Soil sampling device

Abstract

.Iadd.A device for removing cores of soil from the ground including a drum member rotatably mounted on a frame. The frame is adapted for attachment to a vehicle to pull the drum over the ground. The drum has an internal chamber with an access door and a plurality of hollow soil probes mounted on the drum to remove cores of soil from the ground for collection inside the drum as the drum is pulled over the ground by the vehicle. A power cylinder is provided for raising and lowering the frame to thereby cause the drum to move into and out of engagement with the ground. .Iaddend.

What I claim is: 
     
       1. A soil probing device for taking intermittently spaced samples of soil from a given land area comprising in combination, power means whereby said device is moved over said land area and secondary power means associated with the first noted power means whereby the said device is raised and lowered out of and into soil engagement, a frame pivotally mounted on the first noted power means and a rotatable member having an internal chamber with an access door carried by said frame, soil probing means mounted on the said rotatable member having communication with the internal chamber in the said rotatable member for taking intermittently spaced cores of soil from the ground and automatically depositing the same in said internal chamber and in thence intermixing said cores of soil by the rotating movement of the drum to produce an agglomerated composite soil sample. 
     
     
       2. A soil probing device of the class described for taking intermittently spaced samples of soil from a given land area of the same strata comprising in combination, a frame pivotally and detachably mounted on a prime mover whereby said device, having a rear mounted drum on said frame to afford a wheel is capable of towing movement over said land area by the prime mover, hydraulic means connecting the prime mover and the soil probing device whereby said device may be moved into and out of soil engagement selectively, a hollow chamber within said drum to collect and mix quantities of soil taken at intermittent intervals from said land area of the same strata, and a plurality of elongated soil probes circumferentially spaced and rigidly mounted around the peripheral surface of said drum, said soil probe being tubular to afford a soil passageway therethrough and an open port in the said peripheral surface of the said drum in alignment and communication with the root of each soil probe whereby each soil sample taken by each soil probe is deposited in the chamber of the drum to be intermixed with preceeding soil samples by rotation of said drum. 
     
     
       3. A soils probing device for taking soil samples in the form of a cylindrical core of soil from a given land area, comprising in combination, a frame pivotally mounted at its forward end portion on a prime mover for towing said soils probes over a given land area, a rigid mounting block carried by the drawbar of said prime mover whereby the pivotally mounted frame is towed with a minimum amount of lateral rocking movement, a hollow drum affording a wheel mounted at the rear end portion of said frame, a plurality of circumferentially spaced soil probes mounted on said drum, said probes being tubular and having communication with the hollow chamber of the drum via a port in circumferential surface alignment with each of said soil probes, and a traction lug mounted on the circumferential surface of the drum between each of said soil probes, a hydraulic ram activated by connection from the prime mover secured at one of its end portions to the said prime mover, and at the other end portion to the frame of the soils prober whereby said soils probes may be raised and lowered out of and into soil engagement selectively to facilitate turning movements of the prime mover and the connected soils probes. 
     
     
       4. A soils probing device of the class described for automatically taking soil samples from a given land area of the same strata, said soil samples being in the form of an elongated cylindrical core comprising in combination, a relatively heavy frame having a pair of longitudinally disposed laterally spaced side members, and at least one transversely disposed cross-tie member rigidly connecting said side members, pivotal means associated with the said frame whereby the same is connected to a prime mover having a drawbar to tow said soils probes over a given land area, a rigid mounting block rigidly mounted on the drawbar of the prime mover affording means to which the laterally spaced forward end portions of the frame are pivotally secured for vertical raising and lowering movements with as minimum an amount of lateral wobble or rocking movement, a hollow drum affording a wheel mounted between the laterally spaced rear end portions of the frame, said drum affording a collecting and mixing chamber for soil samples and an access door in one side portion of said drum whereby composite soil samples may be removed therefrom after being mixed by tumbling action by virtue of the rotation of said drum driving towing movement, a plurality of circumferentially spaced soil probes mounted in equi-distant relation the one to the other on the peripheral surface of said drum, said soil probes being elongated longitudinally and tubular, the outer end portion thereof being outwardly tapered and having a cutting edge on the extreme outer end portion thereof, said soil probes having a flanged inner end portion whereby said soil probes are secured to the peripheral surface of the drum in alignment with a port for each soils probe to afford communication of the tubular interior of the soils probe with the hollow interior of the collecting and mixing drum whereby the said core-like soil samples are forced into the said drum as the respective soil probes intermittently take core-like samples of soil as the soils prober is towed over a given land area by the prime mover, a plurality of traction lugs having serrated outer edge portions secured to the peripheral surface of the drum at equi-distant positions between the said soil probes and a hydraulic ram having operating connections with the prime mover secured at one end portion thereof to the prime mover and at the other end portion thereof to the frame whereby the assembled soils prober may be raised or lowered selectively out of and into soil engagement. 
     
     
       5. The structure of claim 4 wherein the soil probe is formed with a longitudinal passageway the outer end portion of which is of substantially reduced diameter than the inner end portion thereof to thus overcome the frictional drag of core-like soil samples as the same are taken by the soil prober as the same are pressed into soil engagement during the rotation of the drum. 
     
     
       6. The structure of claim 4 wherein the soil probe is tubular and is provided with a constant taper from its cutting edge to its discharge end portion adjacent the peripheral surface of the drum to thus overcome the frictional drag of a core-like soil sample taken by the probe as the same is pressed into soil engagement during the rotation of the drum. 
     
     
       7. In combination with a vehicle adapted to travel over the ground, a soil probing device for taking intermittently spaced samples of soil from a given land area and comprising, a supporting frame connected to said vehicle for up and down movement relative thereto, said frame having a mounting portion, power means for controllably raising and lowering said frame, a soil probing assembly .[.attached to.]. .Iadd.rotatively mounted on .Iaddend.said mounting portion and positioned for engagement with the ground when said frame is lowered, said assembly having .[.at least one projecting tubular probe element.]. .Iadd.a plurality of tubular probe elements projecting from the periphery of said rotatable assembly in circumferentially spaced relation .Iaddend.for removing a core each time .[.it.]. .Iadd.a probe element .Iaddend.is projected into the soil, said assembly comprising also a closed sample-receiving compartment, the interior of which is in communication with the inner end of said tubular .Iadd.elements .Iaddend.probe .[.element.]., and access means through which a multiplicity of sample cores may be removed. .[.8. The structure set forth in claim 7 wherein said assembly is rotatively mounted upon the frame and a plurality of said tubular probes project from the periphery 
     
     
        thereof in circumferentially spaced relation..]. 9. The structure set forth in claim 7 further characterized by said soil probing assembly being mounted for rotation on a horizontal axis and said assembly having a generally circular periphery and traction means on said periphery spaced circumferentially from said probe element, said probe element and traction means effecting the revolution of said assembly when said frame is lowered and said vehicle is moved over the ground.