Limb cutting apparatus and methods

A limb cutting apparatus, comprising:

• motor-driven cutting means supported by a cutter bar,
• wherein the cutter bar is disposed substantially in a first plane and has a long axis extending in a first direction,
• wherein the cutter bar further comprises a substantially flat front face and a substantially flat rear face;
• a first set of anvils, wherein each anvil in the first set of anvils is adapted to counter reaction force on a limb caused by the motor-driven cutting means;
• a plurality of cutting channels extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, each of the plurality of cutting channels comprising a bottom surface defined by either the substantially flat front face or the substantially flat rear face of the cutter bar, wherein each of the plurality of cutting channels is disposed between adjacent anvils in the first set of anvils.

A cutting apparatus, comprising:

• a motor driven cutting means supported by a cutter bar, the cutter bar comprising a front face and a rear face, wherein the cutter bar is elongated in a first direction;
• a plurality of anvils disposed at predefined intervals along and adjacent to the cutter bar, each of the plurality of anvils comprising a crown elongated approximately perpendicularly from the first direction from either an upper edge or a lower edge of the cutter bar;
• and
• a plurality of cutting channels disposed on the front face or the rear face of the cutter bar and extending substantially perpendicularly between a top edge and a bottom edge of the cutter bar between adjacent anvils comprising the plurality of anvils.

A method of trimming tree growth an easement having an initial cut plane, the method comprising the steps of:

• observing regrowth across the initial cut plane at predetermined intervals;
• and
• upon the first to occur of (i) limbs growing beyond the initial cut plane to within a predefined distance of a conductor, or (ii) limbs observed to be greater than a predefined diameter:
• causing a boom mounted cutting mechanism to be aligned with the initial cut plane, and
• translating the boom mounted cutting mechanism in the initial cut plane across the easement;
• wherein the boom mounted cutting mechanism comprises motor-driven cutting means supported by one or more cutter bars.

A limb cutting apparatus, comprising:

• a vehicle;
• a cutting head comprising:
• a cutting apparatus comprising a motor-driven cutting means supported on a cutter bar in which a plurality of cutters is arranged linearly;
• an articulated boom comprising a first extremity and a second extremity, wherein the articulated boom is adapted to position the cutting head in a limb cutting plane, wherein the articulated boom is (i) adapted to rotate relative to the vehicle at the first extremity, and (ii) adapted to support and guide the cutting head at the second extremity, wherein the cutting head is adapted to position the cutting apparatus in the limb cutting plane.