WO2016101037A1

WO2016101037A1 - Flailer device for tree harvesters

Info

Publication number: WO2016101037A1
Application number: PCT/AU2015/050838
Authority: WO
Inventors: Richard Lea SULMAN
Original assignee: BIONIC BEAVER Pty Ltd
Current assignee: BIONIC BEAVER Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2014-12-23
Filing date: 2015-12-23
Publication date: 2016-06-30
Anticipated expiration: 2017-06-23

Abstract

A chain-flailer for a tree harvester operable to harvest trees in rows, removing foliage from the trees as the trees pass through the flailer device. The flailer includes a pair of opposed flailer units spaced apart to enable the trees to follow a path between the flailer units. Each flailer unit has a housing with a mouth open to the path of the trees and an outlet for the discharge of the foliage removed from the trees. There is also a shaft rotatably journalled in each housing that rotates about a substantially horizontal axis of rotation, a driving means to rotatably drive the shaft, and a plurality of chain flail members extending from the shaft and arranged so that at least distal portions of the flail members travel though through the path of the trees to engage and remove the foliage from the trees.

Description

FLAILER DEVICE FOR TREE HARVESTERS

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:

1 . Field of the Invention:

[0001 ] This invention relates to a chain-flailer for tree harvesters.

[0002] The invention particularly relates, but is not limited to, a chain-flailer for tree harvesters suitable for harvesting shrubs, coppice, or tall single stem trees, where such trees are planted at preferably regular spacing in rows.

2. Dictionary

[0003] The term "trees" shall be used throughout the specification to describe shrubs and trees which have either a single-stemmed form; or a plurality of coppice stems extending generally upwards from a tree stump or lignotuber; and by example, includes trees of the Eucalyptus and Acacia genera indigenous to Australia; and of the Salix and Populus genera indigenous to Europe and North America.

[0004] The term "in a substantially vertical position" will be used throughout the specification to indicate that a stem of a tree is inclined at an angle (preferably) no more than 30° to the vertical Z axis

[0005] The term "harvester" will be used throughout the specification to define a chipper device, mounted to a mobile vehicle that moves along row of trees, continuously chipping each stem into a desired particle size.

[0006] The term "pour rate" will be used throughout the specification to define the speed that chipped material flows through the harvester and is measured in green metric tons per hour. This is an important measurement of performance of the tree harvesters.

3. Prior Art

[0007] NB: The following discussion is by way of background information only, and is not to be considered a statement of the common general knowledge (CGK) in the area of technology, anywhere in the world.

{0008] It has been proposed, internationally, to grow trees (as hereinbefore defined) of the Eucalyptus, Populus and Salix genera as an ecologically- based energy and fiber feedstock. [0009] As the Eucalyptus, Populus and Salix genera are fast-growing, their biomass can be used as a "renewable" source of energy, fibreboard or paper pulp, as the trees can be harvested every 2-6 years.

[0010] The key challenge has been the ability to economically chip the trees, remove foliage and bark, and transport the chipped biomass from the tree growing areas to industry processors e.g., fiberboard and paper manufacturers, electricity generators, heat users and biofuel convertors.

[001 1 ] Efforts to solve this challenge have initiated research to develop efficient continuous tree chipper harvesters in Australia to improve pour rate productivity measured in terms of weight or volume per hour, and effective foliage and bark removal, hereby reducing the cost of chipping flailed trees.

[0012] Example of two such "PRIOR ART" prototype continuous tree chipper harvesters will now be described.

[0013] International Patent application PCT/AUOO/00171 (= International Publication WO 00/52998) (Oil Mallee Company of Australia Pty Ltd) discloses a tree harvester ("the Giles harvester") mounted on a tractor, where transport means, in the form of vertically-spaced endless chain conveyors, engage the substantially vertical tree stems just before the trees are cut adjacent the bases of the stems by a rotary saw. The transport means convey the tree stems, in a substantially vertical position, towards a chipper drum rotating about a substantially horizontal axis. Counter-rotating feed rollers, and an adjustable anvil, mounted adjacent to the chipper drum, direct the stems of the trees into the chipper drum at an angle between 90° and 30° from the vertical, with the stems being guided and supported by a pair of adjustable plates while being chipped. By adjusting the location of the plates and the anvil relative to the (conventional) chipper drum, a wide range of trees can be harvested.

[0014] International Patent Application PCT/AU2010/000403 (= International Publication WO 2010/129986) (Future Farm Industries CRC Limited) discloses a tree harvester ("the Sulman harvester") which has advantages over the Giles harvester, in that the tree stems are fed substantially vertically to a chipper drum, rotating about an axis inclined at a small angle to the horizontal axis, and parallel with the direction of travel of the tree harvester. At least one pair of opposed nip rollers feed the tree stems downwardly, and rearwardly, to the chipper drum, so that the tree stems are progressively chipped as they are fed into, and along, the full length of the chipper drum. Unlike the Giles harvester, no energy and time is wasted in tipping the tree stems from the original orientation in which they are feed to the chipper drum, and the wear on the knives of the chipper drum is more evenly spread along the length of the chipper knives, extending the periods between re- sharpening. In addition, the parallel orientation of the chipper drum enables the simultaneous chipping of two or more stems in single file. This results in greater operational and energy efficiency, leading to a higher pour rate for the Sulman harvester than is possible by the Giles harvester.

[0014A] An example of one such "PRIOR ART" chain-flail device is that typically attached to stationary wood chippers for the purpose of removing small limbs, bark and foliage on multiple trees with small diameter stems. The trees are typically processed at the roadside by whipping the trees with steel chains. The flailed wood is then fed directly into the stationary wood chipper; and then into a waiting transport vehicle. The tree residues, such as foliage and bark, created by the stationary chain-flailer, are ejected at a single point and require another machine to push the residues away.

[0015] Currently, the particle board and fibre board markets require the removal of leaf from whole trees, while keeping the bark to be chipped.

[0016] While this opens up new markets for chips harvested by tree harvesters, the removal of leaf only from the trees adds to the complexity, and energy input, to the harvesting operation; and it may uneconomic to try to meet the market requirements.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION:

[0017] It is an object of the present invention to provide flailer device for tree harvesters which overcomes, or at least ameliorates, one or more of the problems with existing tree harvesters..

[0018] Other preferred objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:

[0019] In one aspect, the present invention resides in a chin-flailer for a tree harvester operable to harvest trees in rows, the flailer being operable to remove foliage from the trees as the trees pass through the flailer device, the flailer including:

a pair of opposed flailer units spaced apart to enable the trees to follow a path between the flailer units;

each flailer unit having a housing with a mouth open to the path of the trees and an outlet for the discharge of the foliage removed from the trees a shaft rotatably journalled in each housing and operable to rotate about a substantially horizontal axis of rotation;

driving means to rotatably drive the shaft; and

a plurality of chain flail members extending from the shaft and arranged so that at least distal portions of the flail members travel though through the path of the trees to engage and remove the foliage from the trees.

[0020] Preferably, the housing is in the form of a substantially cylindrical drum, with a curved side wall interconnecting from and rear end walls; the mouth extends substantially horizontally along the housing; and the outlet is provided at, or adjacent, the rear end wall.

[0021 ] Preferably, the shaft is rotatably journalled in suitable bearings in the front and rear end walls; and

the driving means is a hydraulic motor mounted on the rear end wall and operably connected to the shaft.

[0022] Preferably, a plurality of sets of the flail members are provide at spaced intervals along the shaft, and

each set of flail members includes a plurality of chains, or flexible members, extending radially from the shaft and operable to extend through the mouth.

[0023] Preferably, at least one tree guide extends forwardly from the housing to assist in guiding the trees along the path between the respective housings.

[0024] Preferably, at least one auger or spiral is provided in an elongate cavity along the housing and is operable to convey the foliage to the outlet for discharge from the flailer unit.

[0025] In a second aspect, the present invention resides in a tree harvester provided with the chain-flailer as hereinbefore described.

[0026] Other preferred aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

[0027] To enable the invention to be fully understood, and to enable the skilled addressee to put the invention into practice, a number of preferred embodiments will now be described, with reference to the accompanying illustrations, in which:

FIG. 1 is schematic, part-sectional, side view of a tree harvester provided with the chain-flailer of a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front isometric view of the flailer;

FIG. 3 is a rear isometric view of the flailer;

FIG. 4 is a side view taken on line 4-4 on FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional end view taken on line 5-5 on FIG. 3.

[0028] NB: Any annotations on the drawings are by way of illustration only, and are not limiting to, or form part of, the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS:

[0029] Referring to FIG. 1 , a tree harvester H, for example generally of the type of the Sulman harvester, is operable to harvest trees T grown in rows. The harvester H has a rotary saw RS at the forward end of an inclined conveyor TC. Pairs of upper and lower feed conveyors FC co-operate to feed the trees T, with their stems substantially vertical, to a pair on nip rollers NR located above a chipping drum CD. Pairs of upper and lower opposed feed spirals FS assist the transition of the trees T from the inclined conveyor TC and the feed conveyors FC for engagement by the pair of nip rollers NR; and the upper pair of feed spirals FS assists in maintaining the trees T substantially vertical as they are feed downwardly into, and rearwardly along, the chipping drum CD.

[0030] The flailer device 10, to be hereinafter described in more detail, is suspended from the harvester H on suitable support arms, not shown, which may be raised or lowered with the upper pair of feed conveyors FC and the upper pair of feed spirals FS so that the flailer device 10 advances at a height below the leaves and other foliage F of the trees T, the path of the foliage F being indicated by the dashed line FP.

[0031 ] As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the flailer 10 removes the foliage F from the trees T, but does not remove the bark from the trees stems TS or branches TB to be chipped by the chipping drum CD.

[0032] As illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, the flailer device 10 is formed by two mirror-image flailer units 20 which travel along opposite sides to the trees T as they are fed to the chipping drum CD, as best illustrated in FIG. 5. Hereinafter, one flailer unit 20 will now be described, and the skilled addressee will appreciate that the same reference numeral will be used for the same component of both flailer units 20.

[0033] Each flailer unit 20 has a housing 21 , substantially in the form of a cylindrical drum, with a curved outer wall 22 interconnecting front- and rear- end walls 23, 24. The housing 21 has a substantially horizontal mouth 25 open to the path FP of the trees T passing through the flailer device 10. Upper- and lower- guide rollers 26, 27 are rotatably journalled on the end walls 23, 24 and extend along the mouth 25 to assist in guiding the trees through the flailer device 10.

[0034] A shaft 28 is rotatably journalled in bearings 29 on the end walls 23, 24 and is rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis of rotation coaxial with the curved outer wall 22. An hydraulic motor 30, mounted on the rear end wall 24, drives the shaft 28.

[0035] A cylindrical hub 31 is provided about the shaft 26 and has a plurality of sets of holes there-through at spaced intervals along the hub 31 . The holes in each set are equally spaced around the hub 31 e.g. at angles of 45°, 60° or 90°

[0036] Respective flail members 32, each formed from a length of high- tensile strength steel, are anchored at their proximal ends to the shaft 28, pass through a respective hole in the hub 31 , and have their distal ends arranged to extend from the mouth 25, into the path of the trees, as the shaft 28 is rotated. As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the flail members 32 of one flailer unit 20 may be offset relative to the adjacent flail members 32 of the other flailer unit 20, so that the flail members 32 of the flailer units 20 do not make contact.

[0037] Respective upper-and lower guide fingers 33, 34 extend from the front end wall 23 to assist in guiding the trees t towards the path between the flailer units 20. Each finger has a distal portion 35, 36 angularly inclined to form a convergent pathway with the distal portion 35, 36 of the other flailer unit 20.

[0038] An elongate cavity 37 extends along a lower, outer portion of the outer curved wall 22, and an auger or spiral 38 is provided therein, the auger 38 having an auger shaft 39 journalled in bearings 40 in the end walls 23, 24 and driven by an hydraulic auger drive motor 42 mounted on the exterior of the front end wall 23. The rear of the elongate cavity 37 is connected to an exhaust outlet pipe 43, which is arranged to deposit the foliage F (e.g. leaf matter) between the rows of stumps left after the trees T have been harvested.

[0039] As illustrated in FIGS 1 and 5, the trees T pass rearwardly (in the direction of arrow FP), and downwardly (in the direction of arrow A), between the spaced flailer units 20 as the flailer device 10 is advanced along a row of trees T by the tree harvester H. The distal ends of the rotating flail members 32 extend through the mouths 25 and engage the foliage F of the trees T. The flexible flail members 32 dislodge / remove the foliage F, but not the bark from the tree stems TS or tree branches TB, which are fed to the chipping drum CD to be converted into wood chips. The shaft 28 is rotated in the direction of arrow B so that the flail members 32 strip the foliage F upwardly from the tree stems TS and tree branches TB (to minimize damage thereto). The foliage F is flung into the housing 21 and is moved around within the housing 21 , to be conveyed by the auger 38 to the exhaust outlet pipe 43 for discharge on the forest floor.

[0040] The skilled addressee will readily appreciate that the flailer device 10 enables the tree harvester H to produce wood chips which meet the particle board and fibre board markets requirements for the removal of leaf from whole trees, while keeping the bark for chipping..

[0041 ] The skilled addressee will also appreciate that the vertical flailer device of the present invention is designed to enable vertical feed of the trees to the chipping drum of the tree harvester H. The flailer device will strip the crown leaf as the tee crowns pass through between the flailer units 20 of the flailer device 10 mounted on top of the harvester head. The separated leaf is stripped upwards and around the outer periphery of the flailer units 20 until it reaches each side auger 38. The auger 38 will screw the leaf material out each side of the harvester H in a controlled line along the forest flor, between the rows of stumps remaining after the trees have been harvested, This will keep the leaf concentrated between each row of stumps for natural incorporation (e. g. by decomposition) into the soil.

[0042] The skilled addressee will further appreciate that the embodiments, and advantages, of the present invention hereinbefore described are byway of example only, and are non-limiting to the invention.

[0043] Various changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments described and illustrated without departing from the present invention.

[0044] In this specification, the terms 'comprises', 'comprising', 'includes', 'including', or similar terms are intended to mean a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a method, system or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include those elements solely, but may well include other elements not listed.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1 . A chain-flailer for a tree harvester operable to harvest trees in rows, the flailer being operable to remove foliage from the trees as the trees pass through the flailer device, the flailer including:

driving means to rotatably drive the shaft; and

2. The flailer of claim 1 , wherein;

the housing is in the form of a substantially cylindrical drum, with a curved side wall interconnecting from and rear end walls;

the mouth extends substantially horizontally along the housing; and the outlet is provided at, or adjacent, the rear end wall.

3. The flailer of claim 2, wherein;

the shaft is rotatably journalled in suitable bearings in the front and rear end walls; and

4. The flailer of claim 1 , wherein;

a plurality of sets of the flail members are provide at spaced intervals along the shaft, and each set of the flail members includes a plurality of chains, or flexible members, extending radially from the shaft and operable to extend through the mouth.

5. The flailer of claim 1 , wherein at least one tree guide extends forwardly from the housing to assist in guiding the trees along the path between the respective housings.

6. The flailer of claim 2, wherein at least one auger or spiral is provided in an elongate cavity along the housing and is operable to convey the foliage to the outlet for discharge from the flailer unit.

7. A tree harvester provided with the flailer as claimed in any one claims 1 to 6.