Excavating – Combined or convertible
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-12
2001-03-20
Batson, Victor (Department: 3671)
Excavating
Combined or convertible
C037S905000, C037S195000, C175S067000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06202330
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to excavation, and, more particularly, to excavation assemblies, apparatus and methods.
Generally, excavation requires the cutting and removal of soil or other solid excavated material from an excavated surface. One type of excavation apparatus is a hard-tooth apparatus, such as a backhoe, a trenching machine, a jack hammer or a manual pick or shovel. These apparatus include a cutting tool with a cutting edge that is forced into the ground to cut the soil from the surface. The cutting tool may also be used to remove the soil from the surface. Some of these hard-tooth apparatus, for example, some jack hammers, and other equipment required at the excavation site are pneumatically operated and require a compressor as a power unit.
Another type of excavation apparatus is a non-intrusive excavation apparatus or soft excavator. A non-intrusive excavation apparatus uses jets of fluid, such as air, to loosen the soil. A vacuum may be used to remove the soil from the excavated surface. The non-intrusive excavation apparatus does not include a hard cutting edge that is forced into the ground to cut the soil.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,229 discloses a soft excavator including an excavation head mounted on one end of telescoping hollow boom. The excavation head has a nozzle for directing jets of high speed air at an excavation face to loosen soil. A vacuum transport pipe extends from the excavation head through the hollow of the boom. The apparatus includes primary and secondary separators for disentraining loosened soil from air flowing through the separators. The apparatus also includes a conveyor located under the primary and secondary separators to receive soil from the separators and to remove the soil from the apparatus. The apparatus is supported on a chassis above the ground by wheels to provide mobility for the apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,212,891 discloses another type of soft excavator, namely, a hand-held wand. The wand includes a nozzle to cut soil and a passage to remove the excavated soil.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,120,165 discloses an excavation system with pneumatic conveyance and separation of a excavated material. The excavation system fragments excavated material. The material is entrained and pneumatically conveyed to a remote site for separation of the material from the gas. One or more separators communicates serially with the flow path and separates and collects the excavated material. At least one separator includes a high-efficiency cyclone chamber. In one embodiment, the separator is mounted on a truck, and the truck can be separated from the excavation system and driven to an excavant disposal/storage site where the truck can be emptied.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,717 discloses a vacuum excavator. The excavation apparatus includes a suction system and a liquid jet system mounted on a vehicle. The suction tank is emptied by opening the rear hatch and raising the front end of the tank.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One problem with conventional hard-tooth excavation apparatus is that, as the hard cutting edge cuts the surface, the apparatus can damage buried utilities, such as electric power cables, natural gas piping, communication cables, and water pipes. While damaging the utilities, the apparatus can also be damaged, and the operator can be injured. Also, the damage results in an interruption of utility service in the area.
Another problem with some conventional hard-tooth excavation apparatus is that the cutting tool, such as the bucket of a backhoe, also removes the soil from the excavation surface. As a result, the bucket must be constantly emptied and repositioned, reducing the efficiency of the excavation operation and also requiring increased operator skill. In addition, the constant movement of the cutting tool and the supporting arm increases the wear and tear on the excavation apparatus.
One problem with conventional hard-tooth excavation apparatus and soft excavators is that, typically, two separate pieces of equipment, i.e., a hard-tooth excavation apparatus and a soft excavator, are required if both hard-tooth excavation and non-intrusive excavation is desired. Further, because the typical soft excavator does not have a high rate of excavation, an additional hard-tooth excavator is required to complete the excavation operation in a timely manner. The costs of excavation operations and of storage and transportation of the equipment are thus greatly increased.
Another problem with conventional hard-tooth excavation apparatus and soft excavators, such as the soft excavator disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,229, is that, typically, these pieces of equipment include vastly different components and are not operated in the same manner. As a result, operators require separate training and experience on each piece of equipment in order to conduct efficient excavation operations.
Yet another problem with conventional hard-tooth excavation apparatus and soft excavators is that a compressor is needed at the work site to operate the additional pneumatic tools, such as pneumatic jack hammers and the like. Even with conventional soft excavators, an additional compressor is required because the compressor included in the soft excavator does not have sufficient capacity to power the additional pneumatic tools.
A further problem with some conventional soft excavators is that, because a separate compressor is required, these excavators are not used in conjunction with a non-intrusive excavation wand. As a result, these excavators do not completely remove material from areas of complex utility junctions or clusters. Typically, an operator must manually clear material from these areas.
Another problem with some conventional soft excavators is that the fluid jet cutting device is separate from the soil removal device. To excavate with such a soft excavator, the cutting device loosens some soil and then must be removed and replaced with the removal device, making this process inefficient.
Yet another problem with some conventional soft excavators is that a component of the excavation apparatus must be disconnected from the apparatus and moved to a different location for removal of excavated soil. In some cases, the excavation apparatus cannot be operated until the component is returned and reconnected to the system.
A further problem with some conventional soft excavators is that the components of the excavator, such as the compressor, the blower and the separator, are separately mounted and must therefore be transported separately.
Another problem with the soft excavator disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,229 is that the telescoping boom and vacuum transport pipe are difficult to seal. This results in a loss of vacuum pressure and inefficient soil removal.
Yet another problem with the soft excavator disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,229 is that additional seal or skirt elements are required around the excavation head to provide a seal between the excavation head and the excavated surface.
A further problem with the soft excavator disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,229 is that the conveyor removes the soil from the apparatus and deposits the soil on the ground adjacent to the soft excavator.
The present invention provides an excavation assembly, apparatus and methods of operating the same that alleviate the problems of the conventional hard-tooth excavation apparatus and of the conventional soft excavators. Generally, the assembly includes an excavation head having a nozzle and a vacuum, a source of pressurized fluid connected to the nozzle so that fluid is provided through the nozzle to cut the surface to be excavated, and a source of vacuum pressure connected to the vacuum to remove soil from the excavated surface.
In one embodiment, the non-intrusive excavation assembly is attachable to the arm of a conventional hard-tooth excavation apparatus, such as a backhoe, and is substitutable for the hard-tooth cutting tool or bucket. In another embodiment, the assembly is an integral component of a non-intrusive excavation apparatus.
Also, the present invention
Batson Victor
Bolton Corporation
Michael & Best & Friedrich LLP
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