CA1159753A - Delimbing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT

A delimbing apparatus for delimbing a plurality of trees simultaneously. The apparatus has a bottom support roller and a top delimbing roller supported in cantilever fashion over the bottom roller. The top roller is movable toward or away from the bottom roller. With the top roller raised relative to the bottom roller a bundle of trees can be placed on the bottom roller. Means are provided on the bottom roller for spreading out the trees before lowering the top roller and delimbing the trees.

Description

1~9~7~;~
~ his invention is directed toward an improved method for delimbing trees.
The invention is also directed toward an improved tree de-limbing apparatus.
The invention is more particularly directed toward an im-proved method for, and an improved tree delimbing apparatus of the type which, delimbs a plurality of trees simultaneously.
It is known to provide apparatus to delimb a plurality of trees simultaneously. Such an apparatus is shown in U.S. Patent 3,948,299 by way of example. The patented apparatus provides numerous advantages over apparatus of the type whlch delimbs a single tree at a time. Some of the advantages provided by the patented apparatus are its low cost and its high delimbing rate.
Single tree delimbers u~ually comprise one component of compli-cated tree harvesting machines, which machines are very expen-sive. The ~ingle tree delimbers are also relatively 810w since each tree is individually handled.
However the patented apparatus does have some disadvantages of its own. The trees are mechanically loaded onto the delimber in a bundle. When the bundle is released the trees spread out to some extent. However the trees are still grouped primarily in the center of the apparatus, and being crowded together, they are not delimbed as thoroughly as is desirable. Some manual de-limbing is therefore necessary, after the trees are removed from the apparatus, to complete the delimbing operation. The known apparatus also has some difficulty in properly, simultaneously delimbing trees of different size. The smaller trees are not always delimbed as thoroughly as the larger trees, :, It is therefore a purpose of the present invention to provide an improved tree delimbing apparatus which has means for mech-anically spreading a bundle of trees substantially uniformly across the apparatus in preparation to delimbing the trees simul-taneously. It iæ another purpose of the present invention to ~g7S3 pro~ide an improved tree delimbing apparatus which more thorough-ly clelimbs a plurality of trees si~ulta~eously. It is a further purpose of the present invention to provide an improved delimber which can more thoroughly,simultaneously, delimb a plurality of different sized trees. It is yet another purpose of the present invention to provide an improved delimber having novel means for topping-off delimbed trees. It is another purpose of the present invention to provide a simple, and relatively inexpensive, yet rugged, improved tree delimbing apparatus.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a tree delimbing apparatus having bottom tree support means and means for simultaneously delimbing a plurality of trees supported along the support means. The support means and the delimbing means are generally parallel to each other and are arranged to move relative to each other between a spaced-apart, tree loading position, and closely adjacent, tree delimbing po~ition. The apparatus includes means for spreading a bundle of trees substan-tially uniformly across the tree æupport means prior to delimb-ing the tree~. The tree support means has a rotatable shaft.
The spreading means comprise at least one helical rib on the surface of the shaft extending over a substantial portion of the shaft. Preferably two helical ribs are provided on the shaft extending in opposite directions away from the center of the shaft towards the ends of the shaft. The ribs spiral in opposite directions away from the sha$t center so as to carry trees away from the center of the shaft towards the shaft ends as the shaft is rotated.
A bundle of trees to be delimbed is positioned on the ~up-port shaft in its central region while the support shaft and the delimbing means are in a spaced-apart loading po~ition. The support shaft i8 then rotated to carry trees from the bottom of j the bundle outwardly tQwards the ends of the support shaft, ~ia ~, the helical ribs, until the bundle of trees is rearranged into

-2-a generally uniform row of trees spaced out along the support shaft. Once the trees have been spread out, the delimbing means and support sha~t are moved relative to each other to a delimb-ing position with the delimbing means cooperating with the sup-port; shaft in deiimbing the trees. With the trees spread out, each tree can be more thoroughly delimbed.
Further, in accordance with the present invention, means are provided for improving the simultaneous delimbing operation.
These means include the helical ribs on the support shaft. The support shaft is rotated during delimbing and the helical ribs help delimb the trees while also irregularly rotating and trans-versely moving the trees. The upper delimbing means has a sec-ond rotatable shaft generally parallel to the support shaft. A
set of spaced-apart spacer digk~ are provided on the delimbing ~haft. The di~ks are generally spaced apart a distance suffi-cient to receive a single tree between them. A set of delimbing blades extends transversely between each adjacent pair of disks.
The blades are equally spaced about the shaft9 and in accordance with the present invention have their edges shaped to move the trees back and forth transversely between the disk~ while delimb-ing the trees between the delimbing and support shafts. The trees are also irregularly rotated during the transverse move-ment, and both movements result in better delimbing. The outer edges of the blades in each set are curved inwardly in a pattern to move a tree from left to right and back to left, in a repeat-ing sequence, between a pa~r of disks as the shaft i~ rotated.
The arrangement not only improves delimbing but also permits smaller diameter trees to be more efficiently, simultaneously, delimbed with larger tree8. The smaller trees are bounced up and down between the ribs and the blades, ag they move trans-versely between the disks and longitudinally through the appara-tus to ensure cleaner delimbing.
-~ Also in accordance with the present invention, means are _~_ li59~S3 provided for topping-off delimbed trees. To this end, the ap-paratus is arranged to have the delimbing means overhang the sup-port means. The delimbing means and the support means can then be arranged to be relatively moved toward each other from the delimbing position to snap off tree tops from trees held between them. Alternatively, other topping-off means can be employed, incorporated directly in the delimbing means. These topping-off means can comprise a slot formed in one of the delimbing blades of each set with a knife in the slot to cut off the top of a tree which moves into the slot.
The invention is particularly directed toward a tree delimb-ing apparatus having bottom tree support means, for use in sup-porting a plurality of trees thereon, and top delimbing means normally cooperating with the tree support means to delimb a plurality of trees simultaneously. Means are provided for mov-ing the top delimbing means and the bottom support means apart ~o that a plurality of trees, in bundle form, can be loaded on the bottom support means. Means spread out the bundle of trees on the bottom æupport means into a generally uniformly spaced row of trees.
The invention is also directed toward a tree delimbing ap-paratus having a bottom tree support means, for uæe in suppor-ting a plurality of trees thereon, and top delimbing means co-operating with the tree support means to delimb a plurality of trees simultaneously. The delimbing means comprise a rotatable shaft, spacer disks spaced apart along the shaft, and a set of delimbing blades on the ~haft extending between each adjacent pair of spacer diskæ. Means are provided on each set of delimb-ing blades for moving a tree being delimbed back and forth between each pair of disks.
The invention is also directed toward a method for use in delimbing a plurality of trees comprising the steps ofs attach-- ing a cable to each tree; opening up a delimbing apparatus to receive the trees; pulling the trees in a bundle via the cables onto the opened delimbing apparatuss ~preading out the bundle of trees in a generally uniform row across the delimbing appara-tus; closing the delimbing apparatus on the row of trees; and pulling the trees through the apparatus via the cables while the delimbing apparatus operates to delimb the trees.
The invention will now be described in detail having refer-ence to the accompanying drawings in which~
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus;
Fig. 2 is an end view of the apparatus in an open tree-loading position;
Fig. 3 is a front view of the apparatus;
Fig. 4 is a cross-section view of the apparatus taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is a cross-section detail view of the delimber means taken along line 5-5 if Fig. 3~
Fig. 6 is a cross-section detail view of the delimber means taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 5s Fig. 7 iæ an end view of the apparatus showing it in topping-off position~ and Figs. 8a, 8b, 8c are schematic views showing the spreadingout of a bundle of trees on the apparatus.
The delimbing apparatus 1 of the present invention, as shown in Fig. 1, has lower tree support means 3 and upper tree delimb-ing means 5 which delimbing means are generally parallel to the support means 3. The tree support means 3 are rotatably mounted on a bottom frame 7 and the tree delimbing means 5 are rotatably mounted on a top ~rame 9. The top frame 9 overlies the bottom frame 7 in cantilever fashion and the two frames are hingedly connected together at one side, and to the rear, of the appara-tus, by pivot pins 11. ~eans 13 are provided for supporting the top frame 9 above the bottom frame 7, and for moving the top ~- frame 9 up and down, relative to the bottom frame 7, to move-the :~1597S3 delimbing means 5 between an upper, tree loading position, where it is spaced from the support means 3, and a lower, delimbing position where it is adjacent the support means 3.
In the upper, tree loading position, the butt ends 15 of a bunclle 17 of trees are placed on the tree support means 3 as shown in Fig. 8. The bundle 17 is then spread out to generally uniformly distributethe butt ends 15 of the trees across the length of the support means 3. After the tree~ have been spread out, the delimbing means 5 is lowered onto the trees in the de-limbing position. The trees are then pulled through the delimb-ing apparatus, from their butt ends 15, between the support means 3 and the delimbing means 5 while at least the delimbing means 5 is rotated by suitable drive means 19 to delimb the trees as they are moved through the apparatus.
In more detail, the bottom frame 7, ~upporting the tree sup-port means 3 has parallel front and rear frame members 21, 23 joined by parallel side frame members 25, 27. The bottom frame 7 includes an extension 29 extending laterally from the rear por-tion of one of the side frame members 25. The top frame 9 of the apparatu~ has a front frame member 31, a rear frame member 33 parallel to the front frame member 31, and a side frame mem-ber 35 joining the front and rear frame members 31, 33. The rear frame member 33 is relatively short and extends from the side frame member 35 in a direction opposite to the direction in which the front frame member 31 extends from the side frame member 35.
A pair of spaced-apart supports 37, 39 are mounted on the bottom frame 7. One support 37 i8 mounted at the end of frame extension 29 and the other suppOrt 39 i8 mounted on the one side frame member 25 adiacent extension 29. The top frame 9 is

3 hingedly connected to the bottom frame 7 via supports 37, 39.
More particularly, a pair of spaced-apart brackets 41, 43 pro-ject down from the top, rear frame member 33 to lie adjacent the tops of support$ 37, 39 respectively. The pivot pins 11 connect the brackets 41, 43 to the supports 37~ 3~, the pivot pins 11 extending parallel to the front and rear frame members of both bottom and top frames 7, 9.
The means 13 for supporting the top frame 9 above the bot-tom frame 7 comprise a hydraulic actuator 45 which is attached at its lower end, via a pivot pin 47 to the one side bottom frame member 25 near the front bottom frame member 21. ~he upper end of the actuator 45 is attached via a pivot pin 49 to the one side frame member 35 intermediate its ends which side frame mem-ber 35 overlies bottom side frame member 25. The hydraulic actu-ator 45 is operable to move the top frame 9 relative to the bot-tom frame 7, about pivot pins 11, between loading and delimbing positions. The tree support means 3 is rotatably mounted on the bottom frame 7 by a pair of brackets 51, 53. The brackets 51, 53 can be mounted on the front of the side frame members 25, 27 adjacent the front frame member 21, so that the support means 3 i8 in front of the front frame member 21 and just above it. The tree support means 3 comprises a cylindrical shaft 55 rotatably mounted at its ends between brackets 51, 53. An axial exten-sion 57 of shaft 55 extends through the bracket 51 for receiving a sprocket 59 thereon which is used to rotate the shaft 55 from drive means 19 as will be described.
; In accordance with the present invention means are pro-vided on shaft 55 for spreading a bundle 17 of trees placed thereon, while the delimbing means 5 is in the upper, tree load-ing position. These means preferably comprise a pair of raised helical rib~ 61, 63 on the surface of the shaft 55 extending out-w~rdly in opposite diractions from the central portion 65 of the shaft to its ends 67, 69 re~pectively. The ribs 61, 63 spiral 3 away from the central portion 65 in oppo~ite directions to each other and in a sense to mo~s away from the central region 65 of ~ the shaft 55 as the shaft is rotated. When the bundle 17 of --- trees is placed on the central region 65 of the shaft 55, as ; -7-:

1~597~;3 shown in Fig. 8a, and the shaft is then rotated, the helical ribs 61, 63 move the lowermost tree~ in the bundle outwardly towards the ends 67, 69 of the shaft as shown in Fig. 8b. Con-tinued rotation of the shaft will continue moving the lowermost trees of the bundle outwardly until the trees are generally uniformly distributed across the width of the shaft as shown in Fig. 8c, at which time rotation of the shaft 55 can cease.
The delimbing means 5 comprises a cylindrical shaft 71 rotatably mounted at i~s ends 73, 75 between a pair of brackets 77, 79 on the top frame 9. The brackets 77, 79 extend down from the ends of the top~ front frame member 31. An axial extension 81 projects from one end 73 of shaft 71 through bracket 77. A
sprocket 83 i~ mounted on the extension 81. The sprocket 83 is used to rotate shaft 71 from drive means 1~ as will be described.
The delimbing shaft 71 has a plurality of equally spaced-apart spacer di~ks 85 along its length, The disks 85 extend trans-versely to the shaft and are rigidly fixed thereto. The disks 85 pre~erably have shallow, spaced-apart notches 87 about their peripheral edge 89~ Delimbin~ members extend between the disks 85. The delimbing members comprise a set of blades 91 fixed at their inner edge 93 to the shaft 71 and at their side edges 95, 97 to adjacent disks 85. The blades 91 extend parallel to the rotational axis of the shaft 71, and radially outwardly from the surface of the shaft. Preferably four blades 91 are provided between each pair of adjacent disks 85, the four b~ades 91 spaced equally about the surface of the shaft 71.
The outer delimbing edge lOla, lOlb of two of the blades 91a, 91b, shown in Fig. 5, which blades are diametrically opposed to each other, can be uniformly curved inwardly at the central region of the blades as shown at 103a, 103b. One of the other blades 91c, between blades 91a, 91b, can have its outer edge lOlc non-uniformly curved inwardly toward one side edge 95 as shown at 103c in Fig. 3 while the opposite blade 91d has its outer _~_ edge lOld non-uniformly curved inwardly toward the other side edge 97 as shown at 103d in Fig. 3.
The drive means 19 can comprise a drive shaft 107 mounted between supports 37, 39 and axially aligned with the pivot pins 11 connecting the top frame 9 to the supports 37, 39 on bottom frame 7. A first drive sprocket 109 is fixed to shaft 107 and aligned with driven sprocket 59 on the shaft 55 of the support means 3. A drive chain 111 connects the sprockets 59, 109 to-gether. A second drive sprocket 113 is fixed to the drive shaft 107 and aligned with the driven sprocket 83 of the shaft 71 of the delimbing means 5. A drive chain 115 connects the sprockets 83, 113 together. A driven sprocket 117 is also fixed on drive shaft 107. The driven sprocket 117 can be driven by suitable motor means (not shown) mounted on the apparatus, or from other ~uitable power means~ ~he shafts 55, 71 of both the support means 3 and delimbing means 5 are rotated in a counter-clockwise direction when viewing the apparatus in Fig. 2 so as to have the delimbing means 5 work against the direction in which the trees are pulled.
The apparatus can be con~tructed to remove the tops of the trees being delimbed. To this end, the upper frame 9 can be made wider than the bottom frame 7 so that the delimbing means 5 extends past and overhangs the support means 3. When delimb-ing has been subætantially completed, the delimbing means 5 can be moved down, below the level of the support means 3, to snap off the tops of the delimbed trees held against the æupport means 3 as shown in Fig. 7. The delimbing means 5 can be moved to top off the trees by the frame moving means 13, or by other suitable actuating means while the moving means 13 are in a position to allow ~uch movement.
In an alternative embodiment, the apparatus can be equipped with means for cutting off the top of the trees. The cut-off - means can comprise a cutting blade 121 with a cutting edge 123 _9_ il59753 fastened to the shaft 71 of the delimbing means 5 between eaoh adjacent pair of spacer disks 85. The cutting blade 121 is angled in the direction of rotation o~ the shaft 71 as shown in Fig. 6 and its cutting edge 123 is located just below the edge 101 of one of the delimbing blades 91 at its lowest point. A
cutout 125 is provided in the blade 91 at this lowest point, the cutting blade 121 extending up from the shaft 71 in the cutout.
The cutout 125 is sized to receive a tree at the diameter the tree is to be topped off. The tree, as it is being pulled through the apparatus will, when the desired diameter is reached, move into the cutout 125 where blade 121 will cut it off.
In operation, the apparatus 1 is moved to a delimbing site by ~uitable means. At the delimbing site, the hydraulic actua-tor 45 and the drive means 19 are hooked up to suitable sources of power. When the apparatus 1 i~ set up, the top frame 9 is raised to its upper, tree loading position, as shown in Fig. 2, about pivot pins 11 by actuator 45. The bundle of trees 15, with each tree connected by a cable to a skidder or other simi-lar tree handling vehicle, is pulled onto the tree support means 3 with the cables paæ~ing between the top and bottom frames through the open end 127 of the apparatus 1. Once the bundle of trees 15 is located on the center of the tree ~upport means 3, the tensiOn in the cables is releived and the tree support means 3 are rotated by the dri~e means 19 to spread the trees out uniformly acrosæ the support means by the helical ribs 61, 63. Once the trees are æpread out, the top frame 9 is lowered by actuator 45 to rest on the trees and both the support means ,~
3 and the delimbing means 5 are rotated by the drive means 19 with the delimbing means rotated in a direction against the 3 direction the trees are to be moved. Generally one tree will be located between each adjacent pair of spacer disks 85. As the support and delimbing means 3, 5 are rotated, the skidder slowly pulls the trees, by the attached cables, through the apparatus. As the trees are pulled through the apparatus, the helical ribs 61, 63, blades 91 and disks 85 all serve to delimb the trees. In addition each tree i~ simultaneously moved back and forth between adjacent spacer disks 85 due to the varying cur~ature of the edges 101 of the delimbing blades 91. Back and forth rotation of the tree also occurs in addition to the trans-verse movement. Smaller trees are bounced up and down between the ribs 61, 63 and the blades 91 as they are pulled through to improve their delimbing. The spacer disks 85 separate the trees so that each one can be more thoroughly delimbed. The limbs are sheared off by the edges 101 of the delimbing blades 91; the edges 89 of the disks 85, particularly the notches 87 in the edges 89s and by the ribs 61, 63. Once the major length of the trees have been delimbed, they are topped off either with the topping-off blades 121, or by downward movement of the top frame 9.
The apparatùs can be moved to a new position located away from the pile of delimbed bran~hes after the trees have been de-limbed, topped-off and removed from the apparatus. At the new location, the apparatus is opened up again to receive the next bundle of trees to be delimbed.

. .

Claims (9)

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

1. A tree delimbing apparatus having: bottom tree support means for use in supporting a plurality of trees thereon; top delimbing means normally cooperating with the tree support means to delimb a plurality of trees simultaneously; means for moving the top delimbing means and the bottom support means apart so that a plurality of trees, in bundle form, can be loaded on the bottom support means; and means for spreading out the bundle of trees on the bottom support means into a generally uniformly spaced row of trees.

2. A tree delimbing apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the bottom support means comprises at least one rotatable shaft.

3. A tree delimbing apparatus as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the spreading means comprises at least one helical rib along the surface of the rotatable shaft.

4. A tree delimbing apparatus as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the spreading means comprise two helical ribs along the surface of the rotatable shaft, the ribs extending in opposite directions, and in an opposite helical sense, from the center portion of the shaft towards its ends.

5. A tree delimbing apparatus as claimed in Claims 2, 3 or 4 wherein the delimbing means comprises a second rotatable shaft, a plurality of spaced-apart spacer disks along the shaft, a set of spaced-apart delimbing blades on the shaft extending trans-versely between each pair of adjacent spacer disks, the outer edges of the blades in each set shaped to transversely and rota-tionally move a tree between the associated pair of retaining disks while the shaft is rotated.

6, A tree delimbing apparatus as claimed in Claims 2, 3 or 4 wherein the delimbing means overhangs the support means and is movable downwardly relative to the support means to break off the tops of the delimbed trees.

7. A tree delimbing apparatus as claimed in Claims 2, 3 or 4 wherein the bottom tree support means is mounted on a bottom frame, the top delimbing means is mounted on a top frame, and means hingedly join the top and bottom framessto-gether at one side only of the apparatus.

8. A tree delimbing apparatus as claimed in Claims 2, 3 or 4 wherein the delimbing means comprises a second rotatable shaft, a plurality of spaced-apart spacer disks along the shaft, a set of spaced-apart delimbing blades on the shaft extending transversely between each pair of adjacent spacer disks, the outer edges of the blades in each set shaped to transversely and rotationally move a tree between the assoc-iated pair of retaining disks while the shaft is rotated, one blade of each set having a cutout in its outer edge to re-ceive the tree when its diameter, in passing past the second shaft, reaches a predetermined size, and a blade on the shaft in the cutout to cut off the tree top, when the tree moves into the cutout.

9. A method for use in delimbing a plurality of trees comprising: attaching a cable to each tree, opening up a de-limbing apparatus to receive the trees, pulling the trees in a bundle via the cables onto the opened delimbing apparatus, spreading out the bundle of trees in a generally uniform row across the delimbing apparatus, closing the delimbing appara-tus on the row of trees, and pulling the trees through the apparatus via the cables while the delimbing apparatus operates to delimb the trees.