Hydraulic and earth engineering – Subterranean or submarine pipe or cable laying – retrieving,... – By means advancing along terrain and guiding pipe or cable...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-26
2001-05-29
Lillis, Eileen D. (Department: 3673)
Hydraulic and earth engineering
Subterranean or submarine pipe or cable laying, retrieving,...
By means advancing along terrain and guiding pipe or cable...
C405S180000, C405S174000, C405S154100, C037S367000, C037S380000, C037S408000, C037S195000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06238140
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention is a method for laying or burying tile or pipe underground.
2. Description of the Prior Art
People have been digging trenches and laying tile in them for many, many years. It is common practice to dig a trench, partially fill it with gravel, lay tile on top of the gravel and back fill the trench with gravel and or dirt. Some rather elaborate devices for digging a trench, laying a gravel bed and backfilling the trench are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,714,381, 4,742,646 and 5,145,290, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Generally speaking, the patents disclose the use of a back hoe to dig a trench with a bottom conforming substantially to a desired grade. The bottom of the trench is scraped to perfect the grade and a piece of pipe is supported in the trench, a given distance above the trench bottom. Fill, in the form of gravel, is dispensed into the trench, so that it surrounds the pipe and permanently supports it in the trench.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a method for burying pipe or tile underground and the method is especially well suited for use in burying double walled plastic drainage tile having a diameters of about eight inches and larger. The method comprises the steps of digging a relatively wide trench having a bottom with a desired grade and loosening the soil in a central portion of the trench bottom by pulling a groove cutter which is attached to an excavating bucket along the trench bottom so that the bucket rides on the trench bottom and the groove cutter extends below the bottom surface of the trench. After the groove cutter loosens the soil, a modified trench shield or trench box is advanced along the trench bottom. According to the invention, the trench shield is provided, at its leading end, with a groove shaper which removes loosened soil from the central portion of the trench and forms a relatively narrow groove in the bottom of the trench. Depending upon the diameter of the drain tile to be placed in the trench, the width of the groove, adjacent the floor of the trench, will be a little larger or smaller or equal to the drain tile diameter. As sections of the groove are completed, sections of tile are seated in the groove, connected to preceding sections, where necessary, and the trench is backfilled to bury the tile.
REFERENCES:
patent: Re. 26718 (1969-11-01), Kelley
patent: 3061123 (1962-10-01), Rogers
patent: 3295333 (1967-01-01), Killoren
patent: 3561222 (1971-02-01), Sweeton et al.
patent: 4142817 (1979-03-01), Lazure
patent: 4714381 (1987-12-01), Hatch
patent: 4749048 (1988-06-01), Kelly
patent: 5456028 (1995-10-01), Larson
patent: 5601383 (1997-02-01), Zanin
patent: 5741088 (1998-04-01), Kleyman
patent: 5930923 (1999-08-01), Nishiguchi
patent: 6067733 (2000-05-01), Gasper
Hartmann Gary S.
Lillis Eileen D.
Purdue David C.
Purdue John C.
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