Under frame mounted soil sampler for light trucks

Claim 2

An under-frame tool bar attachment for a light truck including a frame having a pair of generally parallel elongated and transversely spaced apart frame side bars and a cab and box supported on said frame, said attachment comprising, an elongated tool bar, tool bar mounting means operative to suspend said tool bar in generally horizontal transversely extended relation across the under side of said light truck frame, securement means or securing said mounting means to a light truck frame, and, lock mean for securing said tool bar to said mounting means, said tool bar mounting means comprising a pair of mounting assemblies, each adapted for securement to a respective one of said frame side bars.

Claim 3

The tool bar attachment of claim 1 wherein each mounting assembly comprises a U-shaped hanger including a pair of generally upright legs and a bottom bracket connected to and extended between said legs for supporting the tool bar thereon.

Claim 4

The tool bar attachment of claim 2 wherein each mounting assembly further comprises a top cross member connected to an extended between upper ends of aid legs for securement to said frame side bar.

Claim 5

The tool bar attachment of claim 3 wherein said top cross member comprises an elongated generally L-section strip for engagement with two adjacent surfaces of a frame side bar.

Claim 6

The tool bar of claim 4 wherein said securement means comprises a plurality of nuts and bolts and longitudinally spaced apart holes in said top cross member for alignment with matched holes through said frame side bar and receipt of said bolts therethrough.

Claim 7

The tool bar of claim 4 wherein said securement means comprises an elongated edge of said top cross member, said edge adapted to be welded to said frame side bar.

Claim 8

The tool bar of claim 2 wherein said lock means comprises a U-bolt, said bottom bracket having a pair of holes arranged for receiving said U-bolt to clamp said tool bar to said bottom bracket.

Claim 9

The tool bar attachment of claim 7 further comprising shim means adapted for placement between said tool bar and bottom bracket for limited vertical adjustment of said tool bar.

Claim 10

In combination, a light truck including a frame having a pair of generally parallel elongated and transversely spaced apart from side bars, and a cab and box supported on said frame, and an under frame to bar attachment comprising, an elongated tool bar, tool burst mounting means operative to suspend said tool bar in generally horizontal transversely extended relation across the underside of said light truck frame, securement means or securing said mounting means to said light truck frame, and lock means or securing said tool bar to said mounting means, said tool bar mounting means comprising a pair of mounting assemblies, each adapted for securement to a respective one of said fame side bars.

Claim 11

In combination, a light truck including a frame having a pair of generally parallel elongated and transversely spaced apart from side bars, and a cab and box supported on said frame, and an under frame to bar attachment comprising, an elongated tool bar, tool burst mounting means operative to suspend said tool bar in generally horizontal transversely extended relation across the underside of said light truck frame, securement means or securing said mounting means to said light truck frame, and lock means or securing said tool bar to said mounting means, said tool bar mounting means comprising a pair of mounting assemblies, each adapted for securement to a respective one of said fame side bars.

Claim 12

An under frame mounted soil sampler for a light truck including a frame and a cab and box supported on aid frame, said soil sampler comprising, an elongated upright outer mast having upper and lower ends, under frame tool bar attachment means adapted for securement o said light truck frame, means or supporting the lower end of said route roast on said under frame tool bar attachment means in load bearing relation thereon, stabilizer means for stabilizing the upper end of said outer mast against transverse and fore and aft movement relative to said light truck box, a drill head mounted on said outer mast for up and down vertical movement between raised and lowered positions, power mean for raising and lowering said drill head between said raised and lowered positions, a soil sampler tool removably mounted on said drill head and extended downwardly therefrom for penetration into the ground upon movement o the drill head to the lowered position thereof, and operative to collect a soil sample upon subsequent raising movement of the drill had to the raised position thereof, and an inner mast vertically movably support on said route remast, said power means comprising first power means connected to and extended between said outer mast and inner mast for raising and lowering said inner mast relative to said outer mast and second power means connected to and extended between said inner mast and said drill head for raising and lowering said drill head relative to said inner mast.

Claim 13

An under frame mounted soil sampler for a light truck including a frame and a cab and box supported on aid frame, said soil sampler comprising, an elongated upright outer mast having upper and lower ends, under frame tool bar attachment means adapted for securement o said light truck frame, means or supporting the lower end of said route roast on said under frame tool bar attachment means in load bearing relation thereon, stabilizer means for stabilizing the upper end of said outer mast against transverse and fore and aft movement relative to said light truck box, a drill head mounted on said outer mast for up and down vertical movement between raised and lowered positions, power mean for raising and lowering said drill head between said raised and lowered positions, a soil sampler tool removably mounted on said drill head and extended downwardly therefrom for penetration into the ground upon movement o the drill head to the lowered position thereof, and operative to collect a soil sample upon subsequent raising movement of the drill had to the raised position thereof, and an inner mast vertically movably support on said route remast, said power means comprising first power means connected to and extended between said outer mast and inner mast for raising and lowering said inner mast relative to said outer mast and second power means connected to and extended between said inner mast and said drill head for raising and lowering said drill head relative to said inner mast.

Claim 14

The soil sampler of claim 10 wherein said first and second power means comprise double acting hydraulic cylinders.

Claim 15

The soil sampler of claim 11 wherein said power means further comprises a source of hydraulic fluid under pressure and said first and second power means being connected to said source in parallel.

Claim 16

The soil sampler of claim 10 wherein said soil sampler tool comprises and elongated drill bit and said drill head further comprises a chuck for removably receiving said drill bit and a third power means for rotating said chuck.

Claim 17

The soil sampler of claim 13 wherein said third power means comprises a hydraulic motor.

Claim 18

The soil sampler of claim 13 wherein said outer mast and drill head further comprise respective hydraulic hose harnesses and a plurality of hydraulic hoses connected to and extended between said harnesses or permitting vertical reciprocal movement of said rill head while maintaining communication between said second and third power means and a source of hydraulic fluid under pressure.

Claim 19

The soil sampler of claim 10 wherein said soil sampler tool comprises a soil sampling probe.

Claim 20

The soil sampler of claim 10 wherein said under frame tool bar attachment means comprises a elongated tool bar, tool ar mounting means operative to suspend said tool bar in generally horizontally transversely extended relation across the underside of a light truck frame, securement means or securing said mounting means to a light truck frame, and lock means for securing said tool bar to said mounting means.

Claim 21

An under frame mounted soils ampler for a light truck including a frame and act and box supported on said frame, said soil sampler comprising, an elongated upright outer mast having upper and lower ends, under frame tool ar attachment means adapted for securement to said light truck frame, means or supporting the lower end of said outer mast on said under frame tool bar attachment means in load bearing relation thereon, stabilizer means for stabilizing he upper end of said outer mast against transverse and for and aft movement relative to said light truck box, a drill head mounted on said outer mast for up and down vertical movement between raised and lowered positions, power means or raising and lowering said rill head between said raised and lowered positions, a soil sampler tool removably mounted on said drill had and extended downwardly therefrom for penetration into the ground upon movement o the drill head to the lowered position thereof, and operative to collect a soil sample upon subsequent raising movement o the drill head to the raised position thereof, a soil sample collecting can assembly vertically slidably supported on said outer mast, and coacting abutment means onsaid can assembly and drill head operative to raise said can assembly to a raised position in ground clearance relation in response to upward movement of the drill head to the raised position thereof, said can assembly being lowered into ground engagement upon lowering movement of the drill head whereupon continued lowering movement of he drill had is operative to lower the soil sampler tool relative to said ground engaged can assembly, said can assembly including an open topped can having a bottom wall with an opening therethrough, said soil sampler tool being aligned with said opening for vertical movement therethrough.

Claim 22

An under frame mounted soils ampler for a light truck including a frame and act and box supported on said frame, said soil sampler comprising, an elongated upright outer mast having upper and lower ends, under frame tool ar attachment means adapted for securement to said light truck frame, means or supporting the lower end of said outer mast on said under frame tool bar attachment means in load bearing relation thereon, stabilizer means for stabilizing he upper end of said outer mast against transverse and for and aft movement relative to said light truck box, a drill head mounted on said outer mast for up and down vertical movement between raised and lowered positions, power means or raising and lowering said rill head between said raised and lowered positions, a soil sampler tool removably mounted on said drill had and extended downwardly therefrom for penetration into the ground upon movement o the drill head to the lowered position thereof, and operative to collect a soil sample upon subsequent raising movement o the drill head to the raised position thereof, a soil sample collecting can assembly vertically slidably supported on said outer mast, and coacting abutment means onsaid can assembly and drill head operative to raise said can assembly to a raised position in ground clearance relation in response to upward movement of the drill head to the raised position thereof, said can assembly being lowered into ground engagement upon lowering movement of the drill head whereupon continued lowering movement of he drill had is operative to lower the soil sampler tool relative to said ground engaged can assembly, said can assembly including an open topped can having a bottom wall with an opening therethrough, said soil sampler tool being aligned with said opening for vertical movement therethrough.

Claim 23

The soil sampler of claim 18 wherein said open topped can is supported for pivotal movement between a raised sample collecting position and a lowered sample dumping position, ad further comprising means or releasable securing said can in the raised position thereof.

Claim 24

The soil sampler of claim 18 further comprising a protective shield positioned to generally partially surround said can in the raised position thereof and to extend upwardly therefrom for blocking access to said soil sampler tool and shielding said can from the entry of foreign mater unassociated with a soil sample collected by said tool.

Claim 25

The soil sampler of claim 18 further comprising biasing mean for urging said can assembly into ground engagement upon lowering movement of the soil sampler tools relative to the ground engaged can assembly.

Claim 26

The soil sampler of claim 21 wherein said biasing means comprises an elongated tension member connected to and extended between said rill had an can assembly.

Claim 27

The soil sampler of claim 22 wherein said can assembly includes and open topped can and at least one guide post extended upwardly from said can through said drill head, said tension member being connected to an upper end of said guide post above said drill head.

Claim 28

An under frame mounted soil sampler for a light truck including a frame and a ca band box supported on aid frame, said soil sampler comprising, an elongated upright outer mast having upper and lower ends, under frame tool bar attachment means adapted for securement to said light truck frame, means for supporting the lower end of said outer mast on said under frame tool bar attachment means in load bearing relation thereon, stabilizer means for stabilizing the upper end of said outer mast against transverse and fore and aft movement relative to said light truck box, a drill head mounted on said outer mast for up and down vertical movement between raised and lowered positions, power mean for raising and lowering said drill head between aid raised and lowered positions, and a soil sampler tool removably mounted onsaid drill head and extended downwardly there form for penetration into the ground upon movement of the drill head t the lowered position thereof, and operative to collect a soil sample upon subsequent raising movement o the drill had to he raised position thereof; said stabilizer means comprising a secondary frame adapted for connection to the light truck box, an upright stabilizer post mounted on one of said secondary frame and outer mast and a collar slidably supported on said post and secured to the other of said secondary frame and outer mast.

Claim 29

An under frame mounted soil sampler for a light truck including a frame and a ca band box supported on aid frame, said soil sampler comprising, an elongated upright outer mast having upper and lower ends, under frame tool bar attachment means adapted for securement to said light truck frame, means for supporting the lower end of said outer mast on said under frame tool bar attachment means in load bearing relation thereon, stabilizer means for stabilizing the upper end of said outer mast against transverse and fore and aft movement relative to said light truck box, a drill head mounted on said outer mast for up and down vertical movement between raised and lowered positions, power mean for raising and lowering said drill head between aid raised and lowered positions, and a soil sampler tool removably mounted onsaid drill head and extended downwardly there form for penetration into the ground upon movement of the drill head t the lowered position thereof, and operative to collect a soil sample upon subsequent raising movement o the drill had to he raised position thereof; said stabilizer means comprising a secondary frame adapted for connection to the light truck box, an upright stabilizer post mounted on one of said secondary frame and outer mast and a collar slidably supported on said post and secured to the other of said secondary frame and outer mast.

Claim 30

An under frame mounted soil sampler for a light truck including a frame and a cab and box supported on said frame, said soil sampler comprising, an elongated upright outer mast having upper and lower ends, under frame tool bar attachment means adapted for securement to said light truck frame, said under frame tool bar attachment means including an elongated tool bar, tool bar mounting means operative to suspend said tool bar in generally horizontal transversely extended relation across the under said of said light truck frame, said tool bar mounting means comprising a pair of mounting assemblies, each adapted for securement to a respective one of said frames side bars, securement means for securing said mounting means to a lightly truck frame, and, lock means for securing said tool bar to said mounting means, means or supporting the lower end of said outer mast on said tool bar in load bearing relation thereon, stabilizer means or stabilizing the upper end of said outer mast against transverse and fore and aft movement relative to said light truck box, a drill head mounted on said outer mast for up and down vertical movement between raised and lowered positions, power means or raising and lowering said rill head between said raised and lowered positions, and a soil sampler tool removably mounted on said drill head and extended downwardly therefrom for penetration into the ground upon movement of the drill head o the lowered position thereof, and operative to collect a soil sample upon subsequent raising movement of the drill head to the raised position thereof.

Claim 31

An under frame mounted soil sampler for a light truck including a frame and a cab and box supported on said frame, said soil sampler comprising, an elongated upright outer mast having upper and lower ends, under frame tool bar attachment means adapted for securement to said light truck frame, said under frame tool bar attachment means including an elongated tool bar, tool bar mounting means operative to suspend said tool bar in generally horizontal transversely extended relation across the under said of said light truck frame, said tool bar mounting means comprising a pair of mounting assemblies, each adapted for securement to a respective one of said frames side bars, securement means for securing said mounting means to a lightly truck frame, and, lock means for securing said tool bar to said mounting means, means or supporting the lower end of said outer mast on said tool bar in load bearing relation thereon, stabilizer means or stabilizing the upper end of said outer mast against transverse and fore and aft movement relative to said light truck box, a drill head mounted on said outer mast for up and down vertical movement between raised and lowered positions, power means or raising and lowering said rill head between said raised and lowered positions, and a soil sampler tool removably mounted on said drill head and extended downwardly therefrom for penetration into the ground upon movement of the drill head o the lowered position thereof, and operative to collect a soil sample upon subsequent raising movement of the drill head to the raised position thereof.