Blockage monitor for a cotton picking machine

• US 3,863,428 A
• Filed: 11/14/1973
• Issued: 02/04/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert L. Baxter
• Original Assignee: Robert L. Baxter
• Inventors: Baxter, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kinsey, Russell R.
• Application Number:
  US05/415,511
• Time in Patent Office: 447 Days
• Field of Search: 56/12.8-13.4,28,30,33,34,35,10.2 116/70 302/17,21
• US Class Current: 56/10.20R
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 46/085 Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for cotton harvesters

Abstract

A monitor system for detecting blockage in a pneumatic duct system of a cotton picking machine, including a pressure sensing device connected to the region of negative pressure within the duct system and adapted to actuate an alarm upon a change in pressure created by a blockage in the duct system.

Claims

1. In a cotton picking machine having a picker head for picking cotton from a cotton plant, a storage receptacle for receiving picked cotton, a pneumatic duct assembly including an enlarged housing for said picker head and an elongated tubular duct of smaller cross-section than said housing, said tubular duct having an open inlet end in fluid communication with said housing and an open outlet end in fluid communication with said receptacle, and forced draft means for moving air through said duct assembly toward said receptacle with sufficient pressure to draw picked cotton from said picker head through said duct assembly to said receptacle, a blockage monitor system comprising:

a. a pressure-electrical transducer element mounted on said machine, b. a tubular conduit connecting said transducer element to said duct assembly to place said transducer element in fluid communication with a region of negative pressure within said duct assembly when said draft means is moving air through said duct assembly, c. an electrically actuated alarm on said machine, d. electrical circuit means on said machine connecting said transducer to said alarm, e. said circuit means being responsive to an electrical signal from said transducer element corresponding to a predetermined change in pressure within said duct assembly to actuate said alarm.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which said forced draft means has a discharge outlet opening into said tubular duct in a location spaced between said inlet and outlet ends and adapted to direct forced air from said forced draft means through said discharge outlet and into said tubular duct in the direction of said outlet end, said tubular conduit being connected to said duct assembly upstream from said discharge opening.

3. The invention according to claim 2 in which said tubular conduit is connected to said tubular duct between said discharge opening and said inlet end.

4. The invention according to claim 1 in which said electrical circuit means comprises an electrical comparison circuit including means for sensing a reference pressure signal and means for comparing said reference pressure signal with signals from said transducer element.