Boring or penetrating the earth – Processes – Sampling of earth formations
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-06
2001-01-23
Johnson, Brian L. (Department: 3618)
Boring or penetrating the earth
Processes
Sampling of earth formations
C175S020000, C073S864440
Reexamination Certificate
active
06176326
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a soil sampling device and, more particularly, to a self contained volatile soil sampling device for measuring a sample of soil in the field.
Generally there are two approved ways for collecting soil samples for volatile soil analysis: A sealed soil sampling device method and methanol preservation method. Off-site testing requires a soil sample to be preserved so that accurate testing can be later accomplished at an off-site laboratory. Typically, a sample of soil is taken and enclosed in a container. The container is sealed to retain the volatile compounds in the soil and then transported to the off-site laboratory where the soil sample can be tested.
In contrast, methanol preservation requires a sample of soil to be weighed and placed into a sample jar. A controlled amount of pure methanol is measured in a graduated cylinder and poured into the sample jar. The sample jar is then shaken for two minutes and prepared for shipping to an off-site laboratory. In this manner, the volatile compounds in the soil are preserved by the methanol. Typically, a second sample jar is filled with another sample of the soil which is forwarded along with the first sample to the off-site laboratory and is used to determine the dry weight of the soil. Consequently, the on-site preservation procedure analysis requires weighing the soil and measuring methanol which results in a relatively labor intensive process.
More recently, methanol ampoules have been produced which provide a fixed volume of the methanol, thus eliminating the need to measure out the methanol. However, heretofore, such simple measuring devices for soil are not available. Consequently, there is a need for a simple soil sampling device which permits accurate measurement of a soil sample without the need for a weighing device and, further, provides a simple quick method of measuring with fewer steps and fewer components than heretofore known.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention provides a new and unique soil sampling device, which is especially suitable for the methanol preservation method of collecting samples of soil for testing the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the soil. The soil sampling device includes a tactile indication of the volume of soil collected in the sampling device, which volume must be determined in order to use the methanol preservation method.
According to one aspect of the invention, a soil sampling device includes a body and a plunger. The body includes a first end and a second end and a cylindrical wall that extends between the first and second ends. The second end is open and defines an insertion end for inserting into soil. The plunger extends through the first end of the body and frictionally engages the inner surface of the cylindrical wall. The cylindrical wall or the plunger includes at least one indicator corresponding to a selected volume of the body. The indicator provides a change in resistance between the body and the plunger so that a person pushing or pulling on the plunger can detect the change in resistance between the plunger and the body thereby providing a tactile indication to the person that the plunger has reached a desired position in the body.
In preferred aspects of the invention, the indicator may comprise a raised or projecting rib or a groove or a plurality of spaced discrete raised or recessed portions.
In other aspects, the indicators are provided on the cylindrical wall of the body. Optionally, the indicator extends around at least a portion of the inner circumference of the cylindrical wall.
According to another aspect of the invention, a soil sampling device includes a body and a plunger. The body includes a first end and a second end and a cylindrical wall, which extends between the first end and the second end. The second end of the cylindrical wall is open and defines a mouth, with the mouth having a width equal to the inner diameter of the cylindrical wall. The plunger extends through the first end of the body and frictionally engages the inner surface of the cylindrical wall.
In other aspects, the cylindrical wall includes at least one circumferentially extending indicator. The plunger frictionally engages the inner surface of the cylindrical wall with a first friction force and frictionally engages the indicator with a second friction force whereby a person pushing or pulling on the plunger can detect the change in resistance between the plunger and the inner surface of the cylindrical wall and the plunger and the indicator thereby providing a tactile indication that the plunger has reached the indicator.
In preferred aspects, the indicator comprises a groove or projecting rib, where the groove provides a lower resistance between the plunger and the cylindrical wall, and the rib provides an increased resistance between the plunger and the cylindrical wall. In further aspects, the indicator may have a higher coefficient of friction than the coefficient of friction of the inner surface of the cylindrical wall so that the user of the soil sampling device will detect an increase in resistance between the plunger and the cylindrical wall when the plunger is positioned at an indicator.
In other aspects of the invention, a method of sampling a soil includes providing a soil sampling device which comprises a body and a plunger with a piston. The body includes a first end and a second end and a cylindrical wall extending between the first and second ends. The second end is open and defines a mouth for inserting into soil. The plunger extends through the first end of the body and frictionally engages the inner surface of the cylindrical wall. The plunger is first extended into the cylindrical body, and then the soil sampling device is inserted into the soil while the plunger is withdrawn into the body of the soil sampling device. Upon detecting a change in resistance between the plunger and the body, the plunger is released to hold the position of the plunger so that a desired volume of soil is collected in the body.
As will be understood, the soil sampling device of the present invention provides numerous advantages over prior known soil sampling devices. The soil sampling device provides a multiple-use device which consists of two parts, the soil sampling device body and plunger with a piston. The soil sampling device is simple to use and overcomes the handling problems of prior known soil sampling devices and provides a simple device for measuring soil. Furthermore, when the piston is retracted into the sampling device body, a person pulling on the plunger can detect when the piston has reached selected positions in the sampling device body which correspond to desired weights of the soil sample. These and other objects, advantages, purposes, and features of the invention will become more apparent from the study of the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings.
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David Ramon R.
Yazdani Saeid
Johnson Brian L.
Sliteris Joselynn Z.
SoilCore, Inc.
Van Dyke Gardner, Linn & Burkhart, LLP
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