Abstract: A row unit for a cotton harvester is disclosed. The cotton harvester is adapted for forward movement through a field to harvest cotton planted in rows in the field. The row unit includes a unit housing defining a row receiving area and a cotton exiting area. A moistener column door is pivotally coupled to the unit housing. A compression structure is coupled to the unit housing and configured to exert a pre-load on the moistener column door, placing the moistener column door in a closed position. The compression structure is configured to yield to a cotton plug pressure that exceeds the pre-load, which pivots the moistener column door to an open position. When the pre-load exceeds the cotton plug pressure, the compression structure is configured to return the moistener column door to the closed position.

Abstract: To reduce destructive effects of cotton picker high speed drum rotation, rearward spindle tip motion is adjusted in part by angularly positioning the spindles in the picking zone with an improved cam track arrangement. The cam rotates the picker bar about the upright axis of the bar to vary the speed of the spindle tip in the picking zone and allow a higher drum speed. In a first portion of the picking zone the spindle tips are closer together than the spindle bases at the picker bar. The spindle tip spacing in a second portion of the picking zone is approximately equal to spindle base spacing in the extremities. The resulting spindle tip movement facilitates higher cotton picker vehicle ground speed without picking efficiency loss or additional damage to the cotton plants.

Abstract: An easily removable support for a moistener stand or column of a harvesting unit of a cotton harvester, which tilts the stand or column when rotated from an operative position to a service position, to raise a plurality of moistening pads of the stand or column relative to picker spindles of the harvesting unit. The moistener stand or column is then merely lifted to disconnect the support for removal, and when reinstalled and/or rotated back to the operative position, previous fore, aft and height adjustments of the moistening pads are retained.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for retrieving material, typically cotton, from the ground, comprising a main body, a rotating saw drum, a rotating brush drum, and a conveyor device. The main body is coupled to a large vehicle, such as a cotton picker. The saw drum has projections (or teeth) that collect the material from the ground as the saw drum rotates. The rotating brush drum, located inside of the main body and proximate the saw drum, removes the material from the saw drum and deposits it onto the conveyor device. The conveyor device then transports the material to a central area, where a suction tube removes the cotton to a storage volume.

Abstract: A cleaner accessory is provided for mounting from the lower base plate of a picker drum of a cotton picker, and the accessory includes a depending tang spaced slightly outward of the outer periphery of the picker drum base plate and projecting slightly downwardly therebelow. The tang projects only slightly outward of the outer periphery of the picker drum base plate an amount less than the spacing between the picker drum base plate outer periphery and a stationary upstanding flange of the cotton picker, and the accessory further includes an upward extension thereof projecting appreciably above the picker drum base plate and equipped with a partial cylindrical guard positioned immediately foward of, in the direction of rotation of the drum, the lower end of one of the picker bars pivotally supported from the periphery of the picker drum base plate.