초록 ▼

Self-adjusting supporting structure for positioning an upright column of doffer pads automatically with respect to corresponding rows of spindles in a cotton harvester row unit. A tapered roller bearing assembly supporting the doffer column includes an externally threaded housing threaded into an in

Self-adjusting supporting structure for positioning an upright column of doffer pads automatically with respect to corresponding rows of spindles in a cotton harvester row unit. A tapered roller bearing assembly supporting the doffer column includes an externally threaded housing threaded into an internally threaded adjuster housing support mounted on the row unit. The drag of the roller bearings is adjustable, and under normal operation of the row unit the drag force tends to thread the bearing assembly upwardly. However, this force is opposed by an opposite force caused by the weight of the doffer assembly which tends to thread the assembly downwardly to move the doffer pads closer to the spindles. The pitch of the screw threads is selected and the drag on the tapered bearings is adjusted so that the force created to move the doffer column downwardly into contact with the spindles is slightly larger than the drag force which tends to rotate the bearing assembly in the direction to move the doffers away from the spindles so that proper clearance is automatically maintained between the spindles and the doffers.

대표청구항 ▼

Adjustable supporting structure for positioning an upright column of doffer pads mounted for rotation about an axis on a shaft adjacent vertically spaced picking spindles, said supporting structure comprising: a housing located above the pads; a bearing located in the housing for vertical adjustment

Adjustable supporting structure for positioning an upright column of doffer pads mounted for rotation about an axis on a shaft adjacent vertically spaced picking spindles, said supporting structure comprising: a housing located above the pads; a bearing located in the housing for vertical adjustment with respect thereto and rotatably supporting the shaft, the vertical adjustment of the bearing determining the axial location of the shaft; and means for automatically adjusting the bearing vertically to axially locate the doffer pads with respect to the spindles as the doffer pads are rotated, said means for automatically adjusting including means for producing a first force dependent on rotation of the shaft for urging the bearing a first upright direction in the housing, means for producing a second force dependent upon the weight of the doffer column to move the column in the direction opposite the first direction in the housing, and means for adjusting the relative magnitude of the first and second forces to cause the doffer column to move downwardly until the pads touch the spindles.