Mobile vacuum boring and mud recovery method having an articulated vacuum conduit boom with digging bucket

Abstract

A mobile vacuum boring and mud recovery method comprising a device which will create a vacuum condition within a vacuum container and having a vacuum conduit to transport a liquid and or solid particles into the vacuum container. The vacuum conduit may be configured as a powered articulated boom with sufficient structural strength to support and operate an earth-digging bucket mounted adjacent to the suction end of the vacuum conduit. The vacuum conduit boom may have the added feature or attachments chosen from a telescoping vacuum conduit section, sensor to locate buried utilities, water spray nozzle, man hole cover remover cutting tool grinding tool, saw, blasting tool, surface cleaning tool, demolition tool, torque wrench, tractor to pull vacuum hose, jetter nozzle, camera, monitors and controls to operate the attachments and their function and power sources to operate them. The vacuum container may be mounted horizontal, vertical or in order to be compact and work better for recycling, the vacuum container may be mounted on an incline to provide space beneath it to locate a water storage container. The inclined vacuum tank facilitates gravitational assistance in both separation of liquids and solids as well as unloading debris. The vacuum container may further comprise a means to separate a liquid from solids. A dispensing device may be added to dispense a liquid or a solid from the vacuum container without eliminating the vacuum environment within the vacuum container, and said vacuum container having the ability to fill, store and dispense its contents simultaneously. The above described vacuum system may be mounted on a variety of mobile platforms, chosen from but not limited to a trailer, truck, skid steer, fork lift, track hoe, railroad car, or zero turn radius vehicle which may have the added feature of being convertible between a powered vehicle and a trailer.

1 . A mobile vacuum boring and mud recovery method comprising the steps of: providing a vacuum container, said vacuum container having a vacuum producing means to create a vacuum within said vacuum container, providing a vacuum conduit to vacuum liquid or solid particles into said vacuum container, providing a means to allow a gas to go through said vacuum container while leaving said liquid or solid particles within said vacuum container and said vacuum conduit being a powered articulated boom with sufficient structural strength to attach and articulate a mechanical means of loosening said solids and said mechanical means of loosening solids being mounted adjacent to a suction end of said vacuum conduit.  
   
   
       2 . A method of boring in dirt, mud recovery or surface cleaning which comprises the steps of: providing a vacuum container, said vacuum container having a vacuum producing means to create a vacuum within said container, providing a vacuum conduit to vacuum liquid or solid particles into said vacuum container, providing a means to allow a gas to go through said vacuum container while leaving said liquid or solid particles within said vacuum container and said vacuum conduit being a powered articulated boom with sufficient structural strength to attach and articulate a mechanical means of loosening solids to be vacuumed and said mechanical means of loosening solids being mounted adjacent to the suction end of said vacuum conduit and said mechanical means being chosen from an earth digging bucket, a cutting tool, a grinder, a saw, a blasting tool, a surface cleaning tool, vibrator excavation means, or a demolition tool.  
   
   
       3 . A mobile vacuum boring and mud recovery method comprising the steps of: providing a vacuum container, said vacuum container having a vacuum producing means to create a vacuum within said vacuum container, providing a vacuum conduit to vacuum liquid or solid particles into said vacuum container, providing a means to allow a gas to go through said vacuum container while leaving said liquid or solid particles within said vacuum container and said vacuum conduit being a powered articulated boom with sufficient structural strength to attach and articulate a mechanical means of loosening said solids and said mechanical means of loosening solids being mounted adjacent to the suction end of said vacuum conduit and said mechanical means of loosening said solids being chosen from an earth digging bucket, a cutting tool, a grinder, a saw, a blasting tool, a surface cleaning tool, or a demolition tool, and said vacuum conduit having a telescoping section of vacuum conduit in proximity to said mechanical means of loosening solids, and having a means to select between digging with said mechanical means of loosening solids, or vacuuming with said telescoping section of vacuum conduit, and having automated means to monitor or control the operation of said powered articulated vacuum conduit, said telescoping section of said vacuum conduit or said mechanical means of loosening solids, and said mobile means being chose from a zero-turn radius vehicle, a trailer, a truck, a skid steer, a fork lift, a track vehicle, a rail car.  
   
   
       4 . A mobile vacuum boring and mud recovery method as described in  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: said mechanical means of loosening said solids being an earth digging bucket.  
   
   
       5 . A mobile vacuum boring and mud recovery method as described in  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: said mechanical means of loosening said solids being an earth digging bucket, and said vacuum conduit having a telescoping section of vacuum conduit in proximity to said earth digging bucket, and said earth digging bucket may have the added feature of having an earth penetrating utility sensor, or earth penetrating utility locator for locating buried utilities.  
   
   
       6 . A mobile vacuum boring and mud recovery method as described in  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: said mechanical means of loosening said solids being chosen from an earth digging bucket, a cutting tool, a grinder, a saw, a blasting tool, a surface cleaning tool, or a demolition tool, sand blasting attachments, concrete cutting means, asphalt cutting means, surface cleaning attachments, or vibrator excavation means.  
   
   
       7 . A mobile vacuum boring and mud recovery method as described in  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: said mechanical means of loosening said solids being chosen from an earth digging bucket, a cutting tool, a grinder, a saw, a blasting tool, a surface cleaning tool, or a demolition tool, sand blasting attachments, concrete cutting means, asphalt cutting means, surface cleaning attachments, or vibrator excavation means, and said powered articulated vacuum conduit boom having a telescoping section of vacuum conduit in proximity to said mechanical means to loosen said solids.  
   
   
       8 . A mobile vacuum boring and mud recovery method as described in  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: said mechanical means of loosening solids being chosen from an earth digging bucket, a cutting tool, a grinder, a saw, a blasting tool, a surface cleaning tool, or a demolition tool, and said vacuum conduit having a telescoping section of vacuum conduit in proximity to said mechanical means of loosening said solids, and having a means to select between digging with said mechanical means of loosening said solids or vacuuming with said telescoping section of vacuum conduit.  
   
   
       9 . A mobile vacuum boring and mud recovery method as described in  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: said mechanical means of loosening solids being chosen from an earth digging bucket, a cutting tool, a grinder, a saw, a blasting tool, a surface cleaning tool, or a demolition tool, and said vacuum conduit having a telescoping section of vacuum conduit in proximity to said mechanical means of loosening solids, and having an earth penetrating utility sensor, or earth penetrating utility locator for locating buried utilities, and having a means to select between digging with said mechanical means of loosening said solids, or vacuuming with said telescoping section of vacuum conduit, and having automated means to monitor or controls the operate of said powered articulated vacuum conduit boom, said telescoping section of said vacuum conduit, said mechanical means of loosening solids or said earth penetrating utility sensor or earth penetrating utility locator  
   
   
       10 . A mobile vacuum boring and mud recovery method as described in  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: said mechanical means of loosening solids being chosen from an earth digging bucket, a cutting tool, a grinder, a saw, a blasting tool, a surface cleaning tool, or a demolition tool, and said vacuum conduit having a telescoping section of vacuum conduit in proximity to said mechanical means of loosening solids, and having a means to select between digging with said mechanical means of loosening solids, or vacuuming with said telescoping section of vacuum conduit, and having automated means to monitor or controls the operate of said powered articulated vacuum conduit, said telescoping section of said vacuum conduit or said mechanical means of loosening solids, and said mobile means being chosen from a zero-turn radius vehicle, a trailer, a truck, a skid steer, a fork lift, a track vehicle, or a rail car.  
   
   
       11 . A mobile vacuum boring and mud recovery method as described in any one of  claim 1 ,  2  or  3  further comprising the steps of: said vacuum container being chosen from a horizontal mounted vacuum container, a vertical mounted vacuum container or a vacuum container mounted at an inclined slope sufficient to allow debris to empty from said debris container by gravity and to provide space for said liquid storage container to be mounted below said incline of said vacuum debris container, and further comprising the steps of: having a means of mounting a filter housing adjacent to said vacuum debris container with a single door access to both said filter housing and said vacuum container, and said filter housing having filters disposed within to remove debris from said air, and having a means to open or close said debris access door using a telescoping means disposed within said debris container, and said telescoping means being chosen from a hydraulic cylinder or linear actuator.  
   
   
       12 . A mobile vacuum boring and mud recovery method as described in any one of  claim 1 ,  2  or  3  further comprising the steps of: having a means of separating liquids from solids comprising a vibrating screen disposed within said vacuum container, and having a means to dispense said liquid or solid from said vacuum container without eliminating the vacuum environment within said vacuum container.  
   
   
       13 . A mobile vacuum boring and mud recovery method as described in any one of  claim 1 ,  2  or  3  further comprising the steps of: having a power plant comprising one or more of a vacuum blower exhaust muffler, a vacuum pump, a motor, an engine, a water pump, a hydraulic pump, an air compressor, a hydraulic reservoir, or fuel reservoir.  
   
   
       14 . A mobile vacuum boring and mud recovery method as described in any one of  claim 1 ,  2  or  3  further comprising the steps of: having a means to remove hydrocarbons, or purify or sterilize the contents within said vacuum container or vacuum conduit.  
   
   
       15 . A mobile vacuum boring and mud recovery method as described in any one of  claim 1 ,  2  or  3  further comprising the steps of: said powered articulating vacuum conduit boom having one or more, boom arms, 360 degree rotating elbow, 360 degree knuckle, or telescoping vacuum conduit sections.  
   
   
       16 . A mobile vacuum boring and mud recovery method as described in any one of  claim 1 ,  2  or  3  further comprising the steps of: having one or more of a hydraulic torque wrench, 360 degree rotating elbow, 360 degree knuckle, earth penetrating utility sensor, earth penetrating utility locator, man hole cover remover, high pressure water demolition means, sand blasting attachments, water jetter nozzle, vacuum conduit tractor, concrete cutting means, asphalt cutting means, surface cleaning attachments, vibrator excavation means, aerodynamic rotary water jet surface cleaner, multiple rotary pulse water nozzles arranged around the circumference of the suction end of a vacuum conduit, a and pressurized water conduit, or air over water demolition means mounted adjacently to the suction end of said vacuum conduit.  
   
   
       17 . A mobile vacuum boring and mud recovery method as described in any one of  claim 1 ,  2  or  3  further comprising the steps of: having a means to select between or change from one vacuum suction end attachment to another.