Tree shear and delimber

Claim 2

In combination with a mobile vehicle with a shear for cutting standing trees or the like at one end and a tree delimber at the other end, said tree delimber comprising first support means carrying a rotatable tree feeding spindle and a generally Lshaped cutting blade with a laterally extending leg and an upwardly extending leg, a second support means moveable toward and away from said first support means and carrying a rotatable tree feeding spindle and a generally L-shaped cutting blade with a laterally extending leg and a downwardly extending leg, the cutting blade of said second support means being moveable with its support means generally in alignment with the cutting blade of said first support means into surrounding relationship with respect to the trunk of a tree or the like, and the rotatable tree-feeding spindle of said second support means being moveable with its support means to a position to urge the trunk of a tree or the like into engagement with the tree-feeding spindle of said first support means, whereby the tree-feeding spindles rotate to urge the tree through the space surrounded by the cutting blades toward said shear and the limbs of the tree are cut away by the cutting blades, said shear being moveable to a position in alignment with the movement of a tree through the cutting blades for cutting the tree in sections.

Claim 3

The invention of claim 1 and wherein the cutting blade of said first support means has its laterally extending leg extending away from the centerline of said vehicle and the cutting blade of said second support means has its laterally extending leg extending toward the centerline of said vehicle.

Claim 4

The invention of claim 1 and wherein at least one of the cutting blades is biased in a lateral direction into surrounding relationship with respect to the trunk of a tree or the like when generally aligned with other of the L-shaped cutting blades.

Claim 5

A tree delimber for attachment to one end of a mobile vehicle having a tree shear or the like at its other end, said tree delimber comprising a first support member carrying a first tree feeding spindle member rotatable about a normally laterally extending axis and having its upper surface exposed, a first generally obtuse L-shaped cutting member carried by said first support member at approximately the same level as the upper surface of said first spindle member, said cutting member having one of its legs extending in a lateral direction substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said first spindle member and the other of its legs extending in an upward direction, said first cutting member being positioned in alignment with the direction of rotation of said first spindle member, a second support member carrying a second tree-feeding spindle rotatable about a normally laterally extending axis and having its lower surface exposed, a second generally obtuse L-shaped cutting member carried by said second support member at approximately the same level as the lower surface of said secOnd spindle member, said first and second support members being moveable with respect to each other to position said first and second spindle members adjacent each other to engage a tree trunk or the like on opposite sides thereof and to position said first and second cutting members generally in alignment with each other to generally surround the tree trunk, and spring means for biasing said first and second cutting members laterally into engagement with the tree trunk.

Claim 6

A tree delimber for attachment to one end of a mobile vehicle having a tree shear or the like at its other end, said tree delimber comprising a first support member carrying a first tree feeding spindle member rotatable about a normally laterally extending axis and having its upper surface exposed, a first generally obtuse L-shaped cutting member carried by said first support member at approximately the same level as the upper surface of said first spindle member, said cutting member having one of its legs extending in a lateral direction substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said first spindle member and the other of its legs extending in an upward direction, said first cutting member being positioned in alignment with the direction of rotation of said first spindle member, a second support member carrying a second tree-feeding spindle rotatable about a normally laterally extending axis and having its lower surface exposed, a second generally obtuse L-shaped cutting member carried by said second support member at approximately the same level as the lower surface of said secOnd spindle member, said first and second support members being moveable with respect to each other to position said first and second spindle members adjacent each other to engage a tree trunk or the like on opposite sides thereof and to position said first and second cutting members generally in alignment with each other to generally surround the tree trunk, and spring means for biasing said first and second cutting members laterally into engagement with the tree trunk.

Claim 7

The invention of claim 4 and wherein said second support member comprises a support beam pivotal at one of its end about a lateral axis and carrying said second L-shaped cutting member and said second spindle at its other end, and further comprising fluid-actuated power means for pivoting said second support member toward and away from said first support member.

Claim 8

The invention of claim 5 and further comprising spring means connected to said second support member and to said fluid-actuated power means for permitting movement of said second support means with respect to said fluid-actuated power means.

Claim 9

The invention of claim 4 and further comprising a support member spaced from and at substantially the same level as said first spindle for supporting the trunk of a tree in a substantially horizontal altitude.

Claim 10

Apparatus for harvesting trees or the like comprising a self-contained wheeled mobile vehicle, power-operated severing means extending from the front portion of said vehicle and pivotally mounted on a normally horizontal axis for severing a standing tree with a horizontal cut at at the front portion of the vehicle and for severing a fallen tree into sections with a vertical cut, power-operated clamping means mounted on the other end of said vehicle and comprising a pair of generally obtuse L-shaped cutting blades movable into surrounding relationship with respect to the trunk of a tree, spring means for biasing said cutting blades toward the trunk of the tree, and power-operated driving means for urging the trunk of the tree through said cutting blades and toward said severing means so that the limbs of the tree are removed from the trunk by said cutting blades and the delimbed trunk moves through said severing means at the front portion of said vehicle and is cut into sections by said severing means.

Claim 11

Apparatus for harvesting trees or the like comprising a self-contained wheeled mobile vehicle, power-operated severing means extending from the front portion of said vehicle and pivotally mounted on a normally horizontal axis for severing a standing tree with a horizontal cut at at the front portion of the vehicle and for severing a fallen tree into sections with a vertical cut, power-operated clamping means mounted on the other end of said vehicle and comprising a pair of generally obtuse L-shaped cutting blades movable into surrounding relationship with respect to the trunk of a tree, spring means for biasing said cutting blades toward the trunk of the tree, and power-operated driving means for urging the trunk of the tree through said cutting blades and toward said severing means so that the limbs of the tree are removed from the trunk by said cutting blades and the delimbed trunk moves through said severing means at the front portion of said vehicle and is cut into sections by said severing means.