Cable laying apparatus with off-center inclined earth-penetrating blade

Claim 2

In vehicle-mounted apparatus for laying cable and the like in the soil having a vehicle chassis and front and rear groundengaging wheels on front and rear axles, respectively, the combination comprising: an earth-penetrating blade having a forwardly and downwardly projecting digger tooth at the lower front end of said blade and cable-dispensing means rearwardly of the digger tooth, and blade mounting means mounting said blade on said chassis for movement between an elevated position and an angular earthpenetrating position in which said blade inclines downwardly and forwardly from behind the rear axle to a point forwardly of the rear axle with the digger tooth projecting into the ground forwardly of the rear axle to distribute the pull-down forces of the blade between the front and rear axles and form a trench for laying the cable as the blade is advanced through the soil.

Claim 3

In vehicle-mounted apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said blade includes a shank and said digger tooth has a forwardly and downwardly inclined toe section at the lower end of the shank providing an upper lifting surface and a lower relief surface, each of said upper and lower surfaces being inclined rearwardly and upwardly with respect to the horizontal.

Claim 4

In vehicle-mounted apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said toe section includes a laterally extending wedge-like member on one side of a forward and downwardly directed lower extension of the shank.

Claim 5

In vehicle-mounted apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said shank has a relatively thin cross section and a forward cutting edge.

Claim 6

In vehicle-mounted apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said upper lifting surface of the toe section is inclined at an angle of about 15* with respect to the horizontal.

Claim 7

In vehicle-mounted apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said lower surface of the toe section is inclined with respect to the horizontal at an angle of about 6*.

Claim 8

In vehicle-mounted apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said blade has a substantially C-shaped slot rearwardly of the toe section along the bottom edge thereof and a depending heel section rearwardly of the slot for forming the trench.

Claim 9

In vehicle-mounted apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said cable-dispensing means for the cable includes a pulley supported at the lower end of a cable guide passage at the back of the blade, said pulley being disposed rearwardly of said heel section.

Claim 10

In vehicle-mounted apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein said pulley is releasably mounted at the rear of the blade to facilitate the positioning of the cable in the cable guide passage.

Claim 11

In apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said mounting means for the blade includes parallelogram-type support frame having spaced upper and lower frame members and spaced front and rear frame members and drive means operatively associated with said frame members to raise and lower said support frame to adjust the depth of the blade in the soil.

Claim 12

In apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said upper frame mender is in the form of a hydraulic cylinder adapTed to change the angle of the blade as it inclines downwardly and forwardly from behind the rear axle.

Claim 13

In apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said drive means includes hydraulic cylinder means connected between the forward end of the upper frame member and between the forward and rear ends of the lower frame member to raise and lower the blade.

Claim 14

In vehicle-mounted apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said blade depends from said rear frame member.

Claim 15

In vehicle-mounted apparatus for laying cable and the like in the soil having a vehicle chassis and ground-engaging wheels, the combination comprising; an earth-penetrating blade having a forwardly and downwardly projecting digger tooth at the lower end of said blade, and blade mounting means mounting said blade on said chassis for movement between an elevated position to one side of the central longitudinal axis of the chassis and an angular earth-penetrating position extending downwardly and laterally from the one side at an angle to vertical to a position underlying the central longitudinal axis and with the digger tooth being disposed below and in approximate vertical alignment with said central longitudinal axis to make an angular cut and form a trench in the soil for the cable as the blade is advanced through the soil.

Claim 16

In vehicle-mounted apparatus for laying cable and the like in the soil having a vehicle chassis and ground-engaging wheels, the combination comprising; an earth-penetrating blade having a forwardly and downwardly projecting digger tooth at the lower end of said blade, and blade mounting means mounting said blade on said chassis for movement between an elevated position to one side of the central longitudinal axis of the chassis and an angular earth-penetrating position extending downwardly and laterally from the one side at an angle to vertical to a position underlying the central longitudinal axis and with the digger tooth being disposed below and in approximate vertical alignment with said central longitudinal axis to make an angular cut and form a trench in the soil for the cable as the blade is advanced through the soil.

Claim 17

In vehicle-mounted apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein said blade extends downwardly and laterally from the one side to an extent whereby the digger tooth extends past a vertical plane passing through the central longitudinal axis of the chassis.

Claim 18

In vehicle-mounted apparatus for laying cable and the like in the soil having a vehicle chassis with ground-engaging wheels and auxiliary earth-working apparatus mounted on the vehicle chassis in alignment with the central longitudinal axis thereof, the combination comprising: an earth-penetrating blade having a trailing cable dispenser, and means mounting said blade on said chassis for movement between an elevated position to one side of said auxiliary apparatus and an angular earth-penetrating position extending downwardly and laterally under the chassis and under said wheels whereby the blade extends laterally at least to a vertical plane containing said central longitudinal axis to make an angular cut in the form of a trench in the soil for the cable as the blade is advanced through the soil.

Claim 19

In vehicle-mounted apparatus for laying cable and the like in the soil having a vehicle chassis with ground-engaging wheels and auxiliary earth-working apparatus mounted on the vehicle chassis in alignment with the central longitudinal axis thereof, the combination comprising: an earth-penetrating blade having a trailing cable dispenser, and means mounting said blade on said chassis for movement between an elevated position to one side of said auxiliary apparatus and an angular earth-penetrating position extending downwardly and laterally under the chassis and under said wheels whereby the blade extends laterally at least to a vertical plane containing said central longitudinal axis to make an angular cut in the form of a trench in the soil for the cable as the blade is advanced through the soil.

Claim 20

In vehicle-mounted apparatus as set forth in claim 16 wherein said mounting means includes a parallelogram support frame on the side of the vehicle and inclined at a selected downwardly and laterally projecting angle for in-line angular movement of the blade between the elevated and earth-penetrating positions.

Claim 21

In vehicle-mounted apparatus for laying cable and the like in soil, having a vehicle chassis and ground-engaging front and rear wheels on front and rear axles respectively, the combination comprising: an earth-penetrating blade having a forwardly and downwardly projecting digger tooth at the lower front end of said blade and cable dispensing means rearwardly of the digger tooth, and blade mounting means mounting said blade on said chassis for movement of the blade between an elevated position to one side of the central longitudinal axis of the chassis and rearwardly of the rear axle and an angular earth-penetrating position extending downwardly and both laterally and forwardly from the one side and behind the rear axle to a point wherein the digger tooth extends below and forwardly of the rear axle to make an angular cut in the soil and to distribute the pull-down forces of the blade between each of the wheels as the blade makes an angular cut and forms a trench in the soil for the cable as the blade is advanced through the soil.

Claim 22

In vehicle-mounted apparatus for laying cable and the like in soil, having a vehicle chassis and ground-engaging front and rear wheels on front and rear axles respectively, the combination comprising: an earth-penetrating blade having a forwardly and downwardly projecting digger tooth at the lower front end of said blade and cable dispensing means rearwardly of the digger tooth, and blade mounting means mounting said blade on said chassis for movement of the blade between an elevated position to one side of the central longitudinal axis of the chassis and rearwardly of the rear axle and an angular earth-penetrating position extending downwardly and both laterally and forwardly from the one side and behind the rear axle to a point wherein the digger tooth extends below and forwardly of the rear axle to make an angular cut in the soil and to distribute the pull-down forces of the blade between each of the wheels as the blade makes an angular cut and forms a trench in the soil for the cable as the blade is advanced through the soil.

Claim 23

In vehicle-mounted trenching apparatus for laying cable in the soil having a vehicle chassis with front and rear ground-engaging wheels on front and rear axles respectively and auxiliary earth-working apparatus mounted on the vehicle chassiS in alignment with the central longitudinal axis thereof, the combination comprising: an earth-penetrating blade having a shank with a sharp forward edge and a digger tooth projecting forwardly and downwardly from the lower front end of the shank, said blade having a wedge-shaped member to one side of a forwardly and downwardly directed lower extension of the shank to form a toe section with an upper lifting surface and a lower relief surface, said surfaces being inclined upwardly and rearwardly and a heel section rearwardly of the toe section, a cable dispenser mounted at the back of the blade including a cable guide passage and a removable pulley disposed rearwardly of the heel section, a support frame mounting the blade for in-line, angular movement between an elevated position to one side of the auxiliary earth-working apparatus extending downwardly and both laterally and forwardly from the one side and from behind the rear axle at angles to the vertical axis of the chassis to a position wherein the digger tooth is disposed below and forwardly of the rear axle to make an angular cut in the soil and to distribute the pull-down forces of the blade between each of the wheels as the blade makes an angular cut and forms a trench in the soil for the cable while being advanced through the soil, said frame including upper and lower frame members and forward and rear frame members pivotally connected at the corners in a parallelogram configuration, said blade being releasably fastened to the lower end of said rear frame member and extending downwardly and forwardly therefrom, and hydraulic drive means for the frame to advance and retract the blade into the soil and adjust the angle the toe section makes with the horizontal.

Claim 24

In vehicle-mounted trenching apparatus for laying cable in the soil having a vehicle chassis with front and rear ground-engaging wheels on front and rear axles respectively and auxiliary earth-working apparatus mounted on the vehicle chassiS in alignment with the central longitudinal axis thereof, the combination comprising: an earth-penetrating blade having a shank with a sharp forward edge and a digger tooth projecting forwardly and downwardly from the lower front end of the shank, said blade having a wedge-shaped member to one side of a forwardly and downwardly directed lower extension of the shank to form a toe section with an upper lifting surface and a lower relief surface, said surfaces being inclined upwardly and rearwardly and a heel section rearwardly of the toe section, a cable dispenser mounted at the back of the blade including a cable guide passage and a removable pulley disposed rearwardly of the heel section, a support frame mounting the blade for in-line, angular movement between an elevated position to one side of the auxiliary earth-working apparatus extending downwardly and both laterally and forwardly from the one side and from behind the rear axle at angles to the vertical axis of the chassis to a position wherein the digger tooth is disposed below and forwardly of the rear axle to make an angular cut in the soil and to distribute the pull-down forces of the blade between each of the wheels as the blade makes an angular cut and forms a trench in the soil for the cable while being advanced through the soil, said frame including upper and lower frame members and forward and rear frame members pivotally connected at the corners in a parallelogram configuration, said blade being releasably fastened to the lower end of said rear frame member and extending downwardly and forwardly therefrom, and hydraulic drive means for the frame to advance and retract the blade into the soil and adjust the angle the toe section makes with the horizontal.