초록 ▼

A cotton harvester row unit includes belt drive and a variable transmission to reduce noise and optimize spindle and doffer speeds of rotation while permitting spindle drum structure rotational speed to change with changes in harvester speed. In one embodiment, a variable speed motor drives the ring

A cotton harvester row unit includes belt drive and a variable transmission to reduce noise and optimize spindle and doffer speeds of rotation while permitting spindle drum structure rotational speed to change with changes in harvester speed. In one embodiment, a variable speed motor drives the ring gear of a planetary gear set to vary the ratio of spindle and doffer speed to drum speed. The planetary gear set may be enclosed to also help reduce noise and to decrease grease consumption. Nearly constant spindle and doffer speeds may be maintained over a wide range drum rotational speeds, and the upper speeds may be limited to avoid operation above critical speeds of components. The transmission may be configured to reduce or completely eliminates gear meshing off of the drum centerline to thereby reduce row unit manufacture precision, and a relatively low power motor may be used to adjust the ratio of spindle and doffer speed to drum speed.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A cotton harvester row unit drive for a row unit having spindle drum structure with rotatable spindles and rotatable doffing structure supported in a row unit housing for movement at a variable forward speed over a field of cotton, the drive comprising:a drum drive locat

The invention claimed is: 1. A cotton harvester row unit drive for a row unit having spindle drum structure with rotatable spindles and rotatable doffing structure supported in a row unit housing for movement at a variable forward speed over a field of cotton, the drive comprising:a drum drive located in the row unit housing and rotating the drum structure about a drum axis at a speed generally proportional to the forward speed;a spindle drive;variable ratio transmission structure connecting the drum drive to the spindle drive;a controller connected to the transmission structure for varying the ratio of drum structure rotational speed relative to spindle rotational speed; andwherein at least one of the drum drive and the spindle drive includes a continuous flexible drive belt.