JPS5840454B2 - Power automatic pruning machine - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an automatic power pruning machine for climbing and pruning standing trees such as cedar and cypress in order to grow them as unreinforced, high-quality building materials.

In order to compensate for the lack of labor in conventional forestry work,
Various powered automatic pruning machines have been developed.

However, all of them have a complicated structure and are heavy, making them unsuitable for use or transportation in mountainous areas, and they also have the disadvantage of being expensive.

Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide an automatic power pruning machine that is portable, lightweight, has a simple structure, and is easy to operate.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic power pruning machine that moves up and down while spirally turning in a stable state without slipping along the trunk of a standing tree.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a device for turning a pruning machine in a spiral pattern along the trunk of a standing tree. A crawler belt device is disposed at a lead angle between the upper and lower guide wheels so as to face these guide wheels in contact with the pruning machine. To provide an automatic power pruning machine which tends to force a crawler belt device into pressure contact with a trunk, thereby ensuring stable rotation of the pruning machine.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a housing unit which has an engine unit and a cutting device at one end and which incorporates a drive gear system for driving a crawler belt device inside, and has a housing unit which is parallel to the axis of the tree trunk at the other end. The housing is provided so as to be swingable relative to the main frame around an axis that is in a plane that is inclined at an angle corresponding to the lead angle of the crawler belt device with respect to the axis of the trunk, and a housing is provided outside the vertical plane that includes the inclined axis. The engine unit is placed relative to the housing such that the center of gravity of the unit is located, thereby creating an inward rotational moment in the housing unit and causing the cutting device provided on the housing unit to naturally move towards the trunk. To provide an oscillating power automatic pruning machine.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, the power automatic pruning machine of the present invention has a frame assembly, and the frame assembly includes a pair of upper and lower horizontal U-shaped frame rods 1a.
, Ib and vertical frame rods 2 interconnecting these U-shaped frame rods at their ends.

The pair of opening/closing frames 4 and 5 each have a pair of vertically curved arms 6,
It consists of a substantially U-shaped frame rod 8 consisting of a vertical connecting portion 7 that connects these, and the U-shaped end of the curved arm 6 is connected to the U-shaped frame rod 8 of the main frame.
The main frame 3 is pivoted to the end of the formwork rod 1 with a pivot 9.
It can be opened and closed freely.

One opening/closing frame 4 includes a buckle member 12 which is pivotally connected to a pair of upper and lower support arms 10 that are fixed to the vertical connection part 7 and protrude outward, respectively, with pins 11, and the buckle member 12 has a handle that allows the user to operate the buckle member 12. A handle 14 is provided to facilitate this.

The buckle member 12 is provided with hanging grooves 15 spaced apart at a plurality of intervals along its inner surface.

The tightening coil spring 16 has one end fixed to the curved arm 6 of the other opening/closing frame 5 adjacent to the main frame, and is connected to a member 17, and the other end has a hook that engages with one of the grooves 150. is equipped with a stopper rod 18.

Preferably, the pair of opening/closing frames 4.5 is secured by engaging the locking rod 18 with the locking groove 15 of the buckle member'12.
A positioning member 19 is provided on the curved arm 6 to guide the tightening coil spring 16 so as to extend along the curved arm 6 of the opening/closing frame 5 when the coil springs 16 are connected to each other by the coil spring 16.

The buckle member 12 is inserted into the pin 11 through its handle 14.
When the buckle member 12 is rotated clockwise about the buckle member 12, the spring catch bar 18 engaged in the groove 15 is displaced inwardly from the line of action of the spring, thereby preventing the buckle member 12 from returning.

The pair of upper and lower guide wheels 20 are in contact with one side of the tree trunk T, and the axles 21 are supported diagonally by bearings 22 fixed to the curved axes of the respective opening/closing frames. It is rotatably bonded to each of the opening/closing frames 4 and 5 with a lead angle necessary for spiral movement.

The crawler belt device 23 is arranged to be in contact with the opposite side of the trunk T, and similarly, the crawler belt device 23 is arranged to be in contact with the opposite side of the trunk T, and similarly to the main frame 3 at an intermediate position between the upper and lower guide wheels 20 and facing the guide wheels with a lead angle necessary for the spiral turning movement. Placed.

The crawler belt device 23 is attached to the lower U-shaped frame rod 1b of the main frame 3.
a drive pulley 25 fixed by a pin 66 to a drive shaft 24 that is supported by a bearing 23' fixed to the tree trunk T and has an axis in a plane parallel to the axis of the tree trunk T and inclined with respect to this axis; A driven pulley 27 is fixed to the lower U-shaped frame rod 1b and is rotatably mounted on a support shaft 26 having an axis parallel to the drive shaft 24, a drive pulley 25, and a driven pulley 2.
7 and a belt 28 passed over the bridge.

It is preferable that the belt 28 is a synchronized belt to prevent slipping between the belt and the pulley.

The housing unit 29 has an engine unit 30 at one end.
and a cutting device 31, and the upper U-shaped frame rod 1a of the main frame 3 on the extension of the axis of the drive shaft 24 inclined at the other end.
The L-shaped ear shaft 33 is provided with an ear shaft 33 projecting upward and supported by a bearing 32 fixed to the L.

Thus, the housing unit 29 has an ear shaft 33 at the upper end supported by a bearing 32, and a lower end supported by an inclined drive shaft 24, so that the housing unit 29 is located within a plane parallel to the axis of the trunk T of the tree and is aligned with this axis. It is provided so as to be swingable around an axis that is inclined with respect to the main body.

The position of the engine unit 30 relative to the housing unit 29 is such that the center of gravity of the housing unit is outside the vertical plane containing the tilt axis.

An inwardly directed rotational moment is thus generated in the housing unit 29 with respect to the main frame 3, which tends to cause the cutting device 31 to swing naturally about the axis of the inclined line towards the trunk of the tree.

A pair of opposed bevel gears 34, 35 are rotatably mounted on the drive shaft 24 within the housing and mesh with a bevel gear 37 fixed to one end of a transmission shaft 36 extending longitudinally within the housing.

The output shaft 38 of the engine unit 30 extends toward the tree trunk T, and includes a bevel gear 41 that meshes with a bevel gear 40 fixed to a horizontal shaft 39 extending orthogonally to the transmission shaft 36.

The horizontal shaft 39 includes a worm 43 that meshes with a worm wheel 42 fixed to the other end of the transmission shaft 36, and the high-speed rotation of the output shaft 38 of the engine 30 is controlled by a reduction gear made up of the worm 43 and the worm wheel 42. The rotational speed is transmitted to the transmission shaft 36 via the device as low-speed rotation.

Drive shaft 24 has a bore 44 at its center.

Clutch pawl 45 includes a shifter 46 that is swingably inserted into bore 44 and includes a pin 48 that extends through slot 47 of drive shaft 24 .

A compression coil spring 49 is disposed within the bore 44 of the drive shaft 24 between the bottom thereof and the shift lever 46 and the clutch pawl 4
5 is biased upward.

In order to transmit the rotation of the bevel gear 34 or 350 rotations to the drive shaft 24 via the clutch pawl 45, the bevel gears 34, 35 are provided with teeth 50 that mesh with the clutch pawl 45.

Clutch lever 51 extends through and into housing 29 adjacent ear shaft 33 and is pivotally connected to housing 29 at pivot 52 .

The tip of the clutch lever 51 is in contact with the upper end of the transmission rod 53 inserted into the bore 44 of the drive shaft 24, and the transmission rod 53
A ball 54 is interposed between the lower end of the shifter 46 and the shifter 46.

The lever 51 has a latch tooth 58. which engages a pawl 57 of a latch lever 56 which is pivotally mounted to the housing 29 by a pivot 55.
It has a tooth root 60 with 59.

A metal lever 56 is biased around a pivot 55 toward a toothed plate 60 by a spring 56'.

Thus, when the pawl 57 engages with the latch tooth 58, the clutch pawl 45 is held at a neutral position where it does not mesh with any misalignment of the bevel gears 34, 350L, and no rotation is transmitted to the drive shaft 24.

When lever 56 is manually rotated counterclockwise about pivot 55 to engage pawl 57 with latch tooth 59,
The clutch pawl 45 is pushed up against the action of the spring 490 and meshes with the bevel gear 34, and the driving shaft rotates the pruning machine in the direction necessary to rotate it spirally along the trunk of the tree and raise it, that is, in the counterclockwise direction. 24 and thus to the belt device.

When the metal lever 56 is released, its pawl 57 engages with the lever 51.
When both latch teeth 58, 59 of the tooth plate 60 are disengaged, the clutch pawl 45 is moved upward by the action of the spring 490, thereby engaging the bevel gear 35 and lowering the pruning machine along the trunk of the standing tree. direction, i.e., clockwise rotation, to the drive shaft 24 and thus to the belt arrangement.

After the pruning machine rises to a predetermined height along the tree trunk, the hook automatically releases the metal lever 56 and releases the clutch pawl 45.
is engaged from the bevel gear 34 to the bevel gear 35.

For this purpose, a control motor 61 is fixed to the side of the housing 29 and is provided with a cam 62 which is fixed to the shaft of the motor 61 and whose latch rests against the lower side of the metal lever 56.

The motor 61 is controlled by either a well-known timer device (not shown) or a wireless control device, so that when the pruning machine reaches a predetermined height of the tree trunk, the motor is activated. Rotate the cam 62 once.

During this rotation of the cam, the lever 56 is rotated by the cam crest about the pivot 55 against the action of the spring 56' to disengage the pawl 57 from the latch tooth 59.

The cutting device 31 is a chain saw in this embodiment, and includes a saw chain guide bar 64 whose lower end is fixed to an upwardly protruding bracket 63 provided on the housing unit 29 and which extends upward. Power is provided by meshing with a drive sprocket 65 fixed to the tip of the shaft 38.

In operation, it is assumed that the clutch pawl 45 is in the neutral position and the opening/closing frames 4 and 5 are opened with respect to the main frame 3.

First, the main frame 3 is positioned so as to surround the trunk T of the tree to be pruned, and the opening/closing frames 4 and 5 are closed to the main frame 3.

At that time, the four guide wheels 20 and the crawler belt device 23 are in contact with the trunk T.

Next, the latching rod 18 of the tightening coil spring 16 is engaged with any one of the latching grooves 15 of the buckle member 12,
The buckle member 12 is rotated inward around the pin 11 by operating the knob 14 until it touches the side surface of the opening/closing frame 4.

Then, the spring 16 connects the opening/closing frames 4, 5 to the main frame 3 in a closed state, and presses the guide wheels 20 and the belt 28 of the crawler belt device 23 against the trunk T somewhat elastically.

As can be seen from the figure, the belt 28 contacts the trunk T with its inner running portion curved outward along the circumferential surface of the trunk T, and thus has a large contact area with the trunk.

In this way, the attachment of the pruning machine to the trunk is completed, with the chain saw 31 being positioned vertically close to the trunk.

As mentioned earlier, the housing unit 29 is attached to the main frame 3.
It is mounted on the main frame 3 between the upper and lower U-shaped frame rods 1a and 1b, and is swingable about an axis that is in a plane parallel to the axis of the trunk and inclined with respect to the axis of the trunk. Since the center of gravity of the housing unit 290 is outside the vertical plane containing the inclined axis, an inward rotational moment acts on the saw unit 29, and the chain saw 31 is constantly urged in a direction closer to the trunk. Ru.

In addition, the weight of the frame assembly of the pruning machine is biased toward the side with the crawler belt device rather than the side with the guide wheels, so when it is attached to the trunk, a downward moment is generated using the upper guide wheels as a fulcrum. , whereby the crawler belt device has a natural tendency to press against the trunk.

The engine 30 is operated to drive the chain saw 31 and drive the drive gear system in the housing unit 29.

Manually move the clutch lever 51 around the pivot shaft 52 by rotating the tooth plate 6.
Rotate the latch until the latch tooth 59 engages with the pawl 57 of the metal lever 56.

Then, the tip of the clutch lever 51 pushes up the shifter 46 through the transmission rod 53 and the ball 54 against the action of the spring 49, and the clutch pawl 45 engages with the bevel gear 34 to transfer its rotation to the drive shaft. 24 to rotate the drive pulley 25.

The belt 28 is rotated by the rotation of the 1 drive pulley 25, and the pruning machine is raised spirally along the trunk T.

During the ascent of the pruning machine, the chain saw 31 cuts off branches of the trunk whenever it encounters them.

When the pruning machine reaches a predetermined height, for example, a timer device is activated to start the motor 61 and rotate the cam 62 once.

The rotation of the cam releases the latch lever 56, and the clutch pawl 45 is pushed up by the action of the spring 490 until it engages with the bevel gear 35.

The direction of rotation of the crawler belt device is thus reversed, and the pruning machine descends while turning spirally along the trunk T.

The pruning machine can be stopped either automatically or manually.

In the case of an automatic pruning machine, when the twine (not shown) of the pruning machine hits the ground, it activates a micro-sinch (not shown) to short-circuit the engine's ignition circuit and stop the engine.

In the manual case, just before the pruning machine reaches the root of the trunk, the operator grasps the clutch lever 51 and rotates it counterclockwise about the pivot 52 until the pawl 57 engages the latch tooth 58.

The clutch pawl 45 is pushed down and disengaged from the bevel gear 35 and maintained in a neutral position, thereby stopping rotation of the crawler belt device and stopping the pruning machine.

As explained above, the present invention includes a crawler belt device,
It is installed on the main frame between the upper and lower guide wheels installed on a pair of frames that open and close with respect to the main frame, and when installed on the trunk, exerts a downward rotational moment on the frame assembly using the upper guide wheels as a fulcrum. This tends to keep the crawler belt device in constant contact with the trunk of the tree, thereby positioning the pruning machine in a stable position relative to the trunk.

Like the guide wheels, the crawler belt device is arranged with a helical lead angle, and since it contacts the trunk with a large contact surface, it gives the pruning machine a reliable helical turning motion without slipping against the trunk.

The drive system of the crawler belt device, since the housing unit containing the engine unit and the cutting device has a drive shaft for the drive pulley of the crawler belt device, which drive shaft is inclined at an angle corresponding to the crawler belt device nodal angle. The structure becomes extremely simple.

Further, according to the present invention, the housing unit is swingably attached to the main frame on the axis of the inclined drive shaft, and the center of gravity of the housing unit is located outside the vertical plane including the inclined axis. Because of L, a rotational moment is generated in the housing unit that moves the cutting device closer to the trunk. Therefore, the cutting device constantly approaches the trunk due to this rotational moment and the reaction force around the drive shaft, and the cutting device moves the branch closer to the trunk. Cut close to.

Thus, the present invention does not require any biasing device to move the cutting device closer to the trunk.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a power automatic pruning machine according to the present invention, and FIG.
The figure is a side view of the pruning machine seen from the crawler belt device side.
Figure 3 is a plan view showing a section of a part of Uzing, Figure 4.
The figure is a sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 3. 3... Main frame, 4, 5... Opening/closing frame, 2
0... Guide wheel, 23... Crawler belt device, 24... Drive shaft, 29...
Housing unit, engine unit, 31...
...Cutting device. 30...

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A frame assembly including a main frame and a pair of opening/closing frames pivotally connected to the main frame so as to be openable and closable, and a state in which these opening/closing frames are closed with respect to the main frame while surrounding the trunk of a standing tree. a device connected to the
A pair of upper and lower guide wheels provided on each of the opening/closing frames are in contact with one side of the trunk of a standing tree and have a lead angle, and a pair of upper and lower guide wheels are in contact with the other side of the trunk and have a similar lead angle between the upper and lower guide wheels. A crawler belt device attached to the main frame,
A powered automatic pruning machine comprising a housing unit on a main frame having an engine unit and a cutting device at one end and a drive shaft for driving the crawler belt device at the other end. 2. The housing unit is swingably mounted on the main frame on an axis whose other end is in a plane parallel to the axis of the trunk and inclined at an angle corresponding to the lead angle of the crawler belt device with respect to the axis of the trunk; Claim 1, wherein the drive shaft is coaxial with the tilted axis, and further characterized in that the housing unit containing the engine and the cutting device is configured with a center of gravity outside a vertical plane containing the tilted axis. The power automatic pruning machine described. 3. A device for connecting the opening/closing frame to the main frame in a closed state has one end connected to one frame and the other end releasably connected to the buckle means provided on the other frame. An automatic power pruning machine according to claim 1, comprising a spring device. 4 The main frame consists of upper and lower U-shaped frame rods and connecting rods that interconnect these frame rods, and each opening/closing frame consists of a substantially U-shaped frame rod, and the ends of the frame rods connect the upper and lower ends at the connecting rods. An automatic power pruning machine according to claim 1, which is pivotally attached to the end of a U-shaped frame rod. 5. The drive shaft is supported by a bearing fixed to the lower U-shaped frame rod, and the housing unit has an upwardly protruding ear shaft at the other end, which is supported by a bearing fixed to the upper U-shaped frame rod. is swingably supported on the drive shaft,
A power automatic pruning machine according to claim 4.