Cylindrical module handler with panels

A method of operating a module feeder for delivering seed cotton clumps to a cotton gin stand,

• said module feeder comprising a disperser having a vertically extending open front defined by a top wall and side walls and a series of disperser drums therein extending between the side walls, said disperser drums comprising a topmost drum, a bottom most drum and at least one intermediate drum vertically spaced in said disperser so as to reduce the contents of a seed cotton module to clumps for delivering the clumps to the gin stand,
• a conveyor having opposite ends and conveyor elements overriding a stationary base and extending horizontally from said open front below said bottom drum whereby said conveyor is adapted to convey seed cotton modules into the open front of the disperser,
• unwrapper equipment intermediate the ends of the conveyor for assisting in unwrapping wrapped seed cotton modules and having a downstream end upstream of the disperser open front, and
• a panel disposed at a fixed location on each side of the conveyor extending in a conveying direction of travel of the conveyor from adjacent the disperser open front to at least the downstream end of the equipment and extending upwardly from a first location no higher than said conveyor elements of the conveyor to a second location above the conveyor to at least a predetermined height above the lowermost intermediate disperser drum to prevent material in the module from escaping off a side of the conveyor between the unwrapping equipment and the disperser;
• said method comprising
• positioning wrapped seed cotton modules on the conveyor upstream of the unwrapping equipment;
• horizontally conveying the wrapped seed cotton modules on the conveyor to the unwrapper equipment;
• unwrapping each seed cotton module at the unwrapper equipment;
• preventing seed cotton material from each unwrapped module from escaping off a side of the conveyor between the unwrapping equipment and the disperser via each side panel;
• and
• horizontally conveying each unwrapped module on the conveyor into the disperser for producing clumps of seed cotton.

A cotton gin comprising

• at least one gin stand,
• a disperser having a vertically extending open front defined by a top wall and side walls and a series of disperser drums therein extending between the side walls, said disperser drums comprising a topmost drum, a bottom most drum and at least one intermediate drum vertically spaced in said disperser so as to reduce the contents of a seed cotton module to clumps for delivering the clumps to the gin stand,
• a conveyor having opposite ends and conveyor elements overriding a stationary base and extending horizontally from said open front below said bottom drum whereby said conveyor is adapted to convey seed cotton modules into the open front of the disperser,
• unwrapper equipment intermediate the ends of the conveyor for assisting in unwrapping wrapped seed cotton modules and having a downstream end upstream of the disperser open front, and
• a panel disposed at a fixed location on each side of the conveyor extending in a conveying direction of travel of the conveyor from adjacent the disperser open front to at least the downstream end of the equipment and extending upwardly from a first location no higher than said conveyor elements of the conveyor to a second location above the conveyor to at least a predetermined height above the lowermost intermediate disperser drum to prevent material in the module from escaping off a side of the conveyor between the unwrapping equipment and the disperser.

A method of operating a cotton gin having

• at least one cotton gin stand for delivering seed cotton clumps to a cotton gin stand,
• said module feeder comprising a disperser having a vertically extending open front defined by a top wall and side walls and a series of disperser drums therein extending between the side walls, said disperser drums comprising a topmost drum, a bottom most drum and at least one intermediate drum vertically spaced in said disperser so as to reduce the contents of a seed cotton module to clumps for delivering the clumps to the gin stand,
• a conveyor having opposite ends and conveyor elements overriding a stationary base and extending horizontally from said open front below said bottom drum whereby said conveyor is adapted to convey seed cotton modules into the open front of the disperser,
• unwrapper equipment intermediate the ends of the conveyor for assisting in unwrapping wrapped seed cotton modules and having a downstream end upstream of the disperser open front, and
• a panel disposed at a fixed location on each side of the conveyor extending in a conveying direction of travel of the conveyor from adjacent the disperser open front to at least the downstream end of the equipment and extending upwardly from a first location no higher than said conveyor elements of the conveyor to a second location above the conveyor to at least a predetermined height above the lowermost intermediate disperser drum to prevent material in the module from escaping off a side of the conveyor between the unwrapping equipment and the disperser;
• said method comprising
• positioning wrapped seed cotton modules on the conveyor upstream of the unwrapping equipment;
• horizontally conveying the wrapped seed cotton modules on the conveyor to the unwrapper equipment;
• unwrapping each seed cotton module at the unwrapper equipment;
• preventing seed cotton material from each unwrapped module from escaping off a side of the conveyor between the unwrapping equipment and the disperser via each side panel;
• and
• horizontally conveying each unwrapped module on the conveyor into the disperser for producing clumps of seed cotton.

A module feeder for delivering seed cotton clumps to a cotton gin stand comprising

• a disperser having a vertically extending open front defined by a top wall and side walls and a series of disperser drums therein extending between the side walls, said disperser drums comprising a topmost drum, a bottom most drum and at least one intermediate drum vertically spaced in said disperser so as to reduce the contents of a seed cotton module to clumps for deliv-ering the clumps to the gin stand,
• a conveyor having opposite ends and conveyor elements overriding a stationary base and extending horizontally from said open front below said bottom drum whereby said conveyor is adapted to convey seed cotton modules into the open front of the disperser,
• unwrapper equipment intermediate the ends of the conveyor for assisting in unwrapping wrapped seed cotton round modules and having a downstream end upstream of the disperser open front, and
• a panel, disposed at a fixed location on each side of the conveyor when the conveyor conveys an unwrapped seed cotton module toward the disperser, extending in a conveying direction of travel of the conveyor from adjacent the disperser open front to at least the downstream end of the equipment and extending upwardly from a first location no higher than said conveyor elements of the conveyor to a second location position above the conveyor to at least a predetermined height above the lowermost intermediate disperser drum to prevent material in the module from escaping off a side of the conveyor between the unwrapping equipment and the disperser.