CA1048385A - Arrangement for exploitation and concentration of timber - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

The disclosure relates to a device for the exploita-tion and concentration of timber comprising in combination a traction means, and a rake-blade and a swingable grab suspension provided on the traction means. The swingable grab suspension comprises a jib arm having an upper end and a lower end, the lower end thereof being supported on the traction means, so as to be adapted to be deviated in a horizontal and in a vertical plane. An auxiliary arm is supported at the upper end of the jib arm and is adapted to be deviated in a vertical plane. Means are provided for controlling the position of both the jib arm and the auxiliary arm. Grab means are suspended at one end of the auxiliary arm and are adapted to be deviated in all directions;
the grab arms are supported by the grab means. Means are provided for controlling the closing and opening of these grab means. A
holding rope determines the angular position of the grab means with respect to the auxiliary arm, and means are provided on the jib arm for tensioning the holding rope. With such a device a single attendant can perform the felling, trimming, cutting, selection and piling of wood. Furthermore, the device is simple, easy to transport and can also operate on larger inclined surfaces with trees of all current dimensions.

Description

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The invcntion relates to an arrangement for the ex-ploitation and concentration of timber. -~
The technologies which are presently in use for this purpose comprise a number of operations, which are mainly char-acterized by the fact that each partial operation is performed by specialized machines. Recently more ancl more machines adapt-ed for performing a plurality of operations have been used, said machines usually performing two or more partial operatlons.
These machines are in most cases rather complicated, of large size and expensive. Since the trees are inserted into these heavy machines and are supported thereby, they are suitable only for smaller or shorter trees.
Other arrangements of lighter design are also known which operate by means of simple rope systems, however, more working hours are required. There is at present no similar arrangement, for the exploitation and concentration of large ~
trees common in the forests, which would operate without more ~ ;
attendants and which would work efficiently. ~ -The arrangement for the exploitation and concentration ~;
of timber according to this invention comprises some traction means, for instance a tractor with a rake-blade, and a swinging grab suspension consisting of a jib arm, an auxiliary arm, guid-ing means, holding rope, tightening device, an articulated sus-pension, a rotator on which grab arms are mounted by means of the grab suspension, the grab arms being controlled by the grab ;
cylinder. The swinging grab suspension is supported on the auxil-iary arm by an arrangement (not described in detail~ which forces it to turn in a horizontal plane so that a tree which is clamped by the grab arms can be introduced between trimming arms ahead of which there is provided with a press frame. Then the tree is pulled from between the trimming arms by movement of the traction means. The trimming arms are supported on an independent stable - 1 - ~ ' ;' '~` '. ' 4831~
main frame by means of a pivotable frame. The position of the tree on the pivotable frame is secured by a right guiding roller, a left guiding roller and a stable guiding roller. The pivotable frame is supported for turniny on a horizontal bolt, connected to a vertical bolt mounted on the main frame. Strut means se-cure the anchoring of the main frame with the trimming arms. . .More particularly, the invention relates to a device for the exploitation and concentration of timber comprising in combination~
traction means, a rake-blade and a swingable grab suspension provided on said traction means, the swingable grab suspension comprising:
a jib arm having an upper end and a lower end, ~:
the lower end thereof supported on the traction means, so as to be adapted to be deviated in a horizontal and in a vertical plane, an auxiliary arm supported at the upper end of the jib arm and adapted to be deviated in a vertical plane, means for controlling the position of both the jib arm `~
and the auxiliary arm, grab means suspended at one end of the auxiliary arm, and adapted to be deviated in all directions, grab arms supported by the grab means, means for controlling the closing and opening of these grab means, ~:
a holding rope determining the angular position of the grab means with respect to the auxiliary arm, and means provided on said jib arm for tensioning said holding rope.
The trimming arms are actuated by a cylinder and right and left guiding rollers are pressed against the tree also by the ~,

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action of cylinders. A parallel interconnection to an electro-hydraulic distributor provided with a contact of a Eirst auxil-iary relay and a contact of a second auxiliary relay secures a synchronized movement of both these cylinders. On the other hand, -the coil of the Eirst auxiliary relay and the coil of the second auxiliary relay are connected with circuits provided with a first contact and a second contact of a control station, which are con-nected in parallel with a first and a second contactor of a manual control.
A safety valve and a pressure storage device are con-nected to the pressure conduit leading to the cylinder which actuates the trimming arms.
The grab arms can be alternatively provided with a saw body and a saw blade, which will not be described in detail. ;~
The pivotable frame can be also provided with a cutting saw of any design. ~his cutting saw is brought into and out of ;
engagement by a servomechanism which will not be described in detail and which is brought into operation by the contact of a third auxiliary relay, the coil of which is in the circuits of the third contact of the control station and of the third con-tactor, which are connected in parallel.
A driving unit, for instance a combustion engine, a ~ -hydraulic pump and a receiver are also alternatively mounted on the main frame.
A holding cable is fixed at the end of a grab arm, said cable leading over a guide to a guiding roller, a tensioning rol~
ler, from where it leads over an auxiliary roller to the auxiliary . ;. ....
arm, where it is suspended. The grab arms are actuated by a grab cylinder and a pressure storage device is provided in the pres- ~;
sure conduit leading to it. The auxiliary arm can also be pro- `
vided with an equalizing pulley, the holding cable including in this case this pulley, while both parts of the securing cable run -::
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over twin guiding and tensioning means to both ends of grab arms. ~:
The rnain addltional effect of the arrangement accord-ing to this invention with respect to the actual state of the art is that a single attendant can perform the felling, trimming, cutting, selection and piling of wood by means of a simple, easily transportable arrangement, which also operate on larger inclined surfaces and with trees of all current dimensions.
An embodiment of the invention will now be illustrated by way of example only and with reference to the attached drawings :
in which~
Figure 1 is a view in elevation showing details of grab arms on a tree which is intended to be felled, :~
Figure 2 is a view in elevation showing traction means with a swinging grab suspension, in position when a felled tree is clamped, Figure 3 illustrates the operation of the device prior to introducing the tree between trimming arms, Figure 4 is a view in elevation of a detail of an ;~
arrangement of guiding rollers, -~
Figure 5 is a top plan view showing the trimming of . :~
trees by pulling using traction means, Figure 5a is a view in elevation showing the trimming of trees by pulling using traction means, . ~:
Figure 6 shows the interconnection of electric and hy- .: :~
draulic circuits in a device according to the invention;
Figure 7 is a view in elevation showing the device for automatically regulating the length of the holding cable o-f the grab with the jib arm in a retracted position.
Figure 8 is a view in elevation of the same arrangement with the jib arm extended at a maximum di.stance from the traction means, and Figure~ 9 is a detailed view of the upper end of the

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auxiliary arm.
With particular reference to Figures 2 to 5, it will be seen that a jib arm 13 is connected by means of suspension 16 to some traction means 17, in the present case, to a tractor.
The suspension 16 allows the jib arm 13 to perform a lateral motion by means of a device not described. The raising of the jib arm 13 is carried out by means of a cylinder 14. The auxiliary arm 11 is swingably supported at the top of the jib arm 13 and is actuated by the cylinder 12. A holding rope 7 has one end attached at the free end of the auxiliary arm 11. The rope 7 is guided over a tensioning device 15 and a guiding roller 18 then to guiding rollers 8, (Figure 1) between which it passes until it reaches the ends of grab arms 5.
An articulate suspension 2 is provided at the end of the auxiliary arm 11, to hold a rotator 1 which,supports the grab ~ ~-suspension 3 by means of a bolt 4. The grab suspension 3 supports grab arms 5 which are swingably mounted by means not described.
The closing of grab arms 5 is accomplished by a grab cylinder (not shown) along a bolt 55 (Figure 1). A saw body 9 and a saw blade 10 (Figure 1) can alternatively be connected to the grab arms 5. Other parts of the device include trimming arms 22, pro-vided on both sides with cutting edges. By means of a pivotable frame 30, the trimming arms 22 are mounted on an independent main `;
frame 33 which is adapted for stable seating on the ground and is ~ --secured in position by strut means 32.
The trimming arms 22 are mounted at the front end of the pivotable frame 30 and a press frame 19 is mounted in front '~
of the arms, the press frame 19 has been designed to rectify the inclination of the branches for easier trimming. The trimming arms 22 are closed by a first cylinder 48, a second cylinder 62 ;~
and a third cylinder 63. A stable guiding roller 27 is mounted at the rear end of the pivotable Erame 30 to cooperate with a ~ .

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right guiding roller 23 and a left guiding roller 24. A cylin-der 25 and a lever 28 control the operation of the right guiding roller, while a cylinder 26 and a lever 29 control the operation of the left guiding roller.
The pivotable frame 30 can be alternatively provided with a cutting saw 37. The cutting saw 37 is controlled by a servomechanism not described which is operated by a third auxil-iary relay 58. The coil 60 of this third auxiliary relay 58 is provided with a third contact 56 of the control station 36 and with a third contactor 44. The pivotable frame 30 is connected to a vertical bolt 20 by means of a horizontal bolt 21, the bolt 20 being rotatably supported on the main frame 33. The rnain frame 33 is provided with strut means 32. A driving unit 34, a hy-draulic pump 35 and a receiver 36 are mounted on the main frame 33, these elements can however also be alternatively mounted on some special supporting means which can also displace the main frame independently from the traction means 17 together with the trimming device. The control station 36 is provided among others with a first contact 41 and a second contact 54 of the control -~
station. The coil 42 of the first auxiliary relay and the coil 45 of the second auxiliary relay are connected in the circuits of -i;
the control station. The circuits of the first contactor 43 and of the second contactor 57 are respectively connected in `
parallel to the circuits of the control station. The contact 46 of the first auxiliary relay switches on the first circuit of the hydraulic distributor 52 and the contact of the second auxiliary relay 47 switches on the second circuit of the hydraulic distribu-tor 52. The hydraulic distributor 52 is connected to a safety valve 61, to the hydraulic pump 35 and to the discharge tank 51 and via a pressure conduit 53 to a safety valve 30, to a pressure storage device 49, to cylinder 48 of the trimming arms, further-more to the second and third cylinder 62 and 63 respectively of trimming arms, the cylinder 25 of the right guiding roller and . . . .

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the cylinder 26 of the left guiding roller.
A transmitting station 40 and a rake-blade 38 are mounted on the traction means 17.
According -to an alternate embodimen-t intended for seizing previously cut trees, a holder 64 is fixed on the trac-tion means 17 on which a suspension 16 is rotatably supported by means of a bolt 65 rotatably supported. 'rhe suspension has a flange 66 for rotatably mounting jib arm 16 by means of a bolt 67. 'rhe suspension 16 is provided with a flange 69, to joint connect the cylinder 14 controlling the position of the jib arm - ;
13 by means of a bolt 73. An auxiliary arm 11 is pivotably sup~
ported at the end of the jib arm 13 by means of a bolt 76. A
cylinder 12 which controls the position of the auxiliary arm 11 is joint connected on the jib arm 13 by a bolt 78. An articu~
lated suspension 2 (Figure 8) is provided at the other end of the ~
auxiliary arm 11, to support grab arms 5, which are controlled by ;
a cylinder 6. The pressure conduit 79 of this cylinder 6 is con-nected to a pressure storage device 80. A holding rope 7 runs .; .: . : -over a guide 77, a guiding roller 18, a tensioning roller 72 and an auxiliary roller 74 to the rope suspension 75 on the .: . ~ . . ~.
auxiliary arm 11. Alternatively the securing rope 7 can run from the ends of both grab arms 5, over twin guides 77 and twin guiding rollers 18, twin tensioning rollers 72 to an e~ualizing pulley 81 suspended at the end of the auxiliary arm 11 'rhe tensioning roller 72 is moved by some actuatlng ;~
device, for instance by a piston rod 71 of a tensioning cylinder 15, which is supported on the jib arm 13 by means of a bolt 70.
A supporting plate 68 is mounted on the jib arm. -When the device is in operation, the traction means 17 is brought close to a standing tree 31. By laterally turning the ;

jib arm 13,using means not described, by moving the jib arm 13 ; ;~
in a vertical plane by means of the cylinder 14, by moving the ,,,.,"

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~4f~5 auxiliary arm 11 wi-th the cylinder 12 of the auxiliary arm 13 and by moving the rotator 1, the open grab arms 5 are brought to the tree 31 at the place of the required cut. I'he rope 7 is then slackened. This coupled with the balancing of the device on the grab suspension 3 causes the grab arms to be constantly in a horizontal position. As a result of the action of the grab cylinder 6, the grab arms 5 close in on the tree 31 and the saw blade 10 is subsequently brought in cutting posi-tlon. When the cut is over the saw blade 10 immediately returns to its original position. Towards the end of the cutting operation, and after it is finished, the tree is by deviation of the jib arm 13 and of the auxiliary arm 11 allowed to fall in the required direction.
If due to some misfortune uprooted trees are treated, it is possible to automatically move the grab arms 5 into a horizontal position. The required position is reached by means of the holding rope 7 which is tightened by a tensioning device 15. The placing of grab arms 5 on laying or partly laying trees `
31 is quite the same as in the above described case.
-When cutting uprooted trees, a raise of the jib arm 13 ~ -or a movement of the auxiliary arm 11 can be used for releasing the stress on the saw blade 10 in the course of cutting.
It is also possible -to use the grab arms in order to grip trees 31 which have been felled by other means. In that case the alternative arrangement shown in Figures 7, 8 and 9 is ;
more advantageous.
At any position of the jib arm 13 and of the auxiliary -;
arm 11, the holding rope 7 is slightly tensioned or is allowed to sag only slightly, particularly in the section between the guid~
ing roller 18 and the guide 77. The cylinder 12 controls the position of the auxiliary arm 11, thereby changing the distance between the tensioning roller 18 and the guide 77. Due to the fact that the holding rope 7 runs over the tensioning roller 72 ,.... . .

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and the auxiliary roller 7~ to the rope suspensior 75, the sec-tion of the holding rope 7 between the securing roller 72 and the rope suspension 75 is displaced. ~ -The jib arm 13 is tilted by the action of the cylinder -14 which is joint connected to the flange 69. The suspension 16 is turned around the bolt 65 by means of some device not des- ;
cribed, for instance by means of hydraulic cylinders.
In the case of larger grab arms 5, the holding rope 7 reaches both ends of grab arms 5 and due to its passage over twin guides 77, twin guiding rollers 18, twin tensioning rollers 72, ;
twin auxiliary rollers 24 and the fact that the holding rope passes around the equalizing pulley 81, the load is safely clamp-ed even if the grab arms 5 move the articulate suspension 2 in a ;
vertical plane.
A perfect fastening of the load and clamping by the holding rope 7 is provided by the tensioning roller 72 which by receding for instance by the action of the piston rod 71 of the tensioning cylinder 15 generates the required pull in the holding rope 7. The operation of the automatic regulation of the length ;~
of the rope can also be improved if in the pressure conduit 79 of the grab control there is inserted a pressure storage device 80 for the grab cylinder 6, thereby achieving a resilient clamp-ing of the grab arms 5 and a possibility to compensate changes in the load circuit due to change of positions of individual logs when skidding occurs.
By means of the travel of the traction means 17, the tree is thereafter pulled toward the main frame 33 where it is firmly anchored by means of the strut 32. By deviating the jib arm 13 the traction means 17 will be used to move the tree 31 around the main frame 33 where it will be placed between open trimming arms 22, right guiding roller 23 and left guiding roller 24. By further moving the traction means 17 along a path _ 9 _ : .

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having ~he shape of a double arc and by deviating the jib arm 13 toward the axis of the traction means 17, the tree 31, the trac-tion means 17 and the pivo-table frame 30 become coaxial. Smaller deviations are compensated for by rotatably mounting the pivotable frame 30 on a bolt 20 of the main frame 33. The tree 31 is placed in an advantageous lower position by the auxiliary arm 11, the holding rope 7 is stretched by means of the tensioning device 15, thereby obtaining a more stable position of the traction means 17 which is required by substantial resistances taking place during the trimming. The attendant transmits a signal to the transmitting station 40, which is evaluated by the receiver 36, closing over the first contact 41 of the control station the current circuit to the coil 42 of the first auxiliary relay, the contact 46 of the first auxiliary relay closes the circuit of the hydraulic distributor 52 which allows passage of pressure oil from the hydraulic pump 35 over the safety valve 61 of the distributor, into the pressure conduit 53, connected to the cylinder 48 of ~ ;
trimming arms and to the second and third cylinder 62 and 63 -~-~
respectively. The cylinder 48 of the trimming arms, as well as the second and third cylinder 62, 63 press the trimming arms 22 against the tree.
The cylinder 26 of the left guiding roller and the cylinder 25 of the right guiding roller connected in parallel press the left guiding roller 23 and the right guiding roller 24 against the tree 31. -~
Thus the tree 31 is clamped at two places and the pivot-able frame 30 becomes parallel with the tree 31. By pulling the tree 31 with the traction means 17, the branches of the tree 31 ~ -are trimmed by the trimming arms 22 and the press frame 19 recti-fies the branches and facilitates the trimming operation~ The pressure storage device 49 and the safety valve 50 compensate pressure fluctuations in the pressure conduit during the trimming operation.

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After trimming the main par-t of the tree 31 a signal is tran.smitted via the transmitting station 40, which signal is ` ~ , evaluated by the receiver 36, causing third contact 56 to be closed, which contact closes the circuit of the third auxiliary ~
relay 60. Contact 58 of the third auxiliary relay closes the ;
circuit of the servomechanism 59 of any suitable design, which puts the cutting saw 37 into operation. The cutting saw 37 cuts .. . .
the end of the tree or possibly makes cuts on other places, to cut the tree into pieces.
After the tree has been trimmed, the attendant trans~
mits an order via the transmitting station 40. The receiver evaluates the signal and closes the second contact 54 of the :: ~ . .. .
receiver, which in turn closes the circuit 45 of the second auxil-iary relay. The contact 47 of the second auxiliary relay closes i the circuit of the hydraulic distributor 52, which sends a pres-sure medium into the first cylinder 48 of the trimming arms and then into the second and third cylinders 62 and 63 respectively of trimming arms to open the trimming arms 22. The hydraulic ~ ~
distributor also sends pressure medium lnto the cylinder 25 of ~- ;
the right guiding roller and into the cylinder 26 of the left guiding roller to cause the left guiding roller 24 and the right ~ `
guiding roller 23 to be taken off the opened position. The trimmed tree 31 or the cut pieces are dragged away by the trac-tion means 17 to the lumberyard where they are piled together using the blade 38. It is possible to collect two or more trimmed ;~
trees 31 and to skid them together to the lumberyard. When re- ;
:.
turning to the clearing, the traction means 17 and the blade 38 ;~
are used to set aside the brushwood collected in front of the ;~
main frame 33 and the whole operation can be repeated. ~ -~
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The driving unit 34, the hydraulic pump 35 and the receiver 36 are located on the main frame 33.
The main frame 33 is supported by the strut means 32 so ,,,.,, ~

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3~35 as -to prevent it from turning over at high pressures in the course of trimming.
With reference to Figure 7, it will be seen that the grab arms are perpendicular to the axis of traction means, in the position shown the device is adjusted for clamping previously cut trees.
The device according to this invention can be utilized ` ~ ~;
for felling, clearing, trimming, skidding, cutting and storing ;~ .
wood in stacks.
Some of these partial operations can be omitted or their sequence can be changed. : :~

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Claims (9)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:-

1. A device for the exploitation and concentration of timber comprising in combination:
traction means, a rake-blade and a swingable grab suspension provided on said traction means, the swingable grab suspension comprising:
a jib arm having an upper end and a lower end, the lower end thereof supported on the traction means, so as to be adapted to be deviated in a horizontal and in a vertical plane, an auxiliary arm supported at the upper end of the jib arm and adapted to be deviated in a vertical plane, means for controlling the position of both the jib arm and the auxiliary arm, grab means suspended at one end of the auxiliary arm, and adapted to be deviated in all directions, grab arms supported by the grab means, means for controlling the closing and opening of these grab means, a holding rope determining the angular position of the grab means with respect to the auxiliary arm, and means provided on said jib arm for tensioning said holding rope.

2. Device as claimed in claim 1, comprising in addition:
an independent main frame for trimming branches of trees, said main frame adapted to be placed in a stable position on the ground, strut means for securing said stable position, a pivotable frame supported by said main frame and adapted to be deviated around a vertical and a horizontal axis, trimming arms provided on said pivotable frame, means for controlling the position of said trimming arms, rollers adapted to close on a tree supported on said pivotable frame, means for controlling the position of said rollers, and means for rectifying the position of branches of the treated tree in front of the trimming arms,

3. Device as claimed in claim 1, comprising a saw blade on said grab means.

4. Device as claimed in claim 2, comprising hydraulic control means for positioning the different elements of said device.

5. Device as claimed in claim 4, comprising a transmitter on said traction means and a receiver on said main frame, said transmitter and said receiver controlling said hydraulic control means.

6. Device as claimed in claim 2, comprising a pressure storage device for compensating pressure variations of the hydraulic control means of said trimming arms.

7. Device as claimed in claim 1, including a holding rope for said grab arms fixed at one end of a grab arm, led over guiding means to a guiding roller, to a tensioning roller and via an auxiliary roller to a rope suspension on the auxiliary arm.

8. Device as claimed in claim 1 comprising a pressure storage device connected to a pressure conduit leading to a cylinder controlling the position of said grab arms.

9. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said holding rope is fixed at both ends of the grab arms and is led over twin guides, twin guiding rollers, twin tensioning rollers and twin auxiliary rollers to an equalizing pulley suspended on said auxiliary arm, the holding rope running around said equalizing roller.