Tree harvesting method and apparatus

Claim 2

A tree harvester including a movable vehicle, delimbing means mounted on said vehicle for circumferentially engaging the trunk of a felled tree, said delimbing means being operative to shear limbs from a tree trunk which is pulled through said delimbing means, gripping means carried by said vehicle for gripping a felled tree and for pulling a felled tree through said delimbing means including a first flight feeding assembly and a second flight feeding assembly disposed opposite one another on said vehicle and defining a vertical opening therebetween, means for raising or lowering said assemblies relative to said vehicle and for moving said assemblies toward and away from one another, each of said flight assemblies having complementary arranged, longitudinally extending, channel shaped surfaces for adapting to different tree diameters, and means for moving said channel surfaces in a longitudinal direction relative to said vehicle.

Claim 3

A tree felling apparatus comprising a movable vehicle having a frame support mounted on forward and rearward sets of wheels, first and second frame members pivotally coupled to the frame support between the front set of wheels and reciprocally supporting a tree-engaging shear blade, means for moving said frame members between a lower horizontal tree cutting position and an upper horizontal storage position, an end gate pivotally mounted on one of said frame members about a vertical axis and connectable to said other frame member, and means on said frame members for applying force to said shear blade to cut through a tree trunk.

Claim 4

A tree felling apparatus comprising a movable vehicle having a frame support mounted on forward and rearward sets of wheels, first and second frame members pivotally coupled to the frame support between the front set of wheels and reciprocally supporting a tree-engaging shear blade, means for moving said frame members between a lower horizontal tree cutting position and an upper horizontal storage position, an end gate pivotally mounted on one of said frame members about a vertical axis and connectable to said other frame member, and means on said frame members for applying force to said shear blade to cut through a tree trunk.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein a linkage mechanism couples the frame members to the front set of wheels and includes means for pivotally moving said frame members between horizontal and vertical positions.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein and further including means for moving said end gate between opened and closed positions relative to said frame members.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 4 and further including means for latching said end gate in a closed position, and power means for operating said latching means.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said linkage means includes a link member and arm members pivotally coupling the link members to said frame support, said frame members being pivotally coupled to said link members, and power means interconnected between said link members and said frame members.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said end gate has a notching knife blade arranged offset with respect to said shear blade, whereby said shear blade can cut through a tree trunk above said knife blade.

Claim 10

A tree harvester comprising a vehicle having four wheels and a frame, said wheels suspending said frame relative to ground level so that said frame is adapted to be disposed above and over a felled tree and so that the forward and rearward wheels are respectively adapted to be disposed to either side of a felled tree, thereby defining a working area between the wheels, the frame and a ground level, means contained on said vehicle for self-propelling said vehicle, delimbing means mounted on said frame for selectively circumferentially engaging the trunk of a felled tree and for shearing limbs therefrom when a trunk is moved therethrough, spaced apart, separate gripping means dependently suspended from said frame intermediate of its length, said gripping means defining a lower, vertically arranged opening permitting positioning of said gripping means on opposite sides of a felled tree trunk, said gripping means being engageable with a felled tree trunk while such trunk is on a ground level, means for manipulating said gripping means for supporting such a felled tree trunk above the ground a sufficient Distance for pulling a tree trunk through said delimbing means, and means for driving said gripping means for continuously moving a felled tree trunk relative to said delimbing means to enable continuous shearing of limbs from such tree trunk.

Claim 11

A tree harvester comprising a vehicle having four wheels and a frame, said wheels suspending said frame relative to ground level so that said frame is adapted to be disposed above and over a felled tree and so that the forward and rearward wheels are respectively adapted to be disposed to either side of a felled tree, thereby defining a working area between the wheels, the frame and a ground level, means contained on said vehicle for self-propelling said vehicle, delimbing means mounted on said frame for selectively circumferentially engaging the trunk of a felled tree and for shearing limbs therefrom when a trunk is moved therethrough, spaced apart, separate gripping means dependently suspended from said frame intermediate of its length, said gripping means defining a lower, vertically arranged opening permitting positioning of said gripping means on opposite sides of a felled tree trunk, said gripping means being engageable with a felled tree trunk while such trunk is on a ground level, means for manipulating said gripping means for supporting such a felled tree trunk above the ground a sufficient Distance for pulling a tree trunk through said delimbing means, and means for driving said gripping means for continuously moving a felled tree trunk relative to said delimbing means to enable continuous shearing of limbs from such tree trunk.

Claim 12

A tree harvester including a movable vehicle, delimbing means mounted on said vehicle for circumferentially engaging the trunk of a felled tree, gripping means carried by said vehicle for gripping a felled tree and for pulling a felled tree through said delimbing means, said gripping means further including a first flight feeding assembly and a second flight feeding assembly disposed opposite one another on said vehicle, each of said flight assemblies having complementary arranged, channel shaped surfaces for adapting to different tree diameters, means for moving said channel surfaces in a longitudinal direction relative to said vehicle, means for raising or lowering said assemblies relative to said vehicle, said raising and lowering means being pivotally coupled to said feeding assemblies by arm means, and power means coupled to said arm means for moving said feeding assemblies toward and away from one another.

Claim 13

A tree harvester including a movable vehicle, delimbing means mounted on said vehicle for circumferentially engaging the trunk of a felled tree, gripping means carried by said vehicle for gripping a felled tree and for pulling a felled tree through said delimbing means, said gripping means further including a first flight feeding assembly and a second flight feeding assembly disposed opposite one another on said vehicle, each of said flight assemblies having complementary arranged, channel shaped surfaces for adapting to different tree diameters, means for moving said channel surfaces in a longitudinal direction relative to said vehicle, means for raising or lowering said assemblies relative to said vehicle, said raising and lowering means being pivotally coupled to said feeding assemblies by arm means, and power means coupled to said arm means for moving said feeding assemblies toward and away from one another.

Claim 14

A tree harvester including a movable vehicle, delimbing means mounted on said vehicle, said delimbing means being arranged to circumscribe the trunk of a felled tree and shear limbs therefrom when such trunk is passed therethrough, gripping means carried by said vehicle for gripping a felled tree and for pulling a felled tree through said delimbing means, said gripping means including first and second feeding assemblies respectively having elongated plate members, upper and lower endless chain means mounted to travel in plane parallel to a ground surface, means coupling said plate members to said chain means, said plate members respectively having their outwardly facing surfaces arranged with a concavity so as to accommodate tree trunks of varying diameters, means for moving said feeding assemblies toward and away from one another, means for moving said feeding assemblies upwardly and downwardly with respect to a ground surface, and means for driving said chain means for providing a longitudinally extending series of oppositely opposed channel members which cooperatively grip a felled tree trunk and move it lengthwise of said vehicle.

Claim 15

A tree harvester including a movable vehicle, delimbing means mounted on said vehicle, said delimbing means being arranged to circumscribe the trunk of a felled tree and shear limbs therefrom when such trunk is passed therethrough, gripping means carried by said vehicle for gripping a felled tree and for pulling a felled tree through said delimbing means, said gripping means including first and second feeding assemblies respectively having elongated plate members, upper and lower endless chain means mounted to travel in plane parallel to a ground surface, means coupling said plate members to said chain means, said plate members respectively having their outwardly facing surfaces arranged with a concavity so as to accommodate tree trunks of varying diameters, means for moving said feeding assemblies toward and away from one another, means for moving said feeding assemblies upwardly and downwardly with respect to a ground surface, and means for driving said chain means for providing a longitudinally extending series of oppositely opposed channel members which cooperatively grip a felled tree trunk and move it lengthwise of said vehicle.

Claim 16

A tree harvester including a movable vehicle having a frame support mounted on forward and rearward sets of wheels, said wheels suspending said frame relative to ground level so that said frame is adapted to be disposed above and over a felled tree and the forward and rearward sets of wheels are respectively adapted to straddle a felled tree, thereby defining a working area between the wheels, the frame and the ground level, delimbing means mounted on the forward portion of said frame support, said delimbing means being arranged to circumscribe the trunk of a felled tree and shear the limbs therefrom when such a trunk is moved relative to said frame support, means for gripping and moving a tree trunk relative to said frame support including spaced apart, endless belt means respectively journalled on axes disposed normal to a ground level whereby a vertical opening is defined between said belt means, said belt means carrying vertically disposed plate means respectively having concavities arranged to define said vertical opening with an ovular shape for permitting accommodation of different diameters for tree trunks, means for moving said belt means respectively toward and away from one another for varying the size of said vertical opening, means for moving said belt means upwardly or downwardly with respect a ground level, and means for driving said belt means for moving a tree trunk relative to said frame support.

Claim 17

A tree harvester including a movable vehicle having a frame support mounted on forward and rearward sets of wheels, said wheels suspending said frame relative to ground level so that said frame is adapted to be disposed above and over a felled tree and the forward and rearward sets of wheels are respectively adapted to straddle a felled tree, thereby defining a working area between the wheels, the frame and the ground level, delimbing means mounted on the forward portion of said frame support, said delimbing means being arranged to circumscribe the trunk of a felled tree and shear the limbs therefrom when such a trunk is moved relative to said frame support, means for gripping and moving a tree trunk relative to said frame support including spaced apart, endless belt means respectively journalled on axes disposed normal to a ground level whereby a vertical opening is defined between said belt means, said belt means carrying vertically disposed plate means respectively having concavities arranged to define said vertical opening with an ovular shape for permitting accommodation of different diameters for tree trunks, means for moving said belt means respectively toward and away from one another for varying the size of said vertical opening, means for moving said belt means upwardly or downwardly with respect a ground level, and means for driving said belt means for moving a tree trunk relative to said frame support.