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US 12,077,936 B2Granted
Hydro excavation vacuum apparatus
AssigneeVermeer Manufacturing Company
InventorsAndy Strobel, Corey Lanoue, Daniel Hofland, Adam Bates, David Gift, Tayte Askelsen, James W. Skinner, Nathan J. Meyer
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Abstract
Hydro excavation vacuum apparatus that process spoil material onboard the apparatus by separating water from the cut earthen material are disclosed.
Claims20
Hydro excavation vacuum apparatus for excavating earthen material comprising:
- a wand that discharges pressurized water toward an excavation site to cut the earthen material;
- a vacuum system comprising a vacuum pump and a dig tube, wherein the vacuum pump pulls an airstream through the dig tube to remove the earthen material and water from the excavation site via the airstream;
- a separation vessel that receives the airstream from the vacuum system and removes the earthen material and water from the airstream;
- an airlock that receives material from the separation vessel and discharges the earthen material and water through an airlock outlet;
- and
- a dewatering system that separates water from the earthen material discharged from the airlock outlet, the dewatering system comprising:
- a slat assembly that receives material discharged from the airlock outlet, the slat assembly comprising a plurality of slats with openings formed between the plurality of slats;
- and
- a vibratory screen that receives material that passes through the slat assembly oriented proximate the vibratory screen in a stacked configuration, wherein the vibratory screen separates the material that passes through the slat assembly by size and falls from the slat assembly to the vibratory screen, the vibratory screen having openings sized smaller than the openings between the plurality of slats of the slat assembly, the plurality of slats being spaced from the vibratory screen.
6 more elements
A hydro excavation vacuum apparatus for excavating earthen material comprising:
- a wand that discharges pressurized water toward an excavation site to cut the earthen material;
- a vacuum system comprising a vacuum pump and a dig tube, wherein the vacuum pump pulls an airstream through the dig tube to remove the earthen material and water from the excavation site via the airstream, the vacuum pump being capable of generating a vacuum of at least 18″ Hg at 3000 cubic feet per minute;
- a separation vessel that receives the airstream from the vacuum system and removes the earthen material and water from the airstream;
- and
- a dewatering system that separates water from the earthen material discharged from the separation vessel, the dewatering system comprising a slat assembly comprising a plurality of slats with openings formed between the plurality of slats and a vibratory screen that receives material that passes through the slat assembly, the plurality of slats being spaced from the vibratory screen.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.