Apparatus for bundling firewood

Claim 1

An apparatus for bundling firewood, said apparatus comprising: a frame assembly; first wood engaging means fixed to said frame assembly and including a first wood pressing member engaging said firewood at only the outer portions thereof; second wood engaging means mounted on said frame assembly for movement in a predetermined path toward and away from said first wood engaging means, said second wood engaging means including a second wood pressing member engagable with said firewood at only the outer portions thereof so that movement of said second engaging means toward said first wood engaging means compresses a plurality of pieces of firewood positioned in said predetermined path between said first and second wood engaging means while not contacting the center portion of said pieces of firewood; actuating means connected with said second wood engaging means to cause movement of the same toward and away from said first wood engaging means, said actuating means causing a predetermined multi-ton pressure to be applied between said wood engaging means to compress firewood therebetween when said wood engagig means are brought toward one another; binding means mounted on said frame assembly for binding firewood at said central portion while said firewood is under compression between said first and second wood engaging means; and control means including an electrical system for controlling operation of said actuating means and said binding means.

Claim 2

An apparatus for bundling firewood, said apparatus comprising: a frame assembly; first wood engaging means fixed to said frame assembly and including a first wood pressing member engaging said firewood at only the outer portions thereof; second wood engaging means mounted on said frame assembly for movement in a predetermined path toward and away from said first wood engaging means, said second wood engaging means including a second wood pressing member engagable with said firewood at only the outer portions thereof so that movement of said second engaging means toward said first wood engaging means compresses a plurality of pieces of firewood positioned in said predetermined path between said first and second wood engaging means while not contacting the center portion of said pieces of firewood; actuating means connected with said second wood engaging means to cause movement of the same toward and away from said first wood engaging means, said actuating means causing a predetermined multi-ton pressure to be applied between said wood engaging means to compress firewood therebetween when said wood engagig means are brought toward one another; binding means mounted on said frame assembly for binding firewood at said central portion while said firewood is under compression between said first and second wood engaging means; and control means including an electrical system for controlling operation of said actuating means and said binding means.

Claim 10

An apparatus for bundling wood suitable for use as logs in a wood-burning fireplace, said apparatus comprising: a rigid frame assembly; a base section fixed to said frame assembly and including a first pair of substantially U-shaped members, said members being spaced from one another and upwardly opening so that a plurality of pieces of wood to be bundled can be loaded thereon with the outer portions of said pieces of wood being adjacent to said U-shaped members; a press platen section mounted above said base section for reciprocal vertical motion on said frame assembly, said press platen section including a second pair of substantially U-shaped members spaced from one another a distance substantially equal to the spacing between said first pair of U-shaped members and substantially aligned therewith, said second pair of U-shaped members being downwardly opening so that when the outer portions of said first and second pairs of U-shaped members are brought into contiguous relationship by movement of said press platen section downwardly towards said base section pieces of wood loaded onto said base section are compressed between said U-shaped members to form a substantially cylindrical bundle; a hydraulic ram assembly for causing movement of said press platen downwardly upon application of sufficient hydraulic pressure to cause compression and contouring of said pieces of wood into said bundle by application of a mulit-ton pressure between said press platen and said base section and for causing movement of said press platen upwardly to remove said compression upon application of hydraulic pressure in the opposite direction; strapping means mounted on said frame assembly and positioned between said U-shaped members of said base section and said press platen section to apply a strap around the central portion of said pieces of wood when compressed by said U-shaped members; and electro-pneumatic control means connected with said hydraulic ram assembly and said strapping means to automatically control movement of said press platen section and said strapping means with a strap being applied to said compressed wood bundle prior to release of compression thereon exerted by said U-shaped members so that a tightly strapped wood bundle is produced.

Claim 11

An apparatus for bundling wood suitable for use as logs in a wood-burning fireplace, said apparatus comprising: a rigid frame assembly; a base section fixed to said frame assembly and including a first pair of substantially U-shaped members, said members being spaced from one another and upwardly opening so that a plurality of pieces of wood to be bundled can be loaded thereon with the outer portions of said pieces of wood being adjacent to said U-shaped members; a press platen section mounted above said base section for reciprocal vertical motion on said frame assembly, said press platen section including a second pair of substantially U-shaped members spaced from one another a distance substantially equal to the spacing between said first pair of U-shaped members and substantially aligned therewith, said second pair of U-shaped members being downwardly opening so that when the outer portions of said first and second pairs of U-shaped members are brought into contiguous relationship by movement of said press platen section downwardly towards said base section pieces of wood loaded onto said base section are compressed between said U-shaped members to form a substantially cylindrical bundle; a hydraulic ram assembly for causing movement of said press platen downwardly upon application of sufficient hydraulic pressure to cause compression and contouring of said pieces of wood into said bundle by application of a mulit-ton pressure between said press platen and said base section and for causing movement of said press platen upwardly to remove said compression upon application of hydraulic pressure in the opposite direction; strapping means mounted on said frame assembly and positioned between said U-shaped members of said base section and said press platen section to apply a strap around the central portion of said pieces of wood when compressed by said U-shaped members; and electro-pneumatic control means connected with said hydraulic ram assembly and said strapping means to automatically control movement of said press platen section and said strapping means with a strap being applied to said compressed wood bundle prior to release of compression thereon exerted by said U-shaped members so that a tightly strapped wood bundle is produced.