The present invention is directed generally to trenching devices, and more particularly to a trenching device optimized for basement water proofing and other application where it may be preferable to trench near and along a vertical surface.
Trenchers that use digging chains have long been known in the prior art. Generally, a trencher includes a carriage and a trencher boom that carries a digging chain having a series of digging blades. Typically, the digging chain is carried by a motor driven sprocket wheel and an idler pulley wheel, which are mounted to a frame that can be moved into a digging position. Generally, the frame that carries the digging chain pivots at its base to tilt into contact with a working surface of soil or clay so that the digging chain can excavate a trench as the trencher moves across the working surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,084 by Caldwell et al. is exemplary of the prior art. Caldwell's trencher includes a boom that pivots relative to a carriage so that it can dig at various angles and depths. If a shallow trench is desired, an operator of Caldwell's trencher would pivot the trencher boom by a shallow angle. If a deeper trench is desired, an operator would pivot the trencher boom of the Caldwell trencher until it reaches a steeper angle.
One disadvantage of prior art trenchers arises when an operator wishes to dig a curved trench. For example, relatively shallow, circular trenches are needed for receiving the concrete footing of the foundation of a circular structure such as a grain bin or a tank. Trenches of greater depth that are excavated for water or electric power lines must often be dug around obstacles. Because the digging chains of prior art trenchers must generally pivot into a digging position, the digging chain of a prior art trencher contacts a work surface at a shallow angle when it is digging a shallow trench and often penetrates a work surface at a moderate angle when digging a deeper trench. If the trench is to be circular or curved, it becomes very difficult if not impossible to guide a shallow angled digging chain around a curved path while it is digging. A digging chain penetrating a working surface at a shallow or moderate angle will interfere with the walls of the trench if a curved section of trench is attempted. Moreover, in a prior art trencher, the digging chain is cantilevered away from the trencher carriage so that the center of the digging chain will swing through an arc as the carriage turns. Because it is not practical to turn a prior art trencher along a tightly curved path while it is digging a trench, intersecting trench sections must be dug to make a trench around an obstacle. Generally, significant amounts of material will accumulate where sections of the trench intersect. Material that accumulates at these intersections must be removed by hand digging. What is needed is a trencher that can easily dig circular or curved trenches and which can also smoothly transition from digging a straight trench to digging a curved trench when an obstacle is encountered.
Another prior art trencher device in the prior art includes a mobile, powered base including a boom assembly. The boom assembly includes a first boom member pivotally mounted to the powered base, and a second boom member pivotally mounted to the opposite end of the first boom. A digging chain is looped along the second boom, and a drive shaft transfers power to the digging chain via a ninety-degree drive positioned adjacent the pivotal interconnection of the first and second booms. In use, the first boom is rotated downwardly to a position approximately parallel to the ground surface, and the second boom and chain are oriented approximately vertical. To transport the trencher, the first boom is rotated upwardly to about a forty-five degree angle, and the second boom is rotated upwardly about the pivotal connection to the first boom to raise the digging chain above the ground surface, thereby permitting movement of the mobile base. However, the driveshaft interconnecting the powered base and the ninety-degree drive unit has a single universal joint at each end. Because the universal joints are only operable within a relatively small angular range of motion, the upward rotation of the first boom relative to the powered base is limited. Further, in this type of trencher the ninety degree drive unit rotates with the second boom, such that the universal joint connecting the ninety degree drive unit to the drive shaft is placed at an angle when the second boom is rotated upwardly for transport of the trencher. The range of allowable rotation of the first boom relative to the powered base is limited, as is the rotation of the second boom relative to the first boom such that the overall length of the second boom is necessarily quite short to permit movement of the digging chain above the level of the soil surface for transport. These limited rotational ranges, and the relatively short second boom and digging chain necessarily limits this type of trencher to a relatively shallow trenching capability.
Accordingly, there existed a need for a durable trencher capable of digging trenches.
One embodiment of the present invention describes a trencher device comprising a digging bar to excavate material, a motor to activate the digging bar, tires to facilitate relocating the trencher device, a braking assembly to immobilize the device while excavating material, and an auger to displace the excavated material laterally.
The invention may be more completely understood in consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
While the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the invention to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
In general, the present invention is directed to trenching devices, and more particularly to a trenching device optimized for basement water proofing and other application where it may be preferable to trench near and along a vertical surface.
One embodiment of the present invention is depicted in
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the digging bar 16 may be offset laterally from the main physical components of the digging device 10 as depicted in
Returning to
The present invention should not be considered limited to the particular examples described above, but rather should be understood to cover all aspects of the invention as fairly set out in the attached claims. Various modifications, equivalent processes, as well as numerous structures to which the present invention may be applicable will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art to which the present invention is directed upon review of the present specification. The claims are intended to cover such modifications and devices.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61-464918, filed Mar. 11, 2011, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61464918 | Mar 2011 | US |