Wooden article and like destroyer

Claim 2

Mobile apparatus for reducing wood and like articles to relatively small fragments comprising a vehicle having a chassis supported on wheels at least one set of which are drive wheels, a prime mover assembly on said chassis, variable speed drive means for connecting said prime mover assembly to said drive wheels, a cutting and punching mechanism on said chassis comprising a toothed rotor rotatable about an axis transversely of the chassis, a drive system between said prime mover assembly and said mechanism, conveyor means at the forward part of said apparatus for advancing articles to be reduced longitudinally of said chassis into said mechanism, means on said chassis for picking up articles to be reduced and depositing them on said conveyor means, and means at the rear of said apparatus providing a pressurized air system for discharging the fragments from said mechanism.

Claim 3

In the mobile apparatus defined in claim 1, said variable speed drive means including a low speed range setting and a higher speed range setting, said drive system to the cutting and punching mechanism including a clutch, and means permitting drive of the vehicle in the higher speed range only when said clutch is disengaged.

Claim 4

In the mobile apparatus defined in claim 2, an implement actuating hydraulic system having pump means driven through said clutch so as to be inoperable when said apparatus is driven in said higher speed range.

Claim 5

In the mobile apparatus defined in claim 1, said means for picking up articles comprising a forwardly disposed crane swivelly mounted on said chassis.

Claim 6

In the mobile apparatus defined in claim 1, said fragment discharge means comprising a blower having an intake connected by conduit means to said mechanism and an exhaust conduit projecting upwardly from the chassis.

Claim 7

In the apparatus defined in claim 1, at least one reversible hydraulic motor for said drive wheels, a reversible main hydraulic pump connected to be driven by said prime mover and having a hydraulic line connection to said motor, and operator controlled valve means in said line.

Claim 8

In the apparatus defined in claim 1, said conveyor being an endless chain having a generally horizontal upper flight on which said articles are deposited, and a floatingly mounted transverse feed roll above said flight adjacent said mechanism for controlling feed of articles into said mechanism.

Claim 9

Mobile apparatus for reducing articles of wood or the like tO very small fragments comprising a vehicle having a set of drive wheels, and associated toothed rotor and fixed anvil mechanism, a conveyor for advancing articles along a generally horizontal path on said vehicle toward said mechanism, a prime mover on said vehicle, reversible hydraulic pump means on said vehicle driven by said prime mover and connected to a hydraulic drive motor at said wheels, mechanical drive means including a clutch between said prime mover and said mechanism, means including a first air cylinder connected to control said pump means, means including a second air cylinder connected to operate said clutch, valved compressed air supply circuits connected to said cylinders, and an interlock between said circuits for automatically varying the control of said pump means when said second air cylinder is operated to engage said clutch.

Claim 10

Mobile apparatus for reducing articles of wood or the like tO very small fragments comprising a vehicle having a set of drive wheels, and associated toothed rotor and fixed anvil mechanism, a conveyor for advancing articles along a generally horizontal path on said vehicle toward said mechanism, a prime mover on said vehicle, reversible hydraulic pump means on said vehicle driven by said prime mover and connected to a hydraulic drive motor at said wheels, mechanical drive means including a clutch between said prime mover and said mechanism, means including a first air cylinder connected to control said pump means, means including a second air cylinder connected to operate said clutch, valved compressed air supply circuits connected to said cylinders, and an interlock between said circuits for automatically varying the control of said pump means when said second air cylinder is operated to engage said clutch.

Claim 11

The mobile apparatus defined in claim 8, wherein the circuit to said first air cylinder comprises manually operable valve means for actuating said pump means to supply fluid under pressure in opposite directions in the hydraulic circuit to said wheel motor.

Claim 12

The mobile apparatus defined in claim 8, wherein the air circuit to said first air cylinder comprises parallel circuit branches, one of which is substantially unobstructed permitting a predetermined high air pressure to be transmitted to said first air cylinder for conditioning said pump means for high speed drive of the vehicle wheels and the other of which contains a pressure reducing device permitting only reduced air pressure to be transmitted to said first air cylinder for conditioning said pump means for slow speed drive of the vehicle wheels, and said interlock includes a normally open valve responsive to actuation of the second cylinder to engage the clutch for blocking said direct branch.