IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FELLING TREES AND FOR SPLITTING TIMBER
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Henry Pearson, of 8, Custom House Terrace,
Victoria Docks, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
FELLING TREES AND FOR SPLITTING TIMBER."
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Charles' Henry Pearson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 28th April 1864, pursuant to the 9th Section of
the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, BE IT
KNOWN, that I, CHARLES HENRY PEARSON, of 8, Custom House Terrace,
Victoria Docks, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FELLING TREES AND FOR SPLITTING TIMBER," and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
The object of this Invention is to fell trees or split timber into blocks, logs,
or sections by means of a blade or knife driven by a hydraulic press or
presses, the knife being for this purpose attached to a cross head forming part
of the ram of the press. When constructing an apparatus suitable for felling
trees the hydraulic cylinder is, by preference, mounted on trunnions or axes
carried by a carriage similar to a gun carriage. A hydraulic cylinder mounted
on a carriage in this manner is shown at Figure 1. The hydraulic cylinder
may, however, if preferred, be separate from the carriage, and when in use be
mounted on wooden blocks, as is shown at Figure 2.

page_text: In order to fell a tree the machine is fastened to the tree by a chain of
short wrought-iron plates, which chain passes round the tree and is made fast
to the press cylinder, the hydraulic cylinder having for this purpose projecting
lugs cast upon it (as is shewn in the plan and side view Figures 2 and 3), to
which the ends of the chains may be connected. The press when mounted on
a carriage may be elevated or depressed according to circumstances by a screw
or other suitable means, so as to alter at will the angle at which the knife is
driven into the tree; the pump of the press may conveniently be placed at the
back of the carriage, as is shown at Figure 1, and at the bottom of the
carriage a hollow compartment may be formed to receive the cutting knife
when not in use. The knife may be made in one or several pieces. If made
in one piece the ram of the press may either be made sufficiently long to drive
the knife continuously through the tree, or if the stroke of the ram is shorter
than the diameter of the tree, the chain by which the apparatus is held to the
tree may be shortened from time to time. In such cases it may be found advisable
to withdraw the knife occasionally, and then cause it to cut down at a different
angle to the first cut. In order to withdraw the knife it will be necessary to
place a bar or stop between the machine and the tree to prevent the machine
being drawn towards the tree whilst the ram is drawing back the knife. If
the knife be made in several pieces, the ram may be made much shorter.
One piece of the knife will be driven into the tree first, and then a second
piece attached to the ram, which will be drawn back for the purpose. The
second piece when attached to the ram will be driven in upon and will fit into
the first piece. The knife may be divided into any number of pieces. A knife
made in pieces or lengths in this manner is shewn in section at Figure 4. The
advantages obtained by making the knife in several pieces instead of one are,
increased strength to the knife, and increased lightness to the machine. In
order to provide for drawing back the piston or ram of the press, the press is
furnished with suitable valves to allow of water being forced into the cylinder
of the press in front of the piston or ram, and so force it back.
An arrangement of force pump and valves suitable for this purpose is
shewn at Figures 5 and 6; in these Figures a is the plunger of the force
pump, worked by a suitable lever handle, as is shown; the plunger works in
the pump cylinder b, and when the plunger is raised it draws water from the
tank c into the cylinder, and when the plunger is forced down into the cylinder
it forces out water through the passage or pipe d; this passage, as is shown at
Figure 6, has two branch pipes leading from it, one of which leads to one end
of the press cylinder, and the other to the other end; each branch pipe is
provided with two valves, one to allow water to pass to the cylinder of the

page_text: press, and the other to allow water to escape from it, and the spindles of these
two valves are geared together, as is shown at Figure 7, in such manner that
when one valve is opened the other is closed. By means of these valves the
water or fluid can be caused to enter the cylinder on either side of the piston
that is desired, and when the fluid is allowed to enter the cylinder on one
side of the piston the fluid on the opposite side of the piston can escape from
it, and the piston can thus be forced in either direction. The cutting knife
may be constructed with a hole or slot in the centre of the back portion of the
cutting blade, as is shown at Figure 8, so as to admit of a wedge being driven
in to the slit or cut formed by the knife, in order to diminish the friction; the
wedge may be driven in by the press itself, or it may be driven in any other
suitable manner. The same object may be effected by making the driving
handle of the knife of less width than the blade, as is shown at Figure 9, so
as to allow of wedges being driven in on either side of the knife. In con-
structing a machine to split timber into logs, blocks, or sections the chain is
dispensed with, and the wood to be cut is placed on a fixed frame, which
frame also holds the press. In this case any cutting instrument may be used
as well as a knife, and if necessary may be made to move in a guide or groove
in the frame, so that the blocks or sections may be cut in various shapes.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Henry Pearson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
CHARLES HENRY PEARSON. (L.S.)