Quartering Wedge

This invention relates generally to a wedge for splitting logs, and more particularly to such a wedge for, selectively, halving or quartering logs.

Many splitter wedges have been provided in the past, some for actuation by a hand pounding tool such as a maul, and others for use with power machinery for providing the necessary force. Instances of the hand tool actuated devices are shown in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: Manning 1,261,834; Courville 3,515,372; and Lavigne 4,209,046. Instances of the mechanized type are shown in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: Van Slyke 1,307,714 and Butas 3,974,867.

The present invention distinguishes over the prior art in providing a splitter wedge which permits the user to use the wedge for either halving or, selectively, quartering a log or other workpiece. Thus the preferred form of the invention disclosed herein includes a first wedge member having a downwardly directed cutting edge, by preference provided with chamfered end portions. The shank of the first wedge member has formed therein a longitudinally extending central opening or enlarged slot, defined upwardly by a horizontal flat abutment face. In accordance with the invention there is provided a second wedge member having a body including a central portion receivable in the slot and having an upwardly directed abutment face, the central portion including a pair of coplanar downwardly directed cutting edges. Retaining means are provided by which to selectively retain the second wedge member in assembled relation with the first wedge member, the retaining means being designed to permit the second member to move upwardly relative to the first until the abutment faces of the two wedge members are in contact. In this way, downward force applied to the first wedge member will be transmitted to the second wedge member during splitted operation through abutting contact between the two wedge members, and none of that force is applied to the retaining means.

Accordingly, the principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel improved splitter wedge construction. Additional objects are to provide, in such a device, a construction permitting the user to employ the device either for halving or for quartering a workpiece such as a log; a construction in which two wedge members are readily assemblable and disassemblable; a construction in which, when assembled, one wedge member is permitted only limited movement relative to the other; and for other and additional purposes as will be understood from a reading of the following description of a preferred form of the invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a splitter wedge embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2. is a side elevational view of the wedge.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view looking downwardly on the arrows III--III of FIG. 1, with a portion of a log being quartered shown in dotted outline.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the principal wedge member.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale of the upper broken away portion of FIG. 1, with the parts shown in their relative positions during actual use of the wedge.

The splitter wedge shown in FIG. 1 includes first and second wedge members indicated generally at 10 and 12 respectively. As seen in FIG. 4, the first wedge member has a head 14 at its upper end for receiving downward force during operation, such as the impact of a maul. At its lower end wedge member 10 has a cutting edge indicated generally at 16 lying in the central vertical plane of the wedge member. The cutting edge, as best seen in FIG. 2, has a straight central section 17 generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the wedge member, and flanking chamfered sections 18 and 19 to facilitate initial penetration of a workpiece such as a log.

The shank 20 of wedge member 10 is provided with an elongated opening or slot 22, as well as with a pair of vertically spaced horizontal bores 23 and 24 extending transversely of the shank on either side of the slot.

Second wedge member 12 is provided with a downwardly directed bifurcated lower cutting edge indicated generally at 30 including edge sections 31 and 32, desirably chamfered upwardly as shown. Wedge member 12 is also provided, centrally of its body, with upper and lower vertically elongated slots 33 and 34 which are in registration with bores 23 and 24 when the two wedge members are in their assembled relation as seen in FIG. 1. Means are provided for retaining the wedge members in that assembled relation, here shown as a pair of spring split pins 35 and 36 which fit tightly in bores 23 and 24, but loosely in slots 33 and 34.

The elongated slot 22 of the first wedge member 10 is bounded upwardly by a downwardly directed abutment face 40, and the upper surface 41 of second wedge member 12 includes a central portion 42, which may be slightly recessed as shown, constituting an upwardly directed abutment face.

In operation, downward force on upper face 14 is applied not only to first cutting edge 16, but also, through abutting contact of faces 40 and 42, to cutting edge 30. In order to avoid damage to retaining spring pins 35 and 36, it is important that the pins fit loosely in slots 33 and 34, and also that those slots extend far enough downwardly so that their lower arcs do not contact the pins during operation, as best seen in the enlarged view FIG. 5. Thus, as there shown, abutment faces 40 and 42 are in contact, but there is arcuate clearance between pin 35 and the lower arc of slot 33.

It will thus be seen that there is here provided a versatile splitter wedge, adapted for either halving or quartering a workpiece. Retaining pins 35 and 36 are readily inserted or removed by well known means such as a drift pin or the like. Modifications and changes not departing from the spirit of the invention are intended to be embraced within the scope of the accompanying claims.