Pickup and alignment mechanism for logs and a method of use

A pickup and alignment mechanism for logs which is capable of being attached to a motorized vehicle, comprising:

• a) a frame including a first rail, a second rail and a face plate, said first rail being spaced apart from said second rail, said first and second rails each having a first end and a second end, said face plate connecting said first rail to said second rail, and said face plate having an upper edge positioned adjacent to said first rail and a lower edge positioned adjacent to said second rail;
• b) a connector secured to said face plate which allows said pickup and attachment mechanism to be attached to said motorized vehicle, said connector including a first abutment point located adjacent to said upper edge of said face plate, second and third spaced apart attachment points located adjacent to said lower edge of said face plate, and said first abutment point being located approximately midway between said second and third attachment points;
• c) a first pair, a second pair, a third pair and a fourth pair of tines, each of said first, second, third and fourth pairs of tines comprising two individual tines, each of said individual tines being an integral member having an L-shaped configuration which includes a horizontal portion aligned approximately perpendicular to a vertical portion, said horizontal portion having a length and said vertical portion having a height, each vertical portion being movably secured to both said first and second rails such that each of said individual tines can be moved along the length of said first and second rails, said individual tines in each of said first, second, third and fourth pairs of tines are separated by a distance d, and each of said first, second, third and fourth pairs of tines is separated from an adjacent pair of tines by a distance d1, and d is greater than d1;
• d) a pair of side tines, each of said pair of side tines connected to one of a pair of cylinders which can be actuated to move each of said pair of side tines separately towards or away from one another, one of said pair of side tines being positioned adjacent to said first end of said second rail and said other of said pair of side tines being positioned adjacent to said second end of said second rail;
• e) a pair of hoses for supplying pressurized fluid or air between said motorized vehicle and each of said pair of cylinders, and said pressurized fluid or air actuates said pair of cylinders;
• f) a first chain saw, a second chain saw, and a third chain saw, each of said first, second and third chain saws pivotably mounted to said frame, said first chain saw positioned between said first and second pairs of tines, said second chain saw positioned between said third and fourth pairs of tines, and said third chain saw positioned between said second and third pairs of tines, each of said first, second and third chain saws being electrically started, and each of said first, second and third chain saws being operated by pressurized fluid or air from said motorized vehicle;
• g) a plurality of bumpers formed from metal, each of said bumpers positioned between two individual tines which makeup each of said first, second, third and fourth pairs of tines, each of said bumpers movably secured to said vertical portions of each of said first, second, third and fourth pairs of said tines, each of said bumpers being spaced apart from an adjacent bumper, and said first, second, third and fourth pairs of tines can be maneuvered to pickup from between one to six logs at a time and raise said logs a desired distance above the ground, and said pair of side tines can longitudinally align said logs relative to one another so that they can be cut to a desired length;
• and
• h) a pair of grappling members each having an arcuate member, and each pivotably mounted to said frame, said pair of grappling members positioned above said second and third pairs of tines, and each of said pair of grappling members functioning to retain said logs on said first, second, third and fourth pairs of tines.

A pickup, alignment and cutting mechanism capable of being attached to a motorized vehicle, comprising:

• a) a frame including a first rail, a second rail and a face plate, said first rail being spaced apart from said second rail, said first and second rails each having a first end and a second end, said face plate connecting said first rail to said second rail, and said face plate having an upper edge positioned adjacent to said first rail and a lower edge positioned adjacent to said second rail;
• b) a connector secured to said face plate which allows said pickup and attachment mechanism to be attached to said motorized vehicle, said connector including a first abutment point located adjacent to said upper edge of said face plate, second and third spaced apart attachment points located adjacent to said lower edge of said face plate, and said first abutment point being located approximately midway between said second and third attachment points;
• c) a first pair, a second pair, a third pair, a fourth pair, and a fifth pair of tines, each of said first, second, third, fourth, and fifth pair of tines comprising two individual tines, each of said individual tines being an integral member having an L-shaped configuration which includes a horizontal portion aligned approximately perpendicular to a vertical portion, and each vertical portion being movably secured to both said first and second rails such that each of said individual tines can be moved along the length of said first and second rails;
• d) a first chain saw, a second chain saw, a third chain saw, and a fourth chain saw each pivotably mounted to said frame, said first chain saw positioned between said first and second pairs of tines, said second chain saw positioned between said fourth and fifth pairs of tines, said third chain saw positioned between said second and third pairs of tines, and said fourth chain saw positioned between said third and fourth pair of tines, each of said first, second, third and fourth chain saws being electrically started, and each of said first, second, third and fourth chain saws being operated by pressurized fluid or air from said motorized vehicle;
• e) a pair of side tines, each of said pair of side tines connected to one of a pair of cylinders which can be actuated to move each of said pair of side tines separately towards or away from one another, one of said pair of side tines being positioned adjacent to said first end of said second rail and said other of said pair of side tines being positioned adjacent to said second end of said second rail;
• f) a pair of hoses for supplying pressurized fluid or air between said motorized vehicle and said pair of cylinders, and said pressurized fluid or air actuates said pair of cylinders;
• g) a plurality of bumpers formed from wood, each of said bumpers positioned between two individual tines which makeup each of said first, second, third, fourth and fifth pairs of tines, each of said bumpers movably secured to said vertical portions of each of said first, second, third, fourth and fifth pairs of tines by a mechanical fastener, each of said bumpers being spaced apart from an adjacent bumper, each of said bumpers providing clearance so that each of said first, second, third and fourth chain saws can completely cut through each of said logs resting on said first, second, third, fourth and fifth pairs of tines, and said first, second, third, fourth and fifth pairs of tines can be maneuvered to pickup from between one to six logs at a time and raise said logs a desired distance above the ground, and said pair of side tines can longitudinally align said logs relative to one another so that they can be cut to a desired length by said first, second, third and fourth chain saws, and said first, second, third and fourth chain saws being sequentially operated such that said first chain saw will make a cut through each of said logs resting on said first, second, third, fourth and fifth pairs of tines, said second chain saw will then make a cut through each of said logs positioned on said first, second, third, fourth and fifth pairs of tines, said third chain saw will make a cut through each of said logs positioned on said first, second, third, fourth and fifth pairs of tines, and said fourth chain saw will make a cut through each of said logs positioned on said first, second, third, fourth and fifth pairs of tines;
• and
• h) a grappling member having an arcuate member which is pivotably mounted to said frame, said grappling member positioned between said third and fourth chain saws, and said grappling member functioning to retain said logs in an approximate three-sided polygon configuration on said first, second, third, fourth and fifth pairs of tines.