Wall trench panel and system

Abstract

A wall trench panel and system utilizes extruded aluminum panels having ribs and a socket edge and a ball edge which allows them to slide together and create a continuous trench wall that may be stabilized using traditional jack and wale techniques. To allow the trench to make a corner, a knuckle is provided which accepts both ball and socket edges of the panels to change the direction of the panels. In deep trench situations, panels of different sizes are provide to stager the installation of the panels which provides a continuous trench wall that is very strong and stable which eliminates the necessity of staging the trench in ever smaller portions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wall trench system comprising:
 a shoring panel;   a ball end disposed along a side edge of said shoring panel;   a socket end disposed along an opposite side edge of said shoring panel;   at least a first rib proximally disposed to said ball end;   at least a second rib proximally disposed to said socket end;   said ball end forming a cylindrical interlocking edge along said side edge and whereby said ball end is adapted to fit within a selected socket end; and   said socket end forming a partially open tubular interlocking edge along said opposite edge and whereby said socket end is adapted to fit with a selected ball end.   
     
     
         2 . The wall trench system according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 a knuckle; 
 said knuckle having two oppositely disposed knuckle ball ends; 
 each said knuckle ball end forming a cylindrical interlocking edge along said oppositely disposed knuckle ball end; 
 said knuckle having two oppositely disposed socket ends; 
 each said socket end forming a partially open tubular interlocking edge along each oppositely disposed socket end; and wherein each of said two oppositely disposed knuckle ball ends are 90 degrees from each of said two oppositely disposed socket ends. 
 
     
     
         3 . The wall trench system according to  claim 1  whereby said shoring panel is made of extruded aluminum. 
     
     
         4 . The wall trench system according to claim whereby said knuckle is made of extruded aluminum. 
     
     
         5 . A method of constructing a wall trench comprising the steps of:
 obtaining at least two shoring panels;
 each of said at least two shoring panels comprising;
 a ball end disposed along a side edge of said shoring panel; 
 a socket end disposed along an opposite side edge of said shoring panel; 
 at least a first rib proximally disposed to said ball end; 
 at least a second rib proximally disposed to said socket end; 
 said ball end forming a cylindrical interlocking edge along said side edge and whereby said ball end is adapted to fit within a selected socket end; 
 said socket end forming a partially open tubular interlocking edge along said opposite edge and whereby said socket end is adapted to fit with a selected ball end; and 
 
   sliding said ball end of one of said at least two shoring panel into a corresponding socket end of another shoring panel.   
     
     
         6 . The method of constructing a wall trench according to  claim 5  further comprising the step of repeating said step of sliding said ball end of one of said at least two shoring panel into a corresponding socket end of another shoring panel to produce a selected size trench. 
     
     
         7 . The method of constructing a wall trench according to  claim 5  further comprising the step of
 obtaining at least one knuckle;
 wherein said at least one knuckle comprises;
 two oppositely disposed knuckle ball ends; 
 each said knuckle ball end forming a cylindrical interlocking edge along said oppositely disposed knuckle ball end; 
 two oppositely disposed socket ends; 
 each said socket end forming a partially open tubular interlocking edge along each oppositely disposed socket end; and 
 wherein each of said two oppositely disposed knuckle ball ends are 90 degrees from each of said two oppositely disposed socket ends; 
 
 
 sliding said knuckle onto a selected interlocking edge of one of said at least two shoring panels whereby said at least two shoring panels are securely joined together; and 
 repeating the step of sliding a selected ball end into a corresponding socket end to produce a trench of a desired length. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method of constructing a wall trench according to claim further comprising the steps of:
 selecting at least two different length shoring panels;
 said at least two different length shoring panels including a long panel and a short panel; 
   connecting said long and said short panels to each other in a staggered pattern to provide a supported trench having a desired height.   
     
     
         9 . The method of constructing a wall trench according to  claim 8  further comprising the step of reinforcing said at least two shoring panels using at least one wale. 
     
     
         10 . The method of constructing a wall trench according to  claim 9  further comprising the step of reinforcing said at least one wale with at least one jack. 
     
     
         11 . The method of constructing a wall trench system according to  claim 5  further comprising a first step of digging a selected trench. 
     
     
         12 . A method of constructing a closed wall trench comprising the steps of:
 obtaining at least four shoring panels;
 each of said at least four shoring panels comprising;
 a ball end disposed along a side edge of said shoring panel; 
 a socket end disposed along an opposite side edge of said shoring panel; 
 at least a first rib proximally disposed to said ball end; 
 at least a second rib proximally disposed to said socket end; 
 said ball end forming a cylindrical interlocking edge along said side edge and whereby said ball end is adapted to fit within a selected socket end; 
 said socket end forming a partially open tubular interlocking edge along said opposite edge and whereby said socket end is adapted to fit with a selected ball end; 
 
   obtaining at least four knuckles;
 each of said at least four knuckles comprising;
 two oppositely disposed knuckle ball ends; 
 each said knuckle ball end forming a cylindrical interlocking edge along said oppositely disposed knuckle ball end; and 
 said knuckle having two oppositely disposed socket ends; 
 each said socket end forming a partially open tubular interlocking edge along each oppositely disposed socket end; 
 
   sliding a first knuckle of said at least four knuckles onto a selected matching interlocking edge of a first shoring panel of said at least four shoring panels;   sliding a second knuckle onto a free end of said first shoring panel;   sliding a second shoring panel onto said first knuckle orthogonally to said first shoring panel;   sliding a third knuckle onto a free end of said second shoring panel;   sliding a third shoring panel onto said third knuckle orthogonally to said second panel;   sliding a fourth knuckle onto a free end of said third shoring panel; and   sliding a fourth shoring panel between said first knuckle and said fourth knuckle and orthogonally to said first and third shoring panel and parallel to said second shoring panel wherein a closed wall trench is formed.   
     
     
         13 . The method of constructing a closed wall trench system according to  claim 12  further comprising a first step of digging a selected trench. 
     
     
         14 . The method of constructing a closed wall trench system according to  claim 12  further comprising adding at least one more shoring panel to enlarge a trench. 
     
     
         15 . The method of constructing a closed wall trench system according to  claim 12  whereby said shoring panels and said knuckles are made of extruded aluminum.