Earth Moving Apparatus and Method

Abstract

An excavator has a moving conveyor with vanes that penetrate the earth and section it. A cutter bar follows the vanes, cuts a section of earth loose and directs it to a lifting throat. The lifting throat, in combination with the conveyor and vanes, lifts the excavated earth into a hopper.

1 . An excavation apparatus comprising:
 a chassis;   a plurality of vanes;   said vanes being mounted on a conveyor, said conveyor having a drive system, said conveyor being mounted on said chassis such that each of said vanes penetrates a surface of ground to be excavated; in sequence;   said vanes being transverse to a direction of travel of said chassis;   a cutter, said cutter being mounted on said chassis, transverse to said direction of travel and substantially parallel with a plane of the surface of ground and selectively disposed to cut at or below said surface of ground to be excavated; and   a lifting element, said lifting element being disposed to lift excavated material in close cooperation with said conveyor into a receptacle.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said vanes provide drive of said chassis in said direction of travel. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said receptacle is mounted on said chassis. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said penetration of said vanes is forward of said cutter along said direction of travel. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said cutter is a leading portion of said lift element. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a guard rail attached to said chassis. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising an angle adjustment apparatus engaged with said conveyor. 
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a breakaway clam shell adapted to move away from obstructions, said clam shell being attached to said chassis and disposed to follow said cutter. 
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising side panels, said side panels being attached to said chassis and disposed in relation to said vanes so as to cut a side of a segment of material being excavated. 
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said conveyor is mounted on at least two wheels, at least one of said wheels being a drive wheel. 
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a third wheel, said conveyor and said wheels being configured such that a portion of said conveyor is maintained substantially flat against the ground being excavated between two of said three wheels. 
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said excavation apparatus is self-propelled. 
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein a first vane cuts a first edge of a section of material being excavated, a next vane cuts a second edge of a section of material being excavated, a first side panel cuts a third side, a second side panel cuts a second side and said cutter cuts a bottom of a segment of material being excavated. 
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein said angle adjustment apparatus is a pivotal mount of said conveyor on said chassis and further comprising an actuator having a linkage to said chassis and an operative engagement with said conveyor such that said conveyor may selectively be rotated around said pivotal mount. 
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said vanes include a portion fixedly attached to said conveyor assembly and said vanes include an extending portion unattached to said conveyor assembly, said extending portion being constructed and arranged to separate from said conveyor assembly as said conveyor assembly turns around one of said drive wheels or a support wheel. 
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a lifting assembly, said lifting assembly being attached to said cutter bar and said lifting assembly being mounted at a trailing edge of a portion of said conveyor assembly in contact with the material being lifted and said lifting assembly being configured to deposit lifted material onto a portion of said conveyor assembly facing upwards, such that continuing forward motion of the conveyor assembly advances said lifted segments of material upwards on the conveyor assembly. 
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said cutter and said lifting assembly are pivotally mounted on said conveyor assembly such that contact of said cutter with an obstruction causes the cutter and lifting assembly to rotate away from the obstruction. 
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said vanes penetrate the bottom material at least as deep as said cutter bar. 
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said apparatus is a self loading truck. 
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said apparatus is a dredge.