US3011651A - Log loader - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 5, 1961 s. s. MCINTYRE, SR

LOG LOADER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 15. 1959 Lu w i Q NW gm N Dec. 5, 1961 s. s. MCINTYRE, SR 3,011,651

LOG LOADER Filed June 15, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 610N127 5.M /HTYRE R flrralalv Dec. 5, 1961 s. s. MCINTYRE, sR 3,011,651

LOG LOADER Filed June 15. 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet s I I v. a, lvllllllnvllllll, V l I I 1 I INV EN TOR.

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LOG LOADER Filed June 15, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Uted States Patent 3,011,651 L6G LQADER Sidney S. McIntyre, Sn, Sedro Woolley, Wash, assignor to The Hum hoit Company, Seattle, Wash, a corporation oi Washington Filed June 15, 1959, Ser. No. 82ll,l.7 6 Claims. (Cl. 212-=7l This invention relates to improvements in log loaders and particularly to any of those motorized, mobile types equipped with a heeling boom from the outer end of which a logging cable may be payed'out for connection at its outer end, to a log and the log then lifted, by winding in the cable, and heeled against the boom for loading it onto a car or truck; such machines being typified by that of United States patent issued on May 15, 1956, under No. 2,745,559 to S. S. McIntyre.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a mechanism designed for its attachment to a log loader of the general character of that disclosed by the United States patent above mentioned, which mechanism coniprises an extenda'ole and retractable arm mounted by the heeling boom, and equipped at its outer end with log gripping and lifting tongs and to which arm the logging cable or haul-in line is so attached that, after the arm has been extended and the tongs holdingly applied to a log, the log can be drawn in, heeled against the boom and loaded onto a truck without any material part of the load having to be sustained by the extended outreaching arm.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an attachment mechanism for a log loader of the character above stated, which comprises a trackway, that is fixedly secured to the heeling boom as a guide and track for supporting the inner end portion of the outreaching arm for its extending and retracting action.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide the extendable outreaching arm with a swivel mounting or support at its outer end for attachment of the tongs; a pull cable for opening the tongs and novel mounting means for the outreaching arm that permits it to be adjusted laterally at its outer end to dispose the tongs for easy application to a log that may not be exactly aligned with the boom.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism that permits the lifting, heeling and loading of logs thereby without requiring the usual up and down adjustments of the heeling boom.

A further object of the invention is to provide the present log loading machine with a novel form or" guying tower and strap for additional support of the boom that makes possible the handlin of logs of greater than normal weight and without causing damaging strain on the turntable mounting parts.

Still further objects of the invention reside in the provision of a forwardly and downwardly inclined trackway for the outreaching arm whereby its outward adjustment disposes the log lifting tongs in position for easy application to a log without dipping the healing boom.

Still further advantages of the present invention reside in the details of construction of its parts; in their functional relationship and in the mode of use and opera.- tion of the machine, as will hereinafter be described.

in accomplishing these and other objeots of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a mobile log loader equipped with a heeling boom to which the present attachment mechanism, including the trackway, the outreaching arm and guying tower, have been applied.

FIG. 2 is a top, or plan view of the extendable and retractable outreaching arm and its mounting guideway 0r trackway; also indicating therein, in dash lines, the extending of the arm, and the lateral movement or ad justment of its tong carrying end.

PEG. 3 is a side view of parts of the present attachment device showing the means for and manner of mounting the rear end portion of the trackway, and also showing the mounting of the rear end portion of the outreaching arm for guided travel therealong.

FIG. 4 is a plan, or top View, of a portion of the trackway and end portion of the outreaching arm mounted thereon, as seen when looking therethrough the plane of line 4l4 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 4a is a detail of the mounting means at one side of the outreaching arm.

FIG. 5 is a side View of the outer end portion of the heeling boom and partially retracted outreaching arm showing the attachment of the log lifting cable, or haul in line, and the log lifting tongs to the outer end portion of the outreaching arm. Also showing the tong opening cable.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken on line 66 in FIG. 3 at one side of the boom.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the outer end portion of he extendable arm, taken on the line 7- in H6. 2.

FlG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 88 in FIG. 5, and showing the tongs in opened position.

FIG. 9 is a schematic showing of cables for controlling the action of the outreaching arm and tongs and haul in line.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged side elevation of the guying tower and the yielding brace frame structure as associated therewith.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged detail, partly in section, of the upper end portion of the guying tower and its brace frame, looking through the plane of the line 11Zi1 in FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of the lower end portion of the brace frame as seen in looking through the plane of line 12-12 in FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 is a cross-section taken on line 13-13 in FIG. 1, showing the relationship of the guideway rails to the heeling boom and the relationship of the side members of the outreaching arm to the boom and trackway.

FIG. 14 is a schematic illustration of tong line controlling drum and clutch.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

In FIG. 1, I have shown a present day type of log loader, comprising a motorized and wheel supported base structure 1% on which an upper frame structure 12 is mounted for turntable movement by mechanism under control of an operator stationed on said upper structure 12. The upper structure 12 comprises a machinery mounting base or platform 13 supported for rotative movement by a roller bearing mounting structure, designated in its entirety by reference numeral 14; this latter preferably being in accordance with the subject matter of US. patent, issued under No. 2,838,183 on June 10, 1958.

Mounted on the platform 13 of the upper frame struc ture, by means of transversely aligned horizontal hinge pins 15h, is the inner end of a log heeling boom 15 of typical construction, that is adapted to be raised and lowered under control of the operator by cable winding means on platform 13 in conjunction with a cable system, designated at 16. This boom is equipped at the top side of its outer end in a suitable way with the usual fairleader block 17 through which the logging cable, or

haul in line, designated by numeral 18, is extended, as presently more fully described. The boom 15 is here shown to be of an angular form and provides that in the normal operation for loading a log, the inner end of the log is heeled against the under angle or under surface of the boom, as has been indicated in dash lines in FIG. 1.

It is usually the case, in the use of a log loader of this type, that the log lifting cable, or haul-in line 18, is equipped at its outer end with a pair of tongs and these are adapted to be dropped directly downward by the haul-in line from the fairleader 17 and are applied by a workman to the selected log. Therefore, the working radius of a' machine, at any setting, is normally limited to the reach of the boom 15 unless the cable and tongs are mechanically thrown out or are manually drawn out and the tongs carried to those logs which are normally beyond boom reach. Devices now known as slack pullers or cable throwers have been employed with some degree of success but their use has not yet eliminated the requirement of the tong setting logger. In view of this, it has been one of the primary objects of this invention to provide novel means for materially extending the working radius of machines of the above type. This present attachment means not only extends the normal working radius of the log loading machine but also makes possible the loading of heavier logs and has made possible the elimination of at least two workmen in normal log loading operations.

Referring again to FIG. 1, it is therein shown that a trackway is rigidly fixed to the outer end portion of the eeling boom and extends therealong in a downwardly inclined relationship thereto. This trackway, or guideway, comprises coextensive, laterally spaced and parallel beams 20-20 of channel-form, disposed at opposite sides of the heeling boom 15 and fixed thereto with the channel sides facing outwardly therefrom, as shown best in FIGS. 6 and 13, to serve as guides, or trackways for supporting rollers that are mounted by the inner ends of the opposite side members of the outreaching arm, as will presently be explained. The forward ends of these channel beams, 20-20, terminate closely adjacent the fairleader end of the heeling boom and, at their inner ends, terminate slightly within the vertical plane of the hinged end of the heeling boom, as will be understood by reference to their showing in FIG. 1. I

The present outreaching arm, as associated with the trackway forming channel beams 20-20 comprises an elongated rigid yoke like frame, as shown in FIG. 2, made up of paired and coextensive opposite side members 22-22 of tubular form, which are disposed at the opposite sides of the boom 15 and guideway to extend therealong, and which are slightly divergent from their inner to their outer ends and, at their outer ends, are each equipped with an inwardly directed portion 22a; these latter portions being rigidly joined together at their forward ends by a short, interposed box-frame 24 which is shown in FIG. 2 and also is seen enlarged in crosssection in FIG. 7. At their inner ends, each of the opposite side members 22 is equipped with a supporting wheel or roller 25 which, as shown in enlarged crosssection in FIG. 6, is mounted for rotation on an inwardly and horizontally extending stub shaft 26 mounted by a plate or casting 27 that is fixed by a universal joint member 27 to the inner end portion of the corresponding side member 22, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 4a. The two rollers 25-25, as applied to the opposite side members 22-22, are mounted for travel along and within the opposite channel beams 20-20 respectively, as in FIG. 6, for the extension and retractive movement of the outreaching arm; as presently explained.

At its outer or forward end, the frame comprising the outreaching arm is supported by the attachment thereto of the outer end of the haul-in or main line 18; this supporting connection being well shown in FIGS. 1, and 7. In FIG. 7, it is shown that cable 18, as extending downwardly from the fairleader 17, is formed at its end with a closed loop 18' that receives therethrough a cross-pin 29 which is fixed in and extends horizontally between two laterally spaced arms or plates 30-30 that are formed with or are welded to the box 24 that is interposed between the forward ends of the parts 22a-22b. A pair of log lifting tongs 19 is suspended by the swivel 32 from the pin 29, as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, and thus the extending of the outreaching arm for application of the tongs to a log, as presently explained also pulls the haulin line or cable 18 outwardly therewith from its winding drum on platform 13. The tongs are suspended from the lower end eyelet of the swivel 32 by a clevis 34, and linkage as shown.

To retain the outreaching arm and the supporting rollers 25-25 as mounted at the inner ends of side members 25-25 in proper relationship to the beams, 20-20, each of the stub axle mounting frames or castings 27 is formed at its forward and rearward ends with bearings 36-36 each of which mounts therein a downwardly and inwardly directed stub ame 37 on which circumferentially grooved rollers 38-38 are mounted for rolling travel along the upper, inside corner edge of the corresponding beams 20, as in FIGS. 4a and 6. These paired rollers 38-38 at each side of the boom coact with the corresponding intermediate roller 25 to retain the inner ends of the opposite side members 22-22 of the outreaching frame properly supported from the channeled trackway rails or beams 20-20. I

It is also to be remembered that, as observed in FIGS. 4 and 4a, the inner ends of the side members 22--22 of the outreach frame are pivotally, attached to the frames 27, by the universal joints 27', thus to better permit the lateral play of the forward end of the outreach frame as presently explained, and which has been indicated in FIG. 2.

It has been shown in FIG. 1 that the inner end portion of each of the opposite side beams 20-20 of the trackway is rigidly supported from the boom by a three legged spider structure 39, as best shown in FIG. 3. These structures 39 are mounted on the top of the heeling boom, at directly opposite edges, at the junction of its angularly joined parts. The forward end portions of the two channel beams 20-20 are fixed to and supported from opposite sides of the forward end portion of the boom 15 by brackets 20' as in FIG. 13.

Assuming that the outreaching arm has been extended to a position as in dash lines in FIG. 1 and the tongs 19 at its outer end have been applied to a log for loading it; the log is then lifted by winding in the haul in line 18 in the usual way. By proper application of the tongs 19 to the log, the log can be caused, as lifted, to be heeled in the angle of the boom 15 or seated against its underside and then raised to a horizontal position for loading it onto a truck, or car. When properly over the truck, the cable 18 is slacked off or boom 15 lowered to deposit the log. Then, the tongs are opened and the boom 15 swung back for loading. The outreach arm is then caused to be extended, by cable means, presently described, thus to carry the tongs 19 and the cable 18 outwardly for the lifting of the next log. While it is not generally required that any upward or downward adjustment of the boom 15 be made for this loading, it may be done if found desirable or necessary to accommodate the tongs to the log or to accommodate the lifted log to the vehicle that is to receive it.

The releasing of the tongs 19 in this instance is accomplished by pull on a cable 40 that extends from a winding drum on the platform 13, along the boom 15, over a guide sheave or sheaves 41 at the outer end of the outreach arm, and then attached at its end to one tong of the pair of tongs 19, as shown atr42 in FIG. 8. Winding in of this line 40 opens the tongs, and causes their release from the log. The tongs may be retained in the open position of FIG. 8 until again properly positioned, by the extending of the outreach frame, for their application to a log.

The means herein employed for extending the outreach.- ing arm comprises a cable 45 that is wound on and extended from a cable winding drum 46 on the machine platform 13. This cable is usually the strawline of a typical yarder and is extended from the drum upwardly, over a guide sheave 47 at the upper end of the guying tower 48, presently to be described, thence forwardly over and along the boom 15, at a point near its forward end is joined, as at 48, in FIG. 9, with two cables 5il-50 which extend, respectively, over sheave wheels 51'51 mounted on the upper end of an A-frame 52 that is erected on the outer end of the heeling boom, and from these sheaves extend downwardly and about sheaves "53 and 53 mounted on the boom in alignment with the forward ends of the two channel beams 2020, thence rearwardly through cable guides 54 mounted in the forward ends of these beams, as seen in FIG. 5, along the arms 2-222 and are secured at their ends to the plates 27 and 27 at the rear ends of the opposite side members 252'5 of the outreach frame. The winding in of the cable 45 on drum 46 causes the outreach frame to be pulled outwardly along boom 15, and, by reason of the attachment of the haul-in line 18 to the outreach frame, the line 18 is simultaneously pulled out therewith. Controlled paying out of line 18 establishes a desired or proper elevation of the outer end of the outreach arm and controls the placing of the tongs 19 in proper relationship for their application to the selected log. During the operation of extending the outreaching arm, the tongs may be retained in open position and if necessary may be easily and properly positioned relative to the selected log by whatever lateral adjustment of the outer end of the outreach arm is required. The release of tension on the tong opening cable 46 permits the tongs to close over and be holdingly engaged with the log when the main line is wound in.

The lateral adjustment of the outer or extended end of the outreach frame in opposite directions is limited, and it is permitted by reason of the universal mountings 27 at its inner end.

To adapt the present machine for the lifting and loading of logs of greater weight, the upper structure 12 thereof is equipped with a guying and stabilizing mast or tower which has been designated generally, in FIG. 1, by reference numeral 48. This tower is shown in enlarged side view in FIG. 10. It is of A-frame construction and its two legs are pivoted at their lower ends, by transversely aligned, horizontal pivots 6161, to the rigid upper frame structure 13 as seen in FIG. 1. At its upper end, the tower is equipped for the attachment thereto of guy lines 63 which may be extended for anchoring at their outer ends to selected objects. The tower is additionally braced by an A-frame which, in FIG. 10, is designated in its entirety by reference numeral 65.

This brace has the lower ends of its opposite side legs pivoted by transversely aligned pivots 68 to the rigid frame structure 13, and it is inclined toward the upper end of the tower where it has pivotal connection therewith at 70, as will now be explained.

Mounted lengthwise of and rigidly in the lower portion of A-frame 65, as shown in FIG. 12, is a hydraulic cylinder 71 containing a piston 72 from which a piston rod 73 extends to the upper end of the A-frame 65 and there slidably passes through a bearing 75, see FIG. 11, at its ends and is pivotally connected as at 76, to a collar 76 that is applied about the upper end of tower 48. The cylinder 71 is filled with a hydraulic medium which is regulated by pressure controlled valve means in its passage from one side of the piston to the other. A tie strap or cable 77 is connected to and extended from collar 76 to the outer end of the boom and connected thereto as at 78 to give the additional support required for exceedingly heavy logs. When an extremely heavy log is lifted, the guyed tower and the hydraulic cylinder yield to take up slack in the guying lines 63. Thus, the tower 48 may be inclined under weight of the log to or toward the dash line showing in FIG. 10 but by reason of the pivotal mountings of the tower 48 and brace 65', as at 61 and 68, no twisting strain is transmitted to'the turntable mounting structure 14 which supports the upper frame structure from the base, structure. The strap connection between mast 48 and boom, as shown in FIG. 1, in consideration of the hinging of parts 48 and 65 removes all but the downed load from. the turntable.

In FIG. 14, I have lilustrated a hold and slip clutch means for the tong control line 40. This comprises a small drum 80 on which line 40 isto be Wound. This drum is operated in conjunction with the drum on which cable 45, for controlling movement of the extendable arm,'is mounted. When the latter cable is wound in to effect an extending movement of the arm, the tong line is permitted to slip. Then when the tongs are in position for gripping a log, the cable 40 is payed out from the drum 38 for closing the tongs. The tong cable is then caused to be wound in in accordance with retraction of the arm with the haul-in line so as not to release the log. It is shown in FIG. 14 that the drum clutch 81 is air operated under control of a manual valve mechanism 82.

I claim:

1. In a log loading machine, a boom, a fairleader mounted on the outer end of said boom, a trackway mounted on and extending along said boom, comprising a pair of laterally spaced channel beams fixed in parallel relationship along the boom and outwardly faced, an outreaching arm mounted by said boom for extension and retraction beyond the fairleader; said arm comprising a pair of laterally spaced opposite side members jointed at their forward ends, a carrier means pivotally mounted by the inner end of each side member for travel along the corresponding channel beam; each of said carrier means comprising a bracket that is pivotally mounted by its side member a stub axle mounted by and extended from said bracket, an arm supporting Wheel mounted on said axle for travel within said channel member between its opposite edge flanges, and a pair of tandem wheels mounted by said bracket and grooved for guided travel on and along the upper corner angle of the channel beam, a cable means operable from the machine for effecting the controlled extension of said outreaching arm, a log gripping means suspended from the forward end of said outreaching arm, a cable winding drum on said machine and a logging cable wound on and extending from said drum'through said fairleader and connected to the outer end of said outreaching arm for its lifting and retraction.

2. A log loading machine comprising a platform, a gooseneck type boom pivotally mounted at its inner end on said platform, a cable sheave at the outer end of the boom, paired parallel side rails mounted in fixed position on opposite sides of the boom, said rails being rearwardly and upwardly inclined relative to the normal loading position of said boom, a wheel carrier mounted on each rail for travel therealong, an outreach arm including spaced side members secured at one end to said carriers, log gripping means suspended from the free end of said arm, a cable winding means on the platform, a cable extended from said winding means, over said sheave and secured to the free end of said arm and power means for extending said arm along said rails.

3. A loading machine as in claim 2 wherein said power means includes a cable extending from said platform to the outer end of the boom and secured to said carriers.

4. A mobilized log loading machine comprising a turntable platform, a goose-neck type boom pivoted at its inner end to said platform, a cable fairleader at the outer end of the boom, a trackway comprising paired, parallel rails fixed to and extending along the boom at opposite sides thereof, an outreach arm mounted for travel along said boom, said arm comprising a pair of laterally spaced opposite side members, a wheeled carrier mounted on each of said rails for travel therealong, pivotal mounting means for joining the rearward ends of said side members to said carriers whereby the forward end of said arm is laterally movable relative to said. boom, the forward ends of said side members being joined forwardly of said fairleader, a cable winding drum mounted on the platform and a cable extended from said drum through said fairleader and connected at its end to the joined end of said side members for lifting and retracting said am, and cable means for effecting the controlled extending of said outreaching arm.

5. A 10g loading machine as in claim 4 wherein the rails terminate short of the outer end of the boom and wherein the rearward end of the rails extend above and beyond the inner end of the boom.

6. A log loading machine of the character described comprising a platform, a boom hinged to said platform at its inner end, a fairleader mounted on the outer end of said boom, an outreaching arm mounted by said boom for extension and retraction beyond the fairleader, log gripping means at the outer end of said arm, a cable winding drum associated with the machine, a logging cable extended from the cable winding drum, through said fairleader and fixed at its end to the outer end of the outreaching arms, means on the machine for eifecting the controlled extension of the outreaching arm, a tower hingedly mounted on said machine, guy lines attached to the upper end of said tower and a tie strap extended from said tower to the outer end portion of said boom as a supplemental support therefor, and a yieldable brace means attached at one end to said machine and at its upper end to the upper end portion of said tower to resist the pull of the load as applied through said strap, said yieldable brace including a hydraulic cylinder, a piston rod extending from the cylinder and having a pivoted connected with the upper end portion of said tower and valve means for regulating passage of hydraulic medium in the cylinder from one side of the piston to the other.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 271,537 Stone Jan. 30, 1883 444,367 Oliver Jan. 6, 1891 875,846 Peterson Jan. 7, 1908 2,745,559 McIntyre May 15, 1956 2,876,920 Hellander Mar. 10, 1959 2,878,946 Wirkkala Mar, 24, 1959 2,910,189 Scheuerpfiug Oct. 27, 1959

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