Harvester

Claim 2

In a cotton harvester having cotton harvesting mechanism feeding harvested cotton rearwardly to an auger carried by support structure including an auger housing in which the auger is free unless restricted, to move vertically, the improvement residing in means permitting raising of the auger from the base of the auger housing comprising: journal means for and including a pair of journal supports at opposite ends of the auger; a lever at each of said ends supported on the support structure; and means connected to and shiftable with the respective lever and operatively connected to the respective journal supports for locking the auger in a single predetermined operational position with respect to and at the base of said housing.

Claim 3

The structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the auger housing has ends permitting free vertical movement of the ends of the auger, the auger has a central shaft portion extending outwardly of the respective ends, and the means connected to and shiftable with the respective lever is a link pivoted to the lever and journal support and shiftable into an over-center position with respect to the pivotal connection of the lever to the support structure when the auger is in the position at the base of the housing.

Claim 4

The structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the means connected to and shiftable with the respective lever is a cam bearable against the journal support and effective to hold the respective end of the auger in its position at the base of the housing.

Claim 5

A cotton harvester comprising: cotton harvesting mechanism for harvesting cotton from plants across a transverse expanse and feeding harvested cotton rearwardly; a transverse auger structure carried by support structure in materialreceiving relation to the harvesting mechanism and including an auger and auger housing having opposite ends and in which the auger is free, unless restricted, to move vertically; journal means including a pair of journal supports at opposite ends of the auger; a lever at each of said ends supported on the support structure; and means connected to and shiftable with the respective lever and operatively connected to the respective journal supports for locking the auger in a single predetermined operational position with respect to and adjacent the base of said housing.

Claim 6

A cotton harvester comprising: cotton harvesting mechanism for harvesting cotton from plants across a transverse expanse and feeding harvested cotton rearwardly; a transverse auger structure carried by support structure in materialreceiving relation to the harvesting mechanism and including an auger and auger housing having opposite ends and in which the auger is free, unless restricted, to move vertically; journal means including a pair of journal supports at opposite ends of the auger; a lever at each of said ends supported on the support structure; and means connected to and shiftable with the respective lever and operatively connected to the respective journal supports for locking the auger in a single predetermined operational position with respect to and adjacent the base of said housing.

Claim 7

A harvester comprising: harvesting mechanism for harvesting plants across a transverse expanse and feeding harvested material rearwardly; a transverse auger structure carried by support structure in material-receiving relation to the harvesting mechanism and including an auger and auger housing in which the auger is free, unless restricted, to move vertically; journal means including a pair of journal supports at opposite ends of the auger; a lever supported on the support structure; and means connected to and shiftable with the lever and operatively connected to at least one of the respective journal supports for locking the auger in a position adjacent the base of said housing.

Claim 8

A harvester comprising: harvesting mechanism for harvesting plants across a transverse expanse and feeding harvested material rearwardly; a transverse auger structure carried by support structure in material-receiving relation to the harvesting mechanism and including an auger and auger housing in which the auger is free, unless restricted, to move vertically; journal means including a pair of journal supports at opposite ends of the auger; a lever supported on the support structure; and means connected to and shiftable with the lever and operatively connected to at least one of the respective journal supports for locking the auger in a position adjacent the base of said housing.

Claim 9

The structure as set forth in claim 5 in which the lever is pivotally supported on the support structure for vertical movement above the journal support and the said means connected to and shiftable with the controllable member is linkage extending between the lever and journal support and said linkage moves into an over-center locking position upon the auger being shifted into its position adjacent the base.

Claim 10

The structure as set forth in claim 5 in which the lever is pivotally supported on the support structure for vertical movement above the journal support and the said means connected to and shiftable with the controllable member is a cam above and bearable against the journal support for holding the augEr in its position adjacent the base.

Claim 11

The structure as set forth in claim 5 in which the housing includes opposite vertical end plates, the auger includes a central shaft portion having opposite ends extending through the end plates through openings permitting vertical movement of the auger away from its position adjacent the base of said housing, and further characterized by guide means on the respective end plates engageable with the respective journal supports for guiding the latter in a vertical path.

Claim 12

The structure as set forth in claim 8 in which the journal supports include vertical plates disposed alongside the respective end plates and having vertical slots therein, and the guide means are lugs fixed to the end plates and extending through the slots.

Claim 13

The structure as set forth in claim 8 in which the journal supports include vertical plates disposed alongside the respective end plates and the guide means are vertically extending tracks fixed to the end plates and engageable with the edges of the vertical plates for guiding the latter vertically.

Claim 14

The structure as set forth in claim 8 in which the journal supports include vertical plates disposed alongside the end plates and the guide means have vertical portions contacting the transverse outer sides of the vertical plates for restricting axial movement of the plates.

Claim 15

The structure as set forth in claim 11 characterized by the lever being pivotally mounted for vertical movement about a pivot on the supporting structure and having a link extending between pivot points on the lever and plate, and further characterized by said pivot and said pivot point being in an over-center locked position upon the auger being in its position adjacent the base of the housing.