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US 2016/0108606 A1Published application
Apparatus, systems and methods for excavating trenches in earth or soil and installing underground conduits or other media
OwnerAndrew Strutynskyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatuses, systems and methods are provided for cutting a trench in soil or earth by driving a cutter tube member through the soil or earth, injecting compressed fluid into the tube member to break up the soil and drive it through the tube member along the flow of compressed fluid, imparting dynamic vibrational forces to the tube member to assist the flow of soil therethrough, ejecting the soil from the tube member, guiding and releasing media and/or filler material into the trench, and backfilling the trench with the ejected soil.
Claims29
An apparatus, comprising:
- a cutter tube member having an intake section connected to an ejector section so as to define a passage extending substantially continuously through the cutter tube member;
- the intake section having an intake in fluid communication with the passage and the ejector section having an ejector port in fluid communication with the passage, wherein driving the cutter tube member through soil forces soil into the intake and through the passage toward the ejector port, from which the soil is ejected from the passage and a void remains in the soil;
- and
- an injector boot attached to the cutter tube member, the injector boot comprising a feed port to receive at least one of media or backfill material, and a discharge opening, to release the at least one of the media or backfill material into the void, the feed port and discharge opening being connected in fluid communication by at least one substantially continuous channel passing through the injector boot.
1 more element
An apparatus, comprising:
- a cutter tube member to excavate soil, the cutter tube member comprising:
- an intake section having a free end with an intake to receive soil;
- an ejector section connected to the intake section, the ejector section having a free end with an ejector port;
- a passage extending through the intake section and ejector section, the passage extending substantially continuously from the intake to the ejector port;
- wherein driving the cutter tube member through soil, with the free end of the intake section leading, forces soil into the intake and through the passage toward the ejector port, leaving a void in the soil;
- one or more ducts in fluid communication with the passage, to receive and inject a fluid into the passage, the injected fluid at least partially fluidizing the soil forced through the passage.
3 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- an injector boot to deposit at least one of media or backfill material into a trench, the injector boot having an entry leg with a feed port and an exit leg with a discharge opening, the entry leg being connected to the exit leg to define a substantially continuous channel from the feed port to the discharge opening;
- wherein when at least one of media or backfill material is fed into the feed port, the media or backfill material travels through the channel, and is released from the discharge opening into the trench while the apparatus is moved along the trench.
A method, comprising:
- driving a cutter tube member through soil, the cutter tube member having an intake, an ejector port, and a passage extending substantially continuously from the intake to the ejector port, whereby soil enters the intake and is forced into the passage toward the ejector port, and is ejected from the cutter tube member through the ejector port, leaving a void in the soil through which the cutter tube member has been driven;
- injecting a fluid into the passage as the soil is forced therethrough, whereby the soil is at least partially fluidized;
- and
- applying a dynamic vibration force to the cutter tube member.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.