Abstract: An excavation system utilizes a vacuum truck having a vacuum system in combination with a small backhoe to which an excavator assembly is affixed to the backhoe extendable and articulating arm whereby manipulation of the excavator assembly can be controlled by an operator positioned in the backhoe operator cab. The vacuum assembly and the excavator assembly are operatively attached by an elongated, at least partially flexible vacuum hose operatively attached to the vacuum truck pump to permit material that is excavated to be transported from the excavator assembly to the vacuum assembly for storage or disposal.

Abstract: A compact mobile vacuum boring, mud recovery, excavation and surface cleaning method comprising a device which will create a vacuum condition within a vacuum container and the vacuum container may be mounted on an incline slope to provide space beneath it to locate a water storage container. A vacuum conduit may be used to transport liquid or solid particles into the vacuum container. The vacuum conduit may be mounted adjacent to an articulated boom with one or more elbows and arms and the boom arm may have multiple utilities and tools attached. The vacuum tank may be mounted at a slope sufficient to assist emptying it's contents by gravity. An air filter housing may be adjacently mounted above the vacuum tank for efficiency and compactness. A dispensing device may be added to dispense a liquid or a solid from the vacuum container without eliminating the vacuum environment within the vacuum container, and said vacuum container having the ability to fill, store and dispense its contents simultaneously.

Abstract: A device and method is provided for rescuing a person trapped in engulfing material at an engulfment site. A reduction tool is used to loosen the engulfing material in order to free or facilitate freeing a buried or partially buried victim. The loosened engulfing material is subsequently removed from the engulfment site by vacuum excavation. Shoring equipment may be used to stabilize the excavation site prior to commencement of soil reduction and soil removal procedures. The excavation site may include a sump area to receive loosened engulfing material discharged by the reduction tool from the excavation site. The loosened engulfing material in the sump area may also be removed with vacuum excavation techniques.

Abstract: An excavation wand including a vacuum tube is disclosed herein. The vacuum tube includes a side wall defining at least one air relief opening adjacent a distal end of the vacuum tube. The excavation wand also includes at least one nozzle for directing excavation fluid through the air relief opening.

Abstract: The present invention is an improved vacuum excavation system for use in the excavation of earth, waste, or other materials. A liftable and pivotable slurry or spoils tank and vacuum system are mounted on a mobile base. If required, a fluid source may be used to loosen earth or hard-packed material that may be drawn into the tank by the vacuum system. The slurry tank includes a manifold system that may receive air or other fluid to agitate the slurry or spoils to facilitate the release of solids from the tank. An exit port is provided in the tank to allow controlled release of the slurry. A valve means is utilized to allow for the use of a pump or air moving system wherein flow may be directed alternatively between the vacuum function to draw a slurry stream into the tank and a pressurizing function wherein air or other fluid is forced into the tank through the manifold system.

Abstract: A manually-operated, water-powered digging tool which does not utilize a pressure gauge, and a process for digging holes with such tool.

Abstract: A nozzle mount assembly for use in soft excavation. The assembly includes a vacuum tube, nozzle ports, and a wear ring. The vacuum tube defines air flow passages including an open lower end of the vacuum tube and air relief slots located near its lower end. The nozzle ports are defined by a manifold having air troughs located between the nozzle ports. Each nozzle port is configured to receive a high-pressure fluid nozzle. One nozzle port is angled toward the center of the vacuum tube, and two nozzle ports are angled away from the vacuum tube. The nozzle port angled toward the center of the vacuum tube is configured to direct a fluid stream through an air relief slot in the vacuum tube.

Abstract: The present invention is an improved vacuum excavation system for use in the excavation of earth, waste, or other materials. A slurry or spoils tank and vacuum system are mounted on a mobile base. If required, a fluid source may be used to loosen earth or hard-packed material that may be drawn into the tank by the vacuum system. The slurry tank includes a manifold system that may receive air or other fluid to agitate the slurry or spoils to facilitate the release of solids from the tank. An exit port is provided in the tank to allow controlled release of the slurry. A valve means is utilized to allow for the use of a pump or air moving system wherein flow may be directed alternatively between the vacuum function to draw a slurry stream into the tank and a pressurizing function wherein air or other fluid is forced into the tank through the manifold system.

Abstract: An excavating device configured to form a channel of predetermined cross section in the ground in an excavation direction. The excavating device includes an assembly of jet excavating units which together define the cross section of the channel and are each provided with at least one jet device. The excavating device also includes at least one sensor which is connected to at least one of the jet excavating units for measuring a force which is exerted on the jet excavating units by the ground substantially parallel to the excavation direction. A controller is provided for controlling the excavation by the excavating device on the basis of the force measured by the at least one sensor. The controller is adapted to set a flow rate of jet liquid which is used in at least one jet device.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and method for directing a low turbulence vehicle-mounted air blast for use in clearing snow or debris from a road or runway. An air blast system is mounted in the central portion of the vehicle underneath the chassis. An air duct is positioned on either side of the truck adjacent to a channel which passes under the truck. The air ducts are designed with minimal curvature and internal baffles in order to minimize air flow turbulence.

Abstract: A method and compact portable system for excavating a two-soldier fighting position is disclosed in which the method includes using a material-retention type auger to bore a plurality of spaced hollow recesses to a desired depth, placing prepared explosive charges in each bored recess, detonating the explosive charges using a remotely operable detonation device to loosen the soil in the defined pattern, removing the loosened soil, and finalizing the interior walls of the structure. The system is compact and lightweight designed to be stored within a confined carrying pack volume and features a bucket-type, hollow auger system including handle extensions capable of being quickly assembled to bore clean holes in the earth, a plurality of explosive charges, the explosive charges being stored in canisters of a size to fit into the hollow auger bit and holes bored by the auger, means for connecting to and remotely detonating the binary charges in each of the canisters.

Abstract: An excavation assembly, an apparatus and method of operating the same. At least a portion of the assembly is attachable to a vehicle including a frame and an arm supported on the frame, the arm having one end supported on the frame and an other end movable relative to the frame. The assembly includes an excavation head supportable on the other end of the arm for movement relative to the frame. The head may be substitutable with a hard-tooth excavation component, such as a backhoe bucket. The head includes a support member having a support surface positionable adjacent a surface to be excavated, the support member being attachable to the other end of the arm, a nozzle, and a vacuum. The assembly further comprises a source of pressurized fluid connected to the nozzle so that fluid is provided through the nozzle to cut the surface to be excavated and a source of vacuum pressure connected to the vacuum so that material cut from the surface is removed from the surface.

Abstract: There is provided an improved apparatus for recovery of sea-bed material. Known apparatus suffer from problems such as low recovery rate and capital cost. The invention, therefore, provides a recovery apparatus comprising a vehicle upon which are mounted a duct permitting communication between the sea-bed and a location remote therefrom, structure to introduce sea-bed material into the duct and structure to advance sea-bed material through the duct.

Abstract: An integrated safe excavation apparatus utilizing supersonic air jets coupled with high flow, pneumatic vacuum transport and a unique separation system to excavate earth and other like material for the purpose of repairing, replacing or installing buried utility lines, remediating contaminated soils, uncovering buried objects containing discarded hazardous waste, safely exposing unexploded ordnance and other like operations.

Abstract: When driving a tube (24) into the ground, primarily for subsequently loading the tube with an explosive substance and subsequent blasting of the surrounding ground, a driving rod (20) whose rear end is provided with an insert end (13) which can be connected to a percussion machine (36) is employed in the driving operation. The non-metallic tube (24) is fitted over the driving rod (20), against an axial stop (16). A forwardly located, conical sacrificial tip (28) has a base cross-section dimension (30) which corresponds to the outer dimension of the tube (24), followed by a neck portion providing a shoulder (31). The tip (28) is supported by the shoulder (31) with clamping engagement with the tube in an orifice of the tube, and forms, together with the tube (24), a unit (24, 28) which is fitted onto the driving rod (20) and brought into impact contact between an anvil surface (33) on the tip (28) and the forward end (21) of the device.

Abstract: The invention relates to an excavator for suction material, particularly for removing soil from underground pipes. The excavator has a pneumatic elephant trunk for removing the suctioned material and which issues into a storage tank for the suctioned material and to which is connected an exhaust fan. In the storage tank the suctioned material is separated from the suction air flow and is subsequently passed through a filter positioned between an elephant trunk opening and the exhaust fan. In order to ensure a good separation on the part of the filter for a long period of time, the filter is formed by a coarse filter and a fine filter connected to the latter. The coarse filter is formed by a labyrinth or cascade-like flow channel, which is bounded by reciprocally displaced partitions and whose flow cross-section increases in the flow direction.

Abstract: A hydraulic excavating machine of the type that utilizes a jet of water to loosen soil, the loosened soil and water then being removed from the excavation by suction, comprises a self-propelled vehicle having a holding tank for receiving the excavated soil and water, and a supply tank from which the water is delivered under pressure. The holding tank communicates with a large diameter suction conduit that is carried in a coil on top of the tank and extends along a boom and then downwardly into the excavation. The boom is at a fixed elevation relative to the vehicle, and therefore can operate in locations where there is limited head room.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining the location of a work implement at a work site is provided. The apparatus includes an undercarriage, a car body rotatably connected to the undercarriage, a boom connected to the car body, a stick connected to the boom, a work implement connected to the stick, and a positioning system including a receiver connected to the stick and a processor for determining the location of the receiver in three dimensional space at a plurality of points as the car body is rotated and for determining the location and orientation of the work implement.

Abstract: An excavation apparatus includes a tank partitioned into two isolated chambers. One of the chambers is adapted to hold fresh water and communicates with a flexible wand to be carried by operating personnel. The other chamber is adapted to hold excavated material and communicates with a flexible hose also to be carried by operating personnel. A single, positive displacement vacuum pump driven by a motor is selectively connectable to one or both chambers through a series of valves and hoses. Depending on the valve positions, either the intake or exhaust port of the vacuum pump is in communication with one or both the chambers. The vacuum pump can therefore by used to fill the front chamber with fresh water as well as to pressurize the front chamber so that the water held therein can be discharged through the wand under pressure sufficient to dislodge earth at the excavation site. The vacuum pump can then be used to draw the dislodged earth and discharged water into the other chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus supported on a truck bed and including a high pressure water conduit for dislodging earthen material for evacuation by a suction conduit. The evacuated material and water pass through a cyclone separator with the removed air directed through a secondary separator. A blower intake induces low pressure in the separators. Solids and water removed by the first mentioned separator are subjected to screening whereat water is reclaimed and returned to a tank from which a high pressure water pump draws. An air lock receives the earthen material and water from the separator. A modified air lock is disclosed for use with highly abrasive material. The screen is positionable about a horizontal axis by a hydraulic cylinder to maintain desired inclination for maximum dewatering of the evacuated material. A water conduit and valve system permit periodic drawing of water from a secondary tank when the level of the reclaimed water in the recovery tank falls below a certain level.