Patent ID: 7296512

Claim:
A cotton module builder for a cotton harvesting machine, comprising: module builder structure including a floor and opposing side walls extending upwardly from opposite peripheral edges of the floor defining a cotton compacting chamber, the chamber being enclosed at one end by an upwardly extending end wall and at an opposite end by a door, and the opposing side walls having upwardly and downwardly extending opposing slots therethrough adjacent to the opposite ends of the chamber; compactor apparatus disposed within the cotton compacting chamber, the compactor apparatus including a compactor frame having cross members extending sidewardly across the chamber and including ends extending through the opposing slots through the opposing side walls, respectively, the cross members supporting at least one compactor member extending therebetween, the ends of the cross members extending through the slots through each of the side walls being connected to a side structure supported adjacent thereto and movable upwardly and downwardly relative to the walls to move the cross members upwardly and downwardly through the slots and the frame upwardly and downwardly within the compacting chamber; and bellows substantially occupying the slots above and below the ends of the cross members extending therethrough, respectively, for holding cotton out of the slots.