Excavator dozer blade attachment & firewood cutting system

Abstract

The present invention relates to an excavator dozer blade attachment and alternative cutting system that utilises the dozer blade of an excavator to perform cutting operations on items such as timber or firewood.

Description

[0001] A

[0002] EXCAVATOR DOZER BLADE ATTACHMENT & FIREWOOD CUTTING SYSTEM

[0003] A

[0004] ABSTRACT

[0005] The present invention relates to an excavator dozer blade attachment and alternative cutting system that utilises the dozer blade of an excavator to perform cutting operations on items such as timber or firewood.

[0006] EXCAVATOR DOZER BLADE ATTACHMENT & FIREWOOD CUTTING SYSTEM

[0007] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0008] (001) The present invention relates to an excavator dozer blade attachment and alternative cutting system that utilises the dozer blade of an excavator to perform cutting operations on items such as timber or firewood.

[0009] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0010] (002) The use of excavators to perform cutting operations is well known in the art. Sawquip Log Ripper X09 details merely one example of a saw head attached to the end of an excavator boom and stick. Such saws are used for the purpose of de-limbing trees or docking / bucking logs for firewood production. The problem with such devices is that the excavator’s entire functionality is consumed by the operation of such saws. When logs are felled and placed in piles in order for the excavator saw to be used to dock the logs into firewood length pieces the saw is often driven into the soil, or surrounding logs, reducing its performance and shortening the life of the blade. The excavator’s functionality being used to run the saw, rather than operate other equipment such as a grapple, also means the user is unable to relocate the logs easily to produce consistent pieces of firewood in an efficient manner.

[0011] (003) The use of firewood processors to dock or buck firewood logs into saleable pieces is also well known in the art. Refer to the Cordking Model 44 or Whitlands Rex 650C as merely two examples. While such devices can produce firewood at high efficiency from logged timber they also suffer from significant drawbacks. All such firewood processors require the loading of logged timber into or onto a cutting deck in which the log is moved or clamped whilst sawing takes place. Even with the addition of extended log decks to supply said logs all the logs must be supplied and loaded initially by another machine, often in the form of an excavator with a grapple or wheeled loader with forks. The high capital cost of owning multiple pieces of equipment, as well as the increased operating cost of running multiple pieces of equipment at once can also make such systems cost prohibitive to small firewood producers. (004) Another variation of firewood processors is the Halvorsen HWP-150 firewood processor. This device can be mounted as an attachment to a variety of bobcats or excavators and makes use of the equipment’s ability to lift logs via its prongs as well as the hydraulic system in order to cut them. The device is limited in output however as the use of forks or prongs to lift and extricate logs from piles of timber requires considerable operator skill and can slow the ability of the device to load and handle logs. Additionally, the use of chainsaw based cutting means increases the cycle / cutting time when used with heavy hardwoods, such as Australian eucalyptus, when compared with the circular saw blades operated on large firewood processors.

[0012] (005) Standalone firewood saw benches or buzz saws are also well known in the art. Refer to Sawquip or Raptor brand firewood saw benches as merely two examples. Such devices utilise a variety of power sources to rotate a circular blade on a fixed shaft. These may include a tractor PTO, hydraulic power, or standalone engine. The majority employ either a pivoting or sliding table in which the user holds and pushes logs through the saw which remains spinning in a stationary location. All such devices suffer from the considerable drawback that logs require manual handling to place them onto said table for cutting, as well as manual handling during the cutting process itself. Saw benches are the most common, and lowest capital cost, piece of equipment of the above detailed devices but are also the most physically demanding for a user to operate.

[0013] (006) The process of producing blocked firewood from logged timber is a uniquely challenging cutting operation with log location, size, shape and straightness all highly variable. Numerous devices and systems around the world have attempted to address the challenge of manipulating a log or saw to efficiently produce cut pieces in a cost-effective manner, but none thus far address all the challenges in a single device.

[0014] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0015] (007) The purpose of the invention is to produce a cutting device and system that largely overcomes or at least minimises the handling challenges of producing cut firewood.

[0016] (008) The proposed invention may make use of the dozer blade of an excavator to lift and lower an attached cutting device relative to a piece of timber that may be held in a grapple operated by the same excavator.

[0017] (009) Dozer blades are common components on excavators in the mini (0.5ton) to midi (8ton) category, as well as becoming more prevalent in larger machines. A dozer blade is typically mounted to the undercarriage of an excavator body. It pivots upwards and downwards based on the extension or contraction of a hydraulic actuator controlled by the operator. Typically, the blade is used for backfilling or levelling operations and provides a means for the excavator to push piles of soil or material into low spots or trenches. The range of motion of such blades is also limited to an up-and-down direction. However, in some excavators an additional hydraulic ram may be provided that allows the user to control a direction of the blade in a horizontal plane to direct soil in a specific direction when bulldozed by the machine.

[0018] (010) An object of the present invention is to make use of this additional, albeit limited, movement of the excavator blade to control a device that may be attached to said blade for the purpose of elevated cutting.

[0019] (011) A further object of the present invention is to produce a cutting device or system that can be operated by a single person, to not only cut timber into firewood pieces, but also move timber from piles or directly from fallen trees.

[0020] (012) The excavator dozer blade cutting attachment solves the problems encountered by current excavator saws as by having the cutting device mounted to the dozer blade of the machine, rather than at the end of the stick, the excavator operator is able to use the mobility of the excavators main boom and turntable to rotate, grab, and position a log or piece of timber where it can be easily viewed by the operator and cut via the use of the dozer blade 4 function being lowered. This greatly increases the efficiency of an excavator as a cutting machine by making use of all its hydraulic functions and producing cut timber more quickly.

[0021] (014) The dozer blade mounted saw may be used in a stand-alone manner; that is the log or piece of timber may be held in the air at an appropriate position before the blade is lowered through it to perform the cut. Alternatively, the device may make use of a log support or frame arrangement that allows the user to easily and quickly position the log, repeatedly, at the correct height and length for the log to be cut. This log support or frame arrangement may be a standalone addition or may be connectable and disconnect able from the dozer blade mounted cutting device.

[0022] (015) The dozer blade mounted saw may take advantage of the fact that whilst excavator dozer blades have a limited range of motion vertically, to raise and lower the blade, because the excavator dozer blade is being raised and lowered from a pivoting point behind the lifting cylinder that is raising it, any further distance extended forward of this blade results in a larger range of vertical motion as effectively the excavator dozer blade cutting attachment represents an extension of an arc of travel.

[0023] (016) The mounting or means of attachment to the dozer blade may be formed by a shape that encloses, hooks, clamps or wedges onto the dozer blade with or without the use of external fastenings such as screws, bolts, chains or turnbuckles

[0024] (017) The mounting or means of attachment may be formed by any one of ball and cup, drawbar and pin, hook and pintle, chain and dog, or other similar means of attachment adapted to form attachment with an excavator blade.

[0025] (018) The power or actuating means of the cutting device may be provided by a hydraulic motor driven by the excavator.

[0026] (019) The hydraulic motor may be powered by a hammer line of the excavator when attached to the excavator.

[0027] (020) The power or actuating means of the cutting device may be provided by an independent diesel, petrol or electric motor not requiring power from the excavator. (021) The independent motor or power source may be controlled and operated remotely by the user from the operating position of the excavator.

[0028] (022) An extension or frame may be configured to raise the cutting head from a height equal to the excavator’s dozer blade to an elevated height that is suitable for cutting logged material without driving the cutting head into the ground.

[0029] (023) The extension or frame may be angled or define vertical and horizontal sections that are adjustable in length to allow the user to define a max raised height and max lowered height for the cutting head.

[0030] (024) The extension or frame may be sized or adjusted to meet the required cutting range of motion of the cutting head, based on the known movement permitted by the excavator’s dozer blade, and the diameter or length of the cutting device.

[0031] (025) The extension or frame may comprise a portion that remains on the ground during operation and provides a sizing and support base for logs prior to cutting with the cutting head.

[0032] (026) An additional frame portion to the extension frame may be a stand-alone dolly or sawhorse that the user can position a log upon to complete the cutting operation. The size of this additional frame portion may also be adjustable for intended cutting height and intended cut length.

[0033] (027) The cutting device may include a tungsten tipped circular timber saw, a rock saw, a chain saw or other known means of cutting.

[0034] (028) The excavator dozer blade attachment may also be converted into a standard saw bench.

[0035] (029) The excavator dozer blade attachment may be attached to the centre, left or right sides of the excavator dozer blade. (030) The excavator dozer blade attachment, or the additional frame in the form of the standalone dolly or sawhorse, may also comprise a log splitter or log elevator being attached to it for further processing or piling cut logs.

[0036] (031) A method of use of the excavator dozer blade attachment forming a system of firewood processing comprising:

[0037] The operator grabbing a log of timber with a grapple or grab operated at the end of a stick of an excavator, swinging the whole log to the front of the machine defined by the excavator dozer blade,

[0038] Placing the log beneath the cutting head of the excavator dozer blade attachment,

[0039] Cutting the log by lowering the excavator’s dozer blade which drives the cutting head through the held log,

[0040] After completing the cut, raising the cutting head of the excavator dozer blade attachment by reversing the action of the excavator’s dozer blade upward,

[0041] Moving the log using the stick and grapple / grab to the next cutting position and repeating the process, wherein the timber or log is cut into firewood pieces of a length selected by the excavator operator

[0042] (032) The user may move the log under the excavator dozer blade attachment via any means of stick, boom, swing or boom swing movement of the excavators’ controls.

[0043] DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] Figure 1-

[0045] Depicts an excavator with an excavator dozer blade cutting attachment in a lowered position. In this embodiment the excavator dozer blade attachment has a mounting device or means of attachment in the form of a clamped wedge attachment to the top edge of the excavator dozer blade. To simplify the figure the frame extension linking the dozer blade means of attachment with the cutting head is depicted in a straight-out orientation. To simplify this figure further and highlight the overall orientation the power or actuating means of the cutting head is also not depicted but may be in the form of a hydraulic motor supplied power from the excavator or alternatively an independent power source in the form of a petrol, diesel or electric motor. It is noted that the frame extension may be mounted at a raised position above the dozer blade or may be mounted at an inclined angle upward from the dozer blade to raise the lowered position of the cutting head when the excavator dozer blade is in the lowered position.

[0046] Figure 2-

[0047] Depicts an excavator with a excavator dozer blade cutting attachment in a raised position. As per figure 1 the dozer blade attachment or mounting means is in the form of a clamping mount, with the frame extension simply depicted as a straight attachment. The purpose of this figure is to highlight the greater range of cutting head movement permitted by the fact the dozer blade operates as an arc. Specifically, the travel or range of cutting performed by the cutting head is governed by its distance horizontally forward of the dozer blade. For example, an excavator dozer blade as depicted may only have a lifting range of approximately 380mm at the excavator dozer blade edge itself, however the cutting head extended out by the extension frame as depicted has a range of travel of approximately 1000mm. This is due to the pivot point of the dozer blade of the excavator being behind the lifting point of the dozer blade, in effect creating an arc of travel. As detailed in relation to figure 1, the starting lowered and raised positions of the cutting head can be selected by the user by mounting the framed extension portion at a raised vertical position relative to the dozer blade, or by mounting the frame extension at an angle to the dozer blade.

Claims

Figure 3-Depicts an isometric or angled view of the excavator dozer blade attachment of figures 1 & 2. Again, for simplicity with the extension frame extending directly outward from the dozer blade clamping attachment means and with the power or actuating means of the cutting head removed and not depicted.Figure 4-Depicts a side view of the excavator dozer blade attachment of figures 1-3.Figure 5-Depicts an overhead view of the excavator dozer blade attachment of figures 1-4.Figure 6-Depicts a front view of the excavator dozer blade attachment of figures 1-5.Figure 7-Depicts an excavator with a dozer blade attachment operating as a cutting system. The excavator operator has grabbed a log with the grab or grapple at the end of the excavator stick and is swivelling to the front of the excavator where the excavator dozer blade attachment is in a raised position to receive the log. Note, the additional separate frame of the dolly or sawhorse configured to receive positioning of the log for cutting by the user.Figure 8-Depicts an excavator dozer blade attachment operating as a cutting system. The excavator operator has continued swivelling to the front of the machine and has progressed the log horizontally into the end stop of the dolly or sawhorse to set the cut log length. The excavator operator will then lower the grapple, so the log is supported by the dolly and then drive the cutting head through the log by lowering the excavator dozer blade. Upon completion of the cut, the excavator operator will raise the dozer blade to lift the cutting head, reposition the logusing the grapple, and complete another cut. Note, the height of the dolly and the distance between the cradle depicted on the left-hand side and the length governing plate on the right hand side may all be adjusted to allow the excavator operator to cut logs at a convenient height and to a predetermined length. Further, the base of this dolly or sawhorse where the cut logs will fall may also be provided with means to attach a log elevator to stack the cut logs, or a log splitter to further process the cut logs. The dolly or sawhorse may be a separate component from the excavator dozer blade attachment or have means of attachment to the extension frame of the attachment to allow for easy movement to the next processing location by the excavator operator.Figure 9-Depicts an embodiment of an excavator dozer blade cutting attachment from a front on viewFigure 10-Depicts an embodiment of an excavator dozer blade cutting attachment from a side angled viewFigure 11-Depicts an embodiment of an excavator dozer blade cutting attachment showing a close up of a sawhorse. The sawhorse top surface may define a roller to allow logs to be pushed across it without being raised by a grappleFigure 12-Depicts an embodiment of an excavator dozer blade cutting attachment means in the form of a hooked over clamp tightened by turnbucklesFigure 13-Depicts an embodiment of an excavator dozer blade cutting attachment when removed from the excavator dozer blade depicting a hooked over clamping attachment means longitudinal profileCLAIMSClaim 1-An excavator dozer blade attachment, comprising:A means of attachment to the dozer blade,A cutting device or head in the form of a saw or blade,A power or actuating means to drive the cutting headClaim 2-The excavator dozer blade attachment of claim 1, wherein the mounting or means of attachment to the dozer blade may be formed by a shape that encloses, hooks, clamps or wedges onto the dozer blade with or without the use of external fastenings such as screws, bolts, chains or turnbucklesClaim 3-The excavator dozer blade attachment of claim 1, wherein the mounting or means of attachment may be formed by any one of ball and cup, drawbar and pin, hook and pintle, chain and dog, or other similar means of attachment adapted to form attachment with an excavator blade.Claim 4-The excavator dozer blade attachment of claim 1, wherein the power or actuating means of the cutting device may be provided by a hydraulic motor driven by the excavator.Claim 5-The excavator dozer blade attachment of claim 4, wherein the hydraulic motor may be powered by a hammer line, or a secondary blade tilt hydraulic line of the excavator when attached to the excavator.Claim 6-The excavator dozer blade attachment of claim 1, wherein the power or actuating means of the cutting device may be provided by an independent diesel, petrol or electric motor not requiring power from the excavator.Claim 7-The excavator dozer blade attachment of claim 6, wherein the independent motor or power source may be controlled and operated remotely by the user from the operating position of the excavator.Claim 8-The excavator dozer blade attachment of claim 1, wherein an extension or frame may be provided between the cutting head and the means of attachment to the dozer blade, this extension or frame being configured to raise the cutting head from a height equal to the excavator’s dozer blade to an elevated height that is suitable for cutting logged material without driving the cutting head into the ground.Claim 9-The excavator dozer blade attachment of claim 8, wherein the extension or frame may be angled, or define vertical and horizontal sections that are adjustable in length to allow the user to define a max raised height and max lowered height for the cutting head.Claim 10-The excavator dozer blade attachment of claim 8, wherein the extension or frame may be sized or adjusted to meet the required cutting range of motion of the cutting head, based on

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