US972831A - Logging system. - Google Patents

Description

J. H. DICKINSON & W. A. GILGHRIST.

LOGGING SYSTEM.

APPLIOATION HLBD JAN. s, 1910.

Patented Oct. 18,1910.

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J. H. DIGKINSON Vr-W. A- GILOHRIST.

LOGGING sYsTnM. APPLICATION FILED JAI. 5, 1910.

Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

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` J. H. DIGKINSON & W. A. GILHRIST 4 LOGGING SYSTEM.

APPLIQATION Hmm 1111.5, 1910.

Patented Oct. 18,1910.

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J. 11.Y DIGKINsoN L W. A. GILGHRIST.

LOGGING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5, 1910.

Patented 001; 18,1910.

ATTORNEY UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

JOSEPH H. DICKINSON, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, AND WILLIAM A. GILCHRIST,

OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNORS TO LIDGERWOOD MANUFACTURING COM- yIPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Locarno sYsTElvr Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

Y To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH H. DICKIN- soN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Montclair, in the county of Essex and Statesof New Jersey, and W'TLLIAM A. GlLoHRIsT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Logging Systems, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates generally to 'new and useful improvements in logging sys tems, and more particularly to systems of that type in which is employed a hauling or inhaul engine located adjacent the pointv to which the logs are collected for purposes of transportation, said engine operating an inhaul line by means of which the logs are hauled from distant points, and a yarding engine or engines utilized to collect the logs at a distant point or points, where they may be conveniently attached to the main inhaul line operated on by the hauling engine. In all systems of this character of which we are aware, the main hauling line is both inhauled and outhauled by the main hauling engine, the latter usually embodying an inhaul drum upon which the inhaul rope is wound, and an outhaul drum upon which is wound an outhaul line which passes over a guide sheave on a tail tree at a distant point, the end of the outhaul line remote from the drum being connected to the outer end of the inhaul line, the arrangement being such that the inhaul and outhaul drums operate to traverse the inhaul rope back and forth between the loading engine and the guide sheave. lThis system we have just brieiiy described, while of great etliciency and being the one almost universally employed where logging is done on a large scale, has certain defects which it is 'the intention of this invention to overcome.

The chief defects in the present system which this invention is intended to overcome may be briefly stated as follows: In the present system, such as just described, it is necessary to have the combined length of the inhaul and outhaul lines more than three times the length of the distance between the tail-tree and the logging engine, and where the tail-tree is located at, say, half a mile or more from the logging engine, it is obvious that the length of ropenecessitated makes the same of tremendous weight. Another defect resides in the fact that during the logging operation as carried on by the present system, the outhaul and inhaul lines are necessarily compelled to travel over falling logs and debris, the result being that the effective life of the lines is shortened by becoming greatly worn and frayed by the contact with the said logs or debris. Another defect consists in the fact that it is dangerous under the present system to log near the tail-sheave or tree, as the grapples carried by the inhaul line are liable to be thrown into the sheave if the signaling fails, which sometimes occurs owing to the fact that it is impossible for the men stationed at the tail-tree to see the grapples as they are dragged through the logs and underbrush until they are so close to the tailtree that a signal cannot be given to the engineer with sufficient promptness to enable him to stop the engine before the grapples strike the tail-sheave.

W'ith the above objectionable features in view it is the purpose of this invention to provide a system which will materially lessen the amount or length of inhaul and outhaul line necessary to cover a space to be logged and consequently lessen the weight of the system.

Another object is to provide a system which will insure the outhaul and inhaul lines traveling over a space which has already been cleared of logs, so that the lines will not be worn by coming in contact therewith during the logging operation.

Another object is to so arrange the system that during logging operation the operator at the tail-sheave will always have the grapples in plain view, so that the outhauling operation can be stopped before the grapples are permitted to be thrown into the outer support or any of the parts associated therewith.

Further objects will appear during the course of the description.

The invention consists in the novel arrangement and construction of parts and their aggroupment in operative combination to be fully described hereinafter, and the novelty of which will be particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed.

We have fully and clearly illustrated our invention in the accompanying drawings to be taken as a part of this application and wherein:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of one end of a system embodying our present invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the other end of the improved system. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a yarding engine employed in connection with the system and constituting part of our invention. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the yarding apparatus. Fig. 5 shows another form of apparatus for use in outhauling the main line.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, 1 designates the main transportation line for the logs which have been gathered, said line usually including a trackway along which travels a train of spotting cars 2, upon which the logs are to be loaded for transportation. Adjacent the trackway and preferably supported rigidly over the same is a logging machine 3, which may be of any construction suitable to attain the purposes and functions required of it in this system. Preferably it consists of a platform upon which is mounted a swinging loading boom 4, adapted to be swung from side to side of the machine during the loading operation. Also supported upon the platform is a logging or skidding boom 5, over which passes the main inhaul cable 6 for drawing the logs from distant points toward said machine to be loaded on the spotting cars, said inhaul line being wound upon a suitable inhaul drum 7.

Running-over the swinging boom is the usual hoisting line 8, the latter being wound upon a drum 9 mounted on the machine base. Suitable swinging ropes are provided running over guides on the swinging boom and connected at one end to stump or other fixed elements located off the machine, and wound upon swinging drums at their opposite ends, all as shown at 4a, 4b, respectively, said drums being mounted on the platform of the swinging boom. It will be understood that both of the drums referred to are adapted to be operated by a suitable engine also carried on the base. The machine preferably also includes a mast 10 from the head of which the hauling boom is suspended by means of a running connection 11. It is to be understood that the drums and their operating engine or engines can be of any suitable type, but it is preferable that the arrangement and construction be such that the drums are connected to their driving means by suitable friction clutches 12 so that they may be disconnected therefrom when the load supported by the loading boom is being lowered upon a car, or when the hauling or skidding cable is being outhauled to enable t-he same to be carried to the point from which the logs are to be hauled.

All of the elements referred to are well known in the art and it is not thought necessary to enter into any more detailed description of the same at this point.

Located at a distance from the main logging machine at the point or points from which the logs are to be hauled, may be one or more yarding engines, the function of which is to haul the logs to a common point from which they may be hauled by the main inhaul line to the logging and loading machine. In the present instance our invention contemplates a yarding engine or equipment constructed substantially as follows: 13 indicates a platform supported upon substantial sled runners 14, 14, which may be of suitable timber, said runners being connected rigidly by transverse members 15 the ends of which are shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, and suitable bolt or tie rods 15a. Said runners may have metallic wearing faces as at 16, if desired. Supported upon this main platform is a foundation or base comprising a rectangular frame consisting of longitudinal and transverse side and end members 17, 18 respectively preferably formed of I- beams, which are connected and braced by means of transverse angle irons 19. The sled referred to is preferably oblong in shape and the runners thereof are adapted to rest and move upon the ground where the yarding is to take place, so that the yarding engine may be shipped from place to place as the logging proceeds. Supported at one end of the sled platform is an elevated support, preferably in the form of a boom 20, the latter being pivotally connected at its lower end to the forward part of the platform, as at 21. Supported on this elevated support and preferably at the upper end thereof, is a yielding connection 22 which may be similar to that described in Patent No. 726,325, to Miller and Dickinson April 2S, 1903, said yielding connection constituting a hanger to which are connected the ends of suitable guys 23, the other ends of which are secured to stumps 24 on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the yarding engine, the function of said guys being to brace and steady the support or boom 20 during the logging operation. This yielding connection or hanger also supports skidding sheaves 25 for the skidding lines 35, and also a utility block 26, the function of which will appear more fully hereinafter. Upon the opposite end of the sled from that upon which the elevated support is mounted is arranged a steam generating boiler 27, this arrangement of boiler and support serving to properly balance the sled. Connected to the upper end of the support above referred to are the tie ropes or bars 2S, the opposite ends of which are secured to the base of the machine adjacent said boiler, said guys or tie bars resisting the pull exerted on the elevated support by the skidding lines. l

` latter in order to connect and disconnect the drums from their driving gears.

Vound upon each of these drums is a skidding line which extends up over the blocks or sheaves supported by the hanger above mentioned, the free ends of said lines running laterally from the yarding engine to points from which it is desired-to haul the logs. The logging engine just referred to also includes a spotting drum 36 having a gear 37 adapted to be driven, when desired, from a,

pinion 38 mounted on the rear drum shaft 32 of the logging engine, said pinion being slidably mounted on the shaft whereby it may Y be thrown in and out of mesh with the gear on the spotting drum.

Forward of the logging engine just referred to and between the same and the elevated support, or boom, is an outhaul engine, said engine being preferably of the general type shown in the patent to Miller & Dickinson No. 680,934, August 20, 1901. This engine comprises a power shaft 40 and two drum shafts 4l, 42 upon the forward one of which is loosely and slidably mounted an outhaul drum 43 and'on the rear shaft is a utility drum 44. 4Each shaft has mounted thereon at one end a driving gear 45, 45, the drums and gears being supplied with suitable clutches 46 by means of which they may be connected and disconnected. The driving shaft 40 has a pinion 47 in mesh with the gears 45, 45 above mentioned, to drive the saine in the direction indicated by the arrows. The forward, or outhaul drum 43, is provided at the end opposite to the driving gear 45 with a fixed gear 48 in mesh with a gear 49 loosely mounted on the driving shaft 40 and adapted to be clutched thereto by a suitable clutch 50. The arrangement is such that when the outhaul drum is driven by the small pinion on the driving shaft it runs at a low speed and with great power, but when uncoupled from said pinion and driven through the 49 runs at high speed and less power, all for a. purpose to presently appear.

Wound upon the outhaul drum 43 is an outhaul line 5l connected to the inhaul line or main hauling cable 6, as at 52, the outhaul and inhaul lines being directly connected and extending in a continuous line from the inhaul drum 7 to the outhaul drum 43.

Connected to the spotting drum and running in the opposite direction from the sled to the direct-ion of the outhaul line is a spotting line 53, the outer end of which is fixed to a stump 54. By operating the drum to wind up the line the sled and parts carried thereby may be shifted back away from the main logging machine as the hauling process proceeds. This spotting line is also operable to draw the sled back for the purpose of tightening the guys connected to the boom. The utility drum 44 has wound thereon a line extending over the utility block 2G on the head of the boom, said line being operated by the drum 44 in lining up the logs adjacent the said boom in convenient position to be engaged by the inhaul line G to be hauled to the main machine.

The system being installed as above described, the operation of the saine in hauling the logs is as follows: As above stated, the yarding engine is arranged at a distance from the main logging machine and the inhaul line and outhaul lines are connected, the inhaul line being provided with suitable grapples for engaging logs to be hauled. The outhaul drum on the yarding sled is then operated to draw in the outhaul rope and thereby pull the inhaul cable and its grapples out to a point adjacent the yarding engine, where the grapples may be secured to any logs which have been yarded by means of the skidding lines on the yarding engine. The grapples on the inhaul line being secured to the log to be inhauled, the operator at the yarding engine signals to the operator at the main engine, and at the same time releases the outhaul drum from its gearing to permit the saine to run free. The signal being received by the operator at the main logging engine, he operates the inhaul drum to take up the inhaul rope and thereby draw the logs attached thereto to the main logging machine. The logs arriving at the desired point, they are detached from the inhaul line and the operatorat the main logging machine signals to the operator at the yarding engine who throws the outhaul drum into engagement with its driving mechanism, the outhaul drum then operating to draw in the outhaul rope and outhaul the main inhaul line back to a point adjacent the yarding engine. In outhauling the inhaul and grapples the operator at the yarding engine has the same in plain View during the whole of the outhauling operation, so that lie can promptly stop the outhauling and the grapples at the point desired. The skidding lines on the yarding engine are operated to haul the logs to the sides and rear of the yarding engine up to a point where they may be conveniently attached to the inhaul line, and it might be stated at this point that when the logging operation is commenced, the yarding engine is located close to the main logging machine, and that, as the space is cleared, the yarding engine is moved back in a manner which will be presently described, so that there is always a clear space from which the logs have been gathered between the main logging machine and the yarding engine. This is advantageous in view of the fact that the operators at both engines have full view of the grapples and lines as the logging progresses. IVhen it is desired to move the yarding engine back away from the main logging machine, the guys for the elevated support are loosened and the spotting drum is operated to take up the spotting line, so that the yarding engine is dragged back on its runners to take a new position. This operation can take place without in any way deterring or preventing the logging operation by means of the inhaul rope, which is considerable of an advantage in machines of this character, since hitherto it has been necessary to stop the logging operation while the yarding engine is being shifted. The spotting line can also serve another function, which is that of tightening the guys which brace the elevated support, this being done by merely taking up the spotting line by means of the spotting drum and thereby shifting the sled to draw the guys taut, the latter, of course, in this instance, not being disconnected from the stumps. During the outhauling operation the outhauling drum is connected to the power shaft by means of the gear 49, so that the same is driven at high speed, great power not being necessary for this operation as the line has no load thereon. Whenever it is desired to replenish the supply of fuel or water at the yarding the outhaul line may be utilized for this purpose, the fuel or water being loaded upon what we term a torpedo, the same consisting of a cylin drical casing having a cone-shaped end adapted to be attached to the outhaul line and dragged along the ground from the main line to the yarding engine. In this case the line is subjected to heavy strains and greater power is required to outhaul the same, so that we then throw the outhaul drum into engagement with its gear 45 to be driven directly from the pinion 47, on the power shaft, in which case the outhaul drum is driven at a slow speed but with greatly increased power.

Instead of employing the engine we have described for outhauling the main line, in which a single outhaul drum is driven at different speeds and power, we may employ an outhaul engine having two separate drums for this purpose. One of these drums is employed for outhauling the main line at high speed and comparatively low power, while the other drum is used with a separate line for drawing out the torpedo or other carrier which carries the supplies for the yarding equipment, this latter mentioned drum being driven at a low speed and comparatively great power. Such an engine we have illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings and, in view of the fact that the construction of the same is well-known, we do not deem it necessary to enter into any more detail description thereof than that just given.

We might state that where the two-drum engine is employed we prefer to provide a separate line operated upon by one of the drums for dragging out the torpedo or other carrier, said line being independent of the outhaul line while the torpedo or other carrier is being dragged out. When this independent line is being employed the regular outhaul line is preferably detached from the main cable connection and this second line is substituted therefor as an outhauling line at a low speed with great power.

l/Vherever we have used the term yarding engine in the specification and claims we intend the same to mean any apparatus or means in a logging system for hauling the logs to a point from which they are to be again hauled by the main logging engine to the place where they are to be loaded for transportation.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. In a logging system, a hauling engine, a yarding engine, and an inhaul operated in one direction by the hauling engine and in the other direction by the yarding engine.

2. In a logging system, a hauling engine, a yarding engine, an inhaul rope operable by t-he hauling engine to inhaul the logs, and outhauled by the yarding engine. l

8. In a logging system, a hauling engine, a yarding engine located a distance from the hauling engine, an inhaul rope traversing the space between said engines, an inhaul drum on the hauling engine to inhaul the rope, and an outhaul drum on the yarding engine to outhaul the rope.

4. In a logging system, a hauling engine, a yarding engine located a distance from the hauling engine, and an inhaul and outhaul rope system connected directly to said engmes.

5. In a logging system, a hauling engine, a second engine located a distance from the hauling engine, an inhaul drum on the hauling engine, an outhaul drum at the said second engine, and an inhaul rope connected to said drums and traversing the space between said engines.

6. In a logging system, a hauling engine, a second engine located a distance from the hauling engine, an inhaul drum on the hauling engine, an inhaul rope operated on by the inhaul drum, an outhaul drum at the second engine, and an outhaul line operated on by the outhaul drum, said outhaul line and rope being connected to each other.

7. In a logging system, a hauling engine, an inhaul drum thereon, a second engine, an outhaul drum thereon, a logging line di reetly connecting said drums and wound thereon, a spotting drum on the second engine, and a spotting line wound on said drum and adapted to be connected to a fixed element away from the second engine.

8. In a logging system, an inhaul engine, an outhaul engine located a distance from the inhaul engine, and a hauling line trav ersing the space between said engines and directly connected to the latter.

9. A logging yarding engine including a movable platform, a boom on the platform, guying means connected to the boom and a point remote from the platform, and means for moving the platform to guy the boom.

10. A logging yarding engine including a movable platform, a boom on the platform, guys connected to the head of the boom and to a point remote from the platform, a line connected to the platform and a fixed point off the platform, and means for exerting a pull on said line to shift the platform and tighten the guys.

11. A logging yarding engine including a movable platform, an elevated support arising from the platform, guying means connected to the support and a point remote from the platform, and means for moving the platform to guy the support.

12. In a logging system, the combination of a logging engine including an inhaul drum, a second engine located at a distance from the first-mentioned engine and having an outhaul drum, a logging line directly connected to said drums, an elevated support on the yarding engine, guys connected to the support to a point off the yarding engine, a spotting engine, a spotting line Wound thereon and connected to a fixed support ofi' the yarding engine, said spotting line being operable to oppose the pull on said guys.

13. In a logging system, a logging engine, an inhaul line operated to inhaul by said engine, and a movable support for the outer end of the inhaul line.

14. In a logging system, a logging engine, an inhaul line operated to inhaul by said engine, a movable support for the outer end of the inhaul line, and means associated with said movable support to outhaul the line.

15. In a logging system, a logging engine, an inhaul line operated to inhaul by said engine, a movable support for the outer end of the inhaul line, and means for moving said Support.

16. In a logging system, a logging engine, an inhaul line operated to inhaul by said engine, a movable support for the outer end of the inhaul line, and means for moving said support without interfering with the log ging operation performed by the inhaul line.

17. In a logging system, a logging engine, an inhaul line operated to inhaul by said engine, a movable support for the outer end of the inhaul line, and means for moving said support, said moving means being carried by the support.

18. In a logging system, a logging engine, a logging line operated upon by said engine, a movable support for the outer end of the logging line, and power means on the sup port for moving the latter without interfer ing with the logging operation performed by the logging line.

9. In a logging system, a logging line, a logging engine operating on one end portion of the line to move the line in one direction, and means located at a distance from said engine operating on the other end portion of the line to move said line in the opposite direction, said line extending in a straight line between said engine and means.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH I-I. DIGKINSO'N. WILLIAM A. GILCHRIST.

Witnesses DOROTHY THoRr, ADA L. KATz.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 972,831, granted October 18,

1910, upon the application of Joseph H. Dickinson, of Montclair, New Jersey,

and William A. Gilchrist, of Memphis, Tennessee, for an improvement in Logging Systems,7 an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: On page 2, line 122, after the comma, the Words and reference-numerals mounted oni@ frame composed Qfsz'de and cross mem-bers 17a, 18", should be inserted;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read With this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oiice.

Signed and sealed this 29th day of November, A. D., 1910.

E. B. MOORE,

Oornmz'ss'oner' of Patents.

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