DE202015103828U1 - Guide rail of a wood harvesting head and the end piece of the guide rail - Google Patents

Abstract

Guide rail (1) of a wood harvesting head, said guide rail being for a cutting chain having a chain pitch of 0.404 inches - corresponding to the distance between three rivets = 20.5232 mm divided by 2 = 10.2616 mm - and said guide rail (1) - a rail body (10) which is formed from one metal sheet or from a plurality of interconnected metal sheets, wherein one of the outer shape of the rail body (10) corresponding cutting groove (12) for receiving the cutting chain on the outer edge (11) of the rail body (10) is formed, - attachment counterparts (13) for attachment of the guide rail (1) on the harvesting head, and - comprises a rotatably mounted tail gear (15) for controlling the cutting chain and changing the direction of travel, characterized in that - the tail wheel (15) 13 to 18 Teeth (151).

Description

Technical area

• – einen Schienenkörper, der aus einem Blech oder aus mehreren, miteinander verbundenen Blechen gebildet ist, wobei eine der äußeren Form des Schienenkörpers entsprechende Schneidnut zum Empfang der Schneidkette an der Aussenkante des Schienenkörpers geformt ist,
• – Befestigungsgegenstücke zur Befestigung der Führungsschiene am Vollernterkopf, und
• – ein drehend gelagertes Endstückrad zur Steuerung der Schneidkette und Änderung der Laufrichtung umfasst.

The invention relates to a guide rail of a wood harvesting head, wherein the guide rail for a cutting chain with a chain pitch of 0.404 inches (equivalent to the distance between three rivets = 20.5232 mm divided by 2 = 10.2616 mm) is executed and wherein the guide rail

• A rail body formed from one sheet or from a plurality of interconnected sheets, wherein a cutting groove corresponding to the outer shape of the rail body is shaped to receive the cutting string at the outer edge of the rail body,
• - Attachment counterparts for mounting the guide rail on the harvesting head, and
• - Includes a rotatably mounted tail gear for controlling the cutting chain and changing the direction.

Background of the invention

In the forestry and wood industry, wood is harvested mainly by machine today. For the mechanical harvest different machines were developed, from which a so-called harvester for felling a standing tree, de-stressing, and cutting was created. Typically, the harvester includes a wheeled or crawler chassis and a moveable bar assembly having a device referred to as a harvesting head at the end. The harvester head has versatile functions. The basic functions are gripping, felling and feeding the tree in the longitudinal direction, delimbing and alignment. For these functions, the following tools are placed on the harvester head: gripping jaws for gripping, a cutter for felling, rollers for advancing longitudinally, and stinger blades for detaining the tree as the tree is moved longitudinally through the harvesting head. The harvester head is steerable in different directions and this allows the harvester leader to straighten the logs as desired.

The present invention now particularly relates to the cutter of the harvester head, more particularly the guide rail (also referred to as a sword) of the chain saw-like cutter. The cutter on the harvesting head is first used to cut the tree and then to cut the horizontal trunk into pieces of desired lengths. Desired properties for the function of the cutter are the highest possible speed when felling and the reliability. For the workflow, it is beneficial to minimize the time for felling, and so various malfunctions of the cutter are particularly undesirable. The cutter is a critical and crucial component to the harvester use because the harvester is incapable of doing his job without cutting.

When using a chainsaw, the cutting speed depends, among other things, on the power of the chain saw, ie the speed and ability of the cutting chain to remove wood at the point to be sawn. For a harvester today the speed of the cutting chain when felling is about 40 m / s and in some applications the speed may even be 60 m / s. For comparison, it can be said that the speed of the manual chainsaw cutting chain with a similar professional sawing chain sawing technique is a good 20 m / s at a running number corresponding to full power. That is, at the harvesting head, the guide rail for controlling the cutting chain operates at an order of magnitude higher. Another goal is to further increase the speed of the chain to make the felling more efficient. The cut-to-cut chain is almost invariably a standard model, for reasons of availability, where the pitch of the tendons for use on the harvester is typically 0.404 inches (the distance between three rivets = 20.5232 mm divided by 2 = 10.2616 mm ) lies.

For use on the harvester, the required characteristics of the guide rail are slightly different than those of manual chainsaws. One such difference is avoiding rebound on manual chainsaws. The upper quarter of the guide rail tip is referred to as a rebound zone, for the reason that when a solid object hits, the blade can become stuck therewith, causing the guide rail to be flung up quickly. An attempt is made to reduce this phenomenon by making the dangerous zone as small as possible and using a cutting chain in which the bite, that is, the maximum possible feed of a single tooth is limited. When used on harvester keep the gripper of the harvester head to be treated tree firmly in place, the guide rail with respect to the tree and the other structure of the harvester head has a constant trajectory. For this reason, it is almost not necessary to consider this rebound phenomenon.

Furthermore, when used on the harvester, the forces acting on the cutting chain are significantly higher than the forces of manual chainsaws because of the more powerful saw motor. The biasing force of the cutting chain is higher, the cutting force is significantly higher and continues to cause the higher speed due to the centrifugal forces a significantly higher chain tension.

However, various other forces may act on the tail of the guide rail, which tend to extract the cutting chain from the cutting groove on the guide rail and out of the steering by the tail wheel of the guide rail. This is the case, for example, with a lush near-ground vegetation of young trees around the trees to be harvested. Attempts have been made to overcome these problems with harvesting heads, among others according to the document known from the prior art WO 2014/007701 A1 to solve, in that separate steering flanges were arranged with the task to prevent slipping out of the chain on the sides of the tail wheel of the guide rail.

Furthermore, in the prior art other different guide rails of chainsaws, such as those in the document WO 2011/129843 A1 shown guide rail and shown in the figure of the document end gear with 21 teeth. This document describes a wide range of applications for this rail, including the sawing of stone, concrete and wood.

Summary of the invention

The present guide rail of the invention is characterized in that the tail wheel of the guide rail comprises 13 to 18 teeth. Today, the same gauges are typically used on the guide rails for the harvester head as on the manual chainsaws and so the used top wheels comprise a maximum of 12 teeth. By the invention, one can now slightly reduce the rotational speed of the tail wheel, create more space for storage, the bearing surface of the storage is larger, and further reduce the temperature rise of the storage. Also, the abrasion of the cutting chain is reduced by the fact that the turning radius of the cutting chain around the tail wheel becomes larger, and the cutting chain does not have to bend by a narrow turning radius. Overall, the mass of the guide rail can be slightly increased to improve the rigidity of the guide rail, but not so much that the operating speed suffers. Too many teeth, i. The number of teeth, in turn, would cause a too large width of the guide rail, which might be in the harvester head for a guide rail according to a known model changes would be necessary to accommodate the larger guide rail can. The model of the invention now described can be used directly in existing all-harvesters.

A beneficial effect of the invention is further the reduced vibration of the cutting chain. The reduction of the bend angle of the cutting chain (the increase of the turning radius) facilitates the position in which the cutting chain is bent around the tip of the guide rail by means of the tail wheel and continues to run along the longitudinal edge of the guide rail towards the cutting area. Vibrations may occur in this return step, which in the worst case may cause the cutting chain to come off the cutting groove, with the cutting chain also coming off the guide rail. The number of teeth of the tail wheel now shown also reduces the tendency of the cutting chain to vibrate.

The invention also contributes to the reduced abrasion of the cutting chain. The lower bending of the cutting chain when cornering the tail wheel reduces the load on the chain links of the cutting chain. This load causes a temperature increase, which brings a faster abrasion of the sliding surfaces of the chain links with it.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the number of teeth on the tail wheel, i. the number of teeth are selected so that the tension members (drive links) of the cutting chain as rarely as possible coincide with the same tooth of Endstückrades. By appropriately selecting the number of chain links of the cutting chain (depending on the dimensions of the guide rail), the number of teeth of the tail wheel, and the number of teeth of the train wheel, a situation can be achieved in which the same tension members of the cutting chain and the same pointed and Zugradzähne very rarely meet. This has a positive influence on the useful life of the component.

In the following, the invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures shows:

- 1 a guide rail of a harvesting head according to an embodiment,

- 2 an end piece of the guide rail according to an embodiment,

- the 3 a guide rail of a harvesting head according to another embodiment,

- the 4 a guide rail according to an embodiment in a sectional view.

• – einen Schienenkörper 10, der aus einem Blech oder aus mehreren, miteinander verbundenen Blechen gebildet ist, wobei eine der äußeren Form des Schienenkörpers 10 entsprechende Schneidnut 12 zum Empfang der Schneidkette an der Aussenkante des Schienenkörpers geformt ist,
• – Befestigungsgegenstücke 13 zur Befestigung der Führungsschiene 1 am Vollernterkopf,
• – ein drehend gelagertes Endstückrad 15 zur Steuerung der Schneidkette und Änderung der Laufrichtung,
• – ein Endstückrad 15 mit 13 bis 18 Zähnen 151.

The 1 shows a guide rail 1 of a harvesting head according to an embodiment, wherein the guide rail for a cutting chain (not shown) having a chain pitch of 0.404 inches (equal to the distance between three rivets = 20.5232 mm divided by 2 = 10.2616 mm) is executed and where the guide rail 1 includes:

• - a rail body 10 which is formed of a sheet metal or of a plurality of interconnected sheets, wherein one of the outer shape of the rail body 10 corresponding cutting groove 12 shaped to receive the cutting chain at the outer edge of the rail body,
• - attachment counterparts 13 for fastening the guide rail 1 at the harvesting head,
• - A rotating end piece wheel 15 for controlling the cutting chain and changing the running direction,
• - a tail wheel 15 with 13 to 18 teeth 151 ,

The in the 1 embodiment shown has 15 teeth. Furthermore, the tail wheel is in the 1 shown embodiment with a storage 152 at the tail 14 rotatably mounted, wherein the tail on the rail body 10 can be fastened detachably. The detachable tail 14 allows a simple and quick replacement of the tail wheel 15 without the whole guide rail 1 eg because of a defective storage 152 to replace the tail wheel.

The 2 shows an open tail 14 according to an embodiment, wherein the tail wheel 15 , the teeth 151 and storage 152 can be clearly seen. Furthermore, the embodiment of the figure shows a tail wheel 15 with a lying at 15 teeth. The product according to one embodiment of the invention is the tail 14 the guide rail, the tail 14 one with a storage 152 rotatably mounted tail gear 15 that's for a guide rail 1 executed according to an independent protection claim.

The 3 shows a guide rail 1 the harvesting head according to another embodiment, ie a so-called "solid nose bar" guide rail. According to this embodiment, an opening is in the plane of the rail body 10 formed, with the tail wheel 15 in the opening can rotate and storage 152 directly on the sides of the rail body 10 is attached. That is, the tail wheel 15 with storage 152 directly with the rail body 10 and not with the tail as in the embodiment of the 1 connected is.

The shows an embodiment of a guide rail after 3 in a cut view. According to this embodiment, there is an opening for the tail wheel 15 intended. In the 4 are the tail wheel 15 , the teeth 151 and storage 152 clear to see. Also in the embodiment according to this figure is an end gear 15 provided with a lying at 15 teeth. Also the cutting groove 12 becomes clear from the figure, wherein the cutting groove 12 around the rail body 10 runs and is designed for the recording of the cutting chain. The task of the cutting groove 12 is the steering of the Zugzahnreihe the cutting chain to the cutting chain under the steering of the cutting groove 12 to hold on the flange. The cutting groove 12 also serves as a flow channel for the lubricant of the cutting chain.

The invention and its various embodiments are not limited to the examples presented above. The illustrated individual features may be present in the solution according to the invention independently of other individual features shown. The terms of the claims describing the presence of the features are open to the extent that the representation of individual features does not exclude from the solution those features which are not described in the independent or dependent claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

 guide rail

10

 rail body

11

 Outer edge of the rail body

12

 cutting flute

13

 Mounting counterparts

14

 end

15

 tail wheel

151

 tooth

152

 Storage / Storage

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• WO 2014/007701 A1 [0007]
• WO 2011/129843 A1 [0008]

Claims (5)

Guide rail ( 1 ) of a wood harvesting head, wherein the guide rail is designed for a cutting chain with a chain pitch of 0.404 inches - corresponding to the distance between three rivets = 20.5232 mm divided by 2 = 10.2616 mm - and wherein the guide rail ( 1 ) - a rail body ( 10 ), which is formed of a metal sheet or of a plurality of interconnected sheets, wherein one of the outer shape of the rail body ( 10 ) corresponding cutting groove ( 12 ) for receiving the cutting chain at the outer edge ( 11 ) of the rail body ( 10 ), - attachment counterparts ( 13 ) for fastening the guide rail ( 1 ) at the harvesting head, and - a rotating end-piece wheel ( 15 ) for controlling the cutting chain and changing the running direction, characterized in that - the tail wheel ( 15 ) 13 to 18 teeth ( 151 ) having. Guide rail ( 1 ) according to the protection claim 1, characterized in that the number of teeth ( 151 ) on the tail wheel ( 15 ), that is, the number of teeth can be selected so that the tension members of the cutting chain as rare as possible with the same tooth ( 151 ) of the tail wheel ( 15 ) meet. Guide rail ( 1 ) according to the protection claim 1, characterized in that the tail wheel ( 15 ) with the storage ( 152 ) directly on the rail body ( 10 ) is stored. Guide rail ( 1 ) according to the protection claim 1, characterized in that the tail wheel ( 15 ) with the storage ( 152 ) on the tail ( 14 ) which is removable on the rail body ( 10 ) can be attached. Tail ( 14 ) a guide rail comprising a bearing ( 152 ) rotatably mounted end gear ( 15 ) for the guide rail ( 1 ) according to the protection claim 1.

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