US 6,981,443 B2
Tree tyer
Marlin Tillaart, Brougham (Canada)
Assigned to Dutchmaster Nurseries Ltd., Ontario (Canada)
Filed on Jul. 21, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/622,828.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/396711, filed on Jul. 19, 2002.
Prior Publication US 2005/0022678 A1, Feb. 03, 2005
Int. Cl. B65B 13/10 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 100—9 2 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A tree limb apparatus, comprising:
a base structure for mounting to an elevatable support;
a generally annular tubular frame mounted rearwardly from said support and bounding a central area for accommodating the lower portion of a tree trunk, said frame having a forward gap for receiving said tree trunk when the apparatus is advanced towards a tree;
means for selectively opening and closing said forward gap, including
(i) an internal channel through said tubular frame;
(ii) a part-circular slider tube seated within said channel for rotational movement therethrough, said slider tube having a space between remote ends thereof congruent with said forward gap of the frame; and
(iii) hydraulic means for rotating the slider tube within the internal channel of the frame between a position in which said forward gap is open to receive said tree trunk into the central area of the frame and a position in which it is closed around said tree trunk received within the central area of the frame;
said generally annular tubular frame comprising two hollow arcuate tube sections fixedly mounted in circular orientation at opposite sides of said base structure; and
said hydraulic means for rotating the slider tube comprising a hydraulic piston engaging said slider tube and operatively mounted to said base structure.