Multi-bucket trench excavator with chain side cutters

Claim 1

AN EXCAVATING APPARATUS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED FRAME, TRANSVERSELY SPACED AXIALLY ALIGNED SPROCKETS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON THE OUTER END OF SAID FRAME, ROLLERS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON THE INNER END OF SAID FRAME, ENDLESS CHAINS TRAINED OVER SAID SPROCKETS AND ROLLERS, BUCKETS CARRIED BY SAID CHAINS, SAID CHAINS AND BUCKETS PROVIDING AN ENDLESS CONVEYOR, A CROSS MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME ADJACENT THE INNER END, AN IDLER PULLEY ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON EACH END OF SAID CROSS MEMBER, A FLEXIBLE MEMBER TRAINED OVER SAID PULLEYS, A CRANK PIN ON ONE OF SAID SPROCKETS, A SECOND CRANK PIN ON THE OTHER OF SAID SPROCKETS, SAID SECOND CRANK PIN BEING ANGULARLY DISPLACED 180 DEGREES WITH RESPECT TO SAID FIRST CRANK PIN, AN EARTH CUTTING CHAIN HAVING ONE END PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST CRANK PIN AND THE OPPOSITE END CONNECTED TO ONE END OF SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBER AND A SECOND EARTH CUTTING CHAIN HAVING ONE END PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND CRANK PIN AND THE OPPOSITE END CONNECTED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBER, WHEREBY UPON OPERATION OF SAID CONVEYOR SAID FIRST AND SECOND EARTH CUTTING CHAINS WILL SIMULTANEOUSLY RECIPROCATE IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS AND UPON LOWERING OF THE OUTER END OF SAID FRAME A TRENCH WILL BE EXCAVATED WITH THE SIDE WALLS OF THE TRENCH BEING CUT AT AN ANGLE DEPENDING UPON THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID PULLEYS.