System and method to excavate and fill

• US 9,103,091 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2012
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vermeer Manufacturing Company
• Original Assignee: Vac-Tron Equipment LLC (VAC-TRON Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Buckner, Don M.
• Primary Examiner(s): HARP, WILLIAM RAY
• Application Number:
  US13/459,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20130287530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 Days
• Field of Search: 406 62- 68, 406/109, 406/38, 406/39, 406/128
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 53/4625 with axis of turning perpendicular to flow
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/8816 Mobile land installations
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 7/02 Conveying equipment mounted on a dredger conveyors in general B65G
• 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

Abstract

A system and method to excavate and fill is disclosed. The system includes a canister adapted to receive and store excavated material. In addition, a plurality of blades are mounted inside of the canister about a horizontal shaft proximate a bottom end of the canister. A motor is adapted to rotate the plurality of blades to move the excavated material stored in the canister to the bottom end of the canister and a blower is adapted to blow the excavated material at the bottom end of the canister out of an opposing side of the canister through a discharge port. The canister includes a downward sloping lip disposed above the plurality of blades, where the downward sloping lip funnels the excavated material on to a downwardly rotating blade of the plurality of blades.

Claims

1. A system to excavate and fill, the system comprising:

a canister adapted to receive and store excavated material;

a plurality of blades mounted inside of the canister about a horizontal shaft proximate a bottom end of the canister;

a motor, wherein the motor is adapted to rotate the plurality of blades to move the excavated material stored in the canister to the bottom end of the canister;

a downward sloping lip projecting from a sidewall of the canister to approximately a center line of the canister above the shaft and over upwardly rotating blades of the plurality of blades, and configured to funnel the excavated material on to downwardly rotating blades of the plurality of blades; and

a blower configured to blow air through an area between two adjacent blades to clear the excavated material at the bottom end of the canister out of an opposing side of the canister through a discharge port.

2. The system of claim 1, the canister further comprising a grate proximate to a top end of the canister, wherein the grate adapted to separate a predefined size of debris from the excavated material.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a vacuum hose adapted to be secured proximate a top end of the canister.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a discharge hose adapted to be secured to the discharge port.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the plurality of blades are planar.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a discharge valve.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the plurality of blades each further comprising a scoop at a respective distal end.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein each blade of the plurality of blades is mounted to the horizontal shaft opposite another blade.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the canister is mounted to a trailer.

10. A method to excavate and fill, the method comprising:

vacuuming excavated material into a canister;

rotating a plurality of blades mounted inside of the canister about a horizontal shaft proximate a bottom end of the canister;

using a downwardly sloping lip of the canister to funnel the excavated material on to downwardly rotating blades and to prevent the excavated material from falling on an upwardly rotating blade of the plurality of blades, wherein the downwardly sloping lip extends over upwardly rotating blades of the plurality of blades to approximately a center line of the canister; and

blowing air through an area between two adjacent blades to clear the excavated material at the bottom end of the canister out of an opposing side of the canister through a discharge port.

11. The method of claim 10, the method further comprising separating a predefined size of debris from the excavated material using a grate within the canister.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising securing a vacuum hose proximate a top end of the canister.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising securing a discharge hose to the discharge port.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of blades are planar.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing a discharge valve to the discharge port to control an amount of excavated material being blown out.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of blades each further comprising a scoop at a respective distal end.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein each blade of the plurality of blades is mounted to the horizontal shaft opposite another blade.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the canister is mounted to a trailer.