EP0941823A1

EP0941823A1 - Wood splitting machine

Info

Publication number: EP0941823A1
Application number: EP98110739A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Elio De Luca
Original assignee: Bernardi Natale e Figli SNC
Current assignee: Bernardi Natale e Figli SNC
Priority date: 1998-03-11
Filing date: 1998-06-12
Publication date: 1999-09-15
Also published as: ITTV980035A1

Abstract

A wood splitting machine (1) comprising a supporting base (7) for a block or log (8). The machine also comprises a movable arm (4) provided with a tip (10) which is adapted to penetrate the block or log (8) against the grain of the wood.

Description

The present invention relates to a wood splitting machine.
Various machines used to split wood are currently known. Austrian Patent No. AT 398.928 discloses a wood splitting machine which is essentially constituted by a footing from which a post protrudes; said post supports a vertically movable arm and a blade is associated with the end of said arm and lies above a wood block arranged at right angles to the footing; in this machine, therefore, the operator must arrange the block vertically and then actuate the lowering of tee blade, which interacts with the free end of said block, cutting along a diametrical axis of said block.
This conventional machine has many drawbacks. First of all, the block is never cut perfectly and therefore it is not always possible to position it stably on the footing, forcing the operator to support it; moreover, to cut the block it would be preferable to arrange the blade at a diametrical axis, since any offset from said axis would produce an asymmetric cut of the block (for example along a chord).
Moreover, it is noted that the grain of the wood is not always straight and therefore the block must be parted by applying considerable force to the blade, since said blade must cut the wood where the grain changes direction.
In these conventional machines, therefore, a blade is provided which must be placed at a diametrical axis of the cutting surface of a block which has been positioned beforehand on a support; the block must be placed so that its longitudinal axis coincides with the axis of the blade, which cuts the block after being rested on the cutting surface of said block.
It is stressed that in this solution the blade must therefore have a very high penetration force and this increases costs for the corresponding hydraulic circuit required for its activation.
As a partial solution to the problem related to operator safety, a machine is also known which has, proximate to the block support, two side jaws which must be actuated by the user so as to surround the block and keep it as vertical as possible, so that the user does not have to hold the block manually as the blade descends.
In addition to the drawbacks related to the costs entailed by the additional elements, this solution is not ideal since both the way in which the block is positioned and the inherent shape of the block still require a very high force to cut the wood even (and especially) in the presence of non-straight grains, which is a rather common condition.
A machine is also known which is provided with a conical point having the shape of a worm screw and protruding at right angles from a vertical frame: after placing the block on a support which is adjacent to said point, with an axis which is approximately perpendicular to the screw, said block must be moved closer to, and forced against, the worm screw, which by penetrating said wood draws it against a contrast wall of the frame. The subsequent rotation of the screw pulls the block again against said surface, thus forcing it apart.
Even this solution is not ideal, since it is still necessary to support the log or block vertically with respect to the support and therefore at right angles to the worm screw, because if the block were able to rotate there would be great danger for the user and for anyone in the vicinity of the machine.
Moreover, the operator must apply pressure to the block to make the worm screw engage it.
The aim of the present invention is to solve the described technical problems, eliminating the drawbacks of the cited prior art and thus providing a machine which can split wood quickly and easily by using a modest amount of energy with respect to the prior art.
Within the scope of this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a machine which allows to split wood in complete safety for the operator and without requiring the operator to perform particular efforts.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a machine which associates with the preceding characteristics that of being structurally simple.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a machine which has very low manufacturing and maintenance costs.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a machine which is reliable and safe in use.
This aim, these objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter are achieved by a wood splitting machine which comprises a supporting base for a block or log, characterized in that it comprises a movable arm provided with a tip adapted to penetrate said block or log so as to force the parting of said block or log along the grain of the wood.
Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of some particular but not exclusive embodiments, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the machine according to the present invention during the first step of penetration in the block or log;
Figure 2 is a view, similar to Figure 1, of the subsequent condition of penetration of the machine in the block or log and of the consequent parting thereof;
Figure 3 is a front view of the condition of Figure 1, with the log or block arranged approximately at 90° with respect to the position of Figure 1;
Figure 4 is a view, similar to Figure 3, of the condition of Figure 2, with the block or log rotated through approximately 90°;
Figure 5 is a perspective view, similar to Figure 1, of the use of a machine with a block or log arranged axially with respect to the tip of the machine.
With reference to the above figures, the reference numeral 1 designates a wood splitting machine, which is constituted by a frame 2 which is essentially composed of a post which protrudes from a footing 3 and contains mechanisms and/or devices which are suitable to actuate the axial movement of an arm 4 which can move at a suitable guide 5, which is rigidly coupled to the frame 2 by means of a suitable cross-member 6 and is arranged along the same longitudinal axis at right angles to the ground.
A power take-off and/or suitable sleeves and valves for feeding air or oil or other fluid, or other movement means, for example of the mechanical type, can be associated with the frame 2, for example.
A supporting base 7 is also rigidly coupled transversely to the frame 2 and extends below the arm 4; a block or log 8 can be placed on said base.
The block or log 8 is placed on the base 7 so that its longitudinal axis 9 is approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the arm 4. The block or log can thus be arranged in multiple positions, such as for example those shown in Figure 1 or 3.
A tip 10 is arranged at the end of the arm 4 which is directed toward the block or log 8. The tip is preferably frustum-shaped and is connected to the arm 4 by means of diverging surfaces 11.
Assuming that the arm 4 has a square shape in plan view, the surfaces 11 can be arranged so as to form a surface shaped like a truncated pyramid, in which the tip 10 is associated with the vertex and protrudes axially.
The operation of the machine is therefore as follows. After the user has rested the block or log 8 at the base 7, the arm 4 is then actuated and descends until the tip 10 starts to bite into the block or log at its lateral surface 12, beginning to penetrate it.
At this time the operator can move away from the machine, since the block or log is rigidly coupled to the machine by being compressed on the base 7.
The subsequent further extension of the arm 4 with respect to the guide 5 produces further penetration of the tip in the block or log against the grain.
At the same time, a parting 13 begins to form approximately along a generatrix of the imaginary cylinder formed by the block or log 8. The parting 13 occurs along the grain of the wood and therefore in a weaker region thereof.
The subsequent further extension of the arm 4 causes the surfaces 11 to affect the parting 13: in this manner, said surfaces further divaricate the block or log until they force it to split into two parts, designated by the reference numerals 14a and 14b.
It has thus been observed that the invention has achieved the intended aim and objects, since a machine has been devised which allows to split wood, rather than cut it, by using a very modest penetration force for the arm 4 because the tip 10 acts on a weak spot of the wood and the surfaces 11 facilitate the parting of the wood into two parts along the grain.
The machine therefore does not cut the wood but merely parts it along the grain and this allows to require less force than in the described prior art, thus allowing to obtain a machine which has very low manufacturing costs.
Figure 5 again illustrates a wood splitting machine 1, in which the block or log 8 is rested, in the direction of the previous cut, at the base 7 so that its longitudinal axis 9 is approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of the arm 4.
In this case, the block or log is smaller and therefore fits within the interspace between the base 7 and the arm 4.
In this case, the tip 10 thus penetrates at the cutting region 15 of the block 8, starting to part it along the grain.
The block 8 is then split by virtue of the presence of the diverging surfaces 11, which force two parts that constitute the block to separate along the grain.
This solution, too, achieves the intended aim and objects.
The invention is of course susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the same inventive concept; thus, the arrangement of the block or log may be any and the movable arm may be arranged along different axes and thus, for example, interact horizontally or from below or along an axis which is inclined with respect to the block or log.
The dimensions and the materials that constitute the individual components of the machine may of course also be the most pertinent according to the specific requirements.
Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

A wood splitting machine, comprising a supporting base for a block or log, characterized in that it comprises a movable arm provided with a tip adapted to penetrate said block or log so as to force the tip to part said block or log along the grain of the wood.
A machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said tip is connected to diverging surfaces which are adapted to increase the parting of said block or log started by the localized penetration of said tip.
A machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said tip is frustum-shaped.
A machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said block or log is positioned by resting it on said supporting base so that its longitudinal axis is approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said arm.
A machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said block or log is positioned at said base and support so that its longitudinal axis is approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of said arm.
A machine according to claim 2, characterized in that said surfaces that connect said tip and said arm are shaped like a truncated pyramid.
A machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said movable arm is arranged along a chosen axis with respect to said log or block or base.
A machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said movable arm is arranged along a horizontal axis with respect to said block or log.