Portable sawmill

Claim 2

For use with a conventional tractor having, at its rear, a 3point hitch and power take-off shaft extending rearwardly therefrom, a tractor mounted and driven sawmill comprising a central frame adapted to be mounted upon and raised and lowered by said 3-point hitch, said central frame having leg means engaging the ground in its lowered position, a saw blade journal mounted upon said central frame for rotation about a transverse axis, said central frame providing a central track portion extending longitudinally and perpendicular to said journal axis of said blade, said central track portion having opposite ends, a pair of outer track portions, means for rigidly and releasably connecting said outer track portions to said opposite ends, respectively, to provide a three-section rectilinear trackway perpendicular to said blade axis, a carriage mounted on said trackway for movement therealong past said blade, means for drivingly connecting said power take-off shaft to said blade and carriage to drive said blade about said axis and to reciprocate said carriage along said trackway, and means for mounting pieces of timber on said carriage for movement therewith past said blade, said sawmill having a collapsed condition with said outer track portions disconnected from said central track portion for movement by said tractor.

Claim 3

The invention of claim 1 in which each said outer track portion is proportioned and designed to be mounted upon said central frame parallel to said central track portion in said collapsed condition, said outer track portions being substantially the same length as said central track portion, whereby, in its collapsed condition, said sawmill has a length substantially equal to the length of said central track portion.

Claim 4

The invention of claim 2 in which said central track portion extends across the rear of said tractor and has a length substantially equal to the width of said tractor.

Claim 5

The invention of claim 1 in which said driving connection means includes a jack shaft journal mounted on said central frame for rotatiOn about an axis generally parallel to said blade axis, and belt means providing a driving connection between said blade and said jack shaft.

Claim 6

The invention of claim 4 including a drum journal mounted on said central frame, pulleys journal mounted on the outer ends, respectively, of said outer track portions, and cable means trained about said pulleys and drum, said carriage being connected to said cable means such that rotation of said drum in one direction moves said carriage in one direction and rotation of said drum in the opposite direction moves said carriage in the opposite direction, and belt-clutch means drivingly connecting said drum to said jack shaft.

Claim 7

The invention of claim 5 including a torque breakaway clutch means drivingly connecting said jack shaft to said power take-off shaft.

Claim 8

In combination, a conventional farm tractor having axially spaced apart rear drive wheels, a 3-point hitch and power take-off shaft extending rearwardly therefrom, and a tractor mounted and driven sawmill comprising a central frame mounted upon said 3-point hitch for movement with said tractor and for movement relative to said tractor with said hitch between an upper carrying position and a lower use position, a saw blade journal mounted upon said central frame for rotation about an axis extending generally rearwardly from said tractor and, when said central frame is in said lower use position, generally horizontally, said central frame providing a central track portion extending perpendicularly to said blade journal axis, said central track portion having opposite ends, a pair of outer track portions, means for rigidly and releasably connecting said outer track portions to said opposite ends, respectively, to provide a three-section rectilinear trackway perpendicular to said blade axis, a carriage mounted on said track-way for reciprocation therealong past said blade, transmission means for drivingly connecting said power take-off shaft to said blade and carriage, and means for mounting pieces of timber on said carriage for movement therewith past said blade, said sawmill having a collapsed condition for movement by said tractor with said outer track portions disconnected from said central track portion and said carriage disposed on said central track portion.

Claim 9

In combination, a conventional farm tractor having axially spaced apart rear drive wheels, a 3-point hitch and power take-off shaft extending rearwardly therefrom, and a tractor mounted and driven sawmill comprising a central frame mounted upon said 3-point hitch for movement with said tractor and for movement relative to said tractor with said hitch between an upper carrying position and a lower use position, a saw blade journal mounted upon said central frame for rotation about an axis extending generally rearwardly from said tractor and, when said central frame is in said lower use position, generally horizontally, said central frame providing a central track portion extending perpendicularly to said blade journal axis, said central track portion having opposite ends, a pair of outer track portions, means for rigidly and releasably connecting said outer track portions to said opposite ends, respectively, to provide a three-section rectilinear trackway perpendicular to said blade axis, a carriage mounted on said track-way for reciprocation therealong past said blade, transmission means for drivingly connecting said power take-off shaft to said blade and carriage, and means for mounting pieces of timber on said carriage for movement therewith past said blade, said sawmill having a collapsed condition for movement by said tractor with said outer track portions disconnected from said central track portion and said carriage disposed on said central track portion.

Claim 10

The invention of claim 7 in which each said outer track portion is proportioned and designed to be mounted upon said central track portion in said collapsed condition to be parallel to said central track portion, said outer track portions being substantially the same length as said central track portion, whereby, in its collapsed condition, said sawmill has a length substantially equal to the length of said central track portion.

Claim 11

The invention of claim 8 in which said central track portion extends across the rear of said tractor and has a length substantially equal to the width of said tractor.

Claim 12

The invention of claim 7 in which said transmission means includes a jack shaft journal mounted on said central frame for rotation about an axis generally parallel to said blade axis, and belt means providing a driving connection between said blade and said jack shaft.

Claim 13

The invention of claim 10 in which said transmission includes a drum journal mounted on said central frame, pulleys journal mounted on the outer ends, respectively, of said outer track portions, and cable means trained about said pulleys and drum, said carriage being connected to said cable means such that rotation of said drum in one direction moves said carriage in one direction and rotation of said drum in the opposite direction moves said carriage in the opposite direction, and belt-clutch means drivingly connecting said drum to said jack shaft.

Claim 14

The invention of claim 7 in which each said outer track portion is an elongated rectangular rigid framework defined by longitudinally extending side members and transversely extending end members, each outer track portion having a proximal end adjacent its respective outer end of the central track portion and a distal end, said central track portion being defined by longitudinally extending side members and transversely extending end members, said connecting means including fastening elements penetrating the adjacent end members of said central track portion and outer track portions.

Claim 15

The invention of claim 7 in which each said outer track portion is an elongated rectangular rigid framework defined by longitudinally extending side members and transversely extending end members, each outer track portion having a proximal end adjacent its respective outer end of the central track portion and a distal end, said central track portion being defined by longitudinally extending side members and transversely extending end members, and said outer track portions having, at their proximal ends, clamping bars attached to the outer sides of the side members to engaage and bear against the outer sides, respectively, of the central track portion outer side members.