Rolling cylindrical cotton modules laterally

Abstract

A conveyor delivers a series of cylindrical wrapped fibrous modules to a station where the module is lifted off the conveyor and an operation conducted on the module. One operation is to find a tail, or unattached segment, of the cover. Another operation is to remove the cover, by slitting and then unwinding it. The cover is delivered to a storage area and the contents of the module are delivered into a hopper, or in some embodiments, into a disperser. In some embodiments, a grabber moves the slit cover from adjacent a slitting position to a storage area and includes a guide wheel for moving a conveyor up and down in response to the configuration of the round module. In one embodiments, the plastic cover is removed manually by workers guiding the plastic wrap as it is unrolled by the unrolling device.

1 . A method of operating a cotton gin using round cotton modules as feedstock, the cotton modules having ends, a generally round surface between the ends and an axis extending through the ends, the cotton gin having a conveyor upstream of means for digesting cotton modules, the conveyor having a direction of movement generally toward the digesting means, comprising placing the round cotton modules on the conveyor with the axes generally parallel to the direction of movement, and rolling the round cotton modules off the conveyor laterally of the direction of movement. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the digesting means comprises a hopper having means therein for disintegrating the module into cotton clumps and further comprising disintegrating the module in the hopper. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of placing the round cotton modules on the conveyor comprises placing a plurality of the round cotton modules on the conveyor in juxtaposed position. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of rolling the cotton modules off the conveyor comprises pushing round cotton modules off the conveyor. 
     
     
         5 . A module feeder, comprising
 a digester for disintegrating round cotton modules;   a conveyor for delivering the round modules in a direction of movement generally toward the digester; and   a mechanism for rolling the modules off the conveyor in a direction transverse to the direction of movement.   
     
     
         6 . The module feeder of  claim 5  wherein the digester comprises a hopper, laterally of the conveyor, having means therein for disintegrating the module into cotton clumps. 
     
     
         7 . The module feeder of  claim 5  wherein the rolling mechanism includes a pusher laterally of the conveyor. 
     
     
         8 . The module feeder of  claim 5  wherein the conveyor includes spaced apart conveying mechanisms and the rolling mechanism includes a pusher under the conveyor and extendable between the conveying mechanisms.