Method of Controlling a Brush Chipper

Abstract

An improved brush cutter having an upper feed control member with stop, forward, neutral, and reverse positions also has a lower feed stop member with selectable sensitivity. Another aspect of the invention is to predict the feed roller shutoff point according to the rate of engine deceleration. According to another aspect, when the feed rollers stop feeding material into the cutters, to overcome drag on the cutters, a controller stops the feed rollers and then reverses them for a short time, and then reverses the rollers again if the problem is still present. To prevent jamming, a pressure switch senses when oil in a hydraulic motor system for rotating the feed rollers is too high and the controller momentarily reverses the feed rollers and then causes them to go forward, a cycle which can occur several times until the feed rollers are no longer stalled. By another aspect of the invention, the controller senses characteristics of the brush cutter and chooses an operating system based on the characteristics sensed. The controller can also sense if the brush chipper has not been used for a predetermined period of time and automatically reduce the idle speed of the engine until the brush chipper is used again, and then automatically return the engine to a normal idle speed before the feed rollers will pull brush into the brush chipper.

1 - 51 . (canceled) 
     
     
         52 . A material reducing machine comprising:
 a rotary reducing mechanism enclosed at least partially within a housing;   a feed roller for feeding material desired to be reduced toward the rotary reducing mechanism; and   a controller that uses a parameter indicative of a size of the material being fed toward the rotary reducing mechanism by the feed roller as a factor in controlling the operation of the feed roller, wherein the controller operates the feed roller according to a first control protocol when the parameter is indicative of a first size of material being fed toward the rotary reducing mechanism by the feed roller, and wherein the controller operates the feed roller according to a second control protocol when the parameter is indicative of a second size of material being fed toward the rotary reducing mechanism by the feed roller.   
     
     
         53 . The material reducing machine of  claim 52 , wherein the rotary reducing mechanism includes a chipping mechanism. 
     
     
         54 . The material reducing machine of  claim 52 , wherein the rotary reducing mechanism is powered by an engine having an engine speed, and wherein the parameter indicative of the size of material being fed toward the rotary reducing mechanism includes a rate of reduction of the engine speed. 
     
     
         55 . The material reducing machine of  claim 54 , wherein the engine speed is measured in rotations-per-minute. 
     
     
         56 . The material reducing machine of  claim 54 , wherein the first control protocol includes stopping the feed roller at a first engine speed when the engine speed drops at a first rate, wherein the second control protocol includes stopping the feed roller at a second engine speed when the engine speed drops at a second rate, wherein the first rate is faster than the second rate, and wherein the first engine speed is higher than the second engine speed. 
     
     
         57 . (canceled)