Resonantly driven trenching tool

A resonantly driven tool for forming a trench in a base material such as earth, said tool comprising:

• a channel member adapted to be aligned with the path of the trench to be formed and having a floor inclined upwardly toward the rear, oppositely disposed sides projecting upwardly from the floor, and being open at the front and having an opening toward the rear;
• means for supporting the channel member and advancing said member along the path of the trench to be formed;
• a cutting blade assembly located at and spanning the leading end of the floor of the channel member and mounted for reciprocating motion relative to said leading end, said cutting blade assembly engaging the material in which the trench is to be formed as the channel member is advanced;
• an anvil plate reciprocatably mounted beneath the floor of the channel member and having a leading end proximate the cutting blade assembly within striking distance thereof and a pair of tongues projecting upwardly beyond the sides of the channel member, each said tongue having a rear striking surface;
• and
• a pair of resonant beams vibratory in at least near resonance and having output ends within striking distance of the striking surfaces of the anvil plate so that said output ends impact the anvil plate and drive the plate against the cutting blade assembly to drive the cutting blade assembly intermittently forwardly to dislodge the material so that the dislodged material is excavated by the channel member.

A resonantly driven tool for forming a trench in a base material such as earth, said tool comprising:

• a channel member adapted to be aligned with the path of the trench to be formed and having a floor inclined upwardly toward the rear, oppositely disposed sides projecting upwardly from the floor, and being open at the front and at the rear;
• a mobile frame adapted to support the channel member and advance said channel member along the path of the trench to be formed;
• a cutting blade assembly located at and spanning the leading end of the floor of the channel member and mounted for reciprocating motion relative to said leading end, said cutting blade assembly engaging the material in which the trench is to be formed as the mobile frame moves forwardly;
• an anvil plate reciprocatably mounted beneath the floor of the channel member and having a leading end proximate the cutting blade assembly within striking distance thereof and a pair of tongues projecting outwardly beyond the sides of the channel member, each said tongue having a rear striking surface;
• a pair of resonant angle beams each including a pair of legs meeting at a juncture at an angle of approximately 90.degree., said resonant beams being mounted to the exterior of the respective sides of the channel member and each having a node at the juncture, an input at one end of one of the legs and an output at the end of the other leg within striking distance of the striking surfaces of the respective tongues of the anvil plate so that the outputs impact the anvil plate and drive the plate against the cutting blade assembly to drive the cutting blade assembly intermittently forwardly to dislodge the material, the dislodged material being scooped up by the channel member so that it passes along the floor of the channel member to the rear thereof;
• and
• a conveyor having an input end at the rear of the channel member to receive the dislodged material passing through the channel member.

A resonantly driven tool for forming a trench in a base material such as earth, said tool comprising:

• a channel member adapted to be aligned with the path of the trench to be formed and having a floor inclined upwardly toward the rear, oppositely disposed sides projecting upwardly from the floor, and being open at the front and having an opening toward the rear;
• means for supporting the channel member and advancing said member along the path of the trench to be formed;
• a cutting blade assembly located at the leading end of the floor of the channel member and mounted for reciprocating motion relative to said leading end, said cutting blade assembly engaging the material in which the trench is to be formed as the channel member is advanced;
• a resonant system having an output vibratory in at least rear resonance and supported to move with the channel member;
• and
• an anvil plate reciprocatably mounted parallel to the floor of the channel member and having a leading end proximate the cutting blade within striking distance thereof and a trailing end within striking distance of the output of the resonant system.

A resonantly driven tool for forming a trench in a base material such as earth, said tool comprising:

• a channel member adapted to be aligned with the path of the trench to be formed and having a floor inclined upwardly toward the rear, oppositely disposed sides projecting upwardly from the floor, and being open at the front and having an opening toward the rear;
• means for supporting the channel member and advancing said member along the path of the trench to be formed;
• a cutting blade assembly located at the leading end of the floor of the channel member and mounted for reciprocating motion relative to said leading end, said cutting blade assembly engaging the material in which the trench is to be formed as the channel member is advanced;
• a resonant system having an output vibratory in at least near resonance and supported to move with the channel member, said resonant system comprising at least one angle beam having a pair of legs meeting at a juncture at an angle of approximately 90.degree., and having a resonant frequency, when restrained at the juncture, with a node at the juncture and anti-nodes at the ends of the respective legs, one said anti-node being said output;
• and
• means for operatively coupling the output of the resonant system to the cutting blade assembly to drive the cutting blade assembly intermittently forwardly to dislodge the material so that the dislodged material is excavated by the channel member.