Trenching system for earth surface use, as on paved streets, roads, highways and the like

A center-line trenching system for use at the earth's surface comprising

• a drive machine of transverse width W1 movable over the earth's surface including a rear mounting surface, a power drive train system and an fuel driven engine, a series of hydrostatic pumps operatively connected to said fuel driven engine, and control unit for controlling at least one of said series of hydrostatic pumps,
• a center-line earth saw attached to said rear mounting surface and operatively attached to at least one of said hydrostatic pumps, said earth saw extending from said machine and including a cutting disc having cutting protuberances circumferentially spaced about its periphery and said center-line saw being adjustable relative to said rear mounting surface for varying the cutting depth relative to said earth's surface along a first working plane normal to the said earth's surface passing through said drive machine, a shroud extending over a sector of said cutting disc fixedly mounted relative to the cutting disc and including an opening to one side of said first working plane, said shroud also including a lower segment positioned to collect debris cut from said earth formation, and convey said debris toward and from said side opening to exterior of said earth saw,
• a conveyer also attached to said rear mounting surface of said drive machine side-by-side relative to said earth saw to define overall transverse width W2 therewith, said conveyer defining a bisecting working plane parallel to said first working plane also passing through said drive machine and being operatively attached to at least one of said hydrostatic pumps through said control unit,
• said conveyer including a subframe pivotally attached relative to said rear mounting surface of said drive machine, an elongated main frame pivotally mounted to said subframe at a near end region in a upwardly ramped position relative to said near end region of said main frame, and including a trailing end region remote therefrom, a hydrostatic actuator pivotally mounted between said subframe and said main frame, and on-site wheel subassembly pivotally attached to said subframe and having a pair of swivel wheels in rolling contact with said earth's surface during an active state of said conveyor,
• said main frame including a pair of rubber tired wheels for trailering said conveyer to a job site but positionable above said earth's surface during said active state of said conveyor,
• said hydrostatic actuator being operatively attached to said at least one hydrostatic pump through said control unit to perform two functions:
• (i) to provide a linear force to said main frame to permit said main frame to be tilted about said near pivoting end region thereof to provide said upwardly sloped position whereby said rubber tired wheels are elevated off said earth's surface and permit relocation of said swivel wheels of said on-site wheel subassembly to provide rolling contact with said earth's surface and (ii) to relocate said trailing end region of main frame to provide a working sloped position of said main frame whereby said trailing end region of said main frame is positioned at a pre-selected height relative to said earth's surface to permit debris to be off-loaded,
• a rubber tired, self propelled vehicle downstream of said conveyor to collect said debris exiting therefrom, said vehicle having a transverse width W2 and including a truck bed positioned relative to said trailing end region of said main frame to catch by gravity said debris exiting therefrom.