Tree feller-buncher
AssigneeAllied Systems Company
InventorFrederic E. Langford
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A four track vehicle especially adapted for logging on steep slopes includes a running unit and an upper unit. The upper unit is articulated relative to the lower unit to maintain a center of gravity within the four tracked pods upon which the running unit is mounted. Sensing systems are utilized to alert the operator when the machine is in an incipient tipping condition. Moreover, a unique suspension system combining a torsion frame and swingable pod mounting arms are employed. The pods are locked in position when the vehicle is in an operating mode and are unlocked when the vehicle is in a travel mode.
Claims22
A multi-track vehicle especially adapted for operation on steep slopes, comprising:
- a frame having a longitudinal dimension and a transverse dimension, said frame being mounted on track pods disposed on opposite lateral sides of the frame and having opposite ends;
- a first trunnion and means mounted said first trunnion to a central portion of said frame for swinging movement about a transverse axis;
- a second trunnion and means mounting said second trunnion to said first trunnion for swinging movement about an axis oriented longitudinally relative to said frame;
- a turntable and means mounting said turntable to said second trunnion for rotational movement about a generally upright axis;
- an upper unit mounted on said turntable;
- and
- pod-connecting means for connecting each of the pods to the frame, vertical lines through each of the pod-connecting means defining a tip boundary of the machine, opposite ends of said pods being offset from said first trunnion sufficiently in a longitudinal direction and said pods being offset from said second trunnion sufficiently in a transverse direction to allow a center of gravity of said entire vehicle and upper unit to remain inside the tip boundary of said machine when said upper unit is upright and said frame is angulated in any direction relative to the horizontal.
A multi-track vehicle especially adapted for operation on sloped, irregular terrain, comprising:
- a frame having a longitudinal dimension and a transverse dimension;
- first and second track pods disposed on opposite lateral sides of one longitudinal end of the frame;
- third and fourth track pods disposed on opposite lateral sides of an opposite end of the frame;
- an upper unit including a cab;
- turntable means mounting the upper unit for rotation about a rotational axis;
- and
- tiltable means mounting the turntable means and upper unit on the frame for tilting the turntable means and upper unit about a longitudinal axis aligned with the longitudinal dimension of the frame and a transverse axis aligned with the transverse dimension of the frame to position said rotational axis angularly relative to the frame;
- pod-connecting means for connecting each of the pods to the frame, vertical lines through each of the pod-connecting means defining a tip boundary of the machine;
- and
- a prime mover mounted on the frame between the third and fourth pods;
- the tiltable means being connected to the frame at a position spaced longitudinally closer to the first and second pods than to the third and fourth pods;
- said pods being offset from the longitudinal axis sufficiently in a transverse direction and opposite ends of said pods being offset from said transverse axis sufficiently in a longitudinal direction to allow a center of gravity of said entire vehicle and upper unit to remain inside the tip boundary of the vehicle when the upper unit is upright and the frame is angulated in any direction relative to horizontal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.