Have you ever noticed that one of those things everyone remembers from elementary school history class is that Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin? What else do we know about the history of this industry? How has it grown through the years? How has it affected the country as cotton picker parts grew in demand and the industry expanded?
You might be surprised at how much the cotton industry has changed through the years and what an interesting history this industry holds. Read on to discover more.
Cotton in the West
Of course, Eli Whitney wasn’t the first person to contribute to the cotton industry. This fabric was common during the Middle Ages, when it was hand-woven on looms. Ancient Egyptians even grew and spun cotton. It was during the 12th century that cotton weaving was spread to Europe. Around 1350, the spinning wheel was introduced to this part of the world, and by the 15th century several ports had become important, profitable cotton trading hubs.
When Christopher Columbus reached the New World, he discovered natives clad in cotton garments. Yet it wasn’t until the 1790s that the young United States would become a large consumer of cotton goods. At that time, U.S. cotton production was minimal. However, increasing British demand for the products spurred growth in the industry, and innovations in cotton collection and weaving made additional rapid growth possible.
This was when Eli Whitney and his key invention entered the scene. The modern cotton gin increased cotton production and pushed the commodity ahead of tobacco as the main cash crop in the South. By the 1830s, the U.S. had become the world’s top producer of cotton. The plant continued to dominate the South until the 20th century, when the economy began to diversify.
Modern Challenges and Growth
During the 20th century, boll weevils, a type of beetle that feeds on cotton, created tough challenges for the cotton industry. These pests caused billions in damages. They posed such a threat that the Boll Weevil Research Laboratory was established in the 1950s. This organization created lures and traps which successfully fought back against these invaders.
For modern cotton production, biotechnology has become an important factor. Genetically modified cotton can resist chemicals and repel insects. These innovations have helped keep cotton in demand and profitable.
Since the 1980s, demand for cotton has doubled. The U.S. is now the third main producer of the commodity, behind India and China. The cotton industry remains a major employer globally and a popular product around the world.
Discover More
Would you like to learn more about cotton, its history and the modern use of cotton picker parts? Whether you are simply curious or need information to improve your current production, contact the experts at Certi-Pik, USA. We fabricate replacement parts for picking units and offer a broad list of specialty items and sheet metal parts for rebuilding units. Contact us today to receive up to 50 percent savings on quality replacement parts for your John Deere or Case IH Cotton Harvesters.
Cotton has been one of the most important crops in America since the colonial days. Once the Industrial Revolution kicked into full gear, inventors began tinkering with ways to develop machines that would pick cotton for them, rather than having to have tons of workers out in the field picking it by hand.
In the late 1920s, John Daniel Rust began developing the very first practical cotton picker. There are other inventors who had attempted to create mechanical cotton pickers of their own, using barbed spindles that twisted the fibers onto the spindle, pulling the cotton off the boll as a result. However, those designs were often not functional, and were impractical due to how easily the spindles would get clogged up with cotton.
Rust’s design, which had a major impact on the way cotton pickers would be designed in years to come, featured a smooth, moist spindle that would strip the cotton fibers off the boll without resulting in a machinery clog. By 1933, he had his first patent for a cotton picker, and eventually collected 47 total patents (along with his brother Mack) for cotton picking machinery.
Of course, as the Great Depression was underway at this time, it was nearly impossible to get the financing they needed to make their mechanical cotton picker used on a widespread basis. But they continued working nonetheless.
Breakthroughs and adoption
In 1935, John and Mack Rust founded their Rust Cotton Picker Company in Memphis, Tennessee. The next year, they demonstrated their model of the Rust picker at the Delta Experiment Station in Stoneville, Mississippi. This was a significant step forward for the brothers. Even though the picker did have some significant drawbacks and deficiencies, the idea of a mechanical cotton picker was extremely attractive to farmers and investors in the area. The demonstration resulted in significant nationwide attention and press coverage.
Despite the greater coverage, though, the brothers did not have the resources needed to manufacture their cotton picker on a much larger scale. As such, other companies swooped in to attempt to create their own cotton pickers that were not based on the Rust brothers’ patents.
The arrival of World War II put a significant delay on widespread adoption of cotton pickers, even as International Harvester developed its first commercially successful cotton picker in 1944.
Once the war was over, the Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company started manufacturing cotton pickers that improved on many parts of the Rusts’ design. The success of this machinery led to the development of other pickers, with the technology being gradually improved as more and more American cotton farmers adopted the technology.
Today’s cotton pickers are obviously more advanced and easier to use, but many of the basic elements still hearken back to the initial design created by the Rust brothers in the 1930s.
For more information about the history of cotton pickers, contact Certi-Pik, USA today. We specialize in the fabrication and sale of a wide range of cotton picker parts, and look forward to showing you what we can do for you!
The development of the mechanical cotton picker goes back to the early 1930s, and its proliferation and improvement in the decades that followed made for significantly easier harvesting of cotton. No longer would farmers have to rely on laborers to go out and work the fields all day picking cotton off the bolls—instead, they could invest in a cotton picker that would get the job done in a fraction of the time while also saving a significant amount of money in labor costs in the long run. This increased production and harvesting capability at lower costs had a massive effect on the cotton industry, and as such, on the textile industries as well.
But how does a mechanical cotton picker work? Let’s take a closer look.
Two Main Types of Cotton Picker Machines
In the old days, the earliest cotton pickers only were able to harvest a single row of cotton at a time. Even with this relative inefficiency, however, they still would replace up to 40 hand laborers in the field, saving a whole lot of time and money.
Today’s cotton pickers have obviously evolved quite a bit since those days. These self-propelled machines are capable of removing cotton lint and seed from plants at a rate of up to six rows at a time.
There are two main types of pickers used most commonly on cotton farms today: the “stripper” picker (primarily found in Texas and Arkansas) and the “spindle” picker.
The cotton stripper removes the lint from the plant, as well as a fair amount of plant matter, including bolls that have not yet opened up. The plant matter gets separated from the lint later on in the process, as heavier matter gets separated from the lint before the lint gets moved to its end point in the basket at the back of the picker.
Spindle pickers use rows of barbed spindles, similar to those that had been used to less efficient effect in the early days of mechanical cotton pickers. These spindles rotate very quickly and pluck the seed-cotton off the plant. That seed-cotton then gets taken off the spindles with the use of a counter-rotating doffer, and blown upward into the basket that collects the cotton.
After the basket in either type of picker is full, the picker then dumps that seed-cotton into an area known as a module builder, which compacts the cotton into a brick-like form. These cotton “bricks” can weigh up to 21,000 lbs each and are then stored either in the gin yard or the field until it can be run through a cotton gin. The ginned bales then weigh about 480 lbs.
This is a very basic overview of how a cotton picker works, but it should give you an idea of the efficiency inventors have developed in these machines over the course of the last eight decades. For more information about the type of cotton picker that might be the best solution for your needs, contact the experts at Certi-Pik, USA. We’re your premier source for replacement cotton picker parts for John Deere and Case IH equipment!
You rely on your cotton picker to reliably deliver the performance and efficiency that you need to maintain a high level of production. Unfortunately, cotton picker parts and components will eventually begin to wear out or become damaged, and you will need to have them replaced. The problem is that it isn’t always easy to determine whether it’s time to invest in replacement parts. By looking out for a few key signs that replacement is necessary, you can ensure that your cotton picker continues to operate effectively:
Decreasing performance: If you notice that your cotton picker isn’t as effective at removing cotton fibers from the plants during harvest as it once was, it’s a sign that there’s something wrong with your cotton picker parts. Try adjusting some parts to see if that helps improve your cotton picker’s performance. If not, you should have any broken or damaged cotton picker parts replaced so that your picker will be able to operate the way it should.
Visible wear and tear: It’s a good idea to inspect your cotton picker parts closely on a regular basis so that you can check for signs of visible wear and tear. Your cotton picker parts are designed to be durable, and they are put through a lot during use, but you shouldn’t see major signs of wear, tear and damage in your parts. If you do, it’s a sign that you should have those components replaced.
Insufficient maintenance history: Regular maintenance is essential if you want to keep your cotton picker in good working condition. If you haven’t kept up on maintenance for your equipment or you aren’t sure about the maintenance history of your machinery, you might need to get replacement parts sooner than you would if your cotton picker was well taken care of. You should reach out to a professional who specializes in cotton picker repair to inspect your machine and help you determine what maintenance is necessary to get your equipment back into the best shape possible.
Common mechanical issues: The occasional mechanical failure is virtually inevitable when you’re working with heavy duty equipment, but you shouldn’t be running into major issues on a regular basis. If you notice frequent smoldering in your cotton picker, it’s a sign that your parts are failing. As you use your cotton picker, your mechanical components will begin to accumulate debris and residual oil that can fuel fires and take a toll on your machinery’s efficiency and performance. In many cases, the best way to solve these problems is to invest in replacement parts.
Call us for quality cotton picker parts
If you need replacement cotton picker parts, contact Certi-Pik, USA. We have an inventory of quality replacement parts that are designed to deliver the best efficiency and performance possible. Our team has specialized in providing replacement parts since 1988, and we continue to deliver the best products available to our customers. We understand that every customer has different needs, and we are here to ensure that you receive the specific parts that are right for you. Give us a call today to find out more about our inventory and to place an order.
Cotton has been one of the most important crops grown in the United States for hundreds of years. The fibers of this plant can be made into an incredible array of quality textiles used in clothing, furniture, linens and a wide array of other consumer products. However, before cotton can be processed into the many products that we find in our homes and on the shelves of retail stores, it must be harvested.
Harvesting cotton can be a complicated process, which means that it’s necessary to use high quality equipment and machinery. Two of the primary types of cotton harvesting machinery are cotton strippers and cotton picker spindles, both of which offer specific features and advantages.
The basics of cotton strippers and cotton picker spindles
While cotton strippers and cotton picker spindles are both designed to effectively harvest cotton, they operate differently and have different capabilities. Cotton strippers, just like their name suggests, are designed to strip cotton from the plant. Cotton strippers pull the entire cotton boll from the plant, regardless of whether the cotton is ripe or not, and even cut off a portion of the plant stem. After being harvested, the cotton is run through a machine that separates the cotton fiber and the plant matter.
Cotton pickers and cotton picker spindles are designed for more selective and less invasive harvesting. The spindles pick ripe cotton and leave behind the bulk of the plant matter, including unripe bolls. On farms that use cotton pickers, harvesting is usually done multiple times in a single season to give all of the cotton a chance to grow and maximize the yield of the cotton plants.
Which one is better?
You’re probably wondering whether it’s better for you to invest in cotton strippers or cotton picker spindles, but the answer really depends on your specific needs and preferences. No piece of equipment is perfect, and each has certain advantages and disadvantages to take into account. Generally, cotton strippers are better if you need to harvest as much cotton as possible in a single pass. This method is ideal if weather conditions or time constraints make multiple harvests unfeasible.
Cotton picker spindles, on the other hand, will selectively harvest ripe cotton and leave unripe plants to continue growing. This is a gentler method that’s best if you can harvest multiple times over the course of a season. At the end of the day, it’s up to your own judgment to determine which choice is best for you.
Learn more about cotton harvesting equipment and machinery
Regardless of what kind of harvesting equipment you prefer, you can find the parts you need at Certi-Pik, USA. Since 1988, we have proudly provided high quality parts for cotton harvesting. We understand how important it is for you to maintain the performance and efficiency of your machinery, which is why we are proud to offer an extensive selection of parts so that you can keep your equipment running the way it should for years to come. Browse our website or give us a call to find out more about what we have to offer.
