US 9,168,671 B2Granted

Method and arrangement for a sawchain

AssigneeKomatsu Forest AB

InventorsTommy Englund, Per Hedström

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

The invention concerns a method for a sawchain and a sawchain. According to the method according to the invention, a sawchain intended to be used for a sawing arrangement for a forestry harvester in order to prevent the whip-like movement of a sawchain that breaks during sawing, is achieved through a method that comprises the steps: —that the sawchain (1) is provided with a means (20) of limiting pivoting that allows a forwardly located link (3, 4, 5, 2) of the sawchain to pivot in a first direction relative to the subsequent link (3, 4, 5, 2) while limiting the ability of the forwardly located link to pivot in an opposite second direction relative to the subsequent link, —that the sawchain (1) is driven around a guide bar (9) with the aid of a driving wheel that is located at one end of the guide bar, —that sawing of a tree trunk is carried out through the guide bar (9) being turned around an axis of rotation.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A method for a sawchain for a forestry harvester in order to limit rapid outward movement of a free end of the sawchain relative to a guide bar if the sawchain breaks during sawing, the guide bar having a principal plane in which the sawchain travels during normal operation, the method comprises the steps:

providing a sawchain with a means of limiting pivoting that protrudes from and in a direction orthogonal to a plane of a face of a driving link in the sawchain, the plane of the face of the driving link parallel to the principal plane of the guide bar, wherein the means of limiting pivoting allows a forwardly located link of the sawchain to pivot in an inward direction relative to a subsequent link while limiting the ability of the forwardly located link to pivot in an outward direction relative to the subsequent link, wherein the means of limiting pivoting is located completely above, in the outward direction, a central line through pivoting axes of the forwardly located link and the subsequent link, wherein the means of limiting pivoting is arranged at a region between pivot points of the forwardly located link and the subsequent link, wherein the means of limiting pivoting limits pivoting solely through interaction with opposite side edge parts of the forwardly located link and the subsequent link, with the opposite side edge parts of the forwardly located link and the subsequent link generally planar and facing one another, and wherein the means of limiting pivoting comprises a member that protrudes in the direction orthogonal, protruding away from the principal plane, the member having a round external surface that abuts against the generally planar side edge parts of the forwardly located link and the subsequent link, and wherein the protruding member forms a stop for the opposite side edge parts of the forwardly located link and the subsequent link, to prevent pivoting when in contact with the opposite side edge parts;
driving the sawchain around the guide bar with a driving wheel that is located at one end of the guide bar, and
sawing a tree trunk by turning the guide bar around an axis of rotation.

A sawchain to run around a guide bar of a saw device of a forestry harvester, the guide bar having a principal plane in which the sawchain travels during normal operation, comprising:

a series of links in the form of central driving links and side links connected in a manner that allows pivoting with forward and rear parts of the central driving links by means of axes that are located at a distance from each other in the longitudinal direction of the chain, wherein the side links define cutting links, and on each central driving link, a means of limiting pivoting that protrudes from and in a direction orthogonal to a plane of a face of the central driving link, the plane of the face of the central driving link parallel to the principal plane of the guide bar, the means of limiting pivoting allows through interaction with neighboring side links a forwardly located side link of the chain to pivot around its respective axis in a first direction relative to a subsequent side link but limits the ability of the forwardly located side link to pivot around the respective axis in an opposite second direction relative to the subsequent side link, the means of limiting pivoting being located completely above, in the opposite second direction, a central line through the axes of the central driving link, wherein the means of limiting pivoting is arranged at the region between the pivot points of the neighboring links, wherein the means of limiting pivoting limits pivoting solely through interaction with opposite side edge parts of the neighboring links that are generally planar, with the generally planar opposite side edge parts of the neighboring links facing one another, wherein the means of limiting pivoting comprises a member that protrudes in the orthogonal direction from the driving link, protruding away from the principal plane and having a generally round surface, the means of limiting pivoting abuts against respective the generally planar opposite edge parts of the neighboring side links, and wherein the protruding member forms a stop for the opposite side edge parts of the neighboring side links, to prevent pivoting when in contact with the opposite side edge parts.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.