JPS6328571B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a pruning machine configured such that the cutting machine runs on a traveling body along annular guides fitted at intervals around the outer circumference of a tree trunk to cut branches around the tree trunk. It is.

This type of pruning machine requires lifting and supporting means for lifting and lowering the annular guide itself relative to the tree trunk. Each of the holding rollers is provided to be movable forward and backward relative to the annular guide, and each of these holding rollers travels in the vertical direction while rolling in contact with the surface of the tree trunk. However, the surface of the tree trunk is partially uneven, and when one of the pinching rollers reaches the unevenness, only that pinching roller follows the unevenness of the tree trunk and moves partially back and forth, causing the annular guide to move around the tree trunk. This causes the cutting machine, which runs along this annular guide, to become misaligned with respect to the tree trunk, causing the cutting machine to become eccentric in the horizontal direction or tilted in the vertical direction. could not be cut to the same size.

This invention was made based on the above circumstances, in which the upper and lower arms, each having a pinching roller pivotally attached to the tip thereof, rotate in synchrony, and the forward and backward movement of the plurality of pinching rollers through rolling contact with the outer periphery of the tree trunk is mutually complete. Since it is synchronized, the annular guide is always maintained in a position almost perpendicular to the axis of the tree trunk even when the tree trunk is partially uneven or the diameter of the tree trunk changes, and branches can be cut to the same size. The purpose of this project is to provide a pruning machine that can perform the following functions.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically explained based on illustrated embodiments. First, the outline of a pruning machine according to the present invention will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The annular guide A, which has a larger diameter than the tree trunk T, forms a rack 4 on its outer periphery, and the circular arc part a, which is a part of the annular guide A, is made smaller than the diameter of the tree trunk T (the expected maximum diameter of the tree trunk). One end is pivotally supported to one end of the C-shaped body a' of the annular guide A by a pin 5, and the other end is connected to the other end of the C-shaped body a' by a pin 5'. It is constructed so that it can be removably pivoted at the end. Further, the cutting machine 7 used here is a chainsaw type, and is installed at one end of the transmission case 6. Power for cutting is received from a small engine E installed at the other end of the transmission case 6 via a transmission system within the transmission case 6. The transmission case 6 is equipped with a running body B, and this running body B is equipped with a pinion 10 (see FIG. 8) driven by the engine E, which is meshed with the outer peripheral rack 4 of the annular guide A. Then, the traveling body B is rotated along the annular guide A by rotation of the pinion 10, and the cutting machine 7 is rotated around the tree trunk T to carry out the cutting operation. In order to reliably turn this traveling body B along the annular guide A and to maintain good meshing between the pinion 10 and the rack 4, the traveling body B
pivotably supports arm b biased by spring 9;
Support wheels 8 and 8' are provided on this and the traveling body B, respectively, and are brought into pressure contact with the inner circumferential surface of the annular guide A.

Means for lifting and supporting the annular guide A relative to the tree trunk T can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. That is, the reference numeral 11 is a U-shaped support rod made of pipe, and the upper part near both ends of this support rod 11 and the U-shaped support rod 11
12, 12 and 1, respectively, approximately in the middle of the
2' is fixedly attached via a lower bolt/nut mounting piece 13. These support rods 12, 12, 12' are each fixed to an annular guide A (avoiding the arcuate portion a). Thereby, the U-shaped support rod 11 is linked to the annular guide A. A pair of support plates 15, 15 are welded near the support rod 12', and a support frame 16 is inserted between these plates and fixed with bolts and nuts 18, 18.
A gear box 19 is attached to this support frame 16, which includes a worm wheel 27 that receives power from a worm 26 (see FIG. 8), a gear 28 that is coaxially and directly connected, a gear 29 that meshes with this gear 28, 29, a rotary transmission system consisting of wheels 29', 29' coaxially connected to these gears 29, 29 is provided. And the above gear 2
Arms 20 and 20' are supported on sleeves 21 and 21 which are rotatable coaxially with the arms 20 and 20', and at the tips of the arms 20 and 20' are clamping rollers 1a and 1b that roll against the tree trunk T. It is pivoted. Wheels 32, 32 coaxially connected to the nipping rollers 1a, 1b and the wheels 29', 2
Sprocket chains 33, 33 are wound between the rollers 9' and 9', so that rotational power can be transmitted from the rotational transmission system to the nipping rollers 1a, 1b. Further, in order to press the holding rollers 1a, 1b against the tree trunk T, a tension coil spring 25 is stretched between locking plates 24, 24 provided at the ends of both arms 20, 20'.

The worm 26 is connected to a pinion 17 supported in an annular guide A via a shaft 26'. It meshes with the lock teeth 17a provided on the outer periphery.
The annular rotating frame C has an arc-shaped opening/closing part C'' with respect to the C-shaped main body C', and has a structure in which the opening/closing part C'' can be opened and closed to one side in the same way as the annular guide A. ing. Also, the annular guide A
In order to securely hold the support ring 8'
Separately, support rings 8a, 8a are provided, which are supported by the annular guide A at each flange portion and rolled into contact with the inner periphery of the annular guide A. The support ring 8' is equipped with a bearing having a cylindrical shaft 8b therein, and the cylindrical shaft 8b is fixed to the rotating frame C. A pin 8c on the traveling body B side is removably inserted into the cylindrical shaft 8b.

Further, a plate body 37, which has elongated holes 36, 36 formed in the intermediate portions of the arms 20, 20', respectively.
37 is fixedly installed, and the upper and lower ends of the control rod 39 are bent in the same direction at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the control rod 39 for the long holes 36, 36.
40 is inserted. The control rod 39 can rotate the inner end portions of the bent portions at both ends of the shaft portion perpendicular to the front portion of the frame 16 about the vertical axis using the clamps 38, 38, but cannot move in the vertical direction. It is installed like this.

Thus, the movements of the upper and lower arms 20, 20' are regulated so that they move in a fan-like manner substantially in unison. An actuating piece 42 pivoted by a pin 43 is arranged at one end of the frame 16, a string 41 is wound around a wheel 44 pivoted to the actuating piece 42, and both ends of the string 41 are connected to the plates 37, 37. wear it. In the figure, reference numeral 45 denotes a stopper that abuts against one end of the support frame 16 when the actuating piece 42 rotates upward to restrict the amount of rotation, and 47 denotes a long operating lever 46 for operating the actuating piece 42. It is a tube into which you insert.
Further, 68 and 70 are control wires attached to the actuation piece 42 via a connector 69, and the other ends of these wires 68 and 70 are attached to the arm 6, which will be described later.
It is attached to 7.

Further, connecting plates 50, 50 are welded to both ends of the U-shaped support rod 11, respectively.
A support frame 48 is fixed to 50 with bolts and nuts 51. Rod arms 52, 52' are pivotally supported in mounting holes 54, 54 formed in the support frame 48 by pins 53, 53', and the clamping rollers 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b are attached to the tips of the rod arms 52, 52'. is pivoted. And each arm 52, 52'
A tension coil spring 56 is tensioned between the brackets 55, 55 provided at the tips of the clamping rollers 2a, 55.
2b, 3a, 3b are pressed against the tree trunk T.

A long hole 57 is provided near the middle of both arms 52, 52'.
Connecting pieces 58, 58 with openings 57 are provided in a protruding manner, and engaging ends 60, 60 of the control rod 59 bent at both ends are inserted into these elongated holes. Above control rod 5
9 is above the support frame 48 in the vertical direction;
Although it is restricted by supports 72, 72 fixed to the lower part and does not move, it is rotated in the rotational direction, and the arm 5
2 and 52' are made to rotate vertically in substantially synchronized fashion.

At the base of the arms 52, 52' there is a plate 61,
61' is provided with links 62, 6
2', a control link 64 is pivotally connected at both ends thereof, and is pivotally supported at the center by a pin 65 in a pivot hole 66 drilled in the frame 48, and pulls a control wire 68 attached to an arm 67. By doing so, the tension coil spring 56 rotates and the tension coil spring 56
The arms 52 and 52' are opened against the force and have the function of separating the pinching rollers 2a and 2b from the tree trunk.

What is shown in FIG.
b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b pair arms 20,
The rotations of 20'52, 52', and 52' are approximately synchronized,
This is to keep the tree trunk in the center of the annular guide A. Here, the U-shaped support rod 11 is equipped with a guide ring 35, a pivot shaft 90 is rotatably inserted therein, and a universal joint 9 is attached to each shaft end.
1, and these rods 92, 93 are connected to the plates 37', 37' and 6 fixed to the base side of each arm 20, 52', 52'.
Insert into the holes drilled at 1' and 61' (see Figure 14),
The rollers are interconnected to prevent one set of the clamping rollers from moving forward or backward unilaterally with respect to the tree trunk. Note that the rods 92 and 93 are preferably each provided with a length adjustment mechanism.

When performing pruning work, place the pruning machine at the bottom of the tree trunk T, pull out the pin 5' as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 2, open the arcuate part a, and
The opening/closing part C'' is opened and the tree trunk T is placed inside the annular guide A and the rotating frame C. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 11, each pinching roller 1
The operating lever 46 is inserted into the fitting tube 47 with the levers a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, and 3b being pulled inward by the tension coil springs 25 and 56.
When the is rotated as shown by arrow A in FIG.
As a result, the string 41 and the control wires 68, 70 are pulled together, and both the clamping rollers 1a, 1b move outward against the tension coil spring 25, and the clamping rollers 2a, 2b, 3a, 3
As shown in FIG. 12, b is also moved outward against the tension coil spring 56 to expand the internal gap, and as shown in FIG. Tree trunk T in the center
can be entered.

Next, when the operating lever 46 is rotated in the direction of the reverse arrow A so that the stopper 45 abuts against the support frame 16, each string 41 and control wires 68, 70 are loosened by the amount of tension that has been applied so far. , holding rollers 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b
and 3a, 3b are brought into pressure contact with each other by the tension coil springs 25, 56, that is, brought together and pressed against the circumferential side of the tree trunk T, and as shown by the imaginary lines in FIG. The pinching rollers are joined together, and the pinching roller 1 is joined on three sides.
a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, and 3b are in pressure contact with each other at the top and bottom.

In addition, a plurality of pinching rollers 1a, 1b, 2a,
When any of the rollers 2b, 3a, and 3b reaches a partial unevenness on the surface of the tree trunk T, only this roller attempts to move forward and backward with respect to the annular guide A along the uneven surface, but each of the pinching rollers 1a, 1b, and 2a ,2b,3
Since the rollers a and 3b are linked by a mechanism as shown in FIG. 14, they move in synchrony. For example, when one of the pinching rollers 2a reaches a partially uneven part of the tree trunk, This roller 2a
One of the plates 61' fixed to the arm 52' supporting the unit moves, and in conjunction with this, the pivot 90 rotates via the rod 93 and the universal joint 91, and the other universal The plates 37', 37' move via the joint 91 and the rod 92, and the arm 52' supporting the other clamping roller 3a moves via the other pivot 90, so each clamping roller 3a is moved. Rollers 1a, 1b, 2a, 2
b, 3a, and 3b move synchronously, so that the tree trunk T is substantially in the center position of the annular guide A,
Since it is possible to prevent the annular guide A from being eccentric in the horizontal direction or tilting in the vertical direction with respect to the tree trunk T, the cutting machine 7 traveling along the annular guide A will not be misaligned, and the tree trunk Surrounding branches can be cut to the same size.

Therefore, with the arc part a closed and the opening/closing part C'' closed, and these parts fixed with pins, the engine E is
When starting the cutting machine 7, the pinion 10 meshes with the rack teeth 4 and rotates, and the running body B moves along the circumference of the annular guide A due to the pressure rolling of the support wheels 8 and 8', and the cutting machine 7 It moves along the circumference of the tree trunk T while rotating and cuts branches one after another. Cutting machine 7
As the rotating frame C starts to rotate with respect to the annular guide A, the pinion 17 that meshes with the rack tooth 17a rotates, and the shaft 2
Power is transmitted to the worm 26 via 6'. This causes the transmission system to work, and both the pinching rollers 1a, 1b
can be forcibly rotated in the same direction, and by the rotation of both clamping rollers 1a and 1b that are pressed against each other, the whole body moves linearly upward around the tree trunk T, and the surrounding area located above The branches are cut one after another by the cutter 7 to perform pruning.

If the combination of gears in the gearbox 19 is changed by pulling an operating string (not shown) from below, the holding rollers 1a and 1b rotate in opposite directions, allowing the entire structure to be lowered.

In the above embodiment, the rotary frame C was rotatably supported concentrically with respect to the annular guide A by three pairs of support wheels 8, 8', 8a, and 8a', but for the same purpose, FIG. As shown in , the rotating frame C is completely supported by the annular guide A via the rollers 34 provided in the annular guide A, and a simple fitting tube is used to connect the rotating frame C and the traveling body B. 8
Of course, a combination of b' and pin 8c' may also be used. When configured in this way, the support wheel 8
Even if 8' and 8' are omitted, the running motion of the cutting machine 7 relative to the annular guide A is reliably maintained.

As described in detail above, the present invention includes a set of two upper and lower nipping rollers that are disposed so as to be able to press against each other in the same axial direction from a plurality of directions around the outer periphery of a tree trunk.
The holding roller is pivotally attached to the tip of each of the upper and lower arms, and the base end of the arm is pivoted to a support frame that hangs integrally from the annular guide, and the upper and lower arms are always elastically pulled in a tension direction. At the same time, a connecting piece with a long hole is provided at each intermediate position between the upper and lower nipping rollers, and a control rod is attached to the frame so that it can rotate around a vertical axis but does not move in the vertical direction. The upper and lower arms are configured to rotate in synchrony so that the forward and backward dimensions of the upper and lower gripping rollers are approximately the same by inserting and connecting the engaging portions at both ends, and making contact with at least the unevenness of the outer periphery of the trunk of the upper and lower gripping rollers. Each arm of each pinching roller is connected with a link having a universal joint so that the movement of the pair of pinching rollers in rolling contact with the outer periphery of the tree trunk is synchronized with each other. Even if one of a pair of gripping rollers (upper and lower) rolls into contact with the uneven part, the upper and lower gripping rollers can synchronize their rotations, and the outer periphery of the trunk of the plurality of gripping rollers can be adjusted. Since the forward and backward movements due to contact with the rollers are linked and connected so that they are all synchronized with each other, even if the diameter of the tree trunk gradually becomes smaller during work, each clamping roller will move toward the tree trunk with the same dimensions. Therefore, there is no misalignment with the center of the annular guide, and the annular guide maintains a posture perpendicular to the tree trunk axis, so that the branch can be cut more effectively from the root.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of the invention, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a part of the pruning machine, Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, and Fig. 3 is a partial perspective view of the pruning machine.
Figure 4 is a partially cutaway side view of Figure 3, Figure 5 is a side view of the opposite side of Figure 4, Figure 6 is a plan view of the main parts with some parts omitted. is a diagram showing a part of Figure 5, Figure 7 is an enlarged view of a part of Figure 4, and Figure 8 is a diagram showing a part of Figure 5.
The figure is a longitudinal sectional view of a part of Fig. 7, Fig. 9 is a side view of a part of Fig. 3, and Fig. 10 is an exploded perspective view of Fig. 9.
Fig. 11 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of Fig. 5, and Fig. 12 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of Fig. 9.
13 is a sectional view of an annular ring showing another embodiment, and FIG. 14 is a drawing showing an example of a means for regulating the operation of the nipping roller. 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b... each pinching roller, 4... rack, 5... pin, 5'...
Pin, 6...Transmission case, 7...Cutting machine, 8,
8'...Support wheel, 8a, 8a...Support wheel, 8b...
...cylinder shaft, 8b'...fitting cylinder, 8c, 8c'...pin,
9... Spring, 10... Pinion, 11... U-shaped support rod, 12, 12, 12'... Support rod, 13... Lower bolt nut mounting piece, 15, 15... Support plate,
16...Support frame, 17...Pinion, 17
a...Rack tooth, 18,18...Bolt nut,
19...Gearbox, 20,20'...Arm,
21, 21... Tube metal, 24... Locking plate, 25...
Tension coil spring, 26... Worm, 26'...
Axis, 27...worm wheel, 28...gear,
29...Gear, 29'...Wheel, 32,32
... Wheel, 33, 33 ... Sprocket chain, 34 ... Roller, 35 ... Guide ring,
36, 36... Long hole, 37, 37'... Plate, 3
8, 38... Clamping metal, 39... Control rod, 40, 4
0... Engaging end, 41... String, 42... Actuation piece,
43... Pin, 44... Wheel body, 45... Stopper, 46... Operating lever, 47... Fitting tube, 48...
... Support frame, 50 ... Connection plate, 51 ... Bolt nut, 52, 52' ... Rod arm, 53,
53'...Pin, 54...Mounting hole, 55, 55...
...Bracket, 56...Tension coil spring, 57,
57... Long hole, 58, 58... Connection piece, 59...
Control rod, 60, 60... Engaging end, 61', 6
1'...Plate, 62, 62'...Link, 64...
Control link, 65...pin, 66...pivot hole, 6
7...Arm, 68...Control wire, 6
9... Connection tool, 70... Control wire, 7
2... Support money, 90... Axis, 91... Universal joint, 92, 93... Rod, T...
Trunk, A... Annular guide, a... Arc part, a'...
C-shaped main body, E... small engine, B... traveling body, b... arm, c... rotating frame, c'...
C-shaped main body, C″...Opening/closing part.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a pruning machine configured such that a cutting machine runs on a traveling body on annular guides fitted at intervals around the outer circumference of a tree trunk to cut branches around the tree trunk, the annular guide has annular guides attached to the tree trunk. In order to raise and lower the tree, a pair of upper and lower clamping rollers are arranged so that they can be pressed against each other in the same axial direction from multiple directions around the outer periphery of the tree trunk, and the clamping rollers are pivoted at the tips of the upper and lower arms. The base end of the arm is pivotally connected to a support frame integrally hanging down from the annular guide, and the upper and lower arms are always elastically pulled in the tension direction, and the base end of the arm is pivoted to a support frame that hangs integrally from the annular guide, and the upper and lower arms are always elastically supported in the tension direction. A connecting piece with a hole is provided, and the bent engaging parts at both ends of a control rod, which is attached to the frame so as to be rotatable around a vertical axis and not move in the vertical direction, are inserted into this elongated hole and connected. The upper and lower arms are configured to rotate in synchrony so that the holding rollers move in rotational contact with at least the irregularities on the outer periphery of the tree trunk so that the forward and backward dimensions are approximately the same, and the holding rollers of each set move forward and backward by rolling in contact with the outer periphery of the tree trunk. A pruning machine characterized in that each arm of each clamping roller is interlocked and connected by a link having a universal joint so that the movements are all synchronized with each other.