Boring or penetrating the earth – Processes
Patent
1993-12-14
1995-09-19
Schoeppel, Roger J.
Boring or penetrating the earth
Processes
175195, 37189, 37406, 173 27, 173192, 414 23, 414733, E21B 700
Patent
active
054509122
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention is concerned with maintenance and extraction of poles piers and piles from earth surfaces.
In particular, this invention is concerned with maintenance and extraction of timber, concrete and steel poles and like supports for power and telephone transmission lines, fence posts, building support piers, marine pilings and the like.
Timber power and telegraph poles are prone to deterioration as a result of fungal and termite attack, particularly in the region extending from the point of emergence form a ground surface to about 600 mm below the ground surface. Concrete and steel poles may also be subject to deterioration as a result of corrosion in a similar region. Marine pilings typically deteriorate over their exposed normally wetted surfaces.
In order to maintain such poles, it is necessary to excavate the earth around the pole to a depth of about 600 mm to inspect the pole condition and to apply timber preservation and protective composition. Typically, such excavations are carried out manually with a pick and shovel.
When it is desired to remove or replace a telegraph or power transmission pole which is damaged as a result of, say, a motor vehicle accident, termite or fungal decay, it is necessary to excavate a substantial amount of earth from around the pole to facilitate removal. A typical method of extracting piles is described and illustrated in Australian Patent No. 524678 which is concerned with a method for sleeving damaged poles. The main disadvantage of this method is that a new or repaired pole is replaced in a ground surface surrounded by a substantial volume of disturbed and uncompacted earth. This may necessitate the use of additional equipment to compact the disturbed earth.
To facilitate extraction of a submerged marine piling, it is common practice to excavate around the base of a piling member by means of a high pressure water cannon.
All of the prior art methods of maintaining and extracting poles, pilings etc are heavily labour intensive and/or require specialised heavy equipment to carry out these functions.
It is an aim of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for excavation around poles, pilings and the like embedded in an earth surface and to facilitate extraction of those poles, pilings and the like if so required.
As used herein the expression "pole" is intended to embrace all types of poles embedded in earth surfaces on dry land or a sea bed and includes, power poles, telegraph poles, fence poles, piers, pilings and the like.
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided an apparatus for excavation of earth about a pole embedded in an earth surface, said apparatus comprising:
a support frame;
a substantially cylindrical earth excavation member rotatably journalled in said support frame;
drive means to rotate said earth excavation member; and,
means to advance said earth excavation member in a desired direction.
Suitably said support frame is adapted for mounting on a mobile vehicle.
Preferably said apparatus includes orientation means to selectively orientate said earth excavation member for earth excavation in a predetermined direction.
If required said apparatus may includes stabiliser means to stabilise the apparatus during excavation.
Suitably the earth excavation member comprises a cylindrical drum with at least one earth working element located on the outer periphery of said drum.
Preferably said at least one earth working element comprises a helical flight.
Preferably said helical flight includes a cutting edge at its leading free end.
If required one or more cutting edges may be associated with a leading portion of said drum.
Preferably said drum comprises a continuous inner wall surface.
If required scraping means may be provided to scrape excavated earth from said helical flight adjacent a trailing end thereof.
Preferably said earth excavation member is comprised of two or more portions movable between an open position and a closed position to embrace an upright pole for earth excavation therearound.
Preferably said earth exc
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Cahill Gavin J.
Falkenhagen Eric A.
Lousick Ronald W.
Polemate Pty Ltd.
Schoeppel Roger J.
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