JPH0334884B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (a) Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a delimbing and lumbering robot that performs the work of removing branches from each tree trunk and cutting the tree trunks into rings in lumber construction, and the present invention relates to The cutting method is fundamentally different from that of the seed robot.

(b) Conventional technology Conventional robots that carry out branch cutting work are designed to raise the robot body while spiraling around the tree trunk, and then operate a chainsaw attached to the robot body to cut the branches. The current version is well known and widely used.

(c) Problems to be solved by the invention (1) Conventionally, metal springs have been used as a means for holding the robot body to the trunk of a tree.
Such springs may not be able to adequately respond to changes in tree trunk diameter. That is, when the diameter of the tree trunk becomes smaller, the clamping elasticity of the spring becomes weaker, making it difficult to grip the robot body on the trunk. It is not desirable that the gripping ability increases or decreases due to changes in the diameter of the tree trunk.

(2) Next, to cut the branch, the chainsaw is cut by facing the root of the branch by gradually rotating the robot's main body around the tree trunk, and the teeth of the chain saw's blade are The guide bar that guides the rotation has a certain width, so when cutting a thick branch, the flat guide bar of a certain width cannot enter the arc-shaped cut.
There is a disadvantage that the inconvenience of biting is likely to occur.

(3) Furthermore, when the robot body is attached to the tree trunk, the weight of the robot will be biased to one side of the tree trunk, and as the robot turns and rises, the ellipse will be added and the tree trunk will swing in a gradually larger arc, making it difficult to work. This is definitely not a good thing from a safety standpoint.

(4) Next, when transporting wood from the logging site, the tree trunk must first be cut down from the base and then divided into several pieces, but it takes effort, time, and space to first lay it down and then cut it. However, there is a problem in that the work is difficult, especially on steep slopes.

(d) Means for solving the problem Therefore, in the present invention, the robot body is held on the tree trunk via an air cylinder and has a lifting mechanism that vertically ascends and descends, and a plurality of rotating rings that rotate at high speed around the tree trunk. supporting the supporting arms by pivot supports, and elastically mounting the pivot supports via springs;
A delimbing mechanism in which a cutting blade is installed upright at the tip of each support arm, and a chainsaw that cuts approximately half the diameter of the tree trunk and then cuts slightly upward from the opposite direction to the cutting position. A limb removal and lumber removal robot characterized by being equipped with.

Hereinafter, the gist of the present invention will be explained based on embodiments shown in the drawings.

(E) Embodiment FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the robot of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a side view thereof.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the support arm portion.

In the drawing, the robot body 1 is equipped with a base plate 2, side plates 3, 3, and a back plate 4, and the base plate 2 has an opening 5 in the center to accommodate a tree trunk 6.
For this reason, the board 2 uses the hinge 7 as a pivot and the front half 2a
The rotary ring 10, which will be described later, is divided into halves from the fasteners 11, 11, and 8 is a locking element that fixes the front half 2a and the rear half 2b. It is a fastener.

The aforementioned rotating ring 10 is rotatably held by a plurality of pairs of support wheels 12, 12 provided along the periphery of the aperture 5 on the substrate 2, and the support wheels 12 are mounted on pins 13 ( (2nd figure shown) It is supported by a shaft.

On this rotating ring 10, a plurality of support arms 14 are provided.
are each supported by a shaft 15, and a spring 16 (fourth
(shown) provides rotational elasticity in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 1 about the shaft support 15. This supporting arm 14
As shown in the fourth figure, an L-shaped support arm 17 is rotatably supported by a shaft 18, and a cutting blade 19 of the same type as one tooth row of a chainsaw is provided at the top end of the support arm 17. On the other hand, at the lower end of this shaft 18, there is a support piece 21 provided with a pair of rollers 20, 20.
are fixed, and as shown in the first figure, rollers 20,
When the cutting blade 20 is in contact with the surface of the tree trunk 6, the cutting blade 19 is positioned close to the surface of the tree trunk.
22 is a drive wheel that rotates the rotating ring 10 at high speed;
It is connected to an internal combustion engine 37, which will be described later, via a pulley 45, a belt 46, a pulley 44, and other switching gears. Reference numeral 9 denotes an auxiliary arm integrally formed with the support arm 14, which has a weight 9a at its tip, and is adapted to assist the pressing elasticity of the spring 16 by the centrifugal force of the rotating ring 10.

Further, a circular frame 24 is provided on this board 2 via pillars 23 that protrude elastically in the longitudinal direction, and this is divided into four parts around the four pillars 23, each having a circular arc. Portions 24a, 24b, 24
c and 24d are each moved up and down along with the support column 23 by springs in response to the load.
When the substrate 2 is opened, it is divided into two parts as a whole.

Next, in Fig. 2, reference numerals 25 and 25' are air cylinders, to which compressed air is fed through vertical hoses from a compressor (not shown) installed on the ground, and they are installed above and below as shown in the figure. , opposing rocking pieces 27, 27 respectively supported by a pair of shafts 26, 26 protruding from the inside of the back plate 4;
Then, the end of the cylinder 25 and the tip of the piston rod 28 are pivoted 29, and the tree trunk is inserted into the gap between the pair of rollers 31, 31, which are pivoted 30, 30 at the tips of the swinging pieces 27, 27. It is designed so that

The roller 31 is formed into a drum shape as shown in the third figure to ensure good frictional engagement with the tree trunk 6, and the swinging pieces 27, 27 are fan-shaped gears connected thereto. 32 and 32 are engaged with each other, so the tree trunk 6 is always located between the two rollers.
It is designed so that it can be inserted.

Next, the rotation of the rollers 31, 31 is controlled by the engine 3.
Pulley 41, belt 43, pulley 4 connected to 7
The gears 35, 35 that mesh with each other and rotate in opposite directions are transmitted to one gear 35 via the gears 34, 34 that mesh with the gears 34, 34, and the rollers 31, which face each other via the belts 33, 33. 31 in opposite directions, and this means that the upper rollers 31, 3
The same applies to the case of No. 1 and the case of the lower rollers 31', 31'.

Thus, between the rollers 31, 31 and 31',
The tree trunk is pressed between the rollers 31' and the roller group is driven to raise and lower the tree trunk.

Next, 36 is a control box fixed to one side plate 3, which is equipped with an internal combustion engine 37, a start/stop mechanism, a gear change mechanism, a forward/reverse mechanism, a deceleration mechanism, etc., and has a plurality of control boxes as shown in the second figure. The box 36 is equipped with manual operation ropes 38, 38, . . . (color-coded if necessary) to operate the robot, and it is more preferable to operate the robot by radio instead of manually.

Further, reference numeral 39 is a chainsaw mounted on the control box 36, which is oriented laterally as shown by the solid line in FIG. 2 so as not to interfere with the delimbing work. The machine stops at the position , and cuts the tree trunk 6 into rounds at that position. First, the shaft 40 is raised slightly (dotted chain line), and the chainsaw 39 is pressed against the trunk around the shaft 40 to the right (left). After cutting about half of the tree trunk 6 by rotating the toothed blade while doing so, the chainsaw is then rotated counterclockwise (to the right) and pushed up about 1 cm to make a cut. This makes it possible to regulate the direction in which the cut upper tree trunk falls.

(f) Function In the robot of the present invention having the above configuration, first, the locking fitting 8 of the substrate 2 and the fastening fittings 11, 11 of the rotating ring are released, and the front half 2a of the substrate 2 is opened.
is rotated and released using the hinge 7 as a pivot. in this case,
The arc portions 24a and 24b of the frame 24 will remain on the rear half 2b, and the arc portions 24c and 24d will be moved together with the front half 2a.

In this state, the tree trunk 6 to be delimbed is inserted into the opening 5, and the swinging pieces 27, 27 are opened in a fan shape around the respective shafts 26 between the rollers 31, 31 and between the rollers 31', 31'. The rear part 2b, which holds the tree trunk 6, is rotated and closed to lock the locking fitting 8 and the fastening fittings 11, 11.

Next, the internal combustion engine 37 is started, and by operating the manual operation rope 38, the pulley 41 is rotated via the reduction mechanism in the box 36, and the rotation is transmitted to the pulley 42 via the belt 43. As a result, the coaxial gear 35 (upper right side in Figure 2) is rotated, and the gear 35 (left side) that meshes with it also rotates at the same speed in the opposite direction, and the rollers 31, 31 and the rollers are rotated through the gear 34 and the belt 33. 31', 31' are rotated.

On the other hand, a compressor (not shown) on the ground forces air cylinders 25 and 25' to grip the tree trunk 6 and send compressed air sufficient to allow the robot body 1 to climb through the pipe.

Further, the drive wheel 22 is rotated at high speed via the pulleys 44, 45 and the belt 46, and the rotating ring 10 is rotated clockwise in FIG. Support arms 14, 14, . . . , which are pivotally supported by the rotary ring 10, press rollers 20, 20 at their respective tips against the surface of the tree trunk 6 by the elasticity of the spring 16 and the centrifugal force of the weight 9a. This pair of rollers 20, 20 (as shown in the fourth figure)
Since it is provided at both ends of the support piece 21 (first illustration),
The robot main body 1 gradually climbs by always holding the support piece 21 at right angles to the surface of the tree trunk 6 and by always holding the cutting blade 19 on the support arm 17 integrated therewith at right angles to the surface of the tree trunk 6. As the branch rises, the plurality of cutting blades 19, 19... cut the base of the branch one after another, just like a chainsaw.

At this time, since the width of the support arm 17 that supports each cutting blade 19 is sufficient to support only one cutting blade,
It's extremely narrow, so there's no need to worry about it getting wedged.

During this cutting, the base of the branch should be held at a certain level by the cutting blade 1
9, 19..., it bends due to its own weight leaving an uncut portion of the base, but this bending is once supported by the frame 24 to facilitate the cutting operation. , to cut smoothly and without blocking the lower cut end due to bending of the branch.

In this way, the robot body gradually rises, and the diameter of the tree trunk 6 gradually decreases, but the air cylinder 2
5, 25' performs the clamping action of the rollers 31, 31..., so the tree trunk 6 is always held at a constant pressure.
The work is carried out appropriately by holding the pressure at a constant level without changing it.

Furthermore, since the robot body 1 rises perpendicularly parallel to the tree trunk 6, even when it climbs high, it does not sway in an arc unlike conventional products.

After delimbing to the desired position,
The rotation of the cutting blade 19 is stopped and the rollers 31, 31...
is reversed and lowered.

The foregoing has described the delimbing work, but in order to cut the tree trunk 6 into rounds from the desired location without cutting it down after the delimbing work is completed,
The robot is raised to a desired height by driving the rollers 31, 31... and stopped, and the chainsaw 3
9 is slightly raised through the shaft portion 40, and then rotated from one direction while activating its blade tooth row to cut into the tree trunk 6. After cutting approximately half of the diameter of the tree trunk 6, By reversing the chainsaw 39, raising it slightly, and making a cut from the opposite direction this time, the upper tree trunk falls down toward the cut side of the lower step due to the cuts made from the opposite direction of the two different steps, and is cut. It will be done.

After this cutting, the robot body is again lowered by the required distance and stopped at a desired position, and the same round cutting is carried out, thereby allowing the tree trunk 6 to be freely cut into rounds while remaining planted on the ground.

In this case, a necessary measuring device may be installed on the robot body to regulate the length of the wood, or a measuring rope may be attached to the robot body. It can also serve as a correction on the ground so that the main body 1 does not deviate from the tree trunk when going up and down.

(G) Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the robot of the present invention, the air cylinders 25, 25' are provided, and in order to make the trunk of the robot grip the robot body, it is possible to grip the robot body by means of a spring rather than the conventional gripping method using a spring. It is much more adaptable to changes in aperture and can always maintain a constant gripping ability.

Branches are cut by high-speed rotation of a rotary ring 10 that orbits the tree trunk, and by cutting blades 19 provided at the tips of a large number of narrow support arms 14, 14, which are elastically supported 15 on the ring 10. 19 To be carried out by...
Since there is no need to use a chainsaw equipped with a wide guide bar as in the past, there is no risk of the chainsaw biting into the cut, and the robot body can also rotate around the tree trunk 6. Since the robot can climb vertically without any movement, it can reliably prevent the arc-shaped shaking of the upper part of the tree trunk that occurs as it climbs, and since the robot itself does not rotate, it is possible to attach operating strings and measuring ropes. It becomes easier.

Furthermore, when transporting wood from the site, the tree trunk is cut down from the base and then bundled into several pieces, but the robot of the present invention cuts the tree trunk into rounds to the required length while it remains planted on the ground. Therefore, it does not require the surrounding space or maintenance required to cut down a vertically long tree at its full length, and is particularly useful on steep slopes.

In addition, the chainsaw used in the robot of the present invention has many excellent features, such as the ability to pre-regulate the direction in which the cut portion will fall, since the chainsaw cuts in two steps from opposite directions. Therefore, the robot of the present invention can exhibit innovative functions such as reliable operation, safe operation, and the ability to not only remove limbs but also create lumber.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing one embodiment of the robot of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view thereof, FIG. 3 is a side view thereof, and FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a supporting arm portion. 1~Robot body, 10~Rotating ring, 14~
Support arm, 19 - cutting blade, 25, 25' - air cylinder, 31 - roller, 39 - chainsaw.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An elevating mechanism that holds the robot body on a tree trunk via air cylinders 25, 25' and vertically ascends and descends, and a rotating ring 10 that rotates at high speed around the tree trunk, with a plurality of supporting arms 14 supported by a pivot support 15. The shaft support 15 is elastically mounted via a spring 16, and a delimbing mechanism is installed in which a cutting blade 19 is installed vertically at the tip of each support arm 14, and after cutting approximately half of the diameter of the tree trunk, This delimbing and lumber removal robot is equipped with a chainsaw 39 that cuts slightly upward from the opposite direction to the cutting position at different levels.