Importance

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Abstract

A safety system for a wood chipper having an elongated delivery chute into which a person would load tree branches, limbs and tree trunks. A metal sensor is mounted in the chute intermediate its front and rear ends and is oriented to detect any metal passing through the passageway of the chute. A gate is mounted inside the chute and it is normally in an open position. The gate is located at a position between the metal sensor and the rear of the chute. When the metal sensor detects metal passing by it sends a signal to a hydraulic cylinder that rapidly closes the gate to block the passage way of the chute. The system requires that the person loading the material into the chute wear a pair of metal impregnated gloves. Some wood chippers have rollers mounted adjacent the rear end of the chute for pulling the tree branches, limbs and tree trunks into the inlet port of the housing containing rotating cutting blades. In this type of wood chipper, the metal sensor would send a signal immediately to reverse the direction of rotation of the rollers upon sensing metal passing thereby and prevent the person's hand and arm from being drawn into the cutting blades.

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First Claim