US1537102A

US1537102A - Cotton-picking machine

Info

Publication number: US1537102A
Application number: US479541A
Authority: US
Inventors: Oscar B Winston
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1921-06-22
Filing date: 1921-06-22
Publication date: 1925-05-12
Anticipated expiration: 1942-05-12

Description

Mayv 12, 1925. 1,537,102

O. B. WNSTN COTTON PICKING MACHINE Filed Ju'e 22, 1921 2 Sheets-Shouf 2 A* @j JWENTOR. v

J ATTORNEY.

Patented May 12, 1925.

oscAE B. WINsToN, or

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

COTTON-Prelims MACHINE.

Application filed .Tune 22,

To aZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR B. TvViNs'roN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tennessee, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Picking Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same.

My invention relates especially to a cotton picking machine which is adapted to be carried by the cotton pickeroroperatoig and has for its object to provide a device of this cl'iaracter which will quickly and efficiently transfer the cotton from the boll of the cotton plant to a receptacle provided for the purpose.

VWith this object'in view, my device comprises the new and novel features hereinafter more fully set out inthe drawings, specifications and claims.

In the drawings:

F igl is a front view 'of thedevice as it looks When being carried bythe operator and shows the position of the hands when holding the boll against the -machine in order to allow the removal of the cotton.

Fig. 2 is a side View ofy the device showing the motor and fan in side elevation and the picking device in section on the line II-II of Figure 3. i

Fig. 3 isal front view ofthe picking head of the machine, with `the left half in section taken on the line III--III of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings in whichv the parts are indicated by the same i'nnneral v,in all. the views, `1` is a Vcasing covering an ordinary electric motor l"l such as is used in a vacuum carpet sweeper, and 2 the casing inclosing a fan 2a sin'iilarly.use il-as no especial novelty is claimed for either the fan or motor,y these are not shown in further detail-fand hereinafter, the numerals 1 and 2 will be used as referring to the motor and fan lrespectively ratherthan specifically to the casings enclosing the same. Arvire 3 leads from the motor to a source `of current not shown-such source may be a storage battery carried on lthe back of the operator or on' alight truck or may be from a stationary source not shown. 4 is the discharge outlet of the fan ywhich leads through a short length of hose 5 to the 1cotton sack 6 which may be of the ordinary type yadapted to be dragged on the ground behind the operator.M

1921. Serial No. 479,541.

i. f n i i I lhis bag can drag from the connecting hose 5 but preferably is independently fastened to the belt 7 in any suitable manner so that no strain will come 'on the fan. The motor 1 and fan 2 are attached to a plate 8 adapted to rest against the stomach of they operator and to be lirmly secured around his waist by thc belt 7, and are supported on the person of the operator by the belt 7 and by `a supporting or carrying strap 9 which attaches'to a projecting loop 10 on the fan 2 and is adapted to support the weight of the device from the shoulders of the operator.`

.The picking head of the device comprises a housing` or casing 11 having a contracted rear section 12 which preferably has a flange 13 fastened by screws 14: to the housiiig of the :lan 2. i

The front of this housing 11 is guarded by a cover 15attached by a hinge 16 to the said housing, and having a clamp or clamps 17 to hold it in lplace when closed. This cover is provided with two symmetrically located rectangular openings 18 each of which has a` plurality of oppositely disposed and parallel lingers 19 extending from two opposite sides thereof. These lingers preferably have their free ends depressed behind the plane of the cover 15 and these ends are preferably separated by a space approxi-k mately equal to the spacing of the lingers themselves.A 20, 20a and 21, 21a respectively are two pairs of brushes which are'mounted on .and rotated by shafts 22, 221.r These brushes have sets of bristles corresponding in .number with the openings between the lingers 19. The ln'istles may be true bristles or it found desirable be of wood or metal.

`They are preferably so set in relation to each other that the bristles of onebrush fall opposite the space between bristles of the opposite brush. The

shafts

22, 22a, are driven by worin wheels 24, 2da respectively and these wheels in turn are driven by a central worm 25 which is mounted on the shaft 26 which is an extension of the fan sha ft. rlfhis central location of the worin causes the two brushes of a pair (as 20, 20a) to rotate in opposite directions as is desired and since the direction of rotation ofthe fan is fixed, and

in order that the brushes may rotat'eiuwzu'd or backward toward each other.l the woi'iin'is so threaded that theworm wheels 24,211 are rotated in the direction of the arrows and the brushes 20, 20, 21, 21a are similarly rotated. The shafts 22` are preferably smiarc lll) or hexagonal andare either turned down or provided with bushings 32 to form journals which rotate in the bearings 27. rllhese square shafts engage square sockets in the

worm wheels

24, 24 which drive them.

In the rear of the brushes 2 20, 2l,':2l the inside of the housing l1 has oppositely disposed flanges 2S, to which stripping combs 291 are attached by screws 30.

The action of the machine is as follows-- the carrying strap 9 is adjusted over the shoulders and around the neck, the plate S is adjusted and the strap A buckled to keep it securely in place. Then so fastened it will be especially noted that the movement of the machine is entirely controlled by the movement of the bodyrof the operator and not controlled by his hands nor does it interfere with the free use of the hands. Having adjusted the machine on the `person the cotton sack G attached and preferably hooked to the belt T, and the current wire l is connected to the motor l.

'lhe operator being now ready for picking, approaches the cotton plant and grasping tl e bells with each hand brings them against the picking head, where the bristles on the brushes 20, 20, 2l, 2ln engage the liber of the cotton and forcibly remove it from the boll, carrying the cotton backward through the picking head on the brush until it is strippedtherefrom by the stripping combs 29. The vacuum current of the fau then sucks the cotton into the fan and throws it through the discharge pipe 4f into the cotton sack 6.

lt will again be noted that the movement of the body brings the machine into proximity to the cotton plant and possibly with a cotton boll, but that ordinarily the actual contact of the cotton with the brushes is brought about by bringing the open boll against the machine not the machine against the boll. Since both hands are free they can be busied in bringing in the bolls either synchronously or alternately as the case may be. As soon as the brush engagesthe cotton the hand is 'released to secure additional bells for ih iicking. lt is not intended that the boll be detached from the stalkbut should it be detached no harm is done. The lingers 19 hold back the bells, stalks and leaves and let only the cotton through, but the grip of the brushes on the cotton hold the boll until all the cotton is removed therefrom.

Where bells are belowl the normal height of the machine on the operator-s body, it is necessary to stoop over to bring the machine inte proximity to them. I also find that some of the lower bells on the plants are too low to be reached and these I detach and bring against the machine releasing them as soon as the lint is engaged by the brushes, leaving the hands free to bring additional boils against the picker head, while the lint is being removed from those so engaged.

It will be clearly seen that greater speed can certainly be obtained where the boll is brought against the picker head than where the picker head is brought to the boll, especially since the boll can be released by the hand before the lint has entirely been removed and the hand be then free to bring an additional boll or bolls against the picker head. It will also be readily seen that often two or even more bolls may be brought against the picker head by a single movement of one hand.

It will be yreadily 'understood that minor details of the machine may be Variedwitliout departing from the spirit of my invention and that 1 do not wish to limit my-A self to the exact details here shown.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent in the United States is l. In a cotton picking machine, a recep- Yacle for the cotton, a housing; picking means, an exhaust fan for transferring the cotton from the picking means to the said receptacle, and a motor driving said picking means and fan, all within said housing; current wires leading to the said motor, and .means lattaching said housing means rigidly to the body of the operator whereby the direction of the machine will be controlled solely by the movement of the operator and the hands of the operator be left free to bring the cotton boils into contact with the picking head.

2. A cotton picking machine, comprising a receptacle for the cotton, a housing; picking means, means for transferring the cotton from the picking means to the said receiitacle, and means for operating the said picking means and transferring means, all within said housing; and means for attaching the said housing rigidly to the body of the operator.

3. In a cotton picking machine, the combination with a receptacle for the cotton, a housing; picking means within said housing', means for transferring the cotton from the picking means to the said receptacle and means within said housing for operating the said picking and transferring means, of a carrying strap, a plate rigidly attached to the said housing, a strap to fasten and to hold the said plate rigidly yagainst the body of the operator Awhereby the direction of the said picker head will be controlled solely by the movement of the body of the operator and his hands be leftfree to bring the cotton bells into `Contact with the said pick-ing means.

Il. A cotton picking machine having'a" receptacle for the cotton, a housing; picking means, means for transferring -the Vcotton from the said picking means to the sais1 receptacle, and means for operating the said picking means and the said transferring means, all within said housing; `and means yfor attaching the said housing rigidly'to the body of anv operator whereby the direction of the picking means will be controlled solely by the movements of the body of the operator and his hands be left free to bring the cotton bolls into contact with the said picking means.

5. A motton picking machine, comprising a receptacle, a motor, an exhaust fan driven by the said motor, a casing for said fan, and a picking head mounted on said fan casing, comprising a housing, two pairs of cooperating brushes, two shafts journalled in the said housing, each carrying and driving two of the said brushes, a worm wheel mounted on each of the said shafts, a worin gear mounted on and operated by an extension of the fan shaft,"a cover for the said housing having openings therethrough, over the said brushes, lingers partially closing the said openings, and a stripping comb for each of the said brushes.

G. A cotton picking machine, comprising a receptacle, a motor, an exhaust fandriven by the said motor, a casing for said fan,

and a picking head, mounted on the said a cover for the said housing having open ings therethrough, over the said brushes and having fingers partially closing the said openings. f

7. A cotton picking machine, comprising a receptacle, a motor, an exhaust fan driven by the said motor, a casing for said fan, and a picking head, mounted on the said fan casing, comprising a housing, two pairs of cooperating brushes, two shafts journalled in the said housing, each ing and driving two of the said brushes, a worm wheel mounted on each of the said shafts, a worm gear mounted on and operated by an extension of thefan shaft, and a stripping comb forV each of the said brushes. y

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my name. i

:W'itnesses CHAs.- E. SPEER, ,v yH. S. HAWKINS.

oscary n. wiNsToN.

carry-