Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
, I ~ .
2181629
MET}IOD aND ~PPARATIJS FOR TREE ST~MP CI,EARING
Backqround of thP Invention
a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and
apparatus for removing tree stumps from the
ground, and more particularly to such a method and
apparatus where a splitting att~rhm~nt can be used
in conjunction with convF~nt;rn~l equipment, such
as a trackhoe, in a particularly effective manner
to accomplish the splitting of the stump, the
removal of the stump from the ground, and also the .
removal of rocks and dirt from the stump.
b) sackgro~d Art
When a tract of land has been logged, quite
often it becomes necPssary to remove the rr--tn~nrj
stumps. One common way of accomplishing this i8
to simply use a bulldo7er to dig around the roots
of the stump and then push the stump out. Another
method is to use a trackhoe to sever the roots and
the trackhoe pulls the stump out of the ground
hole in one piece by use of its bucket.
A search o the U.S. Patent literature has
revealed a number of devices which are used for
this purpose, these are the following:
U.S. 4,682,638 (}3ecker) shows what is called
a "stump extracting tool" which can ~e mounted to
an articulated arm such as the boom of a power
shovel. This tool has a vertical splitting member
1 and a laterally extending triangular plate--like
member having forwardly facing stepped cutting
member~. The vertical mem.~er splits the stump
218~629
-- 2
while the laterally P~Pn~l; ng cutting member makes
a horizontal cut to remove a section of the stump
U S. 4,321,761 (Hedblom) shows an apparatus
f or uprooting tree stumps . There is a tool 7
which is mounted to a crane. This tool 7
comprises two members 23 and 24, these members 23
and 24 are positioned adjacent to one another and
then are dug into the ground to a position below
the stump. Then the member 24 is raised relative
to the member 23 as the member 23 presses against
the ground surface beneath the stump to uproot the
stump .
U.S. 3,842,871 (Jureiwicz) shows a tree stump
cutting assembly which is mounted behind a
tractor. There is a blade member 1, having a
bottom cutting edge 4, a rear cutting edge 5, and
a f orward cutting edge 6 . The blade member 1 is
pivotally mounted for limited angular movement to
an arm 18 that is in turn connected to a
hydraulically operated mechanism which can move
the blade upwardly and downwardly. The hydraulic
member 23 can be used to push the blade downwardly
in a splitting action, or the tractor can be moved
forwardly or rearwardly to accomplish the
splitting motion
U.S. 3,620,271 ~hoyer~ shows a stump
splitting blade with a cutting edge on the front
and bottom, secured to the rear of a heavy tracked
vehicle. There is a hydraulic ram which forces
3 0 the blade into the top of the stump . The vehicle _
then drags the blade down and f orward to cut and
split the stump.
2~8~6~9
- 3
U.S. 2,934,108 (Ble~) shows an apparatus for
cutting tree stumps and roots. There is a stump
splitting tool that is mounted to a boom 14. The
cutting tool 22 ha5 at its lower end a forwardly
directed cutting edge 32 which makes a vertical
slice into the stump, and also has a laterally
extending cutting edge 42 f ormed along a
triangular horizontal plate g4. The tool i9
operated to cut slices off the tree stump (as
shown in Figure 4~ where the vertical edge makes a
vertical slice, and the slanted horizontal cutting
edge 42 cuts the slice off at the lower horizontal
edge thereof.
U.S. 2,966,180 is also issued to Bles, and
this show~ a modified form of the apparatus shown
in the earlier Bles patent.
U.S. 2,528,170 (Peacock) show~ a "stump
dozer". The existing blade of a bulldozer is
removed, and this stump removing blade i~ put in
its place. There is a downwardly and forwardly
slanti~g stump extracting blade 85, and there is a - -
vertical wedge 18 mounted to the front of the
blade. The manner in which the devlce is used is
described in this paten~ as follows (column 3,
beginning at line 8 ):
"The stump i9 then pushed out, much in
the manner that a hog roots The blade
goes down under the stump, and then a8
3 o the machine pu~hes f orward, the unit is
moved up by the cable or hydraulic power
unit (not shown) operating the A ~rame
o~ the tractor The 8tump is then le~t
2181629
-- 4
on top of the ground and i~ either
pulled or pushed to the burnlng pile or
loaded o~ a truck for sale.
"Sorne of these ~tumps are ~o large that
a dump truck cannot haul them. For this
reason, I have provlded the splitti~g
wedge device mourLted to the pu~her, so
that the stump i~ in ~maller piece~ when
it ha~ been removed Erom the ground.
~huE3, facilitating handled. "
~ . ~
2~81629
- 5
Summary of the Invention
The method and apparatus of the present
invention enables tree stumpY to be removed from
the ground in a particularly effective manner, in
5 a manner that the upper part of the tree stump is
split along one or more splitting planes, and then
the stump is dislodged from its ground embedded
position so that it can be moved out of the ground
in sections.
In addition to enabling this to be removed
more quickly and effectively, there are other
additional benefits. For example, much of the
dirt and rocks that would ordinarily remain lodged
in the lower middle part of the stump are (with
15 the present invention) permitted to come loose
from the stump. Thus, the stump sections become
easier to move, and also if the stump sections are
to be transported to other locations, they can be
loaded more compactly f or ef f icient
20 transportation. Further, by removing the stumps
in smaller sections, if these are to be burned
they can be burned more quickly and effectively.
Alternatively, if these are to be cut into chips
or smaller wood pieces, with the greater removal
25 of dirt and rocks, this can be done more
ef f ectively .
In the method of the present invention, the
tree stump is initially in a ground embedded
position, with the stump having an upper stump
30 portion and a root system comprising roots
extending f rom the upper stump portion into the
surrounding ground strata.
21~29
- 6
There is first provided a stump splitting and
dislodging assembly which comprises a stump
splitting means having a leading edge and side
splitting surface portions extending rearwardly
5 from the leading edge. The stump splitting means
is positioned and moved to cause the leading edge
to engage the upper stump portion and to split the
upper stump portion along at least one
substantially vertical splitting plane.
There is also provided a stump dislodging
means having an earth penetrating portion. The
stump dislodging means is positioned and moved to
penetrate into these ground stratas surrounding
the stump and sever the roots and/or separate the
15 roots from the surrounding ground strata and thus
dislodge the stump from its ground embedded
engagement in the earth strata. In the
preferred form, the splitting means is positioned
below the stump dislodging means, and f ixedly
20 co~ected thereto. The splitter means is thus
moved through the upper stump portion in a
splitting motion, with the dislodging means being
positioned above the stump portion. Also, in the
pre~erred form, there is provided an operating arm
25 means, and the dislodging means and the splitting
means are rotatably mounted to this arm mean 3
The dislodging means and the 8plitting mean8 are
rotated between a splitting position where the
splitting means has a substantial horizontal
30 alignment component, and a dislodging position
where the dislodging means is oriented to
penetrate into the ground strata.
218!629
-- 7
Also, in a preferred form, the dislodging
means comprises bucket means having a lower wall
means and r nnt~;n;ng side wall means ~l,of;n;n~ with
the lower wall means of cnnt~;n;ng area. The
5 bucket means has earth digging edge means adjacent
to the lower wall means, and the bucket is
operatively connected to the operating arm means.
More spf~n;f;n~lly~ the method comprises in
one f orm providing backhoe means which in turn
10 comprises the arm means and the bucket means, with
the splitting means fll~t~nh~hl y mounted to the
bucket means.
In a more pref erred f orm of the present
invention, there is further provided saw plate
15 means operatively connected to an assembly
comprising these splitting means and the
dislodging means. A cutting edge of the saw plate
means i9 position downwardly, and the saw plate
means is moved through the upper stum~ portion in
20 sawing engagement therewith. This forms a a kerf
in the upper stump portion, and the splitting
means is then moved through this ker~ to split the
upper stump portion
In the apparatus o~ the present invention,
25 the stump splitting means and the stump dislodging
means are combined in an as~3embly where these are
operatively interconnected with one another
Further, there are assembly operating means to
operate both a stump splitting and dislodging
30 assembly as descri~ed above. This assembly has a
front end, a rear end, and a lengthwise axis. In
the preferred form, the splitting means has a
sub~tantial alignment comrnni~nt parallel to the
218t~29
lengthwise axis, in an operative position
substantially parallel to a horizontal axis.
The present invention further comprises the
splitting means as an att~rhm~r~t which can be
5 removably attached to an earth engaging member
(more particularly in a preferred form the bucket
of a backhoe or the like), with the 9tump
splitting means further comprising an attaching
means by which the stump splitting means is
10 operatively attached to the bucket or other earth
engaging member. Further, the splitting means
comprises a splitting plate means which is mounted
to be spaced below the bucket.
Also in the preferred form the attachment
1~ compriæes the saw plate mean3 which in the
preferred form extends downwardly from the plate
means .
Other features of the present invention will
become~ apparent from the following detailed
2 O de~ cript ion
~ .
2 1 8 ! 629
g
~3rief ~escription of the Drawinr~5
Figure 1 is an isometric view showing the
splitting att~rhmpnt of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a side elevational view showing
the splitting attArhm~nt of Figure 1 mounted to
the bucket of a trackhoe, positioned to engage the
upper part of a tree stump;
Figure 3 i8 a top plan view showing only the
splitti~g plate of the splitting att~rhm-~nt
engaging the upper part of the tree stump to split
the same;
Figure 4 is a plan view similar to Figure 3,
showing the splitting plate again splitting the
top part of the stump along a splitting plane
perpendicular to the splitting plane of Figure 3;
Figure 5 is a plan view looking down on the
~ront portion of the bottom plate of the bucket o~
the trackhoe, showing the mounting hooks of the
attachment connecting to the middle front portion~
of the trackhoe bottom plate;
Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5, but
showing the mounting hooks mounted to the bottom
plate of the trackhoe where these straddle a
middle tooth of the bucket of the trackhoe;
Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the
attachment of the present invention mounted to a
trackhoe where the trackhoe with the attachment is
in the process of pulling a stump section out of
3 0 the ground, and
Figure 8 is a perspective view similar to
Figure 7, showing a bucket as~em.bly lifting and
2181629
- 10 -
shaking the tree stump to remove rocks and dirt
from the roots.
Figure 9 is a longitudinal sectional view
showing a mfltl;f;~o~l form of a front connection for
the sFl ;t~;ng attachment;
Figure 10 is a f ront elevational view of
another type of front end connection;
Figure 11 i8 a longitudinal sectional view
showing yet another f orm of a f ront end
connection;
Figure 12 is a isometric view showing another
front connection somewhat similar to that shown in
Figure 10;
Figure 13 is a longitudinal sectional view
showing yet another f ront end connection f or the
splitting at~ hm~n~;
Figure 14 i8 a ~ide elevational view showing
a modified form of the rear connecting arm;
Figure 15 is a rear elevational view showing
an attaching plate to cornect the rear end of the
splitting at~ hm,~nt to the bucket;
Figure 16A i8 a view partly in section,
showing one component of a rear attaching device;
Figure 16s iE3 a rear elevational view ~howing
the total attaching device in which the apparatus
of Figure 16A is used;
Figure 16C is a top plan view of the
at~hm~n~ plate for the device shown in Figure
16B;
3 0 Figure 17 is a modif ied f orm of the rear :~.
connecting device, shown as a turnbuckle;
.
218~629
- 11 -
Figure 18 is a side elevational view, partly
in section, showing yet another rear connecting
device;
Figure 19 is a view similar to Figure 18
showing a modified form of a rear connecting arm;
Figure 20 is an elevational view showing a
tightening device to press from the splitting
at~rhm~n~ to the bucket to take out slack;
Figure 21 is a view partly in section,
showing a modified version of the type of device
shown in Figure 2 0;
Figure 22 is device serving a function
similar to those in Figures 20 and 21, showing a
wedging at~rh~^n~ for taking up the slack;
Pigure 23 is an isometric view showing the
splitting attachment of the present invention
mounted to a back rake;
Figure 2a. is a side elevational view of the
apparatus of Figure 23; and
Figure 25 is a somewhat schematic view
illustrating the splitting attachment mounted to
the bucket and givlng relative dimensions and
positioning of the members
Figure 26 is a side elevational view of the
attachment of a second main embodiment of the
present invention;
Figure 27 is a bottom plan view of the
attachment shown in Figure 26;
Figure 28 is a side elevational view showing
3 0 the attachment of the second embodiment mounted to
a bucket of a trackhoe, with the saw plate cutting
through a stump;
.
2 1 ~ 1 629
- 12 -
Figure 29 is a view similar to view 28, but
showing the kerf having been cut through the stump
by means of the saw plate, and with the splitting
plate entering the kerf that has been cut to split
5 the s tump;
Figure 30 is an isometric view showing a
connecting device of the second embodiment;
Figures 31 and 32 are views, partly in
sections, showing first (in Figure 31) the manner
10 in which a stump can be split and removed in
accordance with the present invention, and showing
in 32 the manner in which a stump would be removed
f rom the ground in accordance with prior art;
Figure 33 is a view showing the various
15 components of this second main embodiment in plan
view, separated from one another and also
illustrating the manner of attachment of these
components;
Figure 34 is a side elevational view, drawn
20 to an enlarged scale relative to the other
Figures, showing in more detail the saw teeth;
Figure 35 is a view taken from the location
at 35-35 of Figure 34;
Figure 36 is a sectional view taken along 36-
25 36 of Figure 34, and
Figure 37 i~ a sectional view taken alongline 37-37 of Figure 34
2181629
- 13 -
Deccri~tion of the Preferred Embo~l;m~nts
The combination 10 of the f ir~t e-mbodiment of
the present invention comprises a splitting
5 at~Arl~m~nt 12, a trackhoe 14, and a bucket
assembly 16 of the trackhoe 14, this bucket
as~embly 16 having a bucket 17.
The trackhoe 14 and the bucket asse-mbly 16 of
the trackhoe 14 are, or may be, of conventional
10 design. The splitting attachment 12 is in the
pref erred embodiment conf igured 80 that it can be
easily attached to, or removed from, the bucket of
the bucket assembly. Further, as will be
disclosed more fully later herein, the splitting
15 attachment 12 is arranged and configured so that
it ca~ very effectively be operated from the
bucket attachment to accomplish the appropriate
splitting action of the tree stump, and yet be
positioned so that the splitting attachment 12
20 will not interfere to any significant extent with
the other operations of the bucket assembly in the
stump removal operation. Specifically, the use of
the splitting attachment 12 permits the
subs~An~;Ally unimpeded action of the bucket
25 asse-mbly in rooting the stump sections out of the
ground, shaking these to remove the dirt and rocl{s
from the tree stump sections, and then depositing
the~e in a collecting location, usually either for
burning or moving to another ~ite. also the
30 splitting attachment 12 can itself be used to cut
the roots.
The splitting attachment 12 comprises a main
plate 18, a splitting plate 20 attached to the
218~629
- 14 -
bottom part of the plate 18, and an attachment
means 22, which in turn comprises a pair of front
hookæ 24, a rear positioning plate 26 and a rear
att;~rhm~nt arm 28.
The main plate 18 has a flat planar
configuration and is vertically and longitllfl~n l1 ly
aligned. For purpo3es of description, the
splitting attachment 12 shall be considered as
having a forward end 30, a rear end 32, a lower
part 34 and an upper part 36. Also, the
att;~hm~nt 12 will be considered as having a
forward to rear longitudinal axis 38, a vertical
axis 40, and a transverse axis 42 perpendicular to
the longitudinal axis 38 and the vertical axis 40.
me splitting plate 20 has a generally
horizontal, planar conf iguration and is
triangularly shaped The leading edge 44 of the
splitting plate 20 is sharpened to form a lower,
vertically aligned splitting edge The side edges
46 of the splitting plate 20 diverge from one
another in a rearward direction at a relatively
shallow angle with respect to one another, this
angle being optimized to accomplish the proper
splitting action These side edges 46 have
relatively blunt splitting surfaces which as shown
herein are Yertical flat surfaces Also, as shown
in Figure 2A, the edge 46 ' of the splitting plate
20 can be slanted downwardly and outwardly to form
an edge 47 that can cut into the stump for better
gripping and further reduction of friction.
As shown herein, the rear end of the
splitting plate 20 is notched at 48 in the event
that the att~hm~nt 12 ig used to accomplish a
218~6~9
- 15 -
pushing motion or other operation by engaging the
rear end of the plate 20 with some object. Also
the rear edge of the splitter plate 20 could be
made with sawteeth for engaging an object to be
5 moved.
The forward edge 50 of the main plate 18 is
made as a sharp splitting edge which is generally
vertically aligned with the front edge 44 of the
splitting plate 20 and a moderate concave curve
10 and a moderate upward rearward slant. The plate
leading edge 50 cooperates with the leading edge
44 of the splitting plate 20 to engage the 8ide of
the stump ( indicated at 52 in Figure 2 ) to begin
the splitting action.
The two front mounting hooks 24 each have a
lower base portion 54 which is welded or otherwise
attached to an upper forward mounting plate 56,
which i8 in turn ~ixedly attached to the upper -
front edge of the main plate 18. A plurality of
bracing plates 58 are interconnected between the
forward side portions of the main plate 18 and the
mounting plate 56. There are through holes 59
formed at the bottom of the plate 18 and at the
longitudinal center line of the plate 20 to permit
dirt to ~low through for self cleaning and avoid
an accumulation of dirt on the attachment 12
Each of the two hooks 24 have a f orward
curved portion 60, which extends upwardly and
leads into a rearwardly ~ ntl;n~ gripping finger
62, each finger 62 forming a recess 64 which
engages the front edge of the bucket bottom plate.
The aforementioned rear positioning plate 26
has an upwardly ~acing l~ucket engaging surface 66
2181629
- 16 -
and is connected to the upper rear edge portion of
the main plate 18. There are also provided two
rear bracing plates 68 which are rigidly connected
to and e~tend between the positioning plate 26 and
5 the rear upper surface portion of the splitting
plate 20, with these bracing plates 68 also being
attached fixedly to the rear side surface portions
of the main plate 18.
A pair of ears 70 are fixedly connected to ;
10the rear middle portion of the main plate 18 and ~:
also to the bracing plates 68, and these ears have
aligned through openings 72 to enable these to be
connected to the lower end of the af orementioned
rear attachment arm 28, through a pin or bolt
15 connection indicated at 74 (see Figure 2). The
arm 28 remains attached to the ears 72, and this
can be made as a permanent pivot connection. The -
upper~end of the arm 28 connects to a pair of ears
76 which are welded onto the back surface of the
20 bucket 17 of the bucket assembly 16, also by a pin
or bolt connection.
To turn our attention now to the bucket
assembly 16. As indicated previously herein, the
entire bucket assembly 16 and also the trackhoe 14
25 o~ themselves can be of conventional design. The
only adaptation made in this present embodiment is
to attach the ears 76 (e g. by welding) to the
backside of the bucket 17 of the bucket assembly
16. Accordingly, it is believed that it will l~e
30 adequate to describe only those portions of the
bucket assembly 16 and the trackhoe 14 which
cooperate more closely in the combination 10 of
the present invention.
2181629
- 17 -
With reference to Figure 2, the bucket
assembly 16 comprises the aforementioned bucket
17, a thumb 78, and an operating arm 80 to which
the bucket i8 pivotally connected at 82, and to
5 which the thumb is pivotally connected also at 82.
The bucket is of conventional design, has two side
walls 86, a back wall 88, and a bottom wall 90.
At the front end of the bottom wall 90, there is a
plurality of teeth 92. The aforementioned ears 76
10 are welded or otherwise fixedly connected to the
lower rear portion of the back wall 88. The
aforementioned front mounting hooks 24 engage the
front edge portion 94 of the bottom wall 90 of the
bucket 17. In Figure 5, the bucket 17 is shown as
15 having four teeth 92, while in Figure 6, there are
five teeth 92.
The aforementioned rear positioning plate 26
fits against a lower rear ~urface portion of the
bottom wall 90 to stabilize the splitting
20 att;~(~hm~n~ 12 so that it can be rigidly held
against the bucket 17. The arm 28, reaching
between the ears 72 on the at~chm~n~ 12 and the
ears 76 connected to the bucket 17 hold the
positioning plate 26 against the bottom wall 90 of
25 the bucket 17.
The actuating mechanisms in the bucket
a3sembly are, or may be, conventional. As shown
herein, the upper rear portion of the bucket is
connected by arms or an arm 96 reaching from the
30 lower pivot connection 98 to connect pivotally at
100 to the rod 102 of a hydraulic piston. There
is a positioning rod 104 connecting between the
pivot location 100 and another pivot location 106
2 1 8 1 629
- 18 -
on the arm 80. It is evident that by retracting ~= _
or Q~tQn-llng the hydraulic actuating rod 102, the
bucket 17 can be rotated about the pivot location
82 .
To operate the thumb 78, there is provided an
hydraulic actuator 10 8, having an actuating rod
110 that is pivotally connected at 112 to one end
of a positioning rod 114, the other end of which
is connected to the pivot location at 106. The
thumb connects by means of an extension 116 to the
pivot connection at 112.
To describe the operation of the present
invention, let us assume that the trackhoe 14 is
about to be used in an operation to clear the
stumps 52 from a field. To attach the bucket 17
to the splitting assembly 12, the attachment 12 is
simply positioned with its splitting plate 20
resting on a flat horizontal surface. The
trackhoe 14 is operated so that the bucket is
moved into a position where the front edge 94 of
the bucket bottom plate 90 is positioned within
the recesses 64 of the hooks 24, and 80 that the
rear part of the bucket bottom plate gO rests
against the positioning plate o:~ the attachment
12 The connecting arm 28 is generally already
connected between the ears 72 on the back of the
attachment 12. The upper end of the arm 28 is
then connected to the ears 76 at the back end of
the bucket 17. In this manner, the splitting
i~tt;l~-hrnQnt 12 is fixedly attached to the bucket
17 .
In the stump clearing operation, the trackhoe
14 is positioned a short di8tance away from the
.
2t~1629
- 19 -
stump 52 80 that the bucket 17 can be positioned
on one side of the stump 52 and a short distance
above the stump 52 . In this position, the f ront
knife edges 44 and 50 are at the same level as the
5 upper part of the stump 52. Then the arm 50 is
moved forwardly by the trackhoe 14 80 that the
edges 44 and 50 cut into the stump 52 and start
the splitting action along a splitting plane 118.
This is illustrated in Figure 3. If desired, the
10 trackhoe 14 can be repositioned to initiate a
second cut along a splitting plane 120 at right
angles of the splitting plane 118.
With the upper part of the stump 52 being
split into two or more separate sections, the
15 bucket 17 is manlpulated 80 that it digs into the
ground and into the roots .o~t~n~l;ng from the stump
sections (designated 122~ to move these out of the
ground . It has been f ound in actual f ield
operation ,~t; l; 7;ng the present invention that the
20 task of removing the separate stump sections 122
can be accomplished much more quickly than if the
trackhoe is used by itself. Also, it has been
found that the presence of the attA~ m~nt 12
Ll ;n;ng attached to the bucket 17 permits the
25 bucket 17 to operate in its usual fashion where it
is rotated rearwardly about the pivot 82, dug into
the ground and then rotated and moved into the
roots or under the roots to engage the bottom part
of the stump. In Figure 7, the bucket 17 is shown
30 lifting one of the stump sections 122 out of the
ground and rolling it.
Af ter the stump section 122 has been moved
out of the ground (or both or all of the stump
218!~29
- 20 -
sections 122 of that stump 52 have been moved out
of the ground), it is often desirable to remove,
as much as possible, the dirt and rocks that
remains around and between the roots of the stump.
5 This is o~ten a~cr~mr~ Pd by rolling the stump,
shaking it, jarring it by im~acts with the bucket,
or other maneuvers . It has been f ound that by
cutting the stump 52 into the sections, this rock
and dirt removal operation can be greatly
10 f~ ted and also accomplished more completely.
In Figure 8, the bucket assembly 16 is shown
with the front teeth 92 o~ the bucket 17 engaging
the stump section 122, and the thumb 78 having
been moved downwardly to grip the stump section
122.
When the stump clearing operation has been =
completed, and the trackhoe is to be used :eor =~=
other purposes, the removal of the splitting
attachment 12 can easily be accomplished simply by
pos~tioning the srlitting at~ hmPnt 12 onto a
flat surface. It is then necessary only to remove
the pin connection of the upper ends of the arm
28, and the bucket 17 can then be moved free of ~ _
the splitting at~ mPn~ 12
In Figure 7, the trackhoe 14 is shown where
the body 13 0 of: t~Le trackhoe is mounted on tracks
One effective way of utilizing the present
invention is to position the body 130 of the
trackhoe at a central location in the middle o_ a
number of stumps, and then rotating the trackhoe
body 130 different angular positions to dislodge
each of the stumps 52 within its reach Also, a
backhoe could be used in the present invention.
2~l62q
- 21 -
It i8 to be recognized that various
modif ications can ~e made to the present invention
without departing from the basic tP;3rh;nr8
thereof. For example, in some instances where the
5 apparatus of the present invention i8 to be used
for Pl~t~on~lPfl periods of stump removal (or to be
used solely for stump removal), the splitting
attachment could be made a pPrmi~nPnt attachment to
the bucket 17. Also, the bucket assembly 17 could
10 take different configurations within a broader
scope o_ the present invention. For e ~ample, if
the trackhoe 14, instead of having a conventional
bucket 17, has a rake attachment where there are
elongate teeth, the present invention could be
15 used in rnnnPrt; rr with a somewhat modif ied
attaching means
It has been f ound that in the particular
combination shown in this preferred embodiment,
the stump removing process has been f ound to he
20 particularly ef_ective While precise comparisons
have not been made in the time rPflllrt;rn
accomplished by the present invention, it has been
found that the time within which a given field can
have the stumps removed therefrom has been reduce~d
25 significantly It is believed that one of the
sign;f;r~nt factors in contributing to the very
ef~ective operation of the present invention is
that the splitting att~rhmpnt 12 can be positioned
and utilized in such a manner that it fllnrt;r,nq
30 very effectively in co-mbination with the existing
mer~n; cmq of the trackhoe 14 and the bucket
assembly 16 to accomplish the splitting motion.
Then after the splitting ha8 been accomplished,
21816~9
- 22 -
the very same bucket assembly 16 can be used in
its conventional manner to accomplish the stump
removal operation. With the stump being split
into sections, the holding power of the roots with
the ground f or the separate sections has been
greatly reduced, and the two stump sections 122
can be removed in much less time than it would
take to remove the entire stump 52 if it had not
been split into sections.
In the following text there are presented
various modif ications that could be utilized in
the present invention.
In Figure 9, there is shown another means f or
connecting the forward end o~ the splitting
att~-hm^nt 12 to the bucket 17. Instead o3~ using :
the hooks 24, there is provided a pair of boots
150 which are welded to the plate 56. Each boot
defines a rearwardly facing opening or recess 152
which has generally the same configuration as the
teeth 92. Two of the teeth 92 are moved into
engagement with the two boots 150 to connect the =
f orward end of the attachment 12 to the bucket 17 .
Figure 10 shows yet another means of
connecting the forward e~d of the splitting
attachment 12 to the bucket 17. This particular
att~-hm~nt is defined as a "T hanger", designated
154. This is welded to the upper plate 56, and it
has two arms 156 which extend laterally to reach
over the two adjacent teeth 92.
Eigure 11 shows yet another means of
attaching the front of the att~-hm~nt 12 to the
bucket 17. There is a pair of right angle bell
crank9 158, each o~ which i9 pivotally mounted to
2t81629
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a related pair of ears 160 that are connected to
the bottom front edge of the aforementioned plate
56. Each bell crank 158 can be swung up 90 that
it is in the position as shown in Figure 11. Then
a pin or other connector 162 can be inserted
through related ears and also through the bell
crank 158 to hold it in place. The rearwardly
extending retaining finger 166 of each bell crank
158 holds the front end of the att~rhmrnt in
place.
Figure 12 shows yet another means of
attaching the forward end of the splitting
attachment 12 to the f ront end of the bucket 17 .
This is similar to the connecting device shown in
Figure 10, and in Figure 12 there is shown a
cnnnrrtnr 168 that is welded to the Eop of the
plate 56. The member 168 has two through openings
170, each of which engages a related tooth 92
Another front end connecting device for the
2 0 attachment 12 is shown in Figure 13 . The plate 5 6
has at its front end a member 172 fixedly
connected thereto. This member 172 and the upper-
forward portion of the plate 56 have a threaded
opening 174. To accompli~h the connection, there
is provided a gripping finger 176 which has a
forward through opening 178. A connecting bolt
180 iq inserted downwardly through the opening 178
and into the threaded opening 174. The head 182
of the bolt 180 grips the upper ~urface of the
finger 176 90 that it can be pressed into firm
engagement with the forward ~ortion of the lower
bucket wall 90.
2181629
- 24 -
Figure 14 shows another conf iguration of the
af orementioned connecting arm 2 8 . In this
instance, the pair of rear ears 70 pivotally
connect to a first lower link 184 which is in turn
pivotally connected at 186 to an upper link 188,
which in turn connects to upper ears 176. Thus,
the two links 184 and 188 can conform to the rear
surface 88 of the bucket 17.
Figure 15 is a rear elevational view showing
another em~odiment which is a rear at~rhmPnt
device that can be substituted for the
aforementioned attachment arm on 28. In this
arrangement, there is provided a hinge connection
190 to mount a plate 192 which has at its upper
side edges 194 a related tab 196 that has a
through opening to receive a pin 19 8 . The pin
connects to the ears 7 6 .
The widely spaced mounting tabs 19 6, along
with the hinge connection 19 0, and with the single
integral plate 192, provides greater stability for
the rear end connection Ol~ the splitting
at~rhm~n~ 12. Also, this would provide greater
~tability for side loads imparted to the
attachment 12.
Figures 16A, 16B, and 16C show another means
of connecting the rear part of the at~;~rl -n~ 12
to the ~ucket 17. To accomplish this, there is
provided a pair of connecting arms 200 each having
a lower end 202 that is able to pivotally connect
3 0 to ears at the rear end of the attachment 12 . The
upper end 204 of each arm is threaded, and it
engages a related nut 206 that has a laterally
extending perimeter ~lange 208 that has a
2181629
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downwardly facing gripping surface 210.
With reference to Figure 16B, which is a rear
elevational view, each of the arms 200 are shown
pivotally connected each to lower pin 210. Each
arm 200 can be swung upwardly to fit into a
related slot 212 of the plate 213 which leads into
a circular recess 214, having a diameter
moderately greater than the width dimension of the
slot 212, this also being formed in tlle plate 213
For convenience of illustration, the slot 212 is
not shown in its true lateral dimension, as it is
in Figure 16C. When the arm 200 is aligned with
its related upper circular recess 214, then the
nut 2 0 6 is threaded downwardly onto the threaded
end 204. The lower portion 216 of the nut 203 fit
within the circular opening 214. This nut portion
216 has a diameter greater than the width
dimension of the slot 212, and thus i9 retained
within the circular opening 214. ~he lower .
bearing surface 210 of the upper nut portion 218
bear downwardly against the mrlllnti~g plate 211.
Alternatively, the plate 211 canl be made with a
single slot 212 and opening 214 ~o receive only a
single connecting arm 200.
Figure 17 ~hows another means for attaching
the rear end of the splitting attachment 12 to the
bucket 17. In this instance, the attachment arm
28 is replaced with a turn buckle 220, having two
end connecting members 222 and 224, resl?ectively.
these connecting members 222 and 224 have opposite
threads, and these are threaded into a middle
connecting member 226 which can be rotated to
shorten or lengthen the turn buckle 220. This
2~81~29
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enables the slack to be taken out of this rear
mounting .
Another cor~necting means for the rear of the
att~f~hmPnt 12 is ghown in Pigure 18. There is
5 provided a connecting arm 230 pivotally mounted at
its lower end to the ears 72. The upper end of
the arm 230 has a recess formed by a pair. o~
slanting surfaces 232 and 234. The upper end of
the arm 230 pa8ses between a pair of ears, one of
which is shown at 236. Each ear 236 has a slanting
surface 238 that slants downwardly and rearwardly.
The upper rearwardly facing slanted surface 232 o~
the arm 230 forms an angle with the aforementioned
surface 238. There i8 a wedge member 242 which
extends across both of the ears 236, and also has
a center portion facing the aforementioned sur~ace
240 .
At opposite ends o~ the wedge member 242,
there are openings, each to receive a related bolt
244. ~ach of the bolts 234 i9 inserted through a
related end opening of the wedge 242 and threaded
into the bucket or into an attaching plate welded
to the back end of the bucket.
The method of making the connection is as
follows. The arm 230 is swung up to be positioned
between the two ears 232. Then the wedging mem.ber
242 us placed against the afol, t; \nPfl ~lanted
sur~aces 238 and 232. The two bolts 244 are then
inserted through the related openings in the wedge
242 and tightened down to press the wedge 244
against the surfaces 238 and 232. The wedging
action that results from this not only pushes the
upper end of the arm 230 securely against the
2~81629
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bucket 17, but imparts a lifting force so that the
bucket 17 is pressed downwardly as it goes to the -=
plate 66.
Figure 19 shows a modified version of the
5 rear attachment arm 28. In this instance, there
is an arm 250 pivoted at 252 and having an end
hook 254 which comes into engagement with the
upwardly and rearwardly sl~ntin~ face of a wedge
plate 256 welded to the back of the bucket 17.
~his type of attachment as shown in Figure 19 can ==
be used in cor,nection with another device mounted
to the rear end of the attachment 12 so a8 to
press from the splitting att~rl 12 upwardly
against the lower rear end of the bucket 17.
15 Three slLch devices are shown in Figure 20, Zl, and
22, respectively.
In Figure 20, there is shown a cylinder
block 260 in which there i8 mounted a piston-like
member 262 that in turn has a jacking pad 264 at
20 the upper end. At the lower end of the cylinder
block 260 there is a grease fitting 266 to receive ~:
grease at a very high pressure. The grease flows
into a chamber 268 beneath the piston member 262
to raise the pad 264 into firm engagement with the
25 lower rear end of the bucket 17. ~hen used in
con~unction with ~he arm 250 shown in Figure 19,
this accomplishes the firm engagement of the hook
portion 254 with the wedge plate 256.
Also, the aL,d"yl t shown ln Figure 20
3 0 could be used with a number of the other attaching
devices, such as the connectir,g arm 2 8 shown in
the first embodiment of Figure 2, and also other
various connecting devices shown herein
21~16~9
- 28 -
Figure 21 shows another adjustable
posltioning member, which in Figure 21 is shown as
a jacking screw 270. There is a pair of these
jacking screws 270 mounted on opposite sides of
the positioning plate 26. There is a contact pad
272 which fits over a head 274 that is in turn
connected to a threaded member 276. The threaded
portion 276 has an end opening 278 to receive a
bar, screw driver, or other device which can be
inserted into the opening 278 and rotated to cause
the threaded portion 276 to move the head 27g
upwardly and thug raise the pad into its contact
position . In thi3 manner, the slack is taken out
of the connection of the attachment to the bucket
17.
A further embodiment is shown in Eigure 22
where there is shown a wedging device 280 which
comprises first and second weage members 282 and
284, respectively, these engaging each other along
a slanted lnterface at 286. There are a pair of
actuating screw3, one at 288 and the other at 290.
These screws ~88 or 290 can be rotated to move the
wedge members 282 and 284 relative to one another
to raise the contact surface 29 0 of the upper
wedge member 284, thus taking the slack out of the
connection of the splittin~ attachment 12 to the
bucket 17
~igure 23 is a view illustrating somewhat
schematically how the splitting attachment 12d of - ~ ~
3 0 the present invention can be mounted to a clearing - ~
rake 300. This rake 300 in thi~ particular
version has three laterally spaced teeth 302, 304
and 306. This particular drawing was ;n~Pn~ 1 to
~. ~
218?~29
- 29 -
be an isometric drawing and is somewhat out of
proportion. It is to be understood that the three
teeth 302, 304 and 306 should all be the same
configuration and the same size. These teeth 302,
304 and 306 are interconnected by one or more
cross-bracing members 308. Also, the rake has a
pair of m~lllntlng brackets 310, these brackets 310
having two pair of aligned openings 312 and 314.
The boom of the trackhoe mount9 to the pair of
openings 312. The opening 314 connect to the
linkage that in turn connects to an actuator by
which the rake 300 is tilted The splitting
at~ hment 12 is attached to the middle tooth 304.
The means of attachment is shown somewhat
schematically, and it is to be understood that any
one of the prior att;~ hm,ont methods could be
utilized to con~Lect the attachment 12 to the rake
300 .
Also, it i8 to be understood that this rake
300, (as well as the bucket 17) could within the
broader scope of the present invention have most
any sort of attaching means to connect to the
splitting attachment 12, provided these provide
sufficient strength. A8 indicated previously, for
some applications, it may be desired to
permanently attach the splitting attachment 12d,
such as by welding, or to use other connecting
means ~uch as bolting it, etc.
It is to be recognized that in the broader
sense, this rake attachment 300 functions in a
similar manner to the backhoe assembly 16. The
three teeth 302, 304, and 306 function in somewhat
the 9ame manner as the bucket, except that the
~. ~
2 1 8 1 629
- 30 -
dirt and rock~ are not retained within the bucket,
but fall between the teeth. The teeth 302-306 are
designed to carry with them bulky objects that
would not fall between the teeth.
It ig believed that the manner of using the
rake/splitting attachment combination shown in
Figure 23 is evident fro~L the prior description
given with regard to the manner of using the
splitting atti~f hm~nt 12 in combination with the
bucket assembly 16 and the trackhoe 14, so this
will not be de~cribed in any detail herein.
Figure 24 is a side elevational view of the
rake and splitter attachment as shown in 23.
To illustrate some other considerations of
the present invention, reference is now made to
Figure 25 which shows the bucket 17, the teeth 92,
the bucket pivot location at 82 and the splitter
plate 20
The forward part of the bucket lower wall 90
is spaced a distance ~a" from the top o~ the
splitter plate 20, and the rear part of the
splitter plate is spaced a distance "b" below the
lower rear end of the bottom wall 90. The pre~ent
analysi~ indicate3 that it i~ advantageous to have
the dimension at "a" somew~at smaller than the
dimension at "b". For a ~plitter plate 20 having
a total length dimension of about 72 inches
(indicated at "c" in Figure 25), the dimension at
~a" would be aoout 24 inches, while the dimension
at "b" would be about 28 inches. This would
alleviate the potential problem of the rear bottom
portion of the wall 98 of the bucket 17 coming
into unwanted contact with the top of the stump
2 1 ~1 629
- 31 -
Also, the forward end of the teeth 92 should be
positioned forwardly of the leading edge 44 of the
splitter plate 20.
It has been found suitable if a radius line
5 320 is drawn from the pivot location 82 to the
front of the teeth 92 is approximately the same as
the radius line 322 drawn from the pivot location
82 to the leading edge 44 of the splitter plate ~_
20. It has been found that the positior~ of the
10 splitter plate leading edge 44 could be moved
forwardly or rearwardly from this location,
however. Normally, however, the po~3ition of the
leading edge 44 of the splitting plate 20 would be
rearwardly of the leading edge of the teeth 92.
15 Another design consideration is that if there is a
center tooth 92 that is aligned with the leading
edge 44, that center tooth 92 would actually clear :
a way f or the leading edge 44 in a digging
operation. This is also a consideration in the
20 placement of leading edge 44.
2t81629
- 32 -
A second main embodiment of the present
invention is shown in ~igures 26 through 33.
Component8 of the second embodiment which are
similar to components of the f irst embodiment and
5 its variations will be given like numerical
designations, with an "a" suffix distinguishing
those of this second main embodiment
As in the first embodiment, this second
embodiment comprises a splitting attachment 12a
10 comprising a main plate 18a, a splitting plate
20a, and an att~h~rPnt means 22a comprising ~ront
hooks 24a and a rear positioning plate 26a. In
addition to these above components, this second
embodiment comprises a saw plate 350 which extends
vertically downwardly from the longitudinal center ---
line of the splitting plate 20a As will be
described more ~ully hereinafter, this saw plate
350 is used to cut a kerf in the top of the ~tump
to relieve grain tension and increase splitting
20 leverage, after which the splitting of the stump
is accomplished.
To f~nt;nll.. with a more detailed description
of the attachment 12a, as in the first embodiment,
there is a forward mounting plate 56a braced by
25 the plates 58a. In like manner, the rear
positioning plate 2 6a is braced by the rear plate
68a. The splitting plate 20a ha8 a forward
leading edge 44a, side edges 46a, and a rear notch
48a which is configured somewhat differently from
30 the notch 48 of the first embodiment. Also,
instead of having a pair o~ attaching ears ~o as
in the f irst embodiment, in the second embodiment
21~1629
- 33 -
there is a single attaching member 70a having a
lateral through attaching opening 72a.
The saw plate 350 comprises a main plate
portion 352 having an upper edge 354 welded to the
5 lower surface 356 of the splitting plate 20a The
main plate 352 has a generally triangular
configuration, with a front apex portion 35a being
po8itioned a 8hort di8tance behind the f ront
splitting edge 44a. The vertical dimension of the
10 main plate 352 increases in a rearward direction
and t~r~n;n~t~R at the location of the rear notch
48a .
At the rear end of the main plate 352 the
rear edge surface 360 is formed with a plurality
15 of teeth 3 62 . These are contoured in a manner to
form an upper concave recessed portion 364, and a
lower convexly curved tooth surface portion 366
Thus, this rear edge 360 has somewhat of a "S"
shaped contour As can be seen in Figure 26, this
20 saw tooth rear edge enables the saw ~late 350 to
engage a log 368 or other object that lies
hor; ~nt;~ 1 1 y
As previously mentioned, the rear edge of the
splitter plate 20a has a somewhat modified notch
25 48a, shown in Figure 27. This also is formed with
a plurality of teeth 370 and these are formed in a
concave curve to be able to engage a log 372 or ~ ==
other member which is vertically positioned or
possibly positioned with a somewhat vertical
30 slant, such as a limb or a log which is a partial
" fall down" . The concave rear edge 48a and the
vertical rear edge 360 together make what is
functionally an A~ ;f)n~l which can be described
2181629
- 34 -
as a "serrated tri-point" for reverse motion stump
removal .
At the lower edge of the saw plate 350 there
are formed a plurality of saw teeth 374. The main
plate 352 is formed with a plurality of tooth
stubs 376, and each of these stubs 376 is capped
by a replaceable saw tooth member 378, which will
be described more completely hereinaf ter . It can
be seen that each of the stubs 376 is separated
from the adjacent stub by a
U shaped recess 380.
It will also be noted that the front edge 382
of the main plate 18a of the splitter has a sharp
edge which is formed in a concave curve (as seen
in side elevation) co that it is better able to
engage a log 384 or other object that is
hor;~r~nt~lly aligned Al~o, this edge 382 acts as
a knife to cut through brush, limbs, etc.
Another new feature in this second embodiment =~
is the manner of attaching the rear portion of the
splitting att~Ahm~-nt 12a to the bucket 17a of the `_
backhoe or trackhoe . As can be seen in Figures 2 8
- 3 0, instead of having an attaching arm 2 8 as in
the fir~t embodiment, there i~ provided an
attachment mernber 386. This member 386 comprises
a lower clevis 388 comprising a pair of ears 390 =~
with aligned through openings 392. Threaded into
the upper end of the clevi~ 388 is a threaded
shank 392 having thereon a retaining nut 394.
Between the nut 394 and the clevis 388 there is a
middle trunion like attaching member 396 having a
pair of opposed side protrusions 398 which fit
into upwardly extending slot8 400 formed in the =~
2l8l629
- 35 -
ears 76a that are welded to the rear of the bucket
17a. The trunion like attachment member 398 has a
through opening 80 it can be slide upwardly or
downwardly alony the shank 392.
5Thi~ attachment member 386 is inltially
attached between the bucket 17a and the attaching
member 70a by moving the trunion like member 396
downwardly into the notches 400 so that the
protruding members 398 fit within the notches 400.
10The clevis member 390 i9 positioned in engagement
with the attaching mem.ber 70a 90 that the openings -~
392 are aligned with the opening 72a, and a pin is
extended through the openings 392 of the cle~is
388 and the attachment member 70a. Then the nut
15394 is threaded downwardly until it firmly engages
the upper surface of the trunion like member 396
and presses it downwardly into the notches 400.
This pull~ the rear positioning plate 28a snugly
against the bottom surface of the bucket 17a.
2 oThe overall method of connecting the
attachment 12a to the bucket 17a is generally the __
same as in the first embodiment, in that the teeth
24a are initially inserted over the :Eront edge of
the lower plate of the bucket 17a, after which the
25attachment member 386 is r~nn~ between the
rear end o~ the at~ hm~nt 12a and the bucket 17a.
To describe the method of the present
invention, reference is made to Figures 28 and 29,
After the splitting attachment 12a is mounted to
3 0the bucket 17a, the trackhoe, backhoe, track
loader, or other machine to which the at~hmf~n~ _
12a i9 attached is placed in position so that the
attachment 12a can be positioned above the stump
~ . l
2181629
- 36 -
52a Initially, the front edge of the splitting
attachment 12a has its front end spaced from the
stump 52a so that it is facing the stump 52a, and
the splitting plate 20a is located just above the
5 top surface of the stump 52a Then the bucket 17a
is moved frowardly (i.e. in the case of a backhoe
or trackhoe toward the main body of the backhoe or
trackhoe) 80 that the splitting plate 20a slides
over the top oî the stump 52a and 80 that the saw
10 blade 350 cuts a vertical kerf into the top of the
stump 52a. It has been found that in many
instances, a full kerf is able to be cut with one
pass of the saw blade 350 through the stump 52a.
In other instances, to obtain the full desired
15 depth of kerf, it may be necessary to make two
passes of the saw plate 350 through the stump 52a.
The bottom of the kerf is indicated by the broken
line 402 in Figure 29.
Af ter the kerf has been cut, then the bucket
20 17a is again move~ so that its front end is
adjacent to the stump, and the forward edge 44a o~
the splitting plate 20a is aligned with the kerf
and moved through the stump 52a. As the splitting
plate 20a continues moving through the stump 52a
25 so as to split the stump 52a apart, the saw plate
350 also moves through the stump to a level below
the kerf at 402 Thus, if portions of the stump
still remain interconnected between the two halves
and are still in the path of the saw plate 350,
30 the saw plate 350 will also sever these and
further assist in the splitting of the stump 52a
After the splitting is accomplished, then the
method of utilizing the present invention proceeds
2181629
- 37 -
in generally the same manner as described
previously in thi8 text . More spet; f; r~ 1 1 y, the
bucket 17a is used to dig around the stump, break
through the roots, and lift the stump sections out
5 of the earth . Another desirable f eature of the
present invention i8 illustrated in Figures 31 and
32. In Figure 31, the stump 52a is shown having
been separated into two pieces 404, with the roots
406 extending laterally outwardly from the stump
pieces 404. As shown in Figure 31, there is
little dirt located adjacent to the lower surfaces
408 of the two stump piece8 404
With reference to Figure 32, there is shown a
full stump 52a being pulled out of the ground. It
can be seen that the inside portions 410 of the
roots 406 that are closer to the stump 52a still
remain connected to the stump. However, in
contrast to what is shown in Figure 31, these root
sections tend to carry with them a mass of earth
412 positioned below the stump 52a. Quite often,
this collected earth 412 is a mixture of dirt and
rocks. In disposing of the various stumps 52a
(e g carrying these to a disposal site), this
extra amount of dirt and rocks 412 add substantial
weight, (and thus substantial cost) to the stump
disposal operation.
The use of the present invention in
accomplishing the splitting removal of stumps, as
shown in 31, provides a number of advantages,
among these being the following:
a it increases payload capacity of the
stump pieces carried away, since the
small pieces fit to~ether more tightlyi
2181629
- 38 -
b. with the smaller stump pieces, these
will burn more quickly;
c. if these stumps are disposed of by
grinding or chipping, this can be
ac~l ~ l ;qhf~ more quickly and with
cleaner chips;
d. the time takes to remove the stump
f rom the ground can be reduced by as
much as one half or greater.
Another feature of the present invention will
now be described with reference to Figure 33.
Further development of the present invention has
resulted in a design of the separate components of
the attachment 80 that these not only serve the
structural and operational functions of the
present invention, but also enable the att~' t
12a of the present inventiQn to be assembled
economically and reliably. Figure 30 is an
exploded view showing the various components in
their pre-assembled position. Thus, it can be
seen there are the hook members 24a, the forward
mounting plate 56a, the forward bracing plates
58a, the rear positioning plate 26a, the rear
bracing plate ~ember 68a, the attaching device
70a, ~he main plate 18a, the splitter plate 20a,
and the saw plate 350. Most Qf these cQmponents
can be formed by cutting them out for steel plate.
~owever, the two hooks 24a, the attaching device
70a, and the caps 378 would likely be formed in
some other manner, such as casting.
One sequence of assembling these components
which has found to be quite effective is as
follo~R~. Fir8t, the main plate 18a i8 clamped in
~.
2 1 8 1 6 2 9
- 39 -
a vise with its upper side facing upwardly. Each
of the two bracing plates 58a is made as a single
membér, each having an upper f~); nfl~d portion 420,
which tapers inwardly in a downward direction. At
5 a location a little above the mid-length of each
bracing plate 420, there is a downwardly open
central slot 422 having approximately the same
thickness as the main plate 18a
The f orward upper edge of the main plate ~8a
10 is formed with a pair of vertically aligned,
moderately slanted recesses 424, and f irst one
bracing plate 58a is lowered into engagement with
the front portion of the main plate 18a by its
upper ~u~nfl~fl portion 420 being po~itioned within
its related slot 424, and the with the slot 422
fitting on opposite sides of the main plate 18a.
Then that bracing plate 58a is welded in place.
After that, the other bracing plate 58a is placed
in position with its related slot 4Z4 and into
engagement with the main plate 18a, and al~o
welded .
The slots 422 and 424 are selected, along
with the other dimensions, so that with the plates
58a in place, the upper edge of the plates 58a are
at the same horizontal level as the upper forward
edge pQrtion 426 of the main plate 18a. ~t will
be noted that just forwardly of the upper edge 426 ~
there is a small upper protrusion 428 in the main
plate, and also a small rear protrusion 430.
These two protrusions 428 and 430 are arranged to =~
interf it with matching notches 432 and 434 of the
mounting plate 56a. The mounting plate 56a is ==
placed on to the top edge portion 426 of the main
2~81629
- 40 -
plate 18a, interfitting with the protrusions 428
and 430, so that the plate 56a i8 properly
located. It likewise ls welded into place.
The hooks 24a are placed on top of the plate
56a and welded in place It will be noted that
the lower part of the two hooks have small
downward protrusions 436 to position these on the
plate 56a.
The next step is to mount the bracing plate
68a and also the rear positionlng plate 26a. The
bracing plate 68a has a downwardly Pl-tPn~; ng slot
43 8, and the main plate 18a has an upwardly and
forwardly slanting open slot 440. The plate 68a
is moved into engagement with the main plate 18a
in the same manner as the bracing plates 58a, with
the slot 43 8 reaching over the main plate at the
location downward of the bottom of the slot 440,
and with the 310t 440 receiving the upper part of
the bracing plate 68a There are upstanding ~ =
protrusions 442 which interfit with notches 444 in
the plate 26a to properly locate the plate 26a
The bracing plate 68a and the plate 26a are welaed
together, and also welded to the main plate 18a.
The rear edgé portion of the main plate 18a
is formed with a notch 446 which receives the
attaching member 70a This member 70a is placed
in the notch 446 and welded to the main plate 18a
With the foregoing being accomplished, the
main plate 18a with the components welded thereto,
as indicated above, is inverted and placed on a
flat surface, with the hooks 24a and the plate 26a
properly supporting the main plate 18a. The next
8tep i8 to mount the 8plitting plate 20a to the
.
21~1629
- 41 -
lower edge of the main plate 18a. It will be
noted that the lower edge of the main plate 18a
has f orward and rear downwardly extending f ingers
or protrusions 448 which are able to fit into the
5 upper part of through openings 450 in the
splitting plate 20a. The splitting plate 20a i8
placed on the lower edge of the main plate 18a
with the splitting plate 20a being properly
aligned and positioned with the interengagement of
the protrusions 448 in the openings 450 The
splitter plate 20a is then welded to the main
plate 18a
Next, the saw plate 350 is mounted to the
bottom side of the splitter plate 20a and welded
15 to f orm the f inal assembly . The upper edge of the
splitter plate 350 has a pair of notches 452, and
these f it into the lower part of the through
openings 450, thus properly locating and aligning
the saw plate 350. Then the saw plate 350 is
20 welded to the lower side of the splitting plate
20a. Obviously the sequence of joining these
components together can be varied
Figures 34 through 36 illustrate the
conf iguration of the saw teeth in more detail A8
25 indicated previously, each tooth 374 comprises a
stub 376 and a cap or replaceable tooth portion :
378 Each stub 376 has a downwardly and forwardly
slanting surface 454, and an upwardly and
rearwardly slanting lower surface 456 These meet
30 at a rounded connecting area 458
Each cap or replaceable tooth portion 378
comprises a forward arm portion 460 having a
~orward working surface 461, and a second arm
l.
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portion 462 having a downwardly facing working
surface 463.
The surface 460 ha8 a leading cutting edge
466, and the surface 462 has a lower cutting edge
468, these meeting at the aforementioned point
464 .
The forward working surface 461 meets an
adjacent side wall 470 at the edge 466 making an
angle (indicated at "a") of approximately 74. In
like manner the working surface 463 ~oins an
adjacent side wall 472 of its arm portion 462 at
an angle (indicated at "b" ) also of about 74 .
Obviously, these angles could be varied, depending ~.
upon a number of factors. These two ~urfaces 461
and 463 meet at the aforementioned point 464 and
also meet along a forward cutting edge 474.
With reference to Figure 35, it can be seen
that the orientation of the replaceable cutting
portions 378 are slanted laterally outwardly a
moderate distance relative to the vertical center
plane of the main saw plate 452, this being done ~ :
in an alternate fashion, 80 that each pair of
adjacent rPr~ hle saw tip portions 478 extend
laterally in opposlte directions. Thu~, it can be
seen in Figure 35 that the forward surface of 461
of the forward arm portion 460 has it~ lateral
cuttin~ edge 466 extending downwardly and
outwardly in one direction to its tip at 464, and
the surface 461 of the next forward arm portion
extend~ laterally in a downward and forward
direction to obtain this outward downward slant in
an opposite direction. Thus, the teeth 374 cut a
:
.
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kerf which i9 between one and one half to two
times larger than the width of the saw plate 3 52 .
As these r~rl ~r~i~hl e tooth portion8 478 wear,
these can, of course, be sharpened. When the wear
5 becomes substantial, then the replaceable tooth
portions 378 can be removed and replaced. These --
replaceable tooth portions 378 are normally welded
to its related cap 376
A8 these replaceable tooth portion8 478 wear,
10 these can, of course, be sharpened. When the wear
become8 substantial, then the r~rl~r-p~hle tooth
portions 378 can be removed and replaced These
replaceable tooth portions 378 are normally welded
to its related cap 376.
In interpreting the following claims, in the
l~roader sense, the term "backhoe" shall include a
trackhoe (where the machine is mounted on tracks),
a backhoe where the m~chine is mounted on wheels,
and also other machines which have an earth
20 penetrating and/or digglng member which can be
operated in a manner to accomplish the function of
the pre3ent invention and have the splitting means
attached thereto, such as a backrake.
Further, within the broader scope of the
25 present invention, one of the advantage8 and
uniriue features of the present invention is that a
conventional piece of equipment, such ag a backhoe
or trackhoe, already having a digging member with
manipulating ability can be readily adapted by
3 0 incorporating the present invention as an
att~rhm~nt which can be removably mounted Of
course, it is to be recognized that if a machine
i8 to be totally dedicated toward the stump
~.
Z~81~29
- 44 -
splitting and removal operation, the splitting
attachment could be permanently attached to the
bucket or other earth moving member or be : -:
initially incorporated in the machine at the time
5 of manufacture
~ herefore, it is obvious that various
modif ications and adaptations could be made to the
present invention without departing from the basic
tr~rhin~s thereof, and the claims are to be given
10 the broadest i~terpretation compatible with the
limitations of the prior art so that the
components recited in the claims would not be -.
interpreted within a narrow def inition that might
be given to specific tf~rmin~logy, but also would
15 apply to components or members which perform the
basic and/or broad functions of these members.
It i~ obvious that various modification could
be made to the present invention without departing
from the basic teachings thereof.
