Trenching apparatus

In a trenching machine suitable for highway transport having a cab and an engine of the type wherein a trenching bar is mounted on a rear end portion of a tractor unit for transverse sliding movement between transverse confines of the trenching machine, the improvement comprising:

• (a) a pair of transverse conveyors located below and on either side of a central output position of the trenching bar;
• (b) a central, longitudinal conveyor extending from a position below and between said transverse conveyors forwardly underneath the cab and above the engine to an output position;
• (c) a swinging conveyor mounted at the forward end of said tractor unit and having an input end positioned below said output position of said central conveyor;
• (d) means for pivoting said swinging conveyor between an operating position and a transport position within the transverse and substantially within the longitudinal confines of the tractor unit;
• and
• (e) whereby spoil generated by said trenching bar is deposited on one of said transverse conveyors which conveys said spoil centrally of the tractor unit and for deposit on said longitudinal conveyor, which conveys said spoil upwardly and forwardly.