US3710969A

US3710969A - Log carrier or bunk

Info

Publication number: US3710969A
Application number: US00188537A
Authority: US
Inventors: J Eynon
Original assignee: Abitibi Paper Co Ltd
Current assignee: Abitibi Paper Co Ltd
Priority date: 1970-10-13
Filing date: 1971-10-12
Publication date: 1973-01-16
Anticipated expiration: 1990-01-16
Also published as: CA925049A

Abstract

A log carrier includes a base with an arm extending upwardly from one side of the base. The arm is shaped to form a partencircling configuration overlying the base with the free end of the arm spaced above the base adjacent to the opposite side thereof to form a log-receiving throat. A flexible element extends between the base and the arm with means for tensioning the flexible element. A displaceable projection normally blocks the throat and log thrusting means are adjacent to the opposite side of the base for thrusting a log from the opposite side of the base past the projection into engagement with the flexible element within the arm.

Description

United States Patent 1 Eynon 1 1 Jan. 16, 1973 [54] LOG CARRIER OR BUNK [75] lnventor: John E. Eynon, Port-Arthur, On-

tario, Canada [73] Assignee: Abitiba Paper Company Ltd.,

Toronto, Ontario, Canada 22 Filed: Oct. 12, 1971 21 App1.No.: 188,537

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 13, 1970 Canada ..095354 [52] US. Cl ..214/l30 R, 214/6 BA, 214/85 [51] Int. Cl ..B66c 23/00 [58] Field of Search...2l4/1 P, 1 PB, 6 H, 6 D, 6'BA, 214/147 G, 147 T,D1G. 3, 130 R, 130 A, 130 B, 130 C, 85; 100/211, 295

I56] References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS OR AllhlCA'llONS 227,913 U.S.S.R ..214/6 11 153,216 2/1967 U.S.S.R. 214/12 Primary Examiner-Albert .l. Makay Assistant ExaminerJohn Mannix AttorneyStevens, Davis, Miller & Mosher [57] ABSTRACT A log carrier includes a base with an arm extending upwardly from one side of the base. The arm is shaped to form a part-encircling configuration overlying the base with the free end of the arm spaced above the base adjacent to the opposite side thereof to form a log-receiving throat. A flexible element extends between the base and the arm with means for tensioning the flexible element. A displaceable projection normally blocks the throat and 10g thrusting means are adjacent to the opposite side of the base for thrusting a log from the opposite side of the base past the projection into engagement with the flexible element within the arm.

9 ('Inlms, 5 llrnwlng Figures PATENTED JAN 16 I975 SHEEI 2 BF 5 PATENTEDJAN 16 I973 SHEET 3 [1F 5 PATENTEDJAH 16 I973 3.710.969

SHEET u [If 5 LOG CARRIER R BUNK This invention relates to log carriers which are used to hold felled trees. Such carriers may be a part of a tree felling machine or may be an independent vehicle. It has become customary practice in the logging industry to fell trees, to remove most of the limbs therefrom before or after felling, and then to place each resultant log in a log carrier until the carrier is full. The log carrier has to fulfil several requirements. The carrier must hold securely a varying number of logs, which may vary greatly in individual butt diameter. The carrier must be capable of accepting new logs readily and without disarray of the existing log load. The logs must be securely held in the carrier, since it is frequently moved from place to place over rough ground before it is full, and also subsequently moved to another place for unloading. Further, the carrier must be capable of quick and efficient unloading.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a log carrier which meets these requirements.

According to the invention, a log carrier has a base with an arm extending upwardly from one side thereof, the arm being shaped to form a part-encircling configuration overlying the base with the free end of the arm being spaced above the base adjacent to the opposite side thereof to form a log-receiving throat. A flexible element extends between the base and the arm, and is capable of being tensioned. A displaceable projection normally blocks the throat, and a log thruster adjacent to the opposite side of the base is operable to thrust a log from the opposite side of the base past the projection into engagement with theflexible element within the arm.

For ease of unloading, the base is preferably pivotally mounted on a platform so as to be pivotable about an axis adjacent to the opposite side of the base and parallel to the logs. By such pivoting movement, the logs can be discharged from within the first arm. The first arm may include a first portion secured to the base and a second portion pivotally connected to the first portion for movement away from the base to facilitate such unloading.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which,

FIG. 1 is a side view of a rear portion of a logging machine, showing a log carrier,

FIG. 2 is a rear view of a log carrier with one log therein,

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the log carrier shown in FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the log carrier with almost a full load of logs, and

FIG. 5 is a rear view of the log carrier in the unloading position.

Referring to the drawings, a log carrier 1 is mounted on the rear end of a chassis 2 of a logging machine having tracks 3. The logging machine may be of the kind which fells trees and, before or after felling, may or may not remove most of the limbs. After the machine has processed each tree, the resultant log is placed in the log carrier 1. The machine may be, for example, similar to that described in our Canadian Pat. 835,144 issued Feb. 24, 1970 and entitled FeIler-Limber- Buncher Logging Machine."

The log carrier 1 includes a platform 4 mounted on the chassis so as to be rotatable (by means not shown) about a vertical axis. A base 5 is mounted on the platform 4 and pivotally attached to it near one side of the base by a shaft 6 which passes through the platform 4 and through lugs 7 depending from the base 5. A hydraulic jack 8 is pivotally connected at one end to the platform 4 by a pin 9 and at the other end by a pin 10 to the base 5. The jack 8 is operable by fluid pressure to pivot the base 5 from the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 to the position shown in FIG. 5, as will be described later.

A curved arm 11 extends upwardly from the side of the base 5 remote from the pivotal axis 6, and a curved extension 12 is pivotally connected to the upper end of the arm 11 by a pin 13. A hydraulic jack 14 is pivotally connected at one end to the extension 12 by a pin 15 and at the other end to the arm 11 by a pin 16. A jack 14 is operable to pivot the extension 12 from a logretaining position shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 to a logreleasing position shown in FIG. 5. The arm 11 and its extension 12 extend in a substantially circular direction such that the free end of extension 12 is directed downwardly and terminates at a position spaced above the base 5 and located near, but spaced inwardly from, the side of the base 5 opposite that from which the arm 1 1 extends. This opposite side of the base 5 has an arm 17 extending upwardly and slightly inclined outwardly from the base to form a log-receiving throat 18 with the downwardly extending end of the extension 12.

A flexible element in the form of a wire rope 19 has one end connected by a pin 20 to the free end of the extension 12. The rope 19 then passes around a pulley 21 mounted on the base 5 and is wound on a hydraulic winch 22 carried by the base 5 at its junction with the arm 1 1.

The base 5 carries a displaceable projection 23 which is pivotally mounted on a pin 24 in the base 5 and is located below the free end of the extension 12. In its operative position shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the projection 23 effectively blocks the throat 18 between the free end of the extension 12 and the base 5. The projection v23 is controlled by a cam 25 secured thereto and engageable with a leaf spring 26 secured to the platform 4. When the base is in the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the leaf spring 26 engages the cam 25 to maintain the projection 23 in, its operative position. When the base 5 is in the position shown in FIG. 5, the cam 25 is out of contact with the spring 26, and the projection 23 drops under its own weight to a position below the upper surface of the base 5.

Also carried by the base 5 is a log thruster 27 which includes a main portion 28 slidably mounted in the base 5 and a leg 29 which projects upwardly from the rear end of the main portion 28. The thruster 27 is normally positioned so that the leg 29 lies within an appropriate aperture in the arm '17, but is movable laterally inwardly of the base 5 by two hydraulic jacks 30 connected at one end to the base 5 and at the other end to the main portion 28 of the thruster 27. Laterally inward movement of the thruster 27 causes the leg 29 to force a log in the throat 18 past the projection 23 against the action of the leaf spring 26.

At the bottom of the throat 18 is a trip 31 pivotally mounted on the lower portion of arm 17 by a pin 32.

Below the trip 31, the arm 17 carries a hydraulic switch 33 which is actuated by the trip 31 when a log 18 is present in the throat 18 to depress the trip 31. Actuation of the trip 31 by a Ioginitiates a sequence of operations which, will now be described. The hydraulic switch 33 is connected to actuate the various hydraulic components in a manner which will be apparent from the following description.

Referring first to FIG. 2, the winch 22 has an adjustable drag brake (not shown) which permits the wire rope to be unwound at a desired pre-set tension. The winch 22 is driven by a hydraulic motor, and energization of this motor causes the drum to rotate, thereby removing slack from and tightening the wire rope 19 to the tension set by the drag brake. When the logging machine has processed a log, it drops the log (indicated as 34) into the throat 18 where the log 34 depresses the trip 31, thereby actuating hydraulic switch 33. This causes jacks 30 to extend and move the thruster 27 laterally inwardly of its position shown in FIG. 2. During this movement, the leg 29 of the thruster 27 engages the log 34 and forces it past the projection 23, which is moved downwardly against the action of the spring 26 to allow the log 34 to pass. Once the log 34 is past the projection 23, the spring 26 forces it back up .to its operative position, and the jacks 30 contract to re-position the thruster 27 in the position shown in FIG. 2; As the thruster arm 27 returns to its start position, the hydraulic motor in the winch 22 is automatically energized, tightening the wire rope 19'to the drag brake tension and thereby securing the log 34 between the wire rope 19, the base frame 5 and the projection 23.

As each log is supplied by the logging machine to the throat 18, it is subsequently pushed past the projection 23 by the thruster 27. The rope 19 is urged against the logs with constant tension, with more rope being withdrawn from the winch 22 as necessary. Thus, a bundle of logs is gradually built up within the generally circular configurationformed by the base 5, arm 11 and its extension 12, as shown in FIG. 4.

When a sufficient number of logs has been supplied to the carrier 1, the logs are secured as a bundle by an encircling band of wire 35, and base 5 is tilted to the position in FIG. 5 by the jack 8. At the same time, jack 14 is contracted to swing the arm extension 12 outwardly. The bundle of logs then rolls down the now downwardly slopingarm "to the ground. The carrier is thenreturned to the attitudeshown in FIG. 2 for the sequence to start again.

, Thus, the described log carrier is self-loading and requires the attention of an operator only to unload. The carrier is not required to stop when a log is being added to the load, and all logs already in the carrier are securely retained while a further log is taken in. One or more logs are securely held, regardless of their diameter, and the load can be discharged quickly with minimum disturbance of the load.

The carrier can be used with machines which collect a load of full trees as well as those which supply treelength logs.

I claim:

1. A log carrier including a base, an arm extending upwardly from one side of the base, said arm being shaped to form a part-encircling configuration overlying the base withvthe free end of the arm bein spaced above the base ad acent to the opposite side t ereof to form a log-receiving throat, a flexible element extending between the base and thearm, means for tensioning the flexible element, a displaceable projection normally blocking said throat, and log thrusting means adjacent to said opposite side of the base for thrusting a log from said opposite side of the base past the projection into engagement with said flexible element within the arm.

2. A lo'g carrier according toclaim 1 wherein the projection is mounted on the base and resiliently urged to a throat-blocking position.

3. A log carrier according to claim 1 wherein said tensioning means includes a hydraulic winch.

4. A log carrier according to claim 3 wherein the winch is mounted on the base. t

5. A log carrier according to claim 1 wherein the base has a second arm at the opposite side thereof to the first arm to guide a log into the throat.

6. A log carrier according to claim 5 wherein the thrust means has a main portion slidably mounted in the base an an upstanding log engaging leg normally positioned within an aperture within said second arm.

7. A log carrier according to claim 1 including trip means in said throat operable by a log entering the throat to actuate said thrusting means.

8. A log carrier according to claim 1 wherein the base is pivotally mounted on a platform so as to be pivotable about an axis adjacent to the opposite end of the base'and parallel to the logs to discharge a load of logs from within the firs arm.

9. A log carrier according to claim 8 when the first arm includes a first portion secured to .the base and a second portion pivotally connected to the first portion for movement away from the base to a log-discharging position.

II I I II I

Claims

1. A log carrier including a base, an arm extending upwardly from one side of the base, said arm being shaped to form a partencircling configuration overlying the base with the free end of the arm being spaced above the base adjacent to the opposite side thereof to form a log-receiving throat, a flexible element extending between the base and the arm, means for tensioning the flexible element, a displaceable projection normally blocking said throat, and log thrusting means adjacent to said opposite side of the base for thrusting a log from said opposite side of the base past the projection into engagement with said flexible element within the arm.

2. A log carrier according to claim 1 wherein the projection is mounted on the base and resiliently urged to a throat-blocking position.

4. A log carrier according to claim 3 wherein the winch is mounted on the base.

6. A log carrier according to claim 5 wherein the thrust means has a main portion slidably mounted in the base an an upstanding log-engaging leg normally positioned within an aperture within said second arm.

8. A log carrier according to claim 1 wherein the base is pivotally mounted on a platform so as to be pivotable about an axis adjacent to the opposite end of the base and parallel to the logs to discharge a load of logs from within the firs arm.

9. A log carrier according to claim 8 when the first arm includes a first portion secured to the base and a second portion pivotally connected to the first portion for movement away from the base to a log-discharging position.