Pneumatic Cotton Picker Page: 4 of 6
[3], 3 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this patent.
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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.
WILL H. RADFORD, OF KENEDY, TEXAS.
PNEUMATIC COTTON-PICKER.Specification of Letters Patent.
Patented Dec. 10, 1918.
Application filed April 23, 1918. Serial No. 230,301.
To all whom it may concern:
Be it known that I, Wes H. RADFORD, a
citizen of the United States, residing at
Kenedy, in the county of Karnes and State
5 of Texas, have invented certain new and use-
ful Improvements in Pneumatic Cotton-
Pickers, of which the following is a specifi-
cation.
This invention relates to improvements in
10 pneumatic cotton pickers, and has for one
of its objects to improve the construction
and increase the efficiency and utility of de-
vices of this character.
Another object of the invention is to pro-
15 vide a device of this character in which
provision is made for picking the bolls of
cotton from beneath, thereby avoiding the
tendency of the picker to draw leaves, the
branches of weeds and the like into the
20 conductor members or pickers.
Another object of the invention is to pro-
vide a device of this character adapted to
pick the bolls of cotton simultaneously from
a plurality of rows of plants.
25 Another object of the invention is to pro-
vide a device of this character in which pro-
vision is made for separating foreign mat-
ter from the cotton on its passage from the
picker devices to a receptacle.
so With these and other objects in view, the
invention consists in certain novel features
of construction, as hereinafter shown and
described and then specifically pointed out
in the claims; and in the drawings illus-
35 trative of the preferred embodiment of the
invention-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the im-
proved apparatus,
Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional detail illus-
40 trating the construction of the combined
conveyer and separator,
Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig.
2 looking in the direction of the arrow,
Fig. 4 is a plan view of the improved
45 apparatus,
Fig. 5 is a side elevation with portions in
section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4,
Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional detail illus-
trating the operation of the blast fan for
50 clearing the conveyer belt.
The improved device comprises a sup-
porting platform or frame mounted upon
carrier wheels, an operating motor, for in-
stance a gasolene engine, carried upon the
55 platform or frame and adapted to operate
the traction wheels, and the picking andelevating mechanism associated with the im-
proved apparatus. The frame is of suf-
ficient width to bear over a plurality of rows
of cotton plants, for instance two, with the 60
picking elements adapted to be engaged with
all of the cotton upon two full rows and
pick the cotton from one side of two other
rows of the plants, but it is not desired
to limit the improved apparatus to any 65
specific numbers of the rows. The improved
apparatus likewise includes a main suction
fan or like device, a plurality of tubular
"pickers" flexibly coupled to the fan suction
and adapted to operate upon the cotton of 70
a plurality of the rows of plants, a combined
elevating and screening device to receive the
gathered cotton from the suction fan and
convey them to a suitable receptacle, and a
smaller blast fan to accelerate the passage 75
of the cotton into the receptacle and also to
prevent it from clinging to the elevating
medium. The elevating apparatus is also
arranged to operate as a screen or separator
to permit the escape of foreign matter which so
may be carried through the fan with the cot-
ton and prevent such material being con-
veyed to the receptacle.
For the purpose of illustration an opera-
tive apparatus is shown comprising a sup- 85
porting platform or frame 10 of any suit-
able construction or material and carrying a
main axle 11 having traction wheels 12.
Associated with the frame 10 is a rela-
tively large receptacle 13, preferably with 90
an inclined floor or bottom 14 to facilitate
the discharge of the gathered cotton through
a rear door or closure 15 hingedly supported
at its lower end as shown at 16 and with a
suitable catch 17 at the upper end. By this 95
means the gathered cotton may be readily
discharged from the receptacle.
The receptacle 13 is mounted upon an axle
18, preferably bowed to enable it to pass
over the cotton plants, and coupled at 19 to 100
one of the transverse members of the frame
10. By this means the receptacle is caused
to "trail" behind the frame 10.
Pivoted at 20 to the platform 10 is a yoke
device 21 carrying a steering wheel 22. The 105
yoke 21 is provided with -a steering handle
23 terminating in a hand grip member 24.
By this means the supporting platform may
be manually guided.
The axle 11 carries relatively large trac- 110
tion wheels. Each of the traction wheels
12 is provided with an annular gear member1,287,433.
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Radford, Will H. Pneumatic Cotton Picker, patent, December 10, 1918; [Washington D.C.]. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1259302/m1/4/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.