Outrigger structure for hole digger and derrick apparatus

Claim 1

FOR USE ON A VEHICLE HAVING A FRAME AND BODY STRUCTURE CARRIED BY AT LEAST A PAIR OF SPACED WHEEL AND AXLE UNITS, THE COMBINATION WITH SAID STRUCTURE OF AN OUTRIGGER HAVING: AN ELONGATED, TUBULAR, EXTENSIBLE LEG HAVING AN UPPER LEG SECTION AND A LOWER LEG SECTION DISPOSED IN RELATIVELY RECIPROCABLE, TELESCOPED RELATIONSHIP; A PISTON AND CYLINDER ASSEMBLY WITHIN THE LEG WITH THE PISTON THEREOF BEING JOINED TO ONE OF THE LEG SECTIONS AND THE CYLINDER BEING COUPLED TO THE OTHER LEG SECTION WHEREBY EXTENSION AND RETRACTION OF THE PISTON CAUSES CORRESPONDING RELATIVE RECIPROCATION BETWEEN THE LEG SECTIONS; FIRST PIVOT MEANS PIVOTALLY JOINING THE UPPER EXTREMITY OF THE UPPER LEG SECTION TO THE STRUCTURE AT AN ELEVATION SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE VEHICLE AXLES; NON-EXTENSIBLE LINK MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE LOWER LEG SECTION INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF THE PISTON AND CYLINDER ASSEMBLY WITHIN SAID LEG; AND SECOND PIVOT MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTING THE LINK MEANS ON THE STRUCTURE IN DISPOSITION BELOW THE LEVEL OF SAID FIRST PIVOT MEANS BUT NOT SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW SAID LEVEL OF THE AXLES OF THE VEHICLE, THE EFFECTIVE LENGTH OF SAID LINK MEANS BEING NOT SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER THAN THE STROKE OF THE PISTON OF SAID ASSEMBLY AND SAID LINK MEANS BEING PIVOTALLY JOINED TO SAID LOWER LEG SECTION AT A LOCATION CAUSING THE LEG TO BE IN SUBSTANTIALLY UPRIGHT DISPOSITION ADJACENT THE STRUCTURE WITH THE PIVOT AXIS OF THE CONNECTION OF THE LINK MEANS TO THE LEG BEING LOCATED OUTWARDLY OF THE STRUCTURE WITH RESPECT TO A LINE BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND PIVOT MEANS WHEN THE PISTON IS RETRACTED WHEREBY UPON EXTENSION OF THE PISTON, THE LOWER EXTREMITY OF SAID LOWER LEG IS MOVED OUTWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE GROUND UNDER THE CONTROL OF SAID LINK MEANS.