Tree harvester delimbing control

In a tree harvesting machine having main frame means elongated in a normal fore-and-aft direction of travel supported by ground engaging means, delimber means mounted on the forward end portion of said frame means for receiving and encircling and delimbing a tree as the latter is fed endwise therethrough, feed means mounted on said frame behind said delimber means for receiving and engaging and propelling a tree through said delimber means, and extendable and retractable tree handling means mounted on said frame means for manipulating a tree into a position for introducing the butt end portion thereof into said delimber and feed means;

• a control system comprising:
• control means for producing a start and reset signals;
• logic means connected to the control means responsive to the start signal to provide a closedelimber, a close-feed, and an engage-drive outputs and responsive to the reset signal to block the close-delimber, the close-feed, and the engagae-drive outputs and to provide an open-delimber and an open-feed outputs and subsequently to block the open-delimber and open-feed outputs;
• delimber actuator means operatively associated with the delimber means responsive to the open- and close-delimber outputs to position the delimber means between its respective receiving and encircling positions;
• feed actuator means responsive to the open- and close-delimber outputs to position the feed means between its respective receiving and engaging positions;
• and feed drive means operatively associated with the feed means responsive to the engage-drive output to engage to drive said feed means to propel a tree through said delimber means.

In a tree harvesting machine having main frame means elongated in a normal fore-and-aft direction of travel supported by ground engaging means, delimber means mounted on the forward end portion of said frame means and including fluidly actuated knife means for receiving and encircling and delimbing a tree as the latter is fed endwise therethrough, feed means mounted on said frame means behind said delimber means and fluidly movable for receiving and engaging a tree and including rotatable roll means engageable with main drive means for propelling a tree through said delimber means, and extendable and retractable tree handling means mounted on said frame means for manipulating a tree into a position for introducing the butt end portion thereof into said delimber and feed means, a control system comprising:

• a source of electrical energy;
• automatic control means connected to the source for producing a start and reset signals;
• logic circuitry means connected to the source including means responsive to the start signal for selectively providing sequentially a close-delimber, close-feed, and engage-drive electrical outputs and the close-feed, engage-drive, and close-delimber electrical out-puts and including means responsive to the reset signal to block the close-delimber, close-feed and engage-drive electrical outputs and to provide and subsequently to block an open-delimber and open-feed electrical outputs, delimber actuator means operatively associated with the logic means and the delimber means including driver means responsive to the close- and open-delimber electrical outputs to selectively connect the source to solenoid means for actuating valve means to connect a source of fluid pressure to actuate means to fluidly actuate the knife means between its respective encircling and receiving positions;
• feed actuator means operatively associated with the logic means and the feed means including driver means responsive to the close- and open-feed electrical outputs to selectively connect the source to solenoid means for actuating valve means to connect the source of fluid pressure to actuator means to fluidly move the feed means between its respective engaging and receiving positions;
• and feed drive means operatively associated with the logic means and the roll means including driver means responsive to the engage-drive electrical output to selectively connect the source to solenoid means for actuating valve means to connect the source of fluid pressure to actuator means to engage the roll means to the main drive means for rotating the roll means to propel a tree trunk through said delimber means.

In a tree harvesting machine having main frame means elongated in a normal fore-and-aft direction of travel and supported by ground engaging means;

• delimber means mounted on the forward end portion of said frame means for delimbing a tree as the latter is fed endwise therethrough;
• said delimber means including knife means being mounted for pivotal movement between an open and closed postions for respectively receiving and encircling a tree trunk whereby the knife means will shear the limbs from the trunk as the trunk is pulled through the encircling knife means;
• said knife means being movable by a first extendable and retractable hydraulic actuator means having first and second work port means arranged such that the actuator means will be placed in neutral mode when both work port means are blocked, in a first active mode for moving the knife means to the closed position when the first and second work port means are respectively connected to a source of fluid pressure and a reservoir, and in a second active mode for moving the knife means to the open position when the second and first work port means are respectively connected to the source of fluid pressure and the reservoir;
• feed means mounted on said frame means behind said delimber means for propelling a tree through said delimber means;
• said feed means including roll means being mounted for swinging movement between an open and closed positions for respectively receiving and engaging a tree trunk;
• said roll means being swingable by a second extendable and retractable hydraulic actuator means having first and second work port means arranged such that the actuator means will be placed in a neutral mode when both work ports are blocked, in a first mode for moving the roll means to the closed position when the first and second work port means are respectively connected to the source of fluid pressure and the reservoir, and in a second mode when the second and first work port means are respectively connected to the source of fluid pressure and the reservoir;
• said feed means further including roll drive means operatively associated with the roll means and being engaged and disengaged for respectively rotating and not rotating the roll means to propel and not propel a tree trunk;
• said roll drive means being engaged and disengaged by a third extendable and retractable hydraulic actuator means having work port means arranged such that the actuator means will be placed in a first mode for engaging the roll drive means when the work port means is connected to the source of fluid pressure and in a second mode for disengaging the roll drive means when the work port means is connected to the reservoir;
• first, second, and third shiftable valve means connected respectively to the first, second, and third actuator means and further connected to the source of fluid pressure and the reservoir;
• said first and second valve means being shiftable among first, second, and normal neutral positions for respectively placing said first and second actuators in their corresponding first, second, and neutral modes;
• said third valve means being normally in a second position and shiftable to a first position for placing said third actuator in its corresponding second and first modes;
• and extendable and retractable tree handling means mounted on said frame means for manipulating a tree into a position for introducing the butt end portion thereof into said delimber and feed means;
• an electrical control system for selectively controlling the shifting of said valve means, comprising:
• first and second solenoid means connected to each of said first and second valve means and being selectively energizable for respectively shifting the associated valve means to its first and second positions;
• first solenoid means connected to the third valve means to its first position;
• driver means having a separate energizing connection means joined to each solenoid means;
• said driver means including power input connection means;
• a source of electrical current being connected to said power input connection means;
• logic circuitry means having separate output connection means joined to each driver means and including electrical signal responsive switching means for providing outputs to the driver means for selectively connecting or blocking said power input connection means to or from said energizing connection means;
• said logic circuitry means further including a plurality of control signal input connection means connected to said switching means;
• a plurality of normally open input signal switch means including manually closable switch means being located between and connected to said control signal input connection means and said source of current;
• said manually closable switch means including start and reset manual switch means;
• said start manual switch means closable for commencing a delimbing cycle by connecting an electrical signal to said switching means for switching the latter to provide the outputs to the driver means to connect said source of current to said first solenoid means of said first, second, and third valve means for placing the first, second, and third actuators, respectively, in their first modes;
• said reset manual switch means closable for resetting the delimbing cycle by connecting an electrical signal to said switching means for switching the latter to block and provide the outputs to the driver means to respectively block said source of current from said first solenoid means of said first, second, and third valve means and connect said source of current to said second solenoid means of said first and second valve means for placing said first, second, and third valves in their second modes, and subsequently to block said source of current from said second solenoid means of said first and second valve means for respectively placing said first and second valves in their neutral modes.