Apparatus for producing cementitious conduits

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING CAST-IN-PLACE CONDUITS IN A TRENCH, COMPRISING A SKID SUPPORT ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED IN AND MOVED LONGITUDINALLY ALONG THE BOTTOM OF A TRENCH; MEANS ON SAID SKID FOR SUPPORTING A CONTINUOUS TUBULAR CASING IN SPACED RELATION TO THE BOTTOM AND SIDES OF SAID TRENCH, SAID CASING HAVING BEEN DISPOSED LONGITUDINALLY IN ADVANCE OF SAID SKID; MEANS MOUNTED ON THE SKID SUPPORT FOR RESILIENTLY BIASING SAID CONDUIT TOWARD SAID SUPPORT MEANS INCLUDING A RESILIENTLY MOUNTED BOW MEMBER HAVING A CONVEX SURFACE FOR MAKING CONTACT WITH SAID CASING; A HOPPER CHUTE MOUNTED TO SAID SKID SUPPORT AND ADJACENT TO BUT REARWARDLY OF SAID BOW MEMBER HAVING A DISCHARGE OPENING OVERLYING THE CONTINUOUS TUBULAR CASING, WHEREBY CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL DEPOSITED IN SAID HOPPER CHUTE WILL ENVELOP AND ENCLOSE THE CASING; AND MEANS FOR ADVANCING THE SKID AND HOPPER CHUTE IN THE TRENCH AND RELATIVE TO THE CONTINUOUS TUBULAR CASING, WHEREBY SAID CASING REMAINS STATIONARY RELATIVE TO SAID TRENCH AND IS RESILIENTLY HELD UPON SAID SUPPORT MEANS BY ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CONVEX SURFACE OF SAID BOW MEMBER AS SAID HOPPER CHUTE PASSES OVER AND ALONG SAID CASING UPON ADVANCEMENT OF SAID SKID SUPPORT.