Rotating tool head

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12208458-B2
Application number	US-202117410649-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2021
Priority date	Aug 24, 2021
Publication date	Jan 28, 2025
Grant date	Jan 28, 2025

Abstract

A tool head has a frame, a tool connected to the frame, an inner rotation manifold connected to the frame, a rotation motor that rotates a spindle, and an outer rotation manifold surrounding the inner rotation manifold. The outer rotation manifold is connected to the rotation motor in a fixed manner. The spindle continuously rotates the inner rotation manifold inside of the outer rotation manifold around an axis of the inner rotation manifold, and the frame and tool are rotated with inner rotation manifold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tool head, the tool head comprising:
a frame;
a tool connected to the frame;
an inner rotation manifold connected to the frame and including a center bore;
a rotation motor configured to rotate a spindle;
a shaft located in the center bore of the inner rotation manifold and connected to the spindle of the rotation motor and to the frame; and
an outer rotation manifold surrounding the inner rotation manifold, the outer rotation manifold fixedly connected to the rotation motor,
wherein the spindle is configured to be inserted into the center bore of the inner rotation manifold and produce a rotation of the inner rotation manifold and the shaft by continuously rotating the inner rotation manifold and the shaft inside of the outer rotation manifold about an inner manifold axis, and the frame and tool are rotated with the inner rotation manifold and the shaft.

2. The tool head of claim 1 , in which a housing surrounds the outer rotation manifold, the outer rotation manifold is connected to the housing, and the housing is fixedly connected to the rotation motor.

3. The tool head of claim 1 , in which the tool is a saw blade, and a tool motor is connected to the frame and configured to drive the saw blade about a saw blade axis that is perpendicular to the inner manifold axis.

4. The tool head of claim 3 , wherein the rotation motor is configured to rotate the shaft about the inner manifold axis that is perpendicular to the saw blade axis, in which the frame, the inner rotation manifold, the tool motor, and the saw blade are rotated with the shaft.

5. The tool head of claim 4 , further comprising an electric cable connected to the tool, wherein the shaft is hollow, and the electric cable is configured to travel through the shaft, through an aperture of the frame, and to the tool without being rotated by the inner rotation manifold.

6. The tool head of claim 5 , in which the electric cable is configured to provide power to the tool and allow non-limiting rotation of the tool motor.

7. The tool head of claim 1 , in which the outer rotation manifold includes a first wall bore and a second wall bore that are stationary relative to the rotation motor during the rotation of the inner rotation manifold.

8. The tool head of claim 7 , in which the inner rotation manifold comprises an inlet groove in fluid communication with the first wall bore and is circumferentially disposed on the inner rotation manifold, the inlet groove configured to support a first flow of a fluid between the inner rotation manifold and the outer rotation manifold, and the inner rotation manifold comprises an outlet groove in fluid communication with the second wall bore and is circumferentially disposed on the inner rotation manifold, and the outlet groove configured to support a second flow of a fluid between the inner rotation manifold and the outer rotation manifold.

9. The tool head of claim 8 , in which the inner rotation manifold includes a first channel fluidly connecting the inlet groove to an inner rotation manifold outlet, and a second channel fluidly connecting the outlet groove to an inner rotation manifold inlet, the inner rotation manifold inlet and the inner rotation manifold outlet configured to rotate with the inner rotation manifold.

10. The tool head of claim 9 , in which an inlet hose is in fluid connection with the inner rotation manifold outlet and a tool motor inlet, and an outlet hose is in fluid connection the inner rotation manifold inlet and a tool motor outlet.

11. The tool head of claim 10 , in which the tool comprises a saw blade, and a fluid flows through the first wall bore, around the inlet groove, through the first channel, out of the inner rotation manifold outlet, through the inlet hose, and into the tool motor inlet to drive a rotation of the saw blade before flowing out of tool motor outlet, through the outlet hose, into the inner rotation manifold inlet, through the second channel, around the outlet groove, and out of the second wall bore.

12. The tool head of claim 11 , in which the inner rotation manifold rotates the frame, the tool motor, and the saw blade about the inner manifold axis as the fluid drives the rotation of the saw blade about a saw blade axis that is perpendicular to the inner manifold axis.

13. A work machine configured to cut timber, the work machine comprising:
a work machine frame;
a fluid system connected to the work machine frame;
an engine connected to the work machine frame for driving the fluid system;
a boom supporting one or more fluid lines connected to the fluid system; and
a tool head connected to the boom, the tool head further comprising:
a frame,
a tool connected to the frame,
an inner rotation manifold connected to the frame and including a center bore,
a rotation motor configured to rotate a spindle,
a shaft located in the center bore of the inner rotation manifold and connected to the spindle of the rotation motor and to the frame, and
an outer rotation manifold surrounding the inner rotation manifold, the outer rotation manifold fixedly connected to the rotation motor;

wherein the spindle is configured to be inserted into the center bore of the inner rotation manifold and produce a rotation of the inner rotation manifold and the shaft by continuously rotating the inner rotation manifold and the shaft inside of the outer rotation manifold about an inner manifold axis, and the frame and tool are rotated with the inner rotation manifold and the shaft.

14. The work machine of claim 13 , in which the one or more fluid lines are connected to a rotation motor inlet port and a rotation motor outlet port, the rotation motor is driven by the fluid system, and the fluid system drives continuous rotation of the inner rotation manifold, the frame, and the tool.

15. The work machine of claim 13 , in which the one or more fluid lines connect to the outer rotation manifold at an outer rotation manifold inlet port and an outer rotation manifold outlet port, and the fluid system drives rotation of the tool.

16. The work machine of claim 13 , in which the inner rotation manifold has a first inner rotation manifold outlet for delivering a fluid from the inner rotation manifold to drive rotation of the tool, and a second inner rotation manifold outlet for delivering the fluid from inner rotation manifold to drive rive rotation of a second tool.

17. A method of rotating a tool with a tool head, the method comprising:
providing the tool head having a frame, a tool connected to the frame, an inner rotation manifold connected to the frame and including a center bore, a rotation motor configured to rotate a spindle to produce a rotation of the inner rotation manifold and a shaft located in the center bore of the inner rotation manifold and connected to the spindle of the rotation motor and to the frame, the tool head including an outer rotation manifold surrounding the inner rotation manifold and fixedly connected to the rotation motor;
powering the rotation motor by a fluid;
continuously rotating the inner rotation manifold and the shaft about an inner rotation manifold axis with the spindle; and
rotating the frame and tool with the inner rotation manifold and the shaft,
wherein the spindle is inserted into the center bore of the inner rotation manifold.

18. The method of claim 17 , in which the rotation motor is configured to continuously rotate the inner rotation manifold in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction.

19. The method of claim 17 , in which the inner rotation manif

Assignees

• Progress Rail Services Corp

Inventors

• Henderson Connor
• Intagliata Robin J

Classifications

• A01G23/091

  Sawing apparatus specially adapted for felling trees (A01G23/081, A01G23/083, A01G23/093 take precedence) · CPC title

• B26D5/04

  by fluid pressure · CPC title

• B23D47/02

  of frames; of guiding arrangements for work-table or saw-carrier · CPC title

• B23D45/14

  for cutting otherwise than in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the stock, e.g. for making a mitred cut · CPC title

• B27B5/29

  Details; Component parts; Accessories · CPC title