# US 2012/0073705 A1 · Tree harvesters > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2012/0073705 A1 - Document ID: US20120073705A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/375,566 - Filed: 2010-04-13 - Published: 2012-03-29 - Earliest claimed: 2009-05-15 - Assignees: Bionic Beaver Pty Limited - Inventors: Richard Sulman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20120073705A1 ## CPC - A01G 23/093: Combinations of shearing, sawing or milling apparatus specially adapted for felling trees - A01G: HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING (picking of fruits, vegetables, hops or the like A01D46/00; propagating unicellular algae C12N1/12) ## Abstract A tree harvester, suitable for harvesting small trees in row(s) as a source of biomass, has a harvesting head with a chipper drum and complementary anvil. A pick-up front has at least one spiral and guide member, such as a guide rail or counter-rotating spiral, to maintain a tree in a substantially vertical position when, and after, its stem is cut by a base cutter. The pick-up front has a support plate or conveyor, which co-operates with the at least one spiral or guide member pair, to convey the tree to a location about the chipper drum, for engagement by at least one pair of nip rollers above the chipper drum, while maintaining the tree in the substantially vertical position. The, or each, pair of nip rollers feeds the tree downwardly (and rearwardly) to the chipper drum, while still maintaining the tree in the substantially vertical position, for conversion to biomass, such as woodchips. The harvester may have two-or-more of the harvester heads arranged side-by-side to enable trees in adjacent rows to be harvested. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of harvesting a row of small trees, including the steps of: advancing at least one rotating spiral and horizontally spaced guide member, forming an inlet passage of a harvester head, to engage the stems and/or foliage of the trees in the row; cutting the stems of the trees by a base cutter on the harvester head; conveying the trees, maintained in a substantially vertical position by the, or each, rotating spiral and spaced guide member, to a location above a rotating chipper or chopper drum for engagement by at least one pair of nip rollers; and feeding the trees downwardly to the rotating chipper or chopper drum by the, or each, pair of nip rollers, while maintaining the trees in the substantially vertical position. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein: lower ends of the cut stems are supported by an upwardly inclined surface, after the stems are cut and until engagement of the stems by the, or each, pair of nip rollers. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the, or each, guide member is a guide bar or rail, or a counter-rotating spiral, having an upwardly inclined longitudinal axis, or axis of rotation, parallel to an axis of rotation of the rotating spiral, and operable to convey the trees in an upwardly rearward path at a linear speed greater than the speed of advance of the harvester head. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the trees are fed rearwardly relative to the chipper or chopper drum while being maintained in the substantially vertical position. ### Claim 5 A harvesting head for a tree harvester, the harvester head including: a chipper or chopper drum rotatable about a first axis; at least one pair of nip rollers rotatable about respective substantially parallel second and third axes, vertically spaced above the first axis; and at least one drive means to rotatably drive the chipper or chopper drum and the, or each, pair of nip rollers; so arranged that: the first, second and third axes are disposed substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the tree harvester, and are upwardly inclined to the horizontal from a leading end to a trailing end, so that the, or each, pair of nip rollers are operable to maintain a stem of a tree being harvested in a substantially vertical position, while feeding the tree downwardly through the chipper or chopper drum. ### Claim 6 A harvesting head for a tree harvester, to harvest a row of trees, the harvesting head including: a chipper or chopper drum rotatable about a first axis; at least one pair of nip rollers rotatable about respective substantially parallel second and third axes, vertically spaced above the first axis; and at least one drive means to rotatably drive the chipper or chopper drum and the, or each, pair of nip rollers; so arranged that: the first, second and third axes are disposed substantially transverse to the direction of travel of the tree harvester; where the second axis is forwardly spaced relative to the first axis, and the third axis is rearwardly spaced from the second axis and vertically spaced a small distance there-above, so that the, or each, pair of nip rollers are operable to maintain the stem of a tree being harvested in a substantially vertical position while feeding the stem of the tree downwardly to the chipper or chopper drum. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) A harvesting head as claimed in claim 5, wherein: the harvesting head has a pick-up front, having at least one rotating spiral and horizontally spaced guide member, forming an inlet passage vertically spaced above, and extending forwardly of, the, or each, pair of nip rollers; and where the, or each, rotating spiral and guide member pair are operable to engage and maintain the trees with their stems in a substantially vertical position, before and/or after the stems have been cut from their respective tree stumps and both before and during engagement of the stems by the, or each, pair of nip rollers. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A harvesting head as claimed in claim 7, wherein: the pick-up front has two or more rotating spiral and guide member pairs, vertically spaced apart. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A harvesting head as claimed in claim 8, wherein: the, or each, guide member is a guide bar or rail or a counter-rotating spiral. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A harvesting head as claimed in claim 9, wherein: the longitudinal axis of the, or each, guide bar or rail, and/or the rotational axes of the, or each, spiral and counter-rotating spiral, are upwardly inclined from their leading ends to their trailing ends. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A harvester head as claimed in claim 10, wherein: the inclination of the longitudinal axis and/or the rotational axes is substantially equal to the inclination of the first, second and third axes. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) A harvesting head as claimed in claim 7, wherein: the, or each, spiral and counter-rotating spiral has a substantially horizontal lead-in spiral to assist in directing the trees to the harvesting head. ### Claim 13 (depends on 5) A harvesting head as claimed in claim 5, wherein: a base cutter extends forwardly from the harvester head, and has a cutting head operable to sever the stems of the trees from their stumps, the cutter head being mounted at the (distal) forward end of a support plate or conveyor optionally inclined to the horizontal substantially identical to the inclination of the longitudinal axis and the rotational axes; and the support plate or conveyor being operable to support lower ends of the stems as the trees are advanced towards the, or each, pair of nip rollers by the pick-up front. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A harvesting head as claimed in claim 13, wherein: the cutter head has a rotary saw disc, chainsaw head, or like cutting means, arranged at a small angle to, but just above, the level of the ground. ### Claim 15 (depends on 5) A harvesting head as claimed in claim 5, wherein: the, or each, pair of nip rollers directs the lower ends of the stems of the trees downwardly and rearwardly along a path between the chipper or chopper drum and a co-operating anvil to cause the stems and foliage of the trees to be chipped or converted into biomass. ### Claim 16 (depends on 5) A harvesting head as claimed in claim 5, wherein: the, or each, drive means for the chipper or chopper drum, the, or each, pair of nip rollers, and the other components of the harvesting head, include respective hydraulic motors connected to a main hydraulic pump and controlled via suitable hydraulic control valves, such as in an operator's cabin or station. ### Claim 17 (depends on 5) A tree harvester, for harvesting at least one row of trees, including: a harvester chassis mountable on, or attachable to, a prime mover; at least one drive means on the harvester chassis; and at least one harvesting head, as claimed in claim 5, operably mounted on the harvester chassis and operably connected to the, or each, drive means. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) A harvester as claimed in claim 17, wherein: the harvester chassis is mounted on a self-propelled prime mover; or the harvester chassis is mounted on a trailer-like vehicle connectable to a tractor or other suitable prime mover. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) A harvester as claimed in claim 17, wherein: a chip collector is mounted below the, or each, chipper or chopper drum; and at least one conveyor, such as a belt conveyor, a pneumatic conveyor, or other suitable conveyor, transfers the chips from the, or each, chipper or chopper drum to the chip collector, such as a bin or hopper; or to a discharge conveyor for discharge to a transport vehicle.