A detachable thumb assembly for a construction equipment machine includes a mounting bracket for attaching the thumb assembly to a digging apparatus of the machine, a thumb pivotally connected on the mounting bracket, a thumb cylinder including a cylinder body connected to the mounting bracket and a cylinder rod which extends from a front end of the cylinder body and which is connected to the thumb. The body of the thumb cylinder is pivotally connected to the mounting bracket at a connection portion of the body which is distinct from a body back end portion.

A wheeled chassis to which a stump grinding unit is securely attached that includes a chip collector attached to either the stump grinder or the wheeled chassis and positioned adjacent the trailing edge of the stump grinding wheel. The wheeled chassis includes a duct in fluid communication with the chip collector, and a collection bin positioned adjacent the trailing end and in spaced relation below the duct. The wheeled chassis is adapted for hitched connection to a vehicle. A blower can be positioned within the duct to produce a rearwardly directed air flow to assist in the chip movement towards the collection bin. The collection bin can be positioned on the wheeled chassis or on a vehicle to which the wheeled chassis is attached.

A collection method using a collection system including a lifting device that is configured to wind up an overhead line supported by a support post, a suspension device that is connected to the overhead line and is movable in the air as the lifting device winds the overhead line, and a grip device suspended from the suspension device includes a step of gripping a tree by the grip device at two points, a step of cutting the gripped tree, a step of tilting the cut tree such that a longitudinal direction of the tree is along a horizontal direction, and a step of conveying the tree gripped by the grip device as the lifting device winds the overhead line.

There is disclosed a system and methods of use for quickly and efficiently excavating, cross-cutting, splitting, and loading or stockpiling tree stumpage and other tree or organic materials, as well as for performing ground cleanup operations. One embodiment provides a stump harvester for attachment to a distal end of an excavator arm. The stump harvester may include front and back jaw assemblies configured to pivot between open and closed positions. The back jaw assembly may include a knife arm having a cutting blade that extends along a majority of a front side of the knife arm. A centerline plane may bisect a cutting edge of the blade. The front jaw assembly may include a planar-aligned dual anvil configured to sheath the cutting edge of the blade when the front and the back jaw assemblies move into the closed position. Other embodiments are disclosed.

A stump grinder has a grinding arm that durably mounts a rotatable grinding wheel by securing the drive shaft of a motor to the grinding wheel such that a pair of bearings within the motor support one side of the grinding wheel and by supporting the other side of the grinding wheel with a stub shaft received within a third bearing. The grinding arm is laterally offset on the frame of the stump grinder to have a swing angle that is not symmetrical relative to the width of the frame, but with the swing angle starting at one side of the frame and then traversing across substantially the entire width of the frame to improve the ability of the operator to see the grinding wheel. A single joystick is movable in orthogonal directions corresponding to desired up and down and side-to-side pivoting motions of the grinding arm. The joystick includes a depressible trigger for starting and stopping the operation of the grinding wheel.

A stump grinder has a grinding arm that durably mounts a rotatable grinding wheel by securing the drive shaft of a motor to the grinding wheel such that a pair of bearings within the motor support one side of the grinding wheel and by supporting the other side of the grinding wheel with a stub shaft received within a third bearing. The grinding arm is laterally offset on the frame of the stump grinder to have a swing angle that is not symmetrical relative to the width of the frame, but with the swing angle starting at one side of the frame and then traversing across substantially the entire width of the frame to improve the ability of the operator to see the grinding wheel. A single joystick is movable in orthogonal directions corresponding to desired up and down and side-to-side pivoting motions of the grinding arm. The joystick includes a depressible trigger for starting and stopping the operation of the grinding wheel.

The invention relates to an apparatus for clearing stumps, which uses a slow cutting element (3), which cutting element is guided by great force, however, in order to coarsely machine a root, but can be operated by a single person. According to the invention, this made possible by two suitable cutting elements (3) being guided against each other or a suitable cutting element is guided against a suitable retaining element, such that the applied forces approximately cancel each other out. The cutting elements (3) are located at a front end of two plier jaws (1), which are guided against each other by a drive element.

The invention relates to an apparatus for clearing stumps, which uses a slow cutting element (3), which cutting element is guided by great force, however, in order to coarsely machine a root, but can be operated by a single person. According to the invention, this made possible by two suitable cutting elements (3) being guided against each other or a suitable cutting element is guided against a suitable retaining element, such that the applied forces approximately cancel each other out. The cutting elements (3) are located at a front end of two plier jaws (1), which are guided against each other by a drive element.

A stump grinder may include a machine body and a helical rotary actuator mounted to the machine body, wherein the helical rotary actuator includes a central axis. A support may be mounted to the helical rotary actuator, and an arm may be mounted to the support. A cutting wheel may be rotatably mounted to the arm, and a motor may be operable for driving the cutting wheel. The helical rotary actuator may be configured for moving the cutting wheel along an arcuate path about the central axis.

Improved devices for use in executing a tree felling operation are disclosed. A device includes a midsection comprising a cylindrical shape and a midsection diameter. The device includes an end plate comprising an elliptical shape and an end plate diameter, wherein the end plate diameter is smaller than the midsection diameter. The device includes a stabilizing section attached to a concentric perimeter of the midsection on a first end and attached to a perimeter of the end plate on a second end.