The present invention concerns a feed wheel arrangement intended to be used in a timber working head for at least one of felling, trimming, bark-peeling and cutting of a tree or tree trunk where the timber working head comprises a frame on which feed wheels and grip fittings are mounted either fixed, or in a manner that allows them to be removed. The invention concerns also a timber working head, a crane and a timber working machine comprising such a feed wheel arrangement.
The present invention relates to what is known as a “grip harvester”, to be more precise, a timber working head for at least one of trimming, cutting, bark-peeling and preferably also felling, and of the type that is arranged to be suspended with its frame in a crane, which timber working head comprises grippers mounted to pivot for the gripping of a tree, trimming means preferably connected to the grippers, a chain saw for the felling and cutting of a tree and driven feed wheels for feed of the felled tree through the timber working head for trimming and cutting.
Harvesters of this type are previously known and have as a rule their feed wheels so arranged relative to the grippers that they accompany the motion of the grippers to and from the gripping position. It has proved to be the case with this arrangement that the feed wheels when gripping a tree trunk with a small diameter do not make contact with the tree in a correct manner, but instead more or less press the tree trunk against the timber working head. This leads to the feed wheels damaging the tree trunk through the feed wheels sliding against the tree trunk, which gives a poorer quality for the tree, and in addition wear of the edge of the feed wheels takes place, which shortens the lifetime of the feed wheels.
The purpose of the present invention, therefore, is to achieve a feed wheel arrangement that makes possible a timber working head of the type described above that does not suffer from the said disadvantages, but is so arranged that it gives, independently of the diameter of the tree, satisfactory contact with the tree trunk such that the feed through the timber working head takes place with limited damage to the tree trunk and reduced wear of the feed wheels. In addition to the improvements that are described above that are achieved with the present invention, the resulting timber working head has small external dimensions, and the possibility of simpler repair and maintenance is achieved.
This is achieved through a feed wheel arrangement, a timber working head, a crane and a timber working machine according to the present invention that demonstrate the characteristics described below.
This invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the attached drawings, of which:
A feed wheel arrangement 1 according to the invention is intended to be used in a timber working head 2 that is intended for at least one of felling, trimming, bark-peeling and cutting of a tree or tree trunk, as is shown in
The feed wheel arrangement 1 according to the invention comprises a feed wheel 1.3 and a motor 7 for rotation of the feed wheel 1.3 for feed of the tree or trunk through the timber working head 2, where the motor 7 is arranged at a distance from the feed wheel 1.3. The figures show that this feed wheel 1.3 constitutes the third feed wheel. The invention, however, is not to be limited to this embodiment since the feed wheel of the feed wheel arrangement can be constituted by another feed wheel mounted at a timber working head.
The fact that the motor 7 is arranged at a distance from the feed wheel 1.3 means that the motor 7 is not directly coupled to the feed wheel 1.3, it is not integrated with the feed wheel, that the feed wheel is not located directly on the output shaft 7.1 of the motor. This leads to simpler handling, monitoring and repair of the component parts, and that both the feed wheel arrangement 1 and a timber working head 2 can be given smaller dimensions.
The feed wheel 1.3 that belongs to the feed wheel arrangement 1 is one of three feed wheels symmetrically arranged and mounted at the frame 3, around the tree or tree trunk such that at least two of the three feed wheels are always in contact with the tree or tree trunk.
The feed wheel 1.3 is so located that when the tree trunk is located in the frame 3, with the grip fittings 4 surrounding the tree trunk and with all feed wheels positioned in order to drive the trunk through the frame 3, the tree trunk is in contact with also this third feed wheel. This third feed wheel 1.3 is arranged to rotate around an axis 8 of rotation, and is also driven in order to facilitate transport of the tree trunk through the frame, and as a consequence of the placing, at least two of three feed wheels are always in contact with the tree trunk.
The centrally located third feed wheel is driven to rotate with the aid of a power transfer arrangement 9 from a motor 7. The motor 7 is located at a distance from the feed wheel 1.3 and may be a separate motor for this feed wheel, or it may constitute, in a second embodiment, the drive motor for one or both of the side rollers. The advantage of placing the motor at a distance from the feed wheel is that the frame can be given a smaller outer dimension, and, in addition, a separate motor makes it possible to more easily exchange parts, such as the feed wheel, drive motor or power transfer arrangement, in the event of failure.
The feed wheel arrangement 1 according to the invention comprises a power transfer arrangement 9 that acts between the motor 7 and the feed wheel 1.3 for the transfer of rotational force from an output rotating shaft 7.1 of the motor to the axis 8 of rotation on which the feed wheel 1.3 is mounted either fixed or in a manner that allows it to be removed. The power transfer arrangement 9 of the feed wheel arrangement 1 comprises at least one chain 10, at least one belt 11, or at least one cogged wheel 11c.
The power transfer arrangement 9 comprises in this preferred embodiment a chain drive that is shown in
The power transfer arrangement 9 may, in another embodiment, comprise a belt drive. The chain in this case has been exchanged for a belt 11, and the cogged wheels in the motor and the feed wheel have been exchanged for pulleys in known manner.
In a further embodiment, which is shown in
It is an advantage if the drive motor 7 is of the hydraulic motor type, which is coupled with the rest of the hydraulic system. The speed of rotation of the motor, and thus also the speed of rotation of the feed wheel, may then be synchronised with the speeds of the other feed wheels. The advantage of this is that the power system that is required is already available, and this makes use easier. The motor may be also electrically driven, through the feed of power from a power supply at the timber working machine.
In a further embodiment, the drive motor is arranged for direct operation of a fourth feed wheel 1.4. This fourth feed wheel 1.4 is designed to use the power transfer arrangement described above for driving the third feed wheel 1.3. For the direct operation of the fourth feed wheel 1.4, the motor 7 may be integrated into the feed wheel 1.4 or it may be arranged with a direct coupling between the drive shaft 7.1 of the motor 7 and the axis of rotation of the feed wheel 1.4.
The invention concerns also a timber working head 2 that is provided with a feed wheel arrangement 1 described above, since this is the actual working area for the feed wheel arrangement. It is appropriate that such a timber working head 2 comprise a mounting means 6 that makes it possible to attach the timber working head 2 either fixed or in a manner that allows it to be removed to an arrangement that makes it possible to displace and place the timber working head in its working position. The timber working head 2 and its mounting means 6 can be attached to a crane or similar arrangement at a timber working machine, or in another way placed at a timber working machine.
The invention concerns also a crane 19 that comprises such a timber working head 2 that comprises this type of feed wheel arrangement 1. The term “crane” is here used to denote all types of arrangement that make it possible to displace and place the timber working head 2 in its working position, to place a timber working head 2 according to the invention at a predetermined tree or tree trunk.
The invention concerns also a timber working machine 20 comprising a timber working head 2 that comprises this type of feed wheel arrangement 1, or a timber working machine comprising a crane comprising such a timber working head 2 that in turn comprises this type of feed wheel arrangement 1. The term “timber working machine” is here used to denote all types of vehicle that are used to displace and place a timber working head 2 or a crane according to the invention in their working positions, at a predetermined working area, at a predetermined tree or tree trunk.
The invention is not limited to what has been described above and shown in the drawings; it can be changed and modified in several different ways within the scope of the innovative concept.
This application is a U.S. National Stage patent application of PCT/SE2013/050422, filed on Apr. 18, 2013, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/SE2013/050422 | 4/18/2013 | WO | 00 |