IES990089A2

IES990089A2 - A tree feller for young trees such as Christmas trees

Info

Publication number: IES990089A2
Authority: IE
Inventors: Jorgen Norgaard Jensen
Original assignee: Jorgen Norgaard Jensen
Priority date: 1998-02-12
Filing date: 1999-02-08
Publication date: 2000-10-04
Also published as: DE29902406U1; DK9800041U3

Abstract

The invention concerns a tree feller for young trees such as Christmas trees, which is designed as a two wheeled cart, with a chassis carrying a motor, an upwardly and rearwardly extending operation handle, and a forwardly projecting sword having a cutter recess for co-operation with a cutter jaw when the sword is placed with the trunk of a tree received in the cutter recess, the cutter jaw being operable to cut the tree, energized from said motor through suitable power transmission means and governed by the operator's actuation of a control member on the handle.

Description

The present invention relates to a tree-felling machine, in particular for use in Christmas tree plantations.

Conventionally, Christmas trees have been cut by the use of axes, saws, motor chain saws or circular saws, all of ^1.ese methods being both troublesome and dangerous, because operator is located quite close to the working area close the ground. At ground level, saws are subjected to heavy Ή Qzear, whereby they should be filed rather often. This motiS-c.tes the operators to cut the trees somewhat above the |pound, and the remaining stubs represent a waste.

O __ It is the purpose of the invention to provide a felling ^ic chine which can be operated in an ergonomically acceptable 0 nmenner, and which is sturdy in operation, even when cutting O tjhe trees in ground level in order to avoid the said waste.

O H ' The machine according to the invention is designed as a -ef> C~3 S' & -two wheeled cart, with a chassis carrying a motor, an upwardly and rearwardly extending operation handle, and a forwardly projecting sword having a cutter recess for co-operation with a cutter jaw when positioned so as to receive the trunk of a tree, the cutter being operable to cut the tree, energized from the motor through suitable power transmission means and governed by the operator's actuation of a control member on the handle. Preferably, the cutter system is designed as a so-called eagle beak, with a pivotable cutter jaw, which is driven by a double acting hydraulic cylinder in turn driven by an oil pump energized by the motor.

The sword and the cutter jaw can be dimensioned rather heavily, such that they are not vulnerable by earth or stones, i.e. they can operate effectively at ground level and yet be capable of felling several thousands of trees before having to be attended to for sharpening. The cart is very easy to drive along the rows of trees and to bring into engagement with the trees, and the operator may at all times assume an upright position, with his face in substantially fresh air relative to the exhaustion of the motor. By the handling of a two wheeled cart the operator can easily move IE990089 the cart with the sword lifted from the ground and equally easily tilt the sword down to ground engagement when a tree is to be cut.

The motor works with an actual load only when projecting and retracting the cutter jaw, so the energy (fuel) consumption is relatively very low. The operation safety is high, because the operator is clearly spaced from the dangerous cutting area; the handle may even have a control member that should be held actuated by the operator in order to make the cutter system operable at all.

The cutter system is arrangeable such that it is ensured that the cut trees will always fall away from the operator.

In the following the invention is described in more detail with reference to the drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a cart according to the invention, and Fig. 2 is a view of the cutting system thereof, seen from below.

The cart shown in Fig. 1 comprises a chassis 2 carried by a single wheel axle with opposed wheels 4. The chassis carries a combustion motor 6 and a hydraulic station 8 driven by that motor. To the rear, the chassis is connected with an upstanding handle element 10 with upper handles 12 and carrying a fuel tank 14 for the motor 6.

Also, the chassis 2 is firmly connected with a forwardly projecting sword blade 16 having at its outer end a lateral, curved incition 18 dimensioned so as to be able to receive the trunk of a young tree. Immediately thereabove the sword 16 carries a cutter claw 20 that is pivotably arranged about a pin 22 and, at an outer point 24 thereof, is connected with the end of a piston rod 26 of a cylinder 28 which, itself, is pivotally fixed to a rigid point 30 of the chassis. In a manner not shown, the cylinder is operable to project and retract the piston rod 26 by oil pressure from the hydraulic station 8 through control valve means provided at or near the handles 12.

When moving the cart, the operator can hold it in a position in which the sword 16 is lifted off the ground. When arIE990089 riving at a tree to be cut it is correspondingly easy to tilt and turn the cart for catching the trunk in the recess 18 at ground level, and the tree is then easily and rapidly cut when the operator actuates the cylinder 28 to close the cut5 ter claw 20. The operator shall not support ,the cutting action by applying force to the cart, and when the cutter claw is arranged to be pivoted forwardly and laterally according to the illustrated embodiment, the tree will be influenced to fall away from the operator.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A tree feller for young trees such as Christmas trees, characterized that it is designed as a two wheeled cart, with 5 a chassis carrying a motor, an upwardly and .rearwardly extending operation handle, and a forwardly projecting sword having a cutter recess for co-operation with a cutter jaw when the sword is placed with the trunk of a tree received in the cutter recess, the cutter jaw being operable to cut the 10 tree, energized from said motor through suitable power transmission means and governed by the operator's actuation of a control member on the handle.

2. A tree feller according to claim 1, in which the cutter system is designed as an eagle beak, with a pivotable 15 cutter jaw, which is driven by a double acting hydraulic cylinder in turn driven by an oil pump energized by the motor.

3. A tree feller according to claim 2, in which the cutter recess is oriented with a direction obliquely forwardly and laterally, and in which the cutter jaw is arranged so as 20 to be swung forwardly and laterally for effecting tree cutting .

4. A tree feller substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.