 6,263,650 B1 · Cotton harvester with accumulator

Abstract

Cotton accumulator structure includes an upright storage area supported behind the cab of a cotton harvester. A screened upper cover area is supported above the storage area by hydraulic cylinders which move the cover between a raised harvest position and a lowered storage position for reduced transport height. As harvested material is directed through ducts towards the storage area, debris can exit through the screened cover. The lower end of the storage area includes an opening for egress of the cotton. Several shafts having timed projections are journalled for rotation adjacent the opening about parallel axes. The shafts, when not rotating, generally close the lower end and prevent cotton from falling through the opening. To meter the cotton from the storage area to an operating on-board processor, a drive is activated to rotate the shafts. Preferably, the shafts are driven in counter-rotating fashion so that a given shaft rotates in the opposite direction from the next adjacent shaft, and projections on the shaft pull cotton from the storage area. Cotton is uniformly distributed from the storage area onto a belt extending from the processor which preferably is part of a compacting system on a baler or module builder located downstream of the storage area opening. The storage area facilitates continued harvesting during processor unloading and allows the processor to run only as needed to periodically unload the storage area.

Claims23

Dependent claims

In a cotton harvester for removing cotton from plants including duct structure conveying removed cotton, and selectively operable processing structure connected to the harvester for processing of the removed cotton, the processing structure including a cotton inlet, accumulator structure comprising:

an upright storage area located downstream of the duct structure and receiving the cotton removed from the plants, the storage area including a lower, downwardly opening discharge area offset above the cotton inlet;
rotatable structure located adjacent the lower discharge area and generally closing the lower discharge area when not rotated to prevent cotton from exiting the storage area into the inlet;
and
a drive connected to the rotatable structure to move the received cotton from the lower discharge area of the storage area towards the cotton inlet, wherein the storage area and rotatable structure when not rotated define a generally closed container to facilitate cotton storage for continuous harvester operation during interruption of operation of the processor structure and a generally uniform supply of cotton to the processing structure when the processing structure is operating and the rotatable structure is rotating.

1 more element

In a cotton harvester including harvesting structure for removing cotton from plants, duct structure conveying removed cotton downstream from harvesting structure, and module building structure connected to the harvester for processing of the removed cotton, the module building structure including an inlet, accumulator structure comprising:

an upright storage area supported by the harvester at a location downstream of the duct structure and receiving the cotton removed from the plants, the upright storage area including an upper input end for receiving the removed cotton and a lower discharge end opening toward the inlet;
a metering floor located adjacent the discharge end above the inlet, the metering floor including spaced metering rolls defining a lowermost extremity of the storage area;
and
a selectively operable drive driving the metering rolls to move the received cotton from the discharge end towards the inlet of the processing structure, the storage area and metering floor facilitating a continuous and uniform supply of cotton to the processing structure when the drive is operating and preventing egress of cotton to the inlet when the drive is not operating.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Cotton harvester with accumulator

Life of this patent

Cotton harvester with accumulator

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23