SYSTEM FOR CONSTRUCTING DRAIN LINES

• US 3,664,137 A
• Filed: 05/11/1970
• Issued: 05/23/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: James E. Lett
• Original Assignee: James E. Lett
• Inventors: Lett, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bell, J. Karl
• Application Number:
  US05/036,021
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 61/10,11,41,41A,72.1-72.7
• US Class Current: 405/50
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 5/10 with arrangements for reinforcing trenches or ditches; with arrangements for making or assembling conduits or for laying conduits or cables laying pipes per se F16L1/00, making pipes in situ F16L1/038; laying electric cables per se H02G1/06; drainage device- laying apparatus E02B11/02

Abstract

A system for constructing a drain line including laying a uniformly thick and contoured bed of particulate material, such as gravel, within the confines of a trench.

Claims

1. A system for constructing a drain line including a drain tile disposed in a gravel bed laid in the bottom of a narrow trench comprising mobile power means adapted to excavate said trench in increments of length from a position outside said trench and having digging means for lowering into said trench, dispensing means disposed in said excavated trench and movably supported off the bottom of said trench a preselected distance for laying a bed of particulate matter in the bottom of said trench, drawbar means comprising connector means anchored to said dispensing means and releasably interconnecting said digging means of said mobile power means and said dispensing means for pulling said dispensing means along said trench in increments of movement approximately equal to the increments of excavation of said trench. plow means trailing said dispensing means as it is pulled along said trench and displacing particulate matter laterally of the approximate centerline of said bed to define a longitudinal furrow for receiving said drain tile.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said drawbar means retracts to a position of noninterference with subsequent excavation when said power means and dispensing means are disconnected.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said connector means is anchored by flexible strands secured at one of their respective ends to said dispensing means and at their other respective ends to said connector means.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said connector means is spring-biased in a retracted position adjacent said dispensing means.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said mobile power means comprises a backhoe having a toothed bucket digging means and said drawbar means comprises a connector releasably engagable by the teeth of said toothed bucket of said backhoe.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said dispenser means comprises a hopper adapted to receive said particulate matter and having a partial bottom defining at least two laterally disposed elongated openings on opposite sides of sAid bottom and extending rearwardly from the forward end of said hopper at least a major part of the length of said hopper, a dispensing chute depending from at least the most forward portion of each of said lateral openings providing laterally disposed guide paths for the flow of particulate matter from said hopper through said openings into the trench beneath said dispenser means in the form of rows defining at least a rudimentary furrow therebetween.

7. Apparatus for depositing particulate matter in position for receiving drain tile within a trench defined by side walls and a bottom comprising a hopper having side and front and rear end walls and adapted to be received within the confines of said trench, a longitudinally gabled partial bottom in said hopper and in combination with the side walls of said hopper defining at least two substantially parallel longitudinal openings laterally separated in the lower portion of said hopper for metering said particulate matter from said hopper, chute means disposed beneath about the forward one-half of each of said longitudinal openings to guide particulate matter into said trench in the form of at least two streams converging toward the approximate centerline of said trench, friction means disposed beneath said hopper and supporting said hopper above the bottom of said trench for movement of said hopper along the length of said trench, mobile power means for propelling said hopper along the length of said trench, whereby said particulate matter is deposited from said hopper into said trench in a relatively uniformly thick layer as said hopper is moved along the length of said trench, and furrowing means trailing said hopper and furrowing said layer of particulate matter along its approximate centerline.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 and including retractable drawbar means anchored to said hopper for releasably joining said mobile power means to said hopper in substantially horizontal pulling alignment for pulling said hopper along said trench in increments of movements.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said furrowing means comprises a plow having a pair of generally right triangular wing portions disposed uprightly in side-by-side relation and defining an obtuse angle, said contacting sides further defining a centerline and a downwardly projecting digging tip on said plow, said centerline being inclined at an angle between about 10* and 30* with respect to the vertical to position said digging tip of said blade more rearwardly than the top edge of said blade with respect to the direction of forward travel of said plow.