THIS INVENTION relates to the handling and transport of elongate objects. In particular, it relates to a load vehicle suitable for load transportation, to a transportable holder, and to a method of harvesting trees.

There is a long felt want for methods and means to reduce the environmental impact, to increase the safety, and to reduce the costs of harvesting trees. Improvements in all three of these areas can be obtained by innovatively handling timber in bulk.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a load vehicle suitable for load transportation, the vehicle including an understructure supported on ground engaging means; a fork-lift device supported on the understructure and displaceable between a lifting condition for raising and lowering a containerised load adjacent the understructure, and a transport condition, in which the fork-lift device is located above the understructure; and

displacing means for displacing the fork-lift device between its lifting condition and its transport condition.

The vehicle may be a timber forwarder and the fork-lift device may be configured to raise and lower a containerised load of logs.

In this specification, the term"containerised load"is intended to include a load of discrete objects, particularly elongate objects such as timber logs, held in a holder or container which may be raised, lowered, and transported as a unit.

The ground engaging means may include ground engaging elements, e. g. in the form of wheels, arranged to have a track width and a wheelbase.

Typically, the ground engaging means includes four wheels. The vehicle may have a wheelbase of between about 4,5 m and about 5,2 m, typically between about 4,6 m and about 4,9 m, e. g. about 4,75 m. Typically, the vehicle is a four-wheel- drive vehicle.

The fork-lift device may be slidingly supported on the understructure and may be arranged such that when it is in the lifting condition, it is located at a rear end of the understructure.

The fork-lift device in its transport condition may be located such that its centre of gravity lies within the track width and the wheelbase of the vehicle.

In other words, when a containerised load is lifted onto the vehicle by means of the fork-lift device, and the fork-lift device, together with the containerised load, is in its transport condition, the centre of gravity of the containerised load is within the track width and the wheelbase of the vehicle.

The fork-lift device may be mounted to pivot about a transverse axis relative to the understructure. In other words, the fork lift device may be tiltable.

Tilting means may be provided to control the tilting of the fork-lift device about the transverse axis.

The understructure may include at least one guide formation for guiding the fork-lift device when being displaced between its lifting and transport conditions. The fork-lift device may include a carriage cooperating with said at least one guide formation for displacement along the guide formation.

The displacing means may include drive means drivingly connected to the carriage, and an input member drivingly connected to the drive means to displace the carriage along the guide formation. The drive means may include an endless chain mounted to run over longitudinally spaced head and tail sprockets supported by the understructure. The input member may include a hydraulic motor drivingly connected to the head sprocket.

Tensioning means may be provided to urge the head and tail sprockets apart to maintain optimum tension in the chain. The tensioning means may include a compression spring acting between the head sprocket and the understructure.

The fork-lift device may have a lifting height of between about 0,5 m and about 1,8 m, typically between about 0,8 m and about 1,4 m, e. g. about 1,3 m. The fork-lift device may have a lifting capacity of between about 5000 kg and about 8000 kg, typically between about 6000 kg and about 7000 kg e. g. about 6000 kg.

The vehicle may include a crane on the understructure. The crane may have a reach of between about 5 m and about 10 m, typically between about 6 m and about 8 m, e. g. about 8m. The crane may have a lifting capacity of between about 1200 kg and about 2200 kg, e. g. about 2200 kg.

The vehicle may include weighing means, e. g. load cells, cooperating with the fork-lift device for measuring the weight of a load supported on the fork- lift device.

The vehicle may include securing means for securing a containerised load carried by the fork-lift device, to the vehicle when the fork-lift device is in its transport condition.

The vehicle may be articulated and may include a bi-directional cab.

The understructure may include a load-bearing portion or load bed on which a containerised load can be supported when the fork-lift device is in its transport condition. The load bearing portion may be rectangular in plan view and may have a length of between about 2,3 m and about 2,8 m, typically between about 2,4 m and about 2,6 m, e. g. about 2,5 m and a width of between about 2,3 m and about 2,8 m, typically between about 2,4 m and about 2,6 m, e. g. about 2,5 m.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a transportable holder or container suitable for holding and transporting elongate objects such as logs or the like, the holder including an elongate base; and laterally and longitudinally spaced posts projecting upwardly from the base, the base and the posts defining a seat for supporting elongate objects in use, at least two opposed ends of the holder being open so that in use the elongate objects can project beyond the seat.

The base may have a pair of spaced receiving formations positioned and dimensioned for receiving the forks of a fork-lift device. The base may be rectangular, the open sides of the holder being above the longer sides of the base.

The holder may include four posts, one at each corner of the base. The posts may project for a distance of between 2 m and 2,8 m, e. g. about 2,8 m, above the base.

The base may have a length of between about 2,4 ni and about 2,6 m, e. g. about about 2.6m, and a width of between about 1 m and about 1,5 m, typically between about 1,1 m and about 1,3 m, e. g. about 1.2m. The base may include raised portions along two opposed sides, typically along its longer sides, thus advantageously providing maneuvering space for a grapple or grab to engage elongate objects held by the container.

The receiving formations may be laterally spaced and longitudinally extending such that the forks of the fork-lift device can be inserted into the receiving formations in a direction perpendicular to the shorter sides of the base.

Advantageously, the posts may be arranged to diverge upwardly from the base, permitting empty holders to be nested in stacked relationship.

The holder may include holder securing means for securing the holder releasably to a load bed of a load vehicle.

The invention extends to a vehicle having a load bed and which includes releasable securing means for releasably securing a transportable holder as hereinbefore described via the vehicle holder securing means to the load bed of the vehicle.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of harvesting trees, the method including

felling, debranching and cross cutting the trees to provide logs ; loading the logs into a transportable holder or container; and transporting the holder with a vehicle to a log destination.

The felling, debranching and cutting of the trees may be accomplished manually or with a mechanical harvester, e. g. a Timberjack 870B Harvester supplied by Timberjack Inc. 925 Devonshire Avenue, Woodstock, ON, Canada, N457X1.

The logs may be cut to a length of about 2.4m.

The logs may be loaded into a container as hereinbefore described, and may be loaded with the crane of a vehicle as hereinbefore described. The container may be located on the load-bearing portion or load bed of the understructure of the vehicle as hereinbefore described, when the logs are being loaded.

Instead, the container may be free standing when the logs are being loaded, in which case the method may include lifting the loaded container onto the load-bearing portion or load bed of the understructure of the vehicle as hereinbefore described with the fork-lift device of the vehicle.

The transporting of the container may be effected with a vehicle as hereinbefore described.

The method may include transferring the loaded container from the vehicle with the fork-lift device, e. g. onto the ground or onto a truck.

The method may include releasably securing the transportable holder to the vehicle by means of the securing means of the vehicle and the securing means of the holder.

Further features of the invention will become apparent from the following description, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a side view of a vehicle and a transportable holder in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 shows a side view of the vehicle and holder of Figure 1, with the holder in the process of being lifted by a fork-lift device of the vehicle; Figure 3 shows a three dimensional view of the holder of Figure 1; Figure 4 shows an end view of a plurality of the holders of Figure 1, in nested stacked relationship ; and Figure 5 shows a side view in greater detail of a vehicle in accordance with the invention.

Referring to Figures 1,2 and 5 of the drawings, reference numeral 10 generally indicates a load vehicle which is self-propelled and articulated. The vehicle 10 includes an understructure 12, a fork-lift device 14 supported on the understructure 12, a crane 16 supported on the understructure 12, ground

engaging means in the form of four wheels 18, a bi-directional cab 20, and a load bed 22 provided above the understructure 12.

The fork-lift device 14 comprises a mast 15 and vertically displaceable forks 24. The fork-lift device 14 is displaceable between a lifting condition for raising and lowering a containerised load adjacent, and typically below, the understructure at a rear end of the vehicle 10, as shown in solid lines in Figures 1 and 2, and a transport condition, in which the fork-lift device 14 (and its load) is located above the understructure, as shown in broken lines in Figure 2 of the drawings. As can be clearly seen in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, when the fork-lift device 14 is in its lifting condition, it is situated at a rear end of the vehicle 10, allowing the forks 24 of the fork-lift device 14 to be displaced vertically behind and adjacent the load bed 22 and the rear wheels 18 of the vehicle 10.

The fork-lift device 14 is slidingly supported in guide formations or channels to be described more fully hereafter with reference to Figure 5.

The fork-lift device 14 has a lifting height of 1,8 m and a lifting capacity of 8000 kg.

The crane 16 is located immediately behind the bi-directional cab 20 and has a reach of 8 m and a lifting capacity of 2200 kg. Both the fork-lift device 14 and the crane 1 6 can be operated by a driver in the bi-directional cab 20, which in conventional fashion allows the driver to face rearwardly towards the fork-lift

device 14 and the crane 16 when operating these devices. The bi-directional cab 20 is also configured to allow the driver to face rearwardly when driving the vehicle 10 slowly rearwardly, e. g. to position the forks 24 in the fork receiving formations of a free standing transportable holder 30, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings.

The load bed 22 is square in plan view and has a length of about 2,6 m and a width of about 2,6 m. The load bed 22 and the fork-lift device 14 are arranged such that when the fork-lift device 14 is in its transport'condition as shown in broken lines in Figure 2 of the drawings, it is located with its centre of gravity between the four wheels 18 of the vehicle 10 i. e. within the track width and wheelbase of the wheels 18 of the vehicle.

The vehicle 10 includes securing means, in the form of holder locks 23 (see Figures 1 and 5) provided on the load bed 22 for releasably securing a loaded holder 30 to the load bed 22 when the fork-lift device 14 is in its transport condition.

The vehicle 10 has a wheelbase of 4,747 m, and is a four-wheel-drive vehicle.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings, reference numeral 30 generally indicates a transportable holder in accordance with the invention, suitable for holding and transporting elongate objects such as logs or the like. The holder

30 includes a rectangular oblong base 32 and four posts 34, one post 34 at each corner of the base 32, for restraining the elongate objects in use.

As can be seen in the drawings, the base 32 and posts 34 define a seat 31 for elongate objects. The holder 30 has open ends or sides, allowing elongate objects such as logs 33 seated on the seat 31 to project laterally beyond ends of the seat 31.

The posts 34 project for a distance of about 2,8 m above the base 32 and are arranged to diverge upwardly at an angle of about 4°. This allows a plurality of the holders 30 to be stacked in nested relationship as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings.

The base 32 defines receiving formations 36 for receiving the forks 24 of the fork-lift device 14. The receiving formations 36 have openings provided in shorter sides of the rectangular base 32. Holder securing means, in the form of latching plates 38, one on each side, are provided on longer sides of the base 32 for cooperating with the holder locks 23 of the vehicle 10 (see Figures 1 and 5).

The base 32 has a length of about 2,6m and a width of about 1,2m and the holder 30 is dimensioned and configured to contain between about 6 tons and about 8 tons of logs cut to a length between 1,8m and 2,5m, typically 2,4m.

The base 32 is of steel, whereas the posts 34 are of aluminium or an alloy.

The base 32 includes raised portions or longitudinally extending walls 40 forming part of the longer sides of the base 32, thereby providing working space between a load in the holder 30 and a bottom of the base 32.

Referring now to Figure 5 of the drawings reference numeral 50 refers generally to displacing means for displacing the fork-lift device 14 from its lifting condition at the rear end of the understructure 12 and of the load bed 22 to its transport condition, shown dotted in Figure 2 of the drawings.

The understructure 12 includes a pair of laterally spaced guide channels 52 for guiding the fork-lift device 14 when being displaced along the length of the channels 52. The fork-lift device 14 includes a carriage 54 having rollers 56 received within the guide channels 52 for displacement along the channels 52.

The displacing means 50 further includes drive means indicated by reference numeral 58, drivingly connected to the carriage 54. It also includes an input member 60 drivingly connected to the drive means 58, for displacing the carriage 54 along the guide channels 52.

The drive means 58 includes an endless chain 58.1 mounted to run over a head sprocket 62 and a longitudinally spaced tail sprocket 64 supported by the understructure 12.

The input member 60 is in the form of a hydraulic motor drivingly connected to the head sprocket 62. Tensioning means in the form of a compression spring 66 ensures that proper tension in the drive chain 58.1 is maintained.

The fork-lift device 14 is mounted to pivot about a transverse axis at the rear end of the carriage 54 relative to the understructure 12. A hydraulic tilt control cylinder 26 thus extends between the mast 15 of the fork-lift device 14 and the understructure 12.

The forks 24 are raised or lowered by means of a hydraulic cylinder 27 working a chain 29 over a sprocket 35. The forks 24 are of the rough terrain type, i. e. they are adjustable relative to each other.

The vehicle 10 has a short wheelbase and is very manoeuvrable, and can be used as a forwarder to transport logs from a forest or plantation where logging is taking place, to a log destination, such as a roadside loading area pick up point, or a timber depot. In a typical scenario, the vehicle 10 loads a plurality, e. g. six, empty transportable holders 30, in a stacked arrangement, onto its load bed 22 by means of the fork-lift device 14. The vehicle 10 then carts the empty holders 30 in-field to desired locations, dropping a holder 30 at each location, using the fork-lift device 14. At these locations, the empty holders 30 can be loaded with timber by means of a mechanical loader or manually, depending on circumstances. The holders 30 may be used with the monocable (How-Line)

timber harvesting system, in which the holders are placed in series, and filled for loading on load vehicles.

At a harvesting zone, cutting the timber to length and stacking the timber in bundles at loading sites may take place. In another scenario, the vehicle 10 can be stopped at a loading site, with an empty holder 30 on the load bed 22, with the forks 24 of the fork-lift device 14 inside the fork receiving formations 36 of the holder 30. With its own crane 16, the vehicle 10 can load the timber bundles into the holder 30, with ends of the timber projecting beyond the longer sides of the base 32, i. e. laterally beyond the seat 31, as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. When the holder 30 has been loaded with the correct timber weight, the vehicle 10 is driven to a roadside loading area or pick up point where the holder 30 is simply off-loaded next to the road by means of the fork-lift device 14, or directly loaded onto a truck or trailer by means of the fork-lift device 14. The particular vehicle 10, or other similar vehicles in accordance with the invention can be used to transport the loaded holders 30 from the locations mentioned above, in similar fashion, to a desired location, such as a roadside loading area or pick up point.

An advantage of the vehicle 10 and timber harvesting method of the invention, as illustrated, is that significant cost savings are attainable with the bulk handling of timber, using the transportable holder 30, as compared to the handling of loose timber. It is expected that the most significant cost saving be as a result

of reduced truck cycle time due to the containerised loading of logs onto vehicles.

The Applicant estimates that the total loading cycle can be significantly reduced.

It is a further advantage that the timber can be presented at a roadside loading area or at a depot in containerised form, thus eliminating double handling by a logger or a loader. The use of a skidder involving a huge capital outlay is eliminated from the harvesting process which will result in a further cost saving. The vehicle 10 of the invention can advantageously be used as a conventional forwarder vehicle.

It is also an advantage that the method of the invention will lead to improved safety, compared to a skidder operation, bearing in mind that timber loading at a roadside loading area or pick up point can be considered to be the highest safety risk in current harvesting systems or methods. The method of the invention is substantially safer because timber is handled in bulk in the holder 30.

It is yet another advantage of the invention, that the environmental impact of logging will be reduced, compared to a conventional skidder operation bearing in mind that there will be less skid trails.

Lastly, it is also an advantage that only minor modifications are needed to existing timber trucks or rail trucks in order for them to accommodate the holders 30. Such modifications may include merely the provision of holder locks 23 to the load beds of such vehicles.