Trenching methods and apparatus
AssigneeCertusView Technologies, LLC
InventorDaniel Paul Miller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for cutting a trench (e.g., for a fiber optic cable or wire conductors) in an existing covering surface (e.g., a road surface). Debris from the cut trench is evacuated (e.g., vacuumed) from the trench as the trench is cut. The trench may be backfilled using a flowable composition. In one example, the flowable composition rigidifies after being flowed into the trench, and thereafter is substantially impermeable (e.g., having a hydraulic permeability of less than 0.0000001 cm/s upon drying), non-compressible and/or non-expanding.
Claims27
A method for constructing an underground cable line in-situ in an existing covering surface comprising a first material selected from a group consisting of pavement, paving, concrete, asphalt, blacktop, cobblestone and brick, the method comprising:
- A) cutting the existing covering surface, via a portable cutting machine having a plurality of wheels, in only one pass by a distance more than a few centimeters as the plurality of wheels of the portable cutting machine advance along the existing covering surface, to create a void in the existing covering surface and thereby creating a stream of debris having a momentum in an upward direction from the existing covering surface;
- B) concurrently with A), directly suctioning the stream of debris from at least the void, through at least one duct coupled to an inlet shroud of the portable cutting machine that overlaps the stream of debris, so as to substantially prevent the stream of debris from diffusing or recycling back into the void, wherein the at least one duct is positioned on the inlet shroud adjacent to at least some of the stream of debris having the momentum in the upward direction from the existing covering surface;
- C) laying a cable into the void;
- D) pumping or pouring a flowable composition into a portion of the void so as to encase the cable;
- and
- E) applying a topping material to a remaining portion of the void,
- wherein:
- in A), the void has a width that allows vehicles to traverse the void while the underground cable line is being constructed;
- in D), the flowable composition undergoes rigidification or solidification and is substantially impermeable;
- and
- in E) the topping material is configured to adhere to the flowable composition.
A method for constructing an underground cable line in-situ in an existing covering surface comprising a first material selected from a group consisting of pavement, paving, concrete, asphalt, blacktop, cobblestone and brick, the method comprising:
- A) cutting the existing covering surface, in only one pass by a distance more than a few centimeters, to create a void in the existing covering surface and thereby creating a stream of debris having a momentum in an upward direction from the existing covering surface;
- B) concurrently with A), directly suctioning the stream of debris from at least the void, through at least one duct coupled to an inlet shroud that overlaps the stream of debris, so as to substantially prevent the stream of debris from diffusing or recycling back into the void, wherein the at least one duct is positioned on the inlet shroud adjacent to at least some of the stream of debris having the momentum in the upward direction from the existing covering surface;
- C) laying a cable into the void;
- D) pumping or pouring a flowable composition into a portion of the void so as to encase the cable;
- and
- E) applying a topping material to a remaining portion of the void,
- wherein:
- in A), the void has a width that allows vehicles to traverse the void while the underground cable line is being constructed;
- in D), the flowable composition undergoes rigidification or solidification and is substantially impermeable;
- and
- in E) the topping material is configured to adhere to the flowable composition,
- wherein in A), the distance is at least 45.72 meter.
A method for constructing an underground cable line in-situ in an existing covering surface comprising a first material selected from a group consisting of pavement, paving, concrete, asphalt, blacktop, cobblestone and brick, the method comprising:
- A) cutting the existing covering surface, in only one pass by a distance more than a few centimeters, to create a void in the existing covering surface and thereby creating a stream of debris having a momentum in an upward direction from the existing covering surface;
- B) concurrently with A), directly suctioning the stream of debris from at least the void, through at least one duct coupled to an inlet shroud that overlaps the stream of debris, so as to substantially prevent the stream of debris from diffusing or recycling back into the void, wherein the at least one duct is positioned on the inlet shroud adjacent to at least some of the stream of debris having the momentum in the upward direction from the existing covering surface;
- C) laying a cable into the void;
- D) pumping or pouring a flowable composition into a portion of the void so as to encase the cable;
- and
- E) applying a topping material to a remaining portion of the void,
- wherein:
- in A), the void has a width that allows vehicles to traverse the void while the underground cable line is being constructed;
- in D), the flowable composition undergoes rigidification or solidification and is substantially impermeable;
- and
- in E) the topping material is configured to adhere to the flowable composition,
- wherein A) comprises cutting the existing covering surface to create the void such that the width is between 1.27 cm and 3.8 cm.
A method for constructing an underground cable line in-situ in an existing covering surface, the method comprising:
- A) cutting the existing covering surface via a portable cutting machine having a plurality of wheels, as the plurality of wheels of the portable cutting machine advance along the existing covering surface, to create a void in the existing covering surface and thereby creating a volume of debris;
- B) vacuuming the volume of debris from at least the void;
- C) laying a cable into the void;
- D) pumping or pouring a flowable composition into a portion of the void so as to encase the cable;
- and
- E) applying a topping material to a remaining portion of the void,
- wherein:
- B) further comprises:
- vacuuming the volume of debris from at least the void to a portable vacuum system mounted to a vehicle;
- and
- vacuuming the volume of debris through at least one duct coupled to an inlet shroud of the portable cutting machine and the portable vacuum system mounted to the vehicle;
- and
- the at least one duct is positioned on the inlet shroud adjacent to at least some of the volume of debris swept in an upward direction out of the void by the portable cutting machine in A).
A method for laying and protecting an underground cable, a duct, and/or a conduit within an existing covering surface, the method comprising:
- A) cutting the existing covering surface via a portable cutting machine having a plurality of wheels, in a single pass over a distance of at least 150 feet as the plurality of wheels of the portable cutting machine advance along the existing covering surface, to create a narrow channel in the existing covering surface, wherein a width of the narrow channel allows vehicles to traverse the narrow channel;
- B) vacuuming a volume of debris from the narrow channel through at least one duct coupled to an inlet shroud of the portable cutting machine, wherein the at least one duct is positioned on the inlet shroud adjacent to at least some of the volume of debris being vacuumed;
- C) laying the underground cable, the duct, and/or the conduit into the narrow channel;
- and
- D) filling at least a first portion of the narrow channel with a first material to protect the underground cable, the duct, and/or the conduit in the narrow channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.