Excavation system
AssigneeBOH Bros. Construction Co., LLC
InventorLarry R. Lamonte
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An excavation system utilizes a vacuum truck having a vacuum system in combination with a small backhoe to which an excavator assembly is affixed to the backhoe extendable and articulating arm whereby manipulation of the excavator assembly can be controlled by an operator positioned in the backhoe operator cab. The vacuum assembly and the excavator assembly are operatively attached by an elongated, at least partially flexible vacuum hose operatively attached to the vacuum truck pump to permit material that is excavated to be transported from the excavator assembly to the vacuum assembly for storage or disposal.
Claims22
A vacuum excavation system including a vacuum truck having a vacuum assembly having a vacuum hose, a high pressure fluid delivery assembly having fluid dispersing piping, and a power source operatively connected to the vacuum assembly and the high pressure fluid delivery assembly to create a vacuum in the vacuum hose and to deliver the fluid under high pressure through the piping, the improvement to which comprises:
- a. a backhoe having a mobile support base, an extending, articulating arm pivotally attached at one end to the support base and an opposing end extendable from the support base with an accessory mounting member structure at the opposing end;
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- b. an excavator assembly comprising:
- i. a mounting adaptor attachable to the accessory mounting structure wherein the arm can operatively position the excavator assembly at the site being excavated, the mounting adaptor comprises separated side plates, each plate having a first edge, an opposing edge and side edges between the first edge and the opposing edge, the first edge affixed vertically along the rigid tube, and the opposing edge being at an angle to the first edge, wherein the angle being selected to permit the backhoe arm to position the rigid tube perpendicular to the site to be excavated;
- ii. a hollow rigid excavator tube attachable to the mounting adapter, the excavator tube having a lower end with an intake port and an upper end with a discharge port, the upper end operatively attachable at one end to the intake end of the vacuum hose, the lower end having at least two positioning members extending from the lower end a predetermined distance;
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- iii. a fluid jetting assembly affixed to the excavator tube having a nozzle assembly operatively attachable to the discharge end of the fluid piping to receive and redirect the fluid under pressure to the site to be excavated.
A vacuum excavation system for excavating material from a site, comprising:
- a. a first vehicle;
- b. a vacuum assembly mounted on the first vehicle, the vacuum assembly comprising:
- i. a material storage tank,
- ii. a vacuum pump having an intake port and a discharge port, the discharge port operatively attachable to the material storage tank to permit material discharged from the vacuum pump to be received in the material storage tank,
- iii. an elongated vacuum hose having an intake end and a discharge end, the discharge end operatively attachable to the intake port of the vacuum pump;
- c. a high pressure fluid delivery assembly comprising:
- i. a fluid pump having an input port operatively attachable to a fluid supply tank to receive fluid and a discharge port to discharge at high pressure fluid entering the input port,
- ii. piping operatively attached at its input end to the output port of the fluid pump to receive the high pressure fluid from the fluid pump;
- d. a power source operatively connected to the vacuum assembly to provide power to operate the vacuum pump and to the high pressure fluid delivery assembly to provide power to operate the fluid pump;
- e. a second vehicle, the second vehicle having an extendable, articulating arm with an accessory mounting structure mounted on the arm;
- f. an excavator assembly comprising:
- i. a mounting adaptor attachable to the accessory mounting structure wherein the arm can operatively position the excavator assembly at the site being excavated, wherein the mounting adaptor comprises:
- 1. separated side plates, each plate having a first edge, an opposing edge and side edges between the first edge and the opposing edge, the first edge affixed vertically along the rigid tube, and the opposing edge being at an angle to the first edge;
- 2. an adaptor plate affixed to the opposing edges;
- and
- 3. a backhoe arm mounting member shaped and structured to be attachable to the accessory mounting structure;
- ii. a rigid excavator tube attachable to the mounting adapter, the excavator tube having an intake port and a discharge port, the discharge port operatively attachable at one end to the intake end of the vacuum hose;
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- iii. a fluid jetting assembly affixed to the excavator tube having a nozzle assembly operatively attachable to the discharge end of the fluid piping to receive and redirect the fluid under pressure to the site to be excavated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.