US3078886A - Log grinder - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 26, 1963 a. E. CHILDRESS 3,078,886..

LOG GRINDER Filed Oct. 21, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Glen 5 Chi/dress 1N VEN TOR.

Feb. 26, 1963 Filed Oct. 21, 1960 G. E- CHILDRESS LOG GRINDER s SEeets-Sheet 2 a0 i mkilliirlmlmlmlmlmlmlmlmlmlml gmxmlmxmlmxmxm lmlmlcnlcznwn I l' I l I I n l 94 i 26 80 I I I g I I l 34 I /56 I i 36 i I I! I I v I? a l i x m in; 40 40 679/? E Ch/Ydress IN VEN TOR.

Feb, 26, 1963 s. E. CHILDRESS LOG GRINDER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct 21, 1960 E5 l I I i 5 L4 94 39 Glen E. CW/dress 28 Fig.4

INVENILQR.

g v WWW United States Patent 3,073,886 LOG GRINDER Glen E. Childress, Rte. 2, Hebron, Ind. Filed Oct. 21, 1960, Ser. No. 64,05? 17 Claims. (Cl. 144-208) This invention comprises a novel and useful log grinder and more particularly relates to a device adapted to more effectively and with greater facility effect a debarking or grinding action upon the surfaces of logs.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a device which will greatly facilitate the operation of treating logs by debarking or grinding the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device in accordance with the foregoing objects which shall be of a portable or mobile nature to enable the device to be readily moved to the logs to be treated thereby eliminating the necessity for additional handling of the logs for the purpose of bringing them to and positioning them for treatment by a grinding or debarking device.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device in accordance with the foregoing objects which shall be capable of ready attachment to and mounting upon a "conventional lifting assembly with which conventional tractors and other vehicles are provided thereby enabling the device to be readily transported to a desired location and to be thereafter readily maneuvered upon the mobile chassis to properly position the device for engaging a seof a support structure having a base for receiving thereon a log to be treated together with a carriage overlying the base and provided with means for adjusting the carriage towards and from the base, there being further provided a grinder assembly including grinding elements mounted upon the carriage and positionable for engaging a log to be treated when the latter is engaged by the base.

A still further important object of the invention is to provide an apparatus in accordance with the preceding objects which shall include power operating means for effecting a tilting or pivoting movement of the entire unit upon the elevating means of the vehicle which shall further include power means for raising and lowering the carriage and the grinder elements carried thereby with respect to the base, and which shall still further include power means for effecting operation of the grinders which power means shall be mounted upon and carried by the carriagev A still further and more specific object of the invention is to provide a device in accordance with the two immediately preceding objects wherein there shall be provided improved means carried by the base for guidingly mounting and supporting the carriage for vertical adjusted movement towards and from the base and which shall be operable independently of the means for effecting operation of the grinders.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FZGURE 1 is a side elevational view showing a preferred embodiment of the log grinder forming the subject matter of this invention and illustrating the same mounted upon a conventional type of elevating means carried by a tractor;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view taken upon an enlarged scale of the grinding unit of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a view in front elevation of the grinder unit of FIGURE 2 being taken from the left end thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a view in vertical section through the grinder unit and illustrating the manner in which the grinder elements are operatively engaged with a log supported by the base of the support structure for the purpose of debarking or grinding the log;

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the arrangement of FIGURE 4 with the log being omitted from this view; and

FIGURE 6 is a detail view in perspective of a portion of the carriage of the grinder unit.

Referring first to FIGURE 1 it will be observed that the numeral iltl designates general-1y a grinder unit constituting a preferred embodiment of this invention which is shown in operative position for grinding or debarking a log 12 with the grinder unit being mounted upon and vertically movable by a conventional elevating means 11.4 in the form of a pair of lift arms mounted upon a mobile wheeled vehicle such as a tractor 16. The lift arms are of a conventional character being suitably pivoted to the framework of the tractor for vertical swinging movement about a pivot, not shown, and power operating means such as a fluid pressure actuating cylinder 18 having a piston, not shown, with a piston rod 20, the latter being connected to the lift arm assembly 14 and utilized to ad justably raise or lower the grinder unit it) as required to enable the latter to etfectively engage and operate upon a log to be treated.

Inasmuch as the nature of the wheeled vehicle and the particular construction of the lift means 14- may be widely varied, and is in itself not essential to an understanding of the invention herein disclosed and claimed, a further description or reference of the same is deemed to be unnecessary.

The grinder unit It? consists of a support structure which includes a base 22, a pair of standards 56 rigidly connected to an end of the base to which the lift arm a sembly 14 is connected, and a carriage 26 having a grinder assembly including grinder elements 28 mounted thereon. The carriage and the grinder elements are vertically adjustable upon the standards 56 by a mechanism to be hereinafter described and power is applied to the grinder elements for effecting actuation of the same by a power means mounted upon this carriage.

Referring now especially to FIGURE 4 taken in conjunction with FIGURE 5 it will be observed that the base 22 consists of a plurality of parallel pointed rods or tines which form an open grill-like base and which are rigidly connected at what may be termed their rear ends as by a structural member 32. Disposed beneath the rods or tines 3d and secured to the underside of the base in any desired manner is a tray or receptacle 32 which serves to collect the bark or other material ground from the log by the grinding elements and which fall through the tines 30 during the operation of the device. The receptacle 32 is useful when it is desired to collect the cuttings or particles obtained from the log during treatment thereof, either for the purpose of using these particles or for otherwise disposing of them. In some instances, however, if it is not desired to collect these particles the tray or receptacle 32 may be omitted.

The spaced tines or rods 30 of the grill-like base 22 thus serve as a support surface upon which a log 12 to be treated may be supported or by which such a log may be engaged if the log is supported in some other manner. Indicated generally by the numeral 34 is a mounting bracket carried by the end of the lift arm assembly 14 forming a part hereof, and which is adapted to constitute a pivot support for the grinder unit Ill. Thus, as will be apparent from a comparison of FIGURES 4 and 5, this bracket includes a transversely extending frame 3 member 36 suitably connected to the end of the arm assembly and from the opposite sides of which are providid forwardly extending frame members 38. These latter, see also FIGURE 3, embrace the ends of the grinder unit and by means of pivot fasteners such as the bolts 40 mount the grinder unit upon the lift arm assembly for tilting movement about the horizontal axes of these pivot bolts. A controlled tilting movement is given to the grinder unit by means of a fluid pressure cylinder and piston unit indicated by the numeral 42 which is pivotally connected as at 44 to a bracket 46 caried by the frame member 36, and which has has its other end pivoted as at 48 to a crank arm 50 rigidly secured to the grinder unit 10 as to the base 22 thereof. By means of suitable fluid pressure conduits 52 and 54, fluid pressure from any suitable source such as from the fluid pressure power take-off conventional with tractors may be supplied to the cylinder and piston unit 42 and thus effect a controlled tilting of the grinder unit 10 to assist in positioning the base of the latter and thereby facilitate its engagement with a log to be treated.

Rigidly secured to the base 22 and rising from what may be termed the rear end thereof are a pair of standards 56 in the form of channel members and which have their longitudinal slots opening or exposed outwardly of the channel members. Guidably andslidably mounted upon and supported by the standards 56 is the carriage 26. The carriage includes a transversely extending plate 60 which lies between the previously men tioned arms 38 of the bracket 34 and which plate 60 as shown in FIGURE 4 may likewise consist of a channel member. Secured to this plate 60 and projecting forwardly therefrom are a pair of arms 62 having at their forward extremities transversely aligned bushing or bearings 64 in which is journalled a shaft 66. Intermediate their ends the arms 62 upon their inner faces have secured thereto T-shaped blocks 68 which comprise guides which are slidably received in the channel members 56 of the standards. Thus, the carriage is secured to and supported by the standards and is guided for vertical sliding movement therein.

Referring to FIGURE 3 it will be observed that power operating means comprising elevating means for the carriage are provided consisting of fluid pressure operated cylinder and piston units 70 rigidly secured at the upper end of brackets 72 projecting laterally outwardly from the upper ends of the standards 56, and connected at the lower ends to outwardly projecting brackets 74 upon the arms 62 of the carriage. Suitable fluid pressure conduits '76 are connected to the fluid pressure actuating cylinder and piston units 70 and likewise may be connected to the hydraulic power take-off of the tractor 16 in order to apply fluid pressure to these units and thus effect a controlled vertical movement of the carriage towards and from the base to thus adjustably position the carriage and maintain the carriage in its adjusted position.

The grinder assembly 28 is both driven by the shaft 66 and also is pivotally connected by the latter to the carriage for vertical swinging movement thereon. The grinder assembly includes a plurality of grinder elements 80 each consisting of an endless belt or chain having its rear portion entrained over driving sprockets 82 fixed to the shaft 66, and having their forward portions entrained over similar sprockets 84 carried by a transverse shaft 86. Plate-like frame members 88 are journalled upon the shafts 66 and 84 and each of these framelike supports 88 lies within one of the endless chains or belts 80, to thereby impart rigidity to the entire assembly. Thus, the plurality of grinder elements consisting of the members 80 constitutes a relatively rigid assembly which is capable of tilting movement upon the shaft 66 so that the abrasive or grinding elements may be tilted upwardly or downwardly so as to thereby rest upon the surface of a log 12 as shown in FIGURE 4 in order to treat the same by grinding or debarking the log. It

4 will be understood that the chain members may resemble chain saws having suitable cutting teeth, not shown, secured thereto to form the desired operation of treating the log, whether for the purpose of debarking the log or for grinding the same to produce wood particles therefrom.

Mounted upon the carriage 28 and particularly upon the transverse member 60 at one side thereof is a source of power comprising an actuating means for the grinding elements or grinding means preferably in the form of a fluid motor 90. This motor is provided with a driving sprocket 92 connected as by a sprocket chain 94 to a driven sprocket 96 carried by the shaft 66. A pair of fluid pressure conduits 98 and 100 are connected to the fluid motor and serve to conduct fluid pressure to and from the fluid motor from any suitable source of fluid pressure such as the hydraulic power takeoff of the tractor 16.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the operation and advantages of this invention will now be readily apparent. Since the entire grinder unit 10 is mounted upon a mobile chassis or vehicle 16 it is readily transported from place to place so that it may be readily moved to a particular log which is to be treated by the grinder unit. This effects a great saving in labor and in time which would be required to transport the logs to a single grinding or log treating station as has been heretofore conventional and common. The power elevating means of the tractor is capable of operating the lift arms 14 to thus raise or lower the unit 10 to any desired elevation enabling it to reach logs in different positions as upon the side of a hill, bank or the like in order to effectively treat the log as by debarking the same, grinding particles from the log and the like. It is to be understood that any suitable means may be provided for causing the log to rotate as the same is held between the base 22 and the grinding elements 28 in order to effectively treat the entire surface of the log. This operation is greatly enhanced in its etficiency by the pivotal mounting of the grinding assembly 28 upon the shaft 66 since this enables the grinding assembly to be tilted upwardly and downwardly as required to accommodate logs of different thickness.

Moreover, the shaft 66 serves a joint means for effecting this tilting of the grinder assembly and also for imparting power thereto.

Disposition of the power source 90 on the carriage and upon the opposite end thereof from the mounting of the grinder assembly 28 serves to some extent to counterbalance the weight of the latter and thereby facilitate the effective operation of the power operating means 70 for vertically adjusting the carriage and the grinder assembly with respect to the base 22.

Finally, the power operated means for effecting a tilting of the entire grinder unit 10 about its pivot 40 further enables the device to be readily engaged upon logs in different positions.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A mobile device for debarking and grinding logs comprising in combination a wheeled chassis having power operated lift arms mounted thereon for vertical swinging movement, a support structure, means mounting said support structure on said lift arms, said support structure including a base for engaging a log to be treated, standards rising from said base, a carriage overlying said base and mounted upon said standards for movement towards and from said base, operating means connected to said carriage for eifecting movement of the latter towards and from said base, grinding means on said carriage positionable to overlie said base and engage and treat a log engaged by said base, and actuating means connected to said grinding means for operating the latter.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said mounting means includes pivot means connecting said support structure to said lift arms, and power operating means secured to said lift arms and to said support structure for tilting the latter about said pivot means.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said actuating means is mounted upon said carriage.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said grinding means are mounted upon said carriage for swinging movement towards and from said base.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said grinding means comprises a plurality of endless translatory elements disposed in side-by-side relation.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said cutting elements consist of an endless band having cutting teeth thereon.

7. The combination of claim 6 including a shaft rotatably mounted in said carriage, and sprockets provided on said shaft, said bands passing around said sprockets.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said shaft constitutes pivot means for said grinding means.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein said actuating means is connected to said shaft.

10. A portable log debarking and grinding attachment for a wheeled chassis having vertically swingable power operated lift arms, said attachment comprising a mounting bracket adapted to be secured to the stated lift arms, a log receiving base pivotally connected to said mounting bracket for swinging movement in a vertical plane, power operating means connected to said bracket and to said base for swinging the latter, standards rising from said base, a carriage overlying said base and slidably mounted on said standards for movement toward and away from the base, operating means connected to said carriage for sliding the same on said standards, grinding means on said carriage positioned to overlie said base and engage a log onthe base, and actuating means connected to said grinding means for operating the latter.

I I. The device as defined in claim 10 wherein said actuating means is mounted upon said carriage.

12. The device as defined in claim 10 wherein said grinding means are mounted upon said carriage for swinging movement towards and from said base.

13. The device as defined in claim 10 wherein said grinding means comprise a plurality of endless translatory elements disposed in side-by-side relation.

14. The device as defined in claim 13 wherein said elements consist of an endless band having cutting teeth thereon.

15. The device as defined in claim 14 including a shaft rotatably mounted insaid carriage, and sprockets provided on said shaft, said bands passing around said sprockets.

16. The device as defined in claim 15 wherein said shaft constitutes pivot means for said grinding means.

17. The device as defined in claim 16 wherein said actuating means are connected to said shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,017,655 Drake Feb. 20, 1912 2,025,337 Camden et a1. Dec. 24, 1935 2,549,236 Rathert et al Apr. 17, 1951 2,642,904 Pearce June 23, 1953 2,759,501 Kliever Aug. 21, 1956 2,878,843 Edwards Mar. 24, 1959

Claims (1)

1. A MOBILE DEVICE FOR DEBARKING AND GRINDING LOGS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A WHEELED CHASSIS HAVING POWER OPERATED LIFT ARMS MOUNTED THEREON FOR VERTICAL SWINGING MOVEMENT, A SUPPORT STRUCTURE, MEANS MOUNTING SAID SUPPORT STRUCTURE ON SAID LIFT ARMS, SAID SUPPORT STRUCTURE INCLUDING A BASE FOR ENGAGING A LOG TO BE TREATED, STANDARDS RISING FROM SAID BASE, A CARRIAGE OVERLYING SAID BASE AND MOUNTED UPON SAID STANDARDS FOR MOVEMENT TOWARDS AND FROM SAID BASE, OPERATING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID CARRIAGE FOR EFFECTING MOVEMENT OF THE LATTER TOWARDS AND FROM SAID BASE, GRINDING MEANS ON SAID CARRIAGE POSITIONABLE TO OVERLIE SAID BASE AND ENGAGE AND TREAT A LOG ENGAGED BY SAID BASE, AND ACTUATING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID GRINDING MEANS FOR OPERATING THE LATTER.

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