EP3012076B1 - Wood splitter - Google Patents

Description

The Erfingung relates to a log splitter, in particular recumbent wood splitter, for splitting wood, with a provided on a frame receiving portion for a piece of wood projecting through a frame member and this in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the frame part, on the one hand in the longitudinal direction of the frame part movable and stationary stationary trained Stops is limited, wherein the one stop contains a splitting tool and the movable stop is driven by a drive means which is activatable by means of a control device which requires a two-handed operation, and at least the operator side of the receiving area is associated with a mounted on the frame protective cover, the one Has raised and lowered arranged, associated with a first operating hand associated with the handle flap.

A log splitter of this kind results from the DE 41 15 828 A1 , In this prior art, a first operating hand associated operating lever and the second operating hand associated operating lever, which may also be a flap of the protective cover, are provided for activating the displaceable splitting member, which can exert a blocking function for the operating lever and this either the operating lever itself or lock or unlock by means of this actuated element. document EP 806 271 A1 discloses a log splitter, in particular slat splitter, for splitting wood, with a frame provided on a receiving portion for a piece of wood, which by a frame member and in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the frame member projecting, on the one hand in the longitudinal direction of the frame part movable and on the other hand stationary formed stops limited is, wherein the stop contains a splitting tool and the movable stop is driven by a drive means which is activated by means of an operating device which requires a two-handed operation, with a frame side mounted switch which is arranged in the power supply of an electric motor, by means of a the movable stop associated hydraulic cylinder associated pump is driven, which is associated with a valve which is controllable by means of a second operating hand associated control lever forming. The DE 41 14 893 A1 shows a log splitter with protective cover with raisable and lowerable flap, which is provided with a switching pin for actuating a hydraulic valve arranged in the hydraulic valve. This known Arrangement, however, does not constitute a control device with two-handed operation and therefore has great safety deficiencies.

A similar arrangement is from the DE 297 13 109 U1 known.

On this basis, it is therefore an object of the present invention to design the two-hand operation in a log splitter of the type mentioned that a simple design and a simple and obvious operability with high security are guaranteed.

This object is achieved by the features of claim 1. These measures result in two-handed operation, wherein by means of a flap of the protective cover associated operating hand on the arranged at the bottom of the flap actuator can be operated in the power supply of the drive motor of the hydraulic pump switch, while with the other operating hand a very different organ, namely an im Hydraulic circuit arranged valve can be controlled. The fact that two different organs are affected by the second hand operation ensures a high level of security. At the same time, in this case the protective cover is integrated into the two-hand operation, so that it is ensured that the protective cover must be closed before the splitting process is initiated using both operating hands.

Advantageous embodiments and expedient developments of the higher-level measures are specified in the subclaims.

Thus, the protective cover may advantageously be at least partially perforated, preferably formed from a perforated plate. The perforation allows, despite the protection afforded an observation of the cleavage process, what has an advantageous effect on the ease of use.

Another, particularly preferable embodiment of the parent measures may consist in that the protective cover is designed as a housing having a preferably attached to the receiving area limiting frame part rear wall and the flap, which is pivotally mounted in the region of the frame part distant region of the rear wall and a the frame part opposite, adjoining the rear wall top wall and a subsequent thereto, the rear wall opposite the front wall, on which the handle and the switch associated with the actuating element are mounted. The complete enclosure of the receiving area during the operation results in a particularly high protection against blasted wood parts in each direction. The formation of the protective cover in the form of a stationary rear wall and with respect to this pivotally arranged flap allows advantageously a simple and inexpensive construction with high stability.

In a further development of the above measures, the rear wall and the front wall can be provided with opposite, their distance from the receiving area limiting frame part bridging edge strips. In this way it is ensured that the housing as a whole can have a comparatively large clear width, which makes it possible to machine pieces of wood with a comparatively large diameter, and that nevertheless a complete partitioning of the receiving area is also achieved downwards.

A further expedient measure may be that the enclosure in the region of its end remote from the stationary stop provided with a splitting tool can be closed by a front wall which is preferably attached to the flap, so that no wooden parts can be thrown freely backwards. At the opposite end of the enclosure is expediently open, so that the logs produced by the splitting process automatically off the chamber formed by the enclosure can be pushed out. Advantageously, the housing can extend beyond the stationary, provided with a splitting tool stop to increase safety.

A further advantageous measure may be that the splitting tool is associated with an over the open end of the enclosure from this outstanding storage element, preferably in the form of a trough-shaped table or a channel-shaped chute, which prevents uncontrolled crashes of the Spaltguts.

A further, particularly preferable development of the overarching measures may be that the protective cover from the back, i. the operator side opposite side of the frame, preferably of the receiving area delimiting frame part, projecting, hereby attachable carrier are assigned, are provided at the Gestellteilfernem end of the flap associated pivot bearing. When using an enclosure whose rear wall may be appropriate attached to a parallel leg of the appropriate angle-shaped support. The measures mentioned basically ensure that the protective cover according to the invention can be provided in practice as an additional unit that can be easily attached to the frame of the splitter, which also allows easy retrofitting already existing splitter and / or a simple adaptation of the protective cover according to the invention to new splitter so that the relevant splitter can be delivered without major modification with and without protective cover.

In a further development of the higher-level measures, the flap can be associated with a spring arrangement supporting its opening movement, which is dimensioned such that, in addition to its weight, a further closing force is required for the complete closing of the flap. As a result, it is advantageously ensured that the switch, which is actuated only when the door is completely closed, when releasing the handle of the flap can be actuated automatically, but only by manually closing the flap against the spring action, which ensures high security.

Advantageously, the switch can have a microswitch arranged in a mounting box mounted on the frame, wherein the box has a slot and the actuating element attached to the flap has a tangentially projecting tab with respect to the pivot axis of the flap which can be inserted into the slot of the box assigned to the microswitch and can be brought to engage with the micro-switch. As a result, it is advantageously ensured that the switch is housed protected and so reliably prevents unintentional or unauthorized operation of the switch, which further increases security.

Further advantageous embodiments and expedient developments of the parent measures will become apparent from the following description of an embodiment.

Figur 1

eine perspektivische Darstellung eines erfindungsgemäßen Holzspalters mit geöffnetem Aufnahmebereich von vorne links gesehen,

Figur 2

die Anordnung gemäß Figur 1 von vorne rechts gesehen und

Figur 3

die Anordnung gemäß Figuren 1 und 2 im geschlossenen Zustand.

In the drawing described below:

FIG. 1

a perspective view of a log splitter according to the invention with open receiving area seen from the front left,

FIG. 2

the arrangement according to FIG. 1 seen from the front right and

FIG. 3

the arrangement according to FIGS. 1 and 2 in the closed state.

Main field of application of the invention are so-called recumbent splitters in which the wood piece to be split is split with horizontal axis. But also an application in so-called Ständigeholzspaltern can come into question, in which the splitting wood piece is split with stationary axis.

In the the Figures 1-3 The underlying log splitter is a horizontal log splitter. This has a here designed as a mobile block machine frame 1 with an upper, arranged at a working height frame part in the form of a suitably formed by a hollow profile section longitudinal beam 2, which limits a receiving area 3 for a piece not shown here, to be split piece of wood down. The receiving area 3 is further limited by two in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal spar 2 upwardly upwardly directed stops 4, 5, one of which, here the stop 4, arranged stationary and provided with a splitting tool 6, here in the form of a riving knife, and of which the other stop, here the stopper 5, provided with a pressure plate 7 facing the splitting tool 6 and arranged movable in the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal spar 2 and by means of an associated drive means is displaceable.

Said drive means includes an electric motor 8 for driving an adjacent hydraulic pump 9, through which a only in FIG. 2 partially visible, advantageously arranged within the longitudinal beam 2 hydraulic cylinder can be acted upon with pressure medium, which cooperates with the movable stop 5. In the example shown is how FIG. 2 shows, which led out of the longitudinal beam 2 piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder 10 is provided with a yoke 11, which is connected via the longitudinal spar 2 flanking tie rods 12 with the movable stopper 5.

An operator operating the wood splitter shown is standing in the transverse direction of the longitudinal spar 2 next to the wood splitter. The in the representations according to Figures 1-3 the viewer facing side of the log splitter is therefore the operator facing the operator side. In order to protect an operator from injury by unintentionally peeled-off wood parts during the splitting process, at least the operator side of the receiving area 3 is an in FIG. 3 assigned in function protective cover 13, which collects during the splitting operation in the direction of the operator thrown off wooden parts. The protective cover 13, in which it is in simple cases can be a simple protective shield, is attached to the machine frame 1, here on the receiving space 3 downwardly limiting frame part forming longitudinal beam 2 and contains, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 can be clearly seen, a raised and lowered arranged, here pivotally mounted flap 14 which is provided with a handle 15 for manual lifting and lowering.

In the power supply of the motor 8, a switch is arranged, which is expediently actuated by means of the flap 14. For this purpose, the flap 14 has an actuating element 16 provided in the region of its lower edge, which, when the flap 14 is lowered, ie in the FIG. 3 underlying working position, comes to engage with said switch. This may conveniently be a micro-switch, which is protected and so removed from unauthorized operation in a mounted on the machine frame 1, suitably mounted on the longitudinal spar 2 box 17. This is provided with a microswitch accommodated therein micro slot 18 through which the microswitch is actuated by means of the flap side mounted actuator 16. The actuator 16 is provided for this purpose with respect to the pivot axis of the flap 14 tangentially in the closing direction of the flap 14 projecting tab 19 which retracts when closing the flap in the slot 18 and the microswitch located behind it operates as soon as the flap 14 is closed, ie in their lower end position is.

By the operation of the flap 14 by means of the handle 15, a first operating hand is occupied. In order to achieve a two-handed operation, the second operating hand is assigned to another, manually operable Bedienüngselement 20 remote from the handle 15, which serves to trigger an operation that must be triggered to effect a splitting process unconditionally. In the example shown, the control element 20 assigned to the second operating hand is a manually operable gearshift, suitably located in the region of the rear end side of the longitudinal spar 2 in the direction of displacement of the displaceable stop 5. a valve arranged in the pressure medium line leading from the pump 9 to the hydraulic cylinder 10 can be brought into a passage position and vice versa. That is, only when the control element 20 forming the shift lever is actuated, the hydraulic cylinder 10 is subjected to pressure medium and thus the movable stop 5 is moved. The said valve can be designed so that with the aid of the operating element 20, for example by up or down pivoting a forward or backward movement of the stopper 5 can be initiated, and the valve is closed in a middle position of the operating element. The fact that the operation of the flap 14 is included in the two-handed operation for actuating the movable stop 5, results in a particularly simple and obvious operation.

In the example shown, the receiving area 3 associated protective cover 13 is formed as a housing, through which, as from Fig. 3 it can be seen that a receiving area 3 is formed during a cleaving process all around limiting chamber. Said housing has a rear wall 21 facing away from the operator side, at the upper edge remote from the longitudinal spar 2, the flap 14 adjoins a top wall 21 opposite the longitudinal spar 2 in the working position, to which a rear wall in FIG the working position opposite front wall 23 connects, to which the handle 15 and the actuator 16 are mounted. The chamber, which is open to the enclosure, thus appears as a tunnel with an approximately rectangular cross-section.

The above-outlined enclosure is practically designed as an additional unit, which can be optionally attached to the machine frame 1. For this purpose, in the example shown on the machine frame 1, suitably on the side facing away from the operator side of the longitudinal beam 2 attachable, angular support 24 are provided. It is expedient to provide a plurality of carriers 24 distributed over the length of the longitudinal spar 2. As a rule, two supports 24 arranged in the region of the ends of the longitudinal spar 2 are sufficient. These are designed and attached to the longitudinal spar 2 in such a way that the receiving space 3 give laterally flanking, standing leg, where the rear wall 21 may be attached and at the upper end of the flap 14 may be stored, as in the Figures 1-3 Is indicated by bearing pins or bearing bores 25.

The flap 14 is as best as possible Fig. 2 can be seen, provided with the top wall 22 and front wall 23, the carriers 24 associated ribs 26, whose remote from the front wall 23 ends overlap with the longitudinal beam 2 remote from the ends of the attached thereto carrier 24 and are mounted thereon. For this purpose, mutually aligned bearing bores are provided, through which bearing pins are performed.

The walls of the protective cover, at least the top wall 22 and the front wall 23 of the flap 14 are expediently made of a perforated plate so that perforations formed by the holes result, which allow observation of the splitting operation from the outside when the flap is closed. In the example shown, the rear wall 21 is formed as a perforated plate. The said perforations not only allow observation of the cleavage process from the outside, but also advantageously produce a desired weight saving, which facilitates the attachability of the protective cover according to the invention to the machine frame 1.

In order to process comparatively thick pieces of wood unhindered and to be able to cover with the help of the enclosure, the chamber bounded by the enclosure has a comparatively large, the width of the receiving area 3 downwardly limiting longitudinal beam 2 exceeding clear width. The rear wall 21 and the front wall 23 are therefore comparatively far away from the longitudinal spar 2 when the flap 14 is closed. In order to close the gap thus formed, the rear wall 21 and the front wall 23 in the region of their respective lower edge with striving strickenden, strip-shaped Wandabwinklungen 27 are provided, the distance between the rear wall 21 and the longitudinal spar 2 and the flap closed and the distance between the front wall 23 and the Bridge longitudinal spar 2.

The chamber formed by the enclosure is closed during the splitting operation also at the rear in the feed direction of the displaceable stop 5 end face by an associated end wall 28. The end wall 28 is suitably attached to the flap 14 in the example shown and formed as infill of the enclosed by the top wall 22 and the front wall 23 corner, which can cause a stiffening of the flap 14.

The front end of the housing opposite the end wall 28 is open, so that the material to be split, i. the billets produced by the splitting process can be removed or ejected. Expediently, the housing extends in the region of its open end beyond the stationary stop 4 provided with a splitting tool 6. This supernatant can expediently about half of the max. Length of a fissile piece of wood, i. about half of the stroke of the movable stop 5 correspond.

Appropriately, the splitting tool 6 downstream, provided on the open end of the housing from this outstanding storage element 29, which may be formed as trough-shaped storage table or chute, so that the reaching here Spaltgut can either be removed manually or is dropped off in an orderly manner. The storage element 29 is, as best of Fig. 1 can be seen, above the tie rods 12 attached to the longitudinal spar 2. In Fig. 2 the storage element is indicated for simplicity of illustration only by broken lines.

To facilitate the operability and increase the safety of one of the liftable and lowerable flap 14 is assigned, in the FIGS. 1 and 3 shown spring assembly 30 is provided which supports the lifting of the flap 14 and is tensioned when lowering the flap 14. Upon actuation of the flap 14, the spring force of the spring assembly 30 acts through the weight of the flap 14 counteracted gravitational force, whereby the operation is facilitated and at the same time an automatic, full closing of the flap 14 counteracted. The spring assembly 30 is expediently dimensioned so that when lowering the flap 14 shortly before reaching its lower end position, the weight of the flap 14 is compensated by the spring force, so that the flap 14 can not close automatically, but that the complete closing of the flap 14th in addition to the weight of a further closing force is required, which must be applied by acting on the handle 15 operating hand. This ensures that the switch associated with the engine 8 is actuated only when the operator deliberately closes the flap 14 so that the engine 14 can not start involuntarily.

Above, a preferred embodiment is described with reference to a reclined wood splitter. However, the idea on which the present invention is based can also be applied without difficulty to a vertical wood splitter. Again, it is advantageous if an operator standing in front of the splitter can not be hit by thrown off wooden parts.

Claims (9)

1. A wood splitter, in particular for splitting horizontal wood, for splitting wood, comprising a receiving area (3) for a piece of wood, which is provided on a rack (1), such receiving area (3) being limited by a rack part (2) as well as stops (4, 5) projecting towards such rack part (2) in a vertical direction relative to the longitudinal direction of the rack part (2), which are movable in a longitudinal direction of the rack part (2) on one side and designed in a stationary manner on the other side, with one stop (4) comprising a splitting tool (6) and the movable stop (5) being drivable by means of a drive unit which is activatable by means of an operating device requiring two-hand operation and hence a protection cover (13), attached to the rack (1), is associated with at least the operator side of the receiving area (3), such protection cover (13) comprising a flap (14) arranged in a raisable and lowerable manner comprising an associated handle (15) associated with a first operating hand, whereby an actuating means (16) is provided in the lower region of the lower rim of the flap (14), such actuating means (16) engaging a rack-side switch when the flap (14) is lowered, which is arranged in the power supply of an electric motor by means of which a pump associated with a hydraulic cylinder associated with the movable stop (5) is drivable, such pump being associated with a valve which is controllable by means of a hand lever forming a control element (20) away from the handle (15) of the flap (14), associated with a second operating hand.
2. A wood splitter in accordance with claim 1, whereby the protection cover (13) is at least partially perforated and preferably consists of a perforated plate.
3. A wood splitter in accordance with any of the preceding claims, whereby the protection cover (13) is designed as a casing comprising a rear wall (21) preferably attached to the rack part (2) associated with the receiving area (3) and further comprising the flap (14) which is swivel-mounted in the region of the rim of the rear wall (21) away from the rack and comprises a cover wall (22) disposed opposite the rack part (2) and adjacent to the rear wall (21) as well as a front wall adjacent to the said cover wall (22) and disposed opposite the rear wall (21), to which the handle (15) and the actuating means (16) are attached.
4. A wood splitter in accordance with claim 3, whereby the rear wall (21) and the front wall (23) are provided with mutually opposite rim angles (27) bridging their distance from the rack part (2).
5. A wood splitter in accordance with claim 3 or 4, whereby the casing forming the protection cover (13) in the region of its end away from the stationary stop (5) is closable by a front wall preferably attached to the flap (14) and open at the opposite end which protrudes beyond the stationary stop (4) which is provided with a splitting tool (6).
6. A wood splitter in accordance with any of the claims 3 to 5, whereby the stationary stop (4), which is provided with a splitting tool (6), is associated with a support face (29) protruding beyond the open end of the casing.
7. A wood splitter for splitting horizontal wood in accordance with any of the preceding claims, whereby associated with the protection cover (13) are beams (24) protruding from the side of the rack (1) away from the operator side, preferably from the rack part (2) associated with the receiving area (3), which are attachable to the said rack part (2), with associated supports (25) being provided on the end of the beams (24) away from the rack, and further whereby the flap (14) is preferably provided with ribs (26) corresponding with the beams (24) which with their ends away from the rack facing each associated beam (24) are supported on each associated beam (24).
8. A device in accordance with any of the preceding claims, whereby the flap (14) is associated with a spring arrangement (30) supporting its opening movement which is dimensioned in such a manner that in addition to its weight a further closing power is required in order to completely close the flap (14).
9. A wood splitter in accordance with any of the preceding claims, whereby the switch, which is actuatable by the flap (14), is designed as a micro switch housed in a box (17) attached to the rack (1), and that the actuating means (16), which is attached to the flap (14), exhibits a tongue (19) tangentially protruding relative to the tilting axis of the flap (14) which is insertable into the box (17) via a slot associated with the micro switch and is engageable with the micro switch.

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