Abstract: A method and a mobile unit for barking and/or limbing and chipping as a continuous operation. A log is given a linear displacement movement by means of a feed unit (6) including two in relation to each other displaceable feed rollers in direction towards a chipper (4), and as first step preceding the feed rollers, existing branches are removed by a limbing unit (7) including at least two knife-acting means, displacable in relation to each other in a substantially crosswisely extending plane in relation to the longitudinal and displacement direction for the log, pressed against the peripheral surface of same. During the linear feeding movement of the log, existing branches are sheared or cut off.

Abstract: A machine for harvesting and cutting into sections ligneous stems which grow upwardly from cultivated copses includes a frame which mounts an inverted trough for bending the upper portions of the stems to almost an almost horizontal orientation as the frame moves forwardly; a saw for cutting the bent stems near their bases; a counter blade which provides a plurality of guide funnels that are generally vertically oriented and which have upper outlet orifices with sharp edges; a curved guide element along which the cut stems can move and gather into bundles for movement to and through respective guide funnels of the counter blade; a rotating drum for moving the cut stems along the guide element; and a drum with peripheral blades which pass over the outlet orifices of the guide funnels in the counter blade to cut the bundles of stems passing through the outlet orifices into sections.

Abstract: A wood processor for felling, delimbing and cutting tree-trunks includes a system of arms containing at least two beams (10, 12) mutually movable in the longitudinal direction, one in the other. The wood processor also includes a unit composed of a delimbing head (13) and a felling head (14) attached to one end of the arm system. At its other end, the arm system is attached to a vehicle, for example a wood tractor, and is arranged substantially horizontally. The whole unit (13, 14) is pivotable about a turning point (25) at one end of the arm system. The delimbing head (13) is attached to the inner beam of the beams (12) in the arm system and the felling head (14) is attached to the outer beam of the beams (10) in the arm system, so that the delimbing head (13) is movably arranged in the longitudinal direction of the beams (10, 12) in relation to the felling head (14).

Abstract: A system is described for processing an entire tree into wood fiber material for molding the constituent wood elements into custom molded wood products. A delimber removes limbs and leaves from the trunk, a debarker removes bark from the trunk of the delimbed tree, and a splitter separating sequence is constructed and arranged for separating the debarked trunk into elongate pieces of substantially equal cross-sectional area. A graduated roller mill having a sequence of pairs of compressor rollers with the rollers of each pair spaced successively closer together receives the elongate pieces of wood and extrudes and delivers thin sheets of wood at the output end. Liquid squeezed from the wood sheets is collected and separated into resins and water. A shredder shreds and fragments the wood sheet wood fibers into a loosely bonded mat of substantially separate striated wood fibers. The mat is cut or chopped into wood fibers of substantially uniform length.

Abstract: Apparatus is lowered over the top of a tree to sever the tree top and to collect the severed tree for later use in reforestation. The apparatus includes a housing having a conically shaped inner passageway which diverges downwardly to provide a lower opening for guiding the tree upwardly through the downwardly diverging passageway to provide a lower opening for guiding the tree upwardly through the passageway and out the top of the conical housing. In an exemplary embodiment, the cutting assembly includes a movable engaging arm which is propelled in scissor-like movement toward a fixed engaging arm by a fluid cylinder/piston assembly. The inner edges of the arms are shaped to guide the tree toward a cutting blade attached to the inner edge of one of the arms. The tree is moved into cutting engagement with the cutting blade by the closing movement of the movable arm.

Abstract: The invention relates to a mobile thinning machine. It comprises according to the invention a two-wheeled drive unit (1) with motor and hydraulic unit and a logging unit (2) carried on a dirigible and driven supporting wheel (5), with driver's cab (8), pivotal boom (13), felling unit (15) and clamping bunk (20). The logging unit (2) is connected to the drive unit via an articulate frame steering (21) with a bracket (22) and a telescopic arm (24) extending therefrom. The articulate frame steering (21) permits the two units (1,2) to be put at an angle of more then 90.degree. relative to each other. The telescopic arm (24) houses necessary hydraulic and electric lines all the way to the logging unit (2) for operating this unit from the driver's cab (8). The telescopic arm (24) can be moved back over the drive unit (1), so that this unit together with the logging unit (2) forms a compact three-wheeled vehicle for transport between the thinning places.

Abstract: A tree harvesting machine is disclosed which is of the type having a wheel-mounted frame, a tree harvesting mechanism at the front and a berth at the rear for accumulated felled trees. An inverted tree grapple is provided forwardly of the berth and is mounted to the berth so that it can be slid to and from the berth whereby the grapple may be held close to the berth during accumulation of felled trees and moved away from the berth when loaded. In this last position, the center of gravity of the load has thus been shifted forwardly. The berth itself is pivoted to the frame to allow loading to take place in rearwardly inclined position. Once loaded, the berth may then be uprighted easily since the center of gravity of the load has shifted forwardly.

Abstract: A system for mechanically gathering trees, bushes and branches, bark, leaves and toppings strewn upon the ground as the result of felling or thinning trees in forests, involving three essential stages: (1) Mechanical collection of trees, bushes, branches and by-products strewn upon the ground and placement thereof in rows; (2) Mechanical collection of these rows by means of travelling equipment which feeds a shredding, crushing or milling machine preferably mounted on its same chassis; and (3) Pneumatic foliage extraction.

Abstract: Cutting horizontal, cantilevering objects of splittable material, such as de-barked tree trunks and the like is carried out with the aid of a guided, endless circulating saw chain (10), the upper cutting part of which is moved from below and upwards through the object. The lower edge portions of the cut surfaces at the cut are allowed to bear against each other under the action of the bending moment of the cantilevering object, while the return portion of the saw chain in the cutting area is kept free from the cut surfaces. The saw chain is guided by a chain guide (12) extending curvilinearly under the object and guides the return part of the chain. The chain guide and the guided return part are both outside and below the object during the whole of the cutting operation, while the upper cutting portion of the chain runs straight between the end points of the curved portion of the chain guide.

Abstract: The apparatus for extracting a tree stump from the ground without the root has a frame including locating means for locating the frame in a predetermined central position on a tree stump. Shearing means oppositely disposed on the frame are pivotable toward each other to cut the tap root of the tree stump in a lateral direction at a predetermined distance below the ground level. The shearing means are pivotable by a first set of hydraulic cylinders and also receive additional movement from a thrust member that moves longitudinally with respect to the frame and engages the shearing members during such longitudinal movement. The thrust member also includes an annular cutter portion for cutting the lateral root of the tree stump substantially simultaneously as the shearing members cut the tap root. In one embodiment of the invention the cutter blades of the shearing members are placed next to each other in substantially continuous line to line contact after total shearing of the tap root of the tree stump.

Abstract: An improved tree cutting mechanism for a tree harvester. The mechanism employs two stacked circular saws which are rotated and moved forwardly to cut through a tree. A wedge between the saws moves pieces of the tree being cut between the saws out of the way of the support for the saws.

Abstract: Lumber, which is substantially warp-free and check-free and has a reduced susceptibility to decay and insect damage, particularly red alder, beech, birch, cottonwood, maple, oak, aspen and hemlock, is produced by felling the tree, preferably when in substantially full leaf; long butting the tree trunk; sealing the butt end surface to deter decay and attack by insects, and reducing the sap content by allowing the unlimbed tree to age for a minimum of six weeks; sawing the tree into lumber; purging additional sap from the lumber by soaking it with high-pressure water sprays periodically for a minimum of three days; and drying the lumber. Mold and other deterioration is deterred in wood chips which are to be stored by soaking, pressing and washing them.