Abstract:
A row unit movable in a forward direction for simultaneously picking cotton from at least two parallel rows of cotton plants, the rows of cotton plants being spaced a predetermined distance apart in a transverse direction relative to the forward direction. The row unit includes a structure or unitary housing having a forward end and an opposite rearward end and containing or defining at least two plant row channels therethrough at locations spaced apart in the transverse direction by an amount about equal to the predetermined distance for simultaneous passage of the at least two rows of cotton plants through the row channels, respectively and at least two picker rotors located within the unitary housing adjacent to the plant row channels therethrough, respectively, each of the picker rotors being mounted for rotation about a generally upright axis and including members which extend into the adjacent plant row channel for picking cotton from the cotton plants passing therethrough as the picker rotor is rotated. A plurality of the row units can be provided on a cotton harvester, mounted forwardly and/or rearwardly thereof.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/122,069, filed Mar. 1, 1999. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to cotton harvesting machines and more particularly to a harvest row unit suitable for harvesting narrow rows of cotton. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Conventional self-propelled cotton harvesters include a frame mounted pair of drive wheels, and a pair of steerable rear wheels providing the harvester with proper direction. Mounted, usually, in the front or forward end of the cotton harvester are two or more harvesting units. 
     Each harvesting unit typically includes a housing which encloses two rotatably driven picker rotors, two doffer assemblies, and a picker spindle moistening assembly for each rotor. Each picker rotor has numerous circularly driven picker bars. Each picker bar mounts a plurality of rotatably driven, radially extending picker spindles for removing cotton from a plant. The doffer assembly includes a column of doffer pads which are positioned to remove the cotton from the picker spindles. The moistener assembly includes a column of moistening pads arranged to add moistening fluid to the cotton picker spindles before they are introduced into the cotton plants. 
     Cotton pickers typically harvest one to six rows of cotton with the rows spaced usually 38 or 40 inches (96 to 102 centimeters) apart. However, recent cotton planting techniques have resulted in cotton rows being planted as close as 30 inches (76 centimeters) apart. 
     A particular cotton row planting configuration involves two parallel rows of cotton plants planted 30 centimeters apart with a second grouping of parallel cotton plant rows 60 centimeters from the first cotton plant row grouping. Such arrangement is prevalent and mainly handpicked in mainland China and other third world or developing countries. 
     Examples of narrow row cotton harvesters are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,403 (issued Sep. 3, 1985) for a “Narrow Row Cotton 
     Harvester and Picker Unit” and U.S. Pat. No. 4,914,897 (issued Apr. 10, 1990) for a “Narrow Row Cotton Harvester”. Both of said patents are assigned to the assignee of the present invention. Both of said patents disclose picker units incorporating offset picker rotors and doffer assemblies which pick the cotton on both side s of a single row of cotton plants. The offsetting of the picker assemblies allow for various configurations and nesting of the picker units to facilitate the harvesting of narrow row cotton plants. Two picker/doffer assemblies are mounted in each picker unit to harvest one row of cotton plants. 
     Another example of the narrow row cotton picker is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,519,988 (issued May 28, 1996) to Copley, et al., entitled “Narrow Row Cotton Picker and Row Unit Therefor” and U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,497 (issued Apr. 18, 1989) to Deutsch, et al., entitled “Cotton Harvester and Tandem Row Unit Thereof”. These latter two patents each disclose picker units that incorporate two picker rotors and associated doffer assemblies that are aligned in tandem to pick cotton from one side of a cotton row plant. Each cotton plant row is picked by two picker/doffer assemblies. In the latter patent disclosures, the picker units must skip a row of cotton plants, particularly in the 30 centimeter planting configuration, which necessitates two passes of the cotton harvesting machine to pick adjacent 30 centimeter rows which are unpicked on the first pass. 
     Thus there is a need for a cotton harvester that will use only one picker/doffer assembly for each plant row. There is a further need for a cotton harvester that provides more than one picker/doffer assembly in a housing, with at least one picker/doffer assembly for each plant row. There is an additional need for a multi-picker rotor cotton harvester that provides for adjustment of the spacing between the picker rotors to accommodate different spacings between plant rows. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     There is provided a cotton harvester which includes at least one cotton picker unit for harvesting cotton from plants planted in narrow, parallel rows. The cotton picker unit comprises a cotton picker housing that supports a lateral plant lifter which extends forward of the housing and defines a plant row channel for receiving cotton plants planted in a row. The plant channel extends back into the housing to a plant compressor sheet which facilitates the picking of the cotton from the cotton plant by a picker rotor which is supported in the housing adjacent to the plant row channel and traverse to the compressor sheet. A doffer column also supported in the housing is near the picker rotor and removes the picked cotton from the picker rotor and moves the cotton towards an outlet and through an exhaust chute for receiving the cotton. The cotton is then collected in an appropriate cotton basket. Additional cotton picker rotors can be configured in the cotton picker housing including a wishbone plant lifter extending forward of the housing approximately midway between a space defined by the adjacent lateral plant lifters. The cotton picker unit picks one or more rows of cotton plants with independent rotor/doffer assemblies. Various configurations of multiple cotton picker units can be arranged and mounted on mounting mechanisms attached to a self-propelled vehicle of the cotton harvester. An embodiment includes multiple opposing rotor/doffer assemblies mounted in a cotton picker housing picking opposite sides of adjacent cotton rows planted at a spacing less than the width of the cotton picker rotor. This embodiment provides at least one picker rotor rotating in a clockwise direction and at least one picker rotor rotating in a counterclockwise direction. An additional embodiment of the cotton harvester of the present invention includes a walk-behind cotton harvester and comprises a cotton picker housing having a pair of lateral plant lifters mounted forward of the housing and defining a plant channel extending back into the housing to a plant compressor sheet. Also mounted in the walk-behind cotton harvester is a picker rotor and a doffer column arranged to pick cotton off the cotton plant moving through the plant channel and moving the picked cotton to an outlet at the rear of the cotton picker housing. A power unit is in mechanical communication with the picker rotor and doffer column and may also be in mechanical communication with a means for moving the walk-behind cotton harvester. The walk-behind cotton harvester is provided for harvesting row planted cotton, particularly for use in developing countries. 
     An alternative embodiment of the present cotton harvester includes a self-propelled vehicle having a mounting mechanism and a multi-rotor unit in mechanical communication with the power unit. The multi-rotor unit comprises a cotton picker housing that is mounted on the mounting mechanism and supporting at least one lateral plant lifter and at least one wishbone plant lifter extending forward of the housing and defining a plant row channel for receiving cotton plants planted in a row. The channel extends back into the housing to plant compressor sheets which facilitates the picking of cotton from cotton plants by multiple picker rotors and associated doffer columns located traverse to the compressor sheet. The cotton is then moved to an outlet and into an appropriate cotton collecting basket. Various configurations of cotton picker units mounted both forward of the mounting mechanism and behind the mounting mechanism which is attached to the self-propelled vehicle is provided to accommodate various cotton field plantings. 
     Other features and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description, appended drawings and accompanying claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a partial top elevational view showing two cotton picker units of an exemplar cotton harvester mounted on a self-propelled vehicle (only the wheels are shown). 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of two cotton picker units each consisting of two oppositely aligned rotor assemblies. 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of an alternative embodiment of the exemplar cotton picker units with multiple cotton picker rotors. 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of the cotton picker units depicted in FIG. 3 with multiple cotton picker rotors in a diagonally aligned embodiment. 
     FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of multiple cotton picker unit with dual cotton picker rotors aligned diagonally. 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of an exemplar cotton picker unit in an alternative embodiment of the diagonal configuration illustrated in FIG.  5 . 
     FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of an exemplar cotton picker multi-rotor unit. 
     FIG. 8 is an alternative embodiment of the harvester depicted in FIG.  7 . 
     FIG. 9 is an alternative embodiment of the harvester depicted in FIG.  7 . 
     FIG. 10 is a schematic illustration of an exemplar multiple cotton picker multi-rotor unit mounted on the self-propelled vehicle having dual wheels straddling narrow cotton plant rows. 
     FIG. 11 is an alternative embodiment of the harvester depicted in FIG.  10 . 
     FIG. 12 is a schematic illustration of a combination of the present cotton picker units. 
     FIG. 13 is a schematic illustration of multiple cotton picker units on a mounting mechanism of a self-propelled vehicle (not shown). 
     FIG. 14 is a schematic illustration of another arrangement of multiple cotton picker units of the present invention on a mounting mechanism of a self-propelled vehicle (not shown). 
     FIG. 15 is a schematic illustration of multiple cotton picker units of the present invention on a mounting mechanism of a self-propelled vehicle (not shown) with at least one of said cotton picker unit mounted behind the mounting mechanism. 
     FIG. 16 is a schematic illustration of an alternative embodiment of the harvester depicted in FIG.  15 . 
     FIG. 17 is an illustration of a cotton harvester having cotton picker units mounted on the self-propelled vehicle. 
     FIG. 18 is an illustration of the cotton picker unit configured in a walk-behind cotton harvester. 
     FIG. 19 is a top view of the walk-behind cotton harvester. 
    
    
     Before explaining the preferred embodiment of the cotton harvester row unit in detail, it is to be understood that the cotton harvester row unit is not limited in the application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or as illustrated in the drawings. The cotton harvester row unit is capable of other embodiments or being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to FIG. 1, therein is shown a cotton harvester  10  mounted on a self-propelled vehicle  11  which supports a power unit (not shown). The self-propelled vehicle has a plurality of wheels  14  of which only two are typically shown in the FIGURES. A cotton receiving basket (not shown) may be supported on the self-propelled vehicle or towed behind or adjacent to the self-propelled vehicle for receiving picked cotton from the cotton harvester  10  of the present invention. 
     A cotton picker unit  20  of the present invention includes a cotton picker housing  22 . Mounted on the cotton picker housing  22  is at least one lateral plant lifter  30  extending forward of the housing and defining a plant row channel  36  for receiving cotton plants P planted in a row. The plant channel  36  extends from the lateral plant lifter  30  back into the housing  22  to a plant compressor sheet  34  mounted in the cotton picker housing  22 . As the cotton harvester  10  moves through the cotton field the individual cotton plant rows P are aligned with the cotton plant channel  36  in each cotton picker unit. The lateral plant lifter  30  guides the cotton plant toward the plant compressor sheet  34  so that the individual cotton bolls can be picked. 
     A picker rotor  26  is supported by the cotton picker housing  22  for rotation about an upright axis  25  at a location adjacent to the plant row channel  36  in the cotton picker housing  22  opposite, or traverse, to the compressor sheet  34 . As the cotton plant moves through the plant channel  36  the plant compressor sheet  34  assists the picker rotor  26  in picking the cotton bolls. Spindles on the picker rotor move into the cotton plants and engage the cotton lint of the cotton boll and pull the cotton lint from the cotton plant. As the cotton harvester  10  continues moving down the cotton plant row P the picker rotor rotates generally synchronized with the plant until the spindles are withdrawn from the cotton plant, then the picked cotton is removed from the picker rotor by a doffer column  28  supported by the cotton picker housing  22  near the picker rotor  26 . The doffer column  28  in addition to removing the picked cotton from the picker rotor  26  also moves the cotton towards an outlet  38  at the back of the cotton picker unit  20  to an exhaust chute  37  which receives the cotton from the outlet  38 . The exhaust chute  37  can be engaged by any convenient and conventional means for collecting the picked cotton, such as a basket mounted on the self-propelled vehicle  11 , or a wagon can be pulled by an appropriate means for hitching a wagon or the like to collect and retain the picked cotton. A trash exit  39  at the back of the cotton picker housing  22  ejects cotton plant debris not collected by the harvester. 
     Prior art cotton pickers typically use two picker rotors for each plant row, with one picker rotor on each side of the plant row picking cotton from that same row. The present cotton picker unit  20  uses only one picker rotor  26  to pick cotton from one plant row but may have multiple picker rotors  26  mounted in the same housing  22  with each picker rotor  26  picking from a different plant row. Another embodiment provides multiple rotors  26  mounted in the same housing  22 , with a tandem set of picker rotors  22  picking cotton from the same plant row but from the same side of that plant row and another set of tandem picker rotors  22  picking cotton from a different plant row. 
     FIG. 1 depicts two cotton picker units  20 , each consisting of two oppositely aligned rotor assemblies  26 , of the present invention mounted on the front of a self-propelled vehicle  11  constituting a cotton harvester  10 . Each cotton picker unit  20  is provided with a cotton picker drive (not shown) which is in mechanical communication with the picker rotor  26  and the doffer column  28 . The cotton picker drive can be from a group comprising a hydraulic motor, an electric motor, a fossil fuel engine and a power take-off (PTO) unit. The cotton picker unit  20  of the present invention is conveniently arranged in multiple configurations. FIGS. 2-12 illustrate several embodiments of cotton picker unit  20  configurations. 
     The cotton harvester  10  has at least one cotton picker unit  20  mounted on a mounting mechanism  16  with said mounting mechanism  16  manipulated in an up or down direction by a lift arm  18 . The lift arm  18  is mounted on the self-propelled vehicle  11  of the cotton harvester  10 . The mounting mechanism  16  can be of any convenient design to accommodate the particular configuration of the cotton picker units  20  of a cotton harvester  10 . The mounting mechanism can be a tool bar, a lift arm or a combination of a tool bar and a lift arm. A cotton picker unit  20  may be mounted on a tool bar or a lift arm or a combination of such devices. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, two cotton picker units  20  are mounted on the mounting mechanism  16  traverse to one another and aligned with adjacent rows of cotton plants P. Approximately midway between the space defined by the lateral plant lifter  30  of each of the cotton picker unit  20 , is a wishbone plant lifter  32 . The wishbone plant lifter  32  is moved between two closely planted parallel rows of cotton plants. The wishbone plant lifter  32  forms a part of a cotton plant channel  36  with a corresponding lateral plant lifter  30 . The wishbone plant lifter  32  also extends forward of the cotton picker housing  22 . FIGS. 4-12 depict alternative embodiments of the cotton picker unit  20  of the present invention wherein cotton picker rotors  26  are aligned diagonally or opposite to one another but also aligned with individual and adjacent rows of cotton plants. One embodiment of the cotton picker unit provides a means for varying the distance between the picker rotor/doffer column assemblies in the cotton picker unit  20 . The picker rotor/ doffer column assembly, for this application, means the picker rotor  26 , doffer column  28 , plant lifters, compressor sheet  34  and their associated components. The means for varying is selected from a group comprising a slot, a rack and pinion, a worm-gear, a plurality of holes, a telescoping member and other conventional mechanism. 
     Another embodiment of the cotton harvester  10  mounts multiple picker rotors  26  and corresponding doffer columns  28  in a cotton picker housing  22  to form a multi-rotor unit such as three or four rotor/doffer assemblies. Such cotton picker is illustrated in FIGS. 7-12. Each cotton picker housing  22  is mounted on a mounting mechanism  16  included on a self-propelled vehicle  11  and is in mechanical communication with a power unit. The multi-rotor units have at least one lateral plant lifter  30  and at least one wishbone plant lifter  32  extending forward of the cotton picker housing  22 . The arrangement of a wishbone plant lifter  32  and the lateral plant lifters  30  defines plant row channels  36  for receiving cotton plants planted in a row P with the plant channels  36  extending back into the cotton picker housing  22  to plant compressor sheets  34 . The process of picking the cotton from the plants is as described above. Each of the picker rotors  26  which are supported in the cotton picker housing  22  for rotation about an upright axis  25  is aligned adjacent to the plant row channels  36 . Each picker rotor  26  has a corresponding doffer column  28  supported in the housing  22  for rotation near each of the picker rotors  26  for removing the picked cotton from each picker rotor and moving the cotton towards an outlet  38  to an exhaust chute  37  which receives the cotton from the outlet  38 . The picked cotton is then deposited in a cotton basket (not shown ) as described above. A trash exit  39  at the back of each cotton picker housing  22  ejects cotton plant debris not collected by the harvester. The multi-rotor unit can also be mounted behind the self-propelled vehicle and pulled through the cotton rows as generally depicted in FIG.  17 . 
     FIG. 17 illustrates a cotton harvester  10  of the self-propelled vehicle  11  type which has a cotton picker unit  20  mounted in the front of the self-propelled vehicle and behind the self-propelled vehicle. A mounting mechanism attached to the self-propelled vehicle  11  supports the individual cotton picker housings  22 . Any number of cotton picker units  20  can be configured in the cotton harvester  10  of the present invention as is appropriate for the particular mounting mechanism. It should be understood that the mounting mechanism and associated picker units may be attached to the vehicle at any convenient location. 
     FIGS. 13-16 depict various alternative embodiments of the cotton picker units  20  in dual rotor cotton picker housings  22  mounted on a mounting mechanism in front of and behind such mounting mechanism  16 . Although dual rotor units are depicted it should be understood that the multi-rotor units can also be mounted in a similar fashion. 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 depict one each of a right-handed and left-handed picker rotor  26  mounted in a single cotton picker housing  22 . It should be noted that only one plant row P is picked by one picker rotor  26 . As noted in the background section of this application a typical or conventional cotton harvester has two picker rotor/doffer column configurations for picking cotton from each side of a single row of cotton. Such arrangement was suitable in the conventional planting of cotton rows which were typically much wider than  30  centimeters apart. Such arrangements are not suitable for narrow row cotton row plantings which are narrower than the rotor unit. As depicted in the FIGURES, the distance marked D 1  between cotton planting rows P is narrower than a rotor unit and D 2  is wider than a rotor unit between adjacent cotton rows P. The D 2  spacing is typically needed to accommodate a person as well as the wheels of an agricultural device. The cotton harvester  10  is usually provided with a wheel shield  15  to protect the cotton plants as the cotton harvester  10  moves through the cotton field. The cotton picker units  20  of the present invention, as is shown in the various FIGURES, can be configured in a variety of arrangements to accommodate the particular cotton field. 
     Applicant has been informed that narrow row cotton planting is prevalent in developing countries as well as particularly in the Peoples Republic of China. The planting pattern in those countries typically have the D 1  distance being approximately  30  centimeters and the D 2  distance being approximately  60  centimeters. And even though a self-propelled vehicle  11  of the present invention can be used in such situations, Applicant also provides a single cotton picker unit  20  configured as a walk-behind cotton harvester  10  for such use. FIGS. 18 and 19 depict an illustration of a walk-behind cotton harvester embodiment. The cotton picker housing  22  as previously described has a pair of lateral plant lifters  30  mounted forward of the cotton picker housing  22  and defines a plant channel  36  extending back into the housing  22  to a plant compressor sheet  34 . At least one picker rotor  26  is mounted in the cotton picker housing  22  adjacent to the plant channel  36  and traverse to the plant compressor sheet  34 . A corresponding doffer column  28  is mounted in the cotton picker housing  22  near each picker rotor  26 . The doffer column  28  removes picked cotton from the picker rotor  26  and moves the picked cotton to an outlet  38  at the rear of the cotton picker housing  22 . A power unit  12  is mounted on the cotton picker housing  22  and is in mechanical communication with the picker rotor  26  and doffer column  28  to impart the appropriate rotational motion to such devices. Mounted on the cotton picker housing  22  is a means for moving  40  the walk-behind cotton harvester  10 . A handle  31  mounted on the housing  22  may also be provided. FIG. 19 depicts the walk-behind harvester in a single row configuration. It should be understood that a multiple row cotton picker unit can be configured as a walk-behind harvester. One embodiment of the walk-behind cotton harvester  10  has the means for moving  40  in mechanical communication with the power unit  12 . A means for moving  40  is selected from a group comprising a pair of wheels  14  as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19 or a pair of tracks or a pair of skids or pulled by an animal. The wheels, tracks and skids can be of any conventional and convenient style. One embodiment of the walk-behind cotton harvester includes a front wheel  13  which assists the operator in maneuvering the walk-behind cotton harvester. In an embodiment of the walk-behind harvester the power unit  12  can be a hydraulic motor, an electric motor, or a fossil fuel engine in mechanical communication with the means for moving  40 . The cotton picked from the cotton plant rows is exhausted into a cotton collecting device that can be towed or maneuvered behind the walk-behind harvest unit or can be deposited directly onto the ground for subsequent pick-up by any convenient method. It is expected that any culture that has had only hand picked cotton in the past will embrace even a walk-behind cotton harvester if a self-propelled vehicle is not a viable economic alternative. 
     Thus, it should be apparent that it has been provided in accordance with the present invention a narrow row cotton harvester in which a single or multiple rotor/doffer column arrangement for each row of cotton mounted in a variety of configurations on a self-propelled vehicle and a walk-behind cotton harvester has been disclosed. Although the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art. For example, the cotton harvester may be towed or pushed by a separate work vehicle such as a tractor and coupled to the work vehicle for the necessary mechanical, hydraulic and electrical power to operate the cotton harvester. The cotton harvester may also be pulled by an animal, with a gear train coupled to the wheels and rotor/doffer for operating power. It is also contemplated that a cotton picker unit may be mounted alongside the self-propelled vehicle or work vehicle. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.