Brush chipper

Claim 2

Apparatus for reducing material such as trees, brush, and the like to chips comprising: a frame provided with a chipping station; means on said frame for conveying said material forwardly toward said chipping station; and chipping means on said frame at said chipping station for cutting said forwardly moving material into chips, including a chipping disc, having an upstream rear face and a downstream front face, rotatable about an axis, a single, generally radially disposed, chipping knife means mounted on said disc for cutting said forwardly moving material into chips at said chipping station as said chipping disc rotates; said disc being unslotted except for a single slot extending from said rear face to said front face adjacent said knife means to receive and axially forwardly pass said chips; and means fixed for rotation with said disc downstream of said slot and generally axially aligned therewith for statically balancing said chipping means.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 including a plurality of generally radially disposed, circumferentially spaced, fan blades mounted to the rear face of said disc for expelling said chips.

Claim 4

The apparatus set forth in claim 2 wherein said static balancing means comprises a radial wall spanning a pair of said fan blades on circumferentially opposite sides of said slot to provide an enclosure for said chips.

Claim 5

The apparatus set forth in claim 3 including a shaft rotatable on said frame about its axis, said fan blades being welded to said shaft for rotation therewith, and said disc being welded to said blades.

Claim 6

The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein the leading edge of said blade means intersects the rotational axis of said chipping disc.

Claim 7

The apparatus set forth in claim 1 including means for rotating said disc at such a velocity as to draw the material axially toward the disc at a chipping rate within the range of 20 to 85 feet per minute.

Claim 8

The apparatus set forth in claim 1 including a feed plate upstream of said disc having a feed opening at one lateral side of said axis and providing a generally horizontal support surface for said material being chipped.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 7 including means for driving said disc in such a direction that said material is driven downwardly by said chipping knife means toward said support surface.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said disc is vertically inclined so that the lower half of said disc is downstream of the uppeR half of said disc, said conveying means including a downwardly forwardly inclined material feed chute, and rotatable feed roll means positioned above said chute for cramming said material toward said disc.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein means is provided for mounting said feed roll for swinging movement about an axis generally parallel to said first mentioned axis.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said feed roll is so mounted that it tends to move said material in a path generally parallel to the rotational axis of said chipping disc.

Claim 13

Apparatus for reducing material such as trees, brush and the like, to chips comprising: a frame with a chipping station; a knived chipper disc mounted on said frame at said chipping station for rotation about a vertically inclined axis so that the upper half of said disc is upstream of the lower half of said disc; means for conveying said material to said chipping station, including a downwardly inclined material support chute, and endless drive means on said frame above said support chute for vertically engaging the material on said support and moving it forwardly toward said chipper disc; said endless drive means being pivoted for vertical swinging movement about a longitudinal axis at one side of said chute, said endless drive means extending to a position on the opposite side of said vertically inclined axis to urge the material being fed away from said rotational axis and said longitudinal axis.

Claim 14

Apparatus for reducing material such as trees, brush and the like, to chips comprising: a frame with a chipping station; a knived chipper disc mounted on said frame at said chipping station for rotation about a vertically inclined axis so that the upper half of said disc is upstream of the lower half of said disc; means for conveying said material to said chipping station, including a downwardly inclined material support chute, and endless drive means on said frame above said support chute for vertically engaging the material on said support and moving it forwardly toward said chipper disc; said endless drive means being pivoted for vertical swinging movement about a longitudinal axis at one side of said chute, said endless drive means extending to a position on the opposite side of said vertically inclined axis to urge the material being fed away from said rotational axis and said longitudinal axis.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 12 including a feed plate upstream of said disc having a feed opening at said opposite side and generally above said rotational axis; said chute being generally longitudinally aligned with said opening, said disc including a chipping knife extending generally radially outwardly from the rotational axis of said disc; and means is provided for driving said disc about said rotational axis in a direction to move said chipping knife in a path to force said material forwardly toward said supply chute.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said longitudinal axis is generally above a horizontal plane intersecting the axis of said chipping disc.

Claim 17

Apparatus for reducing material such as trees, brush and the like, to chips comprising: a frame with a chipping station; a knived chipper disc mounted on said frame at said chipping station for rotation about a rotational axis; a material supply chute positioned at one side of said rotational axis for directing material to be chipped to a position between the periphery and rotational axis of said disc; means for conveying said material to said chipping station, including material support means, and endless drive means on said frame above said support chute for vertically engaging the material on said support means and moving it forwardly toward said chipper disc; said endless drive means being pivoted for vertical swinging movement about a longitudinal axis at the opposite side of said rotational axis and extending to a position on said one side of said rotational axis to urge the material being fed away from said rotational axis and said longitudinal axis.

Claim 18

Apparatus for reducing material such as trees, brush and the like, to chips comprising: a frame with a chipping station; a knived chipper disc mounted on said frame at said chipping station for rotation about a rotational axis; a material supply chute positioned at one side of said rotational axis for directing material to be chipped to a position between the periphery and rotational axis of said disc; means for conveying said material to said chipping station, including material support means, and endless drive means on said frame above said support chute for vertically engaging the material on said support means and moving it forwardly toward said chipper disc; said endless drive means being pivoted for vertical swinging movement about a longitudinal axis at the opposite side of said rotational axis and extending to a position on said one side of said rotational axis to urge the material being fed away from said rotational axis and said longitudinal axis.

Claim 19

Apparatus for reducing material such as trees, brush, and the like to chips comprising: a frame; a shaft rotatably mounted about a longitudinal axis on said frame; means mounting said shaft on said frame; a generally longitudinally extending feed bed on said frame; a powered feed member for said feed bed for moving material along said feed bed; a reversible drive for said feed member for selectively withdrawing as well as advancing material; a chipper disc, extending in a plane generally crosswise of said feed bed and having axially spaced end faces, fixed to said shaft for rotation therewith, said disc having a working face portion confronting said material on the feed bed which is substantially imperforate except for a single generally radially disposed slot extending from one axial end face of said disc to the other aXial end face of said disc; a generally radially disposed single chipper knife blade mechanism on said disc generally adjacent said slot for cutting said material into chips and angularly disposed to said feed bed for axially drawing said material along said feed bed toward said disc; and means for rotating said knife mechanism and operating said feed member drive at a correlated rate considering the angular disposition of said single knife mechanism sufficient to draw the material forwardly at a predetermined linear speed to enable the single angularly disposed knife blade mechanism to reduce it to chips, and to selectively withdraw said material.

Claim 20

Apparatus for reducing material such as trees, brush, and the like to chips comprising: a frame; a shaft rotatably mounted about a longitudinal axis on said frame; means mounting said shaft on said frame; a generally longitudinally extending feed bed on said frame; a powered feed member for said feed bed for moving material along said feed bed; a reversible drive for said feed member for selectively withdrawing as well as advancing material; a chipper disc, extending in a plane generally crosswise of said feed bed and having axially spaced end faces, fixed to said shaft for rotation therewith, said disc having a working face portion confronting said material on the feed bed which is substantially imperforate except for a single generally radially disposed slot extending from one axial end face of said disc to the other aXial end face of said disc; a generally radially disposed single chipper knife blade mechanism on said disc generally adjacent said slot for cutting said material into chips and angularly disposed to said feed bed for axially drawing said material along said feed bed toward said disc; and means for rotating said knife mechanism and operating said feed member drive at a correlated rate considering the angular disposition of said single knife mechanism sufficient to draw the material forwardly at a predetermined linear speed to enable the single angularly disposed knife blade mechanism to reduce it to chips, and to selectively withdraw said material.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said shaft is rotated at a rate which will draw said material toward said disc at 51 feet per minute.

Claim 22

The apparatus as set forth in claim 16 wherein said predetermined speed is substantially 20 to 85 feet per minute.

Claim 23

The apparatus as set forth in claim 16 wherein means, fixed for rotation with said disc downstream of said slot and generally axially aligned therewith, is provided for statically balancing said knife mechanism.

Claim 24

The apparatus as set forth in claim 19 wherein a plurality of generally radially disposed, circumferentially spaced fan blades are mounted at the rear face of said disc for expelling said chips, and said means for statically balancing said knife mechanism comprises a radial wall spanning a pair of fan blades which are located on circumferentially opposite sides of said slot to provide an enclosure for said chips.

Claim 25

The apparatus as set forth in claim 20 wherein said fan blades are welded to said shaft for rotation therewith, and are also welded to said disc, and said disc is welded to said shaft.

Claim 26

The apparatus as set forth in claim 16 wherein said knife mechanism has a leading edge which substantially intersects the rotational axis of said chipping disc.

Claim 27

The apparatus as set forth in claim 16 wherein said disc is angularly disposed in a vertically inclined plane so that the lower half of said disc is downstream of the upper half of said disc.

Claim 28

The apparatus as set forth in claim 16 wherein said feed member includes a rotatable roll pivoted for vertical swinging movement about a longitudinal axis at one side of said feed bed and disc axis, and extends to a position on the opposite side of said disc axis at an inclined angle with said feed bed to cam said material radially away from said disc axis.

Claim 29

The apparatus as set forth in claim 24 wherein that said axis about which the roll swings is generally above a horizontal plane intersecting the axis of said chipping disc.

Claim 30

The apparatus as set forth in claim 25 wherein the lower end of said feed bed includes an opening in a stationary cover for said chipper disc having a generally horizontal support surface for material being chipped which extends in a horizontal plane substantially at the level of a horizontal plane through said axis.

Claim 31

The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said opening terminates at its radially inner marginal edge short of a vertical plane through the axis of rotation of said chipper disc.

Claim 32

Apparatus for reducing material such as trees, brush, and the like to chips comprising: a frame, a shaft rotatably mounted about a longitudinal axis on said frame; means mounting said shaft on said frame; a generally longitudinally extending feed bed on said frame; a chipper disc assembly, including a disc on said shaft and an entrance chute at one side of said axis, said disc extending in a plane generally crosswise of said feed bed and having axial spaced end faces, fixed to said shaft for rotation therewith, said disc having a working face portion confronting said feed bed which has a generally radially disposed slot extending from one axial end face of said disc to the other axial end face of said disc; a generally radially disposed chipper knife blade mechanism on said disc generally adjacent said slot for cutting said material into chips and angularly disposed for axially drawing said material along said feed bed toward said disc; a subframe mounted on said frame; a powered roll member rotatably mounted on said subframe above said feed bed for moving material along said feed bed toward said disc; said subframe being pivoted for vertical swinging movement about a longitudinal axis at one side of the disc axis in a position to dispose a portion of the roll on the opposite side of the disc axis in general alignment with said chute and at an inclined angle with said feed bed to cam the material radially away from the disc axis; a reversible drive for said roll member for selectively withdrawing as well as advancing material; and means for rotating said knife mechanism and operating said feed member drive at a correlated rate considering the angular disposition of said knife mechanism sufficient to draw the material forwardly at a predetermined linear speed to enable the angularly disposed knife blade mechanism to reduce the material to chips, and to selectively withdraw said material.

Claim 33

Apparatus for reducing material such as trees, brush, and the like to chips comprising: a frame, a shaft rotatably mounted about a longitudinal axis on said frame; means mounting said shaft on said frame; a generally longitudinally extending feed bed on said frame; a chipper disc assembly, including a disc on said shaft and an entrance chute at one side of said axis, said disc extending in a plane generally crosswise of said feed bed and having axial spaced end faces, fixed to said shaft for rotation therewith, said disc having a working face portion confronting said feed bed which has a generally radially disposed slot extending from one axial end face of said disc to the other axial end face of said disc; a generally radially disposed chipper knife blade mechanism on said disc generally adjacent said slot for cutting said material into chips and angularly disposed for axially drawing said material along said feed bed toward said disc; a subframe mounted on said frame; a powered roll member rotatably mounted on said subframe above said feed bed for moving material along said feed bed toward said disc; said subframe being pivoted for vertical swinging movement about a longitudinal axis at one side of the disc axis in a position to dispose a portion of the roll on the opposite side of the disc axis in general alignment with said chute and at an inclined angle with said feed bed to cam the material radially away from the disc axis; a reversible drive for said roll member for selectively withdrawing as well as advancing material; and means for rotating said knife mechanism and operating said feed member drive at a correlated rate considering the angular disposition of said knife mechanism sufficient to draw the material forwardly at a predetermined linear speed to enable the angularly disposed knife blade mechanism to reduce the material to chips, and to selectively withdraw said material.

Claim 34

The apparatus as set forth in claim 28 wherein the axis about which the subframe pivots is generally above a horizontal plane intersecting the chipping disc axis of rotation.

Claim 35

The apparatus as set forth in claim 28 in which said chute lower edge extends in a substantially horizontal plane substantially at the level of the axis of rotation of the chipping disc.