Harvesting and grafting of trees

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9924642-B2
Application number	US-201514673596-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2015
Priority date	Oct 31, 2013
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

A tree harvester includes a body and a harvesting system coupled to the body. The tree harvester further includes a control system coupled to the body. The control system is configured to receive data from the harvesting system regarding a characteristic of a harvested tree and control operation of the harvesting system based on the data. The harvesting system is configured to remove an intermediate portion of the harvested tree below a tree crown and graft the tree crown to a tree stump.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of harvesting and grafting standing trees comprising:
acquiring, by a control system of a motorized vehicle using a sensor, data regarding a plurality of trees;
selecting, by the control system of the motorized vehicle, one of the plurality of trees based on the data;
facilitating, by the control system of the motorized vehicle, removal of an intermediate portion of the selected tree between a crown and a stump;
aligning, by the control system of the motorized vehicle, the crown and the stump; and
facilitating, by the control system of the motorized vehicle, grafting using a coupling mechanism configured to apply a fastener to graft the crown to the stump.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein grafting the crown to the stump includes aligning a vascular cambium of the crown with a vascular cambium of the stump.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor includes at least one of an x-ray device, a microwave device, a laser device, an ultrasonic device, a lidar device, and a camera system.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data includes at least one of an indication of the age of the tree, an indication of the type of the tree, a height of the intermediate portion, a diameter of the immediate portion, a volume of the intermediate portion, a photocapture area of the crown, a height of the crown, a diameter of the crown, a height of the stump, and a diameter of the stump.

5. A method of harvesting and grafting standing trees comprising:
acquiring, by a control system of a motorized vehicle using a sensor, data regarding a plurality of trees;
selecting, by the control system of the motorized vehicle, one of the plurality of trees based on the data;
facilitating, by the control system of the motorized vehicle, removal of an intermediate portion of the selected tree between a crown and a stump;
identifying, by the control system of the motorized vehicle, a compatible stump suitable for grafting with the crown; and
facilitating, by the control system of the motorized vehicle, grafting using a coupling mechanism configured to apply a fastener to graft the crown to the compatible stump.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the crown is grafted to the compatible stump of a different tree.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the data includes an indication of the health of at least one of the cambium, xylem, and phloem of the crown.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the data includes an indication of the health of at least one of the cambium, xylem, and phloem of the stump.

Assignees

• Elwha Llc

Inventors

• Hyde Roderick A
• Ishikawa Muriel Y
• Petroski Robert C
• Tuckerman David B
• Weaver Thomas A
• Wood Victoria Y H
• Wood Jr Lowell L

Classifications

• A01G1/06

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A01G3/08

  Other tools for pruning, branching or delimbing standing trees · CPC title

• A01G23/08

  Felling trees · CPC title

• A01G23/00 Primary

  Forestry · CPC title

• A01G2/30

  Grafting (grafting-wax  A01N3/04) · CPC title