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US 2021/0340871 A1Published application
Novel tunnel forming shanks and methods of using
AssigneeSeamless AG Works LLC
InventorStanley L. ADAMS
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed herein are new tunnel forming shanks and methods of using the same that are configured to lessen the damage done to soil and crops, and to overcome underground obstacles in comparison to prior art tunnel forming shanks.
Claims22
A tunnel creating implement comprising:
- a frame having front and rear ends along a longitudinal axis;
- a shank, coupled to the frame, and having a leading edge that faces towards the front end of the frame with upper and lower termini, where the upper terminus is positioned forward of the lower terminus;
- and wherein the leading edge is configured to cut through the ground when the frame is moving in a forward direction;
- wherein the implement comprises one or more counterweights having a fixed weight, positioned either directly above or in front of the leading edge of the shank with respect to the frame;
- and
- a tube configured for creating an underground tunnel, having a front end, a back end, a topside, and an underside, wherein the tube is operably coupled to the shank such that the front end of the tube does not extend forward past the lower terminus of the leading edge, defining an angle between the underside of the tube and the lower terminus of the leading edge of the shank that is obtuse.
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A method of creating an underground tunnel comprising:
- providing a tunnel creating implement comprising:
- a frame having front and rear ends along a longitudinal axis;
- a shank, coupled to the frame, and having a leading edge that faces towards the front end of the frame with upper and lower termini, where the upper terminus is positioned forward of the lower terminus;
- and wherein the leading edge is configured to cut through the ground when the frame is moving in a forward direction;
- wherein the implement comprises one or more counterweights having a fixed weight, positioned either directly above or in front of the leading edge of the shank with respect to the frame;
- and
- a tube configured for creating an underground tunnel, having a front end, a back end, a topside, and an underside, wherein the tube is operably coupled to the shank such that the front end of the tube does not extend forward past the lower terminus of the leading edge, defining an angle between the underside of the tube and the lower terminus of the leading edge of the shank that is obtuse;
- and
- moving the tunnel forming implement in a forward direction wherein the shank cuts through ground and the tube forms the tunnel underground.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.