Tree harvesting

摘要

A tree harvester (3) is mounted on the front end of a steerable self-propelled vehicle (2) in line with the vehicle's longitudinal axis (8). The harvester frame (11) is pivotable about a longitudinal axis (13). A telescoping boom (15) having a plurality of grab jaws (24, 25) at one end is mounted on the frame for pivoting between a vertical and horizontal transverse position. Delimbing jaws (30, 31) are fixedly mounted to the frame. When the boom is vertical and retracted, the jaws are in line and form a pocket (36) which faces transversely so that the harvester can be steered sideways into the tree for grabbing and cutting off ahead of the vehicle. The harvester is then pivoted so that the boom and cut tree are disposed horizontally transversely and above the ground ahead of one side of the device. The boom is then extended so that the grab jaws thereon pull the cut tree trunk through the delimbing jaws. The delimbing jaws are provided with fore and aft cutting edges (51, 52) so that a secondary delimbing operation may be performed by retracting the boom with the cut tree trunk still intact. The felled and delimbed trunk is cut into uniform lengths on one side of the device by a saw (39) disposed in a protective housing adjacent the delimber jaws.