Clamp assembly
AssigneeEaton Yale Ltd.
InventorThomas G. Bakowski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A processor clamp for a tree harvester. The tree engaging surface of a movable arm of the clamp is made up of two elements, a convex cam portion and a concave portion, to insure that all trees within the diameter range of the harvester will be clamped along a line either perpendicular to a downwardly angled, fixed tree engaging surface or tending to force the tree upward along the surface. The fixed tree engaging surface is adapted to penetrate a tree clamped thereon, but permits the tree to roll off into a bunk when the movable arm is released. The clamp assembly is easily removable from and attachable to the harvester to selectively use the harvester as a single tree machine or a multiple tree machine.
Claims7
In apparatus for processing trees including a substantially horizontal processing boom, means for depositing a cut tree on said processing boom, and delimber means engageable with said cut tree and movable along said processing boom to delimb said tree;
- a clamp assembly mounted on said processing boom in position to receive a tree deposited on said processing boom, said clamp assembly comprising a frame fixed to said boom;
- a first tree engaging surface formed on said frame and disposed at an angle extending downwardly from the horizontal;
- a clamp arm pivotally mounted to said frame and having a second tree engaging surface formed thereon;
- and means for moving said arm from a first position out of the way of a tree being deposited on said boom and a second position putting said second tree engaging surface in clamping engagement with a tree on said first tree engaging surface, said second tree engaging surface comprising a first convex surface element engageable with a tree placed on a first area of said first tree engaging surface and a second concave surface element engageable with a tree placed on a second area of said first tree engaging surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.