SuperSplit: Need help with idea.

[Wowzer]

Something you could also look into is the recycled plastic ramps for getting into a container might help make things easier?

https://eco-flex.com/products/yukon-ramp?variant=12408545640534

 

[Pcoz88]

electric wheel chair assembly!?!

 

[Big_Eddy]

Use what you have. Your Super Split has a large belt driven flywheel.
I would design a follower pulley on a pivoting lever that is located within the arc of the belt that drives the flywheel. This follower pulley drives a second belt to a solid rear axle rear. Lift a handle or pull a lever to pivot the follower arm and press the pulley against the belt driving the flywheel. Lift it up to go forward, push down to go backward. Spring to center (neutral) and a pin to lock it there so you don't bump it while splitting.

I'd probably use a cable and mount my drive control lever on the current trailer tongue, so I can steer and drive from ahead. (Otherwise you need to also design some kind of steering mechanism so you can steer while standing to the side )Tow the cart behind the splitter.
Speed would depend on the pulley sizing and the speed at which the engine is set. The flywheel would help to avoid stalling the motor at low speeds when encountering a bump or obstacle, and there is little chance of a runaway if you have to "keep pressure" on the lever to keep moving.

3 pulleys, 1 belt, 1 spring, a bearing, some flat and round steel - and probably a lawn mower throttle cable. Easy - Peasey!

 

[Ted Jenkins]

I am always looking for ways to make my systems faster more effective. I studied this problem many years ago and concluded that to make the splitter more portable was not to self propel, but to use equipment that I already had. With the extra motors I thought they could run a winch to move logs around to make it easier to get larger wood split. The best system that I have discovered was to mount a motor and hub on each end of what would be a axle stub. Then with just a hydro control added for each side steering would not be necessary. What I use is my portable winch to lower or lift my splitter up or down embankments. No matter how good the tires are they would loose traction coming up steep hills. I saw motors and hubs for less than a hundred bucks each. The controls and hoses could be very small so they would not add much weight. Thanks

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Lots of great ideas.
I just wrote a bit, and lost it by going back a page.

My original thought was a simple hydraulic system, similar to my belted conveyor with forward and reverse.
As I said I have an engine, and I also have an old valve the detent no longer works on. Needed would be a pump and mount, tank, hoses and hydraulic motor, chain and sprockets.

I like Big_Eddy's idea. Didn't follow how to get reverse, however, came up with a Y shaped, two pulley mount that pivots on a jack shaft. The top of the Y (mounted side ways) each has a pulley mated to a gear that drives a chain to the jack shaft.

The pulleys nest one above and one below a section of the two flywheel drive belts.
Neutral, neither pulley touches the flywheel belts running between them.
As Big_Eddy suggested, up would contact the underside of the flywheel belts, spinning the pulley and thus the jack shaft in one direction.
Down would contact the top of the flywheel belts, spinning the other pulley and the jack shaft in the opposite direction.
Both idler pulleys would spin if one was contacting the belt, because each has a chain drive to the jack shaft, but only one would provide power to the splitter drive wheels. The opposite Y mounted pulley would spin freely.
A belt driven jack shaft to axle could provide slippage when necessary.
Sounds pretty simple.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Thanks for all the ideas in this thread.
I've spent a several hours on-line, and on Craigslist looking for items to use or get ideas from following your leads.

 

[Ted Jenkins]

It might take some machine work to have every thing complete, but most motors are reversible with variable speed. Thanks

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Ted: Are you talking hydraulic motors for the wheels?
That is what runs the top drive drum on belted conveyors, which allows forward/neutral/reverse and more importantly the oil can bypass if the conveyor jambs.

 

[tla100]

Pull behind 4x4 ATV....

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Pull behind 4x4 ATV....

I do that, and it works until I need to push it up to the conveyor, a distance of 8'-10' by the time I pull past far enough to make the turn in reverse. Due to the cutting benches I can not get it there with the fork lift either. The tire width is 100" outside to outside on the lift. The splitter tongue has some play, and my wagon backing skills, although getting better are not good enough to center the splitter between the benches with the quad. If offset to one side there is not room to work with a saw.
If I keep the chips shoveled out at the end of the day, which I've been doing, I can push the splitter into place with some effort.
At present it is the only time I need to push it. I've thought maybe a ball on the front of the quad might help some for starters.
Snow is coming (eventually) and that will shut me down in the wood lot.
Did three pallets yesterday afternoon, 3/4 cord cut/split/staged for seasoning.
Felt good, after several days of watching sick grand kids with grandma, and ice days.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Checked out Surplus Center (on-line) transaxles.
What is the difference between a regular transaxle and a hydraulic transaxle?
Both seem to be belt drive.
Is it as simple as one you shift (clutch), and one you don't?

 

[Trapper_Pete]

for now I would pound a good stake or 2 if ground is soft a cross stake with a chain will hold a lot at the base of the base of the conveyor , put a snatch block on the stake drop the SS off with the 4 wheeler as strait out as you can from the conveyor hook to the back of the SS with the line and drop the other end of the line over the hitch on the quad then slowly pull forward as you go forward the SS goes right towards the conveyor have a halved log right where you want it to stop as a big wheel chock take the line off the quad and tuck it under the SS for the next morning.

you probably already have everything you need for that around the shop and it wouldn't cost you anything.

 

[sb47]

You have a 4 wheeler to pull it around, why motorize it?

 

[muddstopper]

I have thought about this for a few days and have decided, it can be done. Its just a matter of how much money you want to spend. Designing a hydraulic system from scratch can get expensive and would have a major drawback. Once the hyd drive is installed, towing, especially at highway speeds could damage the componets. You can get around that to, but it cost more money. Smallest wheel motors I found are around $150 each but have the advantage over hyd orbid motors in that you can actually mount the tire and wheel straight to the motor. They even sell brake/hubs that bolt right on. You could mount 2 in series for a 4x4 setup, one on front axle and one on rear axle, and make the front axle steerable, or mount both motors on one axle to work as a zero turn. You would need to add a hyd pump,tank and control valves to you current engine, or a sperate engine and pump setup. If you want to tow the splitter, you would also need to add a selector valve to allow the oil produced by the wheel motors to dump back to tank. Anyways, by the time you bought new parts, do the fab work and get it working, you could easily be out a $1000 bucks.

Another option is to find a used hyd walk behind mower. It would have the hyd wheel motors and complete hyd system. Just remove the mower deck and run it under the rear of your supersplit and mount it up. I believe they also already have a selector valve to allow low speed towing. Still couldnt tow it at highway speeds, but thats what they make trailers for.

One more option, and maybe easier to find used, is a used zero turn mower. Big tires for traction and again a already proven hyd drive system.

Going with a belt driven drive system might be cheaper, but would require a lot of engineering to have forward and reverse. Belts and pullies are a lot cheaper then wheel motors and hyd hoses.

Anyways, I was just thinking out loud. Post up some pics when you get it working.

 

[Natster]

Cheaper solution: only drive one motor, the steerable one. Make it electric, (dc 12 volt) make it tilt up, out of the way, when not in use.
Buy elec start motor, with charger. Go up several hp. or, if you go hydraulic, just drive one wheel. Or, go solid axle, and drive 2 wheels, (like atv)
@mudstopper above, I'm agreeing with, and playing off your suggestions.
If you go hydraulic, add a lift!
Post pics! Great post, great ideas!
N

 

[muddstopper]

Supersplits dont have any hydraulics which makes adding hyd anything pretty hard. I know they have the big flywheel on one shaft end for the kenetics, but I dont know if their engines are made to accept a stub shaft on the flywheel side. A lot of bigger horizonal engines do. If not, repowering with a different engine that would allow for a stub shaft, or using a second engine to pull the hyd might be the only options. If your supersplit has electric start, then using a winch motor to drive the wheels might be a good option. Its not like you going to be driving long distances or moving around constantly. Add a boat battery to the electrical system and the engine should keep the battery charged up for you. Without a electric charging system to power the winch, it might be more trouble than its worth.

 

[Big_Eddy]

Building a new undercarriage, complete with transmission and a second motor seems like overkill for what is needed, will add bulk, will add weight, will make the whole thing larger and harder to work around.

My thinking is a lot simpler. Use the existing motor, undercarriage and footprint. Just add the ability for the rear axle to assist.
Attached powerpen sketch shows what I meant. You'll need some idler pulleys to keep the belt tight as you pull up or down on the lever (or cable operated remote lever). Play with the geometry a bit, and you can have the axle belt loose in the centered position (so it doesn't add drag while pulling or pushing the splitter) and only tightens up when you move the drive pulley off center.

 

[Wowzer]

or you could sell your Conveyor and supersplit(or just the conveyor), and just upgrade into this thing. i have been looking at it, to save bending over and give you a conveyor to load into a pile, or your bins

https://powersplit.com/single-vertical-splitter/

 

[Natster]

That PowerSplitter costs a lot. I'd druther have one of those, than a supersplit. The supersplit is at the 3k price point, give or take a little.

 

[fulladirt]

I have nothing to add re powering the splitter to drive. But w0w what a nice looking setup you have over there, amazing how clean you manage to keep it all.