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US 2004/0016152 A1Published application
Continuous ditch excavator
OwnerTodd H. Greenwoodinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A continuous ditch excavator includes an excavating auger rotatably mounted on a chassis in a centrally-disposed excavation work area defined by forward and rear portions. Two driving elements are rotatably-mounted in laterally spaced-apart relation to each other on the chassis. The auger is moved laterally between the first and second driving elements to permit adjustment of the position of the auger in relation to the first and second driving elements. In another embodiment, the auger is carried by an arm rotatably mounted to the chassis. In yet another embodiment, the excavator includes a plurality of excavating augers independently raised and lowered to vary the width of the ditch.
Claims48
A continuous ditch excavator, comprising:
- (a) a chassis having a forward portion and a rear portion;
- (b) first and second rotatably-mounted driving elements having treads thereon, said driving elements carried by the chassis in laterally spaced-apart relation to each other for driving and steering the chassis along a ground surface, said first and second driving elements defining a centrally-disposed excavation work area therebetween;
- (c) an excavating auger rotatably-mounted on the chassis in the excavation work area forwardly of the rear portion of the chassis, rearwardly of the forward portion of the chassis and intermediate the first and second driving elements for penetrating the ground surface and excavating a ditch therein;
- and
- (d) auger positioning means carried by the chassis and connected to said auger for moving said auger laterally between said first and second driving elements to permit adjustment of the position of the auger in relation to the first and second driving elements.
2 more elements
A continuous ditch excavator, comprising:
- (a) a chassis having a forward portion and a rear portion;
- (b) first and second rotatably-mounted driving elements having treads thereon, said driving elements carried by the chassis in laterally spaced-apart relation to each other for driving and steering the chassis along a ground surface;
- (c) an arm rotatably mounted on the chassis and extending horizontally to a point outside a perimeter defined collectively by said chassis and said first and second driving elements;
- and
- (d) an excavating auger rotatably mounted to said arm at a point outside the perimeter for penetrating the ground surface and excavating a ditch.
2 more elements
A continuous ditch excavator comprising:
- (a) a chassis having a forward portion and a rear portion;
- (b) first and second rotatably-mounted driving elements having treads thereon, said driving elements carried by the chassis in laterally spaced-apart relation to each other for driving and steering the chassis along a ground surface, said first and second driving elements defining a centrally-disposed excavation work area therebetween;
- and
- (c) a plurality of excavating augers rotatably-mounted on the chassis in the excavation work area for penetrating the ground surface and excavating at least one ditch having a predetermined width relative to the plurality of augers.
1 more element
A continuous ditch excavator, comprising:
- (a) a chassis having a forward portion and a rear portion;
- (b) rotatably-mounted driving elements having treads thereon, said driving elements carried by the chassis in laterally spaced-apart relation to each other for driving and steering the chassis along a ground surface, said first and second driving elements defining a centrally-disposed excavation work area therebetween;
- (c) a rotatably-mounted excavating auger mounted on the chassis in the excavation work area forwardly of the rear portion of the chassis, rearwardly of the forward portion of the chassis and intermediate the first and second driving elements for penetrating and excavating a ditch in the ground as the chassis is driven along the ground, said auger defining a pivot point about which the chassis is adapted to pivot to control the direction of ditch excavation;
- (d) a containment shield adjacent to the auger for preventing the soil removed by the auger from falling back into the ditch as the auger is raised out of the ditch;
- and
- (e) a stabilizing bar connected at opposing ends to the containment shield and the auger to stabilize the auger and prevent contact between the auger and the containment shield.
3 more elements
A continuous ditch excavator comprising:
- (a) a chassis having a forward portion and a rear portion;
- (b) rotatably-mounted driving elements having treads thereon, said driving elements carried by the chassis in laterally spaced-apart relation to each other for driving and steering the chassis along a ground surface, said first and second driving elements defining a centrally-disposed excavation work area therebetween;
- (c) a first auger rotatably mounted on the chassis in the excavation work area forwardly of the rear portion of the chassis, rearwardly of the forward portion of the chassis and intermediate the first and second driving elements for penetrating a ground surface and excavating a ditch in the ground as the chassis is driven along the ground surface, said first auger defining a pivot point about which the chassis is adapted to pivot to control the direction of ditch excavation;
- (d) a second auger positioned on the chassis proximate the first auger for moving soil removed from the ground by the first auger to a point outside of the excavator.
1 more element
A method for excavating a continuous ditch having a first linear segment and a second linear segment extending at an angle from said first segment comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a continuous ditch excavator comprising:
- (i) a chassis having a forward portion and a rear portion,
- (ii) first and second rotatably-mounted driving elements having treads thereon, said driving elements carried by the chassis in laterally spaced-apart relation to each other for driving and steering the chassis along a ground surface, said first and second driving elements defining a centrally-disposed excavation work area therebetween,
- (iii) an excavating auger rotatably-mounted on the chassis in the excavation work area forwardly of the rear portion of the chassis, rearwardly of the forward portion of the chassis and intermediate the first and second driving elements for penetrating a ground surface and excavating a ditch in the ground, and
- (iv) auger positioning means connected to said auger for moving said auger laterally between the first and second driving elements to permit adjustment of the position of the auger in relation to the first and second driving elements;
- (b) positioning the auger laterally proximate the first driving element;
- (c) lowering the auger into the ground and rotating the auger to excavate the ground;
- (d) moving the chassis forward to excavate the first linear segment in the ground;
- (e) stopping the chassis at a predetermined point for excavating the second linear segment;
- and
- (f) moving the auger laterally toward the second driving element to excavate the second linear segment at an angle to the first linear segment.
8 more elements
A method for excavating a continuous ditch having a first linear segment and a second linear segment extending at an angle from said first linear segment comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a continuous ditch excavator comprising:
- (i) a chassis having a forward portion and a rear portion,
- (ii) first and second rotatably-mounted driving elements having treads thereon, said driving elements carried by the chassis in laterally spaced-apart relation to each other for driving and steering the chassis along a ground surface,
- (iii) an arm rotatably mounted on the chassis and extending to a point outside a perimeter defined by the chassis and the first and second driving elements, and
- (iv) an excavating auger for penetrating a ground surface and excavating a ditch at a predetermined point in the ground, said auger moveable along the length of the arm and rotatably mounted to the arm at a point outside the perimeter of the chassis;
- (b) positioning the arm in a predetermined desired position relative to the chassis;
- (c) lowering the auger into the ground and rotating the auger to excavate the ground;
- (d) moving the chassis forward to excavate the first linear segment in the ground;
- (e) stopping the chassis at a predetermined point for excavating the second linear segment;
- and
- (f) moving the auger on the arm away from the chassis to excavate the second linear segment at an angle to the first linear segment.
8 more elements
A method for excavating a continuous ditch having a linear segment and a rectangular segment having a predetermined area and extending at an angle from said first linear segment comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a continuous ditch excavator comprising:
- (i) a chassis having a forward portion and a rear portion,
- (ii) first and second rotatably-mounted driving elements having treads thereon, said driving elements carried by the chassis in laterally spaced-apart relation to each other for driving and steering the chassis along a ground surface, said first and second driving elements defining a centrally-disposed excavation work area therebetween,
- (iii) a plurality of excavating augers rotatably-mounted and positioned laterally on the chassis in the excavation work area for penetrating a ground surface and excavating a ditch in the ground as the chassis is driven along the ground, and
- (iv) lift means connected to said plurality of augers for independently raising and lowering each of said augers;
- (b) lowering a first auger into the ground and rotating the first auger to excavate the ground;
- (c) moving the chassis forward to excavate the linear segment in the ground;
- (d) stopping the chassis at a predetermined point for excavating the rectangular segment;
- (e) lowering a predetermined number of additional augers into the ground in proportion to the predetermined area of the rectangular segment;
- (f) rotating the lowered augers to excavate the ground;
- (g) moving the chassis forward to excavate the rectangular segment;
- and
- (h) stopping the chassis at a predetermined point for ending the rectangular segment and lifting the additional augers out of the ground.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.