Excavation assembly, apparatus and method of operating the same

A method of operating an excavation apparatus, the excavation apparatus including a frame, an arm having one end supported on the frame and an other end movable relative to the frame, a hard-tooth excavation component having a cutting edge for cutting a surface to be excavated, and a non-intrusive excavation component including an excavation head having a nozzle and a vacuum, a source of pressurized fluid connected to the nozzle so that fluid is supplied through the nozzle to cut the surface to be excavated, and a source of vacuum pressure connected to the vacuum to remove material cut from the excavated surface, said method comprising the acts of:

• connecting the hard-tooth excavation component to the other end of the arm;
• moving the hard-tooth excavation component to cut the surface to be excavated;
• removing the hard-tooth excavation component from the arm;
• connecting the excavation head to the other end of the arm;
• and
• operating the excavation head to cut the surface to be excavated and to remove material cut from the excavated surface.

A method of operating an excavation assembly, the excavation assembly including a fluid-powered equipment component, a non-intrusive excavation head including a nozzle, the non-intrusive excavation head being separate from the fluid-powered equipment component;

• and a source of pressurized fluid, said method comprising the acts of:
• connecting the source of pressurized fluid to the fluid-powered equipment component;
• selectively powering the fluid-powered equipment component with the source of pressurized fluid;
• connecting the source of pressurized fluid to the nozzle;
• and
• selectively supplying fluid through the nozzle to cut the surface to be excavated.

An excavation apparatus comprising:

• a frame;
• an arm having one end supported on said frame and an other end movable relative to said frame;
• a hard-tooth excavation component having a cutting edge for cutting a surface to be excavated, said hard-tooth excavation component being connectable to said other end of said arm so that, when said hard-tooth excavation component is connected to said arm, said hard-tooth excavation component is movable to cut the surface to be excavated;
• and
• a non-intrusive excavation component including
• an excavation head connectable to said other end of said arm and including a nozzle and a vacuum,
• a source of pressurized fluid connected to said nozzle so that fluid is supplied through said nozzle to cut the surface to be excavated, and
• a source of vacuum pressure connected to said vacuum to remove material cut from the excavated surface;
• said hard-tooth excavation component and said excavation head being substitutable so that said excavation apparatus is operable to selectively provide hard-tooth excavation and non-intrusive excavation;
• wherein said apparatus further comprises a support member supportingly connectable to said frame, said support member supporting said source of pressurized fluid and said source of vacuum pressure.

An excavation apparatus comprising:

• a frame;
• an arm having one end supported on said frame and an other end movable relative to said frame;
• a hard-tooth excavation component having a cutting edge for cutting a surface to be excavated, said hard-tooth excavation component being connectable to said other end of said arm so that, when said hard-tooth excavation component is connected to said arm, said hard-tooth excavation component is movable to cut the surface to be excavated;
• and
• a non-intrusive excavation component including
• an excavation head connectable to said other end of said arm and including a nozzle and a vacuum,
• a source of pressurized fluid connected to said nozzle so that fluid is supplied through said nozzle to cut the surface to be excavated, and
• a source of vacuum pressure connected to said vacuum to remove material cut from the excavated surface;
• said hard-tooth excavation component and said excavation head being substitutable so that said excavation apparatus is operable to selectively provide hard-tooth excavation and non-intrusive excavation;
• wherein said apparatus further comprises a fluid-powered equipment component connectable to said source of pressurized fluid so that said source of pressurized fluid, when connected to said fluid-powered equipment component, powers said fluid-powered equipment component, and wherein said fluid-powered equipment component is separate from said excavation head.

An excavation apparatus comprising:

• a frame;
• an arm having one end supported on said frame and an other end movable relative to said frame;
• a hard-tooth excavation component having a cutting edge for cutting a surface to be excavated, said hard-tooth excavation component being connectable to said other end of said arm so that, when said hard-tooth excavation component is connected to said arm, said hard-tooth excavation component is movable to cut the surface to be excavated;
• and
• a non-intrusive excavation component including
• an excavation head connectable to said other end of said arm and including a nozzle and a vacuum,
• a source of pressurized fluid connected to said nozzle so that fluid is supplied through said nozzle to cut the surface to be excavated, and
• a source of vacuum pressure connected to said vacuum to remove material cut from the excavated surface;
• said hard-tooth excavation component and said excavation head being substitutable so that said excavation apparatus is operable to selectively provide hard-tooth excavation and non-intrusive excavation;
• wherein said excavation apparatus further comprises a support member connectable to said frame, said support member supporting said source of pressurized fluid and said source of vacuum pressure;
• and
• wherein said excavation apparatus further comprises a second arm having one end supported on said frame and an other end movable relative to said frame, wherein said support member is connectable to said other end of said second arm.

An excavation apparatus comprising:

• a frame;
• an arm having one end supported on said frame and an other end movable relative to said frame;
• a hard-tooth excavation component having a cutting edge for cutting a surface to be excavated, said hard-tooth excavation component being connectable to said other end of said arm so that, when said hard-tooth excavation component is connected to said arm, said hard-tooth excavation component is movable to cut the surface to be excavated;
• and
• a non-intrusive excavation component including
• an excavation head connectable to said other end of said arm and including a nozzle and a vacuum,
• a source of pressurized fluid connected to said nozzle so that fluid is supplied through said nozzle to cut the surface to be excavated, and
• a source of vacuum pressure connected to said vacuum to remove material cut from the excavated surface;
• said hard-tooth excavation component and said excavation head being substitutable so that said excavation apparatus is operable to selectively provide hard-tooth excavation and non-intrusive excavation;
• wherein said other end of said arm includes a connecting portion, and wherein said hard-tooth excavation component and said excavation head are selectively and alternatively connectable to said connecting portion of said other end of said arm.

An excavation apparatus comprising:

• a frame;
• an arm having one end supported on said frame and an other end movable relative to said frame;
• an excavation head connected to said other end of said arm so that said excavation head is movable relative to said frame, said excavation head including
• a nozzle, and
• a vacuum;
• a source of pressurized fluid connected to said nozzle so that fluid is supplied through said nozzle to cut a surface to be excavated;
• a source of vacuum pressure connected to said vacuum so that material cut from the excavated surface is removed by said vacuum, said source of vacuum pressure creating a flow of fluid in which the material is entrained;
• a separator for disentraining the material from said flow of fluid;
• a collection member for collecting the disentrained material, said collection member being movable from a collecting position, in which the disentrained material is collected in said collection member, to an emptying position, in which the disentrained material is emptyable from said collection member into a separate material removal vehicle, said collection member being liftable from the collection position to the emptying position;
• and
• a support member supporting said source of fluid pressure, said source of vacuum pressure, said separator and said collection member, said support member being supportable by said frame;
• wherein, during excavation operations, said support member is removable from said frame and said frame is movable away from said support member to conduct excavation operations with said excavation head.

An excavation apparatus comprising:

• a frame;
• an arm having one end supported on said frame and an other end movable relative to said frame;
• a hard-tooth excavation component having a cutting edge for cutting a surface to be excavated, said hard-tooth excavation component being connectable to said other end of said arm so that, when said hard-tooth excavation component is connected to said arm, said hard-tooth excavation component is movable to cut the surface to be excavated;
• and
• a non-intrusive excavation component including
• an excavation head connectable to said other end of said arm and including a nozzle and a vacuum,
• a source of pressurized fluid connected to said nozzle so that fluid is supplied through said nozzle to cut the surface to be excavated, and
• a source of vacuum pressure connected to said vacuum to remove material cut from the excavated surface;
• said hard-tooth excavation component and said excavation head being substitutable so that said excavation apparatus is operable to selectively provide hard-tooth excavation and non-intrusive excavation;
• wherein said excavation apparatus further comprises a fluid-powered equipment component connectable to said source of pressurized fluid so that said source of pressurized fluid, when connected to said fluid-powered equipment component, powers said fluid-powered equipment component;
• and
• wherein said fluid-powered equipment component is a fluid-powered jack hammer.

An assembly for excavating a surface, said assembly comprising:

• a fluid-powered equipment component;
• a non-intrusive excavation head including a nozzle;
• and
• a source of pressurized fluid selectively connectable to said fluid-powered equipment component and to said nozzle, said source of pressurized fluid, when connected to said fluid-powered equipment component, powering said fluid-powered equipment component, said source of pressurized fluid, when connected to said nozzle, supplying fluid through said nozzle to cut the surface to be excavated;
• wherein said fluid-powered equipment component is a fluid-powered jack hammer.