Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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1 FIELD OF THE lNV~N'l'ION
2 The present invention relates to apparatus for
3 stacking short logs or bolts in the form of a lineal stack
4 several bolts in height. In another aspect, the invention
relates to apparatus for de-limbing a cut tree, cutting it
6 into short logs, and then stacking it as aforesaid.
7 BACKGROUND OF THE lNV ~:N'l'ION
8 The invention has been developed in connection with
g processing aspen trees and stacking the produced short logs
(called "bolts") in logging operations conducted in Northern
11 Alberta. The conventional steps practiced and the equipment
12 used in that operation will now shortly be described, to
13 identify some of the shortcomings that the present invention
14 solves. However, in so doing it is to be understood that the
15 invention is not to be limited in application to processing
16 aspen.
17 In connection with such logging, the trees are cut
18 and then skidded to the side of the logging road. Here they
19 are placed with their butt ends at the road edge and their
20 stems extending generally perpendicularly from the road. A
21 machine, referred to as a de-limber, comes along and grasps
22 each tree with two annular sets of arms. The outermost arms
23 have de-limbing knives on their edges and are carried by a
24 telescoping boom. The innermost arms are carried by the
25 machine and are stationary. The outermost arms grasp the
26 tree, part way up its stem, and place the butt into the
27 innermost arms, which firmly grasp the butt. The outermost
28 arms are then partially loosened and are stroked up the tree
2 ~
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1 by the boom. It may require two or more strokes of the boom
2 to de-limb the stem to a pre-determined diameter. The
3 outermost arms are then further closed, to cut off the
4 r~m~i n ing unscraped tree top. The outermost arms are then
moved back partway along the stem, the innermost arms are
6 released and the stem is dropped to the ground.
7 At this stage, the de-limbed stems may be loaded
8 onto a truck and sent to the mill for further processing. Or
g alternatively, they may be further processed at the logging
site by cutting them into 8 foot long bolts.
11 The bolt-forming step in the field involves use of
12 a second machine, referred to as a ''slasherll. The slasher
has an arm that picks up the de-limbed stem with a grapple,
rotates it through 90 so that it is aligned with the road,
and then advances the stem longitudinally until its end
16 contacts a butt plate. A cutting element, spaced 8 feet from
the butt plate, then moves into engagement with the stem and
18 cuts it to form a bolt. The bolt drops into a "basket". The
19 advancement and cutting process is then repeated. Once the
basket is filled with bolts, the slasher arm is actuated to
21 pick up the logs in the basket, rotate them through 90, and
22 then place them in piles on the road edge, ready to be
23 loaded on a truck.
24 From the foregoing, it will be noted that the
conventional system involves a significant number of machine
26 movements, such as:
27 _ picking up the tree from the skidded tree
28 pile;
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1 - two-way travel of the tree stem during de-
2 limbing;
3 - laying the de-limbed stem down in a separate
4 pile;
- picking up the de-limbed stem with the slasher
6 and rotating it 90 to align it with the
7 slasher; and
8 - positioning the basket load of bolts at the
9 side of the road.
It is a preferred objective of the present
1l invention to provide apparatus and processing steps which
12 simplify the operations of de-limbing and cutting the trees
13 to form bolts and assembling the bolts in a stacked condition
14 amenable for loading onto trucks.
It is the main objective to provide a novel system
1 6 for stacking bolts.
17 SUM~lARY OF THE INVENTION
18 In a first aspect of the invention, there is
19 provided a movable apparatus for stacking bolts to form an
elongated linear stack. The apparatus, termed a "stacker",
21 is adapted to be moved along a windrow of trees that are in
22 the process of being converted into bolts. The stacker is
23 operative to receive these bolts and stack them in an
24 orientation such that they are transverse to the longitudinal
axis of the stack to be created. The formed stack issues
26 from the open rear end of the ongoing stacker and is left on
27 the ground in the form of an elongated, linear stack, one
28 bolt in width and several bolts in height.
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1 The stacker comprises means, such as a receiving
2 bin or hopper, that function to position one or more received
3 bolts adjacent to ground surface in an orientation that is
4 generally perpendicular to the direction of advance of the
stacker. Means, such as a plunger, are provided to bias the
6 so-positioned bolts rearwardly, while preserving their
7 orientation. The stacker further comprises means, such as a
8 stacking bin, for collecting the bolts and depositing them on
9 the ground in the form of a stack. Preferably, the stacking
lo bin is open-bottomed (at least at its rear end) and has an
11 open rear end. It comprises a front wall and a pair of
12 spaced, rearwardly extending, parallel side walls. The side
13 walls are spaced apart a distance that is just greater than
the length of the bolts, so the walls are operative to
confine the bolts at their ends. The front wall has an inlet
16 located adjacent ground surface. The inlet communicates with
17 the hopper and is adapted to enable entry of the bolts,
18 biased by the plunger, into the stacking bin chamber.
19 The following features of the stacker will be
noted:
21 - Except when first beginning, the bolts being
22 biased into the stacking bin encounter a stack
23 of bolts already in the bin chamber. This
24 stack of bolts has frictional contact with the
ground surface. Thus, the newly entering
26 bolts encounter resistance and have to be
27 driven with some force into the stack;
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1 - The bolts in the stacking bin are closely
2 confined at each of their ends by the side
3 walls of the bin; and
4 - The bolts being introduced into the bin are
entering at or adjacent to ground surface (or
6 at the base of the stack).
7 The result of combining these features is that the entry of
8 new bolts into the stack in the bin induces a "boiling up"
9 action of the bolts. The bolts, which otherwise would have a
lo tendency to ~jack-straw~, self-align themselves in the
1l boiling-up action and form a generally uniform and neat stack
12 of parallel members having each of their ends generally in a
13 common vertical plane.
In a second aspect of the invention, a novel
processing assembly is combined with the stacker to yield a
16 novel bolt-forming and stacking assembly. The processing
17 assembly comprises:
18 _ A conventional articulated arm and grapple
19 (known as a "knuckle boom log loader"), which
is adapted to reach out and grasp one or more
21 of the tree stems by their butt ends and drag
22 them inwardly to position the butt ends over a
23 processing head, at which point the grapple
24 may then be opened to drop the butt ends into
engagement with the processing head; and
26 - A processing head that is mounted on a
27 pivoting and rotating support, so that the
28 head may align itself with the one or more
29 stems being processed. The head is adapted to
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1- engage and longitudinally advance the stem;
2 simultaneously de-limb it; terminate
3 advancement when the proper bolt length
4 extends past a cutting element; and pivot the
cutting element through the advanced stem to
6 cut and form the bolts. More particularly,
7 the processing head comprises: a pair of
8 driven rolls that clamp onto the dropped stem
g and advance it axially; de-limbing means that
encircle the advancing stem and ~crape off the
11 branches; a cutting element, such as a
12 pivoting chain saw or circular saw, that is
13 adapted to sever the stem; and means for
4 interrupting the advance of the stem when the
desired length has passed the saw, whereby the
16 rolls are stopped and the saw is pivoted to
17 cut and form the bolts, which drop into the
18 hopper.
19 It will be noted that the bolt-forming and stacking
assembly is characterized by the following advantages:
21 - The tree stem is handled only once, by
22 advancing it longitudinally;
23 _ The stem is de-limbed and cut into bolts in
24 the course of the single longitudinal movement
of the stem;
26 - The bolts remain aligned with the travel of
27 the stem, so no re-orientation is involved;
28 ~ The processing of stems does not involve the
29 grapple arm, so the operator may use the
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1 latter to pick up a second set of stems as the
2 first set is being processed; and
3 - The stack of bolts issue from the rear end of
4 the stacker as it moves ahead, without any
requirement for machine movements (such as
6 lifting and rotating baskets of bolts, as is
7 the case in the prior art).
8 Broadly stated, the invention is an apparatus for
9 stacking de-limbed logs to form a linear stack, comprising:
means for receiving the bolts and positioning them adjacent
11 ground surface in generally perpendicular relation to the
12 longitudinal axis of the stack to be created; means for
13 biasing the bolts rearwardly out of the positioning means
14 while maint~ining their orientation; and means for collecting
the bolts, as they are biased out of the positioning means,
16 and depositing them on the ground in the form of a stack as
17 aforesaid, said collecting means being positioned
18 contiguously and rearwardly of the positioning means whereby
19 the bolts being biased are forced into the base of the stack
being collected, said collecting means being adapted to
21 confine the bolts therein at their ends.
22 DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
23 Figures l - 7 are schematic side sectional views
24 showing the operation of the stacker;
Figure 8 is a perspective view of the stacker,
26 showing the hopper and stacking bin;
27 Figure 9 is a side sectional view of the stacker,
28 taken along the line A--A of Figure 7;
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1 Figure 10 is a top plan view of the bolt-forming
2 and stacking assembly;
3 Figure 11 is a side view of the assembly of Figure
4 9;
Figure 12 is an end view showing the kicker
6 assembly;
7 Figure 13 is an end view showing the de-limbing
8 assembly;
g Figure 14 is a top plan view showing the roll
assembly;
11 Figure 15 is a side view showing the roll assembly;
12 Figure 16 is an end view showing the cutting
assembly;
14 Figure 17 is a side view showing the processing
head; and
16 Figure 18 is a top plan view showing the processing
17 head.
18 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODINENT
19 The illustrated bolt-forming and stacking assembly
1 comprises a tractor 2, a grapple arm 3 mounted on the rear
21 end of the tractor, a hopper 4 and stacking bin 5 which are
22 carried by a wheel-supported skid frame 6 that is hitched to
23 the tractor 2, and a processing head 7 carried by the front
24 end of the skid frame 6. These components form a unitary
assembly that may be moved along a logging road or the like.
26 The tractor 2 has a conventional motor and
27 hydraulic system for powering and controlling the components.
28 It is within the ordinary skill of the art to design and
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l provide these systems. Therefore they will not be described
2 herein, as they do not go to the essence of the invention.
3 However, the disclosure does indicate the functions to be
4 carried out and the operational and sequential features that
are involved.
6 As stated, the tractor 2 carries a conventional
7 grapple arm 3. This arm is mounted on a turntable 8, for
8 rotation about a vertical axis. It can also be extended or
g contracted and raised or lowered, as required. At its outer
end, the arm carries a conventional log-loading grapple 9.
ll The arm is equipped with actuating cylinders and control
l2 circuits (not shown), whereby the operator may control the
arm from the cab 10. The arm may be used to reach outwardly
to the edge of the logging road, grasp one or more butt ends
of the trees extending therefrom, lift the grasped butt(s),
l6 drag the trees inwardly so that the butt ends overlie the
processing head 7, and drop the grasped ends so that they
l8 engage the processing head 7.
l9 The skid frame 6 is suspended at its front end from
the tractor 2 by a pivoting linkage assembly 11. More
2l particularly, links 12 are pivotally connected to each of the
22 tractor and skid frame, to enable the front end of the skid
23 frame to be raised or lowered. A hydraulic cylinder 13
24 interconnects the tractor hitch 14 with the skid frame and,
when actuated, the cylinder is operative to raise or lower
26 the skid frame. At its rear end, the skid frame is pivotally
27 interconnected with the rear wheels 15 by a link assembly 16.
28 A hydraulic cylinder 17 is pivotally connected between the
29 skid frame and link assembly 15 and functions to raise or
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l lower the rear end of the skid frame, as required. A pair of
2 stabilizer legs 18, actuated by cylinders 18a, are mounted to
3 the two sides of the skid frame at its front end, for
4 stabilizing the frame when the apparatus is working. In
summary, means are provided for lowering the skid frame 6 to
6 the ground and stabilizing it. The skid frame and stabilizer
7 legs can also be raised, to enable the assembly 1 to move
8 along the road.
9 Suitable hydraulic circuits (not shown) are
provided for controlling the cylinders 13, 17, 18a from the
ll cab 10.
12 The processing head 7 is mounted on a transverse
support beam 19 which, in turn, is mounted on the front end
l4 of the skid frame 6 by a gimbal joint 20. The gimbal joint
20 enables the head 7 to rotate in a horizontal plane and to
l6 pivot in a vertical plane, within limits dictated by the
l7 stops 21. As a result, the head 3 may swivel and pivot as
l8 required to align itself with the tree stem being processed.
lg More particularly, the gimbal joint 20 comprises a
turntable 22 mounted on the skid frame 6. The turntable 22
21 carries a pair of upstanding, spaced apart lugs 23. A wrist
22 pin 24 is supported by the lugs 23 and is free to pivot. The
23 main support beam 19 of the processor head is mounted on the
24 wrist pin 24.
The processing head 7 comprises a linear array of
26 components carried by the support beam 19 and adapted to
27 engage the tree stem being processed, advance it
28 longitudinally, de-limb it as it advances, cut it into de-
29 limbed bolts of pre-determined length, and discard the
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1 undesired small diameter end of the stem. These components
2 perform their functions during a single pass or advancement
3 of the stem.
4 More particularly, at its outermost end, the head 7
comprises a kicker arm assembly 25 adapted to eject the tree
6 top upward and away from the assembly 1. Having reference to
7 Figures 16 and 17, the kicker arm assembly 25 includes a pair
8 of kicker arms 25a, which are pivotally mounted on a
9 rotatable pivot shaft 26 carried by a housing 27 secured to
the main support beam lg. A hydraulic cylinder 28 is
11 pivotally connected between the housing 27 and a lug 29
12 connected with the pivot shaft 26. Extension of the cylinder
13 28 will cause the kicker arms 25 to rotate upwardly about the
14 shaft 26, to throw the tree top away.
The head 7 further has a de-limbing assembly 30
16 mounted on the main support beam 19. The de-limbing assembly
comprises a pair of de-limbing plates 31 having knife edges
18 arranged in the form of a shallow V. The plates 31 support
19 the tree stem from below as it is being advanced. A first
upstanding curved de-limbing arm 32, having a knife edge, is
21 pivotally mounted on the rod 33 of a hydraulic cylinder 34,
22 which is pivotally mounted to a plate 35 secured to the main
23 support beam 19. A link 36 is pivotally connected between
24 the first de-limbing arm 32 and a second similar de-limbing
arm 37. Extension of the rod 33 will cause the de-limbing
26 arms 32, 37 to move together and rotate into close engagement
27 with the tree stem being processed.
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l Inwardly of the de-limbing assembly 30, the head 7
2 has a feed roll assembly 40 mounted on the support beam 19.
3 The feed roll assembly 40 comprises a pair of vertical
4 studded rolls 41, each rotatably mounted in a carrier frame
5 42. Each carrier frame 42 is pivotally secured to one end of
6 an actuating hydraulic cylinder 43. The two carrier frames
7 42 are joined by a pivotally mounted equalizer link assembly
8 44. Extension and contraction of the roll cylinder 43,
9 coupled with the action of the equalizer link assembly 44 and
the pivot connections involved, will cause the two rolls 41
ll to open and close proportionately and equally. A drive motor
l2 45 powers each roll 41.
13 Inwardly of the feed roll assembly 40, the
14 processor head 3 comprises a cutting assembly 50 which can be
actuated to cut through the tree stem being processed. The
16 cutting assembly 50 shown comprises a circular saw 51 mounted
7 on and driven by the shaft 52 of a hydraulic motor 53. The
18 motor 53 and saw 51 are mounted on a pivoting arm 54
lg supported by the main support beam 19. A hydraulic cylinder
20 55 is pivotally connected between the support beam 19 and arm
21 54, for swinging the saw 51 into cutting engagement with the
22 tree stem.
23 A photo cell assembly 60 is provided to sense the
24 innermost end of the advancing stem. The photo cell assembly
25 60 is connected with means (not shown) operative to actuate
26 the cutting assembly 50 and temporarily stop the rolls 41.
27 Suitable hydraulic circuits (not shown) are
28 provided for actuating the kicker arm assembly 25, de-limbing
29 assembly 30 and roll assembly 40 from the cab 10.
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1 Turning now to the stacker 70, it comprises a
2 hopper 4 and stacking bin 5.
3 The hopper 4 is generally rectangular and open-
4 topped. It is positioned below and contiguous to the
processing head 7, so that the bolts 71 drop into it as they
6 are cut. The side walls 72 of the hopper are spaced apart
7 so that the bolts 71 are loosely confined at their ends.
8 Typically, the spacing of the side walls can be 9 feet for 8
g foot long bolts. The upper ends of the hopper front and side
walls 73, 72 are inwardly sloping so that they are adapted to
11 centralize the bolt in the hopper chamber 74. The hopper is
12 reinforced and contained by the skid frame 6. A reject
13 bucket 100 is pivotally mounted to one of the side walls 72.
The bucket 100 can be rotated inwardly by a hydraulically
actuated cylinder (not shown) to a position at the base of
16 the inwardly sloping front wall 73 of the hopper. There it
17 can intercept a deformed or otherwise defective bolt and
18 throw it away from assembly 1.
19 In operation, the hopper 4 is adapted to receive
and position the bolts 71 adjacent the ground surface on
21 which the skid frame 6 rests. When so positioned, the bolts
22 are oriented generally perpendicularly to the longitudinal
23 axis of the stack that is to be formed.
24 A broad-faced plunger 75 is centrally positioned at
the base of the hopper chamber 74. The plunger 75 is
26 actuated by the rod end of a hydraulic cylinder 101.
27 In operation, the plunger 75 functions to bias
28 rearwardly any bolts 71 present in the hopper chamber 74.
29 The confining hopper side walls 72 and the broad face 77 of
14
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1 the plunger 75 cooperate to maintain the orientation of the
2 bolts.
3 The stacking bin 5 is contiguous to and rearward of
4 the hopper 4. They share a common wall 78. The stacking bin
5 iæ also rectangular in configuration, having parallel side
6 walls 79. The side walls 79 are spaced apart sufficiently so
7 that they loosely confine the bolts 71. The bin 5 is open-
8 ended at the rear and open-bottomed. (Note that, while the
9 drawings show the stacking bin 5 open throughout its height
at the rear and open-bottomed throughout most of its length,
1l it is only necessary that the stack 80 formed in the chamber
12 81 of the stacking bin 5 be able to pass out the rear of the
13 bin and make contact with the ground as it leaves. So the
14 bin can have a floor along most of its length and a rear end
wall extending part way down from its upper edge.)
16 The front wall 78 of the stacking bin 5 forms an
aperture 82 at its lower end. The aperture 82 extends the
18 width of the stacking bin 5, so that it is adapted to enable
19 entry therethrough of the bolts being biased rearwardly. A
hinged, segmented, one-way closure 83 permits the bolts to
21 move from the hopper chamber 74 into the stacking bin chamber
22 81, but prevents them returning in the other direction.
23 From the foregoing, it will be noted that the
24 stacking bin 5 is adapted to collect the bolts being biased
rearwardly and to form them into a stack 80, at least the
26 rear part of which is in frictional engagement with the
27 ground surface. When the stacking bin 5 is moved ahead, the
28 stack 80 is left deposited on the ground and joins other
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1 bolts already deposited there to form an elongated lineal
2 stack.
3 In the operation of the assembly, the grapple arm 3
4 grasps a tree stem and drops its butt end into the gap
between the drive rolls 40. The de-limbing assembly 30 is
6 activated to bring the knife arms 32, 37 and knife plates 31
7 into pressing engagement with the stem. The rolls 40 are
8 also clamped onto the stem and then activated to advance the
9 stem end toward the photo cell assembly 60. When the
assembly 60 senses that the stem has reached it, the drive
11 rolls 40 are stopped and the cutting assembly 50 is activated
12 to cut through the stem and form a bolt 71. Some deformed
13 bolts are discarded by the reject bucket 100. The remaining
14 bolts drop into the hopper chamber 74 and are guided to
15 assume a position, at the base of the chamber 74, in which
16 they are generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of
17 the stack 80 to be formed. The plunger 75 then is activated
18 to bias the bolts rearwardly out of the hopper 5 and force
19 them into the base of the stack 80 already in the bin chamber
20 81. The bolts so biased cause a "boiling up" of bolts within
21 the bin chamber 81. The combination of confining the bolts
22 at their ends, providing resistance to their entry into the
23 stack by having it in frictional contact with the ground, and
24 injecting the bolts into the base of the stack, induces a
25 boiling up of the bolts, at the front end of the stack, that
26 causes them to maintain a parallel alignment. Returning to
27 the stem being processed, when the small diameter top end is
28 reached, the kicker arm assembly 25 is activated to discard
29 it.
16
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1 The scope of the invention is set forth in the
2 claims now following.
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