Trenching and drain installation system and method

• US 8,157,477 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2009
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aurora Sun Alliance Corp.
• Original Assignee: Aurora Sun Alliance Corp.
• Inventors: Horan, Jeff, Anderson, Matt
• Primary Examiner(s): MAYO-PINNOCK, TARA LEIGH
• Application Number:
  US12/425,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20090263195A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 405/154.1, 405/174, 405/179, 405180-183, 37/91, 37/94, 37/95, 37/97, 371/89, 371/90
• US Class Current: 405/183
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/3414 the arms being pivoted at the rear of the vehicle chassis, e.g. skid steer loader
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 5/08 with digging wheels turning round an axis E02F5/109 takes precedence; with digging wheels per se E02F3/18
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 5/101 forming during digging, e.g. underground canalisations or conduits, by bending or twisting a strip of pliable material; by extrusion
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 7/026 mounted on machines equipped with dipper- or bucket-arms

Abstract

A system for trench and drain installation. The system utilizes an implement driven trenching assembly and a backfill pipe installation assembly. The implement driven trenching assembly digs a trench utilizing a circular trenching blade which is hydraulically operated and is mounted onto a front loader plate. The backfill pipe installation assembly uses a backfill hopper to simultaneously install drainage pipe above the trench floor and envelop the drainage pipe in backfill material to maintain the drainage pipe at a constant height above the trench floor.

Claims

1. A trencher system comprising:

a. a front loader comprising a front loader plate, a hydraulic power source and hydraulic control system;

b. said front loader plate configured to slidably receive an implement driven trencher assembly, said implement driven trencher assembly comprising;

a circular trenching blade configured to produce a rectilinear trench comprising a profile width and a profile depth;

c. said circular trenching blade mounted on a drive axle, said drive axle supported by a first arm and a second arm;

d. said first arm and said second arm each pivotably connected to a front loader attachment plate, said front loader attachment plate configured to slidably attach to said front loader plate;

e. said hydraulic power source and hydraulic control system interoperating with a first hydraulic arm pivotably attached to said front loader attachment plate and said first arm, said first hydraulic arm configured to lift and release said first arm to engage and disengage said implement driven trencher assembly from a ground engaging location.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein said system further comprises:

a second hydraulic arm pivotably attached to said front loader attachment plate and to a second arm, said second hydraulic arm configured to interoperate with said hydraulic power source and hydraulic control system to lift and release said second arm to engage and disengage with said first arm, said implement-driven trencher assembly from a ground engaging location.

3. The system according to claim 2 wherein said implement driven trencher assembly further comprises:

a second hydraulic motor to circumferentially drive said trenching blade about said drive axle, said second hydraulic motor operably attached to said second arm.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein said implement driven trencher assembly further comprises:

a hydraulic motor to circumferentially drive said trenching blade about said drive axle.

5. The system according to claim 4 wherein said hydraulic motor further comprises:

a planetary gearbox comprising a five to one ratio reduction.

6. The system according to claim 1 wherein said circular trenching blade further comprises:

a blade diameter;

an outer circumferential edge;

a blade width;

a plurality of trenching tools equidistantly interspersed about said outer circumferential edge to provide for digging into said ground engaging location.

7. The system according to claim 6 wherein said circular trenching blade further comprises:

said blade diameter ranging from approximately at least 24″

in diameter to approximately at most 90″

in diameter.

8. The system according to claim 7 wherein said circular trenching blade further comprises:

a load bearing weight ranging from approximately at least 250pounds to approximately at most 4,750 pounds.

9. The system according to claim 6 wherein said trenching blade further comprises:

a blade width ranging from approximately at least 1½

″

to approximately at most 6″

.

10. The system according to claim 6 wherein said trenching blade further comprises:

said plurality of the trenching tools equidistantly interspersed at approximately at least 6″

to approximately at most 24″

.

11. The system according to claim 6 wherein said plurality of trenching tools further comprises:

each trenching tool comprising a cylindrical main tool body comprising a larger outer diameter, a conically shaped tool head comprising a cylindrical tool head main body, said cylindrical tool head main body comprising a smaller diameter than said tool body'"'"'s larger diameter, a tool base comprising a rigid attachment to said tool body.

12. The system according to claim 1 wherein said trencher assembly further comprises:

a trencher hood, said trencher hood configured to encase said trenching blade to maintain control of excess earthen debris during a trenching operation.

13. The system according to claim 12 wherein said assembly further comprises:

a trenching shoe configured to follow said trenching blade and clean said rectilinear trench during said trenching operation.

14. The system according to claim 13 wherein said trenching shoe further comprises:

a semicircular arm interoperably engaged with a shoe hydraulic for expansion and contraction of said trenching shoe into said rectilinear trench during said trenching operation.

15. The system according to claim 12 wherein said trencher assembly further comprises:

a radial blade sleeve configured within said trenching hood enabling said trenching hood to be placed on said ground engaging location, and said trenching blade to remain in a non-ground engaging location, providing a three-step trenching process.

16. The system according to claim 15 wherein said three-step trenching process further comprises:

a. engaging said hydraulic power and control system to lower said implement driven trencher assembly to a ground engaging location;

b. rotating said trenching blade about said radial axis;

c. digging said rectilinear trench by operating said hydraulic power and control system to engage said trenching blade with said ground engaging location and digging said rectilinear trench to a predefined trench width and trench depth.

17. The system according to claim 16 wherein said trencher assembly further comprises:

a spoils remover configured to receive dirt and debris during the trenching process and place said dirt and debris into a debris container.

18. The system according claim 17 wherein said spoils remover further comprises:

a debris reception location where are said dirt and debris collects during said trenching process, a conveyor configured to lift said dirt and debris out of said debris reception location and deposit said dirt and debris into said debris container.

19. The system according claim 17 wherein said spoils remover further comprises:

a transverse arrangement perpendicular to said trenching blade.

20. The system according to claim 17 where said spoils remover further comprises:

a longitudinal arrangement parallel with said trenching blade.

21. A method for trench and drain installation, said method comprising:

positioning a trenching unit along a trenching profile utilizing a skid steer, said skid steer having a front loader plate, wherein said skid steer is attached to said trenching unit at said front loader plate;

lowering a trenching unit onto a ground engaging location arranged along said trenching profile;

engaging said trenching unit;

digging a trench along said trenching profile;

lowering a trenching shoe into said trench during digging to remove excess debris;

removing debris from said trench during said the trenching along said trenching profile;

installing a drainage pipe above a trenching floor in a backfill envelope;

wherein said lowering a trenching unit further comprises;

engaging a trenching hood controller from a hydraulic controller, said hydraulic controller comprising said trenching hood controller, trench shoe controller, an articulating member controller, and a blade controller;

moving said trenching unit comprising a trenching hood, an articulating member interacting with a trench blade, and a debris removal conveyor, and a trenching shoe;

moving said trenching unit by utilizing a hydraulic power source operated by said hydraulic controller, said trenching unit comprising a trenching hood, an articulating member interacting with a trench blade, a debris removal conveyor, and a trenching shoe;

actuating said trenching hood controller to move said skid steer front loader plate and lower said trenching hood onto said ground engaging location in line with said trenching profile.

22. The method according to claim 21 wherein said engaging said trenching unit further comprises:

rotating said trench blade by;

a. actuating said blade controller;

b. applying hydraulic pressure to a hydraulic motor attached to said articulating member and said trench blade;

c. rotating said trench blade about a centrally aligned blade axis.

23. The method according to claim 22 wherein said digging a trench along said trenching profile further comprises:

a. actuating said articulating member controller;

b. actuating said articulating member about a pivot point located near said front loader plate by;

i. asserting hydraulic pressure onto said articulating member to engage said trench blade with said ground engaging location;

c. digging into said ground engaging location along said trenching profile to create a trench having a profile width and a profile depth.

24. The method according to claim 23 wherein said lowering a trenching shoe further comprises:

a. actuating said trench shoe controller;

b. asserting hydraulic pressure onto said trenching shoe to lower said trenching shoe into said trench.

25. The method according to claim 24 wherein said removing debris from said trench further comprises:

a. pushing said debris into a debris collection location utilizing said trench blade;

b. removing said debris from said debris collection location by;

i. utilizing a spoils conveyor said spoils conveyor comprising a hydraulically driven conveyor belt comprising a never ending series of spoils shelves

ii. lifting said spoils out of said debris collection location and away from said trenching unit.

26. The method according to claim 25 wherein said installing a drainage pipe further comprises:

a. positioning a backfill hopper above said trench, said backfill hopper comprising a backfill sleeve comprising a width substantially the same as said profile width, a constant riser for placement of a pipe a riser height above the floor of said trench, a trench guide to steer said backfill hopper along said trench, a rotating pipe feed supporting a corrugated drainage pipe for installation into said trench through a guide sleeve depositing said corrugated drainage pipe at the riser height;

b. installing said corrugated pipe into said trench at said riser height;

c. installing said backfill about said corrugated pipe and filling said trench to ground level.

27. A system for trench and drain installation said system comprising:

an implement driven trencher assembly and a backfill pipe installation assembly;

said implement driven trencher assembly configured to produce a rectilinear trench comprising a profile width and a profile depth utilizing a circular trenching blade operably mounted on a front loader;

said backfill pipe installation assembly configured to install a drainage pipe into said trench at a riser height above a trench floor and, simultaneously envelop said drainage pipe with backfill material to maintain said drainage pipe at said riser height;

wherein said implement driven assembly further comprises a front loader attachment plate to slidably interconnect with said front loader at a front loader plate;

said circular trenching blade mounted on a drive axle, said drive axle supported by a first arm and a second arm;

wherein said implement driven trencher further comprises;

a hydraulic power source and a hydraulic control system interoperating with a first hydraulic arm pivotably attached to said front loader attachment plate and said first arm, to lift and release said first arm in order to engage and disengage said implement driven trencher assembly from a ground engaging location.

28. The system according to claim 27 wherein said backfill pipe installation assembly further comprises:

a backfill hopper configured to install said drainage pipe into said trench, and simultaneously install said backfill material about said drainage pipe in said trench.

29. The system according to claim 28 wherein said backfill hopper further comprises:

a backfill sleeve comprising a width substantially the same as said profile width, a drainage pipe carrier for maintaining a reserve of drainage pipe for installation along said trench, a trench guide rigidly attached to said backfill hopper to guide said backfill pipe installation assembly along said trench.

30. The system according to claim 29 wherein said backfill pipe installation assembly further comprises:

a drainage pipe installation guide sleeve operably configured to travel at a constant riser height elevation above said trench floor and maintain an adjustable vertical alignment with said backfill hopper, said backfill hopper riding on a varying grade elevation.

31. The system according to claim 30 wherein said trench pipe installation guide sleeve further comprises:

a riser grade adjustment mechanism configured to maintain said guide sleeve in a longitudinal and transverse position in line with said trench, while allowing said guide sleeve to adjust vertically along with said backfill hopper riding on said varying grade elevation.

32. The system according to claim 31 wherein said backfill pipe installation assembly further comprises a second front loader configured to drive said backfill hopper along said trench.

33. The system according to claim 32 wherein said backfill hopper further comprises:

a hopper grade adjustment mechanism configured to maintain said backfill hopper along a longitudinal and transverse position in line with said trench, while allowing said backfill hopper to adjust vertically along with said second front loader riding on said varying grade elevation.