Patent ID: 7296392

Claim:
An on-board cotton module builder for a cotton harvesting machine, comprising: module builder structure including a floor and walls extending upwardly from opposite peripheral edges of the floor, defining a cotton compacting chamber; compactor apparatus disposed within the cotton compacting chamber, including a compactor frame having cross members extending across the chamber, each of the cross members having opposite ends which extend through upwardly and downwardly extending passages through the walls, respectively, the ends extending through each of the walls being connected together by side structures located externally of the compacting chamber, at least one driver located externally of each of the walls in connection with the side structures, respectively, the drivers being controllably operable for simultaneously moving the side structures upwardly and downwardly relative to the walls to move the cross members upwardly and downwardly through the passages and the frame upwardly and downwardly within the compacting chamber for compacting cotton in the chamber against the floor; structures disposed in each of the passages through the walls below the ends of the cross members extending therethrough, respectively, each of the structures including rigid telescoping members which occupy the passage between the end of the cross member and the floor, the telescoping members being telescopically extendible by movement of the end of the cross member upwardly, and telescopically retractable by movement of the end of the cross member downwardly, for preventing entry of cotton into the passage below the end of the cross member; and bellows disposed in each of the passages above the ends of the cross members extending therethrough, respectively, the bellows in each of the passages being retractable by movement of the end of the cross member upwardly in the passage and extendible by downward movement of the end in the passage, for preventing entry of cotton into the passage.