Timber shear

Claim 2

A timber shear having a main body means adapted to be connected to a vehicle and including a stationary jaw and a movable shearing blade spaced from said jaw and in alignment therewith, a. said blade being pivotally connected to said main body means for movement about a pivot axis from a normal, opened position and toward said jaw during a tree-shearing stroke, b. said jaw having a tree-engageable surface means, c. said blade including a cutting edge means defining with said surface means on said jaw, a tree-receiving mouth, having an open outer end at its front and a closed inner end at its rear, d. said cutting edge means being defined at least partially by a substantially rectilinear cutting edge portion disposed at said open end of said mouth, e. said tree-engageable surface means on said jaw having a substantially straight portion at said open end of said mouth, and said rectilinear cutting edge portion of said blade being substantially diametrically opposed from said straight portion and generally parallel thereto or converging therewith in the forward direction when said blade is in its normal, open position, and f. said blade being so positioned relative to said surface means on said jaw that when the blade is moved to its most open position to receive the largest diameter tree acceptable to the mouth of the shear, the cutting edge portion of the blade will make, during a cutting stroke, a tangent with an initial point of contact with said tree and said tangent will form a parallel with, or a small inwardly directed acute angle with, a separate tangent formed by initial contact of the tree with the surface means on said jaw, said parallel or small acute angle being such that pivotal movement of the blade towards the jaw maintains the tree within the confines of the shear without developing any reaction forces which would force the tree away from the shear.

Claim 3

The structure defined in claim 1 wherein said cutting edge means is defined by a continuous straight edge substantially coextensive with said mouth.

Claim 4

The structure defined in claim 2 wherein said cutting edge means is defined by a plurality of teeth, each tooth having a rectilinear, leading, cutting edge and a trailing edge, said leading edges all lying on radii drawn from the same center, and said center being displaced from said pivot axis.

Claim 5

The structure defined in claim 3 wherein said center is spaced between said pivot axis and said open end of said mouth.

Claim 6

The structure defined in claim 1 wherein said tree-engageable surface means on said jaw includes a curved portion extending rearwardly and inwardly from said substantially straight portion and said mouth being of maximum width at its open outer front end and converging in width to said rear end thereof.

Claim 7

The structure defined in claim 1 wherein said cutting edge means is defined by a plurality of teeth, each tooth having a rectilinear, leading, cutting edge and a trailing edge, said leading edges all lying on radii drawn from the same center, and said center being displaced from said pivot axis.

Claim 8

A timber shear having a main body means adapted to be connected to a vehicle and including a stationary jaw and a movable shearing blade spaced from said jaw and in alignment therewith, a. said blade being pivotally connected to said main body means for movement about a pivot axis from a normal, opened position and toward said jaw during a tree-shearing stroke, b. said jaw having a tree-engageable surface means, c. said blade including a cutting edge means defining with said surface means on said jaw, a tree-receiving mouth, having an open outer end at its fronT and a closed inner end at its rear, d. said cutting edge means being defined at least partially by a plurality of teeth, with each tooth having a rectilinear, leading, cutting edge and a trailing edge, said leading edges all lying on radii drawn from the same center, and said center being displaced from said pivot axis, e. said tree-engageable surface means on said jaw having a curved portion disposed adjacent said open front end of said mouth so that when a tree is arranged in said mouth and is bearing against said curved portion a tangent to the point of contact between the tree and said curved portion will be parallel to or converging with, in the forward direction away from said mouth, a rectilinear cutting edge of a tooth making a first contact with said tree, and f. said blade being so positioned relative to said surface means on said jaw that when the blade is moved to its most open position to receive the largest diameter tree acceptable to the mouth of the shear, the cutting edges of the blade will make, during a cutting stroke, a tangent with an initial point of contact with said tree and said tangent will form a parallel with, or a small inwardly directed acute angle with, a separate tangent formed by initial contact of the tree with the surface means on said jaw, said parallel or small acute angle being such that pivotal movement of the blade towards the jaw maintains the tree within the confines of the shear without developing any reaction forces which would force the tree away from the shear.

Claim 9

A timber shear having a main body means adapted to be connected to a vehicle and including a stationary jaw and a movable shearing blade spaced from said jaw and in alignment therewith, a. said blade being pivotally connected to said main body means for movement about a pivot axis from a normal, opened position and toward said jaw during a tree-shearing stroke, b. said jaw having a tree-engageable surface means, c. said blade including a cutting edge means defining with said surface means on said jaw, a tree-receiving mouth, having an open outer end at its fronT and a closed inner end at its rear, d. said cutting edge means being defined at least partially by a plurality of teeth, with each tooth having a rectilinear, leading, cutting edge and a trailing edge, said leading edges all lying on radii drawn from the same center, and said center being displaced from said pivot axis, e. said tree-engageable surface means on said jaw having a curved portion disposed adjacent said open front end of said mouth so that when a tree is arranged in said mouth and is bearing against said curved portion a tangent to the point of contact between the tree and said curved portion will be parallel to or converging with, in the forward direction away from said mouth, a rectilinear cutting edge of a tooth making a first contact with said tree, and f. said blade being so positioned relative to said surface means on said jaw that when the blade is moved to its most open position to receive the largest diameter tree acceptable to the mouth of the shear, the cutting edges of the blade will make, during a cutting stroke, a tangent with an initial point of contact with said tree and said tangent will form a parallel with, or a small inwardly directed acute angle with, a separate tangent formed by initial contact of the tree with the surface means on said jaw, said parallel or small acute angle being such that pivotal movement of the blade towards the jaw maintains the tree within the confines of the shear without developing any reaction forces which would force the tree away from the shear.