Inclined slope vacuum excavation container

• US 7,503,134 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2004
• Issued: 03/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lynn A. Buckner
• Original Assignee: Lynn A. Buckner
• Inventors: Buckner, Lynn A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beach; Thomas A
• Application Number:
  US10/810,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20050210623A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,814 Days
• Field of Search: 379/05, 373/04, 374/66, 373/17, 373/20, 153/001, 153/122, 153/52, 153/21, 153/30, 153/401, 153/45, 153/46, 175/67, 175/66, 175/42, 299/17
• US Class Current: 37/317
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 1/0827 Dislodging by suction; Mechanical dislodging-cleaning apparatus with independent or dependent exhaust, e.g. dislodging-sweeping machines with independent suction nozzles combined with blowing E01H1/0872; Mechanical loosening devices working under vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 1/103 in which the soiled loosening or washing liquid is removed, e.g. by suction removing liquids in general E01H1/108
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/8825 wherein at least a part of the soil-shifting equipment is mounted on a dipper-arm, backhoes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/9206 Digging devices using blowing effect only, like jets or propellers E02F5/107 takes precedence; passive suction heads with jets E02F3/925; active suction heads with jets E02F3/9262; drilling by jets E21B7/18; slitting by jets E21C25/60
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 5/28 for cleaning watercourses or other ways stream regulation E02B3/02
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 7/06 Delivery chutes or screening plants or mixing plants mounted on dredgers or excavators for back-filling E02F5/226 takes precedence; separating equipment in general B03; delivery chutes in general B65G
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 7/10 Wheeled apparatus for emptying sewers or cesspools
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 9/002 Cleaning sewer pipes by mechanical means combined with flushing E03F9/00

Abstract

A vacuum container mounted on an inclined slope and having a liquid water storage container mounted beneath the incline of the vacuum container. The water storage container may support the vacuum container. The slope may be of sufficient angle to allow debris to be emptied from the vacuum container by gravity when the access door is opened. A filter housing may be mounted to and supported by the vacuum container. By flush mounting the clean out end of the filter housing with the clean out end of the vacuum container, a single access clean out door may be used to access both simultaneously.

Claims

1. A mobile vacuum excavation method comprising the steps of:

providing a vacuum container, said vacuum container having a length and width, and having a vacuum producing means to create a vacuum environment within said vacuum container, providing a conduit to vacuum liquid or solid particles into said vacuum container, and said vacuum container being fixedly mounted on said mobile vacuum excavation means at an inclined slope along said length of said vacuum container and said incline slope being sufficient to allow said solids or liquid to dispense from said vacuum container by gravity through an access door to said vacuum container when said access door is opened along said width of said vacuum container, and further providing a liquid storage container, and said liquid storage container being adjacently mounted below said incline slope of said vacuum container and wherein said liquid storage container comprises an additional step of having said liquid storage container side walls add structural support to said vacuum container, and further comprising the steps of;

providing a filter housing means having a length and width, and said length of said filter housing being mounted on an incline slope adjacent to said length of said vacuum container, and said vacuum container adding structural support to said filter housing.

2. A mobile vacuum excavation method according to claim 1, wherein said liquid storage container further comprises the step of having a liquid stored within said liquid storage container, and further comprising the step of a liquid pump means, a liquid conduit means and a nozzle means being mounted to said mobile vacuum excavation means, and further comprising the step of said liquid being pressurized by said liquid pump, flowed through said liquid conduit and nozzle means to impinge an earthen material in order to improve the vacuum ability of said earthen material.

3. A vacuum excavation method according to claim 1, wherein said vacuum container and said liquid storage container comprise an additional step of mounting auxiliary equipment adjacent to said vacuum container, or said liquid storage container, and said auxiliary equipment being chosen from a group consisting of one or more of a vacuum blower exhaust muffler, a vacuum pump, a power plant, a hydraulic reservoir, a hydraulic pump, a vacuum pump, an air filter, a water pump, a boom arm, a trailer, an engine, a hose reel, a jetter, a hydraulic connection for hydraulic tools, a hydraulic tool, an air compressor, a generator, a process controller, a surface cleaning tool, a jack hammer, a concrete saw, a solids liquid separator, a water filter, a water heater, a water purifier, a water sterilizer, a vibrating screen, a liquid recycling system, a hydrocarbon absorption system, a solids dispensing system, an air conveyor, a screw conveyor, a cyclone, a liquid dispensing system, a vibrator, an excavation bucket, a torque wrench, a hydro-cyclone, a noise muffler, a goose neck trailer coupler, a skid steer, a zero turn radius vehicle, a rail road car, a fork lift, a truck, a back hoe, a track loader, a barge, a powered linear actuator or telescoping cylinder to open or close an access door to said vacuum container, a skid mounting base, and a fuel reservoir.

4. A vacuum excavation method according to claim 1 wherein said vacuum container comprises an additional step of providing a vibrating screen disposed within said vacuum container to separate liquids from solids.

5. A vacuum excavation method according to claim 1 wherein said vacuum container comprises an additional step of providing a means to dispense a liquid from said vacuum container without eliminating the vacuum environment within said vacuum container, and said dispensing means being chosen from a group consisting of a pump, a grinder, and a progressive cavity screw.

10. A vacuum excavation method according to claim 1, or 6, wherein said vacuum container, said liquid storage container or said filter housing comprise an additional step of mounting an articulated boom arm adjacent to said vacuum container, liquid storage container or filter housing and said articulated boom arm having one or more boom arms, and one or more elbows and said articulated boom arm comprises an additional step of having auxiliary equipment mounted adjacent to said boom arm and said auxiliary equipment being chosen from a group consisting of a linear actuator, a hydraulic cylinder, a remotely controlled operating system, a control system, a control system monitor, a jetter, a sand blaster, a telescoping boom arm, a telescoping vacuum conduit, a powered rotating knuckle, a sand blasting tool, a vibrator, a concrete saw, a jack hammer, a vacuum hose with vacuum hose end attachments, a water pressure hose with spray nozzle attachments, an air hose with air tool attachments, an electric cord with attachments for electric power tools, hydraulic hoses with hydraulic tool attachments, an excavation bucket, a surface cleaner, a grinder, a pump, a torque wrench, a sensor to detect buried utilities, and a man hole cover removal tool.

11. A vacuum excavation method according to claim 1 or 8 wherein said vacuum container comprises an additional step of providing a vibrating screen disposed within said vacuum container to separate liquid from solids and said vacuum container further comprises an additional step of providing a means to dispense a liquid from said vacuum container without eliminating the vacuum environment within said vacuum container, and said dispensing means being chosen from a group consisting of a pump, a grinder, and a progressive cavity screw and an additional step providing a means to recycle said liquid to a surface cleaning means having one or more devices selected from the group consisting of a liquid pressure spray nozzle, a means to direct said liquid to impinge said surface to be cleaned with said liquid, a housing to contain said liquid spray, a vacuum conduit attachment to said housing, a vacuum conduit to vacuum said sprayed liquid from said surface, and said vacuum conduit being used to convey said surface cleaning liquid to said vacuum container.

6. A mobile vacuum excavating method comprising the steps of:

providing a vacuum container, said vacuum container having a length and width, and said vacuum container having a vacuum producing means to create a vacuum environment within said vacuum container, providing a conduit to vacuum liquid or solid particles into said vacuum container, and said vacuum container being fixedly mounted on said mobile vacuum excavating means at an inclined slope along said length of said vacuum container and said incline slope being sufficient to allow said solids or liquid to dispense from said vacuum container by gravity through an access door along said width of said vacuum container when said access door is opened, and further providing a liquid storage container, and said liquid storage container being adjacently mounted below said incline slope of said vacuum container and wherein said liquid storage container comprises an additional step of having said liquid storage container side walls add structural support to said vacuum container, and further comprising the steps of;

providing a filter housing means having a length and width to house air filters, said length of said filter housing being mounted on an incline slope adjacent to said length of said vacuum container, and said vacuum container adding structural support to said filter housing, and said width of said filter housing being mounted adjacent to said width of said vacuum container so as to allow a single door access to both said filter housing and said vacuum container, and said filter housing having a connecting conduit to flow air from said vacuum container to said filter housing and said filter housing having filters disposed within it to remove solids from said air.

7. A vacuum excavation method according to claim 6 wherein said vacuum container comprises an additional step providing an access door that is opened and closed by a telescoping means disposed within said vacuum container, and said telescoping means being chosen from one or more devices selected from a group consisting of a hydraulic cylinder, an air cylinder and a linear actuator.

8. A mobile vacuum excavation method comprising the steps of:

providing a vacuum container having a length and width and, a filter housing, and a liquid storage container, said vacuum container comprising a vacuum producing means to create a vacuum environment within said vacuum container, and further comprising a conduit to vacuum solid particles or liquid into said vacuum container, and said vacuum container being fixedly mounted on said mobile vacuum excavation means at an inclined slope along said length of said container and said incline slope being sufficient to allow said solids or said liquid to be dispensed from said vacuum container by gravity through an access door of said vacuum container when said access door is opened along said width of said vacuum container, and further comprising the step of said liquid storage container being adjacently mounted below said incline slope of said vacuum container and further comprising the step of said filter housing being mounted on an incline slope adjacent to said vacuum container, and further comprising an articulated boom arm mounted on said mobile vacuum excavation means and said articulated boom arm having one or more arms.

9. A vacuum excavation method according to claim 8, wherein said articulated boom arm comprise an additional step of mounting or supporting one or more conduits adjacent to said boom arm, and said conduits being chosen from a group consisting of a vacuum conduit, a water conduit, a hydraulic conduit, or an air conduit.