Tree harvester

Claim 2

A tree harvesting machine comprising: main frame means elongated in a normal fore-and-aft direction of travel; front and rear pairs of ground-engaging means connected in supporting relationship to the front and rear end portions, respectively, of the main frame means with the opposite ground-engaging means Of each pair being respectively spaced laterally of opposite sides of the main frame means; delimbing blade means being mounted on the forward end portion of said frame means for receiving, encircling and delimbing a tree stem as the latter is being fed endwise therethrough along a path extending longitudinally of said machine at least partially directly above said groundengaging means and being located outwardly from said main frame means no further than the ground-engaging means; tree stem feed means being mounted on the main frame means directly behind the stem delimbing means and at least partially directly behind said front pair of ground-engaging means for propelling a tree stem along said horizontal path; first tree stem support means mounted on the rear end of said frame means and located for supporting a tree stem as the latter moves along said path; and extensible and retractable tree handling means being mounted on said main frame means rearwardly of said feed means for manipulating a tree stem into a position for introducing the butt end portion thereof into said feed means.

Claim 3

The machine defined in claim 1 and further including a cab being mounted on said main frame just rearwardly of said tree handling means; said cab having one side extending generally foreand-aft and being located just inwardly of said horizontal path whereby it serves to guide tree stems along said path.

Claim 4

The machine defined in claim 1 and further including a retainer-ejector means mounted on said main frame means at a location intermediate said tree stem feed means and said supporting means; said retainer-ejector means including an arm pivotally mounted for movement about a fore-and-aft horizontal axis between a supporting position wherein it extends generally horizontally outwardly at a location for disposing the arm in a position for supporting a tree stem extending generally horizontally from said tree feed means, and a dump position wherein it extends generally vertically for depositing a supported tree stem outwardly of said gound support means at said one side of the frame means.

Claim 5

The machine defined in claim 3 and further including a stacking blade assembly including a stacking blade extending transversely in spaced relationship rearwardly of the rear end of said main frame means and being vertically pivotally connected to the latter through means of a pair of arms; power means connected between said main frame means and said pair of arms for swinging the latter vertically to adjust the vertical disposition of said blade; and said first tree supporting means forming an integral part of said blade assembly.

Claim 6

The machine defined in claim 1 wherein said feed means comprises a pair of feed rolls respectively mounted for swinging towards and away from each other about vertical axes located on opposite sides of said path.

Claim 7

The machine defined in claim 1 and further including second tree stem support means mounted on the front of said main frame means adjacent said feed means.

Claim 8

A tree felling and delimbing vehicle comprising: front and rear main frame sections being pivotally interconnected for relative movement about a vertical axis; front and rear pairs of ground wheels respectively being connected in supporting relationship to said front and rear frame sections with the opposite wheels of each pair being at the opposite sides of said frame sections; delimbing means being mounted on the forward frame section adjacent one side thereof and including blade means positioned for encircling and delimbing a tree stem extending horizontally approximately at the level of the top of the wheels and for propelling the same along a fore-and-aft extending path located inwardly of the outer sides of but at least partially above the wheels at one side of the vehicle when the wheels are in fore-and-aft alignment; tree stem propelling means being mounted on said front frame section just rearwardly of said delimbing means and being at least partially in fore-and-aft alignment wIth the wheels at said one side of the vehicle for selectively propelling a tree stem along said path; a tree stem suppporting means being mounted at the rearward end of said rearward frame section and including support surface means extending generally horizontally below said path for supporting a tree stem being propelled through said delimbing means by said propelling means; and tree shear means being mounted on said front frame section and being operable for shearing a standing tree and then manipulating the cut tree so as to introduce the butt end portion thereof into said propelling means.

Claim 9

A tree felling and delimbing vehicle comprising: front and rear main frame sections being pivotally interconnected for relative movement about a vertical axis; front and rear pairs of ground wheels respectively being connected in supporting relationship to said front and rear frame sections with the opposite wheels of each pair being at the opposite sides of said frame sections; delimbing means being mounted on the forward frame section adjacent one side thereof and including blade means positioned for encircling and delimbing a tree stem extending horizontally approximately at the level of the top of the wheels and for propelling the same along a fore-and-aft extending path located inwardly of the outer sides of but at least partially above the wheels at one side of the vehicle when the wheels are in fore-and-aft alignment; tree stem propelling means being mounted on said front frame section just rearwardly of said delimbing means and being at least partially in fore-and-aft alignment wIth the wheels at said one side of the vehicle for selectively propelling a tree stem along said path; a tree stem suppporting means being mounted at the rearward end of said rearward frame section and including support surface means extending generally horizontally below said path for supporting a tree stem being propelled through said delimbing means by said propelling means; and tree shear means being mounted on said front frame section and being operable for shearing a standing tree and then manipulating the cut tree so as to introduce the butt end portion thereof into said propelling means.

Claim 10

The machine defined in claim 7 and further including a retainer-ejector means supported by one of said front and rear frame sections at a location between said wheels at one side of the vehicle for movement between a first position wherein it extends below said path for supporting a tree stem as the latter progresses along said path and a second position to one side of said path for depositing the tree stem to one side of the vehicle.

Claim 11

The machine defined in claim 8 wherein said retainer-ejector means is supported by said rear frame section.

Claim 12

The machine defined in claim 8 wherein a cab is supported on said rear frame section and has one side thereof extending parallel to and adjacent to said path; and said retainer-ejector means being located adjacent to said one side of said cab.

Claim 13

The machine defined in claim 7 wherein said tree supporting means is vertically adjustable.

Claim 14

The machine defined in claim 7 wherein said machine further includes stacking blade means vertically adjustably mounted at the rear end of said rear frame section and said tree supporting means being mounted on one side of said blade means so as to be vertically swingable therewith.

Claim 15

The machine defined in claim 7 wherein said tree stem propelling means comprises a first feed roll mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, disposed so as to be in fore-and-aft alignment with the wheels at one side of the vehicle, and for pivoting toward and away from said path about a first vertical axis located to one side of said path; a second feed roll mounted for rotation about a vertical axis and for pivoting about a second vertical axis located transversely of and on the opposite side of said path from said first vertical axis; drive means being connected to said first and second rolls for rotating the latter; and power means being connected to said rolls for simultaneously swinging the rolls equal amounts towards and away from said path about said first and second axes.

Claim 16

The machine defined in claim 13 wherein said power means includes an extensible and retractable hydraulic motor having opposite ends respectively connected to one of said first and second rolls and to said front frame section, and a motion-equalizing link having opposite ends respectively pivotally connected to said first and second rolls.

Claim 17

A tree harvesting machine comprising: main frame means elongated in a normal fore-and-aft direction of travel; a pair of ground-engaging means connected to said main frame means in supporting relation thereto and being located at the opposite sides thereof; a delimbing means being mounted on said main frame means towards one side of the forward end thereof; said delimbing means including adjustable blade means movable relative to each other between a spaced apart first position, for receiving and supporting a fore-and-aft extending tree trunk, and a moved together second position for tightly encircling a received tree trunk; tree supporting means connected to said main frame means at a location spaced rearwardly of said delimbing means in general fore-and-aft alignment therewith and including tree supporting surface means arranged for supporting the trunk of a tree received in said blade means and extending generally horizontally and rearwardly therefrom; feed means mounted on said main frame means rearwardly of said delimbing means for engaging the trunk of a tree receiveD in said delimbing means and propelling the engaged trunk rearwardly; extensible and retractable tree handling means being mounted on said main frame means and operable for placing a cut tree into a generally fore-and-aft extending position and introducing the tree into the delimbing blade means when the latter are in their tree-receiving position; and said delimbing means, feed means and tree supporting means being so located relative to the ground-engaging means at one side of said main frame means that a tree stem extending between said feed means and said supporting means will be supported substantially directly above the ground-engaging means at said one side of the frame means.

Claim 18

A tree harvesting machine comprising: main frame means elongated in a normal fore-and-aft direction of travel; a pair of ground-engaging means connected to said main frame means in supporting relation thereto and being located at the opposite sides thereof; a delimbing means being mounted on said main frame means towards one side of the forward end thereof; said delimbing means including adjustable blade means movable relative to each other between a spaced apart first position, for receiving and supporting a fore-and-aft extending tree trunk, and a moved together second position for tightly encircling a received tree trunk; tree supporting means connected to said main frame means at a location spaced rearwardly of said delimbing means in general fore-and-aft alignment therewith and including tree supporting surface means arranged for supporting the trunk of a tree received in said blade means and extending generally horizontally and rearwardly therefrom; feed means mounted on said main frame means rearwardly of said delimbing means for engaging the trunk of a tree receiveD in said delimbing means and propelling the engaged trunk rearwardly; extensible and retractable tree handling means being mounted on said main frame means and operable for placing a cut tree into a generally fore-and-aft extending position and introducing the tree into the delimbing blade means when the latter are in their tree-receiving position; and said delimbing means, feed means and tree supporting means being so located relative to the ground-engaging means at one side of said main frame means that a tree stem extending between said feed means and said supporting means will be supported substantially directly above the ground-engaging means at said one side of the frame means.

Claim 19

The tree harvesting machine defined in claim 15 and further including an operator''s cab mounted centrally on said main frame means at a location approximately midway between the front and rear ends of the frame means; said cab having an upright, fore-and-aft extending side positioned so as to be adjacent to a tree trunk extending between said delimbing means and supported on said tree supporting surface means.

Claim 20

The tree harvesting machine defined in claim 15 wherein said tree supporting means includes a first tree support structure located at the rear end of said machine; said first tree support structure being vertically adjustably connected to said main frame means and said first tree supporting surface means extending generally horizontally and forming a portion of said first tree support structure.

Claim 21

The tree harvesting machine defined in claim 15 and further including a stacking blade assembly located at the rear end of said machine and including a transverse blade; a pair of transversely spaced push arms having rearward ends fixed to said blade and forward ends pivotally connected to said main frame means for swinging about a horizontal transverse axis; power means connected between said frame means and said arms for swinging the latter vertically about said last-mentioned axis; said tree supporting means including a first tree support structure fixed to said stacking blade assembly; and said tree supporting surface means including a first upwardly facing support surface forming a part of said first tree support structure.

Claim 22

The tree harvesting machine defined in claim 16 wherein said tree supporting means includes a guide structure including a transversely extending support section having an inner end positioned adjacent said cab side and an outer end fixed to an upwardly extending guide section; said guide section and cab side thus cooperating to quide a tree trunk across the support section extending between the cab and the guide section when the trunk is being delimbed.

Claim 23

The tree harvesting machine defined in claim 19 wherein said support and guide sections form an arm pivotally mounted for vertical swinging movement, about a generally horizontal, fore-and-aft extending axis, between a support position, wherein said support section is generally horizontal and said guide section extends upwardly, and a dump position, wherein said support section is rotated approximately 90* from said support position and faces outwardly from said main frame means while the guide section inclines downwardly and outwardly from the main frame means; and power means connected between said bracket and said arm for moving the arm between said support and dump positions.

Claim 24

The harvesting machine as defined in claim 15 wherein said main frame means comprises front and rear frame sections pivotally connected together for relative movement about a vertical axis; said felling boom, delimbing and feed assemblies being located on said front frame section; a cab being mounted on the forward end portion of the rear frame section; an engine housing being mounted on the rear frame section just rearwardly of the cab; said cab and engine housing having respective fore-and-aft extending sides disposed so as to be inwardly of and adjacent to a tree trunk extending betweEn said feed means and said tree supporting means.

Claim 25

The tree harvesting machine defined in claim 15 wherein said tree supporting means includes a tree support structure fixed to the forward end of said main frame means on the side opposite from said delimbing blade means; and said tree support structure including a transverse cross member spaced above said main frame means whereby a tree may be supported on said machine by first operating the tree handling means to place the butt end portion of a cut tree on the cross member and then by operating the tree handling means to elevate the tree to a generally horizontal position.

Claim 26

A tree harvester comprising: an articulated vehicle having first and second wheeled frames articulately connected to one another to swing relative to one another about a substantially vertical axis; structure on the vehicle for supporting a tree section alongside the vehicle including a means for moving a tree section fore and aft along the structure; and a delimbing mechanism on one of said frames that delimbs a tree section as it passes along the structure; and a boom structure carried on said one frame to swing on a vertical axis and having means at its end for gripping a tree section.

Claim 27

A tree harvester comprising: an articulated vehicle having first and second wheeled frames articulately connected to one another to swing relative to one another about a substantially vertical axis; structure on the vehicle for supporting a tree section alongside the vehicle including a means for moving a tree section fore and aft along the structure; and a delimbing mechanism on one of said frames that delimbs a tree section as it passes along the structure; and a boom structure carried on said one frame to swing on a vertical axis and having means at its end for gripping a tree section.

Claim 28

A tree harvester comprising: a vehicle having front and rear ends, transversely spaced ground wheels at said ends and an operator''s station facing forwardly; structure on the vehicle for supporting a tree section alongside one side of the vehicle and at least partially above the wheels on the respective side and including a means for moving a tree section from front to rear along the structure; a delimbing mechanism on the front end for delimbing a tree section as it passes along the structure; and a boom structure forwardly of the operator''s station and carried on said vehicle to swing on a vertical axis inboard of said delimbing mechanism, said boom structure having means at its end for gripping a tree section.

Claim 29

A tree harvester comprising: a vehicle having front and rear ends, transversely spaced ground wheels at said ends and an operator''s station facing forwardly; structure on the vehicle for supporting a tree section alongside one side of the vehicle and at least partially above the wheels on the respective side and including a means for moving a tree section from front to rear along the structure; a delimbing mechanism on the front end for delimbing a tree section as it passes along the structure; and a boom structure forwardly of the operator''s station and carried on said vehicle to swing on a vertical axis inboard of said delimbing mechanism, said boom structure having means at its end for gripping a tree section.