US34933A - Improvement in machines for cutting trees and logs - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

vWILLIAM ACKERMAN, OF FIIINT, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR CUTTING TREES AND LOGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 34,933, dated April i5, 1862.

To all whom t Ina/y con/cern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM ACKERMAN, of Flint, in the county of Genesee and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Machine for Cutting Trees and Logs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this` specification, in which Figure l is a plan or top view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, with part of the internal mechanism exposed. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts in all the figures.

The subject of my said invention is a machine having arotary cutter j ournaled in a sliding` frame which receives an advance movement simultaneously with the rotation of the cutter.

To enable those skilled in the art to Inake and use my invention I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A is the main frame or bed of the machine supported on legs B B.

C is a frame adapted to slide longitudinally Within the frame A in suitable Ways.

D is a shaft journaled longitudinally in standards E F at each end of the sliding.

frame C.

G is a conical cutting-head formed of a number of tapering blades g g g and mounted upon the projecting front end of the shaft D.

H is a shaft journaled transversely in the bed A, beneath the sliding frame C, and carrying pinions h 7L, Which takefinto racks c, attached to the said sliding frame.

I is a crown gear-Wheel, which is also mounted upon the transverse shaft II, and has near its periphery upon its inn'er face oblique teeth i, which gear with longitudinal ribs (Z upon the cutter-shaft D, so as to impart rotation thereto.

.I J are cranks by which the shaft II may be rotated.

K K are brace hooks or grapples by means of which the machine may be attached to a tree or any other object upon which it is desired to operate.

A stationary standard may be applied to the front end of the bed to sustain the downward pressure exerted by the Wheel I upon Athe shaft D, and thus lessen the friction of the frame C in its Ways.

The manner of using the machine is as follows: To cut down a tree, the machine is set with its front end as near as possible thereto and secured by means of the stays K. The shaft I-I is then rotated by means of the cranks .I in the direction shown bythe arrows. The cogs t, gearing with the ribs (l on the shaft D, impart a rapid rotation to the cutting-head G, (see arreW,) and at the same time the pinions 7L, gearing with the racks c, gradually advance the frame C and with it the head G. By this means the cutter may be passed completely through the tree, suiiicient Wood being left on either or both sides to prevent the kerf closing and binding on the cutter.

If the tree be of sufficient diameter in proportion to the cutter, the latter u ill be passed through the center of the tree, leaving a band of Wood on each side, to be afterward severed by means of an ax. If the tree be not of sufficient size to. render this practicable, the machine Will be so applied as to completely sever the opposite side from that toward which the tree leans, so that the kerf will tend to open rather than close, and the Work of the machine being done an ax is employed to sever the remaining portion on the leaning side.

In Fig. 2 the sliding'frame is shown in its retracted position preparatory to beginning operations. advanced in the position reached vwhen the cutter has progressed some distance into the tree.

The rear standard F is made of considerable height and in the form of a yoke, as clearly shown in Fig. in order to permit the frame C to advance to a greater extent Without coming in contact with the wheel I. The rear end of the shaft D is journaled in a hangerj, depending from the standard J.

To render the machine portable it is intended to secure its various parts together with bolts, so that they may readily be taken apart.

To adapt the machine for operating upon various kinds of Wood, shafts D, of various diameters, will be employed. Thus when the timber is hard a smaller shaft will be em'- ployed, so that the cutter may be made to rotate more rapidly in proportion to the feed- In Fig. l it is shown partially motion of the sliding frame. A shaft of large size maybe made of cast-iron, and one of small size of Wrought-iron or east-steel, to give it greater strength. I do not, however, desire to be understood as restricting myself to anyA specic materials for this or other parts of the machine.

To adapt the machine to Work on unlevel ground or upon a hillside the legs may be jointed, so as to admit of setting the machine at any height or inclination desired. By this means, also, the machine may be lowered for the purpose of cutting logs which are lower than the bed of the machine.

Pinions h, of different sizes, may, if pre-- ferred, be used instead of different sized shafts D, to Vary the speed of the cutter.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination of the crank-shaft H h, gear-Wheel I, sliding frame C c E F, ribbed shaft D, and rotary cutter G, constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as and Vfor the purposes explained.

VILLIAM ACKERMAN.

VitIiesses':

OCTAVIUS KNIGHT, J. A. GAUBERSCHMIDT.

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