Patent Application
20140334878
Traditional methods of forming a trench into a road surface include using, for example, a blade housing having a rotating blade that can cut into the top surface of the road. The blade housing is mounted on the rear of a vehicle (e.g., a tractor), and is pulled by the vehicle on the road while the blade cuts through the road surface. This leaves a trench in the road surface having a width that is approximately equal to the width of the blade. The vehicle pulling the blade housing defines a footprint on the road surface (i.e., essentially the width of the vehicle as the vehicle traverses along the road surface). As the blade housing is pulled behind the vehicle within the vehicle's footprint, the trench is also formed within the footprint. Furthermore, the trench is formed into the same road surface on which the vehicle is driven. In other words, the location where the trench is to be formed needs to provide a drivable path at least as wide as the footprint of the vehicle, so that the vehicle can effectively pull the blade housing along the road surface immediately behind the vehicle. Some examples of traditional trenching systems include MT12® Microtrencher commercially available from DITCHWITCH®, and MTR12® and MTR16® trenchers commercially available from VERMEER®.
The systems, methods and devices of the disclosure each have several innovative aspects, no single one of which is solely responsible for the desirable attributes disclosed herein.
Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods and apparatus for “offset trenching.” In the various exemplary embodiments discussed herein, “offset trenching” refers generally to forming a trench in a ground surface (e.g., in a road surface, or proximate to a road surface, such as adjacent to a street curb or sidewalk) using a cutting blade coupled to a vehicle, in which the trench is formed outside of the footprint of the vehicle (e.g., off to one side of the vehicle as the vehicle is advanced along a road). In some embodiments, a trench is thusly formed along an inner face of a street curb or in a sidewalk adjacent to a road surface. In some applications, such a trench is made to bury fiber optic cables, electrical conductors (e.g., electrical cables or telecommunication wires), and/or conduits.
In one embodiment, a cutting blade is coupled to a vehicle via an offset arm. As the vehicle is advanced along the road (e.g., in a direction parallel to the street curb or a sidewalk flanking the road), the cutting blade is laterally offset from the vehicle and positioned so as to cut a narrow (e.g., 0.5-1.5 inches) and deep (e.g., 10-12 inches) trench (e.g., along an inner face of the street curb between the curb and a sidewalk abutting the curb). The offset arm includes one or more mechanical joints to facilitate adjustment of one or more of: a lateral offset distance between the vehicle and the blade; a vertical offset distance between a blade housing and a road surface; and rotation of the blade housing around at least two axes, so as to facilitate appropriate positioning of the cutting blade with respect to the vehicle and/or the surface into which the trench is cut.
In sum, one innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure is implemented in an apparatus comprising a vehicle for driving on a road, the vehicle having a footprint on a road surface of the road when driven on the road. The apparatus further comprises a blade mechanically coupled to the vehicle such that the blade plane is laterally offset from and is outside the footprint of the vehicle when the vehicle is driven on the road.
Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure is implemented in an apparatus comprising an offset arm for mechanically coupling a cutting blade to a vehicle. The offset arm includes a coupling mechanism to couple the offset arm to one of a front side, a rear side, and a lateral side of the vehicle. The offset arm is configured such that the blade is laterally offset from and is outside of a footprint of the vehicle when the vehicle is driven on the road. The offset arm further includes one or more mechanical joints to facilitate adjustment of one or more of a lateral offset distance between the vehicle and the blade, a vertical offset distance between the blade and a road surface, and rotation of the blade around at least two axes, so as to facilitate appropriate positioning of the cutting blade with respect to the vehicle. In one inventive embodiment, the blade is included within a blade housing that is mounted to the offset arm. Another inventive embodiment is directed to the combination of the vehicle, the offset arm coupled to the vehicle, and the blade housing including the blade and coupled to the offset arm.
Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure is implemented in a method comprising forming a trench along an inner face of a street curb, wherein the street curb has an exposed top face, a buried bottom face, and a partially exposed outer face adjacent to and abutting a road surface. At least a portion of the inner face of the street curb, prior to forming the trench, is adjacent to and abuts the sidewalk material. The trench is formed along the inner face of the street curb such that the trench includes a first vertical sidewall substantially constituted by the inner face of the street curb and a second vertical sidewall constituted at least in part by the sidewalk material.
It should be appreciated that all combinations of the foregoing concepts and additional concepts discussed in greater detail below (provided such concepts are not mutually inconsistent) are contemplated as being part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein. In particular, all combinations of claimed subject matter appearing at the end of this disclosure are contemplated as being part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein. It should also be appreciated that terminology explicitly employed herein that also may appear in any disclosure incorporated by reference should be accorded a meaning most consistent with the particular concepts disclosed herein.
The skilled artisan will understand that the drawings primarily are for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventive subject matter described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale; in some instances, various aspects of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein may be shown exaggerated or enlarged in the drawings to facilitate an understanding of different features. In the drawings, like reference characters generally refer to like features (e.g., functionally similar and/or structurally similar elements).
The features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description set forth below when taken in conjunction with the drawings.
Following below are more detailed descriptions of various concepts related to, and embodiments of, inventive systems, methods, materials and apparatus for offset trenching and void restoration. It should be appreciated that various concepts introduced above and discussed in greater detail below may be implemented in any of numerous ways, as the disclosed concepts are not limited to any particular manner of implementation. Examples of specific implementations and applications are provided primarily for illustrative purposes.
Formation of a Cable Installation
Generally, the road 102 can be any surface that provides for movement of foot or vehicular traffic. For example, the road 102 could be, but is not limited to, pavement, paving, concrete, asphalt, blacktop, cobblestone, brick, or other road base, grade or surface, or the like, or any combination of the foregoing. The sidewalk 104, as mentioned above, is elevated with respect to the surface of the road 102. The elevation could be, but is not limited to, about 4-12 inches. In some instances, the sidewalk 104, similar to the road 102, can also be used for providing a surface for foot or some vehicular traffic. As such, the sidewalk 104 could be, but not limited to, pavement, paving, concrete, asphalt, blacktop, cobblestone, brick, aggregate (crushed rock and concrete), manufactured pavers, or other road base, grade or surface, or the like, or any combination of the foregoing. In some other examples, the sidewalk 104 may be a road median or a road shoulder.
In some environments, such as urban zones, various objects such as fire hydrants, parking meters, road signs, bus-stops, street lights, etc., may be installed on the surface of the sidewalk 104. Typically, these objects are installed only a few inches from the edge of the curb 106. For example,
As mentioned above, the curb 106 is constructed between the road 102 and the sidewalk 104. The curb 106 not only provides structural stability to the sidewalk 104 but also protects the sidewalk 104 from being damaged by incidental contact with vehicles driving on the road 102. The curb 106 can be constructed from materials such as stone or masonry blocks, cement, aggregate, cobblestone, manufactured pavers, asphalt, etc.
In one embodiment, the cable installation 108 is constructed between the curb sidewalk 104 and the curb 106. As mentioned above, the cable installation 108 includes a trench (or void, or narrow channel), at the bottom of which communication cables are laid. The trench is then backfilled with filling material such that the top of the cable installation 108 is at substantially the same horizontal level as the sidewalk 104.
Traditional methods of excavating a trench into a road surface, for example, include using a blade housing having a rotating blade that can cut into the top surface of the road. The blade housing is pulled by a vehicle on the road while the blade cuts through the surface of the road. This leaves a trench in the road surface having a width that is approximately equal to the width of the blade. The trench, however, is formed within the footprint of the vehicle pulling the blade housing.
The inventor has appreciated that this conventional method of forming a trench is difficult, or in some situations even impossible to carry out, if the surface in which the trench is to be cut is at a different elevation than the road surface, and/or outside of the footprint of the vehicle, e.g., at an inner face of a curb adjacent to and abutting a sidewalk, such as the sidewalk 104 of
In some implementations, it may be desired that the cable installation, as shown in
The following discussion presents details of the cable installation 108 both near the curb 106 and over the road 102 and the machines utilized to construct it, according to various embodiments of the present invention.
The sidewall 104 can include a top sidewalk section 126 and a bottom sidewalk section 128. The top sidewalk section 116 is usually constructed out from concrete, but other materials discussed above in relation to
In some implementations, the curb 106 and the sidewalk 104 may be laid using the same material forming a monolithic curb-sidewalk 160, as shown in
As mentioned above, in one embodiment the trench 134 may be formed adjacent to the inner surface 124 of the curb 106. The trench 134 can be formed by lowering a rotating circular cutting blade in a region of the sidewalk 104 adjacent to the inner surface 124 of the curb 106. Various embodiments of a cutting blade employed for forming the trench 134 and the associated machinery is described further below in detail. The cutting blade is lowered until a desired depth DT of the trench is achieved. In some implementations, the depth DT can be measured from the top horizontal surface 122 of the curb 106. In some other implementations, the depth DT can be measured from the top surface of the sidewalk 104. In some implementations, the depth DT is selected to be between 4 to 12 inches. In some other implementations, the depth DT is selected to be between 5 to 15 inches. Having a depth of no more than 12 to 15 inches can avoid penetration of existing utility lines within the sidewalk 104, and thereby may speed up the permitting process required to construct at the work site. Furthermore, excessive depth of the channel may inhibit effective evacuation of the leftover debris and cuttings. Nonetheless, the depth of the trench 134 is not limited to 12 to 15 inches.
The trench 134 is formed with a width WT that is sufficient to accommodate the cables 136. In some implementations, the width WT can be between about 0.5 inches to about 1.5 inches. In some other implementations, the width WT can be between about 0.68 inches to about 1.25 inches. Selecting the width WT can also be based on the economics of the amount of filling material 138 (and perhaps the topping material 142) that may be required to completely fill the trench 134. That is, the volume of filling material required to fill the trench 134 may increase with the increase with the width WT, increasing overall cost. In some implementations, the width WT of the trench 134 may be a function, in part, of the thickness of the blade used for cutting the trench 134. In some implementations, the width WT of the trench 134 may be greater than the width of the blade. In some implementations, the width WT of the trench 134 may be non-uniform along the length of the trench 134. In some instances, the width WT of the trench may be non-uniform along the height of the trench 134. This non-uniformity may be caused due to voids created by dislodged rocks, stones, or other material in the trench's sidewalls.
It should be noted that if the width WT is less than the with WEX of the expansion joint 130, then one or both sidewalls of the top section 144 may be formed by the expansion joint 130 material. Furthermore, the bottom section 144 may be formed a small distance away from the inner surface 124 of the curb 106 such that one or both sidewalls of the bottom section 144 of the trench 134 may be formed by the uncut backfill material of the bottom sidewalk portion 128. Thus, even though the trench 134 is formed adjacent to (or in abutment with) the curb 106, it may not necessarily touch the inner surface 124 of the curb 106. In some implementations, such as when the curb 106 is constructed with a shallow angle (i.e., is not vertical), the trench 134 may be formed by the blade partly cutting into the inner surface 124 of the curb 106. In such implementations, a portion of the bottom surface of the trench 134 may include the curb 106 material. In some other implementations, the tilt of the blade may be adjusted such that an angle of tilt of the blade is similar to the shallow angle of the inner surface 124 of the curb 106 so that the blade is prevented from cutting into the inner surface 124.
After the trench 134 is formed, it is evacuated of any cuttings and debris. The evacuation, as described further below, can be carried out using a vacuuming system that operates simultaneously with the operation of the cutting blade. In this manner, a stream of cuttings and debris produced by the cutting blade is immediately evacuated by the vacuuming system.
The cables 136 can be laid into a length of the trench that has been evacuated. The cables 136 can be laid manually or using a cable laying machine. In some implementations, more than two cables 136 can be laid into the trench 134. In some other implementations, a conduit may be laid into the trench 134, which conduit may include one or more cables. In some other implementations, the conduit may include no cables, which may be pulled into the conduit at a future point in time. The cables 136 can include, without limitation, fiber optic cables, electrical cables, wire cables, communication cables, etc.
After the cables 136 have been laid, the filling material 138 is poured or pumped into the trench 134. In some implementations, the filling material 138 can be poured manually into the trench 134. In some other implementations, a pump or a machine may be used to pump the filing material 138 from a reservoir into the trench 134 via a pipe or a duct. As mentioned above, the filling material 138 is preferably flowable and non-shrinking. Being flowable allows the filling material 138 to fill the bottom section 144 of the trench 134 and bonds or encases the cables 136. The filling material 138 can include, without limitation, materials such as, plaster, grout or mortar. In some implementations, grout can be used as the filling material 138. The grout can be flowed into the trench 134 using a hand-held duct coupled to a grout pump.
In some implementations, the filling material 138 can be viscid, sticky, and have a fluid consistency. In addition, the filling material 138 can have a certain viscosity that allows it to flow into the trench 134 and substantially surround the cables 136. The filling material 138 can also flow into voids in the sidewall of the trench 134 left behind by dislodged rocks or stones. Due to the flowability of the filling material 138, formation of air bubbles or spaces within the filled bottom section 144 and at the interface 140 with the topping material 142, can be reduced or entirely avoided. It should be noted that having spaces or air bubbles within the trench 134 may cause the spaces and air bubbles to fill with water or other fluids seeping in from the top of the sidewalk 104. Water, for example, can expand at freezing temperatures, and may damage the integrity of the bottom section 144 or top section 142 in a process commonly known as frosting. Thus, by avoiding or reducing the formation of spaces and air bubbles, the reliability and longevity of the cable installation 108 as a whole can be improved.
Also mentioned above, the filling material 138 can also be non-shrinking upon hardening. That is, the filling material 138 can be non-compressible, non-expandable, with no contraction when it hardens. In some implementations, the filling material 138 may shrink no more than 1 percent of its volume upon drying and hardening at ambient temperature. The non-shrinking property of the filling material reduces or entirely avoids the formation of air bubbles or spaces in the bottom section 144 upon hardening. As discussed above, reducing or avoiding air bubbles or spaces can improve the reliability and longevity of the cable installation 108. In some implementations, the filling material 138 can begin to rigidify within the first hour of being poured or pumped into the trench 134. In some implementations, the filling material 138 may completely rigidify within about three to about twelve hours after being poured or pumped into the trench 134. The dried and rigid filling material 138 may have very low hydraulic permeability. In some implementations, the hydraulic permeability of the filling material 138 can be less than 0.0000001 cm/s. The filling material 138 with low permeability can prevent water from seeping into the trench 134 through the filling material 138, and therefore, reduce any damage caused by frosting. In some implementations, the hardness of the filling material 138 upon rigidification can be substantially equal to or greater than the hardness of the curb 106. In some implementations, a grout sold under the name SUPERGROUT® may be used as the filling material 138. In some other implementations, Portland cement may be used as the filling material 138.
The top section 146 of the trench 134 can be filled with a topping material 142 to cover and seal the trench 134. The topping material 142 can, like the filling material 138, be flowable compound that can rigidify upon drying. In some implementations, the topping material 142 can be configured to adhere to the top surface of the filling material 138 at the interface 140. In some implementations, the topping material 142, unlike the underlying filling material 138, can be compressible or elastic upon rigidifying. The compressibility of the topping material 142 can allow the top sidewalk section 126 to expand in the horizontal direction towards the curb 106 without significant resistance. As such, the topping material can have properties similar to the material used for forming the expansion joint 130 shown in
Machines for Constructing the Cable Installation
Discussion now turns to the machinery for constructing the cable installation 108 shown in
The cutting machine 200 also includes a blade housing 206 coupled to the chassis 202 via an offset arm 208. The blade housing 206 can include a circular, rotatable blade 210 and a shroud or cover 212 surrounding the blade 210. The shroud 212 has an opening 216 through which a portion of the blade 210 can be exposed. The blade housing 206 can also include a motor 214 for rotating the blade 210. In various embodiments, the offset arm 208 can extend the blade 210 beyond the outside edge of the wheel 204R nearest to the curb 106 by an offset distance GOFF. In some implementations, the offset distance GOFF can be about 6-12 inches. The offset arm 208 can also provide elevation to the blade 210, and the blade housing 206 as a whole, so that the blade 210 can be positioned to cut the sidewalk 104, which is at an elevation HS with respect to the surface of road 102. In some implementations, as discussed further below, the offset arm 208 and the blade housing 206 can be coupled with a joint that can allow elevation adjustments of the blade housing 206 in the vertical z-direction.
In one embodiment, the offset arm 208 is also configured such that the blade 210 is maintained substantially normal to the sidewalk 104. In other words, the blade 210 is positioned such that the plane of the blade 210 makes as small an angle with the x-z plane as possible. Said in yet another way, the blade 210 is maintained substantially vertical to the x-y plane. It should be noted that maintaining the blade 210 substantially vertical provides several benefits. For one, a substantially vertical blade 210 will result in the blade cutting a substantially vertical trench 134 in the sidewalk 104. As a result, the width WT of the trench 134 will be predictably close to the width of the blade 210. Furthermore, a non-vertical blade 210 cutting any material will experience more wear and tear than a vertical blade 210. Therefore, by maintaining the blade 210 vertical, blades have to be replaced less often for a given distance. In addition, by reducing the frequency of replacement of blades, the frequency of interrupting the cutting operation is also reduced, thereby increasing the throughput of the cutting machine in terms of feet of trench constructed per unit of time. In some other implementation, the offset arm 208 is configured such that the blade 210 is maintained substantially parallel to the inner surface of the curb 106.
During operation, the cutting machine 200 can be positioned on the road 102 near the curb 106, at a distance indicated by GRC, such that the blade 210 is positioned at a location on the sidewalk 104 where the desired trench 134 is to be constructed. The distance GRC can be between about 4 inches to about 6 inches. The blade housing 206 and the rotating blade 210 can subsequently be lowered onto the sidewalk 104 adjacent to the inner surface of the curb 106 to cut the trench 134. While the blade 210 is carrying out the cutting operation, the machine 200 is moved forward in a direction that is substantially parallel to the curb 106. The forward motion of the machine 200 causes the blade 210 to cut a trench 134 in the sidewalk 104, similar to the one discussed above in relation to
Referring to
In
Finally,
The offset arms discussed above in relation to
In some implementations, the offset arm 208 shown in
Specifically, the cutting machine 500 includes a tractor 510, an offset arm 508 attached to the front of the tractor 510, and a blade housing 506 attached to the offset arm 508 (also shown more clearly in
The offset arm 508 is attached to the front of the chassis 502. Specifically, a first offset arm portion 520 of the offset arm 508 is attached to the chassis 502 by a chassis attachment plate 522. The first offset arm portion 520 extends outwards in the y-direction away from the front left wheel 512L to be coupled to a second offset arm portion 524 via an arm tilt assembly 526. The second offset arm portion 524, in turn, is coupled to the blade housing 506 via a linkage assembly 528.
In some implementations, the first offset arm portion 520 can have an adjustable length. The ability of adjusting the length of the first offset arm portion 520 can be used to impart translational motion to the blade housing 506. As discussed above in relation to
In some implementations, the first offset arm portion 520 can include two telescopic members: an outer telescopic member 530 and an inner telescopic member 532. One side of the outer telescopic member 530 is attached to the chassis attachment plate 522. One end of the inner telescopic member 532 is concentric to, and can slide in and out of, an open end of the outer telescopic member 530. The movement of the inner telescopic member 532 in relation to the outer telescopic member 530 can be imparted by a piston (not shown) controlled by operator via control panel levers 518. In some implementations, the piston can be controlled hydraulically, but in other implementations, the piston can be electronically or pneumatically controlled. The other end of the inner telescopic member 532 is coupled to the arm tilt assembly 526 via a first attachment plate 534. In some implementations, the inner telescopic member 532 can be welded to the first attachment plate 534.
As mentioned above, the arm tilt assembly 526 couples the first offset arm portion 520 to the second offset arm portion 524. The arm tilt assembly 526 can be operated to provide a tilting motion to the blade housing 506. In other words, the operation of the tilt assembly can vary the angle the plane of the blade makes with the sidewalk. As discussed above, during the operation of the blade, it is desirable that the blade remain substantially parallel to the inner surface of the curb. However, in some instances, some portions of the road over which the tractor is driven may be uneven. This unevenness may cause the tractor 510 to tilt. The tilting of the tractor 510 can cause the offset arm 508 and, in turn, the blade housing 506 and the blade to also tilt. Thus, uneven road conditions may cause the blade to deviate from being parallel to the inner surface of the curb. The arm tilt assembly 526 can be employed to adjust the tilt of the blade housing 506 and the blade independently of the tilt in the tractor 210. In this manner, if the tractor 210 tilts in one direction, the arm tilt assembly 526 can be operated to tilt the blade housing 506 and the blade in the opposite direction such that the blade is maintained substantially parallel with the inner surface of the curb.
The arm tilt assembly 526 includes a pivot frame 536 attached to the first attachment frame 534. The tilt pivot frame 536, in turn, is attached to a tilt lift arm 538 via a rotating joint 540. The tilt pivot frame 536 and the tilt lift arm 538 are also coupled via a tilt piston 542. The tilt piston 542 can be hydraulically, pneumatically, or electrically controlled and operated by the operator via the control panel levers 518. By activating the tilt piston 540, the tilt lift arm 538 can be rotated with respect to the tilt pivot frame 536 about the rotating joint 540. The tilt piston 542 can be operated such that the tilt lift arm 538 can rotate about the rotating joint 540 (i.e., about the x-axis) in both clockwise and anticlockwise direction. As the tilt lift arm 538 is attached to the second offset arm portion 524, which in turn is coupled to the blade housing 506, the rotation of the tilt lift arm 538 imparts a tilting motion to the blade housing 506 and the blade.
Thus, during forward motion of the tractor 210 and while the blade is being operated, any tilt in the tractor 210 can be compensated by operating the arm tilt assembly 526 to tilt the blade housing 506 in the opposite direction. In this manner, the blade can be maintained substantially parallel to the inner surface of the curb.
In some implementations, the tilt of the blade housing 506 can be manually controlled by the operator using the control panel levers 518. In some implementations, the second arm portion 524 can include a tilt indicator 544, which can provide the operator with a visual indication of the tilt of the blade housing 506. The operator can monitor the tilt indicator 544 and upon detecting a tilt, can control the arm tilt assembly 526 until the tilt indicator 544 indicates that the blade housing 506 is substantially parallel to the inner surface of the curb.
In some other implementations, the tilt control of the blade housing 506 can be automatic. For example, the blade housing 506 can include an electronic tilt sensor (not shown) that is configured to output an electronic signal (digital or analog) indicating the tilt of the blade housing 506. A controller can be configured to receive the output signal from the tilt sensor and compare the received tilt value to a preset tilt value. In some implementations, preset tilt value may represent the tilt of the inner face of the curb. In some other implementations, the preset tilt value may represent zero tilt with respect to the sidewalk 104. If the indicated tilt value deviates from the preset tilt value, the controller can send a control signal to an actuator that actuates the tilt piston 542 in the arm tilt assembly 526. The control signal may include the extent and direction in which the tilt piston 542 is to be operated based on the deviation of the tilt value from the present tilt value. Various control tilt values may be stored in a memory of the controller, such that appropriate control signals based on the received tilt values can be generated.
As mentioned above, the arm tilt assembly 526 is attached to the second arm portion 524. The second arm portion 524, in turn, is coupled to the blade housing 506 via a linkage assembly 528. The linkage assembly 528 includes z-joint 546 that can allow the blade housing 506 to be lifted or lowered, i.e. moved along the z-axis. The lifting and lowering motion of the blade housing 506 allows the cutting machine 500 to operate the blade housing 506 on various elevations, such as a sidewalk. The z-joint 546 can be controlled hydraulically, pneumatically, or electrically via the control panel levers 518. In some implementations, the range of vertical movement provided by the z-joint 546 can be up to about 12 inches.
In one embodiment, the blade housing 506 also includes a vacuum hose 548 to carry debris and cuttings resulting from the cutting operation of the blade. One end of the vacuum hose 548 is connected to a vacuuming machine that includes a vacuuming pump. The other end of the vacuum hose 548 is positioned near the blade in the path of the stream of debris resulting from the cutting operation. Vacuuming concurrently or simultaneously with the cutting operation advantageously removes the debris from the trench cut by the blade and at the same time prevents the debris to settle back into the trench. Thus, cutting operation of the blade results in an evacuated trench that is ready for the next step of cable installation. Vacuuming concurrently with the rotation of the blade also results in air flow around the blade, which air flow aids in cooling the blade.
In some implementations, the cutting blade can also include a curb pole 550 which extends forward from the offset arm 508 towards the front of the cutting machine 500. The curb pole 550 can be utilized by the operator as a steering aid to maintain the alignment of the blade with the curb during a cutting operation. One end of the curb pole 550 can be attached to the offset arm 508. The other end of the curb pole 550 can include a hinged curb stick 552. The curb stick 522 extends downward and comes in close proximity with the curb. Furthermore, the curb pole 550 is positioned on the offset arm 508 such that the curb stick 522 lies within the plane of the blade. The operator can gently steer the tractor 510 such that the bottom of the curb stick 522 touches or is in close proximity over the inside of the curb where the trench is to be cut. By maintaining the curb stick 522 over the inside of the curb, and simultaneously inspecting the current location of the blade on the curb, the operator can ensure that the trench is created at the desired location.
Controlling the first piston 558 and the second piston 560 can allow the linkage assembly 528 to provide at least two separate forms of motion to the blade housing 506. For example, the blade housing 506 can be moved in an arc around rotating joint connecting the pivot frame 554 to the lift arm 556. Additionally, the blade housing 506 can be slightly rotated around the y-axis.
The blade housing 506 includes an outer shroud 564 that houses the blade 562 on the outside of the blade housing 506. The blade housing 506 also includes an inner shroud (not visible in this view) that houses the blade 562 on the inner side of the blade housing 506. The outer shroud 564 and the inner shroud together completely surround the blade 562 on all directions except the bottom exposed portion of the blade 562. One end of the vacuum hose 548 is attached to an opening in the inner or outer shroud 564 near the front of the blade 562. The lower portions of the outer shroud 564 and the inner shroud are configured to press down against the sidewalk and the curb when the blade 562 is cutting the trench. Surfaces of these lower portions that come in contact with the curb and the sidewalk are coated with plastic, such as neoprene, so that the curb and the sidewalk are not scratched. The outer shroud 564 also includes a height adjustable lower portion 566 that can be adjusted to account for uneven elevations of the sidewalk in relation to the curb. In some implementations the outer shroud 564 can include vents or louvers (3-4 inches long and ⅜th of an inch wide) to allow additional flow of air into the blade housing 506 and be sucked by the vacuum hose 548 along with the debris.
The blade 562 can have a thickness and diameter sufficient to cut the desired trench, such as the trench 134 shown in
The cutting machine 500 provides the ability to cut a trench outside the footprint of the cutting machine. Furthermore,
The attachment of an offset arm to the rear of the tractor 510 is more clearly seen in
The attachment of the offset arm 708 to the side of the tractor 510 is more clearly seen in
While various inventive embodiments have been described and illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision a variety of other means and/or structures for performing the function and/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of the advantages described herein, and each of such variations and/or modifications is deemed to be within the scope of the inventive embodiments described herein. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the inventive teachings is/are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific inventive embodiments described herein. It is, therefore, to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, inventive embodiments may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. Inventive embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and/or method described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the inventive scope of the present disclosure.
All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.
The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.”
The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with “and/or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., “one or more” of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and/or B”, when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.
As used herein in the specification and in the claims, “or” should be understood to have the same meaning as “and/or” as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and/or” shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as “only one of” or “exactly one of,” or, when used in the claims, “consisting of,” will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or” as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e. “one or the other but not both”) when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of,” “only one of,” or “exactly one of.” “Consisting essentially of,” when used in the claims, shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.
As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “at least one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed within the list of elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified within the list of elements to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, “at least one of A and B” (or, equivalently, “at least one of A or B,” or, equivalently “at least one of A and/or B”) can refer, in one embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, with no B present (and optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, B, with no A present (and optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, and at least one, optionally including more than one, B (and optionally including other elements); etc.
In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all transitional phrases such as “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” “holding,” “composed of,” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of” shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively, as set forth in the United States Patent Office Manual of Patent Examining Procedures, Section 2111.03.
The claims should not be read as limited to the described order or elements unless stated to that effect. It should be understood that various changes in form and detail may be made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. All embodiments that come within the spirit and scope of the following claims and equivalents thereto are claimed.
The present application claims a priority benefit, under 35 U.S.C. §119(e), to U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/785,609, filed Mar. 14, 2013, entitled “Offset Trenching Methods and Apparatus, and Void Restoration Methods, Apparatus and Materials in Connection with Same.” The present application also claims a priority benefit, under 35 U.S.C. §119(e), to U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/800,554, filed Mar. 15, 2013, entitled “Offset Trenching Methods and Apparatus, and Void Restoration Methods, Apparatus and Materials in Connection with Same.” Each of the foregoing applications is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61785609 | Mar 2013 | US | |
| 61800554 | Mar 2013 | US |
