Circular saw blade for tree cutting and bunching vehicles

A circular saw blade assembly including a saw guard casing with a vertically aligned tree receiving opening provided therein and vertical shaft means extending into the casing from above and supporting a circular saw blade thereon rotatable in an operative forward direction of rotation about an axis of rotation, the saw blade having a peripheral surface of less diameter than said casing and being exposed only at the tree receiving opening, said saw blade being formed in part by a series of replaceable circumferentially spaced teeth having front, rear, and bottom surfaces, said front surfaces facing in said forward direction of rotation and extending generally radially to radially outer transverse cutting edges positioned to describe a first arc of rotation about said axis of rotation;

• the blade having a series of circumferentially spaced, generally radially projecting backing tooth mounts supporting said teeth, said front surfaces of said mounts being notched to receive said rear surfaces of said teeth, said mounts also having lower surfaces to receive the bottom surfaces of said teeth;
• said mounts having rear surfaces generally parallel to said mount front surfaces and having peripheral surfaces, lying radially inside said first arc of rotation, extending between said front and rear surfaces of said mounts;
• said saw peripheral surface also having generally tangentially projecting finger-like guides in a guide region spaced circumferentially in front of the front surface of each tooth to provide a radially extending chip passing slot between each tooth and guide, the guides having peripheral surfaces positioned to rotate radially inside said first arc of rotation about said axis of rotation along a second arc of rotation;
• and trailing surfaces extending substantially perpendicularly from said rear surfaces of said mounts and leading rearwardly and radially outwardly to said guide peripheral surfaces to form the peripheral surfaces of the saw between said tooth mounts and guides;
• the saw blade having a series of enlarged pockets joined to said chip passing slots to transport chips in an arc of rotation past said tree admitting opening to a location permitting said chips to be expelled;
• said enlarged pockets extending at an angle in said forward direction therefrom to define said tangentially projection finger-like guides wherein the pockets have neck sections and a trailing marginal edge of each neck section extends radially inwardly and in said forward direction from a lower front edge of each tooth and at an angle to the front surface of the tooth to provide a deflector wall;
• and chordally extending fasteners extending through said mounts from the rear surfaces of the mounts to the front surfaces thereof and into the teeth to secure the teeth releasably in position.

A circular saw blade, rotatable in an operative forward direction of rotation about an axis of rotation and having a blade peripheral surface with generally radially extending recesses therein;

• a series of replaceable circumferentially spaced teeth received in said recesses and having front, rear, and bottom surfaces, said front surfaces facing in said direction of rotation and extending in a generally radial direction to radially outer transverse cutting edges in a position to describe a first arc of rotation about said axis of rotation;
• the blade having a series of circumferentially spaced, generally radially projecting tooth-like backing tooth mounts rearwardly adjacent said recesses with front surfaces receiving the rear surfaces of said teeth;
• said mounts having rear surfaces generally parallel to said mount front surfaces and having peripheral surfaces, lying radially inside said first arc of rotation, extending between said front and rear surfaces of said mounts;
• said saw peripheral surface also having generally tangentially projecting finger-like guides in a guide region spaced circumferentially in front of the front surface of each tooth to provide a radially extending chip passing slot between each tooth and guide, the guides having peripheral surfaces positioned radially inside said first arc of rotation about a second arc of rotation;
• and trailing surfaces extending from said rear surfaces of said mounts and leading from said tooth mounts rearwardly and radially outwardly to said guide peripheral surfaces to form the peripheral surfaces of the saw blade between said tooth mounts and guides;
• the saw blade having a series of enlarged pockets joined to said chip passing slots to transport chips in an arc of rotation to a location permitting said chips to be expelled;
• said enlarged pockets extending in said forward direction to define said tangentially projecting finger-like guides such that the guides extend rearwardly across a portion of the enlarged pockets and toward the tooth mounts;
• and chordally extending fasteners extending through said mounts radially inwardly of said blade peripheral surface from the rear surfaces of the mounts to the front surfaces thereof and into the teeth to secure the teeth releasably in position.