WO2003031129A1

WO2003031129A1 - Device and method for splitting wood

Info

Publication number: WO2003031129A1
Application number: PCT/CH2002/000557
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ernst Brunner
Original assignee: Ernst Brunner
Priority date: 2001-10-10
Filing date: 2002-10-08
Publication date: 2003-04-17
Also published as: EP1434673A1; ATE320895T1; EP1434673B1; DE50206156D1

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1) and a method for splitting wood. The inventive device comprises at least one transport means which is provided with a gripping device (4) and is used to seize, hold and transport a piece of wood (9) in an operating position (A2), and a splitting device (14) which is arranged on the transport means. The invention is characterised in that a shortening means (7) for pieces of wood (9) is arranged on the transport means (2), along with an abutment means (5) for fixing the length of the piece of wood (9) to be shortened in a variable manner. The shortening means (7) and the abutment means (5) can be displaced in relation to each other.

Description

Device and method for splitting wood

The invention relates to a device and a method for splitting wood according to the preamble of independent claims 1 and 11. Such devices are used for cutting long pieces of wood and the subsequent splitting of these wood sections.

Known devices for splitting pieces of wood that can be attached to a lifting crane consist essentially of a splitting arrangement with a splitting knife and a counter bearing. The piece of wood to be split is picked up with a gripping device and is thus held between the wedge-shaped splitting knife and the counter bearing. However, the piece of wood to be split must already have a length that is smaller than the distance between the splitting knife and the counter bearing.

These known splitting devices have the disadvantage that, before splitting, the pieces of wood to be processed, such as preferably tree trunks or longer tree trunk sections, first have to be cut to the appropriate size. Only then can they be processed with the known splitting devices. The cutting of the long tree trunks is, however, associated with dangers for the working person, since this is in the immediate vicinity of the cutting device, such as a chain saw. In addition, it is not rational on the part of the workflow to first cut the corresponding piece of wood and then split it. Rather, the pieces of wood are cut to a large number and the wood sections are then split accordingly at another time.

CH 690 673 describes a splitting device which can be operated with the aid of a lifting crane. It enables ne rational splitting of pieces of wood. The disadvantage of this device is, however, that only pieces of wood with a maximum length specified by the device can be processed. It is therefore always necessary to cut long pieces of wood to a shorter size.

The object of the invention is to avoid the disadvantages of the known, in particular to provide a device and a method for cutting and splitting wood, which allows rational, and for the user safe and energy-saving processing (cutting and splitting) of long pieces of wood ,

According to the invention, this object is achieved with a device according to the characterizing part of claim 1 and with a method according to the characterizing part of claim 11.

A device for cutting and splitting wood with the features of the invention essentially consists of a conveying means for grasping, holding and transporting a piece of wood or a section of wood, a gap arrangement and a cutting means as well as a stop means. The funding may include at least one gripping device. Like the gap arrangement, the cutting means and the stop means can be arranged directly on the conveying means. The sling allows the length of the piece of wood to be determined in accordance with the user's specifications. The stop means and the cutting means can be arranged movably on the conveying means and can also be movable relative to one another.

Funding means a device for holding, lifting and moving a long piece of wood or a section of wood. Such a device is for example on one Crane arm attached and can consist of a gripping device with a pair of grippers. However, it is also conceivable to attach such gripping tongs to a cable of a crane or to use a cable or a lifting surface to lift the piece of wood. At the same time, the conveying means is designed such that it can accommodate the gap arrangement, the cutting means and, if appropriate, further devices.

In the context of the invention, the term “piece of wood” or “excessively long piece of wood” preferably defines tree trunks, longer tree trunk parts or even long wooden beams which have a greater length than that which the gap arrangement used in the invention can process. The term “wood section” is understood to mean pieces of wood which have a length which can be processed for the gap arrangement used in the invention.

The gap arrangement preferably consists of at least one splitting knife and a counter bearing or abutment. The splitting knife and the counter bearing are arranged to be movable relative to one another. Furthermore, the counter bearing can also be formed by a splitting knife, so that the wood section is split from both sides at the same time.

In a preferred embodiment, the cutting means can be moved between a cutting position in which it is applied to the piece of wood to be cut and a splitting position in which it does not hinder the splitting of the wood section. The gap position of the cutting means thus corresponds to its rest position. In particular, the cutting means is attached so as to be pivotable about an axis substantially parallel to the working axis. The cutting means can also be moved in a direction perpendicular to the working axis on the conveying means. be brought. The working axis is to be understood as the connecting line within the gap arrangement on which the splitting knife and the abutment are moved during the splitting process. This working axis can be essentially identical to the longitudinal axis of the piece of wood or of the wood section. The advantage of such an arrangement is the possibility that the cutting means only has to be brought into the immediate vicinity of the piece of wood when in use and is not endangered to be damaged during the splitting process.

The cutting means can be designed as a chain saw or as a circular saw blade. A chainsaw is preferably conceivable, since the space requirements for attachment are less than will be the case for a circular saw blade. A hydraulically driven chain saw is further preferred, since a hydraulic system is usually already used for the lifting crane and an available power source can thus be used to drive the cutting means.

Preferably, a stop means is at the same time part of the gap arrangement. The sling can either form a counter bearing or a splitting knife is attached to the sling. To fix the length of the piece of wood to be cut to length on the conveyor, the stop means is arranged to be movable in a direction parallel to the working axis.

In a further exemplary embodiment, the stop means can contain a stop stamp. This stop stamp can be moved in the direction of the working axis. This shifting preferably takes place with the aid of a hydraulic cylinder. A splitting of the wooden section created after cutting to length can be done by pressing the wooden section using the stop stempeis against a splitting knife located on the opposite end of the wood section. Conversely, in the event that a splitting knife is present on the stop stamp, the wooden section can be pressed against a counter bearing or abutment located on the opposite end face of the wooden section and thus split. It is also conceivable to arrange the splitting knife on both sides of the wooden section and the possible splitting of the wooden section from both sides. This enables the wood section to be split even when there are obstacles such as branches or any foreign objects.

If, in a further embodiment, a splitting knife is attached to the stop stamp, it can also be held in a rest position until the splitting arrangement is used in such a way that it does not come into direct contact with the end face of the piece of wood. Penetration of the splitting knife into the end face of the piece of wood is therefore avoided during the cutting process, and rather an essentially constant length of the wood sections can be ensured.

In a particular embodiment, a gap abutment is movably arranged between a gap position in which it rests against an end face of a cut-off wooden section and a cut-off position in which it does not hinder or prevent the detection of a piece of wood, for example a tree trunk. The cutting position corresponds to the rest position of the gap abutment. In particular, the gap abutment is arranged to be pivotable about an axis substantially parallel to the working axis. A movable arrangement of the gap abutment perpendicular to the working axis is also conceivable. This movable design of the gap abutment allows a piece of wood to be gripped with the gripping device without this would be hindered or prevented by the gap abutment. At the same time, moving the gap abutment outside the required volume for the piece of wood provides protection for the gap abutment and avoids costly and time-consuming repairs. Both the cutting means and the gap abutment can advantageously be moved from their respective rest position into the corresponding working position by a hydraulically driven power transmission device. By appropriately designing the gap abutment, the wood gaps can remain within the gripping device after the splitting process and can then be placed in a controlled position in an end position.

In a further preferred embodiment, the cutting means is arranged in relation to the working axis between the gripping device and the gap abutment. Because of this arrangement, it is possible to cut a piece of wood to length and subsequently to bring the splitting arrangement into the working position in a direction parallel to the working axis without a necessary displacement of the resulting wood section and to split the wood section.

Another embodiment can also be that the gap abutment contains gap knives. An advantage of such a configuration is the possibility that the wood section to be split can be pressed out of the gripping device and that a piece of wood can then be grasped immediately.

One embodiment of the device according to the invention is characterized by the fact that the gripping device can be adjusted in different working positions, ie the cutting or splitting position. The gripping device can consist of at least two parts formed gripping pliers; these parts of the gripping pliers encompass the piece of wood or the wood section from both sides. Depending on the respective working positions, ie for cutting to length and for splitting, the parts of the gripping pliers can be moved to another position relative to one another. As a result, the piece of wood can be fixed for cutting in such a way that jamming of the cutting means is avoided, for example. On the other hand, it is advantageous if the wooden section is not clamped during splitting and has certain freedom with regard to movements perpendicular to the working axis in order to avoid problems when splitting the wooden section.

Depending on the diameter of the wood sections to be split or depending on the intended use, two-part or multi-part, for example eight-part, splitting knives can be used. The individual parts of the splitting knife preferably extend radially outward from a center point. Especially with more than two-part knives, it is important that this center is aligned before splitting relative to the working axis or splitting axis. In this context, a gap axis is essentially understood to mean the longitudinal axis of the wooden section. With this alignment it is achieved that the wooden section can be split with as little effort as possible. It is also particularly advantageous if the splitting knives can be replaced in a simple manner.

The cutting and splitting device is preferably actuated hydraulically. The hydraulic cylinder or hydraulic cylinders are also integrated in the splitting device. The hydraulic cylinders can be operated, for example, via the hydraulic system of a truck or via a pump on the PTO shaft of a tractor. In order to allow the forces on the piece of wood to act as evenly as possible, the splitting knives can also be arranged to be height-adjustable. If wood sections with a smaller diameter are to be split, the splitting knife (or the splitting knife) can be moved in height such that the working axis lies in the longitudinal axis of the wood section to be split.

The conveying means is advantageously attached to a movable lifting device so that it can rotate about at least one vertical axis. Due to the rotatable fastening, the conveying means can be aligned in such a way that a piece of wood lying on the floor can be gripped easily and without having to change its position manually, for example. With a lifting device that can be moved in this way, the captured piece of wood can be lifted up and, after splitting, can be brought into an unloading position such as the loading surface of a truck in a simple manner.

A method according to the invention for splitting wood, in particular long pieces of wood, is characterized by various steps. In a first step, a long piece of wood is gripped with the gripping device, which is integrated in the conveying means, in a starting position AI and transferred into a cutting position A2. Here, the piece of wood is preferably gripped in such a way that one end face lies essentially flush with the stop means, which is arranged on the conveying means. If this is not the case, the end of the piece of wood can be aligned with this lifting device. The length of the wood section to be processed is determined by a positioning of the sling means on the conveying means chosen by the user. The cutting device is brought from its rest position into the working position and the piece of wood captured and fixed by the gripping device is opened by means of the cutting device cut the predetermined length. After returning the cutting means to its rest position, the gap arrangement attached to the conveying means is brought into its working position. In particular, the gap abutment is brought into the working axis of the device. The wood section located in the gripping device of the conveying means is subsequently split along the working axis by at least one splitting knife of the splitting arrangement. The longitudinal axis of the wooden section preferably coincides with the working axis.

The method is advantageous if the gripping device is brought from the cutting position into the splitting position between the cutting to length and the splitting. In the cut-to-length position, the fixing of the piece of wood is intended to avoid that any movements of the piece of wood which cause damage to the device can be caused by the cut-to-length means, particularly when cut to length. In contrast, the wooden section should have sufficient freedom of movement in the gap position, since otherwise the gap arrangement is restricted in its functionality and could possibly damage the device.

Particularly efficient work results if the device can be transported further into an end position (for example over a loading area) during the splitting process of the wooden section. After the splitting process has been completed, the resulting wooden gaps can simply be put down. However, it is also conceivable to initiate the splitting process already after the splitting position has been established or only in the end position.

The invention is explained below with reference to the drawings and in exemplary embodiments. Show it :

Figure 1 The inventive device in the cutting position for cutting the piece of wood;

FIG. 2 shows the device according to the invention in the splitting position for splitting the wooden section;

FIG. 3 shows the top view of the device according to the invention in the direction of arrow A according to FIG. 1;

Figure 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the device in the split position;

Figure 5 shows another alternative embodiment of the device also in the split position;

FIG. 6 shows an exemplary embodiment of the splitting knife;

FIG. 7a the process steps of taking up and cutting to length;

FIG. 7b the process step columns; and

Figure 8 shows a special embodiment of the sling.

Figure 1 shows a side view of a device 1 for cutting and splitting a piece of wood 9. The device 1 consists essentially of a conveyor 2 with attached gripping device 4 as well as a cutting means 7 and a gap arrangement 14, which the components stop means 5, hydraulic cylinder 6 and gap abutment 8 contains. The gripping device 4 has a pair of gripping tongs which can grip the piece of wood 9. The stop means 5 can be moved along the longitudinal axis of the conveying means 2 in a guide rail (not shown) in such a way that the user can make the desired length specification for a section of wood. When gripping the piece of wood 9 with the gripping device 4, the end face 9a is placed essentially flush with the stop means 5. The gripping device 4 surrounds the piece of wood 9 such that it has no freedom of movement, in particular in a direction perpendicular to the working axis 15. The cutting means 7 in the form of a chainsaw separates a section with a defined length from the long piece of wood 9. The attachment of the cutting means 7 is designed in such a way that there is no risk of damage to the cutting means 7 during the gripping of the piece of wood 9 or during the subsequent process of splitting a section of wood. At the same time, the cutting means 7 is arranged in such a way that there is no danger to persons who may be nearby. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the sword of the chainsaw can be guided out of the longitudinal cutting position in an arcuate movement and thereby cut through the long piece of wood 9. The chain can be driven via the hydraulic device of the lifting device (crane). The corresponding hose lines for the drive (not shown) would be connected to the lifting crane 3. The gap abutment 8 of the splitting device 14 is in its rest position during the cutting process and is placed outside the area of the piece of wood 9.

The device 1 according to the invention is shown in FIG. 2 in the arrangement for splitting a wooden section 10. The device 1 is held by a lifting crane 3. The gripping device 4 located on the conveyor 2 is so for the splitting process wide open that the wooden section 10 has freedom of movement, in particular in a direction perpendicular to the working axis 15. The cutting means 7 is in its rest position for the splitting process. The gap abutment 8 of the gap arrangement 14 is now in its working position. For example, a splitting knife (not shown) is attached to the gap abutment 8. The hydraulic cylinder 6 presses the wooden section against the gap abutment 8 of the gap arrangement 14 via the stop means 5 and causes the splitting of the wooden section 10. The splitting knives not shown in FIG. 2 can either be attached to the stop means 5 or gap abutment 8 or to both components of the gap arrangement 14 his.

A side view of the device according to the invention is shown in FIG. 3 (arrow direction A according to FIG. 1). The gripping device 4 fixes the piece of wood 9 or the resulting wooden section 10 in such a way that there is no freedom of movement. It can be clearly seen that the gap abutment 8 of the gap arrangement is positioned facing away from the piece of wood 9 or from the wood section 10. The gap abutment 8 can be brought into the working axis of the gap arrangement either via a rotary movement or a displacement mechanism. The chain saw as cutting means 7 moves in an arcuate direction through the piece of wood 9 and thus cuts off a section of wood 10 with a defined length. The separated rest of the piece of wood 9 falls back on the floor.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the device according to the invention. The hydraulic cylinder 6 acts on the stop means 5 with a splitting knife 11 attached to it. In this embodiment, the hydraulic cylinder is integrated in the conveying means 2. While the chain saw is positioned as the cutting means 7 in its rest position, the gap abutment is located 8 as a counter bearing in its working position. The wooden section 10 is held by the gripping device 4. Due to the extending movement of the hydraulic cylinder 6, the stop means 5 with the splitting knife 11 against the end face 10b of the wood section

10 pressed. In the further course of the splitting process, the end face 10a is pressed against the splitting abutment 8 and the wood section 10 is split. The splitting knife 11 has a wedge-shaped cross section and, when it strikes the end face 10b, causes the halves of the wooden section 10 that are being pressed apart.

Another variant of the device 1 according to the invention is shown in a partial section in FIG. 5. The cutting means 7 in the form of the chainsaw is here again in its rest position. The wood section 10 is also held by the gripping device 4. In this embodiment, the gap abutment 8 of the splitting device is additionally designed to be movable in the direction of the working axis. A hydraulic cylinder 6 'presses the gap abutment 8 against the wood section 10. In addition, the splitting knife 12 attached to the gap abutment 8 is height-adjustable. This enables the center of the splitting knife to be aligned in the longitudinal axis 15 of the wood section 10, in particular in the case of a complex shaped splitting knife 12. This makes it easier to split the wood section 10.

Figure 6 shows a more complex embodiment of a splitting knife

11 and 12, which can be present both on the stop means 5 and / or on the gap abutment 8 of the gap arrangement.

FIGS. 7a and 7b show the steps of the method according to the invention for cutting and splitting pieces of wood 9. In the first working step, the piece of wood 9 with the gripping device 4 the device 1 in a starting position AI detected and recorded. When grasping, the end face 9a of the piece of wood 9 is brought essentially flush to the stop means 5. In the cutting position A2, the cutting means 7 is used in the form of the chainsaw. While the piece of wood created with a defined length remains in the gripping device 4, the remaining piece 9r of the piece of wood 9 falls to the ground. In the course of the separation process, the piece of wood 9 is firmly fixed in the gripping device 4. After the cutting means 7 is returned to its rest position, the gap abutment 8 of the gap arrangement is transferred to the gap position A3. In this position A3 the wood section 10 is then split accordingly. For this purpose, the gripping device 4 is opened somewhat in order to give the wooden section 10 a certain freedom of movement in a direction perpendicular to the working axis. After splitting, the wood gaps 13 are deposited in an end position E from the gripping device 4.

In another embodiment of the device 1, the stop means 5 contains a stop stamp 16. As shown in FIG. 8, the stop means 5 and the stop stamp 16 have a common surface on the side which faces the piece of wood 9 or the wooden section 10. The stop punch 16 is pressed out by the hydraulic cylinder 6 during the splitting process in the direction of the working axis 15. In particular if the stop punch 16 contains splitting knives (not shown), the sinking of the stop punch 16 in the stop means 5 prevents the splitting knives from being pressed into the end face 9a of the wood during the cutting process and possibly damage to the cutting means 7 due to, for example, jamming is caused. Based on the description, it is possible for a person skilled in the art to design a wide variety of arrangements of splitting knife, the cutting means 7, the gripping device 4 and the splitting abutment 8. Likewise, different possibilities for the movement possibilities of the separating means 7 and the gap abutment 8 of the gap arrangement are possible, without however leaving the principle of the invention.

Claims

claims

1. Device (1) for splitting wood, with at least one, a gripping device (4) having conveying means (2) for gripping, holding and transporting a piece of wood (9) into a working position (A2), and with a splitting arrangement arranged on the conveying means (14), characterized in that a cutting means (7) for cutting a piece of wood (9) held in the working position is arranged on the conveying means (2), and in that a stop means (5) for variably determining the length of the piece of wood (9) to be cut to length is arranged on the conveying means (2), the cutting means (7) and the stop means (5) being movable relative to one another.

2. Device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the cutting means (7) between a cutting position

(A2), in which it is placed against the piece of wood (9) to be cut to length, and a splitting position (A3), in which it does not hinder the splitting of the wood section (10), can be moved.

3. Device (1) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the cutting means (7) is a preferably hydraulically driven saw, in particular a chainsaw.

4. Device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the stop means (5) is part of the gap arrangement (14).

5. Device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the stop means (5) contains splitting knife (11).

6. Device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the stop means (5) contains a stop stamp (16) which is displaceable in a direction parallel to the working axis (15) substantially.

7. The device (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that a splitting knife (11) is attached to the stop stamp (16).

8. The device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the gap arrangement is a gap abutment

(8), that between a gap position (A3), in which it is on an end face (9a) of a piece of wood cut to length

(9) abuts, and a cutting position (A2), in which it does not hinder the reception of an excessively long piece of wood (9), is movable.

9. The device (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that the cutting means (7) with respect to the working axis (15) between the gripping device (4) and the gap abutment (8) is arranged.

10. The device (1) according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the gap abutment (8) of the gap arrangement (14) contains splitting knife (12).

11. Process for cutting and splitting wood, characterized by the steps:

Detecting a piece of wood (9) with a conveying means (2) having a gripping device (4) in a starting position (AI); Cutting to length with a cutting means (7) arranged on the conveying means (2) of the piece of wood (9) gripped by the gripping device (4) in a cutting position (A2); Creating a gap abutment (8) on the cut end face (10a) of the wooden section (10); Splitting the wood section (10) captured by the gripping device (4) along a working axis (15) with a splitting arrangement (14) comprising at least one splitting knife (11, 12).

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that the piece of wood (9) is cut to length by applying to a stop means (5) in a predefinable length.

13. The method according to any one of claims 11 or 12, characterized in that at least one splitting knife (11, 12) of the splitting arrangement (14) is aligned coaxially to the working axis of the wood section (10) prior to splitting.