JPH047176B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a pruning machine, and more particularly to a pruning machine configured to quickly and reliably cut off the branches of a standing tree from the base thereof along the trunk.

In the field of forestry, in order to obtain straight-grained wood without knots, pruning is carried out during the tree growing process, in which the upper branches and leaves of the tree are left and the lower branches are successively removed. This pruning work requires that the branches be completely removed from their bases along the trunk so as not to leave any incised protrusions on the trunk surface. This is because if the protrusions are left behind, curved growth rings will be formed later to cover the protrusions, which will reduce the quality of the wood.

In traditional pruning work, workers used machetes to knock down branches. However, in this pruning work, it is very difficult to properly use the machete to completely knock off the branches from the base as described above, and it requires highly skilled techniques and is extremely tiring.
Work efficiency was extremely poor.

In addition, various types of power-type pruning machines have been developed in the past, which use power to obtain the force for knocking down branches.
There is a pruning machine described in Publication No. 57-23158. In this branching machine, the circumferential edge of the circular saw is covered in a semicircular arc shape, and is positioned on the same plane as the outer surface of the circular saw, so that the circular saw acts on the root of the branch along the bark. The present invention is characterized by providing a U-shaped guide member having a guide surface. This pruning machine is
As shown in FIG. 5 of the above publication, the U
A pair of guide parts of the shaped guide member are brought into contact with the bark so as to sandwich the branch to be cut in the vertical direction,
When the circular saw is moved laterally, the circular saw, which has an outer surface on the same plane as the guide surface of the guide member, cuts the branch from its base without leaving any knob-like protrusions. be.

However, with this type of pruning machine, the circular saw cuts the cross section of the branch in the horizontal direction, so if the branch is swayed toward the circular saw by wind, etc., it may still be connected to the trunk of the branch. Due to the lever action using the tipped part as a fulcrum, the cutting surfaces facing each other will pinch the circular saw with great force, stopping the rotation of the circular saw and making it impossible to continue the work. It has been found that the circular saw often gets stuck in the cutting part and cannot be removed. In such cases, the worker has no choice but to use the circular saw to cut downward from the top of the base of the branch, and the U-shaped guide member guides the circular saw along the bark at the base of the branch. It becomes impossible to perform its original function of guiding the body. In other words, in the pruning machine disclosed in the above-mentioned publication, the pair of guide portions of the U-shaped guide member must be configured to sandwich the branch in the vertical direction on the side line of the cylindrical trunk containing the plate to be cut. However, if you do this, the branch will often get caught in the circular saw, even though it cannot act as a guide.

The branches of the tree are cut from the base to the bottom, and the branch gradually leans downward due to its own weight, and the cut end expands, then contracts, and the knife cuts into the cut end. It should not be possible to get caught.

In this way, the present invention solves the problems of the conventional example all at once while taking into account that branches should be cut off.
To provide a pruning machine configured to quickly, reliably, and easily completely cut off tree branches from their roots along the bark.

That is, in the present invention, the rotary blade is attached to the tip of the handle rod so that the outer surface thereof is substantially parallel to the handle rod, and the rotary blade is substantially parallel to the plane including the outer surface of the rotary blade, and is aligned in the forward direction of the rotary blade. A first guide member having a guide portion located slightly outwardly in the radial direction with respect to the outer periphery of the rotary blade is provided extending at the tip of the handle rod and adjacent to the rear direction of the rotary blade,
and a second guide member having a planar guide surface that substantially coincides with a plane including the outer surface of the rotary blade is fixed to the handle rod, and the first guide member is fixed to the handle rod, and
The rotary blade is characterized in that the outer part in the radial direction between the end of the guide member and the second guide member is open.

Thus, when the guide surface of the second guide member is brought into contact with the epidermis of the tree, the lateral line of the tree comes into contact with this guide surface, thereby defining the position of the rotary blade relative to the bark. Therefore, if you operate the handle so that the guide surface contacts the side line containing the branch to be cut, and then pivot the handle diagonally downward, the branch will definitely move along the bark from its base. It will be cut off. That is, the outer surface of the rotary blade has a side line that includes the base of the branch as a tangent line. It becomes possible to move within the virtual contact plane with the cylindrical tree surface. The guide portion of the first guide member is
Like the guide surface of the second guide member, it contacts the side line and plays an auxiliary role in defining the direction of movement of the rotary blade when it moves.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the entire pruning machine according to the present invention and how to use it. In this drawing, an integrated type motor is shown in which a rotary blade 2 is attached to the tip of the handle rod 1 and a prime mover 3 is attached to the rear end. It can also be applied to a type that can be carried on the back and in which a handle rod that also serves as an operating rod and a prime mover are connected by a flexible transmission shaft.

The detailed structure of the tip of the handle rod 1, which is the main part of the present invention, is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

A power transmission shaft 4 is rotatably inserted into the inside of the handle rod 1, and its rear end is connected to a motor 3 attached to the rear end of the handle rod 1, for example, by a centrifugal clutch (not shown). are connected via. A gear housing 5 is fixed to the tip of the handle rod 1, and a rotary blade support shaft 6, which is rotatably supported in a manner substantially orthogonal to the handle rod 1 inside the gear housing 5, passes through the inside of the handle rod 1. The inserted transmission shaft 4 is connected to a pair of bevel gears 7, 8.
It is connected by A rotary blade 2 is attached to the tip of the support shaft 6. As the transmission shaft 4 and the support shaft 6 are made substantially perpendicular to each other, the rotary blade 2 becomes substantially parallel to the handle rod 1. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the support shaft 6 and The tightening nut 9a to be screwed into this is prevented from protruding from the outer surface 2a of the rotary blade 2.

The gear housing 5 is provided with a radius that substantially coincides with a plane P including the outer surface 2a of the rotary blade 2 and with respect to the outer periphery of the rotary blade in the forward direction of the rotary blade 2 (above in FIGS. 2 and 3). A first guide member 1 having a guide portion 10 located slightly outward in the direction
Install 1. For example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a substantially sector-shaped groove whose base is fixed to a flange 12 provided on the gear housing 5 and which extends in the radial direction with a predetermined center angle α is used. 1 biasing the peripheral edge of the guide member main body 11a outward;
It is preferable that the guide portion 10 is formed in an arc shape having a constant width. The central angle α is approximately 110° in the illustrated example, but this value can be changed in various ways.

On the other hand, a portion of the handle rod 1 that is slightly lower than the gear housing 5 is adjacent to the rear direction of the rotary blade 2 (lower side in FIGS. 2 and 3) and includes the outer surface 2a of the rotary blade 2. A second guide member 14 having a planar guide surface 13 that substantially coincides with the plane P is fixed. In the illustrated example, this guide member 14
As clearly shown in Fig. 2, the front end is concavely curved in an arc so that it faces the outer peripheral edge of the rotary blade 2 at a certain distance, and the width increases toward the front or rear. Board material 13a of a constant length that gradually shrinks
The second guide member 14 is fixed to the handle rod 1 via a plurality of support members 15, 15. Although the shape of the plate material 13a is not particularly limited,
It is necessary for the board to have at least a certain width at its front end and a certain length as a whole, and to have a planar guide surface 13 that can make line contact with the lateral line of the trunk when in use. be. Note that, as shown in FIG. 1, when the rotary blade 2 rotates in the clockwise direction in the figure, the second guide member 14 is moved from the first guide member 11 to the second guide member 14 in the rotational direction of the rotary blade.
There is no member provided outside the rotary blade in the radial direction between
The outer part of the rotary blade 2 in the radial direction between the guide member 11 and the second guide member 14 has an open appearance.

Thus, the guide portion 1 of the first guide member 11
0, the outer surface 2a of the rotary blade 2 and the guide surface 13 of the second guide member 14 are located side by side in the axial direction of the handle rod 1 in the same plane that is substantially parallel to the handle rod 1, respectively. Moreover, the area from the first guide member to the second rotating member 14 in the rotational direction of the rotary blade is in an open state with no obstruction to the rotary blade 2.

Next, the usage and effects of the pruning machine according to the present invention will be explained with reference to FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 shows the members or parts that directly contact the bark A in this pruning machine, namely the guide portion 10 of the first guide member 11 and the rotary blade 2.
Only the guide surface 13 of the second guide member 14 is schematically shown.

First, as shown by the imaginary line in Fig. 4, above the branch B to be cut in the bark A,
The handle rod 1 is operated so that the guide surface 13 is in line contact with the side line C passing through. As is clear from the figure,
At this time, the handle rod 1 is in a state where it slightly intersects with the central axis of the tree. At this time, if the lower edge 14a of the second guide member 14 is placed above the root of the branch B to be cut, part of the weight of the pruning machine is supported by this branch B and guided by the branch B. Since the handle lever 1 can be operated while the machine is in use, the work can be done easily. Note that the rotary blade 2 is rotating at high speed in the direction of the arrow.

Next, when the handle rod 1 is slid in the direction of the arrow Q with the guide surface 13 in contact with the side line C, the rotary blade 2 moves toward the branch B as shown by the solid line in FIG.
When the handle rod 1 is further moved in the direction of arrow Q, the rotary blade 2 cuts into the upper part of the base of the branch B.
Cut from the top to the bottom, and finally cut it completely. In the state shown by the solid line in FIG. 4, the guide portion 10 of the first guide member 11 contacts the side line C, so that the rotary blade 2 will not inadvertently tilt and damage the bark.

In this way, the guide surface 13 and the guide portion 10
Due to this action, the rotary blade 2 moves within an imaginary contact plane whose contact line is the lateral line C of the tree that includes the branch B to be cut. It is completely cut without leaving any protrusions.

In addition, in the branch cutting machine according to this embodiment, branches can be cut using both the left and right sides of the rotary blade, so the above-mentioned Utility Model No. 57, which is configured to use only the front part of the rotary blade, Compared to the pruning machine described in the -23158 publication, work efficiency is dramatically improved. In other words, although Figures 1 and 4 show only the case where the right side of the rotary blade acts on the root of the branch to be cut, the handle is tilted toward the branch on the left side of the handle, and the rotating blade is rotated. You can also use the left side of the blade to cut the branch. As a result, a worker can cut branches extending from the front and back sides of a tree, for example, while standing in a fixed location. In other words, the areas where trees are planted are usually on fairly steep mountain slopes, but the position of the workers is
By setting on the contour line passing through the standing trees, branches extending toward the mountain side and branches extending toward the valley side can be easily shot down.

As explained above, in the pruning machine according to the present invention, the first guide member and the second guide member provided on both the front and rear sides of the rotary blade allow the rotary blade to contact the side line containing the branch to be cut. Since the handle can be moved downward in the axial direction of the stem within a virtual plane, the branch can be completely severed from its base quickly, reliably, and easily. Furthermore, since the base of the branch is cut from top to bottom, there is no problem of the rotary blade getting caught in the cut end as in the conventional example. In addition, since the rotary blade or guide surface and the handle rod are almost parallel to each other, all you have to do is apply force to pull the handle in the axial direction, which eliminates wasted operating force and makes the work easier. I can do it.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is an overall view showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a front view showing the main parts of the invention, Fig. 3 is a partially sectional side view of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the operation. be. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Handle rod, 2... Rotating blade, 2a... Outer surface of rotating blade, 10... Guide portion, 11... First guide member, 13... Guide surface, 14... Second guide member.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A rotary blade is attached to the tip of the handle rod so that the outer surface thereof is approximately parallel to the handle rod, and a plane that substantially coincides with a plane that includes the outer surface of the rotary blade and is parallel to the outer surface of the rotary blade. A first guide member having a guide portion positioned slightly outward in the radial direction with respect to the outer periphery of the rotary blade in the front direction extends to the tip of the handle rod, and is adjacent to the rotary blade in the rear direction. , and a second guide member having a planar guide surface that substantially coincides with a plane including the outer surface of the rotary blade is fixed to the handle rod, and an end of the first guide member is fixed to the handle rod, and an end portion of the first guide member is fixed to the handle rod. A branching machine, characterized in that the rotary blade is opened radially outwardly between the rotary blade and the second guide member.