Apparatus and method for transporting wood in steep terrain

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for transporting wood in steep terrains. According to the invention, the device has a mobile winch (1) and a mobile carrier (2) which can be connected to the winch (1) via a cable (6) and which has a chassis, in which: the winch (1) has a winch drive for winding and unwinding the cable (6) and the carrier (2) has a travel drive for driving the chassis; and wherein the transport vehicle (2) and the winch (1) are connected by means of a data connection; wherein the transport vehicle (2) has a sensor for determining a travel direction (16) relative to the cable winch, and wherein a data processing device is provided which is connected to the travel drive and to the winch drive, in this way, the cable speed and the travel drive speed can be automatically adjusted by the data processing device as a function of the travel direction (16) of the transport vehicle (2). The invention further relates to a method for transporting wood in steep terrain.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for transporting wood in steep terrain.

[0002] The present invention further relates to a method for transporting wood in steep terrain using the device. Background Art

[0003] From the prior art, devices and methods of the initially named type are already known, in which, for example, a stationary winch and a mobile transport vehicle interact in order to be able to transport wood up a steep slope onto a transport means, on which the logs are loaded onto a truck or the like. In the methods and devices from the prior art, part of the force required for the mobile transport vehicle and the wood is exerted by the winch, and the rest is exerted by the transport vehicle itself, where, for example, a fixed pulling force in the cable or a fixed winch speed is pre-determined by the transport winch, and the movement transverse to the cable direction is influenced by the transport vehicle itself, usually manually controlled by the driver, in order to drive around rough terrain (such as, for example, tree roots, rocks or pits).

[0004] It has been shown that with the devices and methods from the prior art, on the one hand, only low efficiency is obtained, and on the other hand, an undesirably high degree of damage to the ground or the forest floor is caused. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This is solved by the present invention. The object of the present invention is to specify a device of the initially named type, with which wood can also be efficiently moved in steep terrain, where at the same time the damage to the ground will be reduced.

[0006] Furthermore, a method of this type will be specified, with which a low degree of damage to the ground can be achieved while at the same time achieving efficient transport.

[0007] According to the present invention, the first object is achieved by a device of the initially named type, which device comprises a mobile winch and a mobile transport vehicle, the mobile transport vehicle being connectable to the winch via a cable and having a chassis, wherein the winch comprises winch drive means for winding and unwinding the cable, and the transport vehicle comprises travel drive means for driving the chassis, and wherein the transport vehicle and the winch are connected by a data connection, wherein the transport vehicle comprises sensors for determining the travel direction relative to the cable winch, and wherein data processing means are provided, which are connected to the travel drive means and the winch drive means, such that using the data processing means, the cable speed and the travel drive means speed can be adjusted automatically according to the travel direction of the transport vehicle, in particular relative to the cable direction.

[0008] In the process of the present invention, it has been found that conventional devices and methods exhibit a high degree of damage to the ground and low efficiency because the actuation of the cable winch and the actuation of the travel drive are not matched with each other. For example, when the transport vehicle is moved transversely to the cable direction, such as in order to drive around a stump or the like, the travel drive works against the cable winch. In the case of the device according to the invention, the matching of the actuation of the travel drive and the winch now takes place such that during the movement transversely to, for example, the cable direction, the cable winch speed or the cable speed is reduced and only the travel drive is actuated accordingly. Only when the travel direction of the transport vehicle substantially corresponds to the cable direction, does the cable speed also match the travel drive speed and the transport vehicle is moved at the travel drive speed. The damage to the ground (which is caused by the support of the transport vehicle against the cable force) previously caused by the deviation of the cable speed from the speed of the transport vehicle in the cable direction is thus avoided in a particularly simple manner. As a result, both the wear of the chassis and the damage to the ground are prevented.

[0009] It is advantageous if the transport vehicle comprises a front carriage and a rear carriage which is connected to the front carriage about a substantially vertical axis of rotation. This enables the transport vehicle to steer particularly well even on rough terrain. The front carriage and the rear carriage can then be connected, for example, via an articulated steering device.

[0010] Particularly preferably, providing the front carriage and the rear carriage comprises separate chassis. The chassis can be implemented as a crawler chassis, a wheeled chassis, etc. in order to support the transport vehicle together with a piece of wood to be transported against the ground.

[0011] It is advantageous if the front carriage and the rear carriage can be driven independently of each other, wherein in particular the driving force on the front carriage can deviate from the driving force on the rear carriage, and / or the driving speed of the front carriage can deviate from the driving speed of the rear carriage. In principle, this can take place by using different electric motors for the front carriage and the rear carriage. However, it is also possible to provide only one electric motor, wherein the drive output of the electric motor is variably distributed between the front carriage and the rear carriage, for example by means of torque vector control.

[0012] It has proven effective that the chassis of the transport vehicle is implemented as a crawler chassis. This enables the transport vehicle to be moved in a particularly simple manner on rough terrain.

[0013] It is advantageous if the transport vehicle comprises a clamping device for clamping the wood, the clamping device being connected in particular to the chassis such that the clamping device can rotate about a vertical axis.

[0014] The clamping device can be implemented to pick up the logs to be transported on one side such that during the transportation of the timber, the logs are dragged underground at the second end. Preferably, the clamping device is provided with two clamping legs that can pivot relative to each other about a substantially horizontal clamping axis, between which the logs can be clamped. This enables a particularly simple and at the same time robust clamping and transportation of the logs even in rough terrain.

[0015] It is beneficial if the transport vehicle includes an arm that is connected to the chassis such that it can rotate about a vertical axis, and a cable can be coupled to the transport vehicle via the arm such that the transport vehicle can be moved by the cable. In this way, the pulling force applied via the cable (which is generated by a winch) is introduced into the transport vehicle substantially centrally or close to the center of gravity, enabling a beneficial introduction of the cable force into the transport vehicle. It is particularly beneficial if the arm extends from the center of the transport vehicle, for example, by more than one meter, such that the cable of the winch can be connected to the transport vehicle eccentrically via the arm, wherein the introduction of the force still occurs substantially centrally via the arm that can rotate vertically substantially centrally about the axis of rotation on the transport vehicle. As a result, a beneficial introduction of the force is ensured, and at the same time, the collision of the cable with a piece of wood (which is also centrally attached to the transport vehicle) is avoided due to the rotatable attachment of the arm about the vertical axis of rotation, wherein the wood is usually also connected to the transport vehicle such that it can rotate about the vertical axis of rotation, in particular via the clamping device.

[0016] Preferably, the clamping device is also arranged substantially centrally or close to the center of gravity on the transport vehicle such that, using the cable, the force is introduced into the area of the clamping device in order to minimize the mechanical load on the components of the transport vehicle to the greatest possible extent.

[0017] It is particularly beneficial if the arm is connected to the central area of the transport vehicle, especially in the area centered between the front bracket and the rear bracket.

[0018] The transport vehicle can thus include, for example, a front bracket, a rear bracket, a clamping device, and an arm such that even in rough terrain, the most efficient possible transportation of the timber can be achieved. The rear bracket is connected to the front bracket such that it can rotate about a vertical axis, the clamping device is connected to the front bracket and the rear bracket such that it can rotate about a vertical axis, and the arm is connected to the front bracket and the rear bracket and is connected to the clamping device such that the arm can rotate about a vertical axis.

[0019] It is beneficial if the transport vehicle includes a GPS sensor, especially for the purpose of recording the traveled path. As a result, it is sufficient to manually drive the transport vehicle along the path between stumps, rocks, etc. once, and thereafter, the corresponding path can be automatically reproduced and driven by the transport vehicle using the recorded GPS coordinates.

[0020] In this context, it is particularly advantageous if the transport vehicle can be actuated manually, in particular by means of a remote control, wherein a data processing device is provided and the path traveled by the transport vehicle during manual actuation can be recorded by means of the data processing device, and wherein the transport vehicle is configured to automatically travel a route corresponding to the previously recorded path.

[0021] When wood is removed on a slope, the winch is therefore preferably first positioned at the upper end of the slope. Thereafter, starting from the area close to the winch, the felled logs are transported to the winch using the transport vehicle in order to be loaded onto a truck etc. at said location. Thereafter, the logs from areas located further and further away from the winch are transported to the winch. The path of the transport vehicle from the area close to the winch to the areas located further away from the winch can thus be manually defined using the remote control during the initial movement, and the manually defined path is recorded. In subsequent method steps (in which the transport vehicle is moved into areas located further away from the winch), the transport vehicle can then automatically travel the previously recorded path and only has to be manually moved into those areas that have not been driven through in the previous method steps. The movement from the area far away from the winch back to the winch can thus always take place in an automated manner along the path previously recorded on the path from the winch to the area away from the winch. As a result, a method is obtained that can be implemented in a particularly efficient manner.

[0022] It has proven effective for the device to be configured to move the transport vehicle up the slope with the help of a winch, wherein the distribution of the drive output between the winch and the transport vehicle or between the winch drive and the travel drive takes place such that only that part of the drive output that is necessary for the transport vehicle to move transversely to the cable direction is exerted by the transport vehicle, in order to minimize the load on the ground. This further also ensures that only a relatively low drive output and a relatively light energy storage element can be provided on the transport vehicle itself, such that a transport vehicle with an overall low weight is obtained, whereby the damage to the ground is further minimized. The transport vehicle, for example, usually cannot move along the direct connection line between the transport vehicle and the winch (for example due to a path blocked by a stump) and has to be moved transversely to said connection line or transversely to the cable direction. By matching the cable speed with the speed and direction of the transport vehicle, it is easy to prevent the travel drive and the winch drive from working against each other and the ground from being damaged.

[0023] Another object is achieved by a method of the type initially named according to the invention, in which the device comprises a mobile winch and a mobile transporter, the mobile transporter being connected to the winch via a cable, wherein the device is preferably implemented according to the invention, wherein the winch and the transporter are connected via a data connection during the method, and the current travel direction of the transporter is detected in an automated manner, wherein during the movement of the transporter towards the winch, the cable speed and the travel drive speed are matched to each other by a data processing device according to the travel direction of the transporter.

[0024] By matching the travel drive speed and the cable speed to each other according to the travel direction of the transporter relative to the cable drive, it is prevented that the travel drive and the winch work against each other, whereby both damage to the ground and high mechanical loads on the transporter can be avoided.

[0025] It is advantageous if the wood is transported from an area remote from the winch to an area close to the winch using the transporter, whereafter the wood is unloaded from the transporter in the area close to the winch, and the transporter is moved from the area close to the winch to an area remote from the winch without load in order to pick up additional wood. Usually, the mobile winch is arranged at the upper end of the slope (where the upper end has been cut and the wood is to be removed from the upper end) such that the cable extends from the mobile winch down to the transporter, the transporter being attached to the cable, in particular such that it can be detached in order to be able to pull the transporter upwards with the winch.

[0026] It is advantageous if the movement from the area close to the winch to the area remote from the winch occurs at least in part by manual control, wherein the path travelled by the transporter during the manual control is recorded by a data processing device.

[0027] It has proven effective that the movement from the area close to the winch to the area remote from the winch occurs at least in part in an automated manner along the path recorded in a previous method step. Thus, it is sufficient if a new route is manually defined. For example, when felled wood is removed on a steep slope, it is possible to start by removing the wood from the area close to the winch, whereafter the transporter is gradually moved into areas further and further away from the winch, wherein it is only necessary to manually drive (for example via a remote control) in areas located further away from the winch than areas already previously travelled through, and the transporter can travel known paths automatically.

[0028] In principle, it would also be conceivable for the transporter to move completely automatically on the slope, for example as an autonomous vehicle controlled by means of sensors such as cameras, radar sensors, ultrasonic sensors etc.

[0029] It is beneficial if the force exerted by the winch on the transporter and the force exerted by the chassis of the transporter are matched to each other by means of a data processing device such that the largest possible part of the force necessary for moving the transporter from an area remote from the winch into an area close to the winch is exerted by the winch and the cable, and only the force exceeding said force, in particular the force for moving transversely to the cable direction, is exerted by the transporter. This ensures minimal damage to the ground. Description of the Drawings

[0030] Further features, advantages and effects of the invention result from the exemplary embodiments described below. In the drawings hereby cited:

[0031] Figure 1 A ramp with a device according to the invention is shown in a schematic view;

[0032] Figures 2 to 4 The transporter according to the invention is shown in different views. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0033] Figure 1 A ramp with a device according to the invention is shown during the execution of a method according to the invention.

[0034] It can be seen that at the upper end of the ramp, a mobile winch 1 is arranged, which is connected via a cable 6 to a mobile transporter 2. With the transporter 2, tree trunks felled, for example, by a harvester 7 in the lower area of the ramp or in an area remote from the winch 1 are transported upwards along the ramp into an area close to the winch 1, from which the tree trunks are removed, for example, by a truck 8. The winch 1 and the transporter 2 each comprise a drive device, wherein the winch 1 comprises a winch drive device for winding and unwinding the cable 6, and the transporter 2 comprises a travel drive device for driving the chassis of the transporter 2. Additionally, the winch 1 and the transporter 2 are connected via a data connection (in the exemplary embodiment, a wireless connection) such that the winch drive device and the chassis drive device can be matched to each other by means of a data processing device, which can be arranged, for example, in the winch 1, in the transporter 2 or at a third location.

[0035] The transport vehicle 2 further includes one or more sensors, in particular GPS sensors, acceleration sensors, and / or tilt sensors, by means of which the travel direction 16 of the transport vehicle 2 and the cable direction 13 can be detected. The latter can also be detected via an angle sensor, which is connected on one side to the front bracket 4 and / or the rear bracket 5 of the transport vehicle 2 and to the arm 12 of the transport vehicle 2. Via the arm 12, which is connected to the front bracket 4 and the rear bracket 5 such that it can rotate about a vertical axis, the cable 6 is connected to the transport vehicle 2 such that the arm 12 is generally oriented in the cable direction 13. Data from the sensors can also be transmitted to a data processing device such that, using the data processing device, the winch drive device and the chassis drive device can be matched to each other according to the travel direction 16 of the transport vehicle 2 relative to the cable direction 13. Thus, for example, during a lateral movement of the transport vehicle 2 relative to the travel direction 16, a correspondingly low cable speed can be set in order to prevent damage to the ground.

[0036] The transport of the tree trunk on the illustrated slope generally starts with the tree trunk being picked up in the area near the winch 1. For loading and unloading the tree trunk, equipment and methods known from the prior art can be relied upon, such as a loading crane, etc. After loading the tree trunk onto the transport vehicle 2, the tree trunk is fixed on the transport vehicle 2, that is, fixed by means of clamping legs 10 that can pivot about a horizontal clamping axis 11. The tree trunk is then transported by the transport vehicle 2 to the winch 1, where the tree trunk is unloaded from the transport vehicle 2 onto, for example, a truck 8.

[0037] The unloaded transport vehicle 2 is then moved to an area that is further away from or remote from the winch 1, usually an area further below the winch 1.

[0038] The movement to the area remote from the winch 1 can occur manually, for example, using a remote control, where the transport vehicle 2 is configured to record the traveled path, usually by means of one or more GPS sensors. The path traveled in this way and recorded by means of the data processing device can then be automatically traveled by the transport vehicle 2 on the return path back to the winch 1 or automatically traveled to an area near the winch 1 such that no additional manual steering intervention is required.

[0039] In a further method step (where the transport vehicle 2 is moved to an area that is further away from the winch 1), the transport vehicle 2 can then be moved to a previously reached point in an automated manner according to the recorded path, and thus only the new route that is not yet known needs to be manually controlled in order to drive around, for example, a tree stump or a rock. The manual control of the transport vehicle 2 can occur on the transport vehicle 2 itself or by means of a remote control.

[0040] In principle, the implementation using a transport vehicle 2 that can be moved completely autonomously will of course also be possible.

[0041] Figures 2 to 5 The transporter 2 according to the invention is shown in different views.

[0042] It can be seen that the transporter 2 includes a front carriage 4 and a rear carriage 5, and the rear carriage 5 is connected to the front carriage 4 about a vertical rotation axis 9, wherein the front carriage 4 and the rear carriage 5 respectively include a crawler chassis 3. The transporter 2 is thus implemented with an articulated steering device. The electric motor is generally arranged in the front carriage 4, but the following implementation is also possible in principle, in which the electric motor is positioned in the front carriage 4 and the rear carriage 5 to drive the individual chassis independently of each other. If the electric motor is only arranged in the front carriage 4, the chassis of both the front carriage 4 and the rear carriage 5 are generally still driven by this electric motor, and in this case, it can also be provided that the chassis of the front carriage 4 and the rear carriage 5 can be driven independently of each other, in particular by using different forces that can be achieved by means of, for example, torque vector control.

[0043] In Figure 2 the position illustrated, the travel direction 16 substantially corresponds to the cable direction 13. Therefore, in this position, the force required to drive the transporter 2 can in principle be almost completely exerted by the winch 1, so that under the control of the data processing device, the electric motor of the transporter 2 can be operated with a correspondingly lower output, thereby achieving a low fuel demand in the transporter 2 and thus a low number of fuel replenishments.

[0044] In Figure 3 and Figure 4 the case illustrated, the cable direction 13 deviates more significantly from the travel direction 16 of the transporter 2. For example, this situation can be caused if the transporter 2 is moved transversely to the slope direction, such as to drive around a stump or a rock. In this case, the cable speed is reduced so that the cable speed only corresponds to the component of the travel speed of the transporter 2 in the cable direction 13. In this way, the transporter 2 is stabilized in the cable direction 13 (especially in the vertical direction) by the cable 6 or the winch 1, and the movement transverse to the cable direction 13 occurs through the travel drive device, so that the travel drive device is actuated more forcefully in these cases than in Figure 1 the case illustrated.

[0045] As illustrated, the transporter 2 includes a clamping device 14 which is centrally arranged between the front support 4 and the rear support 5 for clamping the log 15. The clamping device 14 includes two clamping legs 10 which can pivot relative to each other about a substantially horizontal clamping axis 11. The clamping device 14 is connected to the front support 4 and the rear support 5 such that it can rotate about a vertical rotation axis 9, so that the logs 15 can also be connected to the transporter 2 such that they can rotate about the vertical rotation axis 9.

[0046] In addition, the arm 12 is connected to the front support 4 and the rear support 5 such that it can pivot about the vertical rotation axis 9, and cable force can be introduced into the transporter 2 through the arm 12.

[0047] It can be seen that the arm 12 can be connected to the cable 6, and the cable 6 can be wound and unwound by the winch 1. The arm 12 extends from the central region of the transporter 2 to the lateral region and projects outwards, so that collision of the arm 12 with the log 15 to be transported is avoided.

[0048] Figure 5 The transporter 2 is shown, in which the log 15 is clamped in the clamping device 14. In this case, it can be seen particularly well that both the force of the log 15 and the cable force are introduced into the transporter 2 substantially centrally, and collision of the log 15 with the arm 12 or the cable 6 is reliably prevented by the outward projection of the arm 12.

[0049] The device and the corresponding method implemented according to the invention are particularly suitable for transporting logs 15 in rough and steep terrain without damaging the ground. At the same time, the winch drive device and the chassis drive device (which can each include a diesel engine with 300 hp to 500 hp) are avoided from working against each other to the greatest possible extent, so that the mechanical load on the transporter 2 is reduced and high efficiency can be obtained, where in particular the wearing parts only need to be replaced rarely. Since it is possible for the transporter 2 to automatically drive along a previously recorded route at a later time, a particularly efficient method with particularly low personnel use and at the same time with process reliability can be achieved.

Claims

1. An apparatus for transporting timber in steep terrain, the apparatus comprising a mobile winch (1) and a mobile transport vehicle (2), the mobile transport vehicle (2) being connectable to the winch (1) via a cable (6) and having a chassis, wherein the winch (1) comprises winch drive means for winding and unwinding the cable (6), and the transport vehicle (2) comprises travel drive means for driving the chassis, and wherein the transport vehicle (2) and the winch (1) are connected by a data connection, wherein the transport vehicle (2) comprises sensors for determining the travel direction (16) relative to the cable winch, and wherein data processing means are provided which are connected to the travel drive means and the winch drive means such that, using the data processing means, the cable speed and the travel drive means speed can be adjusted automatically according to the travel direction (16) of the transport vehicle (2).

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the transport vehicle (2) comprises a front carriage (4) and a rear carriage (5), the rear carriage (5) being connected to the front carriage (4) about a substantially vertical axis of rotation (9).

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the front carriage (4) and the rear carriage (5) comprise separate chassis.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the front carriage (4) and the rear carriage (5) can be driven independently of each other, wherein in particular the driving force on the front carriage (4) can deviate from the driving force on the rear carriage (5), and / or the driving speed of the front carriage (4) can deviate from the driving speed of the rear carriage (5).

5. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the chassis of the transport vehicle (2) is embodied as a crawler chassis (3).

6. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the transport vehicle (2) comprises clamping means (14) for clamping the timber, the clamping means being connected in particular to the chassis such that the clamping means can rotate about a vertical axis.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the clamping means (14) comprises two clamping legs (10) pivotable relative to each other about a substantially horizontal clamping axis (11), and the log (15) can be clamped between the clamping legs (10).

8. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the transport vehicle (2) comprises an arm (12) connected to the chassis such that the arm (12) can rotate about a vertical axis, and the cable (6) can be coupled to the transport vehicle (2) via the arm (12) such that the transport vehicle (2) can be moved by the cable (6).

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the arm (12) is connected to the central region of the transport vehicle (2), in particular to the region centered between the front carriage (4) and the rear carriage (5).

10. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the transport vehicle (2) includes a GPS sensor.

11. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the transport vehicle (2) can be manually actuated, in particular by means of a remote control, and a data processing device is provided, by means of which the path traveled by the transport vehicle (2) during manual actuation can be recorded, and the transport vehicle (2) is configured to automatically travel along a route corresponding to the previously recorded path.

12. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the device is configured to move the transport vehicle (2) upward along a slope with the help of the winch (1), wherein the distribution of the drive output between the winch (1) and the transport vehicle (2) takes place such that only the part of the drive output necessary for the transport vehicle (2) to move transversely to the cable direction (13) is exerted by the transport vehicle (2) in order to minimize the load on the ground.

13. A method for transporting wood in steep terrain using a device comprising a mobile winch (1) and a mobile transport vehicle (2), in particular using the device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the mobile transport vehicle (2) is connected to the winch (1) via a cable (6), wherein the winch (1) and the transport vehicle (2) are connected via a data connection during the method, and the current travel direction (16) of the transport vehicle (2) is detected in an automated manner, and wherein during the movement of the transport vehicle (2) towards the winch (1), the cable speed and the travel drive device speed are matched to each other by a data processing device according to the travel direction (16) of the transport vehicle (2).

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that the wood is transported from an area remote from the winch (1) to an area close to the winch (1) using the transport vehicle (2), and thereafter, the wood is unloaded from the transport vehicle (2) in the area close to the winch (1), and the transport vehicle (2) is moved from the area close to the winch (1) to an area remote from the winch (1) without a load in order to pick up additional wood.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that the movement from the area close to the winch (1) to the area remote from the winch (1) takes place at least in part by manual control, and the path traveled by the transport vehicle (2) during manual control is recorded by a data processing device.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that the movement from the area close to the winch (1) to the area remote from the winch (1) takes place at least in part in an automated manner along the path recorded in the previous method step.

17. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that The force exerted by the winch (1) on the transport vehicle (2) and the force exerted by the chassis of the transport vehicle (2) are matched to each other by the data processing device, such that the largest possible part of the force necessary for the transport vehicle (2) to move from an area remote from the winch (1) to an area close to the winch (1) is exerted by the winch (1) and the cable (6), and only the force exceeding said force, in particular the force for movement transverse to the cable direction (13), is exerted by the chassis.

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