摘要 |
<p>A tree cutting method and apparatus includes at least one shear blade having its tree contacting edge recessed to define a pair of spaced shearing edges with a fiber receiving groove therebetween. A fiber removing device is recessed within the groove out of contact with the solid wood of the tree and is preferably in the form of a driven endless fiber removing chain. As pressure is applied by the spaced shearing edges of shear projections of the blade against the tree, the fiber removing device removes the fibers that are fed into the groove. The removal of fibers greatly reduces the transverse force required by the shear blade to penetrate the tree or bole, and further reduces the resulting longitudinal shearing forces applied to the tree due to the longitudinal compression as the blade moves transversely through the tree thereby minimizing longitudinal splitting of the bole. The partially crushed fibers require less force than a saw cutting through solid wood to remove the wood from the tree during the severing operation. -1a-</p> |