Narrow row cotton harvester and picker unit

Abstract

A cotton harvester and picker unit is provided for the harvesting of narrow spaced row cotton. The cotton harvester is provided with novel picker units which overlap one another to reduce the total lateral width of the cotton harvester. The inventive harvesting units are also elongated in the direction of the travel to reduce the transverse width. The picker units also have a composite post assembly, compressor sheet and plant lifter which allows for quick disassembly without hand or power tools. Removal of the front post assembly provides easier access to the rotors for maintenance or removal of chokes.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A multi-row picker cotton harvester comprising: a first drum unit with a first fore-and-aft plant passage, said first drum unit including: a first forward picker rotor with a rotational axis and orbit on a first side of said first fore-and-aft passageway; and   a first rear picker rotor with a rotational axis and orbit on the side of said first fore-and-aft passageway opposite said first side; and     at least a second drum unit with a second fore-and-aft plant passage including a second forward picker rotor with an orbit, wherein a line being generally parallel to said second fore-and-aft passageway and tangent with said second forward picker rotor orbit intersects said first rear rotor orbit.   
     
     
       2. A cotton harvester as described in claim 1, wherein the rotational axis of said first forward rotor and said second forward rotor are transversely aligned. 
     
     
       3. A multi-row picker cotton harvester comprising: a first drum unit with a first fore-and-aft plant passage including: a first forward picker rotor and associated doffer, said first forward rotor having a rotational axis on a first side of said first fore-and-aft passage;   a first rear picker rotor and associated doffer, said first rear rotor having a rotational axis and orbit on the side of said first fore-and-aft passage opposite said first side; and     at least a second drum unit with a second fore-and-aft plant passage including: a second forward picker rotor and associated doffer, said second forward doffer being situated such that a line parallel to said first fore-and-aft passage intersecting with the rotational axis of said second forward doffer is also intersecting with said first rear rotor orbit.     
     
     
       4. A cotton harvester as described in claim 3, wherein the rotational axis of said first forward rotor and said second forward rotor are transversely aligned. 
     
     
       5. A multi-row picker cotton harvester comprising: a first drum unit with a first fore-and-aft plant passage including: a first forward picker rotor with a rotational axis and orbit on a first side of said fore-and-aft passageway;   a first forward doffer for removing cotton from said first forward rotor;   a first rear picker rotor with a rotational axis and orbit on the side of said fore-and-aft passageway opposite said first side; and   a first rear doffer for removing cotton from said first rear rotor; and     at least a second drum unit with a second fore-and-aft plant passage, said second drum unit including: at least a second forward picker rotor being situate such that a line drawn generally parallel to said first fore-and-aft passage and tangent to said first rear doffer intersects with the orbit of said second forward picker rotor; and   a second forward doffer for removing cotton from said second forward rotor, said second forward doffer being situated such that a line can be drawn parallel to said first fore-and-aft passage intersecting with a portion of said first rear doffer and intersecting with said second forward doffer.     
     
     
       6. A cotton harvester as described in claim 5, wherein the rotational axis of said first forward rotor and said second forward rotor are transversely aligned. 
     
     
       7. A multi-row picker cotton harvester comprising: a first drum with a first fore-and-aft plant passage including:   a first forward picker rotor and associated doffer;   a first rear picker rotor and associated doffer, said first rear rotor having a rotational axis and orbit on the side of said first fore-and-aft plant passage opposite said first foreward rotor;   at least a second drum unit with a second fore-and-aft plant passage including;   a second forward picker rotor with an orbit and associated doffer, and wherein a line parallel to said first fore-and-aft plant passage intersects the orbits of said first rear rotor and said second forward rotor, and said line also intersects said first rear and said second forward doffers.   
     
     
       8. A cotton harvester as described in claim 7, further comprising transversely aligned first and second forward rotor rotational axis. 
     
     
       9. A picker cotton harvester having a plurality of dual rotor drum units said harvester comprising: a first drum unit including:   a drum housing with a first fore-and-aft plant passage;   a forward picker rotor with a rotational axis and orbit on a first side of said first fore-and-aft passageway;   a first forward doffer for removing cotton from said first forward rotor, said first forward doffer having a rotational axis laterally spaced from said first fore-and-aft passage within a line which is both parallel to said first fore-and-aft passage and tangent with the orbit of said first forward rotor;   a first rear picker rotor diagonally adjacent said first forward rotor with a rotational axis and orbit on a side of said fore-and-aft passage opposite said first forward rotor, said first rear picker rotor orbit being totally rearward of said first forward picker rotor orbit; and   a first rear doffer for removing cotton from said first rear rotor, said first rear doffer having a rotational axis laterally spaced from said first fore-and-aft passage within a line which is both parallel of said first fore-and-aft passage and tangent with the orbit of said first rear rotor; and   at least a second drum unit said second drum unit including:   a drum housing with a second fore-and-aft plant passage;   a second forward picker rotor with a rotational axis and orbit on a first side of said second fore-and-aft passage, and a line which is both parallel to said first fore-and-aft passage and tangent to said second forward rotor orbit intersects the orbit of said first rear rotor;   a second forward doffer for removing cotton from said second forward rotor, said second forward doffer having a rotational axis laterally spaced from said second fore-and-aft passage within a line which is both parallel to said second fore-and-aft passage and tangent with the orbit of said second forward rotor;   a second rear picker rotor diagonally adjacent said second forward rotor with a rotational axis and orbit on the side of said second fore-and-aft passage opposite said second forward rotor, said second rear rotor orbit being totally rearward of said second forward picker rotor orbit; and   a second doffer for removing cotton from said second rear rotor, said second rear doffer drum having a rotational axis laterally spaced from said second fore-and-aft passage within a line which is both parallel of said fore-and-aft passage and tangent with the orbit of said second rear picker rotor.   
     
     
       10. A multi-row picker cotton harvester comprising: a drum unit assembly including,   a first drum unit defining a first fore-and-aft plant passage comprising   a first forward picker rotor rotatably supported relative to said assembly and defining an orbit on a first side of said first fore-and-aft passageway; and   a first rear picker rotor rotatably supported relative to said assembly and defining an orbit on the side of said first fore-and-aft passageway opposite said first side; and   at least a second drum unit defining a second fore-and-aft plant passage including a second forward picker rotor rotatably supported relative to said assembly and a second rear picker rotor, said second forward picker rotor being disposed adjacent said first rear picker rotor and defining an orbit, said first rear rotor and second forward rotor being constructed and arranged so that a line drawn generally parallel to said second fore-and-aft passageway and tangent with said second forward picker rotor orbit intersects said first rear rotor orbit. .Iadd.   
     
     
       11.  A multi-row picker cotton harvester comprising: a first drum unit with a first fore-and-aft plant passageway;   said first drum unit including:   a first picker rotor with a rotational axis and orbit on a first side of said first fore-and-aft passageway; and a second picker rotor with a rotational axis and orbit on the side of said first fore-and-aft passageway opposite said first side; and at least a second drum unit with a second fore-and-aft plant passageway including a picker rotor with an orbit, wherein a line being generally parallel to said second fore-and-aft passageway and tangent with the orbit of the picker rotor of said second drum unit intersects the rotor orbit of said first picker rotor..Iaddend. .Iadd.12. A multi-row picker cotton harvester comprising:   a first drum unit with a first fore-and-aft plant passageway; said first drum unit including:   a first picker rotor with a rotational axis and orbit on a first side of said first fore-and-aft passageway;   and a second longitudinally spaced picker rotor with a rotational axis and orbit on the side of said first fore-and-aft passageway opposite said first side;   and a second drum unit with a second fore-and-aft plant passageway generally parallel to said first fore-and-aft passageway including a picker rotor with an orbit located on opposite sides of said second fore-and-aft passageway, wherein a line being generally parallel to said second fore-and-aft passageway and tangent with the orbit of the picker rotor of said second drum unit located between said passgeways intersects the rotor orbit of the picker rotor of said first drum unit located   
     
     
        between said passageways..Iaddend. .Iadd.13.  A multi-row picker cotton harvester comprising: a first drum unit with a first fore-and-aft plant passageway, said first drum unit including:   a first forward picker rotor with a rotational axis and orbit on a first side of said first fore-and-aft passageway;   and a first rear picker rotor with a rotational axis and orbit on the side of said first fore-and-aft passageway opposite said first side; and at least a second drum unit with a second fore-and-aft plant passageway including a second forward picker rotor with an orbit, wherein a line being generally parallel to said second fore-and-aft passageway and tangent with said second forward picker rotor orbit intersects one of said first picker rotor orbits..Iaddend. .Iadd.14. A multi-row picker cotton harvester comprising:   a first drum unit with a first fore-and-aft plant passageway including:   a first forward picker rotor and associated doffer, said first forward rotor having a rotational axis on a first side of said first fore-and-aft passageway; a first rear picker rotor and associatd doffer, said first rear rotor having a rotational axis and orbit on the side of said first fore-and-aft passageway opposite said first side; and at least a second drum unit with a second fore-and-aft plant passageway including:   a second forward picker rotor and associated doffer, said second forward doffer being situated such that a line parallel to said first fore-and-aft passageway intersecting with the rotational axis of said second forward doffer is also intersecting with one of said first picker rotor orbits..Iaddend. .Iadd.15. A multi-row picker cotton harvester comprising:   a first drum with a first fore-and-aft plant passageway including:   a first forward picker rotor and associated doffer;   a first rear picker rotor and associated doffer, said first rear rotor having a rotational axis and orbit on the side of said first fore-and-aft plant passageway opposite said first forward rotor;   at least a second drum unit with a second fore-and-aft plant passageway including;   a second forward picker rotor with an orbit and associated doffer, and wherein a line parallel to said first fore-and-aft plant passageway intersects the orbits of one of said first picker rotors and said second forward rotor, and said line also intersects the doffer of said one of said first picker rotors and said second forward doffers..Iaddend. .Iadd.16. A multi-row picker cotton harvester comprising:   a first drum unit with a first fore-and-aft plant passageway; said first drum unit including:   a first picker rotor with a rotational axis on a first side of said first fore-and-aft passageway;   and a second picker rotor with a rotational axis on the opposite side of said first fore-and-aft passageway and a second drum unit with a second fore-and-aft plant passageway including a picker rotor with a rotational axis disposed on opposite sides of said second fore-and-aft passageways;   wherein the lateral distance between the axes of the rotors located between the adjacent plant passageways is less than one half the lateral spacing between the center lines of said adjacent passageways..Iaddend.