METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HARVESTING CONES FROM TREES, PARTICULARLY FROM PINE AND SPRUCE TREES

METHODE ET APPAREIL POUR RECOLTER LES CONES DE PIN ET D'EPINETTE

English Abstract

ABSTRACT
A method and device for harvesting cones from trees,
such as pine and spruce, during tree-felling operations.
Subsequent to felling the tree it is placed in a
drum-shaped cone-picking means (6), the trunk of the tree
(4) lying substantially on the axis of the drum and the
drum covering a part of the crown of the tree. The crown
of the tree is then drawn through the drum by means of feed
rollers (5). The inner surface of the drum is provided
with rows of rods (18) which when contacting the branches
of the tree causes the cones to be loosened therefrom.
The cones thus removed are collected in a receptacle (19)
located beneath the drum.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive
property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:-
1. A method of harvesting cones from trees such as
pine and spruce, characterized in that the tree is first
felled and then placed in a device which encloses a part of
the tree, whereafter the crown of the tree is drawn through
said device in a manner to cause the cones to loosen from
said crown, whereafter said cones are collected in said
device.
2. A device for loosening cones from the branches
of trees in accordance with the method of claim 1,
characterized by a drum having an openable and closeable
outer surface and being open at both ends thereof and
having means for opening and closing said surface which is
intended to receive and enclose at least part of the crown
of the tree.
3. A device according to claim 2, characterized in
that the drum is provided on the inner surface thereof
with rows of rod-shaped elements arranged to contact the
branches of said tree is a manner to loosen the cones
therefrom.
4. A device according to claim 2, characterized in
that the drum comprises a fixed part and two pivotable walls
on a respective side of said fixed part, said walls being
pivotable towards and away from each other about a res-
pective axis for closing and opening the outer surface of
the drum.
5. A device according to claim 3, characterized in
that the drum comprises a fixed part and two pivotable walls
on a respective side of said fixed part, said walls being
pivotable towards and away from each other about a res-
pective axis for closing and opening the outer surface of

the drum.
6. A device according to claim 3, 4 or 5,
characterized in that the rod-like elements are made
of steel and covered with a rubber material.

Description

ll~lO'~tj
A METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HARVESTING CONES FROM
TREES, PARTICULARLY FROM ~INE AND SPRUCE TREES
The present invention relates to a method and an
apparatus for harvesting cones from trees such as pine and
spruce trees.
Normally cones are harvested manually in the clear-
felled area, in which the crowns of the trees are left after
a tree-felling operation. Attempts have also been made to
pick cones manually from standing reees, in which a workman
is lifted to the height of the crown of the tree by means of
a crane. This method is extremely risky, however. In other
known methods there are used devices which shake the trees so
as to cause the cones to fall to the ground, from where they
are collected manually. The trees are shaken either from a
helicopter or from the ground.
One disadvantage with these known methods is that
they are time consuming and expensive, which causes the
seed obtained from the cones to be excessively dear.
Because of the high price of the seed, the general tendency
is to be economical when sowing said seed, which results in
a poor regrowth cycle.
The object of the invention is to provide a method
and an apparatus with which cones can be harvested in a
less expensive and simpler manner and by which cones can be
gathered in a more rational manner than with known methods.
These objects are realized by the fact that in accordance
with the invention the cones are picked purely mechanically
and preferably in conjunction with a tree-felling operation.
In one aspect of the present invention there is
provided a method of harvesting cones from trees such as
pine and spruce, characterized in that the tree is first
felled and then placed in a device which encloses a part of
the tree, whereafter the cr~n of the tree is drawn through
the device in a manner to cause the cones to loosen from the
crown, whereafter the cones are collected in the device.
~ ~.

- la -
The characterizing features of the invention are
set forth in the accompanying claims.
The apparatus according to the invention will now
be described in detail with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of an embodiment
of the apparatus incorporated in a tree-felling apparatus,
and Figure 2 is an end view of the drum-shaped picking head
of the apparatus.
.... ~

11~10~
In Figure 1 there is shown a cone-picking arrangement
1, hereinafter called the cone picker, which is coupled to
a tree-felling apparatus 2 by means of a pivoted arm 3, a
felled tree 4 being placed in the cone picker and gripped
by two feed rollers 5 arranged therein. The picking head
or drum 6 of the cone picker is manouvered into the desired
position by means of two hydraulic-piston-cylinder devices
7 and 8.
Figure 2 illustrates the cone picker in an end view.
The tree is placed in the drum 6, which is mounted on a
frame structure 9 and comprises three walls 10, 11 and 12.
The walls 11 and 12 are pivotally mounted on pins 13 and 14
respectively, said walls being illustrated in their out-
wardly swung positions in chain lines 11'l) 12'. As will
be seen from the Figures, the walls form a circular-
cylindrical drum when occupying their closed position. The
third wall 10 is stationarily arranged and is welded to the
frame structure 9 via stays 15. Pivoting of the walls 11
and 12 between their outwardly swung or open position and
their closed position is controlled by means of two
hydraulic piston-cylinder devices 16 and 17 respectively.
The walls 10, 11 and 12 are provided on their inner sur-
faces with rows of rods 18 of equal length and at equal
spacing therebetween. The rods 18 may be made of steel or
a plastics material and are preferably covered with a
rubber material. In Figure 2 only one row of rods 18 is
- shown around the periphery of the drum, although it will
be understood that any number of rows can be arranged,
three such rows being indicated in Figure 1. The rods in
separate rows may also be displaceably arranged in the
peripheral direction relative to the rods of an adjacent
row. On the undersurface of the stationary wall 10 there
is arranged a receptacle 19 into which the cones fall from
the drum through openings 20 (Figure 1).
The mode of operation of the apparatus according to
the invention is as follows:
Subsequent to felling a tree 4 by means of the tree-

lO ~t~
feller 2 the tree is placed in the drum 6, the walls 11 and
12 of which are open in the manner shown in chain lines 11'
and 12' of Figure 2. The tree is placed in a manner such
that the drum encircles the crown of the tree, as illu-
strated in Figure 1. The walls 11 and 12 are then closedby means of the hydraulic piston-cylinders 16 and 17. It
is not necessary for the walls to be completely closed.
The extent to which the walls are closed is determined by
the size of the crown of the tree. The crown of the tree
is then drawn through the drum 6, downwardly as seen in
Figure 1, by means of the feed rollers 5. The rods 18 when
coming into contact with the branches of the tree move
along the tops of the branches and loosen the cones growing
thereon. The cones fall down into the receptacle 19 on
the stationary wall 10 through the openings 20.
Although the illustrated and described drum 6 is of
circular-cylindrical shape, it may also have a certain
conicicity. Further, the walls need not be made in a
single piece as with the illustrated embodiment, but may
comprise, for example, a bed of rods 18 joined together in
a manner such as to form a wall unit. Further, the drum 6
need not have a circular cross section, but may be given
any suitable shapeO