Cotton harvesting bag

[57] ABSTRACT

A bag construction is described which is adapted to receive harvested cotton or the like directly from the harvesting machinery in the field and to store same indefinitely until such time that the harvested material can be further processed. The bag is designed so that the sides and ends thereof have flaps capable of being extended upwardly therefrom, and these flaps are adapted to be attached to a frame during the loading process. The operator of the harvesting machinery can simply drive up to the bag to unload the harvested cotton without the need for any special attachments or conveying mechanisms on the harvesting machinery. When the bag is filled, the top end of the side flaps are pulled together by lacing, and following this, the top portions of the sides, or where the flaps are attached to the sides, are laced together as well. The flap portions of the ends of the bag may then be laced together, and a flap member which is adapted to cover the entire top of the bag extends over it longitudinally and is tied down. The bag is provided with openings on each end thereof, which are loosely covered by a flap, and this opening serves as a means for circulating air through the stored harvested cotton or the like while it is awaiting transfer to further processing machinery. Straps are provided which extend across the width of the bottom of the bag and are sewn to the bag near the bottom portion of the bag side. Loops extend upwardly from the point at which the straps are sewn to the bag to allow the bag to be lifted in an upright position. The straps are loose from the bottom of the bag so that if picked up at that point the bag will be raised in an inverted position allowing the harvested material stored therein to be dumped from it.

Claims, 5 Drawing Figures

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PATENTEDJUL 41972 3,674,073

SHEET 1 OF 2

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PATENTED JUL‘ 41972

3,674,073

SHEET 2 OF 2

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3,674,073

COTTON HARVESTING BAG

This invention relates to a bag construction useful for storing harvested products prior to their being transported to an area for further processing. In particular the bag constructed according to the principles of this invention is useful for storing harvested seed cotton until it can be ginned.

At the peak of the harvesting season in many areas, it is a common problem that the machinery used for further processing of the harvested material is greatly overburdened. The result of this will be that the harvesting machinery in use in the fields will often be idled simply because the harvested product cannot be safely stored until further processing machinery is available. The alternative of this of course is to construct relatively expensive storage facilities. Further, it is often the case that during the peak of the harvesting season that the need for wagons or trailers to haul the harvested product from the harvesting machinery to another area is greatly increased requiring a significant expenditure for equipment which might not otherwise be used during the remainder of the year.

In the cotton producing industry it is customary to have a trailer or the like driven along side the cotton picking machinery during the harvesting process with the harvested cotton being transferred from the harvester to the trailer. The trailer, when filled, are then used to transport the harvested cotton to another area for further processing, i.e. to a cotton gin.

The problems set forth hereinabove are particularly acute in the cotton producing industry in that, although the number of cotton pickers in the field have significantly increased, the number of cotton gins available for processing the harvested cotton has decreased. As a result, it is necessary for the farmer to buy a number of trailers to store the harvested cotton until such time as it can be processed. The number of trailers required at the peak of the harvesting season increases greatly, but these trailers will probably not be used for the remainder of the year. Therefore, in order to hold down the costs of harvesting the fanner may not purchase as many trailers as he really needs during the peak of the season, and the result of this will be that when bis storage capacity is filled, his harvesting machinery will be idled until such time as more storage capacity is available. Thus, the cost of harvesting cotton or the like is kept high by the simple lack of an economical storage means in which the harvested product can be stored until such time as processing machinery is available.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an inexpensive, simply constructed and easy-to-use means for storing a harvested product until such time as that product can be further processed.

It is another object of this invention to provide a means for storing a harvested product meeting the object immediately above and which will permit such storage in the field where the storage means will be subjected to the elements.

The aforementioned and other objects may be obtained in a bag constructed according to the principles of this invention which may be best understood by reference to the description of a preferred embodiment given hereinbelow in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bag constructed according to the principles of this invention which has been closed and in which the topmost flap is broken away to illustrate the details therebelow;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the bag illustrated in FIG. 1 along the line 2—2, and a fragmentary view of a frame structure supporting a side of the bag opened to receive the harvested product;

FIG. 3 is a top elevation of a material blank which has been shaped to form the bag illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a top elevation of the bag constructed according to the principles of this invention placed in a frame structure for loading and

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the frame structure and bag illustrated in FIG. 4 in which the frame has been opened allowing it to be moved away from the bag.

In FIGS. 1-3 a preferred embodiment of the bag constructed according to the principles of this invention is shown. In these figures like elements will be indicated by like numerals.

The bag 10 is essentially an integral structure, and in the preferred embodiment it is constructed of canvas. It is to be noted, however, that any suitable material may be used within the scope of this invention, but weatherproof material should be used in order to obtain the objects set forth above. The basic structure of the bag 10 is comprised of a bottom surface 20, opposed ends 12 and 14 and opposed sides 16 and 18 (see FIG. 3). While FIG. 3 illustrates the side and end members as being detached and folded apart, these members are normally attached forming the bag structure illustrated in FIG. 1. Although it is contemplated that any dimensional arrangement may be used to construct the bag according to this invention, the preferred embodiment illustrated herein is of a length of 12 feet and a width of 7 feet. The sides 16 and 18 and ends 12 and 14 are of an approximate height of 6½ feet. These dimensions permit bag 10 to accommodate approximately 4,500 pounds of cotton which is the equivalent of three bales.

When the bag is opened, flaps 17 and 19 which are integrally constructed with sides 16 and 18, respectively, extend upwardly above these side members. The flaps 17 and 19 extend the full length of their respective side members and extend thereabove in the preferred embodiment a height of 2 feet. Flaps 13 and 15 are provided and constructed in an integral manner with the end members 12 and 14, respectively. These flaps also extend above their respective end members a height of 2 feet in the preferred embodiment. Where sides 16 and 18 meet flaps 17 and 19, respectively, a plurality of eyelets 22 are placed in a spaced relationship along the length of the bag. At the ends of flaps 17 and 19 remote from the side members, a plurality of eyelets 23 are spaced therealong for the full length of the bag, and similarly, eyelets 27 are placed in the uppermost portion of flaps 13 and 15. As best shown in FIG. 1, a lace 26 may be used to secure together the eyelets 22 along the uppermost edge of the side members 16 and 18. A lace 25 is used to secure together the eyelets 27 in flaps 13 and 15. As is most clearly shown in FIG. 2, an additional lace 24 is used in the well-known manner to secure together the eyelets 23.

An additional cover flap 30, shown broken away in FIG. 1, is provided for covering the above-mentioned flaps when secured in the above-described manner. The cover flap 30 in the preferred embodiment is 10 feet long and 4 feet wide, but of course, any dimensions which achieve the desired result may be used. The flap 30 is fixedly attached at one end thereof to end member 14 at the top portion thereof. When closed, the flap 30 extends over a sufficient length and width of bag 10 as to cover the closed flaps 13, 15, 17 and 19. A pair of patches 32 are sewn at opposite comers of the top portion of end member 12 at approximately a height of 5 feet in the preferred embodiment. These patches include eyelets 33 which align with the eyelets 31 in the outermost comers of cover 30. Thus, the cover 30 may be secured to the remainder of bag 10 by laces 34 extending through eyelets 31 and 33.

In each of the end members 12 and 14 a square opening 38 is defined. In the preferred embodiment this opening is a 2 feet by 2 feet square. A mesh element 39 is placed within each and completely fills each of the openings 38, and a flap 40 loosely covers each of the openings 38 being attached to bag 10 only along the top portion of the opening as shown at 41. The openings 38 provide for air circulation through bag 10 when filled. The mesh elements 39 act to prevent spillage from the vent and prevent foreign objects from entering the bag. The vent openings 38 are substantially rainproofed by the presence of flaps 40, but the manner of attachment of flaps 40 insures maximum air circulation commensurate with the need for waterproofing. While the vents 38 are shown as being placed in the ends 12 and 14 of bag 10, it is to be remembered that these vents may occupy any desired position on the bag to achieve the desired results.

3,674,073

A plurality of straps 36 are provided to extend across the width of base member 20 of the bag 10 while being spaced therealong and attached to the side members 16 and 18. In the preferred embodiment five such straps made of canvas and approximately 11 feet in length are used, but any suitable material may be used and the length chosen must conform to the dimensions used for the bag 10 to achieve the desired result. Each strap 36 is attached to the bag 10 only at the sides 16 and 18 as shown by seams 37 in the drawings. The seams 37 are approximately 1 foot up the sides of the bag. Loops 35 are formed by the ends of strap 36 extending above seams 37. When it is desired to pick the bag up in an upright position, the loops 35 are used, and when it is desired to pick the bag up in an overturned position, the loose portions of straps 36 beneath base member 20 are used. The latter position is used when the contents of a filled bag 10 are dumped therefrom, and in the case of cotton this feature is particularly useful when the cotton is to be processed by a bulk handling gin or any other similar device where all of the contents of the bag must be removed therefrom before further processing.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate the use of a bag 10 constructed according to the principles of this invention with a frame structure generally indicated as 50 in which the bag is suspended for filling. The frame structure 50 is comprised of a series of vertical members 60 interconnected by horizontal members 52 and 54. The vertical members 60 are placed at the comers of the rectangle formed by frame structure 60, and additional vertical members 60 are placed along the sides of frame structure 50 intermediate the comer vertical members 60. Horizontal members 52 interconnect the tops of the vertical members 60 along the sides of the frame structure 50, and horizontal members 54 interconnect the bottoms of the vertical members 60 along the sides of the frame structure. A pair of opposing comer members 60 are interconnected by a horizontal member 56 which thereby forms one end of the frame structure. The other end of the frame structure is formed by a gate 58 which is comprised of a horizontal member 58α and a vertical member 586. The gate 58 is pivotally connected to a comer vertical member 60 at an end of the frame structure 50 opposite end 56 and remote from the end of member 58α to which the vertical member 586 is attached. Thus, as best shown in FIG. 4, the gate 58 pivots about a comer vertical member 60 to allow a filled bag 10 to be removed therefrom.

A plurality of hooks 62 are placed around the periphery of the opening formed within the frame structure 50 by members 52, 56 and 58α. The manner of attaching the empty bag 10 to the hooks 62 in frame structure 50 is best shown in FIG. 2 where the flap 19 is shown in dotted line as being attached to a fragmentary portion of the frame structure. It can be seen in the latter figure that each of the eyelets 23 is placed over a hook 62, and in addition, although not shown, the eyelets 27 in end flaps 13 and 15 are placed over hooks 62 on members 56 and 58α of the frame structure. Therefore, the bag 10 is freely suspended within the frame structure 50 with the flaps 13, 15, 17 and 19 forming upright extensions of the side and end members with which they are associated. The side members 16 and 18 and the end members 12 and 14 are, of course, suspended in a substantially upright manner as well.

When the bag 10 has been filled, it is necessary only to release the eyelets 23 and 27 from the hooks 62 to release the bag from the frame structure 50. The side flaps 17 and 19 are then drawn together by means of the lace 24 through eyelets 23. The sides 16 and 18 are then drawn together by means of a lace 26 extending through the eyelets 22 which are at the intersection of the flaps 17 and 19 with the side members 16 and 18, respectively. If desired, the end flaps 13 and 15 may be secured by laces 25 through eyelets 27. These end flaps, of course, cannot be drawn fully together. When the aforementioned flaps have been secured as described above, the cover flap 30 is placed over the entire top portion of bag 10 covering flaps 13,15,17 and 19 and is secured at the end 12 of the bag by means of the laces 34 through eyelets 31 and 33. With this step the closing and sealing of the bag is completed.

In order to remove the closed and sealed bag 10 from the frame structure 50 gate 58 is pivoted outwardly as shown in FIG. 4, and the entire frame structure 50 is then slid or pulled away from the filled bag 10 in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 5.

When lifting, loading or dumping the bag the straps 36 as described above are used. If it is desired to load the bag into a trailer or the like, it is necessary only to attach the lifting means through loops 35 on straps 36 and lift the bag vertically in its upright position. If the contents of the bag 10 are to be dumped therefrom, the lift device need only be attached to the portions of straps 36 which extend beneath the base member 20. As the bag is so lifted, it will assume an inverted position allowing the contents thereof to be readily removed when the flaps are opened.

The description of a preferred embodiment of this invention given hereinabove is intended to be only exemplary, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that modifications or improvements may be made of the structural elements or their arrangement within the scope of the appended claims. For example, the bag 10 may assume shapes other than a rectangular shape illustrated hereinabove, and the described flap arrangement may be modified while still obtaining the desired weatherproofing results. Further, while this invention has been described in the context of its use in cotton harvesting it is contemplated that it may be used in a variety of other applications.

A bag constructed according to the principles of this invention will eliminate the need for buying expensive additional trailers for transporting the harvested product in from the fields and to contain same while awaiting the use of further processing machinery. Because of their weatherproof nature, bags constructed according to the principles of this invention may be stored in the open field until such time as the products contained therein may be processed. Therefore, with the use of this invention, it is possible, for example in the case of the cotton producing industry, to allow the further processing machinery, e.g. cotton gins, to operate at their normal speeds thereby producing a better product, and it will be possible to let the producer harvest his crop faster without fear of overcrowding the gin because he is assured of having adequate storage facilities with minimum expense. By picking the crop faster, the producer protects the quality of the cotton which would otherwise be lowered if not harvested before the rains.