Earth excavating apparatus

An earth excavating apparatus comprising:

• a housing having a front portion, a rear portion, a top portion and a bottom portion, said rear portion of said housing defining a first closable discharge opening adjacent said top portion and a second closable discharge opening adjacent said bottom portion;
• a rotatable drum partially disposed within said front portion of said housing, said drum operable to loosen earthen material from the earth and direct the loosened earthen material toward said rear portion of said housing;
• a rotatable discharge fan mounted within said rear portion of said housing, said discharge fan operable to direct the loosened earthen material away from said housing via one of said first and second closable openings;
• means for rotating said drum;
• and
• means for rotating said discharge fan.

An earth excavating apparatus comprising:

• a frame;
• an elongated boom supported by said frame, said boom having a first end and an opposite second end;
• an earth excavating assembly mounted to said boom, said excavating assembly including:
• a housing;
• a rotatable drum partially disposed within said housing, said drum operable to loosen earthen material from the earth;
• means within said housing for directing the loosened earthen material away from said housing;
• and
• means for rotating said drum;
• means for actuating said earth excavating assembly;
• and
• means for adjustably positioning said excavating assembly between a first position adjacent said first end of said boom and a second position adjacent said second end of said boom.