Patent ID: 7997309

Claim:
A system for measuring the length of a tree being delimbed, the system comprising: a log feed roller mechanism operable to feed a tree into a tree guide along an axis; a delimbing head mounted for motion with respect to the log feed roller mechanism parallel to the axis; a measuring wheel resiliently mounted on the delimbing head; a tree-cutting device movable with the delimbing head; a first tree-sensing mechanism positioned to detect an end of the tree at a first location in the tree guide; and a data processing device connected to receive inputs from the measuring wheel, the first tree-sensing mechanism, and an encoder monitoring a position of the delimbing head, the data processing device configured to determine a net number of rotations of the measuring wheel and to calculate lengths of one or more portions of the tree based at least in part on the net number of rotations of the measuring wheel the position of the delimbing head and the input from the first tree-sensing mechanism; wherein the system comprises a chamber containing a pressurized gas connected to bias the measuring wheel against the tree.