Cotton Harvester

This invention relates to a cotton harvester and more specifically to the support arrangement and discharge structure for individual row units of the harvester.

Conventional cotton harvesters of the type shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,373,547, 3,378,309, 3,464,191 and 3,515,437 utilizing individual row units with vertical picker drums and doffer assemblies have for the most part been limited to harvesting two rows at a time. Each row unit is relatively heavy, and adequately supporting more than two units while maintaining a narrow chassis and keeping the proper wheel spacing in relation to the rows of cotton has been a continuing source of difficulty. Each picking unit includes two picker drums with numerous picker bars mounting a plurality of gear-driven spindles for removing cotton from the plant. In addition, a doffer assembly with numerous doffer pads is provided for each picker drum to remove the cotton from the spindles. Although the weight of the components has been reduced by using lighter materials and smaller sizes, the individual units are still relatively heavy and put a considerable amount of mass in motion during operation thereby necessitating a sturdy support structure.

Typical of previous self-propelled two-row cotton pickers, the individual row units are supported forwardly of and between transversely spaced drive wheels by inner and outer lift arms connected to a transverse rock shaft near the forward end of the harvester frame. The row units include a housing having a sheet and panel construction of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,803,938. The housing has an upper box-like structure from which depend a pair of compartments each containing a picking drum and associated mechanism. Stabilizer bars extend from the harvester frame between the wheels to the lower rear of each compartment of the picking units for fore-and-aft support to prevent the unit from collapsing if it strikes an obstruction or is grounded, and also for adjusting the front to rear slope of the units. To add outboard units to increase capacity from two to four rows without widening the frame has heretofore been a problem since there has been no practical way to support and provide stabilization for the outboard units. Previous designs for a four-row harvester included transverse horizontal beams mounted at the rear of the main frame and carrying rock shaft and lower support braces for supporting the outboard picking units outwardly of and behind the forward wheels. Such a harvester is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,176,451. Rear-mounted units are difficult for the operator to view, and the horizontal beams widen the rear of the main frame making the harvester harder to maneuver. The widened rear end adds too much weight to the rear steering wheels and also prevents a cotton receiver from being moved in closely to the basket during dumping.

In another four-row harvester, described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,031,828, a pair of unitary housing structures, each carrying two picking units, are mounted on opposite sides of the center line of the harvester. A pair of upper lift arms connected to a rock shaft and a lower stabilizer inside the drive wheels support each housing on the frame. The unitary housing structure is heavy and difficult to assemble and mount. The gears that drive the four picker drums often become misaligned as the large housing twists or bends slightly. Adjusting the units for varying row widths is not possible, and servicing the picker drums and doffers is difficult because of the unitary structure. The four-row harvesters typical of the prior art present problems during transportation because of their width. Narrowing the harvesters for transport is very time consuming and requires large equipment particularly when a unitary two-row housing structure is utilized.

It is known to provide a single compartment rearwardly of the housing structure that is adapted to receive cotton from a pair of upright harvesting drums that are positioned inwardly of a pair of adjacent rows of cotton plants. Such a housing is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,464,191. Doffing mechanisms associated with each of the drums removes the cotton from the spindles on the drums and discharge it rearwardly to the compartment through openings in the housing. An air duct then sucks the cotton from the compartment and conveys it upwardly to a basket on the harvester. Forwardly of the first harvesting drums are a second pair of harvesting drums located outwardly of the adjacent rows of parallel cotton plants, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,088,262. Commonly, a side compartment associated with each of the forward drums is provided for receiving cotton from the doffing mechanisms. The spindles on the forward drums are the first to contact the rows of cotton plants and therefore remove a higher volume of the cotton from the plants than do the spindles on the rear drums. The side compartments, which must be of adequate size to receive the high volume of cotton from the harvesting area, extend outwardly from the units thereby widening the front of the cotton harvester. The side compartments decrease maneuverability and prevent mounting of additional harvesting units to increase cotton harvester capacity to greater than two rows. Moving the compartments rearwardly of the harvesting unit results in the units extending too far forwardly on the harvester frame, and making the harvester front heavy.

In the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,031,828, there is shown a four-row cotton harvester in which a rear wall structure in the unitary housing structure receives cotton doffed from a pair of forward harvesting drums. Side compartments for receiving doffed cotton are eliminated, but assembly of the harvester and servicing of the doffers and drums are very difficult because of the structure. To service the doffers and the drums on such a harvester, the operator often has to crawl under or on top of the compartment.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved cotton harvester which eliminates the aforementioned disadvantages.

It is still another object of the invention to provide an improved support arrangement and discharge structure for individual row units of a cotton harvester.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a means for mounting a plurality of individual harvesting units on a row crop harvester, wherein the outermost harvesting units are supported entirely from the adjacent inner units and are adjustable with respect thereto. It is still another object to provide such a means for mounting a plurality of harvesting units wherein the outermost units do not require a stabilizer or similar device extending from the lower part of the harvester frame to the lower part of the harvesting unit.

It is a further object to provide a cotton harvester in which the outermost harvesting units are adjustable with respect to and removable from the inner units. It is another object to provide such a harvester with a common discharge structure which services two forward picker drums on adjacent inner and outer units to reduce the number of cotton conveying ducts required, and which permits the adjacent units to be easily assembled and transversely adjusted with respect to each other.

It is still another object of the invention to provide an improved discharge structure which permits convenient access to the picker drums and the doffer assemblies.

A pair of individual harvesting units are supported near the forward end of a main frame for independent vertical adjustment with respect thereto by lift arms connected to a pair of rock shafts. Each unit has lower stabilizing bars connected thereto for absorbing fore-and-aft loading and adjusting the angle of attack. Each inboard harvesting unit has an outboard harvesting unit transversely mounted thereon in cantilever fashion by an adjustable tie assembly. The outboard unit can be adjusted with respect to the inboard unit to accommodate different row spacings. In addition, the outboard unit can be easily removed for narrowing the harvester during shipping or to provide access to the inner unit for servicing. Each outboard unit includes a diagonal brace for absorbing fore-and-aft loading and eliminating the need for a lower stabilizing bar. The adjustable tie assembly features upper telescoping cross members connected to the upper box-like structure of each of the adjacent units. One end of the diagonal brace is connected to the upper box-like structure and the opposite end to the forward part of a floor panel so that if the unit is run into the ground, it will not collapse for lack of a lower stabilizer but will be held solidly by the rigid upper structure. The two inboard harvesting units accommodate two rows between the traction wheels of the implement while the outboard units each accommodate a single row adjacent the outside edge of the corresponding drive wheel. Therefore, four rows can be harvested simultaneously with the traction wheels running between two pairs of the rows. Bracing extending from the frame to the outboard units which would otherwise obstruct the side of the harvester is eliminated.

A high volume discharge structure is supported between each pair of inboard-outboard harvesting units directly behind and for receiving picked cotton from the leading picker drums and doffer assemblies associated with two adjacent rows of cotton. The structure is located generally between two rear picking drums and doffer assemblies in an accommodation space provided between the units. A pair of conventional lower volume discharge structures are located behind the rear doffers and receive cotton picked by the drums. This arrangement provides a relatively narrow pair of complete picking unit assemblies which can be mounted just forwardly of the harvester drive wheels on the main frame so that the harvester is not front heavy. Two of the complete units are positioned side-by-side to provide a four-row cotton harvester. The high volume discharge structure reduces the number of discharge structure doors that have to be serviced during operation. The discharge structure is supported from the inner harvesting unit thus reducing the weight carried by the outer unit. The outer harvesting unit includes a hinged baffle plate extending rearwardly to the structure which permits the outer unit to be transversely adjusted with respect to the inner unit without having to adjust the structure. Therefore, adjustments of the outboard unit with respect to the inboard unit can be made easily to accommodate changes in the spacing between the rows, and the outboard unit can be completely removed without disturbing the discharge structure. Also, the discharge structure can be quickly removed from the rear of the harvesting unit so that the operator has easy access to the picking drums and doffer mechanisms. Only one cotton conveying duct is required for each pair of high volume picker drums, thereby reducing the number of ducts required on the harvester.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those familar with the art as the present invention is described in relation to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a four-row cotton harvester constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the front of the harvester shown in FIG. 1 with parts thereof removed for purposes of showing internal mechanisms;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an individual right-hand outboard picking unit for the harvester of FIG. 1 with the drive assembly removed and showing schematically the location of the cross members in relation to the upper rigid structure;

FIG. 4 is a side view of an individual left-hand outboard picking unit showing the diagonal brace;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the two pairs of lift arms in the unloaded condition wherein each outer lift arm is angled upwardly with respect to the adjacent inner lift arm;

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the upper box-like structure of the right-hand inboard picking unit as seen substantially along the line 6--6 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged end view of the support panel assembly as seen substantially along the line 7--7 in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged rear view of the support panel assembly as seen substantially along line 8--8 in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged partial overhead view of adjacent rear portions of the right-hand inboard and outboard units with the discharge structure attached and the upper portion of the units removed to show the hinged baffle plate;

FIG. 10 is a rear view of the discharge structure as seen along the line 10--10 in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a side view of the discharge structure as seen along the line 11--11 in FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the left-hand inboard picking unit, with the left-hand outboard unit removed and the high volume discharge structure attached;

FIG. 13 is a top view, on an enlarged scale, of the vertical channel portion of the outer hinged baffle and the corresponding side wall of the discharge structure shown in FIG. 9; and

FIG. 14 is a view similar to that of FIG. 13, but showing the vertical channel portion of the inner baffle with a portion of the upper strap broken away for clarity.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a cotton harvester 10 having a fore-and-aft extending frame or body shown partially at 12 supported near its forward end by a pair of transversely spaced drive wheels 14 and 16. The drive wheels are spaced an equal distance from the center line of the harvester 10 and in the preferred embodiment accommodate two rows of cotton therebetween as the harvester is propelled forwardly through the field. The rear of the frame 12 is supported on a pair of steerable wheels (not shown) in a conventional manner for guiding the harvester 10 over the field. An operator's station 18 is located on the frame and has numerous controls for operating the harvester. A conventional hydraulic system is carried by the frame 12 for various functions including raising and lowering the harvesting units.

Positioned forwardly of the frame 12 are a plurality of individual picking or harvesting units 20, 22, 24, and 26. Each harvesting unit includes a housing assembly 28 defining a crop-receiving opening or passage 30 and carrying a pair of stalk lifters 32 on either side of the opening. In each housing assembly 28 are a forward and a rearward upright packing spindle drum 34 and 36, respectively, located on either side of the crop opening 30. Adjacent the spindle drums 34 and 36 are conventional upright doffing assemblies 38 and 40 which remove cotton from the spindles 41 of the drums. Conventional upright discharge structures 42, 44, 46, and 48 (FIG. 2) are provided near the rear doffers 40 to receive cotton bolls removed from the drums 36 by the doffers 40 and directed through upright openings 49 in the rear of the units. Cotton conveying ducts 50, 52, 54, and 56 (FIG. 1) direct the cotton from the discharge structures near the rear doffers into a basket 58.

The housing structures and ducts associated with the rear doffers 40 may, for example, be of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,515,437. An air nozzle 59 is provided near the lower portion of each of the ducts 50 and 56, while blower nozzles (not shown) are provided near the lower portion of the innermost discharge structures 44 and 46. A high volume suction door or discharge structure 60 receives the cotton from the forward spindle drums 34 and doffers 38 on the adjacent picking units 20 and 24 while a similar discharge structure 62 receives cotton from the corresponding picker drums and doffers on the units 22 and 26. The cotton is sucked from the discharge structures 60 and 62 through lower portions of the cotton conveying ducts 64 and 66 and then is blown into the basket 58 by air from nozzles 67 connected near the lower portion of the ducts 64 and 66. If a more complete description of the structure and operation of the air nozzles 59 and 67 is desired, reference may be had to co-pending application Ser. No. 100,318, filed concurrently herewith and entitled "Air Duct System for a Cotton Harvester".

The spindle drums 34 and 36 and the doffers 38 and 40 are driven by a conventional drive assembly located in a gear housing or cam support 70 in an upper box-like structure 71 of each housing assembly 28. A gear box 72 is located on the top of each housing assembly 28 and includes a bevel gear transmission which is operably connected by a vertical drive shaft to the drive assembly in the gear housing 70. Drive shafts 74 and 76 extend forwardly from the frame and operate the gear boxes 72 on the inner harvesting units 20 and 22. Telescoping transverse shaft members 78 and 80 (FIG. 2) operably connect the gear boxes on the outboard units 24 and 26, respectively, with gear boxes on the adjacent inboard harvesting units. Shields 79 and 81 (FIG. 1) cover the shafts 78 and 80, respectively.

As seen best in FIG. 2, a support assembly indicated generally at 82 is provided for mounting the harvesting units 20-26 on the forward end of the frame 12 and for moving the units vertically with respect to the frame. The assembly 82 includes a pair of axially aligned, transverse rockshafts 84 and 86 supported from the frame 12 by brackets 87. Welded to and extending forwardly from each rockshaft are a reinforced outer lift arm 90 (FIG. 5) and an inner lift arm 92. The inner lift arms 92 are connected to the corresponding units 20 and 22 by adjustable brackets 94 bolted to the inwardly facing sides of the upper box-like structures 71. A transverse pivot pin 96 extends through bushings in the bracket 94 and the lift arm 92. The outer lift arms 90 are connected to the housing assemblies 28 of the inner units by upright brackets 98 and transverse pins 100 extending through the corresponding brackets and arms. A hydraulic cylinder 102 is connected between reinforcing members 104 on each outer lift arm 90 and the frame 12. As best seen in FIG. 5, the outer lift arms 90 are secured to the rockshafts 84 and 86 so that they are angled or preloaded upwardly with respect to the inner lift arms when the harvesting units are disconnected. In other words, with the lift arms unloaded, the outer lift arms 90 are positioned higher than the inner lift arms 92. As will be discussed in detail later, the upward preloading prevents the outboard harvesting units from dropping lower than the inboard units from which they are supported. The slots in the brackets allow the inwardly facing sides of the inner units to be adjusted vertically so that the units can be levelled in the transverse direction.

Stabilizer bars 108 extend between lower rear brackets 110 on the inboard units 20 and 22 and arms 112 carried by a pair of rockshafts 114 supported on the frame 12. The stabilizer bars 108 provide lower support for and determine the front to rear slope of the harvesting units 20 and 22. As best seen in FIG. 2, stabilizer bars are connected only between the inboard units 20 and 22 and the frame. Two bars are provided for each inboard unit, one connected to the bottom frame of the compartment inboard of the plant passage 30 and the other connected to the bottom frame outboard of the passage.

In the preferred embodiment, the outboard harvesting units 24 and 26 are supported entirely from the inboard units 20 and 22, respectively. Each outboard unit is cantilevered from the inboard unit by an adjustable tie assembly indicated generally at 116. A front telescoping cross member 118 (FIG. 3) connects the upper forward portion of the outboard unit with the forward end of the corresponding inboard unit. A rear telescoping cross member 120 connects the rear portions of the adjacent units. Front and rear lower tie plates 122 and 124 are bolted to and maintain a preselected spacing between the lower portions of the adjacent inboard and outboard units. The cross members and tie plates connected to the inboard units not only space the adjacent units but also provide fore-and-aft support for the inboard compartment associated with the forward spindle drums 34 on the outboard units 24 and 26. The adjustable tie assemblies 116 are identical for the left- and right-hand pairs of harvesting units. The outer harvesting units 24 and 26 are essentially the mirror images of the inner units 20 and 22 from which they depend, as best seen in FIG. 2. An accomodation space 125 (FIG. 2) is provided between the adjacent pairs of units just ahead of each of the wheels 14 and 16 wherein are located the discharge structures 60 and 62.

The upper box-like structure 71 (FIGS. 3, 4 and 6) of each housing assembly 28 includes a top plate 130 and a center sheet 132 spaced below and substantially congruent with the top plate 130. The space between the top plate 130 and the center sheet 132 form a compartment 134 (FIG. 3) extending substantially the entire width of the row unit. A sheet metal stiffener 136 extends in the fore-and-aft direction through the compartment 134 and includes top and bottom flanges 138 and 140, bolted to the top plate 130 and center sheet 132, respectively. The sheet metal stiffener 136 is notched at the top as shown generally at 142 in FIG. 3 to accommodate the pan-shaped gear housing or cam support 70 which extends diagonally across the top of the unit. The cam support 70, as best seen in FIG. 6, which is a view looking upwardly into the box-like structure above the center sheet 132 with the arrow indicating the forward direction of travel, includes side walls 144 with upper flanges 146 welded or otherwise secured to the top plate 130. The ends of the cam support 70 are generally closed by front and rear end walls 148 and 150 essentially parallel to front and rear top plate edges 152 and 154, respectively, and by side end walls 156 and 158 which extend upwardly just inside downturned flanges 160 and 162 on the respective outer and inner edges of the top plate 130. Conventional side panels, which are removed in FIG. 6 for purposes of clarity but are shown at 164-168 in FIG. 4, are connected by bolts 170 and 172 between the downturned flanges 160 and 162 of the top plate 130 and corresponding upturned flanges 174 directly below on the center sheet 132. The side end walls 156 and 158 of the cam support 70 are connected to corresponding side panels by bolts 176. The adjustable bracket 94 is connected to the inner units by four bolts which extend through the vertical slots in the bracket and through the panel into the side end wall 156 on the inboard unit.

Front and rear cam castings 180 and 182 connected to the bottom 184 of the cam support 70 by bolts 186 at a plurality of angularly spaced points afford a reinforcing characteristic to the support 70. The notch 142 in the stiffener 136 which accommodates the cam support 70 is flanged at 188 and the bottom 184 of the support is connected to the flange by bolts 190. A flanged transverse structural sheet 192 is bolted between the top plate 130 and the center sheet 132 and is also bolted to the stiffener 136.

A more detailed description of a typical housing structure made of sheets and panels may be found in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 2,803,938. The present structure is shown in sufficient detail to adequately describe the attachment of the telescoping cross members 118 and 120 for cantilevering an outboard harvesting unit from the adjacent inboard unit. The right-hand inner harvesting unit 20 is substantially the mirror image of the left-hand inner unit 22, so only the attachment of the members to the inboard unit 20 and corresponding outboard unit 24 will be described in detail. The symmetry of the inboard-outboard unit pairs and the inboard and outboard units results in increased standardization of components.

Referring to FIG. 3 wherein the general location of the adjustable tie assembly 116 with respect to the housing assembly 28 for the unit 24 is shown diagrammatically, and to FIG. 6, the front telescoping cross member 118 includes a first tubular beam 200 having a flanged end 202 connected to the sheet metal stiffener by bolts 204. The beam 200 extends transversely from the stiffener and through notches at 206 and 208 in the cam support side wall 144 and side end wall 158, respectively. The bottom 184 of the cam support 70 extends under the tubular beam 200 to a juncture with the front end wall 148 of the support which extends upwardly adjacent the forward side of the beam and terminates in a flange 210 which is bolted at locations 212 to the top plate 130. The support may also be spot-welded to the plate 130. The beam 200 is rigidly connected to the cam support 70 by welding the beam to the wall 148 and support bottom 184. The beam 200 extends outwardly beyond the flange 162 and the corresponding side panels.

The adjacent outboard unit 24 (FIG. 3) supports a second tubular beam 216, essentially identical to the beam 200, in substantially the same manner as the beam 200 is supported in the unit 20. The upper box-like structure 71 for the unit 24 is the mirror image of the structure 71 for the adjacent unit 20 and for brevity, many of the corresponding parts are numbered identically in both FIGS. 3 and 6. Many of the components in the housing assemblies are identical because of the symmetry of the units. The first tubular beam 200, however, carries a jack bracket 218 (FIG. 6) for providing a leverage point to be used when the adjacent units are adjusted transversely with respect to each other. A forward bar 220 with transversely spaced apertures 222 is secured within the tubular beam 216 of the unit 24 by a bolt 224 extending through holes in the upright walls of the beam and through one of the apertures 222. When the outboard unit is attached to the inboard unit, the bar 220 is received by the first tubular beam 200. The outboard unit can then be adjusted with respect to the inboard unit by extending a lever or similar tool through a hole 226 in a forward wall 228 of the jack bracket 218 and into one of the apertures 222 and moving the tool to slide the bar 220 into or out of the beam 200. A bolt is inserted through holes 230 in the beam 200 and through another of the apertures 222 to maintain the deserved spacing after the units are adjusted.

The rear telescoping cross member 120 is also rigidly tied into the upper box-like structure 71 of the adjacent inboard and outboard units. The cross member 120 includes a square tubular beam 240 rigidly attached to the inner unit and a tubular beam 242 attached in substantially the same fashion to the outboard unit. The tubular beams 240 and 242 are actually attached to rear panel assemblies 244 and 246, respectively, which are tied to the top plate 130, center sheet 132, cam support 70, and stiffener 136, as well as to a vertical channel post 248 on each unit as described in detail below. A square bar 250 with apertures 252 is positioned within the square tubular beam 242 of the outboard unit and secured therein by a bolt 253. The bar 250 is inserted into the beam 240 as the outboard unit is attached to the corresponding inboard unit. A jack bracket 254, similar to the jack bracket 218 but having a hole 256 in an upper plate 258 for easier access, is welded to the beam 240. Holes 260 receive a bolt which also passes through one of the apertures 252 to maintain the selected spacing between the inboard and outboard units. The adjustable tie assembly 116 includes the front horizontally disposed tie plate 122 extending between and bolted to adjacent bottom frames 264 and 266 which run from the front to the back of each unit and form the floor structure below the forward spindle drums 34 and doffing assemblies 38. The tie plate 122 is bolted through one of two sets of transversely spaced holes 268 depending on whether relatively widely or narrowly spaced rows of cotton are being harvested. The rear tie plate 124 is bolted between the rear flanges of the channel posts 248, either in a horizontal position as shown in FIG. 3 for widely spaced rows or alternatively in a vertical position rotated 90.degree. from that shown in FIG. 3 for narrower rows. Holes 270 in the channel posts 248 accommodate the bolting of the plate 124 in either position.

The rear panel assemblies 244 and 246 which carry the tubular beams 242 and 244, respectively, will now be described. Welded to the front face of the beam 240 is a panel 272 (FIGS. 6-8) having an inner end portion 274 with an upper flange 276 aligned with and extending forwardly from the top of the beam 240. The end portion 274 extends below the beam 240 terminating in a forwardly extending flange 278 directly below the flange 276. The distance between the flanges 276 and 278 is equal to the distance between the bottom 184 of the cam support 70 and the center sheet 132. The flange 278 is connected to the center sheet 132, and the flange 276 is connected to the bottom 184 of the cam support 70 by bolts 280. An end flange 282 on the panel 272 is connected to the stiffener 136 by bolts 284.

An outer end section 286 of the panel 272 is a continuation of the portion 274 but extends upwardly therefrom to the top plate 130 terminating in a top flange 288 connected to the plate 130 by four bolts 290. The lower part of the panel section 286 is bolted to a flange (not shown) on the center sheet 132 at locations 292. The lift brackets 98 are welded to the section 286 of the panel 272 and to the beam 240. A leg 294 extends forwardly from and at a right angle to the section 286 and is connected to the top plate flange 162 by a bolt 296. The leg 294 is also connected to the vertical channel post 248 by a bolt 298 and to the center sheet 132. The channel post 248 is connected at its lower end to the bottom frame 264. To provide additional strength in the area where the beam 240 is connected to the cam support 70, an upper bracket 300 is connected to the top plate 130 and the cam support side wall 144. A rear bracket 302 is bolted to the side wall 144 and bracket 300 and is connected to the section 286 of the panel 272.

The rear panel assembly 246 (FIG. 3) for the outboard unit is essentially identical to the above-described assembly 244. Since no lift arms are connected to the outboard unit, a single brace 304 is welded between the beam 242 and the panel rather than lift arm brackets.

Additional strength is provided by double-channel posts shown at 306 connected at the outer rear corners of the outboard units extending between the upper box-like structure 71 and the corresponding bottom frame. Reinforcing channel posts 308 and corner angles 310 also extend between and space the structure 71 and the bottom frame. The various posts and angles are structurally tied to the bottom frames, center sheet and top plate of each unit by conventional means such as by bolting to flanges provided on the various components.

The outboard units are supported entirely from the inboard units. To provide fore-and-aft support for the outboard units without utilizing lower stabilizers, a diagonal brace 312 (FIG. 4) is connected between the rigid upper box-like structure 71 and the front of the outer bottom frame 314. The upper end of the brace 312 is connected to the panel 168 and the cam support 70 by a bolt 316. The brace 312 extends downwardly through a hole in a corner support 318 and terminates in a flattened end which is connected to the frame 314 by a bolt 320 inwardly of a front support 322. The corner and front supports 318 and 322 are connected between the structure 71 and the frame 314. The respective bottom frames are supported from the structure 71 by the supports and channel posts.

If an outboard unit is grounded or strikes an obstacle while the harvester 10 is moving forwardly through the field, the fore-and-aft force acting on the outer bottom frame 314 (FIG. 4) of the housing assembly frame that would otherwise distort and collapse the unit is transferred to the rigid structure 71. Therefore, to collapse the unit the structure 71 would have to bend. However, the above-described rigid box construction of the structure 71 provides a very strong beam which will not yield to the force transferred through the diagonal brace 312. Fore-and-aft support for the harvesting unit structure located inwardly of the crop receiving opening 30 on the outboard units 24 and 26 is provided by the telescoping cross members 118 and 120 which are rigidly tied to the box-like structure 71 on the units and on the corresponding inboard units 20 and 26, and by the lower tie plates 122 and 124.

The upright opening 49 in the housing assemblies 28 are provided in a conventional manner behind the doffers 38 and 40, such as by leaving uncovered an area generally extending vertically between the upper box-like structure 71 and the bottom frame and horizontally between the upright structural supports. The discharge structures 42-48 (FIGS. 2 and 4) are of a conventional design well known to those skilled in the art and are attached by suitable brackets or the like to the rear of the harvesting units 20-26 and open forwardly into the upright opening 49. The discharge structure 48 (FIG. 4) is connected to the unit 26 by a flanged connection at the bottom frame and is clamped to the center sheet at 320.

Referring now primarily to FIGS. 2, and 9-14 there are shown the high volume suction door assemblies or discharge structures 60 and 62 which receive the cotton from the forward doffers 38. Since the suction doors 60 and 62 are substantially identical, only the right-hand structure 60 will be described in detail. Corresponding parts on the left-hand structure 62, shown attached to the inboard harvesting unit 22 in FIG. 12, are numbered identically for brevity.

The assembly 60 includes a pair of upright, forwardly diverging side walls 324 and 326, preferably formed from sheet metal and including forwardly bent lips or U-shaped portions 328 and 330. The side walls 324 and 326 define a forward opening in the assembly 60. A metal strap 332 spaces and provides upper support for the side walls 324 and 326. The strap 332 extends around the side walls thereby reinforcing the top portion of the assembly 60 which opens upwardly. A rear wall or partition 334 connects the side walls 324 and 326. The partition 334 extends downwardly from the strap 332 and terminates above the bottom of the assembly 60 to define a cotton receiving opening 338. The lower portion of the assembly 60 between the side walls 324 and 326 is closed by a bottom panel 340 which is angled slightly upwardly from the horizontal.

A rearwardly and outwardly extending duct 342 is fixed to the rear of the rear partition 334 and defines a passageway connecting the opening 338 with a duct-connecting portion 344. The connecting portion 344 receive the lower portion of the cotton conveying duct 64 or 66 which extends rearwardly to the cotton receptacle 58 on the harvester. The duct 342 includes opposite lower side walls 350 extending rearwardly from the side walls 324 and 326. A clean-out door 352 is connected by a hinge 354 to the rear of the bottom panel 340 and forms a closure behind the opening 338. A latch 356 releasably secures the clean out door 352 so the door can be lowered to clean out any trash build-up near the lower portion of the assembly 60. The duct 342 extends upwardly from the side walls 350 and is generally rectangular in cross-section having a rear wall 358 and opposite side walls 360. A forward duct wall 362 is connected between the side walls 360 generally parallel to the partition 334. As is evident from FIG. 10, the duct 342 angles outwardly toward the right (toward the left in FIG. 12) so that the left most side wall 360 is located near the center of the partition 334 at the top of the assembly 60. The connecting portion 344, which is generally rectangularly shaped, extends substantially straight upwardly from the top of the duct 342. A pair of transversely extending pins 366 receive a pair of mating connectors attached to the conveying duct 64 or 66 to hold the duct in position on the connecting portion 344. A bracket 368 is connected to the upper portion of the assembly 66 and is connected by bolts 371 to a bracket 369 welded to the tubular beam 240 of the right-hand inner harvesting unit 20. A lower bracket 370 is welded to the bottom panel 340 and is connected to a plate 372 by bolts 373. As best seen in FIG. 12, the plate 372 is bolted to the vertical channel post 248, and, together with an extension plate 374 (FIG. 9) bolted thereto and the rear tie plate 124, close the lower area between the bottom panel 340 and the post 248. Support for the double-door assembly 60 is therefore provided by the inner harvesting unit for reducing the weight carried by the outer unit, and for ease in assemblying the units and in adjusting the units transversely with respect to each other. The outer unit can be detached, as shown in FIG. 12, without removing the double-door assembly. The slope of the duct 342 permits the connecting portion 344 and the corresponding conveying duct 64 or 66 to be outwardly offset so that the two outermost ducts 50 and 62, or 56 and 66, are spaced more closely, and better cab clearance and operator visibility are provided. More room is also provided for the outer lift arm 90 by offsetting the duct.

As best seen in FIG. 9, a vertical baffle plate 380 extends from a point beside the right-hand doffer 38 to the rear of the unit 24. The baffle plate 380 is pivotally connected at its forward edge 384 to a substantially vertical hinge 382 and extends rearwardly to a rear vertical channel portion 386 (FIG. 13) which extends on either side of the lip 330 of the discharge structure side wall 326. A second baffle plate 390 is hinged at 392 to the inboard unit 20 and extends rearwardly, terminating in a vertical channel 394 (FIG. 14) which extends on either side of the lip 328 of the side wall 324 of the door assembly 60. The baffle plates 380 and 390 define one boundary of each upright opening 49 which opens onto the front portion of the structure 60. Cotton removed by the doffers 38 is conveyed rearwardly through the openings 49 as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 9. The cotton strikes the rear partition 334, dropping downwardly to the opening 338 where it is sucked upwardly through the duct 342 and 344 and rearwardly through the duct 64 or 66 into the harvester basket. An upright fore-and-aft extending divider panel 398 is provided between the side walls 324 and 326 to prevent cotton from one of the doffers 38 from being thrown into the opposite doffer area. A deflector 400 (FIG. 11) is connected to the structure 60 just above the opening 338 to improve the flow of cotton and air from the forward portion of the housing assembly 60 to the duct 342. The forward portion of the structure between the harvesting units 20 and 24 and above the closure formed by the plates 124, 372 and 374, is opened to the atmosphere to provide the air for the suction door.

As the outer unit 24 is adjusted transversely with respect to the inner unit 20, the discharge structure 60 which is fixed to the inner unit changes position with respect to the outer unit. The panel 380 can pivot about the hinge 382 to accommodate the change in position, thereby eliminating need to change or otherwise readjust the panel.

The double-door assemblies 60 and 62 handle the entire volume of cotton picked by the forward spindle drums 34. Each double-door assembly allows a single air duct to service a pair of spindle drums. By attaching the double-door assembly to the inboard unit and hinging the baffle plate 380 to the outboard unit, assembly and adjustment of the row units with respect to each other is simplified. The entire structure 60 can be easily removed during servicing of the units by removing the bolts 371 and 373. Various conventional types of connectors well known to those skilled in the art can be used to attach the structures 60 and 62 to the unit.

The brackets 94 connecting the lift arms 90 and 92 with the inboard units 20 and 22 include adjustable lift arm pins which allow each harvesting unit to be adjusted laterally with respect to the corresponding arms so that the spacing between the two inboard units can be varied to accommodate the particular row spacing in the field to be harvested. In addition, the brackets 94 which are bolted to the harvesting units include vertical slots 410 for transversely leveling the units. The lower stabilizer bars 108 (FIG. 2) include an adjusting turnbuckle (not shown) for adjusting the front to rear slope of the harvesting units. The bars 220 and 250 of the tie assembly 116 are telescoped within their corresponding beams and the tie plates 122 and 124 are connected so that the desired spacing between the inboard and outboard units may be achieved.

Each rockshaft 84 and 86 can be controlled independently by the hydraulic cylinder 102 so that the height of the pair of harvesting units 20 and 24 can be controlled independently of the height of the harvesting units 22 and 26. Automatic height sensing assemblies 412 which may be of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,643,407, are provided near the inside of each inboard unit and on the outward side of the outboard unit and are connected through a hydromechanical valve to the control system for the hydraulic cylinders 102 to automatically raise and lower each inboard-outboard harvesting unit pair and maintain it a predetermined distance above the ground during harvesting of the crop. The individual units for each pair are tied together by a rod 414 so that the individual harvesting unit that is closest to the ground at any given time will control the operation of the automatic height adjustment mechanism.

The drive shaft assembly connecting the outboard gear box assembly with the inboard gear box assembly for each inboard-outboard pair of harvesting units telescopes at splined connections 416 (FIG. 2) to facilitate transverse adjustment of the units with respect to each other. The drive shafts 74 and 76 receive power through a conventional belt and pulley arrangement connected to the main drive shaft of the harvester 10. Air is supplied to the conveying ducts 50, 52, 54, 56, 64, and 66 by a blower which may be of the type described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 3,487,450. A pair of flexible air supply conduits 420 receive air from the blower and direct it to the nozzles 67. The nozzles 67 are also connected by conduits 422 to the adjacent nozzles 59 on the outermost ducts 50 and 56 to supply air thereto.

In preparation for harvesting, the inner harvesting units 20 and 22 are transversely adjusted on the pivots 94 to properly space the plant passages 30 for the particular row spacings. The tie asemblies 116 are adjusted to space the outer units 24 and 26 with respect to the adjacent inner units.

The drive wheels 14 and 16 embrace two rows of cotton plants which are harvested by the inner units 20 and 22. The outer units 24 and 26 harvest the rows immediately outward of the drive wheels.

The tie assemblies 116 maintain the outer units at approximately the same level as the corresponding inner units. The height of the pairs of units 20-24 and 22-26 are individually adjustable by the two cylinders 102 which during harvesting are controlled automatically by the height sensing units 412. The upwardly preloaded lift arms 90 prevent the outer units from dropping below the level of the adjacent inner unit as the inner lift arms 92 are torqued upwardly with respect to the arms 90. The stabilizers 108 maintain the desired front-to-rear slope of the inner units 20 and 22. The tie assemblies 116 keep the slope of the outer units substantially the same as the adjacent inner units. Upright channel-shaped rub plates 424 and 426 (FIGS. 1 and 2) are bolted to the inner side panels of the inboard units 20 and 22, respectively, to maintain the proper spacing between the units while allowing the units to move up and down freely with respect to each other. The outward force exerted on the lower portion of the units 20 and 22 as the rub plates are forced into contact with each other tends to pivot the inboard-outboard pairs of units about the lift arms and thereby provide a lifting effect which helps to maintain the outboard unit level with respect to the inboard unit.

While only one form of the invention has been shown, it should be recognized that other forms and variations will occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, while the present disclosure was shown and described in detail for purposes of fully and concisely illustrating the principles of the invention, it should be understood that such was the purpose of this disclosure and was not intended to limit or narrow the invention beyond the broad concepts set forth in the appended claims.