US4593733A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Tree felling head having a rim driven rotary cutter
Assignee: Quadco Equipment Inc
•
Filing: 1984-04-30
•
Granted: 1986-06-10
•
Expires: 2004-04-30
Abstract
Abstract A tree felling head which includes a frame having a grapple mounted thereon with a grapple jaw which may be selectively opened and closed to respectively receive and grasp a standing tree and power means to selectively open and close the grapple; and a severing device mounted on said frame below said grapple for severing a standing tree. The severing device is a rim driven planar circular saw mounted around a peripheral portion thereof on an arm pivotally attached to the frame for movement in a plane transverse to the length of the standing tree, and included is a second power means for effecting rotation of said severing device.
Inventors
- 👤 Douglas D. Hamilton
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 10:41
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01G; A01G23/00; A01G23/02; A01G23/08; A01G23/091; B; B23; B23D; B23D47/00; B23D47/12; B23D47/123; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T83/00; Y10T83/768; Y10T83/929; Y10T83/9319; Y10T83/9326; Y10T83/9329
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
243 words
A felling head comprising in combination: (a) a frame having a grapple mounted thereon and comprising a pair of jaw members, at least one of which is pivotally mounted on the frame for movement toward and away from the other and together providing a grapple jaw which may be selectively opened and closed to respectively receive and grasp a standing tree, power means connected to said movable grapple jaw members selectively to open and close said grapple; and (b) a severing device mounted on said frame below said grapple for severing a standing tree, said severing device comprising an anvil mounted on said frame, an arm pivotally mounted on said frame and having an arcuate portion facing the anvil and including bearing means for supporting a circular saw, a rim driven planar circular saw mounted around a peripheral portion thereof on the arcuate portion of said arm, movement of said arm during pivoting being in a plane transverse to the length of the standing tree, said rim driven saw having cutting formations around the outer periphery thereof projecting in a direction outwardly from the axis of rotation of the saw and having a portion thereof defining teeth for meshing with teeth on a power driven pinion; a motor unit mounted on said arm and having a pinion mounted directly thereon, the teeth of said pinion meshing with the teeth on the circular saw for driving the same, said pinion being a Spur Gear.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
243 words
A felling head comprising in combination: (a) a frame having a grapple mounted thereon and comprising a pair of jaw members, at least one of which is pivotally mounted on the frame for movement toward and away from the other and together providing a grapple jaw which may be selectively opened and closed to respectively receive and grasp a standing tree, power means connected to said movable grapple jaw members selectively to open and close said grapple; and (b) a severing device mounted on said frame below said grapple for severing a standing tree, said severing device comprising an anvil mounted on said frame, an arm pivotally mounted on said frame and having an arcuate portion facing the anvil and including bearing means for supporting a circular saw, a rim driven planar circular saw mounted around a peripheral portion thereof on the arcuate portion of said arm, movement of said arm during pivoting being in a plane transverse to the length of the standing tree, said rim driven saw having cutting formations around the outer periphery thereof projecting in a direction outwardly from the axis of rotation of the saw and having a portion thereof defining teeth for meshing with teeth on a power driven pinion; a motor unit mounted on said arm and having a pinion mounted directly thereon, the teeth of said pinion meshing with the teeth on the circular saw for driving the same, said pinion being a Spur Gear.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
A felling head as defined in claim 1 wherein the supported peripheral portion of the circular saw projects into a curved channel in said arm and wherein said bearing means engages respectively opposite side faces of the saw.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
A felling head as defined in claim 2 wherein at least one of the support bearings projects into a groove in a side face of the saw to guide the same.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
43 words
A felling head as defined in claim 1 wherein said circular saw has gear teeth adjacent the outer periphery thereof meshing with the motor driven pinion and wherein cutting teeth of the saw are mounted on the outer end of the gear teeth.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
A felling head as defined in claim 4 wherein said cutting teeth are detachably mounted on the gear teeth.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
A felling head as defined in claim 4 wherein each cutting tooth spans across and is connected to at least two adjacent gear teeth.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
A felling head as defined in claim 4 wherein said pinion has the teeth thereof undercut at the root to promote self-cleaning during use in cutting trees.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
53 words
A felling head as defined in claim 4 wherein said gear teeth of the circular saw comprise pins each having a sleeve roller mounted thereon and including a circumferential ring circumscribing the rollers retaining the same on the pins and wherein the cutting teeth are mounted around the outer periphery of the ring.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
13 words
A felling head as defined in claim 1 wherein said anvil is arcuate.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
A felling head as defined in claim 1 wherein said anvil comprises a sharpened edge on a plate mounted on the frame.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
A felling head as defined in claim 9 wherein said anvil has a sharpened edge.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
180 words
Apparatus for transversely cutting elongate articles such as trees or the like and particularly standing trees comprising (a) a frame having an anvil thereon; (b) an arm pivotally mounted on said frame and having an arcuate portion facing the anvil with bearing means for supporting a circular saw; (c) a rim driven circular saw supported along a rim portion thereof on the arcuate portion of the arm, pivotal movement of said arm moving said saw towards said anvil for cutting an article disposed between the saw and the anvil and movable away therefrom to receive another article to be cut, said rim driven saw having cutting formations around the outer periphery thereof projecting in a direction outwardly from the axis of rotation of the saw and having a portion thereof defining teeth for meshing with teeth on a power driven pinion; and (d) a motor unit mounted on said arm and having a pinion mounted directly thereon, the teeth of said pinion meshing with the teeth of the circular saw for driving the same, said pinion being a Spur Gear.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
180 words
Apparatus for transversely cutting elongate articles such as trees or the like and particularly standing trees comprising (a) a frame having an anvil thereon; (b) an arm pivotally mounted on said frame and having an arcuate portion facing the anvil with bearing means for supporting a circular saw; (c) a rim driven circular saw supported along a rim portion thereof on the arcuate portion of the arm, pivotal movement of said arm moving said saw towards said anvil for cutting an article disposed between the saw and the anvil and movable away therefrom to receive another article to be cut, said rim driven saw having cutting formations around the outer periphery thereof projecting in a direction outwardly from the axis of rotation of the saw and having a portion thereof defining teeth for meshing with teeth on a power driven pinion; and (d) a motor unit mounted on said arm and having a pinion mounted directly thereon, the teeth of said pinion meshing with the teeth of the circular saw for driving the same, said pinion being a Spur Gear.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein said anvil is concave, such concavity facing the arcuate portion of said arm.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
17 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein said anvil has a sharpeded edge facing said circular saw.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 13 wherein said anvil has a sharpened edge facing said rim driven saw.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
13 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein said anvil comprises a flat plate.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein said motor unit is located within the outline configuration of said arm.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
159 words
A felling head comprising in combination: (a) a frame having a grapple mounted thereon which is pivotally mounted on the frame for movement toward and away from the other and together providing a grapple jaw which may be selectively opened and closed to respectively receive and grasp a standing tree, power means connected to said movable grapple jaw members selectively to open and close said grapple; and (b) a severing device mounted on said frame below said grapple for severing a standing tree, said severing device comprising a rim driven planar circular saw mounted around a peripheral portion thereof on an arm pivotally attached to the frame for movement in a plane transverse to the length of the standing tree, and second power means effecting rotation of said severing device said circular saw having gear teeth adjacent the outer end of the gear teeth, each cutting tooth spanning across and being connected to at least two adjacent gear teeth.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
159 words
A felling head comprising in combination: (a) a frame having a grapple mounted thereon which is pivotally mounted on the frame for movement toward and away from the other and together providing a grapple jaw which may be selectively opened and closed to respectively receive and grasp a standing tree, power means connected to said movable grapple jaw members selectively to open and close said grapple; and (b) a severing device mounted on said frame below said grapple for severing a standing tree, said severing device comprising a rim driven planar circular saw mounted around a peripheral portion thereof on an arm pivotally attached to the frame for movement in a plane transverse to the length of the standing tree, and second power means effecting rotation of said severing device said circular saw having gear teeth adjacent the outer end of the gear teeth, each cutting tooth spanning across and being connected to at least two adjacent gear teeth.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
CA898661A
Cited
CA440992A
Cited
US460679A
Cited
US1179910A
Cited
US1388186A
Cited
US1642668A
Cited
US2341035A
Cited
US2462314A
Cited
US2490255A
Cited
US2599495A
Cited
US2601366A
Cited
US2701590A
Cited
US2804105A
Cited
US2972363A
Cited
US3135304A
Cited
US3122184A
Cited
GB1032816A
Cited
US3930310A
Cited
CA964559A
Cited
US3808685A
Cited
CA994647A
Cited
CA983825A
Cited
US3902538A
Cited
CA1022437A
Cited
CA1059408A
Cited
CA1029283A
Cited
CA1063488A
Cited
US4472880A
Cited
CA1140029A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1989-06-09 | 1989-12-09 | 1990-06-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1993-06-09 | 1993-12-09 | 1994-06-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1997-06-09 | 1997-12-09 | 1998-06-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |