Curved Jaw Tree Puller for Dirt Flow and Serration Renewal

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional tree puller attachments face challenges with flat planar jaws that struggle to loosen dirt effectively, leading to potential hydraulic system contamination and damage, and lack easy serration replacement options.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates non-planar, continuously curved jaws to enhance digging performance and reroutes dirt away from hydraulic components, while removable serrated plates allow for easy serration renewal.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If flat planar jaws are used, then the structure is simple, but the digging performance and dirt loosening efficiency deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvejaw structure simplicityVSAvoiddirt loosening efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies curvature by transitioning from flat planar jaws to curved jaws with a radius of curvature. The curved jaw surface allows for better penetration into the ground and more effective loosening of dirt around tree roots, directly addressing the poor digging performance of flat jaws while maintaining structural feasibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Ease of operation

If flat planar jaws are used, then the hydraulic system is easy to access, but dirt contamination of the hydraulic system increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehydraulic system accessibilityVSAvoidhydraulic system contamination

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The curved jaw design acts as an intermediary that changes the flow path of dirt and debris. By curving the jaw surface, the patent redirects dirt away from the hydraulic system components, preventing contamination while the hydraulic system remains accessible for maintenance operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Device complexity

If serrations are permanently attached to jaws, then the structure is simple, but serration replacement and maintenance become difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveserration attachment structureVSAvoidserration replacement ease

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the serrated plates from the main jaw structure, allowing them to be independently removed and replaced. This segmentation enables easy maintenance of the serrations without requiring replacement of the entire jaw assembly, directly addressing the difficulty of serration replacement while maintaining overall structural simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS20250241251A1Tree puller attachment

Publication Date: 2025.07.31 CORRIHER THEODORE H

AI summary

A tree puller attachment for an industrial or farm vehicle includes first and second jaws, which can close relative to each other to grip a trunk of a tree, shrubbery, a pole, etc. Each jaw includes a horizontally oriented, non-planar member for improved digging performance. The non-planar member is continuously curved or substantially continuously curved, by the formation of a series of short curvatures or bends along the length of the jaw. The jaws are driven by a hydraulic cylinder. Dirt riding along a surface of a member of the jaws has a clear path to pass by the hydraulic system, without contaminating or exerting pressure upon the hydraulic system. A removeable plate is attached to each of the jaws, so that serrations on facing edges of the first and second jaws, and forward-facing serrations may be replenished to a new condition when the plate is removed, rotated one hundred and eighty degrees and reattached to the jaws.