US3796241A — Tree harvesting apparatus and method

Claim 1

Independent Claim 124 words

Apparatus for use in harvesting trees comprising a support, a first boom assembly carried by said support, tree clamp means on said first boom assembly for gripping a tree, a second boom assembly carried by said support, means supporting at least said first boom assembly for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, said second boom assembly comprising at least a pair of telescoping booms, one of said booms having a delimbing mechanism carried on its outer end, means for moving said first boom assembly to locate a tree gripped thereby in position relative to said delimbing mechanism for delimbing, and means for extending said telescoping booms to move said delimbing mechanism along a tree held by said tree clamp means for effecting delimbing thereof.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 124 words

Apparatus for use in harvesting trees comprising a support, a first boom assembly carried by said support, tree clamp means on said first boom assembly for gripping a tree, a second boom assembly carried by said support, means supporting at least said first boom assembly for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, said second boom assembly comprising at least a pair of telescoping booms, one of said booms having a delimbing mechanism carried on its outer end, means for moving said first boom assembly to locate a tree gripped thereby in position relative to said delimbing mechanism for delimbing, and means for extending said telescoping booms to move said delimbing mechanism along a tree held by said tree clamp means for effecting delimbing thereof.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 31 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further including shear means on said first boom assembly for severing an upright tree at a location adjacent to the base of the tree.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 60 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for moving said first boom assembly includes means for operating said boom assembly from a first condition in which a tree gripped by said clamp means is generally upright to a second condition in which a tree gripped by said clamp means extends in a generally horizontal direction for delimbing.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 47 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further including means for mounting said first and second boom assemblies on said support in a side by side relationship with the longitudinal axis of said first and second boom assemblies extending generally parallel to each other, and spaced apart.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 81 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said means for mounting said first and second boom assemblies on said support includes means for pivoting said first and second boom assemblies relative to said support about a vertical axis and for pivoting said first and second boom assemblies relative to said support about a horizontal axis to thereby enable said delimbing mechanism and said clamp means to be positioned for engagement with trees located in different positions relative to said support.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 58 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said delimbing mechanism includes a plurality of relatively movable arms and biasing means for maintaining said arms in engagement with a trunk of a tree held by said tree clamp means as said delimbing mechanism is moved along the tree to thereby sever branches from the trunk of the tree.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 38 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said delimbing mechanism further includes knife means on a leading edge portion of said relatively movable arms for effecting a severing of the branches from the trunk of the tree.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 196 words

Apparatus for use in harvesting trees comprising a support, a boom structure carried by said support, tree clamp means on said boom structure for gripping a standing tree to be sheared, a tree shear on said boom structure for severing a standing tree gripped by said clamp means, a delimbing mechanism carried by said support, means For moving said boom structure to locate a severed tree gripped by said tree clamp means to a position relative to said delimbing mechanism for delimbing, means for relatively moving said delimbing mechanism and the severed tree held by said tree clamp means for effecting delimbing of the severed tree, and means for moving said clamp means and a severed tree gripped thereby from a position in which the severed tree is generally upright with its trunk extending transversely to said boom structure to a position in which the trunk of the severed tree extends generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of said boom structure, said means for moving said boom structure being operable to pivot the severed tree about the longitudinal axis of said boom structure to thereby position the severed tree relative to said delimbing mechanism for delimbing.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 196 words

Apparatus for use in harvesting trees comprising a support, a boom structure carried by said support, tree clamp means on said boom structure for gripping a standing tree to be sheared, a tree shear on said boom structure for severing a standing tree gripped by said clamp means, a delimbing mechanism carried by said support, means For moving said boom structure to locate a severed tree gripped by said tree clamp means to a position relative to said delimbing mechanism for delimbing, means for relatively moving said delimbing mechanism and the severed tree held by said tree clamp means for effecting delimbing of the severed tree, and means for moving said clamp means and a severed tree gripped thereby from a position in which the severed tree is generally upright with its trunk extending transversely to said boom structure to a position in which the trunk of the severed tree extends generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of said boom structure, said means for moving said boom structure being operable to pivot the severed tree about the longitudinal axis of said boom structure to thereby position the severed tree relative to said delimbing mechanism for delimbing.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 132 words

Apparatus for use in harvesting trees comprising a support, first and second generally parallel extending boom assemblies having longitudinal axes which are laterally spaced and carried on said support, said first boom assembly comprising a first telescoping boom section adapted to have a tree shear attached thereto and said second boom assembly comprising a second telescoping boom section adapted to have a delimbing mechanism attached thereto, means for pivoting said first and second boom assemblies about a generally horizontal axis, means for moving said first and second boom assemblies about a generally vertical axis, means for effecting telescoping movement of said first and second telescoping boom sections, and means for rotating said first telescoping boom section relative to said second telescoping boom section about an axis generally parallel to said boom assemblies.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 132 words

Apparatus for use in harvesting trees comprising a support, first and second generally parallel extending boom assemblies having longitudinal axes which are laterally spaced and carried on said support, said first boom assembly comprising a first telescoping boom section adapted to have a tree shear attached thereto and said second boom assembly comprising a second telescoping boom section adapted to have a delimbing mechanism attached thereto, means for pivoting said first and second boom assemblies about a generally horizontal axis, means for moving said first and second boom assemblies about a generally vertical axis, means for effecting telescoping movement of said first and second telescoping boom sections, and means for rotating said first telescoping boom section relative to said second telescoping boom section about an axis generally parallel to said boom assemblies.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 62 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 9 wherein said first and second boom assemblies include bearing means for supporting relatively movable sections of said boom assemblies, said bearing means including means for yieldably supporting said relatively movable boom sections to provide for limited movement of said boom sections in a direction transverse to the direction of telescoping movement of said boom assemblies.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 32 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 9 wherein said support is a vehicle having an operators cab with said first and second boom assemblies mounted on a roof of said operators cab.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 40 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 11 further including a seat located in said operators cab and means connecting said seat to said first and second boom assemblies for movement therewith relative to the vehicle about the generally vertical axis.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 66 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 9 wherein said first and second boom assemblies extend generally parallel to each other and wherein said first boom assembly is adapted to support a tree with its trunk extending generally parallel to said second boom assembly whereby the telescoping movement of said first and second telescoping boom sections is effective to move the delimbing mechanism along the tree trunk.

Claim 17

Independent Claim 120 words

An apparatus for use in harvesting trees comprising means for supporting a tree in a position to be worked on, a delimbing mechanism movable relative to the tree and operable to delimb the tree as the delimbing mechanism and tree move relatively, said delimbing mechanism including at least a pair of delimbing members which have a working position in engagement with the tree to effect delimbing thereof and a non-working position, means for moving said delimbing mechanism and tree in a work stroke to effect delimbing of the tree, and means for effecting positioning of the delimbing members in said open position in response to said delimbing mechanism and tree moving relatively through the last portion of said work stroke.

Claim 18

Independent Claim 120 words

An apparatus for use in harvesting trees comprising means for supporting a tree in a position to be worked on, a delimbing mechanism movable relative to the tree and operable to delimb the tree as the delimbing mechanism and tree move relatively, said delimbing mechanism including at least a pair of delimbing members which have a working position in engagement with the tree to effect delimbing thereof and a non-working position, means for moving said delimbing mechanism and tree in a work stroke to effect delimbing of the tree, and means for effecting positioning of the delimbing members in said open position in response to said delimbing mechanism and tree moving relatively through the last portion of said work stroke.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 55 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 14 wherein said apparatus further includes at least a pair of relatively movable telescoping boom members, said delimbing mechanism being carried by one of said boom members, and means for effecting movement of said delimbing members to said open pOsition in response to relative movement between said boom members.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 67 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 14 wherein said means for effecting movement of said delimbing members comprises a member which is connected with said delimbing members and which is stopped in its movement while said delimbing members move along the tree, and a cable interconnecting said member and said delimbing members which effects opening thereof upon movement of said delimbing members upon stopping of said member.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1977-03-11	1977-09-10	1978-03-12	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1981-03-11	1981-09-10	1982-03-12	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1985-03-11	1985-09-10	1986-03-12	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Tree harvesting apparatus and method

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