GB2208161A

GB2208161A - Overhead conveying apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2208161A
Application number: GB8716961A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew Keir
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-07-17
Filing date: 1987-07-17
Publication date: 1989-03-08
Also published as: GB8716961D0

Abstract

Overhead conveying apparatus especially serving as a logging machine comprises a vehicle of the endless track excavator type or wheeled tractor type (2) having a body (preferably rotatable) supporting a swingable boom (6) carrying a digging implement (7), and a cable supporting tower (11) mounted on the body (3). The tower (11) carries a skyline cable (13) on which a carriae (16) runs; haulin (14) and haulback (15A) lines being provided for said carriage (16) to enable load such as timber logs to be conveyed, and a drive (12) is provided for said lines (14,15). A supporting guyline means (17A, 17B) for the tower is connected between the tower (11) and the swingable boom (6) or digging implement (7) thereof, and these guyline means (17A, 17B) are releasably anchored when the digging implement (7) of the boom is caused to dig into the ground. <IMAGE>

Description

"Overhead Conveying Apparatus" Description The present invention relates to overhead conveying -apparatus and especially to overhead cable togging apparatus enabling logs to be transported-from a cutting zone in a forest to a roadside storage zone.

Cable logging apparatus is known comprising a stowable tower mounted on a platform which platform can comprise part of a trailer or a vehicle (eg. lorry) bodywork, said tower being adapted to carry a skyline (cable) at the top thereof which skyline passes to the pick-up (cut) location for logs. A carriage for logs runs on the skyline and haulin and haulback cables extend from the tower location (ie. at the log storage zone) to the carriage for movements of the carriage inwards from the pick-up zone to the storage zone and then back to the pick-up zone. The erected tower may have a height of for example 24 feet (7,34m) and anchoring guylines extend rearwardly from the tower and are connected to anchor points in the ground.Drives in the form of wind-in drums are provided for the various cables The log pick-up (cutting) location may be remote from the roadside storage location by a distance of 800 m or more.

It will be understood that the "road" leading to the logging location will probably be no more than a very rough (non-surfaced) sigle-vehicle track.

During logging operations with the above logging apparatus, there arises the necessity to move the mobile platform mounted tower a short distance along the road since for example the log storage facility at a particular point may become exhausted. It will be appreciated that the skyline cable will extend laterally from one side of the. road while the tower guyline will extend LateralLy from the other side of the road oppositely to the skyLine ie. both transversely to the direction of the road and it is a disadvantage of the above logging apparatus that for the above movement of the tower platform the tower guylines require to be freed from the initiaL ground anchor points and reconnected to new anchor points when the platform movement is complete.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate this disadvantage.

According to the present invention there is provided overhead conveying apparatus, especially logging apparatus, comprising a vehicle including a swingable boom device for a digging implement; a tower adapted to carry a skyline on which a support carriage runs; haulin and haulback lines for said carriage; drive means for said lines; and guyiine means connected between the tower and the swingable boom device or digging implement thereof.

In a preferred embodiment the tower is mounted suitably on the vehicle so that the guyline means extend oppositely to the skyline. By means of the present invention the guyline means can be rendered effectively operative by causing the digging implement of the boom to dig into the ground to serve as a ground anchor point: consequently anchor release and re-engagement is relatively easily achieved and this considerably facilitates the above described movements of the tower platform.

Preferably the vehicle is of the endless track excavator type wherein the main vehicle body is rotatable through 3600 relative to the endless tracks. Alternatively a wheeled tractor type excavator could be used.

The drives for the lines preferably comprise wind-in drums, and these drums together with relevant controls preferably form part of a package unit or units adapted for mounting on the vehicle.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Fig. 1 shows a schematic end view of a logging apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, and in location for a logging operation; Fig. 2 shows a schematic plan view of the apparatus of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows a schematic end view of an alternative embodiment; and -Fig. 4 shows a plan view of the Fig. 3 embodiment.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, logging apparatus 1 utilises a tracked excavator 2 having a main body 3 rotatably mounted on a frame 4 carrying endless tracks 5.

0 The body 3 which is rotatable through 360 carries a swingable boom device 6 comprising pivoting sections 6A, 68.

A digging bucket 7 is pivotally carried on the front end of the section 68, and pivoting of the bucket and the various sections is achieved by hydraulic piston cylinder devices 8A, 88, 8C The body 3 incudes an operator's cab 9 and an engine compartment 10. A tower 11 is mounted on the body 3 at the engine compartment 10 and includes a pivoting storable section 11A for safe movement of the excavator 2 to the logging location. When erected the tower 11 can have a height of 24 feet (7.34 m). ALso mounted on the body 2 is a package unit 12 of wind-in drums.

(not shown) for a skyline (cable) 13, haulin 14 and haulback lines 15 (AtE), together with drives, clutches, brake bands etc, for the drums as desired. Drive power for the drums can be supplied from a power source of the excavator 2. Appropriate controls for the drums can be located in the cab 9.

The haulin and haulback lines 14, 15 are connected to a carriage 16 running on the skyline 13 for transport of logs Ls the haulback 15 including a section 15A running outwardly to the log pick-up zone (not shown) and a section 158 extending from the pick-up zone to the carriage 16.

The skyline 13 passes from the unit 12 around a pulley or fairlead on the boom device 6 whence it passes to the top of the tower 11 and then outwards. Additionally a pair of anchor or guylines 17A, 178 are connected between the tower 11 and the boom device 6. The guylines 17A, 178 can include length adjustment means. A portion 148 of haulin 14 extends through the carriage 16 and downwardly for fastening to the log L, and clutch means are present to set the length of portion 148.

In the logging operation, the vehicle 2 sits with its tracks S longitudinally on the narrow road (track) T and with the body 3 extending normally eg. at right angles to the tracks S. This enables the skyline 13 to extend laterally outwardly from the road T to the log pick-up zone while the anchor guylines 17A, 178 extend in the opposite direction from the tower 11, and to anchor the apparatus 1 it is only necessary to cause the digger bucket 7 to dig into the ground G appropriately as shown.

Effective anchoring is virtually always achievable irrespective of the nature and degree of slope of the ground G to the side of the road T When it is desired to reposition the excavator vehicle 2 along the road T, all that it is required is to release the bucket 7 from the ground G, and then re anchor by means of the bucket 7 when vehicle -movement is complete. The skyline 13 and the haulin and haulback 14, 15A pass appropriately through pulleys or fairleads in the tower 11.

The logging apparatus of the present invention could utilise a vehicle other than an endless track excavator.

Thus Figs. 3 and 4 show the use of an excavator of the wheeled tractor type: like parts with Figs. 1 and 2 carry like reference numerals In this case the vehicle body 3 is not rotatable relative to the wheels W, but the boom device 6 is pivotally carried by a king block 20 slidable on lateral slides 21 at the rear of the tractor vehicle 2 and is swingable through 1800 as viewed in a horizontal plane. To facilitate operations to the left or right hand sides the tower 11 is centrally positioned slightly in front of the slides 21. The wind-in drums etc. may be housed in plurality package units 12 in this example, mounted for example on the stabilised leg housings 22 of the tractor 2, and in this case it may be more c-onvenient for the tower 11 to be of telescopic form for storage. It may be preferable to include a rearwardly positioned stabiliser leg 23 and front weighing 24 will be present - this front weighing could conveniently take the form of a front bulldozer blade. To enable the drums to be located behind the tower 11 in Figs. 3 and 4 for both left and right side working, the units 12 could be movably mounted; for example on the tower 11, so that the units 12 could be moved to the position shown in dashed lines. Also, the tower 11 could be made rotatable about its vertical axis to facilitate the positioning of the various cables, 13-15, 17 for left and right side working.

Further modifications are possible. Thus the cable 13 could extend directly up the tower from the drum unit 12 as shown in dashed line'13' to to the lead or pulley at the top of the tower instead of firstly passing out to the boom 6.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. Overhead conveying apparatus, especially logging apparatus, comprising a vehicle including a swingable boom device for a digging implement; a tower adapted to carry a skyline on which a support carriage runs; haulin and haulback lines for said carriage; drive means for said lines; and guyline means connected between the tower and the swingable boom device or digging implement thereof.

2. Overhead conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tower is mounted on the vehicle so that the guyline means extend oppositely to the skyline.

3. Overhead conveying apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vehicle is of the endless track excavator type wherein the main vehicle body is rotatable through 360" relative to the endless tracks.

4. Overhead conveying apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vehicle comprises a wheeled tractor type excavator.

5. Overhead conveying apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the drives for the lines comprise wind-in drums.

6. Overhead conveying apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the drums together with relevant controls form part of a package unit or units adapted for mounting on the vehicle.

7. Overhead conveying apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.