Cutting – With means to apply transient nonpropellant fluent material...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-14
2001-12-04
Peterson, Kenneth E. (Department: 3724)
Cutting
With means to apply transient nonpropellant fluent material...
C384S474000, C144S034100, C083S928000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06324952
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to timber harvesting and, more particularly, to the construction and operation of a rotary bunching saw in a feller buncher machine. It relates specifically to the bearing lubrication system for the vertical spindle which supports a horizontally rotating saw disc in a bunching saw.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The feller buncher attachment for a timber harvesting tractor conventionally has a horizontally rotating circular saw, or a horizontally operating shear, mounted in the attachment frame. In the rotary saw embodiment, the saw disc is mounted on the lower end of a vertical spindle supported for rotation in a housing on the attachment frame. A hydraulic motor mounted on top of the housing rotates the spindle and, accordingly, the saw disc.
In such a conventional bunching saw assembly, the spindle is supported in upper and lower bearings seated within the saw assembly housing. A vertically elongated cavity within the housing surrounds the shaft and contains the upper and lower bearings. The base of a drive motor body covers the top of the cavity and a main housing seal forms the bottom of the cavity. To lubricate the bearings, a grease zerk fitting is conventionally provided in the housing above the upper bearing and another is provided between the upper and lower bearings.
The amount of grease injected into the various cavities within the vertically elongated cavity is prescribed by the manufacturer and is based on specified hourly or daily consumption rates. Because the amount of grease consumed varies with operating conditions, more or less grease than that prescribed by the manufacturer may be consumed, however. If consumption is greater than anticipated, inadequate lubrication eventually results and bearing failure is possible.
Problems also result if grease consumption is less than anticipated. The cavities will then be overfilled by manufacturer-dictated lubrication. All cavities within the housing tend to fill before grease is forced out of relief fittings normally provided to permit air to escape during grease injection. This excess of grease acts as an insulator, causing the operating temperature of bearings to rise and reducing their service life. Since the relief fittings are conventionally located where they cannot be seen, the operator doesn't know that the cavities are overfilled.
In addition to the aforedescribed problems associated with conventional systems, a substantial amount of grease is required to fill the entire cavity. This increases operation costs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved bunching saw assembly for a timber harvesting machine.
It is another object of the invention to provide an improved lubrication system for the rotating vertical spindle in a bunching saw assembly.
It is another object to provide an improved lubrication system wherein a separate lubricant cavity is associated with each of the upper and lower bearings supporting the rotating vertical spindle in a bunching saw assembly.
It is another object to provide an improved lubrication system which requires much less lubricant because separate upper and lower bearing cavities, combined, are much smaller than the cavity in conventional assemblies.
It is still another object to provide an improved lubrication system wherein each of the separate lubricant cavities encircles the spindle and has an inlet zerk fitting and an outlet vent fitting positioned in such a manner that the presence of lubricating grease at each bearing can positively be confirmed.
The foregoing and other object of the present invention are realized in a bunching saw assembly wherein a vertical spindle drives a horizontally oriented saw disc fixed to its lower end. The spindle extends vertically through a saw assembly housing supported by vertically spaced upper and lower bearing sub-assemblies mounted in the housing cavity. A fluid motor seated on top of the housing, over the cavity, is drivingly connected to the spindle.
According to the invention, a lower bearing seal is mounted in the housing cavity immediately above the lower bearing sub-assembly. The lower bearing seal is seated on an annular support surface extending around the cavity above this seal. An upper bearing seal is mounted in the housing cavity immediately below the upper bearing sub-assembly. The upper bearing seal is seated on an annular support surface extending around the cavity below this seal.
The upper and lower bearing sub-assemblies include bearings which are, accordingly, disposed in separate upper and lower bearing cavities. The upper bearing cavity has a grease inlet passage extending radially outwardly from it, through the housing, above the bearing, and a grease vent passage extending radially outwardly from it, through the housing, below the bearing. The lower bearing cavity has a grease inlet passage extending radially outwardly from it, through the housing, above the bearing, and a grease vent passage extending radially outwardly from it, through the housing, also above the bearing. The inlet and vent passages for the lower bearing cavity are opposite each other relative to the axis of the assembly, i.e., 180° apart. On the other hand, the inlet and vent passages for the upper bearing cavity are displaced only 43° from each other.
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Blount, Inc.
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Choi Stephen
Lione Richard G.
Peterson Kenneth E.
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