Method and Device for Navigating Excavation Towards A Buried Target
First Claim
1. A method of navigating excavation towards a target buried in excavatable material, the method comprising:
- placing indicating material in the excavatable material in proximity to the target;
excavating the excavatable material towards the target to remove a portion of the indicating material leaving a remainder of the indicating material; and
indicating a degree of proximity to the target by arranging the portion of the indicating material to be visually distinct from another portion of the remainder.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and device to navigate excavation towards a target buried in an excavatable material, for example excavation near an underground pipeline by excavation equipment. The device generally comprises indicating material arranged to be buried in the ground in proximity to the target. The indicating material is arranged to be frangible for permitting a portion of the indicating material to be removed from a remainder either by tearing, separation at separated sections or separation at perforated lines of severance. Different visual proximity indicators on the indicating material cause different sections of the indicating material to be visually distinct from one another corresponding to different degrees of proximity to the target. In use, the indicating material is placed in the ground and excavation towards the target results in portions of the material being removed. Proximity is indicated by associating which section a removed portion of the indicating material corresponds with. The proximity indicators may comprise use of varying colour, scaled indicia or other suitable notation.
20 Citations
58 Claims
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1. A method of navigating excavation towards a target buried in excavatable material, the method comprising:
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placing indicating material in the excavatable material in proximity to the target; excavating the excavatable material towards the target to remove a portion of the indicating material leaving a remainder of the indicating material; and indicating a degree of proximity to the target by arranging the portion of the indicating material to be visually distinct from another portion of the remainder. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A device for navigating excavation towards a target buried in excavatable material, the device comprising:
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indicating material arranged to be placed in the excavatable material in proximity to the target; frangible means for permitting a portion of the indicating material to be removed from a remainder of the indicating material to be left in the excavatable material; and proximity indicating means on the indicating material corresponding to a degree of proximity to the target for permitting a removed portion of the indicating material to be visually distinguished from a remaining portion of the indicating material. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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Specification