US1125346A - Tree-felling machine. - Google Patents

Description

-P. R. KRAMER. TREE PEI-LING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR.11, 1912.

Patented Jan. 19, 1915.

.SQQ

PHILLIP R. KRAMER, OF BAY CITY, MICHIGAN.

TREE-FELLING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 19, 1915.

Application filed April 11, 1912. Serial No. 689,961.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILLIP R. KRAMER, citizen of the United States, residing at Bay City, in the county of Bay and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tree-Felling Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to motor-driven machines for felling trees and has special reference to the means whereby the saw a support may be detachably connected to the motor frame.

A preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and is hereinafter fully described, and the invention consists in certain novel features particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, which are to be taken as a part of this specification, Figure l is an elevation of my improved machine showing it arranged to cut down a tree; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the saw arranged to cut through a log or fallen tree; Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the bracket by which the saw support is secured to the engine.

In carrying out my invention, I employ an engine of the internal combustion type having a crank case constructed with a depending bracket 5, having rings. or ears 6 formed thereon to receive a supporting post or pin 7, which has a tapered or pointed lower end 8 adapted to rest in a cup or socket 9, which may be secured to a board 10 or a skid or other convenient base. The motor will thus be supported so that it may be given a slight rocking motion as may he demanded by the work to be done, while at the same time slipping of the engine will be prevented.

Upon the crank case of the engine, I secure or form bosses or bearing brackets 20, in which is journaled a crank shaft 21 having a crank 22 at one end. This crank 22 is connected by a link 23 to an oscillating bar :24, pivotally connected at its upper end 25 to the engine cylinder 26 and having its lower end equipped with a stud or pin. A pitman 28 is provided at one end with a U-shaped member or hook 29 adapted to engage over said stud, the said hook or member 29 having a swiveled connection with the pitman.

The opposite end of the pitman is pivotally attached to a block 34 which constitutes a pivotal connection between the pitman and a saw-actuating cross-head, being equipped with a pin or stud 37 passing through the said cross-head, as'will be readily under stood. This cross-head is slidably mounted upon parallel bars or tubes 38 and an oscillatory saw holder is pivotally secured upon the upper side of the cross-head by means of a centrally depending stud indicated at 40. The saw 41 is rigidly secured upon the upper side of the oscillatory saw holder and the parallel bars or tubes 38, which form guides for the crosshead, have their ends nearer the motor inserted through and brazed, or otherwise rigidly secured, to the sleeves or straps 43 which constitute a portionof the saw support, and the crosshead is provided with longitudinal cleats or sleeves 86* to fit around and slide on said guides. Between the guide bars 38, a larger tube or bar 44 is inserted in and secured rigidly to the sleeves, blocks or straps 43 and the opposite end of the said bar 44 is fitted over a cylindrical arm 45, projecting from a casting or bracket 46 which is adapted to fit against the underside of a bracket 48 at the lower end of the bracket 5 on the engine frame. A collar or reinforcing band 49 around the end of the bar 44 carries a set-screw 50 adapted to clamp the said bar firmly upon the arm or projection 45 so that the said bar 44 will be firmly secured in its adjusted position. The casting or bracket 46 is adapted to fit snugly against the underside of the bracket 48, which is preferably integral with the lower end of the member 5 and through the bracket 46 is formed a slot 51, the under face of the bracket around the said slot being beveled, as indicated at 52, to form cam faces, which will guide the head of the supporting bolt or rod to the said slot when it is desired to release the saw support. Recesses or openings 53 are provided in the upper side of the said bracket 46 to receive dowel pins de pending from the bracket 48, and thereby prevent twisting of the said bracket 46 relative to the bracket 48, as will be readily understood.

The bracket 46 is held to the bracket 48 by a sustaining rod 55, rotatably mounted in the bracket 48 and a guide 48 and held against dropping by nuts 56 mounted on the rod and engaging the upper face of the bracket 48, as clearly shown in Figs l and 2. The lower end of the supporting bar or rod is formed with a T-head 57 adapted to pass through the slot 51 and engage the under face of the bracket 46 and thereby hold the same in its raised position, as will be readily understood; The said bar is equipped with a handle 58 at its upper extremity, whereby when it is desired to release the saw, the rod may be given a quarter turn to bring the T-head 57 into aline- Inent with the slot 51, whereupon thesaw support will at once drop. If the hook member 29 be now lifted from its engage ment with thestud on the bar 24, the saw and its support will be entirelyfree of the motor, which may be then carried to another point. l V

A guide bar 59 is rigidly 'mduntedon the saw support at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the same, as shown clearly in Fig. 2, and upon this guide baris slidably fitted a sleeve 60, to which is pivotally attached the free end of a link or bar 61,;which is rigid with the oscillating saw holdei'. As the cross-head is reeiprocated the link 61 will be moved longitudinally and through its connection with the sleeve 60, sliding upon the relatively inclined guide 59, will be caused to swing outwardly about the stud 40, so that an oscillatory or rocking motion will be imparted to the saw.

To the outer ends of the parallel guide bars 38, I secure a guide block 62 to receive the saw blade 41,- so as to support and guide the same, the guide block being provided on its underside with hollow bosses 64: to re ceive the ends of the guide bars. To the guide block 62, I pivotally secure a bracket 66 which carries a brace 68 extending to a point adjacent to the free end of the saw blade where it is equipped with a clip or guide 70 embracing the saw blade in the same manner as the guide block 62 engages the same, whereby the blade will be held against buckling as it enteifs" and-passes through the tree. After the blade has passed into the tree sufliciently to be supported by the kerf, the brace 68 is swung around to a position adjacent to the supporting guide bars 38 and the clip 70 engaged over a; lug 71 on one of the straps or castings 43. W 7' A The gasolene tank 76 communicates through any suitable conductor with a carbureter arranged in any preferred manner and is supported above the eylinder by a tube or post 7 8 rising therefrom and passing through the tank to be secured thereto by any convenient means.

The post 78 is provided at its upper end with a plurality of sockets or hollow arms 80,- one of which projects upwardly and receives a handle 81. The remaining sockets or hollow bosses are disposed laterally and adapted to receive a handle 82, as shown. hen the device is in use to fell a tree, the operator by grasping the handle 81 and pressing down on the same holds the engine to its support and by pulling backwardly on the handle 82 holds the saw to its work. When the saw has advanced through the tree to such an extent that the telling wedge may be inserted or the tree begins to fall, the saw and its support is disconnected from V the engine in the manner previously described, after which the handle 81 is released and engaged in one of the lateral' sockets, so that the operator and an assistant may quickly move the engine to a point out of the way of the falling tree. It is to be'understood, of course, that a handle may be permanently secured in each of the lat eral sockets, so that the fraction of time otherwise needed for the shifting of the upright handle from the vertical socket to the lateral socket will be saved. I

The crank shaft 83 of the engine is eX- tended from the crank case and is equipped with a fly wheel 84: in the usual manner.

Through suitable gearing the motion of the driving shaft is iinparted to a gearwheel 102 on the crank shaft 21 so that said shaft will be rotated and the bar 24 oscillated through the cranks 23 and 2 1. The saw will thus be reciprocated so as to perform its work.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is p In a tree-felling machine, the combination of an engine, a saw arranged at one side of the engine, a saw support having one end bearing against the frame of the engine, and

a supporting rod mounted in the engine frame and engaging the saw support to detachably connect the same to the engine frame.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of. tWO witnesses.

, PHILLIP R. KRAMER. [as] Witnesses: 7

JOHN E, KINNANE,

CLARA B. THOMAS.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by' addressing the Commissioner of iatents',

' Washington, D. G.

Images