Deere + Company

Timberjack, Inc.

John Deere Forestry, Inc.

John Deere Canada Ulc

Benjamin DiSabatino

Eric J Hartsell

Maurice Micacchi

Bryon P Neumann

Allan J Wildey

Michael Francis James

A saw disc assembly includes a circular plate having a mounting lug defining a V-shaped lug mounting profile extending between first and second sides of a tooth mount. A cutting tooth includes a shank-less body defining a cutting profile at a cutting face of the body and a mounting profile at a mounting face of the body having a configuration for complementary engagement with the lug mounting profile. The tooth mounting profile has first and second flat surfaces engageable with the lug mounting profile so that when the tooth is mounted to the lug, the flat surfaces positively resist rotation of the tooth with respect to the lug about the fastener, while a radially inner side of the tooth extending between the cutting and mounting faces is spaced from the lug and the cutting device.

Cutting device tooth mounting arrangement

In accordance with an example embodiment, an attachment for a work vehicle includes a hydraulic motor including a case cavity, a bearing, a mandrel received by the bearing, and a disc saw rotationally coupled to the hydraulic motor via the mandrel. A mandrel cavity surrounds the mandrel, and at least a portion of the bearing is disposed within the mandrel cavity. The mandrel cavity is hydraulically connected to the case cavity downstream of the case cavity.

Lubrication system

A disc saw felling head and a method of assembly for the disc saw felling head including a saw mandrel and bearing arrangement. The saw mandrel and bearing arrangement includes a housing, a mandrel, and first and second preset roller bearing packs. One of the roller bearing packs is a tapered roller double-row preset bearing pack and the other of the roller bearing packs is a cylindrical roller single row preset bearing pack. The housing includes a bore and a first and second shelf, wherein each of the shelves defines a depth of the bearings with respect to the housing to accurately locate the mandrel within the housing. The use of preset bearing packs and a housing having predetermined locations for placement of the present bearing packs provides an assembly which requires fewer adjustments.

Disc saw felling head for a feller buncher

A wrist for a work vehicle includes a frame configured to be attached to the work vehicle, a ring pivotally connected to the frame and including a ring gear and a pilot axially protruding a length beyond the ring gear in a direction away from the frame, a shield cavity with an annular shape which surrounds the pilot and is bounded at least in part by the pilot and the ring gear and with a thickness of the length, a motor including a housing fixedly connected to the frame and an output shaft engaged with the ring gear, a lubricant cavity with boundaries defined at least in part by the frame, the ring, and a lubricant shield. The lubricant shield is removeably secured to the frame with at least a portion of the lubricant shield within the shield cavity.

Lubricant retention shield

In accordance with an example embodiment, a wrist includes a frame, ring gear rotatable about a ring axis, and motor assembly with a pinion subassembly and motor with an output shaft. The pinion subassembly includes an internal spline and pinion connected to opposite sides of an internal shaft and rotatable about a pinion axis, and motor and frame bolt patterns. The motor is fastenable to the pinion subassembly at a plurality of motor-pinion indices via the motor bolt pattern. The pinion subassembly is fastenable to the frame mount at a plurality of pinion-frame indices via the frame bolt pattern so as to mesh the pinion with the ring gear and allow the output shaft to drive the ring gear via the internal spline, internal shaft, and pinion. The distance between the ring axis and the pinion axis varies for the plurality of pinion-frame indices.

Backlash adjustment system and method

A drift control method for a machine that includes a controller, a cutting tool, a motor having a motor shaft for driving a machine function, a control valve, and an operator control for commanding a machine function. The drift control method includes sensing a neutral position of the operator control, and when in the neutral position, further storing a first position of the motor shaft or cutting tool in the controller, detecting a change in position of the motor shaft or cutting tool with a sensor, determining a direction as a function of the change in position, and hydraulically controlling the motor shaft or cutting tool to the first position.

Drift control system of a work machine and method thereof

A saw assembly and saw blade housing are disclosed. The housing includes a pocket portion configured to expose a portion of the saw blade for cutting of material. The housing includes an enclosure portion configured to enclose a portion of the saw blade that is not exposed by the pocket portion. The housing includes an entrance region through which the saw teeth pass during operation of the saw blade in order to enter the enclosure portion from the pocket portion. The housing includes an exhaust vent located within the enclosure portion of the housing and downstream of the entrance region, from the perspective of the operational rotation of the saw blade. The exhaust vent is configured to redirect debris material entering the enclosure portion of the housing via the entrance region, the debris material being redirected in a forward direction from the perspective of a cutting operation utilizing the saw blade.

Debris vent for a saw blade housing

A disk saw felling head comprises a motor housing positioned between a disk saw and harvesting and bunching cylinders so as to provide a visibility window laterally between the motor housing and a mounting post promoting visibility through the visibility window toward a cutting zone.

Disk saw felling head with visibility window

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a disk saw felling head has a fore-aft dimension, a lateral dimension, and a vertical dimension such that the fore-aft dimension, the lateral dimension, and the vertical dimension are perpendicular to one another. The disk saw felling head comprises a frame comprising a first mounting post, a second mounting post, a motor housing, and a horn section, The first and second mounting posts are configured for attaching the disk saw felling head to a base machine and spaced laterally apart from one another relative to the lateral dimension and extending vertically relative to the vertical dimension. The horn section is mounted to a top portion of the first mounting post and a top portion of the second mounting post relative to the vertical dimension.

Disk saw felling head with hydraulic line routing through horn section

Disk saw felling head

Disk saw felling head horn

The accumulator and harvesting arms in a front cut felling head are offset to one side of the machine so as to hold a bundle of cut trees more to one side than the other so as to create more room in front of the accumulator arms to the side of the bundle in which to cut and receive a freshly cut tree.

Felling head with offset arms

A butt plate for a felling head includes a ramped portion in an accumulation pocket. The ramped portion is sloped downward generally toward a line extending in the direction of forward travel of the head. The butt plate allows for high accumulation of trees while retaining stable bunches.

Butt plate for feller buncher

A disc saw felling head has a replaceable lower blade housing and an optional replaceable wear liner in the housing.

Disc saw felling head housing improvements

A saw blade for a tree felling head has three tipped teeth in which only one tip of each tooth is exposed outside of the blade disc. Around the circumference of the blade, teeth with tips exposed on the upper side of the blade alternate with teeth having tips exposed on the lower side of the blade. Axes of the teeth are tangent to radii of the disc and angled upwardly or downwardly relative to the plane of the disc, and mating surfaces on the teeth and disc at 45&deg; to the plane of the disc abut against rotation and loading of the teeth.

Growing community of inventors

Brantford, Canada

Benjamin DiSabatino