Apparatus and method for installing subsurface tubing

An apparatus for installing multiple strands of hose simultaneously below a surface of terrain, the apparatus comprising:

• a chassis comprising a rotating shaft and a power take off gearbox differential configured to drive the shaft;
• four trenching blade assemblies connected to the rotating shaft, wherein the trenching blade assemblies are spaced 10 to 24 inches apart and are configured to dig parallel trenches in the terrain;
• two reel mounts connected to the chassis, wherein each reel mount comprises a swiveling T bar configured to hold two reels of coiled hose;
• four curved hose guides connected to the chassis in trailing positions relative to the trenching blade assemblies, wherein each hose guide is aligned with a corresponding trenching blade assembly and comprises a tube configured to receive a hose from a respective hose reel mounted on one of the reel mounts and deposit the hose into a trench dug by the corresponding trenching blade assembly;
• four trench filler-packers connected to the chassis in trailing positions relative to the hose guides, wherein each trench filler-packer is aligned with a corresponding hose guide, wherein each trench filler-packer comprises:
• at least three successive blades offset from each other and configured to push soil excavated from one of the trenches back into the trench;
• and
• at least two packing wheels interspersed with the blades, wherein the packing wheels are configured to pack soil pushed into the trench by the blades of the trench filler-packer.

A method of installing multiple strands of hose simultaneously below a surface of terrain, the method comprising:

• moving an apparatus over the terrain, wherein the apparatus comprises:
• a chassis;
• two or more rotating trenching blade assemblies connected to the chassis approximately parallel to each other, wherein the trenching blade assemblies are configured to dig respective trenches in the terrain;
• two or more reel mounts connected to the chassis, wherein the reel mounts are configured to hold reels of hose;
• two or more curved hose guides connected to the chassis in trailing positions relative to the trenching blade assemblies, wherein each hose guide is aligned with a corresponding trenching blade assembly and is configured to receive hose from a respective hose reel mounted on one of the reel mounts and deposit the hose into a trench dug by the corresponding trenching blade assembly;
• and
• two or more trench filler-packers connected to the chassis in trailing positions relative to the hose guides, wherein each trench filler-packer is aligned with a corresponding hose guide, and wherein the trench filler-packers comprise blades configured to push soil excavated from the trenches back into the trenches;
• and
• feeding hose from reels on the reel mounts into the hose guides;
• wherein each trench filler-packer of the apparatus comprises
• a first blade angled outward to a first side of a centerline toward the chassis, wherein the first blade is a first length;
• a first packing wheel trailing the first blade;
• a second blade trailing the first packing wheel, wherein the second blade is angled outward to a second side of the centerline toward the chassis, and wherein the second blade is the first length;
• a third blade opposite the centerline from the second blade and angled outward to the first side of the centerline toward the chassis, wherein the third blade is a second length that is shorter than the first length, and wherein a gap exists between ends of the second blade and third blade that are distal from the chassis;
• a second packing wheel trailing the second blade and third blade;
• a fourth blade trailing the second packing wheel, wherein the fourth blade is angled outward to the second side of the centerline toward the chassis, and wherein the fourth blade is the first length;
• and
• a fifth blade opposite the centerline from the fourth blade and angled outward to the first side of the centerline toward the chassis, wherein the fifth blade is the second length, and wherein a gap exists between ends of the fourth blade and fifth blade that are distal from the chassis.