Abstract: The tree climbing robot includes a central body and a pair of track carriers respectively pivotally attached to opposed sides of the central body. A set of wheels is rotatably attached to each of the track carriers, and a continuous track is mounted on, and is driven to rotate by, each set of wheels. At least one motor is mounted on each of the track carriers, such that each motor drives a corresponding one of the sets of wheels and a corresponding one of the continuous tracks to rotate. At least one cable is secured to the central body and is adapted for wrapping around a trunk of a tree. Each of the track carriers is elastically biased with respect to the central body such that the trunk of the tree is clamped between the pair of tracks, with the cable adding securement, stability, and aiding vertical movement.

Abstract: Disclosed are a non-singular finite-time control method and system for prescribed performance dynamic positioning of unmanned boat, which belong to the field of automatic control of unmanned boats. The method includes obtaining a difference between the actual measured position and the desired position of the unmanned boat to obtain a position error of the unmanned boat; performing prescribed performance transformation on the unmanned boat position error; constructing a non-singular finite-time virtual velocity law as a reference velocity for unmanned boats; obtaining the difference between the reference speed and the actual measured speed to obtain the speed tracking error; calculating the fuzzy supervisory saturation compensated law and adaptive fuzzy approximation term; constructing a non-singular finite-time dynamical controller to output control commands; applying a force or moment to the unmanned boat to adjust the propeller speed of the unmanned boat, thereby realizing positioning of the unmanned boat.

Abstract: A stump cutter includes a mainframe and a cutter wheel supported by a boom and rotatable about a cutter wheel axis spaced from the mainframe. A two-axis gimbal set supports the boom from the mainframe, the two-axis gimbal set supporting the boom for sweep movements of the cutter wheel about a vertical cutter wheel sweep axis and for tilt movements of the cutter wheel about a horizontal cutter wheel tilt axis. A prime mover on the mainframe is configured to drive the cutter wheel about the cutter wheel axis. A mechanical driveline is configured to provide power transmission from the prime mover to the cutter wheel, the mechanical driveline including a constant velocity joint.

Abstract: A tree processing vehicle comprising a prime mover and a pair of tracks for propelling the tree processing vehicle, the prime mover being in a driving relationship with the tracks. The tree processing vehicle also comprises an operator cabin comprising a front side, a rear side, and a pair of lateral sides between the front side and the rear side. A first one of the lateral sides defines an access opening allowing an operator to enter or exit the operator cabin. The operator cabin also comprises a door for closing the access opening and a set of controls for allowing the operator to control the tree processing vehicle. The tree processing vehicle also comprises a pair of arms pivotally movable across a range of angular positions.

Abstract: A tree harvester, suitable for harvesting small trees in row(s) as a source of biomass, has a harvesting head with a chipper drum and complementary anvil. A pick-up front has at least one spiral and guide member, such as a guide rail or counter-rotating spiral, to maintain a tree in a substantially vertical position when, and after, its stem is cut by a base cutter. The pick-up front has a support plate or conveyor, which co-operates with the at least one spiral or guide member pair, to convey the tree to a location about the chipper drum, for engagement by at least one pair of nip rollers above the chipper drum, while maintaining the tree in the substantially vertical position. The, or each, pair of nip rollers feeds the tree downwardly (and rearwardly) to the chipper drum, while still maintaining the tree in the substantially vertical position, for conversion to biomass, such as woodchips.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for taking out or culling, transporting and drying of culled or removed wood from a forest, where the wood is ground or cut into small fragments or units, such as chips, powder, or the like, and then transported out of the forest to a collecting and/or processing site. The ground or fragmented wood is transported over long distances, out from the forest, to a remotely placed collecting and/or processing site. The ground or fragmented wood being transported by a flow of air, and wherein the flow of air transporting the fragmented units is supplied with energy to secure reduction of the water content of the fragmented units during the transport.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for chipping a tree utilizing a helicopter suspended chipping apparatus. The chipping apparatus comprises a frame having a bottom, which is suspendable from a support vehicle and includes a chipping rotor having a length extending along a substantially horizontal axis and a chipping surface. The chipping rotor is rotatably mounted in the frame such that a lowermost portion of the chipping surface is proximate to the bottom of said frame. The chipping apparatus further includes a drive motor operably connected to the chipping rotor for rotating the chipping rotor about the substantially horizontal axis. The chipping apparatus may be lowered onto a tree to be chipped by the helicopter so as to chip the tree proximate to ground level.

Abstract: Tree harvester (10) is mounted on tractor (12) to enable continuously cutting and chipping of trees. The harvester (10) includes a rotary saw (14) for cutting a tree near ground level, transport means (16) adjacent the rotary saw (14) for gripping a tree cut by the rotary saw (14) and transporting the tree to and dropping the cut tree in a chipper (18) located at an end of the transport means (16) distant the rotary saw (14). The transport means (16) includes first and second opposed conveyors (46, 48) each provided with laterally extending fingers (50) so that a cut tree can be gripped by the fingers (50) of the opposed conveyors (46, 48) and subsequently transported therebetween to the chipper (18).

Abstract: A cutter tooth assembly for impingement of a material (e.g., a stump, wood, brush or earth strata). The assembly attaches to a driven member (e.g., a rotatable wheel). The assembly includes a cutter tooth which has an elongate body with a leading end and a trailing end, as well as a hard insert at the leading end of the tooth. The assembly also includes a pocket which has a base portion and a holder portion. The pocket attaches to the wheel at the base portion thereof. The cutter tooth is retained to the pocket at the holder portion thereof. The base portion of the pocket has a leading surface and a trailing surface. The cutter tooth is retained by the holder portion of the pocket so that the hard insert extends circumferentially past the leading surface of the base portion of the pocket.

Abstract: A stump grinder designed for pivotable attachment to the three point hitch of an agricultural tractor via a pivot frame and includes a stump grinding wheel driven by the tractor PTO. The stump grinder includes a frame with an outer sleeve which telescopes over an inner sleeve, which inner sleeve is attached, in turn, to a stump grinder assembly which includes the grinding wheel. A first, telescoping hydraulic piston & cylinder unit selectively extends the stump grinding assembly and a second reciprocating piston & cylinder unit selectively pivots or reciprocates the stump grinder assembly from side to side. An optional hydraulic pump can be attached to the stump grinder assembly to drive one or both piston & cylinder units if the tractor is not so equipped.

Abstract: This invention relates to debarking and chipping folded whole trees. Such structures of this type, generally, increase wood recovery by making high-quality chips out of tree tops, branches, as well as, other larger portions of the tree.

Abstract: A cable suspended chipper system includes a suspension cable for supporting a system which includes a pair of chipper drums mounted to rotate on spaced parallel axes. A tapered inlet passage directs the tree top toward the nip formed by the chipper drums as the system is lowered onto a tree top. Delimber rods are arranged around the periphery of the inlet to the tapered passage sever the limbs from the tree to facilitate chipping and feeding of the tree into the chipper drums. The drive motor or prime mover for the system is position on the side of the chipper drums opposite to that of the inlet passage from the chipper drums.

Abstract: A debarking/delimbing apparatus having upper and lower flail drums mounted diagonally relative to a feed line of the apparatus and the upper and lower flail drums being mounted transverse to one another. The upper flail drum moves towards and away from the feed line to accommodate various size logs. The diagonal mounting of the flail drums utilizes a greater amount of the flail surface area of each drum thereby allowing the flails to wear more evenly and prolonging their life.

Abstract: A debris conveyor for removing limbs, bark and other debris from between a tree stripping apparatus and a tree chipping apparatus defines a path between the stripper and chipper and comprises a conveyor extending under the path for conveying debris away from between the stripper and chipper. In one aspect of the invention, the conveyor is provided with wheels and a frame adapted for trailering. In one embodiment of the invention, the conveyor includes a power source for powering the conveyor. In an alternative embodiment, the conveyor is adapted for connection with the power source from one of the stripper and the chipper. The stripper incluldes, in one embodiment a serpentine drive system for controlling stripping elements.

Abstract: A flail drum system for delimbing and/or debarking small trees and logs has an upper rotary chain flail drum disposed above the path of travel of the wood product and a lower rotary chain flail drum disposed below the path of the product adjacent to the upper drum. Both drums rotate about a generally horizontal axis transverse to the path of travel of the tree or log. Each flail drum assembly includes a central drive shaft and axially spaced apart end rod support members releasably fixed to the shaft. A series of rod support rings have circumferentially spaced openings through which the rods releasably extend to be also releasably received by the end support members. Circumferentially scalloped spacers between the rings, and between the endmost rings and end members, provide radially inwardly extending openings through which the rods pass.

Abstract: A saw tooth, of which a number are removably mounted on a tree-felling saw head, includes a body portion having a lead cutter and a trailing primary cutter separated by a throat. The combined lead cutters function to cut a narrow side wall kerf on each side of a larger principal kerf together with corresponding inside corners of the larger kerf. The remainder of the larger kerf is then cut out by the following primary cutters, forming a square cut end. As the cut progresses, the combined primary cutters separate the longitudinal fibers of the tree at the square cut end without double cutting the fibers, thereby improving cutting efficiency and reducing energy requirements in felling a tree.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for felling and chipping trees, all on a single vehicle, including mounting a grapple and a shear on a connector, mounting the connector to a boom, engaging a tree with the grapple and shear, shearing the tree, moving the tree to a table, moving the vehicle forward to feed the tree on the table into a chipper, feeding the chips from the chipper, into a bin, and empty the bin by tilting same.

Abstract: A combination log debarking, log chipping unit having a debarking apparatus and a chipping apparatus mounted on a common chassis, the two apparatus are aligned for conveying logs from the debarking apparatus to the chipping apparatus. The two apparatus are separated by a space of about 6-10 feet to permit loose bark to be removed from the logs and thereby avoid bark contamination of the chip. A conveyor system between the two apparatus guides and conveys logs to the chipper. A single power source enables control over the feeding of the logs to synchronize log feeding with the chipper's chipping capability. A loader over the debarking apparatus provides convenient loading of the logs into the debarker. The power source and controls for the various operating components are all under the common control of the loader operator.

Abstract: A tree harvester for harvesting felled trees includes a wheel mounted wood chipper which moves toward the butt ends of the tree stems to be processed. The harvester includes a plurality of rotating alignment discs in front of the chipper. These discs align the tree stems to be processed with the mouth of the chipper. A chipper infeed cylinder is rotatably mounted between the discs and the front end of the chipper, and lifts the tree stem butts up from the ground into alignment with the chipper inlet port. The chips discharge from the chipper and go into a chip hopper which moves with the tree harvester.

Abstract: A forestry site preparation system is provided for removing woody material, including trees, stumps and slash from forest terrain. The system includes clearing means having a means attached thereto for fragmenting the woody material and directing the particulate masses produced by this fragmentation toward the clearing means. An auxiliary fragmenting means closely associated with the fragmenting means is also provided. By setting the distance between the fragmenting and auxiliary fragmenting means, respectively, particulate masses of a maximum, predetermined size can be produced. A tree-felling assembly extending outwardly from the housing to which the fragmenting means is mounted is employed in felling the standing trees by exerting a positive force on the tree, thereby causing felling to occur in a direction away from the system. If desired, the particulate masses can be collected and transferred to a remote storage area.

Abstract: A machine for clearing and cleanly chipping trees and brushwood in the path of the machine as it moves forward. A pair of counterrotating disk cutters cut a kerf in the standing material and propel the cut material upwardly and rearwardly to the throat between a pair of feed rollers. The feed rollers deliver the cut material to a chipper, which reduces the material to chips and delivers them to a chip storage bin. The bin can be tilted to dump chips alongside the machine. The entire mechanism is carried by a self-propelled, articulated, track-supported vehicle which is especially well-suited for operation over soft, boggy ground.

Abstract: A combination log debarking, log chipping unit having a debarking apparatus and a chipping apparatus mounted on a common chassis, the two apparatus are aligned for conveying logs from the debarking apparatus to the chipping apparatus. The two apparatus are separated by a space of about 6-10 feet to permit loose bark to be removed from the logs and thereby avoid bark contamination of the chip. A conveyor system between the two apparatus guides and conveys logs to the chipper. A single power source enables control over the feeding of the logs to synchronize log feeding with the chipper's chipping capability. A loader over the debarking apparatus provides convenient loading of the logs into the debarker. The power source and controls for the various operating components are all under the common control of the loader operator.