Compact hydraulic felling wedge system

Abstract

(Main claim): Hydraulic felling wedge system for directional control when felling trees, comprising in that the mechanical felling wedge and the hydraulic module are designed as a compact, one-piece unit.

Description

2. Technical field

[0001] The invention relates to a hydraulically actuated felling wedge for the controlled generation of a lifting stroke in the felling cut of a tree. It lies in the field of technical felling aids and falls in particular within the technical field of mechanical and hydraulic forestry equipment as well as controlled felling direction devices. 3. State of the art

[0002] Various felling aids for influencing the direction of tree felling are known from the prior art. Common manually operated felling aids include, in particular, mechanical felling wedges, which are driven into the felling cut by means of impact force, for example by striking with a forest axe or a sledgehammer.

[0003] Furthermore, spindle-based felling wedges are known, in which a mechanical threaded spindle is used to generate the necessary feed forces. These designs are either operated manually using hand tools or with the aid of external drive tools, such as a battery-powered impact wrench. While these systems allow for higher feed forces compared to purely mechanical wedges, their mechanics and construction make them very noisy in operation and subject to high wear under typical forestry loads. Moreover, the movement becomes increasingly slower and more jerky as the force increases, which is also a disadvantage of these systems.

[0004] Hydraulically operated felling wedges are also known. In these systems, pressure is generated either by a hand-operated hydraulic pump integrated into the felling wedge or by an external hydraulic supply, which can be either manual or electric. With external systems, a hydraulic pump is connected to the felling wedge, which is inserted into the felling cut, via a hose connection. However, such solutions have design disadvantages: The external connection increases handling effort, poses an additional hazard due to hydraulic lines in the work area, and is susceptible to damage. Due to their weight and design, these systems are not considered ergonomic and are therefore rarely, if ever, used in practice. 4. Description

[0005] The invention is described below using a preferred embodiment. The combination of features serves only for illustration and does not limit the scope of protection; rather, technically equivalent modifications are also covered by the invention.

[0006] As schematically illustrated in the sketch, the hydraulic felling wedge system according to the invention comprises a hydraulic felling wedge (1) and an electric hydraulic module (2) which together with the hydraulic felling wedge form a unit. The hydraulic module (2) contains all the electrotechnical and hydraulic elements necessary for its function.

Claims

[1] (Main claim): Hydraulic felling wedge system for directional control when felling trees, comprising characterized by that the mechanical felling wedge and the hydraulic module are designed as a compact, one-piece unit. [2] The wedge system characterized by , that a wired or wireless remote control interface, in particular a radio control, is also provided. [3] The wedge system characterized by that the hydraulic system includes a safety device which enables controlled, power-driven relaxation of the hydraulic cylinder. [4] The falling wedge system characterized by , that the integrated hydraulic system includes an optional externally accessible hydraulic connection through which additional hydraulic consumers can be operated.

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