Abstract:
A brush management system that includes a feller-buncher-cutter for cutting brush and moving cut material, and a chipper for receiving the b&#39;s rush material.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    Various embodiments described herein relate to a understory and brush management apparatus and a method for the same. The inventions can be used to clear woods of undesired trees and immediately chip the trees after removing or cutting them. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Some hobby farmers, municipalities and other private landowners have forests or forested parts of land. Many times, it is desired to cut trails through these forested parts of land. At other times, it is necessary to selectively remove smaller trees and brush from the understory. Generally, smaller unmarketable trees are removed so that the more marketable trees can more freely grow. In other instances, non-native species, such as buckthorn, are overtaking a native forest. Such a species is bothersome as a walk in the woods is less enjoyable due to the density of the nonnative species and the fact that they may have undesirable features, such as thorns. 
         [0003]    There are ways to remove or manage an understory. However, current ways seem to have disadvantages. For example, state parks and municipalities commonly organize work parties to remove or manage the understory. Much of the work is done by hand. This is inefficient as the process is not mechanized. For the individual landowner who is unable to assemble a band of volunteers, managing the understory is nearly impossible. One person or one family can barely keep up with a woods of any size. 
         [0004]    There are machines that can remove parts of the forest. However, these machines are large and also tend to be expensive. In many instances, these machines are unable to maneuver around marketable trees. In some instances, the machines are able to move around marketable trees but it is done so with much effort. In still other instances, having large machines do these tasks on smaller plots of land and smaller forests is inefficient and are ecologically unfriendly. The large machines are specialized and so in order to do the job, the forest must be traveled by several machines. Each heavy machine disrupts the forest floor to cut the understory and then to haul it out and process it further. The heavy machinery does not minimally disrupt the forest floor. It is also not economical to move heavy machinery in to do a “small job” as there are high costs associated with transporting the machinery to the job site for a short time. 
         [0005]    Another problem is that large forest fires are a rapidly increasing problem in the Western United States and Canada, and millions of dollars are being spent to control them. The effort is limited by available funds. However when fires break out, billions of dollars are spent on an emergency basis, extinguishing them and repairing the damage. 
         [0006]    Treating forests to reduce the strength and number of fires is an ongoing activity, however, according to the USDA Forest Service, “Treatment costs are increased by a need to treat large numbers of low-volume stems less than 4 inches in diameter. Gross costs can range from $35 to over $1000 per acre depending on type of operation, terrain, and the number of trees treated . . . . While 86% of the trees that would be cut are less than 10 inches, most of the volume that would be treated comes from the 14% of the trees that are larger than 10 inches in diameter. This is the central dilemma of fuel reduction treatments—large numbers of small diameter trees with relatively little volume that can be feasibly utilized must be treated.” The presently available equipment used to carry out this work was designed for conventional timber harvesting and is not particularly appropriate for reduction of smaller brush and trees of the understory. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    A brush management system that includes a feller-buncher-cutter for cutting brush and moving cut material, and a chipper for receiving the brush material. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    The embodiments will be readily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like structural elements, and in which: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a small understory brush management system, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a collector or slip ring  200  according to an example embodiment. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a small understory brush management system after cutting a portion of the underbrush and securing the cut brush with the accumulator, according to an example embodiment. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a schematic view of a small understory brush management system after cutting a portion of the underbrush and feeding it to a shredder, according to an example embodiment. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of the understory and brush management system, according to an example embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    In the following paper, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the concepts underlying the described embodiments. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the described embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known process steps have not been described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the underlying concepts. 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a small understory brush management system  100 , according to an embodiment of the invention. The understory brush management system  100  includes a mini excavator base  110 . The mini excavator base  110  has a tracked chassis  112  for low pressure, low environmental impact travel through a forest. A cab  114  is rotatably mounted to the mini excavator base  110 . In one embodiment the  114  is capable of 360° rotation with substantially zero overhang. This minimizes the impact on a forest. The 360° rotation of the cab  114  over the mini excavator base  110  also minimizes the possibility that the cab will impact or scrape on larger, marketable trees. Attached to the mini excavator base  110  is an articulated knuckle boom  120  that is hydraulically controlled and is capable of carrying and manipulating of an attachment at its free end. The knuckle boom  120  includes an elongated arm  122  which can be raised and lowered by a hydraulic ram  124 . The knuckle boom  120  also includes an arm  126  which is controlled by hydraulic ram  128 . The hydraulic rams  124  and  128  are controlled from within the cab  114 . Specifically, the controls sit in front of the operator when the operator is in a seat within the cab  114 . The arm  126  also includes telescoping portion. 
         [0016]    Attached to the mini excavator base  110  is a chipper  140 . The chipper  140  receives brush cut from an understory of the forest or from other sources and converts them to chipped material, such as wood chips. Attached to the arm  126  is a feller-buncher-cutter  300 . The feller bunter cutter  300  gathers small trees and other brush into a bunch and cuts the bunch off. The feller-buncher-cutter also includes arms  320  and a carriage  330 . The arm  126  includes a telescoping portion. The telescoping portion of the arm  126  elongates the arm so that the feller-buncher-cutter  300  can reach the chipper or get close to the chipper  140 . 
         [0017]    The chipper  140  operates from within the cab  114 . The cab  114  is rotatably attached to the mini excavator base  110  by way of a turntable  150 . The turntable also includes a collector  200 .  FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a collector or slip ring  200  according to an example embodiment. The collector or slip ring  200  is mounted at the base of the mast of the excavator chassis turntable  150 . The collector or slip ring  200  allows power to be passed between the source of power and the cab  114 . The slip ring  200  also carries control signals to the chipper  140  and the motors driving the hydraulic rams  124 ,  128 . Control signals are also sent to the feller cutter buncher  300  to control the actions of that device attached at the end of arm  126 . 
         [0018]      FIG. 3  is a perspective side view of a feller-buncher-cutter  300  attached to the arm  126  of the brush management system  100 . The Feller-buncher-cutter  300  is used to fell, or cut down, a number of trees and then to bunch the trees together for transport to the chipper  140  or to a transport. If the trees and brush are delivered to the chipper  140 , the chipper chips the felled trees and then spreads the chips on the forest floor. The chips act as a mulch to keep the small trees from becoming larger or to at least slow the process. If the trees and brush are to be removed, the bunched trees are then transported to a storage site for further processing. In some embodiments the bunched trees are delivered to a transport. 
         [0019]    The feller-buncher cutters  300  are articulated machines that include a front frame  310  and a rear frame  320  that are pivotally coupled by a hitch  315 . The hitch  315  allows the front frame  310  to pivot relative to the rear frame  320  so as to steer the felle-buncher-cutter  300 . The front frame  310  includes a front axle  311  having a pair of wheels  312  mounted thereon. 
         [0020]    The feller-buncher-cutter  300  further includes a work tool  330  that cuts down trees and secures the cut trees to the feller-buncher-cutter  300 . The work tool  330  is mounted on a yoke that is pivotally attached to the front frame of the fell-buncher-cutter  300 . The yoke can be raised or lowered relative to front frame  310  in order to position the work tool during operation. The work tool  330  includes a rotating saw  332  which is used to cut down trees. In addition, the work tool  330  has a number of hydraulically powered work arms  350 ,  352  which are used to secure the trees within the work tool  330  after the trees have been cut down. The arms  350  are the accumulator arms and they arms  352  are the gathering arms which gather the cut trees. 
         [0021]    The feller-buncher-cutter  300  and further includes a tilt cylinder which is operable to pivot the work tool  330  relative to the yoke. To unload the trees from the work tool  330 , the work tool  330  is tilted forward relative to the yoke and the work arms  350 ,  352  release the trees from the work tool  330 . In one embodiment, the feller-buncher-cutter  300  includes an extension member used to move the felled trees into the chipper  140 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 4  is a schematic side view of the brush management system  100  after it has felled a plurality of trees and moved the felled trees into a position where the trees can be inserted into the chipper  140 , according to an example embodiment. As shown, the arm  122  is essentially vertical and the arm  126  is making a sharp angle with respect to the arm  122  so that the trees and brush in the feller-Buncher-cutter  300  are positioned proximate the chipper  140 . In some embodiments, the arm  126  is telescoping so that the feller-buncher-cutter  300  will reach the chipper  140 . In another embodiment the frame of the feller-buncher-cutter  300  includes a telescoping complement so that the felled trees can be placed proximate or in the chipper  140 . 
         [0023]      FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of the understory and brush management system  100 , according to an example embodiment. The understory and brush management system  100  includes a feller-buncher-cutter  300  and a chipper  140 . The feller-buncher-cutter  300  is located on the end of the boom and arm  500  of the understory and brush management system  100 . The feller-buncher-cutter  300  is controlled by an operator that sits in the control box  510  of the understory and brush management system  100 . The feller-buncher-cutter  300  is located near the chipper  140 . The feller-buncher-cutter  300  can be used to cut trees and brush and move the trees and brush right into the chipper  140 . The input for the chipper  140  is locate proximate the chipper  140 . The chipper  140  chips the trees and brush and discharges the chips direct to the ground. In another embodiment, the chipper discharges chips into a container associated with the understory and brush management system  100 . As shown the understory and brush management system  100  is small and lightweight and physical size so that it is very maneuverable. The maneuverability allows movement among the mature trees while minimizing damage to potentially marketable trees. The lightweight and small understory and brush management system  100  cause as much less damage to the forest floor and it is therefore more eco-friendly. The brush management system  100  allows one person to facilitate several previously manual operations, and operate in process a large amount of material in a given time from within the cab or control center  510  of the system  100 . This is much more economical than using many big machines both from a financial standpoint and from an ecological standpoint. Use of several big machines is more capital intensive, and also is less maneuverable in forest situations where there may be closely spaced timber. It is contemplated that in an example embodiment, a universal device may be used and outfitted with a feller-buncher-cutter  300  and a chipper  140 . In other embodiments, the understory and brush management system may be permanently affixed to the boom and arm of the system  100 . 
         [0024]    Machinery described is intended to provide surgical like methods for selectively cutting, removing and reducing the size and small trees brush and other nonmarketable words of forest is areas. Potential end-users for this machine could be municipalities, developers, hobby farmers, and private landowners. This 
         [0025]    In one embodiment the chipper  140  is scaled modified and is mounted at one end of the many excavator  110 . In this embodiment, there is an insufficient gallon per minute capacity produced by the excavator. The chipper is powered by an engine attached to it and with the exception of hookups for start and stop, throttle and clutch controls, is an independent assembly from excavator platform. 
         [0026]    The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the specific details are not required in order to practice the invention. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. 
         [0027]    The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents. 
         [0028]    While the embodiments have been described in terms of several particular embodiments, there are alterations, permutations, and equivalents, which fall within the scope of these general concepts. It should also be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing the methods and apparatuses of the present embodiments. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims be interpreted as including all such alterations, permutations, and equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the described embodiments.