Pipe burying ripper and method

Claim 2

Apparatus for laying a flexible, drainage pipe comprising: a support; means mounting the support for movement over the ground; means carried by the support for ripping the soil to a predetermined depth as the support is moved over the ground, said ripping means having tubular structure for receiving the pipe and for feeding the same rearwardly into the ground at said predetermined depth as the ripper means moves forwardly through the ground; means adjacent to said ripping means for directing a mass of gravel to said structure; power actuated means within said structure for distributing the gravel in a substantially uniform layer about the pipe after the latter has been received in said structure; and power means coupled with said distributing means and carried by said ripping means adjacent to the ripper and thereof for actuating said distributing means.

Claim 3

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said ripping means includes a generally upright, hollow housing said structure including a tube near the lower end of the housing, the tube extending transversely of and in communication with the housing.

Claim 4

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the directing means includes a chute having a lower open end, said structure having a portion aligned with said lower end of the chute.

Claim 5

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein is included means coupled with the support for varying the depth of said ripper.

Claim 6

Apparatus for laying a flexible drainage pipe at a predetermined location below the ground comprising: an elongated support having means thereon for mounting the same for movement over the ground, said support adapted to carry a length of said pipe; a hollow soil ripper shiftably carried by the support near one end thereof, said ripper having a length sufficient to permit it to extend into the ground and to rip the soil as the support is moved forwardly over the ground, said ripper having an upright passage therethrough to permit a pipe to be fed from the support to the lower end of the ripper when the latter extends into the ground; means carried by the support rearwardly of said ripper for directing gravel to a location adjacent to and rearwardly of the lower end of the ripper; a rotatable auger at said location and having a tubular body extending rearwardly of and communicating with said passage, said body having an open rear end to permit a pipe passing therethrough to exit therefrom; and a motor carried by the support exteriorly of the ripper and coupled with said auger for rotating the same relative to the ripper, whereby gravel directed to said location will be uniformly placed in an envelope about the pipe as the latter exits from said rear end of the body.

Claim 7

Apparatus for laying a flexible drainage pipe at a predetermined location below the ground comprising: an elongated support having means thereon for mounting the same for movement over the ground, said support adapted to carry a length of said pipe; a hollow soil ripper shiftably carried by the support near one end thereof, said ripper having a length sufficient to permit it to extend into the ground and to rip the soil as the support is moved forwardly over the ground, said ripper having an upright passage therethrough to permit a pipe to be fed from the support to the lower end of the ripper when the latter extends into the ground; means carried by the support rearwardly of said ripper for directing gravel to a location adjacent to and rearwardly of the lower end of the ripper; a rotatable auger at said location and having a tubular body extending rearwardly of and communicating with said passage, said body having an open rear end to permit a pipe passing therethrough to exit therefrom; and a motor carried by the support exteriorly of the ripper and coupled with said auger for rotating the same relative to the ripper, whereby gravel directed to said location will be uniformly placed in an envelope about the pipe as the latter exits from said rear end of the body.

Claim 8

Apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein is included means coupled with the support for mounting the rear end thereof for up and down movement with respect to the ground, said ripper and said directing means being adjacent to said rear end of the support.

Claim 9

Apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein said directing means includes a chute having a lower open end, and a sleeve communicating with the chute and surrounding said auger, said sleeve having an open rear end.

Claim 10

Apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein said motor is carried at the upper end of the ripper, and including a rigid link coupling said motor and said auger together.

Claim 11

Apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein is provided a gear box connected to the front end of the auger, said gear box having a vertical, rotatable shank, and a U-joint interconnecting the upper end of the shank and the lower end of the link.

Claim 12

Apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein is included a cylindrical guard coupled to said directIng means and disposed in surrounding, spaced relationship to said auger, said guard having an open rear end, and a pipe anchor for releasable attachment to the rear end of said guard, said anchor having means thereon for releasably securing the same in a fixed position below the ground and provided with structure for releasably connecting one end of said pipe thereto.