Nozzle mount for soft excavation

An soft excavation system comprising:

• a vacuum system;
• a fluid pressure system;
• a vacuum tube to which the vacuum system applies negative pressure, the vacuum tube including a tube wall defining a central evacuation passage, the vacuum tube having a lowermost end that is enlarged and at least partially open for allowing excavated material to be drawn into the central evacuation passage, and the tube wall defining at least one air relief opening located at least partially above the lowermost end for allowing excavated material to be drawn into the central evacuation passage;
• at least one nozzle mounted near the lowermost end of the vacuum tube;
• at least one conduit for conveying pressurized fluid from the fluid pressure system to the at least one nozzle;
• a flow control valve for controlling the fluid flow provided from the fluid pressure system to the at least one nozzle;
• and
• wherein the nozzle is positioned to direct fluid through the air relief opening.

A nozzle mount assembly for use in soft excavation, the assembly comprising:

• a vacuum tube having proximal and distal ends and an evacuation passage, the vacuum tube including an air relief slot in fluid communication with the evacuation passage;
• a nozzle port defined by the vacuum tube adjacent the air relief slot;
• and
• wherein the nozzle port is positioned to orient a cooperating nozzle such that at least some portion of a fluid ejected from said nozzle will be directed through said air relief slot.

A method of excavating with a soft excavator wand having a nozzle mount assembly, the method comprising:

• providing a vacuum tube having proximal and distal ends, the vacuum tube defining an air relief slot near the distal end of the vacuum tube;
• providing a two nozzle ports defined by the vacuum tube, the nozzle ports being positioned to orient a cooperating nozzle such that at least some portion of a fluid ejected from the nozzle will be directed through the air relief slot;
• placing nozzles in the nozzle ports of the nozzle mount assembly;
• directing fluid through the nozzles to cut away soil at an excavation location, the nozzles cutting away soil to form an excavation hole larger in diameter than a diameter of a manifold of the nozzle mount assembly;
• and
• drawing air, fluid, and cuttings through the vacuum tube, the air being drawn from between a wall of the excavation hole and the vacuum tube, through air troughs of the manifold, and through the air relief slot of the vacuum tube.

An excavation wand comprising:

• a vacuum tube having distal and proximal ends, the vacuum tube defining a central evacuation passage, the distal end of the vacuum tube being open and in fluid communication with the central evacuation passage, and the side wall of the vacuum tube defining at least one air relief opening positioned adjacent the distal end of the vacuum tube;
• at least one nozzle mounted near the distal end of the vacuum tube;
• at least one conduit for providing pressurized fluid to the at least one nozzle;
• wherein the nozzle is positioned to direct fluid through the air relief opening;
• and
• a bar positioned in the vacuum tube and extending across the central evacuation passage.

A method of excavating with an excavation device, the method comprising:

• providing a vacuum tube including a side opening and a bottom opening, each of the side and bottom openings being in fluid communication with a vacuum tube passage for evacuating material;
• directing pressurized fluid outwardly from the vacuum tube through the bottom opening to excavate material from beneath the vacuum tube;
• and
• directing pressurized fluid outwardly from the vacuum tube through the side opening to excavate material from along side the vacuum tube.