FEED ROLLER FOR A TREE DELIMBER

GALET D'ALIMENTATION POUR EBRANCHEUSE

English Abstract

A feed roller includes a cylindrical body having an
exterior surface and a resilient sleeve overlaying the
cylindrical body. The sleeve has an interior surface. A
axially oriented splined engagement is provided between
exterior surface of the cylindrical body and the interior
surface of the sleeve, thereby non-rotatably securing the
sleeve to the cylindrical body. The sleeve can readily be
removed and replaced, vulcanization is not required.

Claims

6
THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY
OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. ~A feed roller, comprising;
a cylindrical body having an exterior surface;
a resilient sleeve overlaying the cylindrical body, the
sleeve having an interior surface; and
an axially oriented splined engagement between exterior
surface of the cylindrical body and the interior surface of the
sleeve, thereby non-rotatably securing the sleeve to the
cylindrical body.
2. ~The feed roller as defined in Claim 1, wherein the splined
engagement includes a plurality of parallel spaced elongate
members secured to the exterior surface of the cylindrical body
and a plurality of parallel spaced elongate channels on the
interior surface of the sleeve, each of the elongate channels
being adapted to receive one of the elongate members.
3. ~The feed roller as defined in Claim 1, wherein the sleeve
is made from one of a polymer or an elastomer.
4. ~The feed roller as defined in Claim 1, wherein the sleeve
has an exterior surface and a mesh overlay covers the exterior
surface of the sleeve.
5. ~The feed roller as defined in Claim 1, wherein the
cylindrical body has a first end and a second end, end plates
being positioned at each of the first end and the second end
of the cylindrical body thereby preventing axial. displacement
of the sleeve.

7
6. A feed roller, comprising;
a cylindrical body having a first end, a second end and
an exterior surface;
an elastomer sleeve overlaying the cylindrical body, the
sleeve having an interior surface and an exterior surface;
end plates positioned at each of the first end and the
second end of the cylindrical body, thereby preventing axial
displacement of the sleeve;
an axially oriented splined engagement between exterior
surface of the cylindrical body and the interior surface of the
sleeve, the splined engagement including a plurality of
parallel spaced elongate members secured to the exterior
surface of the cylindrical body and a plurality of parallel
spaced elongate channels on the interior surface of the sleeve,
each of the elongate channels being adapted to receive one of
the elongate members; and
a mesh overlay covering the exterior surface of the
sleeve.

Description

CA 02279218 2001-10-17
1
TITLE OF THE INVENTION:
Feed Roller For A Tree Delimber
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a feed roller for use on
a tree delimber.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Feed rollers are used in the forestry industry to pull a
tree through a set of knives of a tree delimber which removes
limbs from the tree. Early feed rollers were a metal drum with
formed metal plates bolted to the outside surface of the drum.
Vertical or diagonal bars or studs were welded onto an outside
surface of these plates in order to give the feed rollers
1~~ enough traction to pull trees through delimbing knives to
remove the limbs. However, the metal feed rollers tended to
damage the surface of the trees.
More recent roller systems have replaced the metal plates
with rubber which is vulcanized to the outside surface of the
drum. A mesh chain is installed over the rubber to provide
traction when feeding the log through the delimbing knives . The
switch to rubber covered with a chain mesh served to reduce the
damage to the surface of the trees. The problem with rubber
coated feed rollers is that as the logs are fed through the
roller system, the rubber wears on the feed rollers requiring
them to be replaced after approximately 6000 hours of use.
Furthermore, if the vulcanization process does not work, the
rubber tends to separate from the drum; resulting in the drum
spinning inside the rubber overlay. Replacing the feed rollers
is expensive, as a replacement rubber overlay must be
vulcanized onto the outer surface of the drum.
SUI~IARY OF THE INVENTION
3~~ What is required is a feed roller construction which
doesn't damage logs and is cost effective to maintain.

CA 02279218 2001-10-17
2
According to the present invention there is provided a
feed roller which includes a cylindrical body having an
exterior surface and a resilient sleeve overlaying the
cylindrical body. The sleeve has an interior surface. A
splined engagement is provided between exterior surface of the
cylindrical body and the interior surface of the sleeve,
thereby non-rotatably securing the sleeve to the cylindrical
body.
lc) With the feed roller, as described above, a worn sleeve
can be relatively easily slid off one end of the cylindrical
body and a new sleeve can just as easily be slid into place.
Vulcanization of the sleeve to the cylindrical body is not
required. Of course, if vulcanization is not required the
1~~ sleeve need no longer be elastomer; other materials with
suitable resilient properties may now be used.
There are different configurations of splined engagement
that can be used. Beneficial results have been obtained when
20 the splined engagement includes a plurality of parallel spaced
elongate members secured to the exterior surface of the
cylindrical body and a plurality of parallel spaced elongate
channels on the interior surface of the sleeve. Each of the
elongate channels are adapted to receive one of the elongate
2c> members. Such a splined engagement will hereinafter be
illustrated and described.
It is still preferred that the sleeve have an exterior
surface and that a mesh overlay covers the exterior surface of
30 the sleeve.
In order to prevent displacement of the sleeve relative
to the cylindrical body it is preferred that the cylindrical
body have a first end and a second end with end plates being
35 positioned at each of the first end and the second end of the
cylindrical body to maintain the sleeve in position.

CA 02279218 2001-10-17
3
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features of the invention will become more
apparent from the following description in which reference is
made to the appended drawings, the drawings are for the purpose
5. of illustration only and are not intended to in any way limit
the scope of the invention to the particular embodiment or
embodiments shown, wherein:
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a feed roller fabricated
in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.
FIGURE 2 is an end elevation view, in section, the feed
roller illustrated in FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 3 is an end elevation view of a cylindrical body
of the feed roller illustrated in FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 4 is an exploded top plan view of the cylindrical
body illustrated in FIGURE 3.
FIGURE 5 is an end elevation view of a sleeve of the feed
roller illustrated in FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 6 is an end elevation view of an end plate of the
feed roller illustrated in FIGURE 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The preferred embodiment, a feed roller for a tree
delimber generally identified by reference numeral 10, will now
be described with reference to FIGURES 1 through 6.
Structure and Relationship of Parts:
Referring to FIGURE 1, there is provided a feed roller 10,
which includes a cylindrical body 12. Referring to FIGURES 3
and 4, cylindrical body 12 has a first end 14, a second end 16
and an exterior surface 18. Referring to FIGURE 2, an
elastomer sleeve 20 overlays cylindrical body 12. Referring
to FIGURE 5, sleeve 20 has an interior surface 22 and an
exterior surface 24. Referring to FIGURES 4 and 6, end plates
26 are positioned at each of first end 14 and second end 12 of
cylindrical body 12 to maintain sleeve 20 in position.
Referring to FIGURE 2, a splined engagement 28 is provided
between exterior surface 18 of cylindrical body 12 and interior

CA 02279218 2001-10-17
4
surface 22 of sleeve 20. In the illustrated embodiment,
splined engagement 28 includes a plurality of parallel spaced
elongate members 30 which are secured to exterior surface 18
of cylindrical body 12 and a plurality of parallel spaced
~~ elongate channels 32 on interior surface 22 of sleeve 20. Each
of elongate channels 32 are adapted to receive one of elongate
members 30. It will be appreciated that other types of splined
engagements 28 can be used to secure sleeve 20 to cylindrical
body 12. A mesh overlay 34 covers exterior surface 24 of sleeve
20.
Operation:
The use and operation of feed roller 10 will now be
lei described with reference to FIGURES 1 through 6. Referring to
FIGURE 1, feed roller 10 is rotated to pull a tree through a
delimber. Referring to FIGURE 2, splined engagement 28 between
exterior surface 18 of cylindrical body 12 and interior surface
22 of sleeve 20 prevents sleeve 20 from rotating relative to
cylindrical body 12. Referring to FIGURE 4, end plates 26 at
first end 14 and second end 16 of cylindrical body 12 serve to
maintain sleeve 20 in position thereby preventing axial
displacement of sleeve 20 relative to cylindrical body 12.
Referring to FIGURE 1, mesh overlay 34 serves to provides
traction.
Sleeve 20 will eventually become worn and will need to be
replaced. Referring to FIGURE 4 in order to replace a worn
sleeve 20, one of end plates 26 is removed and then worn sleeve
20 is slid off either first end 14 or second end 16 of
cylindrical body 12. A new sleeve 20 can then be slid into
place. End plate 26 is then replaced to maintain new sleeve
20 in position.
It will be appreciated that since vulcanization is no
longer required that sleeve 20 need not be made from an
elastomer. Other resilient materials may be used, such as

CA 02279218 2001-10-17
various polymers.
In this patent document, the word "comprising" is used in
its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word
5 are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not
excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article
"a" does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the
element is present, unless the context clearly requires that
there be one and only one of the elements.
It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that
modifications may be made to the illustrated embodiment without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as
hereinafter defined in the Claims.

Representative Drawing