NZ286992A - Remotely controlled milling apparatus; chainsaw conveyed and guided along remotely controlled conveyor - Google Patents

Description

$11 t IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO MILLS technical field This invention relates to mills.

BACKGROUND ART The present invention has uses in any milling application, however in this specification reference will usually be made to portable lumber mills including a chainsaw attachment device. However the scope of the present invention should not be limited to this particular application.

Traditionally logging and milling of trees have been carried out in 10 separate physical locations. This has the disadvantage that significant time and energy must be spent transporting felled trees from the logging site to the milling site. To overcome this disadvantage portable lumber mills have been developed to enable logs to be milled in the same environment in which they are felled, thus saving significant time and 15 energy.

In portable lumber mills chainsaws are typically used to mill the fallen trees. Chainsaw ergines are remarkably versatile as energy sources, and have extremely efficient power to weight ratios. For example modern saw engines produce about 0.5 to 0.8 kilowatts of power per kilogram of 20 weight. This ratio is the second highest power to weight ratio of any engine, second only to a formula one racing car.

Conventional portable lumber mills suffer from several disadvantages. \ For example, it is preferable to be able to mill the trees exactly where they have fallen, a process which eliminates the need for heavy expensive 2 286992 equipment to move the tree after felling. Several conventional lumber mills although portable, may only operate in limited environments. For example conventional portable mills do not often operate effectively on rough terrain or rugged ground. It would be an advantage to provide a 5 truly portable lumber mill operable in any environment.

Conventional lumber mills are also typically difficult to operate. Often lumber mills require more than one person to operate them, and typically one of these people must be positioned near the chainsaw while it is being operated. This has the disadvantage that sawdust and noise from the 10 saw present a significant health hazard, and it is typically inconvenient for the operator to use the saw in these conditions. A chainsaw whereby the operator is remote from the cutting blade would be a significant advantage over current lumber mills.

A lumber mill which is environmentally friendly would also be a 15 significant advantage. The operation of logging and subsequent milling can significantly damage the environment in which it is carried out. A lumber mill which minimises damage to the environment would be a significant advantage over current lumber mills.

Further, a lumber mill which does not necessitate any modifications for 20 attachment to a chainsaw would also be a significant advantage. This enables the chainsaw to be used on and off the mill without significant delay caused by modifying the chainsaw for its particular use. Further it enables the mill to be sold as a separate unit from the chainsaw, thus minimising cost to the purchaser.

One current lumber mill available on the market, which is commonly called the Granberg mill, is described in US Patent No. 3965788. The 3 28 6 9 92 Granberg mill is a portable mill whereby a chainsaw is mounted upon a length of track, and a handle is provided on the mounting for movement of the chainsaw. This unit suffers from many disadvantages.

One such disadvantage is that the operator in the Granberg mill must be 5 located close to the cutting element of the chainsaw. This is a significant safety hazard in that unwise movements by the operator may result in physical harm to him or her. Also sawdust from the cutting process may interfere with the operator's vision, thus hindering accurate manipulation of the saw. Noise from the cutting operation is also a 10 significant hearing hazard.

In addition to these disadvantages, the operator of the Granberg mill must use both hands while operating the mill. Typically one hand is located on the handle, while the other hand is used to stabilise the saw. A lumber mill whereby the operator may have a free hand, and where 15 stabilisation of the saw is not necessary would be a considerable advantage over the Granberg mill as it would give the operator less tasks to occupy him or her, thus freeing the operator to concentrate on the cutting process.

Another problem in the Granberg mill is kick back and vibration. With 20 the operator being close to the saw, kick back of the saw or vibration from the handle may damage the operator's hands.

Finally a further disadvantage of the Granberg mill is that it is supplied as a multi-piece unit, which requires assembly before use. Typically the guide tracks in the Granberg mill, and any supporting members are 25 supplied separately, and must be physically attached to a flat surface, such as a piece of timber before use. A lumber mill whereby guide units 4 286 9 92 and stabilisation means are provided in a single moulded unit would save considerable set-up time.

Other patents, such as New Zealand Patent No.s 217710, 210430, 204533, 198944,197858,197296,197182,160208,129387 and 89280 have all attempted to provide a portable and easy to use timber mill. However none of these patents describe a mill whereby stabilisation of the saw is automatically achieved, with the operator being remote from the cutting mechanism of the saw.

Further none of the above patents describe a saw whereby the engine 10 speed of the saw may be remotely controlled. Such a device would have a considerable safety and practical advantage, as the operator does not need to risk coming close to the cutting member of the saw to activate or deactivate it.

New Zealand Patent No. 54980 related to a bench adapted to allow back and forth movement of a circular saw along a track. The bench was powered by an electrical motor, and supports the operator during motion. Hie operator is positioned close to the saw. This specification includeis mention of a means of moving a saw by a rope type arrangement. However this system is not remotely operatable by an operator. Further the system is not truly portable and suffers from many disadvantage as discussed above.

It is an object of the present invention to address the foregoing problems or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.

Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become 25 apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only. 286 9 92 PISCLOSUBE OF INVENTION According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a milling apparatus including a guiding means and a conveying means, said conveying means including a device for attaching a cutting 5 apparatus, a first mounting means to allow motion of said conveying means along said guiding means, and a first receiving means, said guiding means including a second receiving means, said first and second receiving means acting together to stabilise the motion of said conveying means along said guiding means.

Throughout this specification the terms guiding means and conveying means will be referred to as a track and carriage respectively. The cutting apparatus shall be referred to as a chainsaw. It should be appreciated however that use of these terms is not intended to limit the scope of this specification.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention the second receiving means included in the track may be U-shaped, preferably with an upright of the "U" rotated 90°, so that the "U" lies on its side, to resemble a "C". Any other shape may also be used. In the remainder of this specification we will refer, without intention to limit the scope of this 20 specification, to the second receiving means as a "U-shaped channel".

In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention the track may include a second mounting means in addition to the U-shaped channel. This second mounting means may include any device whereby the first mounting means of the carriage may be mounted on or inserted into the 25 track. In preferred embodiments the second mounting means may be configured in an inverted V-shape, although other shapes may be used. 6 286 9 92 This may be positioned on one extremity of the track, although any other position may also be used. In the remainder of this specification, we will refer to the second mounting means as an inverted V-shaped channel, without any intention to limit the scope of the specification by this 5 terminology.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention the U and V-shaped channels may be joined by a flat member, and thus may be formed from a single piece of material. Thus the track may be sold as a single unit, overcoming disadvantages in the prior art whereby analogous tracks 10 were sold in multiple pieces.

In further preferred embodiments of the present invention the U and inverted V-shaped channels may be mounted on a rectangular box, which may be hollow. This box may be made from any material, although preferably steel or other metal will be used.

A track including U and inverted V-shaped channels joined together, overcomes several disadvantages. As will be seen later, the U-shaped channels may serve to act as a stabilisation means for the chainsaw when in operation. This frees one hand of the chainsaw operator, which * makes use of the mill more comfortable and safe. Additionally, set up 20 time is reduced as a flat surface is already provided in the track. As will be seen later, this flat surface is useful in securing against a log prior to the milling operation, eliminating the need for the operator to do this manually, which has been a significant time consuming process.

In further preferred embodiments of the present invention there may be 25 included a carriage including an inverted V-shaped first mounting means for placing over the inverted V-shaped channel in the track. This 7 28 6 9 allows the carriage to be moved along the track. This motion will typically be a sliding motion, although other motions may be possible.

A first receiving means, which may be a bearing mounted upon a rod may also be provided as part of the carriage. Insertion of this bearing 5 into the U-shaped channel of the track may secure the carriage onto the track and prevent necessity for the operator to manually stabilise the carriage. Specifically insertion of this receiving means into the U-shaped channel may prevent rotational movement of the carriage about a pivot point located near the inverted V-shaped channel in the track. 10 Prevention of such rotational movement stabilises the carriage, and makes the milling operation significantly safer.

In further preferred embodiments of the present invention the carriage may include a device for attaching a chainsaw. Preferably this may be a clamp included on part of the carriage. This clamp may receive the 15 chainsaw bar and be securable by a bolt or bolts which may be done up reducing the distance between clamping surfaces, and thus trapping the chainsaw inside the clamp. Other clamping means may also be used.

In preferred embodiments the carriage may be designed so that it may travel smoothly over the track. For example, a balancing means on the 20 carriage may be provided. In most embodiments of the present invention only one track is provided, although multiple tracks may be used if necessary.

To mill logs using the present invention, a substantially flat surface may be cut in a felled log. The track is then placed upon the flat surface and the chainsaw attached to the carriage. The carriage is then mounted upon the track. The carriage may then run up and dovro the track-in 8 28 6 9 9 2 what is preferably a straight line, although the actual shape of the motion is governed by the shape of the track. This however, is usually straight.

The log can then be milled as the operator of the lumber mill can make repeated straight cuts in the log at any desired width, which is the 5 essence of milling. Typically the operator will make an initial cut in the log to remove unwanted semi-circular parts of the log. A second cut is then made and a substantially board-like portion of the log is removed. The edges of this board are trimmed by any means, and then loaded onto a carrying device. This operation is repeated many times, enabling the 10 lumber mill operator to mill a felled log without removal of the log from the position in which it was felled.

By removing necessity for any heavy stand equipment, and by incorporating only a track and carriage, which typically can be made very compactly, the present lumber mill is operable in virtually, any 15 environment, and can do so in an environmentally friendly way.

In alternative embodiments of the present invention the step described above of cutting a flat surface in a felled log may not be carried out. The present invention may also be operable by directly placing the mill on a felled log and either cutting a flat surface using the mill or securing the 20 mill to the log in some other way. Other modifications of the process described above may also be carried out, and the scope of the specification should extend to similar methods.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a mill including a guiding means, conveying means and a motive means, 25 said conveying means including a device for attaching a cutting apparatus and a mounting means, said mounting means allowing 9 28 6 9 92 motion of said conveying means along said guiding means, said motive means allowing control of said motion by remote means.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention the motive means may be a winch or similar device. This winch may be located at one end of the track, and is preferably maintained a sufficient distance away from the chainsaw so that sawdust, noise, or other safety hazards do not lead to safety problems. A rope may be attached from the winch to the carriage, enabling the carriage to be moved up and down the track by winding and unwinding of the winch. Other motive means may also be used.

In alternative embodiments of the present invention there may be provided two winches, one at each end of the track. However it is envisaged that the carriage need only be moved in one direction while the chainsaw is operating, and thus in many embodiments a second winch may be superfluous.

By providing a remote method for enabling movement of the carriage, the mill operator enjoys several advantages over operators of current mills. In addition to safety advantages, the current unit is faster to use, as the mill operator does not have to change position during the cutting operation. Also, if a tree is felled over a barrier such as a river, the operator does not have to traverse this barrier during milling.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a mill including a guiding means, conveying means and a motive means, said conveying means including a device for attaching a cutting apparatus and a mounting means to allow motion of said conveying % means along said guiding means, said motive means or conveying means allowing the control of said cutting apparatus by remote means.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention there may be provided a cable attachment from the carriage to the throttle of the chainsaw. As the motive means is operated, for example by winding the winch handle, the cable may change its length, and may activate the throttle of the 5 chainsaw. When the tension is taken from the winch rope, it is envisaged that the cable length will return to normal, and the throttle of the chainsaw will return to an idle position.

Various other means of controlling the operation of the chainsaw may be used. For example, there may be provided a cable separate from the 10 winch rope for operation of the chainsaw throttle, or any other suitable means.

It should be appreciated that by remote control of the chainsaw throttle, a significant safety hazard in having to go near the chainsaw to turn it on or off is removed. Further this enables the lumber mill to be fully 15 operable remotely, which gives it many of the advantages discussed earlier.

Brief Description of Drawings Further aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only and with 20 reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front view of a preferred embodiment of the track in the present invention; Figure 2 is a top view of a preferred embodiment of a carriage in the present invention; 11 88 992 Figure 3 is a front view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention as used in milling of a log.

Best Modes for Carrying out the Invention With respect to Figure 1 there is illustrated a track 1.

Included in track 1 is an inverted V-shaped portion 2 and a rotated U-shaped portion 3. These portions are joined by a flat segment 4.

As an alternative to flat portion 4, a box attachment 5 (shown by the dotted 10 lines) may be used to join portions 2 and 3 of track 1.

By providing a flat segment 4 or box attachment 5, portions 2 and 3 of track 1 can be placed on a flat portion of a felled log (not shown). This eliminates the time consuming step of separately attaching similar portions in the prior art to a flat surface, which is then placed on the 15 felled tree. Thus the present invention enjoys a significant advantage over the prior art. r With regard to Figure 2 there is illustrated a carriage 10.

Carriage 10 includes two bar portions 11 which are aligned perpendicular to rod portions 12. At one end of rod portions 12 are 20 provided bearings 13 which may be rotatable.

In between bar. portions 11 are provided clamping plates 14. The ^ ' separation of these plates is controlled by bolts 15, which may be tightened or loosened altering the distance between plates 14. 12 23 6 9 92 Comparison with the Granberg mill shows that bearings 13, which are designed to be inserted into-the rotated U-shaped portion 3 of Figure 1, are provided as an integral part of carriage 10. This was not done in the Granberg mill, and led to stabilisation problems.

With regard to Figure 3 there is illustrated a view of one embodiment of the present invention indicated by arrow 20.

In this embodiment carriage 10 is mounted upon track 1 as shown. The mounting consists of bar 11 being placed upon the inverted V-shaped portion 2 of track 1. This enables the carriage to be moved up and down 10 the track 1 during milling.

In addition to this mounting means, bearing 13 is placed inside rotated U-shaped portion 3. As the bearing may rotate or slide, sliding motion of the carriage 10 is not inhibited, however rotational movement of the carriage 10 is prevented. One should note that overhang 21 of rotated U-15 shaped portion 3 is configured so that bearing 13 fits closely inside rotated U-shaped portion 3.

In particular, during operation of the lumber mill, when chainsaw blade 22 is being used to divide log 23 into vertical portions, substantial rotation or kick back of the chainsaw may lead to rotational movement of carriage 20 10 around pivot point 2. In previous inventions this leads to stabilisation problems of the carriage. However one can see that in the present invention contact of bearing 13 with overhang 21 will prevent any rotation around pivot point 2, thus stabilising the carriage unit.

With regard to Figure 4 there is illustrated one embodiment 30 of the 25 present invention as used in lumber cutting. 28 6 9 92 Winch 31 is attached to carriage 10 via a rope 35. Rope 35 is wound around a pulley 40 and attached to carriage 10. Carriage 10, as in Figure 3, is mounted upon track 1 and chainsaw 34 attached to carriage 10 via clamping means (not shown). The entire device iB mounted upon a log 33 5 which is to be milled.

Mounted inside chainsaw handle 37 is a throttle switch 38 (see inset 1). When tension is applied to rope 35, cable 36 is shortened, thus pulling down throttle switch 38, extending return spring 39 and powering the chainsaw 34. When tension is removed from the rope 35, return spring 39 10 returns to its usual length, causing throttle switch 38 to return to an idle position.

By the means described above, chainsaw 34 is both remotely movable and remotely operable. Thus the operator of the chainsaw can mill felled trees while remaining distant from chainsaw 34, ensuring the operator's 35 safety and comfort while using the device.

Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only and it should be appreciated that modifications and additions may be made thereto without departing from the scope thereof as defined in the accompanying claims. 14

Claims (21)

286992 WHAT I CMJM IS;

1 Ancillary milling apparatus including a guiding means, conveying means and a motive means, the conveying means adapted to allow motion of the conveying means along the guiding means, with the conveying means being adapted to receive a motorised cutting means, the motive means adapted to allow control of the motion of the conveying means by remote means, the motive means including a winch and winch cable, and whereby tensioning of the winch cable activates a throttle control of the motorised cutting means.

2. Ancillary milling apparatus as claimed in claim 1 which includes controlling means to control cutting apparatus independent of the operation of the motive means.

3. Ancillary milling apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 or 2 where the motive means is located at one end of the ancillary milling apparatus.

4 Ancillary milling apparatus as claimed in claims 1 or 2 whereby the motive means includes two winches to allow remote control motion of the conveying means in two directions.

5. Ancillary milling apparatus as claimed in claim 1 which includes a control cable attached to the winch cable which, when tensioned by the winch cable controls the cutting means. 16-JXf lit 286992

6. Ancillary milling apparatus as claimed in claim 5 whereby the control cable is attached to a throttle control of the motorised cutting means.

7. Ancillary milling apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the motorised cutting means is a chainsaw.

8. Ancillary milling apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the conveying means capable of motion along the guiding means, the guiding means adapted to restrict the motion of the conveying means to be substantially along the guiding means, whereby the conveying means includes a first receiving means adapted to interact with the guiding means to stabilise the motion of the conveying means, and the guiding means includes a second receiving means adapted to partially enclose the first receiving means of the conveying means.

9. Ancillary milling apparatus as claimed in claim 8 whereby the conveying means includes an attachment device for a cutting apparatus.

10. Ancillary milling apparatus as claimed in claim 9 whereby the attachment device is a clamp.

11. Ancillary milling apparatus as claimed in claim 10 whereby the second receiving means is a channel.

12. Ancillary milling apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11 whereby the conveying means and guiding means include complementary mounting means to stabilise the motion of the conveying means. /v WA .. ."V & . la 6- 703$ * r* j v/ 286992

13. Ancillary milling apparatus as claimed in claim 12 whereby the mounting means of at least one of the conveying means or guiding means is a channel.

14 Ancillary milling apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13 whereby the conveying means may slide over the guiding means.

15. Ancillary milling apparatus as claimed in claim 14 whereby the guiding means is adapted to stabilise the motion of the conveying means.

16. Ancillary milling apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15 whereby the guiding means and conveying means include complementary receiving means to stabilise the motion of the conveying means.

17. A method of milling objects including the use of ancillary milling apparatus, the milling apparatus including a guiding means, a conveying means and a motive means, the conveying means being adapted to receive a motorised cutting means the motive means adapted to allow control of the motion of the conveying means via a remote means, the remote means including a winch and cable, whereby tensioning of the winch cable activates a throttle control of the motorised cutting means, the method including the steps of: a) placing the guiding means on the object to be milled, and b) mounting the conveying means on the guiding means, and c) attaching the motorised cutting means to the conveyu ""22T "■ 1 ^ £ . , p. .* 286992 T d) controlling the activation of the motorised cutting means via tensioning of the winch cable.

18. A method of milling objects as claimed in claim 17 whereby the guiding means includes at least one receiving means or mounting means to stabilise the motion of the conveying means.

19. A method of milling objects as claimed in any of claims 17 or 18 whereby the conveying means moves in substantially a straight line.

20. A ancillary milling apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

21. A method of milling objects substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings. MICHAEL THOMAS FULCHER by his Attorneys JAMES & WELLS & ■y* \ *5 *< -•J / ' - // s & 'V'V i* * «.A,. !• v. 1986 lit' *