Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to apparat~s for
harvesting trees, and more particularly to a flywheel tree
feller for cutting trees in combination with removable
pusher and bunching assemblies.
2. Description of Prior Art
Heretofore tree fellers employing chain saws have
comprised saw bars of various shapes and sizes that are
stationary and have a saw chain endlessly rotated therearound
in grooves on cutting and back runs with an attendant loss
of power caused by the relative movement therebetween and the
friction generated thereby.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one broad aspect, the invention
~ relates to a tree harvesting apparatus, flywheel tree feller
- and buncher comprising in combination: a) a hollow base with
forwardly extending arms defining an open forward end in said
;~ base; b) a slide plate defining a similar forward opening in
` 20 size to that in said base, said plate being adapted to
. slidably engage in said hollow base and between said arms;
c) a saw bar sprocket means mounted for rotation around an
inner stationary race by balls mounted circumferentially
therebetween to constitute a ball bearing with races in
concentric rotational engagement, said inner race being fixed
to said slide plate and eccentric with said slide plate's
~ forward opening for projecting forwardly therebeyond;
: d~ combination saw and drive chain means adapted to engage
said saw bar sprocket means for driving it in rotation with
flywheel momentum to cut a tree when said slide plate slides
~ forwardly for said
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forward openings in the base and slide plate to coincide;
e) buncher means fixed to said base to extend vertically
thereabove with grapples for engaging and disengaging
trees before and after cutting; and f) hydraulic power means
for operating said slide plate, saw and drive chain means,
and said buncher means.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE
DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a plan view of the invention with pusher
assembly,
Figure 2 is a side view of Figure 1 without tractor,
Figure 3 is a three dimensional view of Figures 1 and 2,
Figure 4 is an enlarged exploded view of feller
assembly,
Figure 5 is an enlarged partial view of flywheel feller
; races,
j Figure 6 is a sectional ~iew taken along secti`on li`ne
~; 6-6 of Figure 5, -~
Figure 7 is same as Figure 6 showing another specie
outer race,
Figure 8 is a side view of the invention with buncher
assembly,
Figure 9 is an enlarged side view without tractor, and
Figures 10 and 11 are partial rear and plan views of
buncher.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
` Referring to the drawings, the invention comprises a
hollow base 10 in which a flywheel feller assembly 12 is
slidably mounted. Base 10 is mounted for use on a pusher type
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-, power train 14 as shown in Figure 1 in combination with a ~-
pusher assembly 16. A bunching assembly 18 (see Figures 8-10)
is mountable on base 10 in place of pusher assembly 16 for
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fixing the combination of base 10 and bunching asse~bly 18 on
a backhoe type of power train 20 for the additional use of
bunching felled trees.
Referring to Figures 1 - 7, hollow base 10 comprises a
flat rectangular housing 22 with an open forward end 24
from which two hollow parallel arms 26 extend forwardly spaced
transversely apart and defining mutually opposed openings.
Grapples 28 are pivotally attached to the ends 30 of arms 26
and are adapted to open and close a space 32 defined between
said projecting arms 26 for loosely engaging therein a tree to
be felled. ~ydraulic cylinders 34 are mounted respectively in
arms 26 and are adapted to pivotally open and close grapples
28. Straight parallel slide grooves 38 are interiorly defined
on opposing sides of rectangular housing 22 and arms 26.
Flywheel feller assembly 12 comprises a ball bearing 40,
having an inner stationary race 42 and an outer flywheel race
44, held in concentric rotatable engagement by balls 46
mounted therein. Stationary race 42 is a solid disc and fly-
wheel race 44 is cylindrical and both are mounted concentrically
in a common plane.
Parallel peripheral slots 48 are defined in the outer
cylindrical surface of flywheel race 44 and are spaced axially
apart by mill~ng cutters 50 defined therebetween. Teeth 52
are mounted in respective slots 48 and held in place with
rivets 54 to make flywheel race 44 a double saw-bar sprocket.
' Ball bearing 40 is fixed to a rectangular slide plate 56 having
front 57, back 58, and side edges 59 and defining a semi-
circular opening 60 centered in said front edge 57 said slide
plate 56 being adapted to slidably engage in parallel slide
grooves 38 of base 10. Stationary race 42 is bolted in sus-
pension to slide plate 56 to overlap the boundaries of opening
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60 and is spaced therefrom by crescent shaped space plate 63
conforming to said overlapping part of stationary race 42,
thereby permitting axial spacing for drive and saw chains 55,
when engaging race 44, to rotate freely with it around race
42 without binding on slide plate 56. An hydraulic motor 64
is fixed to slide plate 56 adjacent back end 58 to rotate
a drive sprocket 66 having teeth similar in shape and spacing
to teeth 52 and adapted to engage drive and saw chains 55 in
endless rotation around drive sprocket 66 and saw bar sprocket ~ .
or flywheel race 44. Hydraulic cylinders 70 are mounted in
housing 22 and are operationally connected to slide slide-plate
56 and attached flywheel feller assembly 12 out of forward ~ .
end 24 of housing 22 to the ends 30 of arms 26 to sever a tree
positioned between said arms in space 32 and return into said
housing.
Pusher assembly 16 comprises a curved arm 72 pivoted by
its ends to mounting studs 74 integral with top of housing 22. :~
Hydraulic cylinders 76 are operably connected to arm 72 to swing
it forwardly to engage a tree and bias it away from base 10
and power train 14. Cylinders 76 are secured to studs 77 on
base 10.
In use the invention is attached to the front end of a
pusher type power train 14, and hydraulic motor 64 and
hydraulic cylinders 34, 36, 70 and 76 are connected to hydraulic
auxiliary power sources on power train 14. ~lith grapples 28
open, flywheel feller assembly 12 retracted into housing 22,
and curved arm 72 swung rearwardly, power train 14 carries the
invention to a tree to be felled, engages the tree in space 32
between projecting arms 26 and cl~ses grapples 28 therearound
by energizing hydraulic cylinders 34. Hydraulic motor 64 is
energized to rotate drive and saw chains 55, flywheel race 44
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by means of drive sprocket 66. Hydraulic cylinders 70 are
energized to slide flywheel feller assembly 12 out of housing
22 to the ends of projecting arms 26 and through space 32 to
cut a tree positioned therein. Simultaneously with the
energization of cylinders 70 hydraulic cylinder 76 is
energized to swing curved arm 72 forward to bias a tree being
cut away from the invention and attached power train 14.
Referring to Figures 8 - 11, buncher assembly 18 is
shown mounted on hollow base 10 and fixed thereto by mounting
studs 74, 77 and 78. Buncher assembly 18 comprises an elongated
housing 80. Pairs of upper and lower grapples 82 and 83 are
pivoted in housing 80 and are adapted to open and close in
planes normal thereto. Upper grapples 82 are also pivoted to
swing normal to their plane of opening and closing for holding
` and picking up felled trees at angles with elongated housing 80.
Oppositely from grapples 82 on elongated housing 80 a ball
; bearing 84 has one race 86 fixed to elongated housing 80 and
the other race 88 rotatably free to fix to the end of an
articulated boom 90 of a backhoe type of power train 20. The
races are rotatably connected by balls 92 similar to the
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flywheel feller races. The plane of ball bearing 84 is normal
to that of the opening and closing of both sets of grapples 82
and 83 and is adapted to tilt the buncher assembly and base 10
to engage, cut and bunch trees on a slope. Hydxaulic cylinders
` 94 are operatively connected to race 86 for accomplishing the
degree and direction of tilt. An open backed platform 96
having a bottom 98 defining a sharp edge 10 is secured to the
back of elongated housing 80. In a backhoe movement of -
articulated boom 90, sharp edge 100 is used to cut brush and
trees of small diameter which are carried by the direction and
friction of cutting onto platform bottom 98 to lean against
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the upper parts of elongated housing 80. Sides 102 prevent
the brush and trees from falling sideways off platform 96. A
crook 104 is defined adjacent a convenient joint of articulated
boom 90 for catching all backward falling trees to push to
- forward leaning position on the back platform.
An auxiliary power system of backhoe type of power
train 20 provides hydraulic power for tilting hydraulic
cylinders and for the flywheel feller assembly in the same
manner as auxiliary power was provided in the case of the
pusher type power train.
In operation with bunching assembly 18, grapples 28 are
removed. Lower grapples 83 are similar to grapples 82 in
opening and closing. Grapples 83 are first to close around a
- tree to be cut and first to release said tree after cutting.
With base 10 level, grapples 82 and 83 are closed around a tree
which is cut by the flywheel cutter as heretofore described
with respect to its use with a pusher assembly 16. When said
tree is cut, the buncher assembly 18 and base 10 with the
tree are lifted and swung by backhoe boom 90 to whereever
trees are being piled. Then the buncher assemhly 18 and base
~r 10 with the tree are tilted away from power train 20 until the
continued fall of the tree away from said power train is
assured. Then lower grapples 83 are opened and the tree held
only by upper grapples 82 is free to lift off of flywheel
assembly 12 as grapples 82 lift off of cushion 106 as tree
~' top strikes the ground. The shock of the tree striking the
ground is greatly reduced throughout the harvesting apparatus
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by the swinging position of grapples 82, and the entire
~', flywheel feller assembly and buncher being suspended in a
i 30 swinging position from backhoe boom 90. In picking up felled
-~ tEees, it is swinging grapples 82 Csee Figures 8 and 10) that
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are used to reach for them.
The smaller diameter trees cut by sharp edge 100 and
stacked on platform bottom 98 are discharged in bunching over
the top of elongated housing 80 as it is swung downwardly more
than 90 degrees from its cutting position at the end of boom 90.
Referring further to the structure and an additional
function of reaction grapples 28, it should be realized that
the vertical dimensions thereof as shown in Figure 3 is such
that as a cut tree falls biased by curved arm 72, the butt
engages the tops of said grapples 28 and is prevented from
engaging and possibly damaging flywheel race 44 and chain saws
55.
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