Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 31st May, 1887
Complete Left, 29th Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 20th Apr., 1888
WILLIAM EDWARD RICKARD 14 Strafford Street Millwall Poplar E. Engineer I.
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
An improved machine for Felling Trees, which can be worked by horse, hand,
steam or any available power. The machine consists of three frames. The bottom
frame (or bed) is provided with parallel guides or bars on which the second fraime
freely travels. The second frame is also fitted with suitable guides or bars on which
the third or saw-frame oscillates. The saw-frame is fitted with a saw held at tension
by means of a screw and nut. Two stanchions or brackets with the necessary
hearings are fixed to the second frame, carrying a horizontal barrel; or drum; and
shaft, also a vertical shaft. The horizontal shaft is connected with the vertical shaft
by means of mitre, spur or other suitable gearing. An eccentric sheave or crank
disc is keyed on the lower end of the vertical shaft provided with a slot to receive an
adjustable crank-pin. A connecting rod connects the crank disc with tho saw-
frame so that the revolution of the barrel shaft causes the saw and saw-frame to
oscillate. The saw is made to travel up to the work by means of a variable silent
feed worked by the above mentioned eccentric disc, which gives motion to a screw
working through a nut fixed to the bed-plate; the said nut is preferably made in
halves so that it can be readily thrown out of gear, and thus obviate the necessity of
unscrewing the screw to bring the saw back to the starting point. The saw-frame is
preferably fitted with sheaves or rollers to prevent friction.

page_text: I, WILLIAM EDWARD RICKARD, of 14, Strafford Street, Millwall, Poplar, E.,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, and accompanying drawings, (that is to say)
My invention relates to improvements in tree felling machines in which a
horizontally reciprocating saw operates in connection with feeding apparatus by
which the saw is fed up against the tree which is to be felled. The objects of my
improvements are first to provide means by which the saw can be readily set in
operation by horse or other power; second, to provide adjustable automatic feeding
apparatus by which the feed forward of the saw can be readily altered and adjusted;
and, third, to provide guides for the saw frame upon which it reciprocates with little
friction.
I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings
(the details of which mechanism may be varied more or less according to the
circumstances in which the machine is to be used), in which figure 1 is a plan of the
entire machine; figure 2 is a back view; and figure 3 a side view of the same;
figure 4 is a plan of the saw frame; figure 5 a side view of the same; figure 6 is a
back view, and figure 7 a horizontal section of the feeding device and parts connected
with it; figure 8 is a plan, and figure 9 a back view, of the nut through which the
feed screw works; figure 11 a plan on a larger scale, and figure 12 a side view of
the crank and excentric by which the saw frame and the feed screw, respectively are
operated. Figure 10) is a side view of the machine operating upon a tree. Similar
letters refer to similar parts throughout the several figures.
a is a horizontal plate or foundation which carries the rest of the machine, and
may either rest upon the ground, or may be provided with wheels as shewn in
dotted lines in figure 10, the height of which can be adjusted. One or more pairs of
wheels may be used.
b is a horizontal frame, having guides c, c, c, c, which fit and slide freely upon
the horizontal bars d, d which are carried by the foundation plate or frame a. The
frame also has fixed to it or formed upon it near the back a transverse guide
bare (figure 1) and two shorter guide bars f, f, near the front, and upon these three
guide bars the saw frame y slides, so that it can reciprocate backward and forward
across the machine. The saw itself h is fixed in the usual way to the front ends of
the saw frame g, being tightened up by a key or nut at i. The lower foundation
plate a is shewn cut out at the front at k (figure 1) so that it may be brought up
close to the tree which is to be cut down, as illustrated in Figure 10.
The horizontal moveable frame b carries at each side a standard l'at the upper end
of which are bearings m, m³, in which the transverse driving shaft o revolves freely,
and one of the standards also carries suitable bearings p, p, for the vertical shaft
upon the upper end of which is fixed a bevilled toothed wheels which gears with
another bevilled toothed wheel s¹ preferably of larger diameter, upon the driving

page_text: shaft o.
A moveable clutch or coupling of the usual kind is shewn at o' by which the
wheels can be disconnected from the shaft o when desired. t, t¹, are two drums
fixed upon the driving shaft o.
Upon these drums two wire ropes v, vl, or other ropes, chains, or cords, of sufficient
strength, are coiled in opposite directions so that when one is being unwound the
other is wound up, and vice versa. If therefore the end of the coiled rope is
pulled with sufficient force it causes the shaft o, the toothed wheels s, s¹, and the
vertical shaft to revolve. This revolution continues until the wire rope is unwound
from the drum, by which time the other wire rope will have been wound up.
The latter rope can be then pulled until the first is re-wound and so on as long as
may be necessary. In order to pull the wire ropes horses, or other animal power, are
preferably used the ends of the wire ropes being brought back and first passed round
pullies temporarily fastened to the tree (as shown in figure 10), and then attached to
the harness of a horse (for instance), and the horse being then driven away in a
straight line until the wire rope is unwound.
The horse can then be brought back, or another horse can be harnessed to the end of
the other wire rope, the first one returning with the end of the wire rope which is being
wound up; and in this way a sufficiently constant revolution of the shaft r is caused.
To the lower end of the shaft is keyed an excentric u (figures 2, 4, 11, and 12),
upon the lower face of which is fixed a crank pin w, preferably fitted in a slot (as
shewn in figure 11) so that the length of its stroke can be altered. To this crank pin
is fitted one end of a connecting rod the other end of which is jointed at y to the
sliding saw frame 9. When therefore the shaft r is made to revolve in the way just
described, the saw frame g and saw h, are made to reciprocate backward and forward
with sufficient speed against the tree which is to be cut down, as illustrated in
figure 10, in which the dotted line X indicates the position of the saw.
At the back of the moveable frame b is a socket A (figure 1) in which revolves a
bar B to the front end of which is keyed a grooved disc C round which fits the loose
strap D, upon which is formed or fixed the slotted arm E carrying an adjustable pin F
to which is jointed the connecting rod H the other end of which is jointed at I to the
strap K of the excentric u already described.
As the excentric u revolves therefore the arm E and with it the strap D are made
to reciprocate backward and forward, the length of stroke depending upon the position
of the pin F in the slot.
The loose strap D has formed in it a notch or recess L (figures 6 and 7,) wider at
one end than at the other, into which is fitted a steel cylinder or roller M of such
diameter that it is gripped between the disc C and the strap D at one end of the
notch L, whilst it is perfectly free between them at the other end of the notch L. As
therefore the strap D reciprocates backward and forward as just described, it takes
with it the disc and bar B, as it moves in one direction, but goes back without them
in its return stroke. The outer end of the bar B is screwed and passes through a nut N
fixed to the back of the frame a, this nut N being formed in two halves which turn
upon the centre N¹ and can be instantly separated or screwed together by the
screw V as shewn in figures 8 and 9, so that at any time when desired by opening the
nut N the screwed bar B is released and with the frame b can be pushed backward and
forward, whilst when the nut N is closed the screwed bar Bis turned round intermittently
and screwed forward by the action of the strap D and roller M upon the disc C and
the saw frame g and saw h are consequently fed forward against the tree which is
being operated upon; the speed of such feed being regulated by the position of the
pin F in the slotted arm E.
The ends of the shaft o are shewn prepared to receive handles by which the saw
can be driven, by hand, steam, or other power, or by which when necessary the wire
ropes can be coiled upon the drums t, t.
In order to operate the machine, it is brought up to the tree which is to be felled,
to which it is temporarily attached by the hooks P, P', upon the base a (as shewn in
figure 1) the frame b being brought back to the nut N, and the latter being then
closed. The pulleys R are then fastened to the tree (as shewn in figure 10) and the

page_text: ends of the wire ropes v, ¹, are passed round them, one of the ropes being coiled upon
its drum and the other being uncoiled. The free end of the coiled, wire rope is then
hauled away by horse or other power, the saw h being thereby set in operation and
cutting through the tree, against which it is fed as the depth of the cut increases, by
means of the feed screw B, operated intermittently and automatically in the manner
described.
In the case of a small tree, it will be cut through when or before the wire rope has
been entirely unwound from its drum.
If not, the rope which has been wound upon the other drum whilst the first was
being unwound, is hauled upon in turn and the operation continued until the tree is
cut through. I prefer to use the disc C, strap D, recess L, and roller M, to effect the
intermittent rotation of the feed screw B in the manner described, as the amount of
feed can be exactly adjusted, but an ordinary ratchet wheel and reciprocating pall of
the well known kinds may sometimes be used instead. The saw frame g is provided
at each side with friction rollers T, T, T, T, between which the transverse guide bar e
passes freely, and also with openings in front (with or without friction rollers)
through which the guide bars f,f, pass, so that the frame g reciprocates backward and
forward with little friction, and the saw is kept in its proper position whilst working.
By the use of the pulleys R the machine is kept up to its work by the tension of the
wire rope instead of being drawn away from it and its action is greatly facilitated.
By the addition of wheels to the machine, as shewn in dotted lines in figure 10, it is
quickly and easily conveyed from place to place as required.
Where there is little room for moving the machine, the frame may be provided with
one or more short axles which can be fitted with wheels which rest upon the ground
when the machine is turned up upon one side or edge. The improved machine may
be used for cross cutting, or otherwise sawing, felled timber, by suitably adjusting its
position.
I am aware that reciprocating saws actuated by steam power have been used, prior
to my invention, for the purpose of felling trees, and I do not claim such sawing
apparatus broadly, but
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. The combination of the base a, frame sliding longitudinally on guides d, and
carrying bearings m, m², p, p, driving shaft o toothed bevilled wheels 8, s¹, vertical
shaft r, excentric U, and crank pin w, with the saw frame g sliding transversely upon
guides e and fund connecting rod by which the saw frame g is made to reciprocate,
all substantially as set forth and shewn.
2. The combination with the driving shaft o of the drums t, t¹, wire ropes, cords, or
chains v,
v, and pullies R substantially as and for the purposes set forth and shewn.
3. In combination with the base a and sliding frame 6, the feed screw B passing
through the nut N, and turning freely in the frame b, the grooved disc C, strap D,
recess L, roller M, slotted arm E, adjustable pin F, jointed connecting rod H,
excentric u and excentric strap K, all substantially as set forth and shewn.
4. In combination with the base a, sliding frame b, and feed screw B, the nut N
opening and closing so as to release or hold the screw B, substantially as set forth and
shewn.
1000
EDWARDS & Co.;
35, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Inventor.