A plunger assembly for mounting adjacent to a vertical opening of a debarking chain flail apparatus. The plunger assembly comprises first and second opposed mounting members which are securable to an undersurface thereof, and each one of mounting members defines a generally C-shaped recess. First and second plunger rails are interconnected via a plunger body, and the plunger body comprising opposed left side and right side plunging side surfaces. The first plunger rail is captively received within and guided by the first mounting frame while the second plunger rail is captively received within and guided by the second mounting frame. A first hydraulic cylinder interconnects the first mounting frame with the first plunger rail while a second hydraulic cylinder interconnects the second mounting frame with the second plunger rail to facilitate plunging in two opposed directions. The mounting frame may be mounted to the apparatus by a pair of plunger cradle and associated cradle hydraulic cylinders.

A flail assembly for use in debarking logs moving in a processing direction includes a debarking assembly having a shaft that is mounted for rotation above the logs moving in the processing direction. A flail having a fixed end is attached to the shaft. The flail has a length that defines an arc of rotation of the free end of the flail as the shaft is rotated. A housing is positioned adjacent the flail. The housing has a center line that is generally aligned with the processing direction, and a deflector vane which extends inwardly towards the arc of rotation of the free end of the flail. The deflector vane serves to direct bark chips that are cast upwardly by the flail away from the center line of the housing.

A chain flail debarking apparatus including a flail chamber accommodating at least first and second rotatable flail shafts being supported on a movable flail assembly framework, and both of the first and second rotatable flail shafts having a plurality of chains, a disc chipper for receiving the debarked logs and trees from the flail chamber and generating wood chips having a desired shape and size, and a single drive for driving both the disc chipper and at least the first and second rotatable flail shafts in the flail chamber. A pivotable feed roller is located adjacent an inlet to the flail chamber for sensing a diameter of the logs and trees to be debarked and moving the movable flail assembly framework, relative to the base frame, so as to maintain the logs and trees being debarked in the flail chamber, substantially centered with respect to both the first and second rotatable flail shafts so that both upwardly and downwardly facing surfaces of the logs and trees being debarked are substantially equally treated.

A flail chain link comprises a plurality of adjacent link sections including a pair of oppositely disposed end link sections. Each end link section has an internal surface, and a first axis passes through the center point of the link and the center of each end link section. A second axis, which is not coincident with the first axis, passes through the center point and the center of at least two link sections. The first axis and the second axis together define a central plane through the center of each link section. An orthogonal plane passing through each of the end link sections is perpendicular to the central plane. A radius of the internal surface of each end link section that is measured in the central plane is equal to a radius of the internal surface of such end link section that is measured in the orthogonal plane.

A chain flail debarking apparatus including a flail chamber accommodating at least first and second rotatable flail shafts being supported on a movable flail assembly framework, and both of the first and second rotatable flail shafts having a plurality of chains, a disc chipper for receiving the debarked logs and trees from the flail chamber and generating wood chips having a desired shape and size, and a single drive for driving both the disc chipper and at least the first and second rotatable flail shafts in the flail chamber. A pivotable feed roller is located adjacent an inlet to the flail chamber for sensing a diameter of the logs and trees to be debarked and moving the movable flail assembly framework, relative to the base frame, so as to maintain the logs and trees being debarked in the flail chamber, substantially centered with respect to both the first and second rotatable flail shafts so that both upwardly and downwardly facing surfaces of the logs and trees being debarked are substantially equally treated.

An apparatus for use in debarking logs that includes a debarking assembly for separating bark from logs as the logs are passed through the apparatus, such that the separated bark falls away from the logs. A contact surface catches falling bark that has been separated from logs by the debarking assembly. A pusher reciprocates over the contact surface and includes a first pusher face that pushes bark over the contact surface. A magnet reciprocates with the pusher and may be selectively activated and deactivated. When the magnet is activated, a magnetic field is provided proximate the first pusher face such that magnetically attracted portions in the bark that are brought within the magnetic field as the pusher reciprocates are magnetically attracted to the first pusher face by the magnetic field and are separated from the bark.

A flail chain link comprises a plurality of adjacent link sections including a pair of oppositely disposed end link sections. Each end link section has an internal surface, and a first axis passes through the center point of the link and the center of each end link section. A second axis, which is not coincident with the first axis, passes through the center point and the center of at least two link sections. The first axis and the second axis together define a central plane through the center of each link section. An orthogonal plane passing through each of the end link sections is perpendicular to the central plane. A radius of the internal surface of each end link section that is measured in the central plane is equal to a radius of the internal surface of such end link section that is measured in the orthogonal plane.

A debarking chain having passing links; the passing links being substantially rounded in order to permit the passing links to pass through adjacent links such that the orientation of the passing link relative to its adjacent links can change at random in order to randomly distribute the wear and stress from any impact of adjacent or next to adjacent links on the passing links so that the overall wear life of the present debarking chain is extended over similar chain with elongated, oblong links of the prior art. The invention also includes a debarking drum having a plurality of debarking chains having at least one, preferably a plurality of passing links, as well as a debarking device having such a debarking drum. The debarking device preferably includes a chipping device and a method of using the same.

A debarking machine for removing the bark from a log includes a flail assembly having a flail shaft that is mounted for rotation about a flail shaft axis. A plurality of flail chains are provided, each of which has a fixed end that is attached to the flail shaft and a free end. The debarking machine is adapted to move a log to be debarked in a processing direction that is generally perpendicular to the flail shaft axis. A flail housing encloses a portion of the flail assembly and is configured and arranged to locate the flail shaft at any of a plurality of alternative vertical positions with respect to the log being moved in the processing direction.

A flail assembly for a debarking machine includes a flail shaft that is adapted to be rotated about a flail axis of rotation. Attached to the flail shaft is a flail chain that includes a plurality of interconnected links, at least some of which have a polygonal cross-section.