Round cotton module opener
AssigneeCTC Design, Inc.
InventorCurtis Thomas Curles
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A round module opener for use with a round module of cotton disposed within a wrap, including a frame, an unload conveyor assembly that is supported by the frame and moves the round module of cotton in a first direction that is parallel to a longitudinal center axis of the round module opener, a slitter assembly that is secured to the frame and slices through the wrap along its entire length as the round module of cotton moves in the first direction, and a picker assembly including a plurality of projections, the picker assembly being rotatable so that the plurality of projections first pierce a first portion of the wrap and are subsequently withdrawn from the first portion of the wrap, thereby separating the first portion of the wrap from the round cotton module.
Claims14
A round module opener for use with a round module of cotton that is disposed within a wrap, comprising:
- a frame;
- an unload conveyor assembly that is rotatably supported by the frame so that rotation of the unload conveyor assembly moves the round module of cotton in a first direction from a first end to a second end of the round module opener, the first direction being parallel to a longitudinal center axis of the round module opener;
- a slitter assembly that is secured to the frame and positionable so that the slitter assembly slices through the wrap along its entire length as the round module of cotton moves from the first end to the second end of the round module opener;
- a picker assembly including a plurality of projections, the picker assembly being adjacent the unload conveyor assembly and rotated relative to the frame so that the plurality of projections first pierce a first portion of the wrap and are subsequently withdrawn from the first portion of the wrap, thereby separating the first portion of the wrap from the round cotton module;
- and
- a sensor assembly including at least one color sensor disposed on the frame between the picker assembly and the second end of the round module opener so that the color sensor of the sensor assembly detects the presence of the first portion of the wrap as the round cotton module is moved off the second end of the round module opener by determining a color of the wrap.
A round module opener for use with a round module of cotton that is disposed within a wrap, comprising:
- a frame;
- an unload conveyor assembly that is rotatably supported by the frame so that rotation of the unload conveyor assembly moves the round module of cotton in a first direction from a first end to a second end of the round module opener, the first direction being parallel to a longitudinal center axis of the round module opener;
- a slitter assembly that is secured to the frame and positionable so that the slitter assembly slices through the wrap along its entire length as the round module of cotton moves from the first end to the second end of the round module opener;
- a picker assembly that is adjacent the unload conveyor assembly on a downstream side of the slitter assembly so that the picker assembly engages a first portion of the wrap and separates the first portion of the wrap from the round cotton module;
- a transfer assembly disposed adjacent the picker assembly, the transfer assembly comprising at least one powered roller segment that is rotatable in a first direction and a second direction that is opposite the first direction, rotation of the at least one powered roller segment in the first direction moving the round cotton module in the first direction and off of the round module opener, and a plurality of free roller segments that are free to rotate in both the first direction and the second direction relative to the powered roller segments, the powered roller segments and the free roller segments being alternatingly positioned along the transfer assembly, wherein an outermost diameter of each powered roller segment is greater than an outermost diameter of each free roller segment, and each projection of the picker assembly is aligned with a corresponding one of the free roller segments.
A round module opener for use with a round module of cotton that is disposed within a wrap, comprising:
- a frame;
- an unload conveyor assembly that is rotatably supported by the frame so that rotation of the unload conveyor assembly moves the round module of cotton in a first direction from a first end to a second end of the round module opener, the first direction being parallel to a longitudinal center axis of the round module opener;
- a slitter assembly that is secured to the frame and positionable so that the slitter assembly slices through the wrap along its entire length as the round module of cotton moves from the first end to the second end of the round module opener;
- and
- a picker assembly including an inner cylinder including a plurality of projections and an outer cylinder, the inner cylinder being disposed inside the outer cylinder so that at least a portion of the projections extend outwardly through the outer cylinder,
- wherein the picker assembly is adjacent the unload conveyor assembly and rotatable relative to the frame so that the plurality of projections first pierce a first portion of the wrap and are subsequently withdrawn from the first portion of the wrap, thereby separating the first portion of the wrap from the round cotton module;
- and a sensor assembly including at least one color sensor disposed on the frame between the picker assembly and the second end of the round module opener so that the at least one color sensor of the sensor assembly detects the presence of the first portion of the wrap as the round cotton module is moved off the second end of the round module opener by detecting a color of the wrap.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.