A New Process for the Felling of Trees.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVII, Issue 5, 31 January 1912, Page 45

A New Process for the Felling of Trees.

The attempts from time to time To cut trees with a wire heated by electricity so far have not given satisfactory results. Now a Berlin inventor, Mr. Hugo Gantke, has recently succeeded in designing an extremely simple device for the mechanical felling of trees. The trunks are cut by the friction of an ordinary steel wire about one millimeter in diameter (No. 18 R&S gauge) which, as shown "by practical testa, is able to mw through a tree about 20 inches in diameter, in six minutes. The steel-wire, driven bj' an electric motor, is heated so intensely by friction on the wood as to burn a Thin carbonised kerf, which is both smoother and cleaner than the cut of a saw. The charcoal layer adhering to the trunk is

extremely thin and allows the structure and any disease of the wood to be distinctly recognised It enables the tree to be marked with chalk, and at the same time serves to preserve any trunks that may be left temporarily in the woods. Unlike other saws, this felling machine will work freely even on the thickest trees, without requiring any wedges to be inserted into the cut; for instead of any shavings we have only smoke and steam and lienee there is no danger of the cut’s beeopning obstructed. Thq trees may lie cut close to the ground, or even below the ground ax far down as the beginning of the roots will permit. In the latter case the stump may be safely left in the soil. The electric motor that drives the steel wire is placed where it is not in danger of being struck when the tree falls. While mechanical operation is in Itself much more rapid than hand-labour a further acceleration is derived from the absence of any intervals of rest between two cuts. As a new piece of steel wire costing but a few cents is taken for each cut, there is no loss of time due to the sharpening of saws, etc. Only one man is required to operate the machine as against two men working with liand saws, and the larger ths tree the higher is the relative cutting speed. When electricity is not immediately available, it caa be generated by any existing steam or water plant It may frequently be found advantageous to use a portable power-plant consisting of a 10-harse-power gasoline motor and dynamo which may be installed temporarily in a central location. A flexible cable may connect the dynamo with the felling machine which can lie readily transported and Operated by one man. An important advantage of the new method arises from the ahaenee of any waste, the ent only two millimeters (0.679 inch) fa thickness being perfectly Smooth and level. whereas axes and saws ara Imnnd to injure the trees ta a caaaiderable extent.