Case Corporation

Travis A Schaeffer

Michael Horejsi

Michael J Covington

Robert S Davis

Apparatus for lifting a cotton receiving basket of a cotton harvester above a frame thereof including a plurality of upstanding fluid lift cylinders disposed at spaced locations around the basket, each of the lift cylinders has a cylinder body including an outer surface having a vertical extent at least equal to a maximum height that the basket is to be lifted above the frame, each of the cylinder bodies being fixedly mounted to the frame and the cylinders having extendable rods attached to the basket such that when the rods are moved telescopically upwardly the basket is lifted relative to the frame; and at least one lateral support bracket fixedly mounted to the basket and engaged with the outer surface of one of the cylinder bodies for moving therealong in engagement therewith when the basket is lifted for preventing lateral movement of the basket relative to the one of the cylinder bodies.

Apparatus for lifting and laterally supporting a cotton receiving basket of a cotton harvester

The apparatus applies to a basket having an upstanding wall structure defining an upwardly facing opening and a lid structure disposed over the opening and positionable in a retracted position close to the wall structure and in an extended position spaced a predetermined distance above the wall structure, at least one lifting element being present having a member extendable for lifting the basket relative to the frame to a lifted position and retractable for lowering the basket from the lifted position, the apparatus including at least one leg mounted to the lid structure and engageable with a portion of the lifting element when the basket is in the lifted position and the lid structure is in the retracted position so as to hold the lid structure relative to the portion of the lifting element engaged therewith while the basket is lowered from the lifted position to move the lid structure to the extended position, the at least one leg being engageable with the lifting element with the lid structure in the extended position while the basket is raised relative thereto to retract the lid structure.

Apparatus for raising and lowering a lid structure of a cotton receiving basket of a cotton harvester

An agricultural apparatus is disclosed herein for the harvesting of a low-density crop such as cotton. The agricultural apparatus includes a frame, a crop acquiring device associated with the frame; a crop collecting bin, or basket, which is supported by the frame, adjustable in position with respect to the frame, and provided with an opening in a wall of the basket for conveying of crop into the basket; a conveying device for conveying of crop from the acquiring device to the basket and having a first end associated with the acquiring device and a second end associated with the basket opening; and a hood pivotally attached to the basket for selectively covering the basket opening and for engaging the second end of the conveying device. The hood may include one or more latching apparatus for securing the hood in an opened position and in a closed position. The latching apparatus may be of the barrel, bolt, and keeper type, and may be disposed at a first end, a second end, or first and second ends of the hood. Also disclosed is a method of preparing a cotton picker for transport, including the step of pivoting a hood from an opened position to a closed position.

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Davenport, IA, United States of America

Travis A Schaeffer