CA1223795A - Tree processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract A system for the limbing of trees, comprising a proc-essing machine, which comprises limbing tools, holding tools and 2 feed-in crane. According to the invention, two holding tools (6,7) and, respectively, two limbing tools (4,5) are located to the side of each other at a certain spaced relationship. The feed-in crane (8) is provided with two grapple members at the same dist-ance relative to each other as the holding tools (6,7) and, respectively, limbing tools (4,59, which tools (4-7) comprise grap claws or the like opening upward.
The holding and, respectively, limbing tools are mov-able to a first end position located close to each other, in which position (26,27) the tools (4-7) are in receiving position for two trees. The holding tools (6,7) are movable in the direction from the limbing tools (4,5), and vice versa, to a second end position, during which movements trees laid-in are limbed.

Fig. 1 to be published.

Description

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Tree processing system This invention relates to a system for the processing of trees.
The invention7 more precisely, relates to a mobile machine for processing trees primarily by limbing on landings in connection to a motorway.
Systems or machines of mobile type for the processing of trees and for use on landings in connection to motorways are previously known.
Such machines are provided with limbing tools of var-ious types. The limbing device according to one type is mounted on the machine, and the trees are placed on the processing path by means of a feed crane prov-ided with grapple or felling devices.
According to another type, the limbing device is susp-ended at the top of the feed crane. The device is plac-ed on a lying tree, which thereby is caught by the grap claw of the limbing device for being fed-in between d~ive rollers capable to drive the tree relat-ive to the stationary limbing device.
An alternative to the use of drive rollers is to util-ize stepped feed by means of a telescopically operating boom. A tree is caught on the ground by the limbing device and lifted thereby to a position where a holding device is provided. The limbing device then is moved while the tree is secured by the holding device.
All machine types have in common that one tree at a time is limbed. This is due partially to difficulties in utilizing a limbing device mounted on a machine or a lirnbing device suspended on a crane top for handling two or more trees simultaneously.
When smallwood is to be limbed, therefore9 the capacity of the machine is too low, especially when the machine is used for trees , which have been taken to a landing, i.e. when the machine is not utilized for also felling trees.

~L2~37~5 The present invention solves this problem and -i~ropos-es an arrangement, by means of which two trees can be processed in parallel and simultaneously.
The present invention, thus, relates to an arrangement for the limbing of trees, comprising a processing mach-ine, which comprises limbing tools, holding tools and a feed-in crane, and is characterized in that two hold-ing tools and, respectively, two limbing tools are loc-ated to the side of each other in a certain spaced relationship, that the feed-in crane is provided with two grapple members of the same spaced relationship as the holding tools and, respectively, limbing tools, which tools comprise grap claws or the like opening upward, that the holding and, respectively, limbing tools are movable to a first end position located close to each other, in which position the tools are in receiving position for two trees, and that the holding tools are movable in the direction from the limbing tools~ and vice versa, to a second end pos-ition, during which movements trees inserted are limbed.
According to the present invention, thus, stepped feed is used by means of limbing tools and holding tools mounted on a telescopically operating arm, which is provided with trees by means of a separate feed-in crane. As the feed-in crane is capable to lift two trees simultaneously into the limbing and holding tools, the arrangement is sufficiently eff-icient. If a feed-in crane would be capable to lift one tree at a time into to tools intended to limb two trees simultaneously, such a machine generally would not be more efficient than a machine capable to process one tree at a time, because the time for lifting a tree and position it in the tools corres-ponds to the limbing time.
By arra~ging according to the invention a feed-in 3~

crane with grapple members operating free from the tools~ which grapple members have the same distance rel-ative to each other as the holding tools and, respect-ively, limbing tools, the time for lifting two tree~
and positioning them in the tools substantially is the same as the time for lifting and positioning oneltree.
The feed-in crane, furthermore, can work while two trees positioned earlier are being limbed.
In order to additionally increase the capacity of the machine and render it possible for the feed-in crane to operate freely in relation to the limbing path, which means that the crane must not be used for remov-ing limbed trees, according to a preferred embodiment kiekers are attached to the telescopic arm, which are capable to kick the limbed trees to the same ~ide Or the machine.
According to a further embodiment of` the machine accord-ing to the invention, the telescopic arm is provided with a limb collecting device, which is capable to collect limbs at the limbing and to deliver them to a chipping unit or baling unit provided at the process-lng machine.As two trees are limbed simultaneously, a sufficient amount of limbs per time unit is obtained for utiliz-ing efficiently a chipping or baling unit. This con-tributes essentially to the total efficiency of the machine .
The invention is described in greater detail in the following, with reference to an embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 shows a processing machine according to the invention schematically from above and located on a landing at a motorway, Fig. 2 shows the machine in Fig. 1 from the right-hand side at the starting phase of limbing, Fig. 3 shows the view seen in Fig. 2, but in the final ~2237 phase of limbing, Figs. 4a and b show the grapple memb-ers of the feed-in crane in two positions~ respectively, Fig. 5 is a schematic detail view of the limbing tools after the line A-A in Fig. 1, ~ig. 6 is a schematic detail view of kickers after the lines B-B in Fig. 1, Fig. 7 is a vertical section through the limb collect-ing device after the line C-C in Figs. i and 2.
In Fig. 1 an arrangement according to the invention is shown, which comprises a machine 1 for processing trees

2, which have been brought to a landing at a motorway 3.
The processing machine 1 comprises limbing tools 4,5 and holding tools 6,7. The machine 1 further comprises a separate feed-in crane 8 with associated grapple memb-ers 9. The machine also comprises a mobile vehicle 10, which can be a vehicle with articulated frame steering as at the amobodiment.
Two limbing tools 4, 5 and, respectively, two holding tools 6,7 are provided to the side of each other with the same spaced relationship. In Fig. 5 the limbing tools are shown by way of a schematic detail view. Each of the tools comprises grap claws 11-14, which are mov-able inward and outward and, thus, are pivotal about bearing points 15-18 by means of power transmitting devices, such as hydraulic cylinders (not shown). The inward facing side of the grap claws 11-14 as well as the stationary portion 21 of the tools are provided with knives 19, which at a relative movement between the grap claws and a tree 20 limb the tree. Upon pos-itioning a tree in a limbing tool, the grap claws are pivoted outward so that the two grap claws form an upward opening ditch. When a tree 20 has been laid in, the grap claws are moved to a position embracing the tree, as shown in Fig. 5, with a force suitably adapt-ed for limbing the tree without causing the tree to cling to the claws.

37~5 The holding tools 677 preferably are designed in the same way as the limbing tools 4,5, with the only ex-ception that the knives 19 are provided with projecting spikes or the like in order thereby to ensure a firm grip on the tree.
A telescopic arm 23 is hingedly suspended relative to the vehicle 10, in such a way as via a first hinge 21 being pivotal in the horizontal plane and via a second hinge 22 being pivotal in the vertical plane, see Fig.
2. The telescopic arm 23 comprises a main arm 24, which is mounted in the way described on the vehicle 10, and a travelling arm 25, which is mounted in the main arm 24 and telescopically movable relative thereto by suitable drive means, which for example drive wires.
The limbing tools 4,5 are rigidly attached to the outermost end of the -travelling arm 25.
The holding tools 6,7 are movable relative to the main arm 24 by suitable drive means.
The limbing tools 4,5 and holding tools 6,7 are mov-able by the devices described to a first end position, which are located close to each other and marked by the numerals 26,27 in Figs. 1 and 2, where the travelling arm 25 is retracted at maximum into the main arm 24, and the holding tools 6,7 are moved to a first end pos-ition along the main arm 24.
The centre of motion 22 of the main arm 24 is located a distance from the end of the main arm where the trav-elling arm 25 moves out, so that the tools 4-7 when they are in their said first end position are located outside the centre of motion in the direction of the extension of the travelling arm 25, see Fig. 2. This in its turn implies that the telescopic arm 23 is in clined downward, as shown in Fig. 2, which facilitates substantially the positioning of trees 20 in the tools.

~;22:~7~i The positioning of two trees 20 at a ~ime is effected by the feed-in crane 8. Its grapple members 9 are shown on an enlarged scale in Figs. 4a and 4b. The grapple member 9 comprises two pairs of grap claws 28,29, which are suspended in parallel by means of tie rods 30,31, by which, as appears at a comparison between Fig. 4a and 4b, one pair of grap claws 28, see Fig. 4b, or the second pair of grap claws 29 can be lowered while the remaining pair is lifted. The position of the tie rods is controlled by a hydraulic cylinder 32. Each pair of grap claws 28,29 is controlled each by a hydraulic cylinder (not shown). The axle 33 of the grapple member 9 is attached to the boom of the feed-in crane and pref-erably is controlled to be rotatable relative to the boom by a hydraulic cylinder or hydraulic motor.
At the lifting of a first tree 2 in the landing one pair of grap claws 29 are lowered, which thereby are caused to embrace the tree 2. Thereafter the second pair of grap claws 28 are lowered whereby at the same time the first pair of grap claws is lifted. This lift-ing facilitates substantially the operation of eabch-ing a second tree, which normally is located from the beginning immediately adjacent the first tree. After two trees have been lifted, the grap claws 28,29 of the two pairs are adjusted to the same level, see Fig. 4, whereby they have said spaced relationship to each other, which both the limbing tools 4,5 and hold-ing tools 6,7 have. When the tools 4-7 are in said first end position 26,27, the feed-in crane is swung~
inward to this position and places the trees in the tools, the grap claws of which thereafter embrace the trees. In Fig. 2 the position is shown when the trees are being laid into the tools. The feed-in crane there-after is swung outward for lifting two ~ore trees.
The limbing tools and, respectively, holding tools as mentioned above are movable from each other.

~ ~ 3 When trees 20 have been caught by the tools 4-7, the tools are moved in the direction from the said first end position to a second end position, designated 34, 35 in Figo 1, where the holding tools are located at the end of the main arm 24 located farthest away from the travelling arm 25, and the travelling arm 25 is extended at maximum out of the main arm.
During this movement, thus, the limbing of trees takes place to only a short distance from the tree top. In Fig. 1 and, respectively, Fig. 3 a final phase Or the limbing is shown. The tree length, of course, is of influence on the length of the distance, through which the tools 4-7 are moved to the second end position.
In Fig. 1 the tools are shown in the second end posit-ion. In Fig. 3, however, the tools have been stopped before they have arrived at the second end position~
due to the fact that the trees 36 in Fig. 3 are much shorter than the trees 20 in Fig. 1. When the trees are longer than those shown in Fig. 1, the grip of the holding tools 6,7 about the trees is released, and the trees are moved through a distance to their first end position and/or the travelling arm 25 is retract-ed into the main arm a distance, whereafter the holding tools 6,7 again are caused to embrace the trees. ~here-after the holding tools 6,7 and/or the travelling arm and thereby the limbing tools 4,5 are moved to their said second end position. The operation is repeated when required until the entire intended tree length is limbed.
Owing to the mounting 21,22 of the main arm 24 as stated above, the arm can be controlled by forces ex-ercised by the trees so as to assume a position, in which the arm 23 is in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the trees. Hereby uneven loads on the mach-ine and tools are reduced to minimum, which in its turn implies lower power demand for the limbing oper-ation.

~L%~:37~5 For cross-cutting the tree tops~ flying shearing devices or guide bar saws (not shown) are provided in known manner at the limbing tools.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a kicker 37,38 are attached at both ends of the main arm 24.In Fig. 6 the kickers 37,38 are shown on an enlarged scale. The kickers 37,38 consist of an arm 41 with recesses 39,40 for trees. The arm 41 is pivotal about an axle 42 by means of a hydraulic cylinder 43 to a position 44 indicated by dashed line in Fig. 6.
The axle 42 is attached on the right side in Fig. 1, which implies that the limbed trees 20 are lifted and tipped off on the right-hand side of the machine in Fig. 1 when the tools 4-7 are opened and each kicker with its cylinder 43 are lifted.
After delimbing, cross-cutting of the tops and kicking O~r 0~ the trees, the tools 4-7 are moved to their first end position, two new trees are positioned in the tools, and the delimbing operation described above is repeated.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a limb collecting device 44 is mounted at the limbing tools 4,5, i . e. mounted on the outer end of the travell-ing arm 25. The collecting device comprises a box 44 with an upper opening 45, see Figs. 7 and 3, which is located in front of the limbing tools 4,5 in their direction of movement at ongoing limbing.
Limbs and branches drop down through the opening 45 and are collected in the box 44 while the box is moved outward by means of the travelling arm 25. The tops cut-off also drop down into the box.
When the travelling arm a~ter completed limbing is moved into the main arm and is located close to its innermost position, covers 46,47 are opened which constitute the bottom of the box 44. Limbed branches thereby fall down onto a feed-in conveyor 48, see Fig.

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3, which feeds the limbs to a chipping unit 49 located at the processing machine or to a bundling unit (not shown).
The feed-in conveyor 48 normally need not be extended to cover the entire bottom of the box 44~ because the box has such a speed at transport by means of the trav-elling arm to its delivery position that the limbs by the kinetic energy are thrown in against and onto the feed-in conveyor Ll8. The feed-in conveyor, however, can of course be given a length exceeding that shown in the Figures.
The covers 47,48 are operated by hydraulic cylinders 50,51. The covers 46,47, thus, are opened to their open position immediately before the box L~4 arrives at the posltlon correspondlng to that the llmbing tools ~l~5 are ln their said first end posltlon.
When a chlpplng unlt 49 ls provlded, an exhaust pipe 52 for chips ls located plvotally about a vertlcal axle relative to the machine.
The pipe 52 preferably has substantial length, so that chips can b~i~blown directly, for example, into a lorry container 53 standing on the motorway. When no container 53 is available for a shorter or longer period1 the pipe can be pivoted to a second position designated by 54 in Fig. 1, in which position the chips are blown out over limbed trees, which were kicked off. Hereby the chips are not contaminated by soil or the like, but can clean be loaded over to contain-ers or the like.
Above the limbing of two trees has been described. The arrangement according to the invention, however, can be utilized also for so-called bundle limbing where a bundle of smaller trees is placed in the tools and limbed simultaneously in the way described above for limbing one tree.

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The present invention, thus, solves the problem referr-ed to above in the introductory portion and yields a very efficient machine The invention must not be regarded restricted to the embodiment described above, but can be varied within the scope of the attached claims.

Claims (7)

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

1. A system for limbing trees, comprising a process-ing machine, which comprises limbing tools, holding tools and a feed-in crane, characterized in that two holding tools and, respectively, two limbing tools are located to the side of each other at a certain spaced relationship, that the feed-in crane is provided with two grapple mem-bers at the same distance relative to each other as the holding tools and, respectively, limbing tools, which tools comprise grap claws or the like opening upward, that the holding and, respectively, limbing tools are movable to a first end position located close to each other, at which position the tools are in receiving position for two trees, and that the holding tools are movable in the direction from the limbing tools and vice versa, to a second end position, during which movements trees laid-in are limbed.

2. A system as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the holding tools are located movably on a main arm and the limbing tools are mounted at -the outer end of a travelling arm which is located movably in the main arm.

3. A system as defined in claim 2, characterized in that the main arm is rotatable about a vertical axle, which is located a distance from that end of the main arm where the travelling arm extends, whereby -the holding tools and limbing tools when they are in said first end position are located between the position for the verti-cal axle and said end of the main arm.

4. A system as defined in claim 1, characterized in that a limb collecting device is mounted at the limbing tools on the travelling arm, which limb collecting device is capable through an opening to collect limbs and tree tops during the limbing of the trees, and is capable in connection to the first end position to deliver collected materials to a feed-in conveyor, which is capable to feed material to a chipping unit or baling unit located at the processing machine.

5. A system as defined in claim 1, 2 or 3, character-ized in that kickers are mounted rigidly relative to the main arm at the two ends thereof and capable to kick two limbed trees off to the same side of the machine.

6. A system as defined in claim 1, 2 or 3, character-ized in that a top shearing device is located at the limb-ing tools.

7. A system as defined in claim 4 when a chipping unit is provided, characterized in that an exhaust pipe for chips is mounted pivotally relative to the machine about a vertical axle.

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