Tree harvester

A tree harvester which comprises a first elongated beam member having first and second ends;

• a second elongated beam member having first and second ends, being longitudinally disposed with respect to said first elongated beam member, being guidingly mounted thereto, and being longitudinally movable in first and second directions with respect to said elongation of said first beam member;
• means for longitudinally moving said second beam member in said first and second directions;
• a third member being guidingly mounted to said second elongated beam member and being longitudinally movable in said first and second directions;
• a fourth member being secured to said third member and being movable with respect thereto;
• a fifth member being secured to said first beam member;
• and
• means, comprising a flexible tension element having portions thereof that are substantially longitudinally disposed, for longitudinally moving said third member by said flexible tension element in said first and second directions and at substantially the same velocity with respect to said second beam member as said moving of said second beam member with respect to said first beam member when said second beam member is moving in said first or second direction, and for mechanically transmitting motions from said fifth member to said fourth member through said flexible tension element substantially independent of and selectively concurrent with said longitudinal movements of said second and third members in said first or second direction.

A tree harvester which comprises a first elongated beam member having first and second ends;

• a second elongated beam member having first and second ends, being longitudinally disposed with respect to said first elongated beam member, being guidingly mounted thereto, and being longitudinally movable in first and second directions with respect to said elongation of said first beam member;
• a third member being guidingly mounted to said second elongated beam member and being longitudinally movable with respect to said elongation thereof in said first and second directions;
• a fourth member being secured to said third member and being movable with respect thereto;
• a fifth member being secured to said first beam member;
• first and second sheaves being mounted to said second beam member proximal to one of said ends thereof and substantially orthogonal to said elongation thereof;
• a third sheave being mounted to said third member substantially orthogonal to said elongation of said second beam member;
• a fourth sheave being mounted to said first beam member substantially orthogonal to said elongation thereof;
• flexible tension element means for connecting said third member to said first beam member by a pair of spaced-apart strands of said flexible tension element means, for effectively functioning as an endless flexible tension element, and for effectively extending from said fourth sheave to said first sheave, to said third sheave, to said second sheave, and back to said fourth sheave, all in direction changing wrapping engagement;
• first means for connecting said fifth member to said flexible tension element means to impart reciprocating tension motions into one of said strands, whereby said reciprocating tension motions are effective to rotate said sheaves and to reposition said flexible tension element but are ineffective to change the length of said flexible tension element or the length of said spaced-apart strands thereof;
• second means for connecting said fourth member to said flexible tension element means to receive said reciprocating tension motions therefrom;
• and
• means for longitudinally moving said second beam member in the one of said directions that applies tension forces to said flexible tension element means and said engagements thereof with said first and second sheaves;
• whereby
• said tension forces are effective to move said third member in said one direction at substantially the same velocity with respect to said second beam member as said second beam member is moved in said one direction by said longitudinal moving means insensitive to said reciprocating motions in said one strand.

A tree harvester which comprises a first elongated beam member;

• a second elongated beam member, being longitudinally disposed with respect to said first elongated beam member, being guidingly mounted thereto, and being longitudinally movable in first and second directions with respect to said elongation of said first beam member;
• means for longitudinally moving said second beam member in said first direction;
• a third member being guidingly mounted to said second elongated beam member and being longitudinally movable in said first and second directions;
• knife means, being mounted to said third member, and comprising a movable knife, for performing work on a tree that is disposed substantially parallel to said first elongated beam member;
• a fourth member being secured to said first beam member and being movable with respect thereto;
• and
• means, for moving said third member in one of said directions, and for mechanically transmitting motions in first and second directions from said fourth member to said movable knife.

A tree harvester which comprises a first elongated beam member;

• a second elongated beam member, being longitudinally disposed with respect to said first elongated beam member, being guidingly mounted thereto, and being longitudinally movable in first and second directions with respect to said elongation of said first beam member;
• means for longitudinally moving said second beam member in said first and second directions;
• a third member being guidingly mounted to said second elongated beam member and being longitudinally movable in said first and second directions;
• delimber knife means, being mounted to said third member, and comprising a movable delimber knife, for opening, for closing around a tree that is disposed substantially parallel to said first elongated beam member, and for stripping limbs from said tree as said third member is moved in said first direction;
• topping knife means, being mounted to said third member, and comprising a movable topping knife, for topping a tree that is disposed substantially parallel to said first elongated beam member;
• a fourth member being secured to said first beam member;
• and
• means, comprising a flexible tension element, for longitudinally moving said third member by said flexible tension element in said first direction at the same speed as said longitudinal moving of said second beam member when said second beam member is moving in said first direction, and for mechanically transmitting motion from said fourth member to one of said movable knives by said flexible tension element selectively concurrent with and substantially independent of said longitudinal moving of said second and third members in said first direction.

A tree harvester mechanism which comprises an elongated beam member;

• a second member being guidingly mounted with respect to said elongated beam member and being longitudinally movable in first and second directions with respect to said elongation thereof;
• means for longitudinally moving said second member in said first and second directions;
• delimber knife means, being mounted to said second member, and comprising a movable delimber knife, for opening, for closing around a tree that is disposed substantially parallel to said elongated beam member, and for stripping limbs from said tree as said second member is moved in one of said directions;
• topping knife means, being mounted to said second member, and comprising a movable topping knife, for topping a tree that is disposed substantially parallel to said elongated beam member;
• a fluid actuator being fixedly secured with respect to said elongated beam member;
• and
• means for mechanically transmitting motion from said fluid actuator to one of said movable knives.

A tree harvester which comprises an elongated beam member having first and second ends;

• a second member being guidingly mounted with respect to said elongated beam member and being longitudinally movable in a first direction in which said second member moves toward said second end of said elongated beam member, and being movable in a second direction;
• delimber knife means, being mounted to said second member, and comprising a movable delimber knife, for opening, for closing around a tree that is disposed substantially parallel to said elongated beam member, and for stripping limbs from said tree as said second member is moved in said first direction;
• topping knife means, being longitudinally interposed between said delimber means and said first end of said elongated beam member, being mounted to said second member, and comprising first and second movable topping knives for topping a tree that is disposed substantially parallel to said elongated beam member;
• said topping knives each comprise a topping knife shaft, and a topping knife blade that extends orthogonally outward from the respective one of said topping knife shafts, and that includes a cutting edge that is distal from said shaft and substantially parallel thereto;
• said topping knife means closes by rotation of one of said shafts in one direction and rotation of the other of said shafts in the other direction to respective positions wherein said cutting edges are proximal to each other;
• and
• means for closing said delimber knife means and for moving said second member in said first direction;
• whereby
• said delimber knife means precedes said topping knife means as said second member moves in said first direction, stripping limbs from said tree ahead of and away from said topping knife means and thereby preventing said stripped limbs from interfering with said moving of said movable topping knife means.

A tree harvester which comprises a first elongated beam member having first and second ends;

• a second elongated beam member, being longitudinally disposed with respect to said first elongated beam member, being guidingly mounted thereto, and being longitudinally movable with respect to said elongation thereof from a closed position to a maximum extended position wherein said second beam member is distal from said first end of said first beam member;
• first means for longitudinally moving said second beam member in a first direction toward said extended position and in a second direction back to said closed position;
• a third member being guidingly mounted to said second elongated beam member and being longitudinally movable with respect to said elongation thereof in said first and second directions;
• second means for longitudinally moving said third member longitudinally in said first and second directions;
• delimber knife means, being mounted to said third member, and comprising a movable delimber knife, for opening, for closing around a tree that is disposed substantially parallel to said elongated beam member, and for stripping limbs from said tree as said third member is moved in said first direction;
• and
• topping knife means, being mounted to said third member longitudinally intermediate of said delimber knife means and said first end of said first beam member, and comprising a movable topping knife, for topping a tree that is disposed substantially parallel to said second elongated beam member;
• whereby
• said delimber knife means precedes said topping knife means as said third member moves toward said extended position stripping limbs from said tree ahead of and away from said topping knife means and thereby preventing said stripped limbs from interfering with said moving of said movable topping knife.

A tree harvester which comprises an elongated beam member having first and second ends;

• a second member being guidingly mounted with respect to said elongated beam member and being longitudinally movable in first and second directions with respect to said elongation thereof;
• delimber knife means, being mounted to said second member, and comprising a movable delimber knife, for opening, for closing around a tree that is disposed with the butt end thereof proximal to said first end and that is disposed substantially parallel to said elongated beam member, and for stripping limbs from said tree as said second member is moved in said first direction;
• topping knife means, being mounted to said second member, and comprising a movable topping knife, for topping said tree;
• means for longitudinally moving said second member and both of said knife means from retracted positions that are proximal to said first end to both predetermined minimum and predetermined maximum log length positions;
• log diameter sensing means, being mounted to said second member and being disposed longitudinally proximal to said topping knife, for sensing the longitudinal position of said topping knife wherein the diameter of the log of said tree has reduced to a predetermined minimum log diameter;
• and
• logic means, being operatively connected to said sensing means and to said topping knife means, for actuating said topping knife in response to said topping knife reaching both said predetermined minimum log length position and said longitudinal position wherein the diameter of said log is reduced to said predetermined minimum log diameter.

A tree harvester which comprises an elongated beam member having first and second ends;

• a second member being guidingly mounted with respect to said elongated beam member and being longitudinally movable in first and second directions with respect to said elongation thereof;
• delimber knife means, being mounted to said member, and comprising a movable delimber knife, for opening, for closing around a tree that is disposed with the butt end thereof proximal to said first end and that is disposed substantially parallel to said elongated beam member, and for stripping limbs from said tree as said second member is moved in said first direction;
• topping knife means, being mounted to said second member, and comprising a movable topping knife, for topping said tree;
• means for longitudinally moving said second member and both of said knife means from retracted positions that are proximal to said first end to both predetermined minimum and predetermined maximum log length positions;
• log diameter sensing means, being mounted to said second member and being disposed longitudinally proximal to said topping knife, for sensing the longitudinal position of said topping knife wherein the diameter of the log of said tree has reduced to a predetermined minimum log diameter;
• and
• logic means, being operatively connected to said sensing means and to said topping knife means, for actuating said topping knife in response to said topping knife reaching said longitudinal position wherein the diameter of said log is reduced to said predetermined minimum log diameter, and for returning said second member to said retracted position in response to actuation of said topping knife without said second member moving to said predetermined maximum log length position if said topping knife is actuated before said second member reaches said predetermined maximum log length position.

A tree harvester which comprises an elongated beam member having first and second ends;

• a second member being guidingly mounted with respect to said elongated beam member and being longitudinally movable in a delimb direction from a retracted position wherein said second member is proximal to said first end to a maximum log length position wherein said second member is distal from said first end, and being movable in a return direction to said retracted position;
• means, comprising a first energizable actuator, for longitudinally moving said second member in said delimb and return directions;
• delimber knife means, being mounted to said second member, and comprising a movable delimber knife, for opening, for closing around a tree that is disposed substantially parallel to said elongated beam member, and for stripping limbs from said tree as said third member is moved in said delimb direction;
• second energizable actuator means, being operatively connected to said delimber knife means, for opening and closing said delimber knife means;
• topping knife means, being operatively connected to said second member, and comprising a movable topping knife, for topping a tree that is disposed substantially parallel to said elongated beam member;
• third energizable actuator means, being operatively connected to said movable topping knife, for actuating said movable topping knife;
• automatic control means for sequentially energizing said second actuator means to close said delimber knife means, energizing said first actuator to move said second member in said delimb direction, energizing said third actuator means to actuate said topping knife means, and energizing said second actuator means to return said second member to said retracted position, all in response to placing a felled tree into position on said tree harvester;
• and
• said automatic control means comprises a hydraulic pilot system having a source of pressurized fluid that includes a pump and a sump, having a plurality of conduits with first and second ends that are connected respectively with said pump and said sump, having a plurality of valve actuators that each include a port communicated with one of said conduits intermediate of said ends, and means, comprising a pilot valve and a fluid restrictor that are interposed into one of said conduits on opposite sides of said communication of one of said ports, for selectively pressurizing said one port.

A tree harvester which comprises an elongated beam member having first and second ends;

• a second member being guidingly mounted with respect to said elongated beam member and being longitudinally movable in a delimb direction from a retracted position wherein said second member is proximal to said first end to a maximum log length position wherein said second member is distal from said first end, and being movable in a return direction to said starting position;
• means, comprising a first energizable actuator, for longitudinally moving said second member in said delimb and return directions;
• delimber knife means, being mounted to said second member, and comprising a movable delimber knife, for opening, for closing around a tree that is disposed substantially parallel to said elongated beam member, and for stripping limbs from said tree as said third member is moved in said delimb direction;
• second energizable actuator means, being operatively connected to said delimber knife means, for opening and closing said delimber knife means;
• topping knife means, being operatively connected to said second member, and comprising a movable topping knife, for topping a tree that is disposed substantially parallel to said elongated beam member;
• third energizable actuator means, being operatively connected to said movable topping knife, for actuating said movable topping knife;
• and
• automatic control means for sequentially energizing said second actuator means to close said delimber knife means, energizing said first actuator to move said second member in said delimb direction, energizing said third actuator means to actuate said topping knife means, and energizing said second actuator means to return said second member to said retracted position subsequent to said actuating of said movable topping knife and irrespective of the position of said second member when said topping knife means is actuated.