US2814258A - Log-haul chair - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 26,1195? A. F. RICE 2,814,258

' LOG-BAUL CHAIR l5 /5 /7 JNVENToR.

BY WMM M, 4W),

Nov. 26, 1957 A. F. RICE f 2,814,258

Y Los-mur. CHAIR Filed April 2v, 195s 2 sheets-sheet 2 nited States Patent LOG-HAUL CHAIR Alexander F. Rice, Fort Bragg, Calif.

Application April 27, 1953, Serial No. 351,418

6 Claims. (Cl. 10S-160.5)

My present invention relates to the logging industry and more particularly to apparatus used in hauling logs to the saw machinery in large saw mills, the said apparatus being referred to in the industry as a log-haul chai-r.

The principal object of my invention is to produce an improved log-haul chair.

Another object is to produce an improved log-haul chair wheel axle of simplicity of construction and assembly.

Other objects and novel features comprising the construction and operation of the invention will he more apparent as the description of the same progresses.

ln the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention:

Fig. l is a top plan view of the log-haul chair;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View of the log-haul chair;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, the opposite side being a duplicate thereof;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation, the opposite end being a duplicate thereof, and

Fig. 5 is a cross-section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows but with the projection being made from a top plan position.

The log-haul chair is designed particularly for large timber such as large redwood trees in which the diameter of the trees are sometimes nine or more feet in diameter. The log-haul chair is in the nature of a carriage approximately twenty-seven inches long, eighteen inches wide, ten inches deep, and supported on four railroad-type anged wheels operating on railroad rails of approximate forty pound cross-section.

The chairs are coupled together by chain links and when loaded travel in an endless belt manner on upper rails returning on similar lower rails, not shown, the upper rails being indicated in dot-and-dash lines in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. The chain of chairs move between guides indicated at 11 in Fig. 5, the top surface of the guide portion 11 and the top contact surfaces of the chairs are curved with a radius of approximately seven feet similar to the radius of the top surface of the guide portions 11, the top surfaces of the chair being slightly above the top surfaces of the portions 11 and carrying the weight of the logs.

Referring more specically to the chair construction which is of rectangular symmetrical shape of H form in cross-section and having a horizontally located mid-section 12 engaging with side portions 13 and 14 and end portions 15 and 16.

Fig. 3 shows the long side 14 the lower right and left hand portions of which form skirt portions 17 and 18. The opposite side 13 is similar to side 14. The upper portions of sides 13 and 14 continue the full length of the chair. On the top side of the chair above the portion 12 and on the side portions 13 and 14 are located longitudinally raised rib portions and 26 extending across the entire structure and having lower cross ribs 27 and 28 separating longitudinal ribs 25 and 29. Longitudinal ribs 30 and 14 are separated by cross ribs 31 and 32. Be-

' ine tween ribs 13 and 29 and part of end portions 15 and 16 are end cross ribs 33 and 34 respectively of the same height as cross ribs 27 and 28. Similarly end cross ribs 35 and 36 are provided on the respective ends 15 and 16.

Between the longitudinal rib portions 29 and 30 are high rib portions 29a, 30a, 33a and 34a, the top surfaces or which are of the same radius as the top surfaces of the longitudinal rib portions 25, 26, 29 and 30 and conform to the general curvature of the upper surfaces of the guide ways, 11, and form a cradle-like surface for logs placed on the chairs. The radial curvature of the top surfaces of the guide portions 11 and the chair may vary in mechanical design to suit the average diameter of the type of logs being handled. On the rib portions 25, 26, 29 and 30 are spur members 20 provided for the purpose of engaging the logs and preventing slippage of the logs on the chair when carrying the logs into a saw mill.

Located between cross ribs 27 and 23 and 31 and 32 are wearing strips 40 and 41 being secured to the midsection 12 by means of bolts 42 the heads of which are counter sunk in the upper face of the strips 40 and 41.

As previously stated the chairs are linked together and travel horizontally in an endless belt manner over sprockets, not shown, located at each end of the assembly. The chairs return from below in an up-side-down position, the wearing strips 40 and 41 engaging and sliding on a lower set of rails similar to rails 10 but not shown in the drawings.

Skirt portions 17a and 18a on the under side of and attached to the mid-section 12 are in transverse alignment with the skirt portions 17 and 18. Through these skirt portions are located stationary axle members on which are journalled the anged wheels which are engaged with the upper rails 10 when delivering logs to the mill machinery, the particular means for holding the axles in the skirt portions will be described further along in the description.

Longitudinally depending from the mid-section 12 are parallel web portions and 61 in which are locked the pins 63. The pins 63 provide anchors for the chain links 65 indicated in dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 2. A sprocket-tooth socket is provided between the web portions 60 and 61 through the mid-section 12. The sprocket-tooth socket opening 7i) is provided for the purpose of receiving alternate sprocket teeth of a sprocket. Other alternate teeth of the same sprocket engage the special link 65. Said links not shown in detail as they are not claimed in this application.

The wheels 5S are of special design being provided with bushings secured in the said wheels. An annular grease chamber is provided in the body of the wheels communicating with the iixed axles 50 by means for ports 81. The grease chamber 30 is communicated with through an inlet port preferably fitted with a conventional grease pressure tting, not shown.

One of the novel features of my invention comprises the means for locking the axles 50 in the skirts of the chair, which will now be described.

It should be noted that the axles have no anges or other protruding portion on the cylindrical sides. The inner end of the axles are provided with a stepped back shoulder 91 which engages against a depending portion 92 iiXed to the skirt portions 17a and 18a, the lower face of the depending portion 92 being horizontal flat surfaces engaging in the shoulders 91 of the axles 50. The inside face of the depending portions 92 are at rightangles to the flat bottom surface. The vertical shouldered face of the axles engage against the vertical face of the depending portion 92 which closes a segment of the opening in the skirt portions 17a and 18a. End movement of the axles areprevented by means of the cotter pins 95 which arelocated through the ends ofthe axles.

The chain link anchor pins 63 are locked in the longitudinal web portion 60 by the portions 96 xed to the webs 97 4and r60, and the cotter pins 98.

:It will .thus lbe seen that the axles '50 cannotrotate in the skirt -portions of the chair andcannot 'moveendwise withoutremova'l of the cotter pins. When the cotter pins are removed the axles may be removed with a minimum of effort.

In operation, logs are loaded on the chain of chairs and are ycarried 'from a loading position up into a saw mill where they are delivered to a saw carriage. The spurs 20 engage the peeled sides of the logs as gthe log-chair-chain-deliver them to the saw carriage keeping the logs fromslipping onfthe chairs.

The linked-together chairs comprise an endless belt passing over'vlarge-sprockets at-'either end ofthe assembly. The chairs are so lspaced thatfeveryother sprocket tooth engages a chair through the socket opening '70. Other alternate sprocket 'teethengage the links 65. Below the upper rails 10 arelocated asecond set of rails, not shown. The wearing strips 40 and 41 slide on these return rails until the chairs are picked up by a sprocket at the starting end ofthe-assembly.

While -I have described my invention somewhat in detail, yet it is to be understood that I lmay vary the size and proportions within wide latitude'while still remaining within-the-spirit of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new is:

1. An improved `log-haul chair vfor hauling logs into a saw mill comprising, a cradle structure having an upper face provided with longitudinal ribs extending the entire length of the structure 'for receiving said logs, a central mid-section 'below vsaid ribs, skirt portions located below said mid-section on each end of'said structure, four lhanged wheels located inthelower portion'of'the structure, each wheel being journalled on axles fixed in said skirt portions, anchor means llocated below said mid-section for engaging chain linkage, and a sprocket-tooth-socket located through -said central mid-section.

2. An improved log-haul chair for hauling logs as set forth in claim 1 in which removable wearing strips are mounted -on -said mid-section surface and having -upper surface portions projecting above said cross ribs between said longitudinal rib portions.

3. An improved log-haul chair for hauling logs as set forth in claim 2 in which the upper cradle face of said structure is concaved transversely of said chair.

4. An improved log-haul chair for hauling logs as set forth in claim 3 in which the vertical sides of central web portions are providedwithdepending members partially covering openings in .said web 4.portions through which said axles are located, shouldered end portions located on said axles engaging with said dependingxportions, cotter pins located through said axles on-outside of said web portions.

5. An improved log-haul chair for hauling logs in a saw mill as set forth in claim 4 in which said anged wheels are provided with an internal grease chamber, and means for admitting grease Sto said chamber and means for said grease to pass from said chamber =to said axles.

6. An improved log-haul `chair for hauling ylogs finto saw mills comprising, a cradle structure of H transverse cross-sectionhaving lower skirtand webs 'for journalling wheels therein, one pair of wheels to a side, a sprockettooth-slot locatedthrough the central horizontal web portion of said H cross-section, the upper side of said web portion having longitudinal vertical web-like ribs, lower inner yweb-like ribs `paralleling the :rst said ribs, the top of said ribs being `provided with spur portions, the yends -of said flower ribs lbeing joined together by a'radiallycurved transverse ribs, one-'at each end, replaceable friction shoes attached to said Hweb cross-section between fthe high and 'low longitudinal ribs, and cross pins located below said H web-section for receiving chain links.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 200,646 Divoll Feb 26, 1878 1,328,749 Meehan Ian. 20, A1920 1,644,012 fEdmunds Oct. 4, 1927 1,974,018 Edmunds Sept. 18, 1934 2,101,208 Willoughby Dec. 7, 1937

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