Grapple bucket device

Abstract

To provide a grapple bucket device for reducing the heavy burden on workers in tree felling operations, and the like.SOLUTION: A grapple bucket apparatus 30 comprises: a bucket 32 that can rotate vertically and horizontally and can rotate by itself; a grapple apparatus 9 equipped with a member for grappling wood between the opening surfaces of the bucket; a main cutter 34 provided on one side of the bucket; a sub-cutter 36 provided on the other side; a cylinder 40 that operates the main cutter to cut the grappled wood; a cylinder that operates the sub-cutter; a swivel shaft attached to an arm side; and a swivel joint equipped with a swivel housing attached to the bucket so as to be rotatable integrally with the bucket, the swivel joint being configured so that the main cutter and the sub-cutter can be operated to cut wood by supplying oil to both cylinders.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a grapple bucket device capable of excavating the ground, grappling (holding) wood, and further cutting the grappled wood.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a grapple bucket device including a bucket rotatable in the vertical direction at the tip of an arm of a construction machine rotatable in the vertical direction, and two grapple members spaced apart at substantially the same interval as the opening width of the bucket, pivotally supported at the base end of the opening of the bucket so as to be rotatable in a direction closing the opening of the bucket.

[0003] This conventional grapple bucket device will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle 1 which is part of a construction machine has a boom 2 whose base is rotatable in the horizontal direction and rotatable in the vertical direction, and an arm 3 is connected to the tip of this boom 2. A cylinder 4 for rotation in the vertical direction is attached to the boom 2, and a cylinder 5 is similarly attached to the arm 3. Further, a grapple bucket device 6 is attached to the tip of the arm 3.

[0004] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the grapple bucket device 6 includes a bracket 7 connected to the tip of the arm 3 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction, a bucket 8 supported at the tip of this bracket 7, and a grapple device 9 provided at the base end of the opening of the bucket 8 so as to be rotatable in a direction facing the opening of the bucket 8.

[0005] At the upper part of the bracket 7, a bucket cylinder 10 provided along the arm 3 is connected via a link mechanism 11. The bucket 8 can be rotated by a hydraulic motor 12 provided in the bracket 7. A plurality of excavation claws 8a are provided at the tip of the bucket 8.

[0006] The grapple device 9 includes a rotating shaft 14 pivotally supported parallel to the opening width direction of the bucket 8 on a bracket 13 provided at the opening base of the bucket 8, and two grapple members 15a and 15b whose bases are fixed to both ends of the rotating shaft 14 and which are curved in a concave shape facing the opening of the bucket 8. The tips of these grapple members 15a and 15b are connected by a connecting plate 16. The distance between these grapple members 15a and 15b is approximately the same as the opening width of the bucket 8, but the tips of each are narrower than the inner dimensions of the bucket 8, so that these tips fit into the inside of the bucket 8 along the inner wall surface of the bucket 8, leaving a small gap. The outer stepped portion of the part where the width of these grapple members 15a and 15b changes acts as a stopper 17 that abuts against the opening edge of the bucket 8. The connecting plate 16 is provided with sawtooth-shaped gripping blades 16a.

[0007] Furthermore, a grapple cylinder 19 is attached to the inside of a bracket 13 provided at the base of the bucket 8, and one end of this cylinder 19 is connected to a bracket 18 protruding from the rotating shaft 14. The extension and retraction of this cylinder 19 causes the grapple members 15a and 15b to rotate relative to the bucket 8.

[0008] In a grapple bucket device 6 with this structure, the boom 2 and arm 3 are rotated vertically by extending and retracting the boom cylinder 4 and arm cylinder 5, and the bucket 8 is rotated by extending and retracting the bucket cylinder 10, thereby changing the vertical and longitudinal position of the grapple bucket device 6. Furthermore, the lateral position of the bucket 8 can be changed by rotating the bucket 8 relative to the bracket 7 using a hydraulic motor 12.

[0009] During lumber grappling, the grapple cylinder 19 is extended and retracted to rotate the grapple members 15a and 15b relative to the bucket 8. As shown by the dashed line in Figure 3, the lumber 20 is grappled between the grapple members 15a and 15b and the side walls of the opening of the bucket 8.

[0010] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 describes a grapple bucket device that, in addition to the basic structure of the device in Patent Document 1, has a cutting device attached to one end of the bucket. This cutting device allows for cutting standing trees while the timber is grappled, and also allows for cutting longer timber before transport, thereby reducing the burden on workers. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0011] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-36355 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5911250 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0012] Traditionally, when felling large-diameter trees, the process involved first making an undercut on one side of the tree using a "receiving cut," and then cutting the other side using a "back cut," thereby felling the tree. This work was performed by workers and placed a heavy burden on them.

[0013] Even using the device described in Patent Document 2 above, it is not possible to reduce the burden on workers during the felling of these large-diameter trees. Therefore, there has been a need for a device that can reduce the burden on workers during the felling of these large-diameter trees. Therefore, the inventors of this invention discovered the present invention by diligently conducting research to reduce the significant burden on workers when felling large-diameter standing trees, based on the device described in Patent Document 2.

[0014] This invention was made to meet conventional demands and aims to provide a grapple bucket device that can reduce the significant burden on workers during tree felling and other operations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a grapple bucket device attached to the arm of a construction machine, comprising: a bucket that is rotatable in the vertical and horizontal directions and is rotatable itself; a grapple member for grappling wood between itself and the opening surface of the bucket, the grapple member being pivotally supported at the base end of the bucket's opening so as to be rotatable in the direction of closing the bucket's opening; a main cutter provided on one end of the bucket and rotatably pivoted at the base end of the bucket's opening; a sub-cutter provided on the other end of the bucket and rotatably pivoted at the base end of the bucket's opening; and the main cutter being supported by the bucket. The system includes a main cutter cylinder that operates to cut wood grappled by a bucket and a grapple member, a secondary cutter cylinder that operates to cut wood grappled by a bucket and a grapple member, a swivel shaft attached to the arm side, and a swivel joint equipped with a swivel housing that is rotatably attached integrally with the bucket. This swivel joint is configured to operate the main cutter and secondary cutter by supplying oil to the main cutter cylinder and the secondary cutter cylinder, thereby enabling the cutting of wood. In this configuration, the grapple bucket device is equipped with a main cutter and a sub-cutter, allowing the use of two cutters. For example, when felling a large-diameter standing tree, the sub-cutter can be used to make an undercut on one side (right side) of the tree, and the main cutter can be used to make a back cut on the other side (left side), thereby felling the tree. This significantly reduces the burden on the worker. Furthermore, in this invention, the swivel joint is equipped with a swivel shaft attached to the arm side and a swivel housing attached to the bucket so as to be rotatable integrally with the bucket. This swivel joint supplies oil to the cylinder for the main cutter and the cylinder for the sub-cutter, allowing the main cutter and sub-cutter to operate and cut wood. Thus, two cutters can be operated with a simple structure.

[0016] In the present invention, preferably, the swivel joint supplies oil to the cylinder for the main cutter and the cylinder for the sub-cutter so that only one of the main cutter and the sub-cutter operates. In the present invention configured in this way, the swivel joint supplies oil to the main cutter cylinder and the sub-cutter cylinder so that only one of the main cutter or the sub-cutter operates, thereby simplifying the structure of the swivel joint, the main cutter cylinder and the sub-cutter cylinder, and the flow of oil.

[0017] In the present invention, preferably, the swivel joint is configured such that when the main cutter is operational, the sub-cutter is housed in the bucket, and when the sub-cutter is operational, the main cutter is housed in the bucket. In the present invention configured as described above, the swivel joint is configured such that when the main cutter is operational, the sub-cutter is stored in the bucket, and when the sub-cutter is operational, the main cutter is stored in the bucket. This allows for separate cutting of wood by the main cutter and cutting of wood by the sub-cutter, making it easy to perform the aforementioned "receiving cut" and "back cut" operations.

[0018] In the present invention, preferably, when the swivel housing of the swivel joint rotates together with the bucket, the swivel housing is configured such that the main cutter and the sub-cutter can operate only within their respective predetermined rotational ranges. In the present invention configured as described above, when the swivel housing of the swivel joint rotates together with the bucket, the swivel housing is configured such that the main cutter and the sub-cutter can operate only within their respective predetermined rotational ranges. Therefore, the rotational range in which the main cutter and the sub-cutter can operate can be arbitrarily set according to their intended use.

[0019] In the present invention, preferably, the operable rotation area of the main cutter is larger than that of the sub-cutter. In the present invention configured as described above, since the operable rotation area of the main cutter is larger than that of the sub-cutter, the sub-cutter can be used for limited applications, while the main cutter can be used for many applications. For example, the sub-cutter is used for "receiving port work" when felling standing trees, and the main cutter can be used for "chasing port work" and, in addition to this "chasing port work", for example, cutting horizontally extending timbers grappled after felling standing trees.

Effect of the Invention

[0020] According to the grapple bucket device of the present invention, a great burden on workers in operations such as felling standing trees can be reduced.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021] <000009l>It is an overall perspective view showing a vehicle of a construction machine equipped with a conventional grapple bucket device. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view of the grapple bucket device of FIG. 1 seen from obliquely below. [Figure 3] It is a side view showing the grapple bucket device of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] It is a rear view showing the grapple bucket device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a right side view of the grapple bucket device seen from the direction A of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] It is a left side view of the grapple bucket device seen from the direction B of FIG. 4. [Figure 7] It is a bottom view of the grapple bucket device seen from the direction C of FIG. 4. [Figure 8] It is a circuit diagram of a swivel joint and a cross-sectional view seen along the line A - A thereof. [Figure 9]This is a side view of the grapple bucket device showing the main cutter in an operational state, and a circuit diagram showing the position of the swivel housing of the swivel joint in an operational state. [Figure 10] This is a side view of the grapple bucket device showing the auxiliary cutter in an operational state, and a circuit diagram showing the position of the swivel housing of the swivel joint in an operational state. [Figure 11] This is a partial side view (and view from arrow A) showing the mounting structure of the swivel joint. [Figure 12] This diagram illustrates the "undercut" and "back cut" processes when cutting down a standing tree. [Figure 13] This diagram illustrates the "receiving cut" process when cutting a standing tree using a bapple bucket device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] This diagram illustrates the "back cut" procedure when cutting a standing tree using a bapple bucket device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0022] A grapple bucket device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The grapple bucket device according to this embodiment is a conventional grapple bucket device with two cutting devices (cutters) added to it. Therefore, in the following description, components identical to those in the conventional device will be denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0023] First, the basic structure of the grapple bucket device according to this embodiment will be explained with reference to Figures 4 to 7. Figure 4 is a rear view showing the grapple bucket device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 is a right side view of the grapple bucket device viewed from direction A in Figure 4, Figure 6 is a left side view of the grapple bucket device viewed from direction B in Figure 4, and Figure 7 is a bottom view of the grapple bucket device viewed from direction C in Figure 4.

[0024] As shown in Figures 4 to 7, the grapple bucket device 30 according to this embodiment includes a bracket 7 that is rotatably connected in the vertical direction to the tip of the arm 3 described above, a bucket 32 ​​that is rotatably supported at the tip of the bracket 7 about the axis in the extension direction of the arm 3, a grapple device 9 that is rotatably provided at the base end of the opening of the bucket 32 ​​in a direction opposite to the opening of the bucket 32, and a main cutter 34 and a sub-cutter 36, which are cutting devices provided on both sides of the bucket 32 ​​in the width direction. As shown in Figure 4, when viewed from the rear (viewed from the driver's seat of the vehicle 1), the main cutter 34 is provided on the right side of the bucket 32, and the sub-cutter 36 is provided on the left side of the bucket 32.

[0025] As shown in Figure 7, the bucket 32 ​​is provided with a cutter support frame 38 consisting of a right-side wall 32a and a frame wall 32b provided outside the side wall 32a with a gap that allows the main cutter 34 to rotate. The main cutter 34 rotates within the gap formed by this cutter support frame 38. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, a cylinder 40 for the main cutter is provided to drive the rotation of the main cutter 34.

[0026] Similarly, as shown in Figure 7, the bucket 32 ​​is provided with a cutter support frame 42 consisting of a left side wall 32c and a frame wall 32d provided outside the side wall 32c with a gap that allows the sub-cutter 36 to rotate. The sub-cutter 36 rotates within the gap formed by this cutter support frame 42. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, a sub-cutter cylinder 44 is provided for rotating the sub-cutter 36.

[0027] The open sides of the push-cut receiving frames 38 and 42, which are equipped with side walls 32a and 32c and frame walls 32b and 32d, are formed in the same concave arc shape as the open side of the bucket 32, and are shaped to conform to the outer circumference of the wood W that has been grappled by the grapple members 15a and 15b of the grapple device 9.

[0028] As shown in Figure 5, the main cutter 34 is rotatably mounted separately from the grapple device 9 on a rotating shaft 14 which is rotated by the cylinder 19 of the grapple device 9 described above. An arm 46 provided on the main cutter 34 is connected to the tip of the main cutter cylinder 40, and the extension and retraction of this main cutter cylinder 40 causes the main cutter 34 to rotate in a direction that extends and retracts relative to the cutting support frame 38.

[0029] Similarly, as shown in Figure 6, the sub-cutter 36 is rotatably mounted separately from the grapple device 9 on a rotating shaft 14 which is rotated by the cylinder 19 of the grapple device 9 described above. An arm 48 provided on the sub-cutter 36 is connected to the tip of the sub-cutter cylinder 44, and the extension and retraction of this sub-cutter cylinder 44 causes the sub-cutter 36 to rotate in a direction that extends and retracts relative to the push-cut receiving frame 38.

[0030] As shown in Figure 5, the main cutter 34 has a cutting edge 34a on the side edge that is retracted into the push-cut receiving frame 38, and this cutting edge 34a is curved in an arc shape in the direction that recedes with respect to the rotational direction toward the push-cut receiving frame 38. Here, the arc shape of the cutting edge 34a includes combinations of arcs with multiple radii of curvature, and combinations of multiple straight lines. The cutting edge 34a of the main cutter 34 is positioned offset toward the opening edge of the bucket 32 ​​with respect to the line connecting the rotation center O1 of the main cutter 34 and the connection point O2 between the arm 46 and the main cutter cylinder 40.

[0031] Similarly, as shown in Figure 6, the side edge of the sub-cutter 36 that is retracted into the push-cut receiving frame 42 has a cutting edge 36a, and this cutting edge 36a is curved in an arc shape in the direction of receding with respect to the rotational direction toward the push-cut receiving frame 42. Here, the arc shape of the cutting edge 36a includes combinations of arcs with multiple radii of curvature or combinations of multiple straight lines. The cutting edge 36a of this sub-cutter 36 is positioned offset toward the opening edge of the bucket 32 ​​with respect to the line connecting the rotation center O3 of the sub-cutter 36 and the connection point O4 between the arm 48 and the sub-cutter cylinder 44.

[0032] In the bapple bucket device 30 according to this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, when the main cutter 34 cuts wood, the sub-cutter 36 is housed in the bucket 32, while as shown in Figure 6, when the sub-cutter 36 cuts wood, the main cutter 34 is housed in the bucket 32. Thus, in this embodiment, the main cutter 34 and the sub-cutter 36 are not used simultaneously (they do not cut wood at the same time).

[0033] Next, the swivel joints for operating the main cutter 34 and sub-cutter 36 described above will be explained with reference to Figures 8 to 11. As shown in Figure 8(a), the swivel joint 50 comprises a swivel shaft 52 and a swivel housing 54. In this embodiment, the swivel shaft 52 is fixed to the bracket 7, which is the main body, and is prevented from rotating. The swivel housing 54 is fixed to the bucket 32 ​​and is capable of continuous 360-degree rotation integrally with the bucket 32.

[0034] As shown in Figures 8(a) and 8(b), the swivel shaft 52 has an inlet port 56 for supplying oil into the swivel shaft 52 from an external hydraulic pump, and an outlet port 58 for discharging oil to the outside of the swivel shaft 52. Furthermore, along the B-B line of the swivel shaft 52, grooves 60 (see Figures 8(a), 9(c), and 10(c)) are formed on the surface of the swivel shaft 52, with a range of 270 degrees (the range through which oil flows). Similarly, along the C-C line of the swivel shaft 52, grooves 62 (see Figures 8(a), 9(b), and 10(b)) are formed on the surface of the swivel shaft 52, with a range of 30 degrees (the range through which oil flows).

[0035] The swivel housing 54 has a B7 port formed in the section of the cross-section along line A-A, an A7 port formed in the section of the cross-section along line B-B, and an A8 port formed in the section of the cross-section along line C-C. Furthermore, an annular groove 64 (see Figure 8(b)) is formed on the inner circumference of the portion of the cross-section of the swivel housing 54 along the A-A line.

[0036] As shown in Figure 8(a), the B7 port of the swivel housing 54 is connected to the closed port of the main cutter cylinder 40 and also to the closed port of the sub-cutter cylinder 42. Due to the annular groove 64 described above, oil flows from the B7 port to both the main cutter cylinder 40 and the sub-cutter cylinder 42, regardless of the position of the B7 port.

[0037] Furthermore, port A8 of the swivel housing 54 is connected to the closed port of the auxiliary cutter cylinder 42. Also, port A7 of the swivel housing 54 is connected to the open port of the main cutter cylinder 42, allowing oil to be discharged from this open port to the outlet port 58.

[0038] Next, the mounting structure of the swivel joint will be explained with reference to Figure 11. As shown in Figure 11, the swivel shaft 52 of the swivel joint 50 is attached and fixed to the shaft fixing plate 70 which is attached to the tip of the bracket 7. Therefore, the swivel shaft 52 is in a non-rotating state.

[0039] Next, the side of the bracket 7 of the swivel housing 54 is formed in a circle with a diameter D1, while the side of the housing 32 is formed in a shape having a two-sided width W1 (W1 < D1) formed by two parallel surfaces. On the other hand, an opening 74 having a similar two-sided width W1 is also formed in the back plate 72 of the bucket 32. By inserting the portion of the swivel housing 54 having the two-sided width W1 into the opening 74 having the two-sided width W1 of this bucket 32, the portion of the two-sided width of the swivel housing 54 and the portion of the two-sided width of the bucket 32 are fitted together, and the swivel housing 54 is fixed to the bucket 32. Thereby, the swivel housing 54 is integrally rotatable 360 degrees with the bucket 32.

[0040] Next, the operation of the swivel joint 50 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10. First, as shown in FIG. 9(a), when the sub-cutter 36 is housed in the bucket 32 and the main cutter 34 is in an operable state, in the sub-cutter cylinder 44, as shown in FIG. 9(b), oil flows from the B7 port of the swivel joint 50 to the closed port of the cylinder 44. However, since the A8 port of the swivel joint 50 is closed, oil does not flow from the open port of the cylinder 44 to the A8 port. Therefore, the sub-cutter 36 is designed not to operate while being housed in the bucket 32.

[0041] On the other hand, in the main cutter cylinder 40, as shown in FIG. 9(c), oil flows from the B7 port of the swivel joint 50 to the closed port of the cylinder 40. Further, since the A7 port of the swivel joint 50 is also open, oil flows from the open port of the cylinder 40 to the A7 port. Thereby, the main cutter 34 is operable and can cut wood.

[0042] Next, as shown in Figure 10(a), when the main cutter 34 is housed in the bucket 32 ​​and the sub-cutter 36 is operational, as shown in Figure 10(c), oil flows from the B7 port of the swivel joint 50 to the closed port of the cylinder 40. However, since the A7 port of the swivel joint 50 is closed, oil does not flow from the open port of the cylinder 40 to the A7 port. For this reason, the main cutter 34 does not operate when housed in the bucket 32.

[0043] On the other hand, in the auxiliary cutter cylinder 44, as shown in Figure 10(c), oil flows from the B7 port of the swivel joint 50 to the closed port of the cylinder 44, and since the A8 port of the swivel joint 50 is also open, oil flows from the open port of the cylinder 44 to the A8 port. As a result, the auxiliary cutter 36 is operational and can cut wood.

[0044] Next, the operation of the brapple bucket device 30 according to this embodiment described above will be explained with reference to Figures 12 to 14. Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating the "undercutting work" and "backcutting work" when cutting a standing tree, Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating the "undercutting work" when cutting a standing tree with the brapple bucket device according to this embodiment, and Figure 14 is a diagram illustrating the "backcutting work" when cutting a standing tree with the brapple bucket device according to this embodiment.

[0045] First, as shown in Figure 12, when felling a standing tree W, first, a "receiving cut" is made to create a cut (receiving cut E) on one side (right side) of the tree W, and then, a "back cut" is made to cut the other side (left side) (back cut F), thereby felling the standing tree W to the right, indicated by the arrow R. The felling operation using the grapple bucket device 50 of this embodiment will be described below.

[0046] First, as shown in Figure 13(b), the grapple bracket device 30 is moved close to the ground of the standing tree W by operating the boom 2 and arm 3. Next, the brapple bucket 50 is rotated by the hydraulic motor 12 (see Figure 3) described above to position it vertically along the standing tree W with the main cutter 34 at the top and the sub-cutter 36 at the bottom. At this time, as shown in Figure 13(a), in the brapple bucket device 50, the main cutter 34 is housed in the bucket 32, and the sub-cutter 36 is in an operational state. From the state shown in Figure 13(b), the auxiliary cutter 36 is activated to perform the "undercutting work," thereby making a cut (undercutting E) on one side (right side) of the standing tree W.

[0047] Next, the grapple bucket device 30 is moved away from the standing tree W by rotating the base of the boom 2 from the position shown in Figure 13(b). Then, the grapple bucket device 30 is rotated 180 degrees by the hydraulic motor 12 (see Figure 3) described above, so that it is in a vertical position along the standing tree W with the sub-cutter 36 above and the main cutter 34 below. At this time, as shown in Figure 14(a), in the grapple bucket device 50, the sub-cutter 36 is housed in the bucket 32, and the main cutter 34 is in an operational state. From the state shown in Figure 14(b), the main cutter 34 is activated to perform a "back cut," cutting the other side (left side) of the standing tree W and creating a "back cut F." In this state, a lateral force is applied to the standing tree W, causing it to fall in the R direction, and the work is completed.

[0048] In the grapple bucket device 30 according to this embodiment, the movable range of the auxiliary cutter 36 is a narrow range of 30 degrees, as shown in Figure 10(b). Therefore, the auxiliary cutter 36 is mainly used for the "receiving opening work" described above.

[0049] In contrast, the range of motion of the main cutter 36 is a wide 270 degrees, as shown in Figure 9(c). Therefore, the main cutter 36 can be used in various ways other than the "back cut" operation described above. For example, after felling a standing tree W, the grapple bucket device 30 can be used to change its orientation to a horizontal direction, the tree can be grappled laterally, and then the main cutter 34 can be used to cut the tree in that state.

[0050] The following describes the operation and effects of the grapple bucket device according to this embodiment. The grapple bucket 30 according to this embodiment is attached to the arm 3 of a construction machine and comprises a bucket 32 ​​that is rotatable in the vertical and horizontal directions and is rotatable itself, and grapple members 15a and 15b that grapple wood between themselves and the opening surface of the bucket 32, and the grapple members 15a and 15b are rotatable in the direction of closing the opening of the bucket 32 The swivel joint 50 includes a grapple device 9 pivotally supported at the base end of the opening of the bucket 32, a main cutter 34 provided on one end of the bucket 32 ​​and pivotably supported at the base end of the opening of the bucket 32, a sub-cutter 36 provided on the other end of the bucket 30 and pivotably supported at the base end of the opening of the bucket 30, a main cutter cylinder 40 that operates the main cutter 34 to cut the wood W that has been grappled by the bucket 32 ​​and the grapple members 15a and 15b, a sub-cutter cylinder 44 that operates the sub-cutter 36 to cut the wood W that has been grappled by the bucket 32 ​​and the grapple members 15a and 15b, a swivel shaft 52 attached to the arm side, and a swivel joint 50 equipped with a swivel housing 54 that is rotatably attached integrally with the bucket 32. The swivel joint 50 is configured to operate the main cutter 34 and the sub-cutter 36 to cut the wood W by supplying oil to the main cutter cylinder 40 and the sub-cutter cylinder 44.

[0051] In this embodiment, the grapple bucket device 30 is equipped with a main cutter 34 and a sub-cutter 36, allowing the use of two cutters. For example, when felling a large-diameter standing tree W, the sub-cutter 36 can be used to make an undercut on one side (right side) of the tree W, and the main cutter 34 can be used to make a back cut on the other side (left side) of the tree W, thereby felling the tree W. This significantly reduces the burden on the worker. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the swivel joint 50 is equipped with a swivel shaft 52 attached to the arm side and a swivel housing 54 attached to the bucket 32 ​​so as to be rotatable integrally with the bucket 32. This swivel joint 50 supplies oil to the main cutter cylinder 40 and the sub-cutter cylinder 44, allowing the main cutter 34 and the sub-cutter 36 to operate and cut the wood W. Thus, two cutters can be operated with a simple structure.

[0052] In this embodiment, the swivel joint 50 supplies oil to the main cutter cylinder 40 and the sub-cutter cylinder 44 so that only one of the main cutter 34 or the sub-cutter 36 operates. According to this embodiment, the structure and oil flow of the swivel joint 50, the main cutter cylinder 40, and the sub-cutter cylinder 44 can be simplified.

[0053] In this embodiment, the swivel joint 50 is configured such that when the main cutter 34 is operational, the sub-cutter 36 is housed in the bucket 32, and when the sub-cutter 36 is operational, the main cutter 34 is housed in the bucket 32. With this configuration, the cutting of the wood W by the main cutter 34 and the cutting of the wood W by the sub-cutter 36 can be performed separately, making it easy to perform "receiving cuts" and "back cuts," etc.

[0054] In this embodiment, when the swivel housing 54 of the swivel joint 50 rotates together with the bucket 32, the swivel housing 54 is configured such that the main cutter 34 and the sub-cutter 36 can operate only within their respective predetermined rotational ranges. With this embodiment configured, the operating rotation range of the main cutter 34 and the sub-cutter 36 can be arbitrarily set according to their intended use.

[0055] In this embodiment, the operable rotational range of the main cutter 34 is larger than the operable rotational range of the sub-cutter 36. With this configuration, the auxiliary cutter 36 can be used for limited purposes, while the main cutter 34 can be used for many purposes. For example, the auxiliary cutter 36 can be used for "undercutting" when felling a standing tree W, and the main cutter 36 can be used for "backcutting" and, in addition to this "backcutting," can also be used to cut laterally extending timber that has been grappled after felling the standing tree W. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0056] 1. Vehicle body 2 Boom 3 Arms 7 Brackets 9. Grapple device 10 Cylinders for buckets 11 Link mechanism 12 Hydraulic motor 13 brackets 14 Rotation axis 19 cylinders 30. Grapple bucket device 32 buckets 34 Main cutter 36. Hook Cutter 40 Cylinder for main cutter 44 Cylinder for auxiliary cutter 50 Swivel Joints 52 Swivel Shaft 54 Swivel Housing 56 Entrance Port 58 Exit Ports 60, 62, 64 groove 70 Shaft fixing plate 72 Backboard 74 Aperture

Claims

1. A grapple bucket device attached to the arm of a construction machine, A bucket that is rotatable both vertically and horizontally, and that is itself rotatable, A grapple device comprising a grapple member for grappling wood between itself and the opening surface of the bucket, the grapple member being pivotally supported at the base end of the bucket's opening so as to be rotatable in the direction of closing the bucket's opening, A main cutter is provided on one end of the bucket and is pivotally supported at the opening base end of the bucket so as to be rotatable. A sub-cutter is provided on the other end of the bucket and is pivotally supported at the opening base end of the bucket so as to be rotatable, A cylinder for the main cutter that operates the main cutter to cut wood that has been grappled by the bucket and grapple member, A cylinder for the auxiliary cutter that operates the auxiliary cutter to cut wood that has been grappled by the bucket and grapple member, It has a swivel shaft attached to the arm side, and a swivel joint having a swivel housing attached to the bucket so as to be rotatable integrally with the bucket, This swivel joint is configured to operate the main cutter cylinder and the sub-cutter cylinder by supplying oil to them, thereby enabling the cutting of wood in a grapple bucket device.

2. The grapple bucket device according to claim 1, wherein the swivel joint supplies oil to the cylinder for the main cutter and the cylinder for the sub-cutter so that only one of the main cutter and the sub-cutter operates.

3. The grapple bucket device according to claim 2, wherein the swivel joint is configured such that when the main cutter is operational, the sub-cutter is housed in the bucket, and when the sub-cutter is operational, the main cutter is housed in the bucket.

4. The bapple bucket device according to claim 1, wherein when the swivel housing of the swivel joint rotates together with the bucket, the swivel housing is configured such that the main cutter and the sub-cutter can operate only within their respective predetermined rotational ranges.

5. The grapple bucket device according to claim 4, wherein the operable rotational range of the main cutter is larger than the operable rotational range of the sub-cutter.

Images