Excavation shield apparatus and method

An excavation shield structure, comprising:

• a hole in the ground having a utility apparatus;
• a longitudinal body having a lateral perimeter wall surrounding a longitudinal throughway and having a bottom end and a top end, said longitudinal body positioned within said hole so that said bottom end resides below the ground level and said top end resides in close proximity to said ground level, said longitudinal throughway being of sufficient size to permit passage of a person therethrough, said longitudinal body having sufficient strength to endure forces from said soil without substantial deformation;
• and
• a plurality of misaligned apertures situated in said lateral perimeter wall approximately at said bottom end, said aperture having said utility apparatus passing therethrough;
• whereby said person may travel through said longitudinal body along said longitudinal throughway to access said utility apparatus while being protected from collapse of soil by said longitudinal body.

A method for protecting a worker from a collapse of soil within a hole in the ground, the hole having a utility apparatus, comprising the steps of:

• assembling an elongated longitudinal body having a lateral perimeter wall surrounding a longitudinal throughway and having a bottom end and a top end, said longitudinal body comprising a plurality of cylindrical sections connected together, said longitudinal body having an aperture situated in said lateral perimeter wall for receiving said utility apparatus, said longitudinal throughway being of sufficient size to permit passage of a person therethrough, said longitudinal body having sufficient strength to endure forces from said soil without substantial deformation;
• after assembly, disposing said longitudinal body within said hole so that said top end is over said bottom end;
• and
• positioning said longitudinal body so that said bottom end resides below the ground level and said utility apparatus passes through said aperture and into said longitudinal throughway.

An excavation shield apparatus for preventing the collapse of soil about a hole in the ground having a utility apparatus, comprising:

• a longitudinal body having a lateral perimeter wall surrounding a longitudinal throughway and having a bottom end and a top end, said longitudinal body comprising a plurality of cylindrical sections which are adapted to be connected together to form an elongated cylindrical body, said longitudinal body adapted to be placed substantially vertically within said hole so that said bottom end resides below the ground level and said top end resides in close proximity to said ground level, said longitudinal throughway being of sufficient size to permit passage of a person therethrough, said longitudinal body having sufficient strength to endure forces imposed by said soil without substantial deformation;
• a plurality of elongated frames associated longitudinally with each of said cylindrical sections, said frames being spaced about the periphery of each of said sections and capable of alignment with adjacent frames of adjacent sections;
• a means for detachably coupling said frames of said adjacent cylindrical sections;
• an aperture situated in said lateral perimeter wall approximately at said bottom end, said aperture for receiving said utility apparatus therethrough;
• whereby, upon placement of said excavation shield apparatus within said hole, said person may travel through said longitudinal body along said longitudinal throughway to access said utility apparatus while being protected from collapse of said soil by said longitudinal body.

An excavation shield structure, comprising:

• a hole in the ground having a utility apparatus;
• a longitudinal body having a lateral perimeter wall surrounding a longitudinal throughway and having a bottom end and a top end, said longitudinal body comprising a plurality of cylindrical sections which are connected together to form an elongated cylindrical body, said longitudinal body positioned within said hole so that said bottom end resides below the ground level and said top end resides in close proximity to said ground level, said longitudinal throughway being of sufficient size to permit passage of a person therethrough, said longitudinal body having sufficient strength to endure forces from said soil without substantial deformation;
• and
• a plurality of elongated frames associated longitudinally with each of said cylindrical sections, said frames being spaced about the periphery of each of said sections and aligned with adjacent frames of adjacent sections;
• a means for detachably coupling said adjacent frames of said adjacent cylindrical sections;
• an aperture situated in said lateral perimeter wall approximately at said bottom end, said aperture having said utility apparatus passing therethrough;
• whereby said person may travel through said longitudinal body along said longitudinal throughway to access said utility apparatus while being protected from collapse of soil by said longitudinal body.