FI110228B - Impeller for feeding tree trunks - Google Patents

Description

......... .. 110228

Cycle rotor for feeding tree trunks

The invention relates to a feed wheel according to the preamble of claim 1 for feeding wood trunks. The invention also relates to a method according to the preamble of claim 5 for the manufacture of a feed wheel. The invention further relates to a feed wheel contact member according to the preamble of claim 9.

For harvesting the tree trunks, a harvester head is used, the function of which is to grasp the vertically growing tree, cut the tree and fell it to prun and cut the tree trunk to specific lengths. The head is usually attached to the end of a boom of a harvester that moves on a terrain such as wheels or rollers. The harvester head is articulated to the boom and comprises the necessary actuator means, usually hydraulic cylinders and hydraulic motors, for controlling the head position and its various functions. There are also head-rotating members, such as pruning means, in relation to the trunk structure, usually in pairs on different sides of the tree trunk, comprising pruning blades for pruning the branches while the tree trunk is supported and driven through the apparatus. The feed means, usually in pairs across the tree trunk, comprise a drive wheel or drive roll which presses against the trunk and pulls it by friction past the pruning blades and through the equipment. There are also cutting means, such as a chainsaw, for cutting the tree trunk.

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One known rubber feed wheel is disclosed in WO-95/01856. Chains are attached to the outer periphery of the feed wheel by means of chains, which include spikes to enhance friction. The structure is heavy and significantly increases the weight of the entire harvester head. One feed wheel 30 is also disclosed in F1 102664 B, which discloses a frame and friction members mounted on its periphery that pivot and position against a tree frame. However, the feed wheel does not spring and thus dampens shock. Radially inflexible feed wheel *:, / adapts poorly to the variations in the shape of the tree trunk and results in sliding of the '·; · 35 wheels at the ridges. One shock absorbing feed wheel is disclosed in Finnish Patent Publication 97785, in which a stiff shell made of metal with a friction member is mounted on a rubber elastic rubber layer. The feedwheel protects the shaft from impact-2 110228 but does not dampen radial shocks and does not adjust to the variations in the surface of the tree trunk. The solution presented also becomes very heavy.

One flexible design of the feed wheel is disclosed in DE 198 06 705 A1, in which the axial bars mounted on the frame are arranged to yield radially when they are strongly pressed against the tree frame. A similar type of flexible structure is also disclosed in US 4,972,890. The structure comprises a plurality of rod-like or flat contact members connecting two adjacent rollers. The contact members are shaped so that they have some flexibility. The elastic movement of the above-mentioned flexible feed wheels in the radial direction is not sufficient for them to be tight against the wood frame of varying shape, e.g. slip-on-15 sex. In addition, the structures shown, particularly during pruning, to act on the pulley's circumferential direction and to receive shocks to the feed wheel through the tree trunk, are poorly adapted. These blows place a considerable strain on the attachment members and the risk of breakage is obvious. A further particular problem is that the feed wheel 20 does not spring in the same direction at each point. The thin trunk can rest on the edge of the feed wheel, which is not at all springy. The thick wood frame located in the center of the feeder wheel may simultaneously support both edges of the feeder wheel, resulting in the feeder wheel. not flexible. The design of the feed wheels is also complicated and 1: 25 heavy. In order to provide sufficient flexibility, the contact members are long, whereby the feed wheels also have to be formed into considerable flats, which considerably increases the space required by the wheels.

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It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the above drawbacks and to provide a feed wheel having sufficient flexibility both radially and circumferentially to absorb shocks and to follow varying shapes of the wood frame. However, the structure is light and simple. The feed wheel is suitable for different thicknesses of wood: // 1 and the position of the frame on the periphery of the feed wheel may vary.

35 To achieve these purposes, the feed wheel of the invention is essentially characterized in what is set forth in the characterizing part of the attached claim 1. The process according to the invention in the manufacture of the feed wheel is essentially characterized by what is disclosed in the characterizing part of the appended claim 7. The feed wheel contact member of the invention is essentially characterized in what is set forth in the characterizing part of claim 9 in the appended claims.

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A central principle of the invention is the use of a flexible and flexible structure. The contact members are protruding structures, whereby the elastic properties at the periphery and at the edges are uniformly distributed, without the need for rigid attachment structures on the sides of the feed wheel. Therefore, the structure can also be made as narrow as possible. The attachment structures are better positioned in the guard and the elasticity at the same time protects the attachment from impact. The basic principle is that the contact members, by bending, rotate in the same desired direction in different situations, whereby the operation is smooth. In this direction, the contact members bend, regardless of the direction in which the wheel is rotated.

A particular advantage of the invention is easy expandability, whereby a number of narrow feed wheels can be arranged in parallel to form a wider feed wheel. It is advantageous for the design of the harvester heads that the position of the tree trunk relative to the feed wheel according to the invention may vary. The feeder wheel is suitable for wood trunks of different thicknesses. The contact members are positioned in the shape of a tree trunk, thereby providing the feed forces. : reliably transmitted to the tree trunk and avoids skidding.] 25 tree trunk damage.

The feed wheel according to the invention can be formed in a lightweight and simple structure, in particular the feed wheel body can be a narrow and plate-like structure to which the contact members are attached. A particularly advantageous and simple structure can be formed by plate-shaped, curved projections, at the end of which friction members are formed, for example, by punching, and which are secured by welding to the body.

The elastic properties of the contact member may be varied by the selection, sizing, thickness, and mutual placement of the sheet-like material 35; f; through cure. The invention can also provide progressive ·: ··: elastic properties when the bent members rest against each other.

By means of the arrangement, the amount of elasticity may, in certain situations, be step-dependent on the compression force or elasticity, and at the same time the movement of the tree trunk in the radial direction may be limited.

It is also a basic principle of the invention to provide friction members, i.e. non-slip barriers, in the simplest working steps in the plate material of the contact member, which also forms a rolling surface facing the wood frame. A key principle is also to provide an opening to the non-slip barrier, if necessary, by means of a simultaneous work step. The non-slip barrier is then formed into the material by means of, for example, a press and 10 stops, by cutting and bending. The advantage is the lightweight structure and especially the simplification and acceleration of manufacturing.

The invention will be illustrated in the following description and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of a feed wheel according to a first embodiment of the invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view of a feed wheel according to Figure 1; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the feed wheel of Fig. 2.

Figures 1 and 2 show a feed wheel 1 according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention for feeding wood trunks at the harvester-30 end. The feed wheel 1 comprises a wheel body 10 and separate contact members 11 arranged on the periphery of the wheel 1 for moving the tree body. The wheel frame 10 is fixed to a rotating device such as a hydraulic motor, /. or on a rotary axis for rotating the wheel 1 about its axis of rotation. Referring to Figure 1, the axis of rotation is perpendicular to the drawing plane '··· / 35. At the same time, the wheel 1 is pressed against the tree trunk, whereby the contact means 11 are in contact with the trunk and by means of friction ·: *: drive the trunk forward. The hydraulic motor is usually mounted on a support arm which, by means of a joint and actuators, rotates with respect to the frame of harvester head 110228, while pressing the wheel 1 against the frame. Fig. 1 is a side view of a tree trunk S. Also shown in the figure is the direction Y to which the trunk S is transported during pruning. If necessary, the body S is also transported in the opposite direction. The trunk moves in its pi-5 direction and the harvester head usually has feed wheels 1 on both sides of the tree trunk which rotate in opposite directions. Each contact member 11 in turn bends due to a force action between the frame and the wheel 1. In the embodiment shown, the contact members 11 are fixedly welded to the body 10, whereby the material, the stiffness and the dimensioning of the material of the plate-like contact member 11 are selected so as to be elastically reversible by the desired amount.

Referring to Figure 1, the protruding members 11 projecting from the wheel body 10 are also arranged such that, after sufficient bending, the members 11 abut against each other, after which a greater force is required to bend the members 11. The arrangement can provide, in a very simple manner, progressive elastic properties for handling various wood materials and frame sizes. The elastic properties can also be influenced by the density and distance of the members 11 relative to each other. As an example, the amount of deflection of each member 11 prior to contact and simultaneous contact of the body 11 may be influenced by sizing. The members 11 can also be arranged in contact with each other .... in their sleep state as shown in Figure 1 by densifying the members 11.

The members 11 are arranged to bend with each other in the same circumferential direction of the feed wheel 1 when the feed wheel 1 is pressed against the tree trunk. In Figure 1, this direction is at the point of contact between the wheel 1 and the frame S; ··: Opposite to the Y direction. This deflection takes place and the direction is retained even when the wheel 1 is stationary and rotates in a clockwise or anticlockwise direction to move the tree trunk in different directions. The direction is also not affected by the angle at which the body 11 is relative to the tree trunk, i.e., whether the body 11 is starting or ending »* * /. contact with the tree trunk. Preferably, the feed wheel 1 and the members 11 are: ./ arranged such that the members 11 in contact with the tree trunk bend '*; · 35 away from the pruning direction Y to dampen the shocks. The feed wheel 1 i fits well into the unevenness of the tree trunk, since a plurality of flexible members 11 can be arranged in simultaneous contact with the tree trunk. Hereby, a moving force 110228 can be continuously transmitted to the wood frame by means of one of the members 11, thus avoiding slipping of the wheel 1. flexibility | Also, by means of the engaging means 11, shocks and displacements of the trunk acting in the radial direction of the wheel 1 are also effectively received.

Referring to Figure 1, the deflection of the member 11 is also affected by the rounding 12 of the circumference of the body 10, which is located at the base of the projecting member 11 and serves as a kind of support. The member 11 bends against the rounding 12, whereby the radius of bending and shaping affects the bending and bending position of the member 11.

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Referring further to Figure 1, the contact member 11 is formed of a plate-like, substantially parallelepipedal piece having a slot for the plate-like body 10. The plate 11 is disposed substantially parallel to the axial direction of the wheel 1, i.e. the axis of rotation, and inclined in the circumferential direction of the wheel 1. Variations in the width of the plate 11 can influence the deflection. The board 11 is bent at at least one point to provide the outermost portion of the member 11 substantially parallel to the tree trunk, whereby the friction members 13 pierced on the side of the board 11 abut against the tree trunk. The friction members 13 are sharp tongues 20 which press against the tree trunk. The tongues 13 are oriented in the transport direction in the Y direction, in which direction the maximum transport resistance force during pruning of the tree trunk is also applied.

. ·. : Specifically, one or more friction members 13 form: v! One or more edges preformed on said sheet and surface, formed into the material of the rolling surface 25 and also of the plate 11. The edge may be located on a cut and bent tab, on a molded, stretched edge of an aperture or incision formed in the sheet. The edge-shaped non-slip barrier can be made, for example, by means of a stopper and a ram 30 in a press. At the root of the edge, an opening is easily formed while adequately shaping the material. Through the orifice, the shell and debris exit the rolling surface and further away from the feed wheel, thereby preventing clogging.

l: '' 35 To control the direction of deflection, the member 11 is arranged at least partially bent or directed toward its L: * deflection direction, whereby the force compressed by the wheel *: ··: 1 causes the member 11 to always deflect in that direction.

Hereby, the member 11 may engage by means of a radially directed member on the body 10, 7 110228 with a bent, oblique portion further engaging with a circumferential portion with friction members 13. The forces acting on the oblique portion guide the entire member 11 to bend in the desired direction.

! It is clear that the part comprising the friction members 13 can be separately attached and arranged for replacement, but the plate-like structure of Figure 1 is simple to manufacture. The number and shape of the tabs may vary. It will be appreciated that the friction members 13 disposed at one end of the member 11 may be discrete parts such as pins or spikes. The member 11 can also be replaced when it is attached at its first end 11a to the body 10 by means of an openable fastening such as bolts. For example, broken members 11 can be easily replaced. The structure of the circular plate-like body 10 may also vary with the fasteners.

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate a feed wheel 1 according to another preferred embodiment of the invention. The outermost end of the contact member 11 is bent towards the wood frame S and in the transfer direction Y, whereby the end and edges of the member 11 form the necessary friction members 13. It will be understood that spikes may also be attached to the head to form the friction members 13. Referring to Figure 1, the outermost end of the member 11 is resting against the side of the next member 11 when the member 11 is sufficiently bent. Referring to Figure 3, it can be seen that: ··· that the side of the member 11 presses against the next member 11 as it bends.

. ·. : Feed wheel 1 can be made entirely of steel by cutting, · '. ·] 25 bending and punching.

It is further understood by those skilled in the art that, although the invention has been illustrated in the foregoing description by means of a preferred feed wheel ···, the invention may be applied to other feed wheels within the scope of the claims. For example, two contact members can be mounted side by side on the same wheel frame.

Claims (10)

An impeller for feeding tree trunks, said impeller (1) comprising a rotatable wheel body (10) and peripherally adapted connectors 5 (11) for moving a tree trunk (S), said connector (11) being from the wheel body (10) protruding spring means, characterized in that said means are arranged to bend in substantially the same direction with the periphery of the impeller (1) when the impeller (1) is pressed against the tree trunk (S). Impeller according to claim 1, characterized in that the connector (11) is arranged to be pressed against the following connector (11) to provide a progressive suspension. Impeller according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the connector (11) is formed by means of a disc which is substantially parallel to the axial direction of the impeller (1) and is inclined in the direction of the periphery of the impeller (1). 4. Impeller according to claim 3, characterized in that the disc is provided with at least one protrusion for effecting friction between the tree trunk and said protrusion (13) which functions as a friction device. Impeller according to Claim 3, characterized in that the outermost end of the disc is provided with a tooth to effect the friction between the tree trunk and said tooth functioning as a friction device (13). An impeller according to any of claims 1-5, characterized in that the wheel body (10) comprises a circular disc, in which the connectors (11) are fixed in a stationary manner. A method of manufacturing a sliding wheel, which sliding wheel (1) is arranged for feeding tree trunks (S), and which sliding wheel (1) comprises a rotatable wheel body (10) and peripherally-adapted contact means (11) for moving a tree trunk (S), whereby to form said contact means (11) the wheel body (10) is provided with projecting resilient means, characterized in that said means are arranged to bend in substantially the same direction with the periphery of the impeller (1). , when the impeller (1) is pressed j against the tree trunk (S). Method according to claim 7, characterized in that the connector (11) is arranged to press against the following connector (11) to provide a progressive suspension. A slider for a slider, which slider (1) is arranged for feeding tree trunks (2), and which slider (1) comprises a rotatable wheel body (10) and peripherals (11) adapted to move a tree trunk (S), wherein said connector (11) is at its first end (11a) with the wheel body (10) fixed in a protruding manner, resilient means, characterized in that said member is arranged to bend in a desired direction in the direction of the periphery of the impeller (1) as the connector 15 (11) is pressed at its other end (11b) toward the tree trunk (S). 10. An impeller for an impeller according to claim 9, characterized in that the connector (11) is formed by means of a disc which can be set substantially parallel to the axial direction of the impeller (1) and inclined in the direction of the periphery of the impeller (1).