Horizontal drilling attachment for excavators

Abstract

The present invention provides an attachment apparatus for drilling that may be coupled to an excavator. The attachment apparatus generally has a base, a motor and one or more brackets, with the motor positioned in front of the base and the one or more brackets positioned behind the base. A plurality of holes in the one or more brackets having parallel center axes in an attachment plane may be used in coupling the attachment to the excavator. The base of the attachment may have a major plane that is approximately parallel to the attachment plane, and the axis of rotation of the motor may be approximately perpendicular to the major plane of the base. A push plate apparatus is provided for possible use with the main attachment for pushing pipes, etc., into a hole. Furthermore, methods of making and using the present attachment and/or push plate are further provided.

what is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for attachment to an excavator comprising:
 a base having a front side, a back side and a major plane;   one or more brackets, each bracket having at least one hole; and   a motor fixedly mounted on the front side of the base,   wherein the one or more brackets have at least two holes comprising a first hole and a second hole, and wherein the one or more brackets are positioned such that the center axes of the first hole and the second hole are each positioned behind the back side of the base,   wherein the center axes of the first hole and the second hole are approximately parallel to each other and oriented within a single attachment plane, wherein the attachment plane is approximately parallel to the major plane of the base, and wherein the axis of rotation of the motor is approximately perpendicular to the major plane of the base.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the one or more brackets comprise two brackets including a first bracket and a second bracket, wherein the first bracket is positioned at or near a first lateral side of the base, and wherein the second bracket is positioned at or near a second lateral side of the base.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the first bracket comprises the first hole and the second hole and the second bracket comprises a third hole and a fourth hole,   wherein the center axes of the third hole and the fourth hole are each positioned behind the back side of the base, and wherein the third hole and the fourth hole are approximately parallel with each other and oriented within the attachment plane.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 ,
 wherein the center axes of the first hole and the third hole are co-linearly aligned, and wherein center axes of the second hole and the fourth hole are co-linearly aligned.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the distance between the first hole and the third hole is within a range from about 6 inches to about 36 inches   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the approximately parallel angle between the major plane of the base and the attachment plane is within a range from about −30° to about 30°.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 ,
 wherein the approximately parallel angle between the major plane of the base and the attachment plane is within a range from about −10° to about 10°.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the approximately perpendicular angle between the major plane of the base and the axis of rotation of the motor is within a range from about 70° to about 110°.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 ,
 wherein the approximately perpendicular angle between the major plane of the base and the axis of rotation of the motor is within a range from about 80° to about 100°.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the axis of rotation of the motor is approximately perpendicular to the attachment plane.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the height of the base is within a range from about 2.5 feet to about 4 feet, and wherein the width of the base is within a range from about 10 inches to about 30 inches.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the distance between the first hole and the second hole is within a range from about 12 inches to about 24 inches.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the motor is mounted closer to a bottom side of the base than to a top side of the base, and wherein the one or more brackets are positioned closer to the top side of the base than to the bottom side of the base.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the motor is mounted to a flat surface portion on the front side of the base.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 ,
 wherein a plane encompassing the flat surface portion on the front side of the base is approximately parallel to the major plane of the base.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more is attached to the back side of the base. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more is attached to a lateral side of the base. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one bracket comprises a sleeve. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a push plate, the push plate comprising:
 a cylindrical portion having one or more walls, a proximal opening and a distal opening, wherein the one or more walls enclose a hollow cavity of the cylindrical portion, the hollow cavity being continuous with the proximal opening and the distal opening; 
 a plate portion located at or near a distal end of the cylindrical portion; and 
 one or more connecting members having one or more holes positioned in a plane at or near a proximal end of the cylindrical portion, 
 wherein the plate portion has a planar distal face that is approximately perpendicular to one or more walls of the cylindrical portion, and 
   wherein the one or more connecting members of the push plate are attached to the motor by one or more fasteners.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the cylindrical portion further comprises a side opening in the one or more walls on one side of the cylindrical portion. 
     
     
         21 . A push plate apparatus for use with an excavator attachment comprising:
 a cylindrical portion having one or more walls, a proximal opening and a distal opening, wherein the one or more walls enclose a hollow cavity of the cylindrical portion, the hollow cavity being continuous with the proximal opening and the distal opening;   a plate portion located at or near a distal end of the cylindrical portion; and   one or more connecting members having one or more holes positioned in a plane at or near a proximal end of the cylindrical portion, and   wherein the plate portion has a planar distal face that is approximately perpendicular to one or more walls of the cylindrical portion.   
     
     
         22 . The push plate apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the cylindrical portion further comprises a side opening in the one or more walls on one side of the cylindrical portion. 
     
     
         23 . The push plate apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more connecting members comprises a flange. 
     
     
         24 . The push plate apparatus of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 a plurality of stoppers positioned on the planar distal face of the plate portion.   
     
     
         25 . A method comprising:
 (a) aligning a first hole and a second hole of an attachment apparatus with a corresponding set of holes of an excavator, the attachment apparatus comprising:   a base having a front side, a back side and a major plane;   one or more brackets, each bracket having at least one hole; and   a motor fixedly mounted on the front side of the base,   wherein the one or more brackets have at least two holes comprising the first hole and the second hole, and wherein the one or more brackets are positioned such that the center axes of the first hole and the second hole are each positioned behind the back side of the base,   wherein the center axes of the first hole and the second hole are approximately parallel to each other and oriented within a single attachment plane, wherein the attachment plane is approximately parallel to the major plane of the base, and wherein the axis of rotation of the motor is approximately perpendicular to the major plane of the base;   (b) inserting a first elongated shaft through the first hole of the attachment apparatus and at least a first corresponding hole of the excavator; and   (c) inserting a second elongated shaft through the second hole of the attachment apparatus and at least a second corresponding hole of the corresponding holes of the excavator.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising:
 (d) attaching one or more connecting members of a push plate to the attachment apparatus by one or more fasteners, the push plate comprising:
 a cylindrical portion having one or more walls, a proximal opening and a distal opening, wherein the one or more walls enclose a hollow cavity of the cylindrical portion, the hollow cavity being continuous with the proximal opening and the distal opening; 
 a plate portion located at or near a distal end of the cylindrical portion; and 
 one or more connecting members having one or more holes positioned in a plane at or near a proximal end of the cylindrical portion, and 
 wherein the plate portion has a planar distal face that is approximately perpendicular to one or more walls of the cylindrical portion. 
   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the push plate is attached to the motor of the attachment apparatus by the one or more fasteners. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the cylindrical portion further comprises a side opening in the one or more walls on one side of the cylindrical portion, and
 wherein the push plate is attached to the attachment apparatus in step (d) such that the side opening is positioned downward on a bottom side of the cylindrical portion.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising:
 (e) connecting an auger to the attachment apparatus.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the auger is connected in step (e) to a drive shaft of the motor of the attachment apparatus.