Shear type tree cutting device

An elongated frame including tree clamping jaw means at one end and a shear-type cutting blade supported from the frame for movement therealong between an inactive position remote from the jaw means and an active position cooperable with the jaw means to shear a tree member clampingly engaged by the jaw means, the frame being pivotally supported from the forward end of a mobile platform for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis extending transversely of the frame and the mobile platform and vertically adjustable relative to the latter.

This invention relates to a novel and useful shear-type tree cutting device 
and to a device which may be readily attached to various types of mobile 
vehicles and which may be constructed of substantially any size desired so 
as to be capable of felling trees of various sizes. 
The cutting device of the instant invention includes an elongated guide 
structure or frame having tree trunk or limb clamping means at one end 
adapted to clampingly engage an upright portion of a tree when the frame 
is horizontally disposed and the frame has shear-type cutting blade means 
supported therefrom for longitudinal reciprocation between an inactive 
position remote from the jaw means and an active position cooperable with 
the jaw means to shear the trunk of a tree clampingly engaged by the jaw 
means. The guide member or frame is pivotally supported from any suitable 
mobile vehicle for rotation about a horizontal axis extending transversely 
of the direction of movement of the vehicle and also transversely of the 
elongated frame, the axis of rotation about which the frame may be 
angularly displaced also being vertically adjustable relative to the 
associated mobile vehicle. In this manner, the cutting device of the 
instant invention may not only be utilized to fell upright trees but to 
also cut the trunk portions of felled trees as well as the larger limb 
portions thereof. Still further, the cutting device of the instant 
invention also includes a pushing member supported from the associated 
mobile vehicle in a manner so as to engage a tree which is to be felled 
appreciably above the shear-type cutting blade and the pushing member is 
supported from the associated vehicle in a manner so as to be shiftable in 
a direction generally paralleling the reciprocal movement of the 
shear-type cutting blade whereby the pusher or pushing member may be 
utilized to push the upper portion of a tree away from the associated 
vehicle while the lower portion of the trunk of the tree is being sheared 
by the shear-type cutting blade. 
The main object of this invention is to provide a tree cutting device 
operable to quickly fell trees of a given size. 
Another object of this invention, in accordance with the immediately 
preceding object, is to provide a tree cutting device which will also be 
operable to quickly cut the trunk portion of a felled tree at a plurality 
of points spaced longitudinally therealong. 
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a tree cutting device 
which may be readily supported from any suitable mobile vehicle such as a 
farm tractor or the like. 
A further object of this invention is to provide a tree cutting device 
adapted for support from a conventional farm tractor or the like and which 
will be operative to fell trees and then cut the trunk portions thereof in 
short sections without requiring an operator other than the operator of 
the farm tractor. 
A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to 
provide a shear-type tree cutting device in accordance with the preceding 
objects which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of 
simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be 
economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble-free in 
operation.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings in the numeral 10 generally 
designates any suitable form of mobile vehicle such as a farm tractor 
including a main frame 12 and an operator's position 14 adjacent the 
steering wheel 16 of the tractor 10. The tractor 10 includes dirigible 
front wheels 18 controlled by the steering wheel 16 and rear driving 
wheels (not shown). Further, the tractor 10 also includes an engine 20 
suitably drivingly connected to the rear wheels in any convenient manner 
and which is operable to drive a hydraulic pump of a fluid pressure system 
(not shown). 
The shear-type tree cutting device of the instant invention is generally 
designated by the reference numeral 22 and includes a forwardly and 
upwardly projecting support frame generally referred to by the reference 
numeral 24. The frame 24 includes a pair of similar opposite side skeleton 
frame members 26 suitably secured to corresponding side portions of the 
frame 12 at their lower ends in any convenient manner such as by fasteners 
28. The forward upper ends of the frame members 26 are suitably rigidly 
interconnected in any convenient manner including an elevated sleeve-type 
guide 30. An elongated pushing arm 32 is longitudinally slidably received 
through the tubular guide 30 and has the free end of the piston rod 
portion 34 of a hydraulic cylinder 36 secured thereto as at 38. The 
cylinder portion 40 of the hydraulic cylinder 36 is pivotally supported 
from a standard assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 42 
carried by the support frame 24 as at 44. Accordingly, upon extension and 
retraction of the hydraulic cylinder 36 the pushing arm 34 will be 
reciprocated through the tubular guide 30, the forward end of the pushing 
arm 32 including a horizontally disposed and transversely extending 
crosshead 46 for engagement with an upper portion 48 of the trunk portion 
50 of a tree generally referred to by the reference numeral 52 which is to 
be felled by the cutting device 22. 
A vertically swingable arm assembly referred to in general by the reference 
numeral 54 includes a pair of arm members 56 having corresponding ends 
pivotally secured to opposite side portions of the frame 12 as at 58. The 
forward ends of the arm members 56 project forwardly of the front end of 
the frame 12 and rotatably journal therethrough a pair of opposite side 
oppositely and outwardly projecting stub axle portions 60 carried by an 
elongated frame referred to in general by the reference numeral 62. 
Accordingly, the frame 62 is oscillatable about the axis defined by the 
coaxial stub axle portions 60. 
Each of the arm members 56 includes a depending portion or leg 64 
intermediate its opposite ends which terminates downwardly in an inturned 
abutment flange 66 engageable by the undersurface portions of the rear end 
of the frame 62 when the latter is positioned as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 
4, 5 and 6 of the drawings. Further, one of the legs 64 has an aperture 68 
formed therethrough through which a locking pin 70 carried by the armature 
71 of an electric solenoid 72 supported from the one leg 64 is removably 
received, the locking pin 70 overlying the adjacent portion of the frame 
62 when in position as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4-6 of the drawings to 
retain the frame 62 in a substantially horizontally disposed position. 
The frame 62 includes a pair of tubular opposite side members 76 rigidly 
interconnected at their rear ends by means of a heavy transverse member 78 
and the confronting sides of the forward ends of the opposite side members 
76 include pairs of vertically spaced ribs 80 defining opposing generally 
parallel channels in which the reduced thickness portions 82 extending 
along opposite side portions of a shear-type cutting blade 84 are slidably 
received. 
The forward end portions of the outer side walls of the tubular members 76 
are cut away and a pair of arcuate jaw members 86 slotted as at 88 are 
pivotally secured between the forward end extremities of the upper and 
lower wall portions of the forward ends of the opposire side members 76 as 
at 90. Each of the jaw members 86 includes an outwardly projecting arm 
portion 92 having the free end of the piston rod portion 94 of a hydraulic 
cylinder 96 pivotally secured thereto as at 98, the end of the cylinder 
portion 100 of each fluid motor 96 remote from the piston rod portion 94 
thereof being pivotally secured to the corresponding frame members 76 as 
at 102. Further, a very powerful hydraulic motor 104 has the free end of 
its piston rod portion 106 pivotally secured to the rear end of the 
shear-type cutting blade 84 as at 108 and the end of its cylinder portion 
110 remote from the piston rod portion 106 pivotally secured to the 
transverse brace member 78 as at 112. 
A fifth hydraulic cylinder 114 has the base end of its cylinder portion 116 
pivotally supported from a cross brace 118 extending between the frame 
members 26 intermediate their opposite ends as at 120 and the free end of 
the piston rod portion 122 of the hydraulic cylinder 114 carries a sheave 
assembly referred to in general by the reference numeral 124 and including 
a plurality of rotatable pulley wheels 126. A second sheave assembly 
generally referred to by the reference numeral 128 and including a 
plurality of rotatable pulley wheels 130 is carried by the upper end of 
the support frame 24 adjacent the tubular guide 30 and a third sheave 
assembly 132 including a single rotatable pulley wheel 134 is carried by 
the forward end of the pushing arm 132. 
An elongated flexible tension and pulling member 136 which may conveniently 
take the form of a cable has one end secured to the bight portion 138 of a 
bridle assembly 140 as at 144 and the bridle assembly 140 is secured to 
opposite side portions of the frame 62 as at 146. The other end of the 
tension and pulling member 136 is trained over the single pulley wheel 
134, over one of the wheels 130 and then down under one of the wheels 126 
before passing upwardly again and over a second of the wheels 130 and then 
being secured to the sheave assembly 124. Accordingly, retraction of the 
piston rod portion 122 of the hydraulic cylinder 114 will raise the rear 
end of the frame 62 and thus also raise the forward end of the arm 
assembly 54 if the pin 70 is in position. In this manner, the jaws or jaw 
members 86 may be raised in elevation relative to the trunk portion 50. 
Thereafter, the tractor 10 may be advanced toward the trunk portion 50 and 
the double-acting hydraulic cylinders 96 may be extended to cause the jaw 
members 86 to encircle and close behind the trunk portion 50. Then, the 
double-acting hydraulic cylinder 104 may be extended to urge the 
shear-type cutting blade 84 forwardly along the frame 62 so as to force 
its forward edge into shear cutting engagement with the trunk portion 50, 
through the latter and into the slots 88. At the same time, the 
double-acting hydraulic cylinder 36 may be extended so as to engage the 
crosshead 46 with the upper portion 48 of the trunk portion 50 and push 
the top portion of the tree 52 away from the tractor 10. After the trunk 
portion 50 has been cut by the blade member 84 and felled so as to be 
disposed upon the ground in a horizontal position such as that illustrated 
in FIG. 2 of the drawings, the tension on the pulling member 136 may be 
relaxed and the pin 70 may be withdrawn. Thereafter, the hydraulic 
cylinder 114 may be retracted so as to swing the frame 62 relative to the 
arm assembly 54 and to also cause the forward end of the arm assembly 54 
to be swung upwardly. In this manner, the frame 62 and the arm assembly 54 
may be swung from the positions thereof illustrated in FIG. 1 of the 
drawings to the position thereof illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawings 
whereupon the tractor 10 may be advanced along the horizontally disposed 
trunk portion 50 and the hydraulic cylinder 114 may be intermittently 
extended so as to lower the frame 62 into position in which the jaw 
members 86 may be closed underneath the trunk portion 50. Thereafter, the 
hydraulic cylinder 104 may again be extended to cause the blade member 84 
to cut the trunk portion 50 into short sections thereof by shearing 
action. Of course, the five hydraulic cylinders or fluid motors 36, 96, 
96, 104 and 114 are each of the double-acting type and may be operatively 
connected to the aforementioned fluid pressure system (not shown) by any 
suitable manually actuatable control valves (not shown) disposed adjacent 
the operator's position 14. 
The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the 
invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily 
occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the 
invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and 
accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, 
falling within the scope of the invention.