Abstract:
A blown-film cotton module cover provides an inexpensive, disposable cover to cover cotton modules for protection from weather elements and to secure the cotton module onto an underlying surface or transport vehicle.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     Applicant claims priority based on provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/687,254 filed Jun. 3, 2005, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0002]     This invention relates generally to covers for compressed fibrous materials such as cotton, and more particularly to a disposable one-time use cotton module cover fabricated from a blown-film polymer material.  
       BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Module covers have long been used to cover cotton modules in the field. After cotton is picked it is typically loaded into a mechanical compacting unit which forms a tightly compacted cotton module to be transported to a cotton gin for further processing. Often the cotton module remains in the field for weeks before being transported to the cotton gin. During that time and during transport to the cotton gin, module covers are used primarily to protect the module from wind, rain, etc.  
         [0004]     Heretofore module covers have been fabricated from heavy tarpaulins constructed from canvas materials impregnated with plastic or having a plastic coating over the outer surface thereof. Once placed over a cotton module the heavy canvas tarpaulins are thereafter secured by spikes, ropes, weights, and the like. Module covers constructed from the foregoing materials are designed for permanent multi-year use and are expensive to produce and maintain. Once the module is transported to a cotton gin for further processing, the module cover must be recovered and repaired if necessary in order to be used again. For example, any tears or pulls in the fabric or securing mechanisms must be repaired before the module can be re-used; otherwise the module cover will not effectively protect the module from weather elements.  
         [0005]     The present invention comprises an improved cotton module cover which overcomes the foregoing and other difficulties which have long since characterized the prior art. In accordance with the broader aspects of the invention, a module cover for compressed fibrous materials such as cotton comprises a single piece of moisture impervious blown-film polymer material. The blown-film module cover of the present invention is inexpensive to manufacture compared to the prior art such that the module cover may be disposed of after a single use thereby eliminating costs associated with recovery and maintenance of conventional covers.  
         [0006]     In accordance with more specific aspects of the invention, a single sheet of moisture impervious blown-film polymer material comprises reinforced openings placed at spaced apart locations around the perimeter thereof for receiving ropes to secure the module cover to a fixed surface around the perimeter of a module. Once the module cover is placed over a cotton module ropes or other similar securing means are attached through the reinforced openings and utilized to fold the perimeter of the cover down to form four side walls for mating engagement with the upper half of the cotton module. The ropes or securing means are thereafter secured to augers, spikes, or similar securing apparatuses secured in the ground or on a fixed surface such as the bed of a semi-trailer or other suitable transport vehicle. Additional ropes may also be used to secure the corners of the cover down or to bind the perimeter of the module.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]     A more complete understanding of the present invention may be had by reference to the following Detailed Description when taken in connection with the accompanying Drawings, wherein:  
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is an environmental view illustrating a cotton module cover comprising a first embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the cotton module cover shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is a partial perspective view of one end of the cotton module cover shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  is an environmental view illustrating a cotton module cover comprising a second embodiment of the invention; and  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  is an environmental view illustrating a cotton module cover comprising a third embodiment of the invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0013]     Referring now to the Drawings, and particularly to  FIGS. 1 through 3 , there is shown a cotton module cover  10  comprising a first embodiment of the present invention. The module cover  10  is installed over a cotton module  14 . The cover  10  is provided with a plurality of reinforced apertures  16  installed at spaced apart locations around the perimeter thereof. Ropes  18  or similar fastening mechanisms are inserted through the apertures  16  and are used to tighten the cover  10  into mating engagement with the top of the cotton module  14 . The ropes  18  extend to augers  20  or the like which secure the cover  10  and thereby the module  14  to an underlying surface  22 .  
         [0014]     Referring specifically to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the cover  10  is fabricated from a moisture impervious blown-film polymer material between 6 and 15 mil thick or other similar inexpensive lightweight materials which will protect the module from weather elements such as rain and wind. The cover  10  generally has a rectangular shape with four corners  24 . The apertures  16  are positioned around the perimeter in order to fold the corners  24  together to form a top surface  26  and four side walls  28  over the upper half of the module  14 . As the ropes  18  are tightened onto the augers  20  the top surface  26  and the four walls  28  of the cover  10  are pressed into mating engagement with the upper half of the module  14  thereafter protecting the module from weather and securing the module to the surface  22 .  
         [0015]     The apertures  16  may be reinforced using grommets, reinforced adhesive tape such as a patch tape comprising a lightweight, woven polypropylene fabric, or other suitable reinforcement techniques known to those skilled in the art.  
         [0016]     Referring again to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in addition to the ropes  18 , secondary ropes  30  may be extended through the apertures  16  along each side of the cover  10  used to secure the corners  24  flush against the perimeter of the module  14 . In addition to securing the corners  24 , the secondary ropes  30  may be tied to each other thereby binding the cover  10  around the perimeter of the module  14  instead of securing the module  14  to a fixed surface.  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  illustrates a second embodiment of the invention wherein the augers  20  are secured into the cotton module  14  as opposed to being secured into the underlying surface  22 . As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, spikes, lengths of angle iron, lengths of rebar, and other similar structural members may be employed in the practice of the invention in lieu of the augers  22  depending upon the requirements of particular applications of the invention.  
         [0018]      FIG. 5  illustrates a third embodiment of the invention wherein the augers  20  are extended through the reinforced apertures  16  thereby eliminating the necessity of employing the ropes  18  of  FIGS. 1 and 4 . As pointed out above in connection with the second embodiment of the invention illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the augers  20  may be replaced with a variety of structural members which are employed to secure the module cover in engagement with the cotton module.  
         [0019]     Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated in the accompanying Drawings and described in the foregoing Detailed Description, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications, and substitutions of parts and elements without departing from the spirit of the invention.