Firewood launcher

[Timbermcpherson]

Throwing split wood from the splitter is annoying me, and doing my various strains and pains no good. I just need it to make a pile or maybe put into the back of the truck in manner thats reliable and not to costly and maybe try something that hasnt been tried.

 

So as you do while splitting, I started imagining a better or at least different way (yes I know conveyors but wheres the inspiration in that?)

 

So I thought about various methods of launching, like a claybird thrower that was loaded by the movement of the ram, a leaf spring pulled back and release like a flicked finger, captured bolt like the return on one of those golf putting units etc

 

Tennis ball launchers use spinning wheels to launch the balls and I stared thinking about how to implement that system. Whats come to mind is having the engine and rear wheel from a scooter running a few cm off a chute that would act a little like a gun barrel for directing the projectile.

 

 

The system would be hinged at the same point the power unit is mounted on a scooter, so when a piece is directed under the wheel it "ride over" the piece of wood as it is driven back by the spinning wheel. Think of it as a high speed chipper feed wheel.

 

You would be pushing each piece under using at least one other piece due to the configuration so your mittens would be safe once appropiate guards are in place.

 

By adding ballast, springs or adjusting the wheel to chute clearance and changing RPM, and trajectory there would be some "tuning" in the system.

 

Nuts huh? Thoughts aside from the obvious stuff that would stop ANYTHING ever being invented?

[Chris Gagen]

[ame]

[/ame]

 

If it works for bales then why not logs??

 

Not sure I'd like to be in the way of a log launcher tho!

[Timbermcpherson]

I was able to do a little initial testing with a scooter, a piece of sheet metal and a few test pieces of wood. Even at pretty low throttle, there is NO shortage of velocity.

 

Of course being at the firing end of it would be bad news, but thats simular to being behind a backing truck or in the wrong place when a chipper or grinders operating.

 

may be an issue with tire wear or if the woods wet/slippery

[Logsnstuff]

what's wrong with a simple standalone conveyor