Tree saw attachment with tweezer arm

• US 6,439,279 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2001
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Great Plains Manufacturing Incorporated (Kubota Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Great Plains Manufacturing Incorporated (Kubota Corporation)
• Inventors: Underwood, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): BRAY, WAYMOND D
• Application Number:
  US10/004,150
• Time in Patent Office: 300 Days
• Field of Search: 56/164, 373/01, 303/79, 303/795, 838/46, 838/52, 839/28, 144/34.1, 144/34.5, 144/34.6, 144/336, 172/701.1, 172/701.3
• US Class Current: 144/34.6
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 23/091 Sawing apparatus specially adapted for felling trees A01G23/081, A01G23/083, A01G23/093 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 83/928 Vehicle-mounted tool

Abstract

A tree saw attachment (10) for use with a loader vehicle includes a base frame (11), a generally V-shaped blade assembly (12), a brush guard (13), and a tweezer arm assembly (14). A swingable tweezer arm (29) of the tweezer arm assembly is movable using a hydraulic cylinder (33) to grasp objects against an upper surface of the base frame or the blade assembly. The brush guard and tweezer arm assembly are removable from the base frame as a single unit to facilitate shipping and assembly. A sprayer assembly (90) is positioned within the base frame for applying a herbicide to tree stumps cut by the V-shaped blade assembly. The blade assembly can be a single integral blade (42), or can be formed of right and left blades (70, 71) with intermeshing projections (73, 74) secured to a rib member (36) along a centerline of the blade assembly.

Claims

1. A tree saw attachment for use with a moving vehicle, comprising:

a base frame;

a generally V-shaped cutting blade assembly attached to said base frame; and

a tweezer arm assembly connected to said base frame, said tweezer arm assembly having a swingable tweezer arm movable to grasp objects against an upper surface of the base frame or the cutting blade assembly.

2. The tree saw attachment as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a hydraulic actuator connected to said tweezer arm which is operable to swing said tweezer arm relative to said base frame and said cutting blade assembly.

3. The tree saw attachment as set forth in claim 1, wherein said tweezer arm has a first end connected to said base frame and a second end provided with a series of teeth to facilitate grasping objects.

4. The tree saw attachment as set forth in claim 1, wherein said cutting blade assembly comprises a rib member extending along a longitudinal centerline of said blade assembly, and said tweezer arm is arranged to abut an upper surface of said rib member when moved to a closed position.

5. The tree saw attachment as set forth in claim 4, wherein said tweezer arm has first and second rows of teeth that extend on respective first and second sides of said rib member when said tweezer arm abuts an upper surface of the rib member in its closed position.

6. The tree saw attachment as set forth in claim 4, wherein said rib member tapers forwardly and downwardly to a generally flat point near an apex of said blade assembly, and said tweezer arm has a tapered front edge that generally matches the taper of the rib member.

7. The tree saw attachment as set forth in claim 1, wherein said base frame comprises a gusset having a rear side and triangular-shaped side walls that extend forwardly from the rear side to a front side, said triangular-shaped side walls forming a peak therebetween along a longitudinal centerline of the gusset, said side walls being configured such that said peak slopes downwardly and forwardly from the rear side to the front side, said triangular-shaped side walls having lower edges that together define a generally V-shaped configuration when viewed in plan view with the front side of the gusset at the apex of the V-shape, and a tubular receiver secured to the front side of the gusset.

8. The tree saw attachment as set forth in claim 7, wherein a portion of said rib member is received within said tubular receiver and removably secured thereto.

9. The tree saw attachment as set forth in claim 1, wherein said tweezer arm assembly is removably secured to said base frame by a pair of tubular receivers positioned at a top of the base frame.

10. The tree saw attachment as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a sprayer assembly positioned within the base frame, said sprayer assembly having a nozzle for applying a herbicide to tree stumps as the stumps pass beneath the V-shaped blade assembly.

11. The tree saw attachment as set forth in claim 10, wherein said sprayer assembly includes a spray tank and a pump connected to the nozzle, said spray tank having a fill opening and a lid which are accessible through an access opening formed in a peak of a gusset plate member of said base frame.

12. The tree saw attachment as set forth in claim 11, further comprising a protective arcuate member having first and second ends secured to the peak of the gusset plate member on respective first and second sides of the access opening, said arcuate member extending over said access opening to protect the fill opening and lid during operation and to provide a lifting point for lifting the tree saw attachment during transport.

13. A tree saw attachment for use with a loader, comprising:

a base frame having a structure for attaching to the loader;

a generally V-shaped cutting blade assembly secured to the base frame;

a brush guard removably attached to the base frame and extending above said base frame; and

a tweezer arm swingably attached to the brush guard about a pivot axis located above the blade assembly, said tweezer arm being movable to grasp objects against an upper surface of said base frame or said blade assembly.

14. The tree saw attachment as set forth in claim 13, wherein the blade assembly includes a V-shaped metal plate having cutting teeth formed along the edges thereof, and a rib member secured to an upper surface of said metal plate, said tweezer arm being movable to clamp objects against said rib member.

15. A blade assembly for a tree saw attachment, comprising:

a first planar blade having a series of teeth along a first edge for cutting and a plurality of mounting projections along a second edge;

a second planar blade having a series of teeth along a first edge for cutting and a plurality of mounting projections along a second edge;

said first and second blades being assembled into a V-shaped blade configuration with the mounting projections of the first blade intermeshing with the mounting projections of the second blade; and

a rib member secured to said first and second blades by threaded fasteners extending through a first plurality of mounting holes in the mounting projections of the first and second blades.

16. The blade assembly as set forth in claim 15, wherein said first and second blades each have a second plurality of mounting holes spaced along respective third edges of said blades.

17. The blade assembly as set forth in claim 16, wherein said first plurality of mounting holes are aligned generally along a longitudinal centerline of the V-shaped configuration of the assembled blades, and the second plurality of mounting holes extend generally parallel to the sides of the V-shaped configuration of the assembled blades.

18. The blade assembly as set forth in claim 15, wherein said rib member has a closed front end and an open rear end, and a bar having a plurality of threaded openings is positioned within said rib member, said threaded openings of the bar being arranged to receive the threaded fasteners for securing the first and second blades to the rib member.

19. The blade assembly as set forth in claim 18, wherein the closed front end of the rib member tapers downwardly to a point, and the bar has a tapered surface that corresponds to the taper of the rib member to position and hold the bar against an inner surface of the rib member to facilitate inserting the threaded fasteners into the threaded openings.

20. A work attachment for use with a loader, comprising:

a frame having a coupling means for attaching to a loader arm;

a gusset having a rear side attached to the frame and triangular-shaped side walls that extend forward from the frame to a front side, said triangular-shaped side walls forming a peak therebetween along a longitudinal centerline of the gusset, said side walls being configured such that said peak slopes downwardly and forwardly from the rear side to the front side, said triangular-shaped side walls having lower edges that together define a generally V-shaped configuration when viewed in plan view with the front side of the gusset at the apex of the V-shape;

a first tubular receiver secured to the front side of said gusset for receiving a corresponding mounting structure of an implement; and

second and third tubular receivers on said frame for attaching removable accessories to said frame.

21. The work attachment according to claim 20, wherein said first, second, and third tubular receivers each have at least one transverse bore formed therein for receiving a locking fastener.

22. The work attachment according to claim 20, wherein said lower edges of said triangular-shaped side walls each have a plurality of bore holes spaced along a length thereof for mounting an implement thereto.

23. The work attachment according to claim 20, further comprising a V-shaped blade assembly having a rib member secured along a longitudinal centerline of said blade assembly, said rib member being received in said first tubular receiver.

24. The work attachment according to claim 20, wherein said second and third tubular receivers are positioned on right and left sides of said frame and are open upwardly.

25. The work attachment according to claim 20, further comprising a brush guard assembly having first and second legs removably secured within said second and third tubular receivers, respectively.

26. The work attachment according to claim 25, wherein said brush guard assembly comprises a plurality of cross bars extending between said first and second legs, said cross bars having an arcuate configuration when viewed in plan view to facilitate deflecting objects to the sides as the loader moves forward.

27. The work attachment according to claim 20, further comprising a tweezer arm assembly supported by first and second legs removably secured within said second and third tubular receivers, respectively, said tweezer arm assembly having a cross member extending between said first and second legs, an arm member pivotally mounted to said cross member about a transverse axis, and a hydraulic actuator connected between the cross member and the arm member, said hydraulic actuator being operable to swing said arm member about said transverse axis to grasp objects between said arm member and said gusset.