Apparatus for removing branches and bark from felled trees

摘要

An apparatus for cutting off branches and debarking of felled trees which are pulled through a stationary knife system having a plurality of knives extending transversely with respect to the tree trunk axis is disclosed. In accordance with a preferred embodiment a plurality of knives for cutting off branches and a plurality of knives for removing the bark is swingably secured on shafts which extend in parallel with respect to the axis of a ring and secured thereto, which ring surrounds the trunk being pulled therethrough. The knives can be swung about the shafts and are resiliently pressable against the trunk by drive means. The knives for debarking are arranged on a forward face, with respect to the direction of travel of the trunk, of the ring and are disposed with their broad sides with respect to the trunk at a small angle of incidence with respect to the tree surface while the cutting edges of the debarking knives extend at an angle of from 20 DEG to 60 DEG with respect to the forward surface and the debarking knives are staggeredly arranged in the direction of the axis of the ring. The knives for cutting off the branches are disposed on a rearward surface of the ring, in the direction of the movement of the trunk, and their broad sides extend parallel with respect to the trunk surface while their cutting edges extend parallel with respect to the ring surface on which they are mounted. The knives for cutting off branches are staggeredly arranged with respect to each other in the direction of the axis of the ring.