JPH024265B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] This invention relates to a device for creating sap collection grooves in trees such as rubber trees, and the inventors were commissioned by the Malaysian government to successfully mechanize the manual work after a year and a half of research and experimentation. It is something.

Rubber forests in the tropics have a poor working environment due to pests, etc., and it is not easy to dig each rubber tree every day to expose the sap collection grooves that were created yesterday, and to form new sap collection grooves.

An overview of the method for collecting raw rubber sap is to cut a collection groove with a slightly slanted V-shaped cross section halfway around the trunk of a rubber tree, and let the sap drip into a container from the end of the groove. The sap solidifies, so every day we cut downward to renew the collection groove, and when we reach the bottom of the trunk, we make a similar collection groove halfway around the other side and lower it down one by one. The previous half will regenerate while you collect in the second half.

The main point of creating (updating) this collection groove is to create a deep collection groove to collect as much sap as possible.
The goal is to ensure that the part close to the woody part, which is necessary for the bark to regenerate, is left intact.

Since more sap flows inside the bark, closer to the woody part, the cut must be made deep and at a depth that does not cause the bark to become irreversible. For this reason, in conventional work, the most skilled person only makes the starting part of the collecting groove, and ordinary workers maintain the cutting depth at the starting part and create the collecting groove halfway around the trunk.

At first, the idea was to mechanize a conventional hand-held tool, as shown in Figure 1, by simply giving it reciprocating motion, and an experimental machine for this purpose was relatively easily constructed. However, this mechanized tool was found to be unsuitable even for the simple tasks of the above-mentioned general workers. Although the labor was reduced, it was more difficult to maintain a constant depth of the collection groove than with hand tools. Note that a rotating blade like a milling cutter is more efficient than reciprocating the cutting edge, but it has become unsuitable because chips get into the sap. A fully automatic cutting device was considered, but there were many variables and the cost was not suitable. It was difficult to mass-produce the slightly curved cutting edge of conventional hand tools, but eventually researchers discovered how to change the direction of the cutting edge along the outer circumference of the trunk and hold it so that it dug at a constant depth. The question was narrowed down to whether it should be mechanized.

After many changes in concept and research into prototypes, the concept of this invention was arrived at by narrowing down the goal to reducing the labor and mental burden of the above-mentioned general workers, and forming the starting point of the collection groove. Separate it and leave it to an expert as usual. A guide member is attached to the cutting edge to advance the blade while accurately maintaining the groove depth at the starting point, and also to keep the downward depth of cut constant.The guide member is used both to guide the cutting edge and to regulate the cutting depth. Useful,
That is what it is. Although a fully automatic system with a built-in computer is not impossible, the conclusion is that a semi-automatic tool of the above concept is the best way to reduce the burden on millions of workers.

First, I will give an overview of this invention that embodies the above concept.It consists of a guide material that fits into a sap collection groove with a V-shaped cross section that has already been made around the outer circumference of a rubber tree trunk; a plate blade bent in a V shape and having a cutting edge in the direction of movement along the groove; a main body with a handle that fixes the guide material and moves it along the groove while adapting it to the collection groove; A reciprocating vibrating rod is movably supported and has a mounting portion for the plate blade at its tip, and an excitation device for the same, the bark cutting portion of the V-shaped cutting edge maintains a cutting step between the bark cutting portion and the guide material, This sap collection groove making device is characterized in that the rising part along the woody part is arranged so as to vibrate back and forth without any step for cutting.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 shows the tools conventionally used. Grip the handle 1 and usually pull the cutting edge 2 toward you to cut. Note that the V-shaped cutting edge 2 has blades attached to the front and back, since it is used in a pushing manner by experts when creating the starting part of the collection groove.

FIG. 2 shows a condition in which the collection groove 4 was moved from the top to the bottom of the rubber tree 3, leaving traces of the groove on the half circumference of the trunk. The sap gushes out from the entire length of the collection groove 4, flows along the bottom of the groove, and falls from the liquid collecting section 5 into the container.

3 to 5 show an embodiment of the present invention.
The main body 10 is made by integrating a handle 10a and a drive part 10b, and has a switch button 15 in the middle part.
has been established. The motor 12a protruding from the main body drive section 10b to the side can also be gripped as a handle. A guide member 13 is fixed to the tip of the main body drive unit 10b, and the guide member 13 is fitted into the collection groove 4 and moved forward by pulling it toward the user.The handle 10a is held in the right hand, for example, and the motor 12a is held in the left hand to operate the guide member 13. It's even easier to use than traditional hand tools.

In this example, the reciprocating vibrating rod 11, which has a mounting portion for the plate blade 14 protruding from the tip of the main body 10, is a rather flat square rod, and is slid into a hollow hole with a rectangular cross section that runs the entire length of the main body drive section 10b. together, it vibrates back and forth. The amplitude is about 3 mm.

The reciprocating vibration rod 11 has a hollow portion 1 provided in its middle portion.
A pair of driven wheels 17 are arranged and supported in the rod axis direction with a gap between them.

The vibrating device for the vibrating rod 11 includes an eccentric cam 16 inserted between the pair of driven wheels 17 and 17 and pivotally supported on the main body 10 side, a gear 19 of its drive mechanism, and a motor 12a.

When the motor 12a rotates the circular eccentric cam 16, the vibrating rod 11 is vibrated back and forth by the amount of eccentricity via the front and rear passive wheels 17, 17. Passive vehicle 17
Since a ball bearing is fitted on the outer periphery, the cam 16 vibrates lightly back and forth. Note that the drive shaft of the cam 16 is pivotally supported on the main body 10 side through a through hole with a margin corresponding to the amplitude on the vibrating rod 11 side.

Power is supplied to the motor 12a through an electric wire connected to the end of the handle 10a, into the main body 10, and then via a button switch 15 to the motor 12a.

The use of a guide member and the combination thereof with a plate blade are important factors for the success of this invention. An embodiment of the guide member 13 is shown in FIG. 6, and an embodiment of the plate blade 14 is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.
In this case, the guide material 13 is made of resin, has a mounting hole 21, and is fixed to the main body 10 with a screw 22 via a guide material holder 13a attached to the bottom surface of the tip of the main body 10 (see FIGS. 5 and 9). The guide material mounting portion of the holder 13a is bent at a right angle so that the square rod handle of the guide material 13 can be held in the correct direction and fixed with a screw. The V-shaped tip of the guide member 13 that fits into the collection groove 4 is thin, and the main body 10 is moved so as to keep its front and rear surfaces perpendicular to the direction of the collection groove 4. A notch edge 20 is provided in which the trailing edge is slightly notched from the lower surface in contact with the groove 4 of the guide material 13 to the rising portion along the wooden part, so that the cutting edge can be inserted into this (see Figures 9 and 10).

The plate blade 14 has a mounting part bent at right angles so that the tip of the vibrating rod 11, which is a square column, can be fixed with screws on two sides to regulate and fix the blade direction, and the blade edge is V-shaped as described above. It is bent to. Mass production was made possible by forming the blade material in a flat state, polishing it, bending it in a press, heat treating it, and final polishing it. As shown in Fig. 10, the V-shaped cutting edge has a cutting part 14a in the bark A on the handle side and a rising part 14 along the woody part B on the tip side.
b.

The bark cutting part 14a of the V-shaped cutting edge of the plate blade 14 maintains a step (or gap) a for cutting between it and the guide material 13, and the rising part 14b along the woody part B is arranged so as to vibrate back and forth without a step for cutting. This is an important feature.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 12, the plate blade 13
Cuts the collection groove surface of bark A with a thickness of step a to produce continuous chips C. The rising portion along the woody part B is not cut, and the cutting only proceeds along the groove wall.
Therefore, the depth of cut at the starting point of the collection groove created by the skilled worker is maintained, and only the groove surface is cut at a constant depth. The operator holds the main body 10 and inserts the guide material 1 at the tip.
3. All you have to do is fit it into the collection groove you made the day before and slide it. This allows the groove surface to be cut to the correct depth, and there is no risk of accidentally cutting into areas that should be left along the wood.

As explained above with reference to one embodiment, this invention is the most effective mechanized form in the current state of the work of creating sap collection grooves, excluding the creation of the starting point of the collection groove which requires a high degree of experience and skill. It was conceived as a semi-automatic tool for general workers who can cut from a set starting point, and its guide material, plate blade, main body, reciprocating vibrating rod, and vibration device were designed using the well-known technology of the designer as long as they fulfilled their respective functions. It can be varied and applied in a variety of ways. The bark cutting part of the V-shaped cutting edge must maintain a step for cutting between it and the guide material, and the rising part along the woody part must be arranged so that it vibrates back and forth without a step.

In order to adjust the level difference, it is easy to consider making the relative position between the guide material and the cutting edge adjustable. However, as a single-purpose tool, an embodiment without an adjustment mechanism is practical.

This invention analyzes and researches sap collection work, divides it into those that require a high degree of experience and skill, and those that do not, and presents the future development goal of mechanizing the latter first.

The device of this invention conventionally requires workers to move a sharp cutting edge back and forth while paying attention to the direction of the cutting edge, the depth of cut into the groove surface, and dangerous cutting into the rising part of the wood. This brought about a reduction in the burden.

According to this invention, the cutting edge is attached to a reciprocating vibrating rod and is automatically vibrated back and forth by the vibrating device, thereby improving cutting speed and reducing labor. The cutting edge always vibrates in a fixed position immediately behind the guide material, and the guide material fits into the existing collection groove, so if you slide it into the groove, chips of a certain thickness will be collected with the smoothness unique to vibration cutting. Continuous. Furthermore, since there is no cutting step between the rising part of the V-shaped cutting edge and the guide material, the risk of the conventional failure of accidentally cutting into the woody part is eliminated.

It is difficult to make a board blade that cuts well only at the part where the V-shaped cutting edge cuts into the bark, but not at all at the rising part along the woody part. The cutting edge of this invention cuts well on both sides, but only the rising part is obstructed by the guide material, making it difficult to cut.
Making plate blades has become easier.

This invention will reduce the labor of rubber plantation workers around the world, improve work efficiency, increase and stabilize the amount of collection by improving the quality of the collection trench, and eliminate accidents in which bark cannot be regenerated due to excessive cutting. ,
This will greatly contribute to the promotion of technology and industry in this area.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a conventional hand tool, Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of the external appearance of a sap collecting groove made in the trunk of a rubber tree, and Figures 3 and 4 are an elevation view and a bottom view of an embodiment of this invention. ,
Figure 5 is a side view of the blade, Figure 6 is a perspective view of the guide, Figures 7 and 8 are an elevation view and side view of the blade, and Figure 9 is the relationship between the guide and blade. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the relationship between the tip of the guide material and the cutting edge, FIG. 11 is an explanatory view of the state of cutting the collecting groove, and FIG. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 11. 10...Main body, 11...Reciprocating vibration rod, 12...
Vibration device, 13...Guiding material, 14...Plate blade.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A guide material that fits into a sap collection groove with a V-shaped cross section that has already been made on the outer periphery of a tree trunk; A main body with a handle that fixes the guide material and moves it along the groove while fitting it into the collection groove; The main body supports movability in the axial direction, and the plate blade is attached to the tip. The bark cutting part of the V-shaped cutting edge maintains a step for cutting between it and the guide material, and the rising part along the wood part vibrates back and forth without a step for cutting. A sap collecting groove creating device characterized in that the sap collecting groove is arranged so as to 2. A guide material that is compatible with the sap collection groove with a V-shaped cross section that has already been made around the outer circumference of the tree; A board blade that is bent into a V shape that fits the above-mentioned collection groove and has a cutting edge in the direction of movement along the groove; and the above-mentioned guide. A main body with a handle that fixes the material and moves it along the collecting groove while adapting it to the collecting groove; A reciprocating vibrating rod that is movably supported in the axial direction by the main body and has a mounting portion for the plate blade at its tip; The reciprocating vibrating rod has a pair of passive wheels arranged and supported in a hollow part provided in the middle thereof with a space between them in the rod axis direction, and the drive mechanism of the vibrating device includes a driving mechanism for the reciprocating vibrating rod. A sap collection groove making device characterized by including an eccentric cam and a motor inserted between passive wheels and pivotally supported on the main body side.