US 12,185,673 B2
Airborne grapple saw system
Clay Wyatt Clark, Cave Junction, OR (US); Aaron Mitchell Pruden, Brookings, OR (US); and David Allen McDaniel, Powers, OR (US)
Assigned to Clark Industries Aviation Implements, LLC, Cave Junction, OR (US)
Filed by Clark Industries Aviation Implements, LLC, Cave Junction, OR (US)
Filed on May 25, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/324,045.
Application 18/324,045 is a continuation of application No. 17/680,929, filed on Feb. 25, 2022, granted, now 11,696,536.
Application 17/680,929 is a continuation of application No. PCT/US2019/054939, filed on Oct. 7, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/894,022, filed on Aug. 30, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0380356 A1, Nov. 30, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A01G 23/095 (2006.01); A01G 23/091 (2006.01)
CPC A01G 23/091 (2013.01) [A01G 23/095 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A grapple saw system comprising:
a hydraulic power pack assembly;
a universal joint assembly coupled to the hydraulic power pack assembly; and
a grapple saw head assembly directly coupled to the universal joint assembly, the grapple saw head assembly configured to complete full rotations about at least two axes of the universal joint assembly to limit transfer of torsional forces from the grapple saw head assembly to the hydraulic power pack assembly, and the grapple saw head assembly including a saw configured to cut vegetation, and including grapple arms pivotable between an open configuration to obtain and release the vegetation, and a closed configuration to securely retain the vegetation during cutting operations, and
wherein the grapple saw head assembly is free from rotational constraints and configured for unlimited rotation about a vertical axis of the universal joint assembly in either of opposite rotational directions.