Tree felling head having a rim driven rotary cutter

A felling head comprising in combination:

• (a) a frame having a grapple mounted thereon and comprising a pair of jaw members, at least one of which is pivotally mounted on the frame for movement toward and away from the other and together providing a grapple jaw which may be selectively opened and closed to respectively receive and grasp a standing tree, power means connected to said movable grapple jaw members selectively to open and close said grapple;
• and
• (b) a severing device mounted on said frame below said grapple for severing a standing tree, said severing device comprising an anvil mounted on said frame, an arm pivotally mounted on said frame and having an arcuate portion facing the anvil and including bearing means for supporting a circular saw, a rim driven planar circular saw mounted around a peripheral portion thereof on the arcuate portion of said arm, movement of said arm during pivoting being in a plane transverse to the length of the standing tree, said rim driven saw having cutting formations around the outer periphery thereof projecting in a direction outwardly from the axis of rotation of the saw and having a portion thereof defining teeth for meshing with teeth on a power driven pinion;
• a motor unit mounted on said arm and having a pinion mounted directly thereon, the teeth of said pinion meshing with the teeth on the circular saw for driving the same, said pinion being a Spur Gear.