Conduit guide for conduit laying machine

A cable plow comprising:

• a trench former;
• a conduit feed passage mounted behind the trench former;
• and,
• a conduit guide mounted above the conduit feed passage for guiding conduit into the conduit feed passage, the conduit guide comprising:
• laterally spaced apart walls defining an arcuate channel through which the conduit passes;
• at least two longitudinally spaced apart roller sets rotatably mounted in the channel, the at least two longitudinally spaced apart roller sets comprising a front roller set and a rear roller set, wherein
• the front roller set comprises a first upper bow roller and at least two longitudinally spaced apart first lower flat rollers with the first upper bow roller situated between two of the first lower flat rollers, the conduit passing through a first roller gap between the first upper and lower rollers, and
• the rear roller set comprises a second upper bow roller and at least two longitudinally spaced apart second lower flat rollers with the second upper bow roller situated between two of the second lower flat rollers, the conduit passing through a second roller gap between the second upper and lower rollers;
• wherein the conduit follows an arcuate path between the first and second roller gaps, the arcuate path having a radius that is equal to or greater than a minimum bend radius for the conduit;
• at least one roller gap adjuster, the at least one roller gap adjuster operable to adjust spacings of the roller gaps, the at least one roller gap adjuster comprising at least one resilient biasing element that permits increasing the spacings of the roller gaps while biasing the spacings of the roller gaps toward fixed minimum spacings of the roller gaps.

A conduit guide for a conduit laying machine, the conduit guide comprising:

• laterally spaced apart walls defining an arcuate channel through which conduit passes;
• at least two longitudinally spaced apart roller sets rotatably mounted in the channel, the at least two longitudinally spaced apart roller sets comprising a front roller set and a rear roller set, wherein
• the front roller set comprises a first upper bow roller and at least two longitudinally spaced apart first lower flat rollers with the first upper bow roller situated between two of the first lower flat rollers, the conduit passing through a first roller gap between the first upper and lower rollers, and
• the rear roller set comprises a second upper bow roller and at least two longitudinally spaced apart second lower flat rollers with the second upper bow roller situated between two of the second lower flat rollers, the conduit passing through a second roller gap between the second upper and lower rollers;
• wherein the conduit follows an arcuate path between the first and second roller gaps, the arcuate path having a radius that is equal to or greater than a minimum bend radius for the conduit;
• at least one roller gap adjuster, the at least one roller gap adjuster operable to adjust spacings of the roller gaps, the at least one roller gap adjuster comprising at least one resilient biasing element that permits increasing the spacings of the roller gaps while biasing the spacings of the roller gaps toward fixed minimum spacings of the roller gaps.