Abstract:
An infeed chute that is configured to more effectively and safely guide brush into a chipper is provided. The infeed chute is configured to guide brush upwards, thereby minimizing the occurrence of branches inadvertently catching the bottom edge of the chute. The infeed chute is also configured so that operators can conveniently load the chipper while being along a side of the chipper.

Description:
This application is a National Stage Application of PCT/US2008/062222, filed May 1, 2008, in the name of Vermeer Manufacturing Company, a U.S. national corporation, applicant for the designation of all countries except the U.S., and Jeffrey D. Bradley, James L. O&#39;Halloran, Edwin N. Galloway, Ivan Brand and Dale Messenger, citizens of the U.S., applicants for the designation of the U.S. only, and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/928,937, filed May 10, 2007, and which applications are incorporated herein by reference. To the extent appropriate, a claim of priority is made to each of the above disclosed applications. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to chipper devices and, more specifically, the infeed chute of a chipper. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Chippers are used to reduce branches, trees, brush, and other bulk wood products into small wood chips. A chipper typically includes an infeed chute, a feed system for controlling the feed rate of wood products into the chipper, a chipping mechanism, a drive system for powering the feed system and the chipping mechanism, and a discharge chute. The infeed chute cooperates with the feed system to guide the wood products towards the chipping mechanism. 
     Through the operation of the feed system, products to be chipped are brought into contact with the chipping mechanism, which grinds, flails, or cuts the wood products into small pieces. These chips are propelled into the discharge chute and expelled from the chipper. Chippers, if operated incorrectly, are potentially dangerous devices. The chipping mechanism typically rotates at high speeds, producing the high torque necessary to chip the wood products. The feed system typically includes infeed rollers which grab and pull material to be chipped into the chipper. As the rollers pull the material, it is possible that the material may catch an operator&#39;s clothing pulling the operator toward the infeed chute. A recent improvement to chipper infeed systems is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,044,409 to Stelter which is incorporated herein by reference, including a stop member that is positioned where an operator can conveniently actuate a stop control causing the feed rollers to stop. This control is positioned where branches can also actuate the stop control, causing undesirable stoppage of the feed rollers. There is a need for an infeed that minimizes undesirable stoppage of the feed rollers. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure relates to an infeed chute that is configured to make it easier for operators to load the chippers. The infeed chute of the present disclosure is configured such that an operator can conveniently operate the chipper from a position in front of and behind the leading edge of the infeed and also along the side of the infeed. In one embodiment the side portions of the infeed are angled such that the upper edge of the infeed is substantially closer to the chipping mechanism than is the lower leading edge, and the sides are also flared outwardly and tapered inwardly. 
     The infeed chute of one embodiment of the present disclosure is further beneficial to the operation of the chipper by lifting branches as they are pulled into the chipper, which tends to reduce the frequency of undesirable stoppage of the infeed caused by unintended activation of the stop control located at the chipper infeed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a chipper according to the principles of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a rear end view of the chipper of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of a portion of the chipper of  FIG. 1  with parts removed for clarity; 
         FIG. 4  is a rear end view of the chipper of  FIG. 1  with a log diagrammatical shown therein; and 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of the chipper of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 4 , a perspective view and a side view of a chipper are shown. In the depicted embodiment the chipper  10  is mounted to a frame  12  that rests on wheels  14 , which enable the chipper  10  to be conveniently moved. The depicted chipper  10  includes a feed chute  16 , which is also commonly referred to as a feed table, at the rear of the chipper  10  that facilitates the loading of materials to be chipped into the chipper  10 . (The material to be chipped can be any material that the user desires to reduce to chips. The material is most commonly brush and tree parts, therefore, for convenience the material to be chipped will be referred to herein as wood, trees, or brush. Also the words wood, trees, or brush are used interchangeably.) The chipper  10  in the depicted embodiment includes a pair of feed rollers  18  that grab and pull brush from the feed chute  16  into the body portion  20  of the chipper  10  which houses cutters (not shown) that cut the brush into small chips. The chips are then projected out of the chipper  10  through a discharge chute  22 . 
     A detailed description of the feed rollers  18  is provided in a related application filed on May 10, 2007 titled WOOD CHIPPER FEED ROLLER, which is incorporated by reference herein. Likewise, a detailed description of the cutters within the body portion  20  is provided in a related application filed on May 10, 2007 titled CHIPPER DRUM WITH INTEGRAL BLOWER, which is also incorporated herein by reference. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-5 , the configuration of the feed chute  16  is described in greater detail below. The feed chute  16  is constructed to funnel brush into the feed rollers  18 . The funneling function is in part accomplished because the opening at the end adjacent to the feed rollers, referred to herein as the second end  30 , is smaller in area than the opening at the opposite end, referred to herein as the first end  32 . In the depicted embodiment the area of the opening at the first end  32  is more than twice as large as the area of the opening at the second end  30 . The relative size difference between the openings is partially a result of the bottom surface  34  being longer than the top surface  36 . In the depicted embodiment, the walls of the chute  16  angle towards the feed rollers  18 . While in use, the walls of the chute guide and can also compress the brush as the feed rollers  18  pull brush into the chipper  10 . 
     In the depicted embodiment the chute  16  includes a bottom surface  34 , a top surface  36 , a first side surface  38 , and a second side surface  40 . The edges of the surfaces define a periphery edge  42  of the first end  32  of the chute  16 . In the depicted embodiment the top portion  44  of the periphery edge  42  is positioned relatively closer to the body portion  20  than the bottom portion  46  of the periphery edge  42 . The side portions  48 ,  50  include upper portions  56 ,  58  and lower portions  52 ,  54  which are aligned when the chipper is viewed from the side. The sides  48  and  50  are at an angle α (see  FIG. 4 ) with respect to a vertical plane VP that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the chipper  10 . 
     The angle α is preferably greater than  20  degrees and more preferably between 30 to 60 degrees. In the depicted embodiment the angle α is about 45 degrees. The angle α can have an effect on where the operator can stand relative to the feed rollers  18  while he or she loads brush and other materials into the chipper  10 . In addition, the angle α enables the chipper to have a large opening at its first end  32  for receiving brush while at the same time still making it very difficult for operators to get into a position where they are in danger of being injured by the feed rollers. In the depicted embodiment the bottom surface  34  slopes downwardly from the second end  30  to the first end  32 . The periphery edge  42  and the bottom surface  34  are at an angle θ relative to each other. The angle θ is preferably less than 80 degrees and more preferably between 60 to 30 degrees. 
     The side portions  48 ,  50  of the periphery edge  42  of the chute  16  include lower portions  52 ,  54  that flare outwardly from the bottom surface  34  of the chute  16 . From a rear end view, the lower portions  52 ,  54  extend at an angle β from a vertical plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the chipper  10 . Preferably, the angle β is between 10 to 60 degrees. In the depicted embodiment the angle β is between 15 to 30 degrees. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the bottom surface  34  is generally parallel to the ground; therefore, the lower portions  52 ,  54  extend at an angle β plus  90  relative to the bottom surface. The lower portions  52 ,  54  guide and center the brush as it is pulled into the feed rollers  18 . The lower portions  52 ,  54  support branches as they are pulled by the feed rollers  18  upwards away from the bottom portion  46  of the periphery edge  42 , decreasing the number of times the feed rollers  18  stop due to branches contacting an emergency stop  59  located on the bottom portion  46  of the periphery edge  42  (see  FIG. 4 ). The emergency stop  59  is intended to stop the feed rollers  18  when engaged by an operator either intentionally or accidentally. 
     The lower portions  52 ,  54  also enable operators to more easily load the chipper  10  while standing along a side of the chipper  10 . If the lower portions  52 ,  54  were not flared, but instead were aligned with the upper portions  56 ,  58 , operators might not be able to move alongside the chute  16  as conveniently. In addition, the angle of the lower portions  52 ,  54 , if engaged by the operator, would direct the operator away from the feed rollers  18 . Referring to  FIG. 3 , a top view of the chute  16  is shown. The lower portions  52 ,  54  are at an angle δ relative to the bottom portion  46  of the periphery edge  42 . The angle δ is preferably between 90-135 degrees. In the depicted embodiment angle δ is about 115 degrees. 
     In the depicted embodiment, the upper portions  56 ,  58  of the side portions  48 ,  50  taper inwardly towards the top portion  44  of the periphery edge  42  of the chute  16 . The taper of the upper portions enables operators while at the side of the chipper to safely guide brush into the feed rollers. In view of the disclosure above, the chute  16  in the depicted embodiment is configured to facilitate loading of the chipper  10 . 
     The above specification, examples and data provide a complete description of the manufacture and use of the composition of the invention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended.