Method of and apparatus for temporarily removing a portion of the ground from around a pole buried in the ground

Claim 7

Apparatus for excavating ground from around a pole that is buried in the ground to expose for inspection and treatment the portion of the pole below the ground level that is most subject to rot and decay and for replacing the ground so excavated after the pole has been inspected and treated as required, said apparatus comprising, a plurality of ground piercing blades generally trough shaped in transverse cross section, means mounting the blades for longitudinal movement into and out of the ground at an angle thereto along convergent paths that intersect each other and the longitudinal axis of the pole below the ground level, said blades being shaped to combine with the polE at the end of their travel along convergent paths and form an inverted, conelike container having an opening at its apex through which the pole extends, means for moving the blades into the ground to sever an inverted conelike portion of the ground surrounding the pole, and to form said container for confining the ground portion, means for raising the blades while forming said container to slide the severed portion of the ground upward along the pole to leave a conelike hole around the pole exposing for inspection and treatment the portion of the pole adjacent the ground level and for lowering the blades back into the hole to return the severed portion of the ground back into the hole after the inspection and treatment is completed, and means for moving the blades longitudinally along divergent paths out of the ground leaving the severed portion of the ground to fill the hole.

Claim 8

Apparatus for excavating ground from around a pole that is buried in the ground to expose for inspection and treatment the portion of the pole below the ground level that is most subject to rot and decay and for replacing the ground so excavated after the pole has been inspected and treated as required, said apparatus comprising, a plurality of ground piercing blades generally trough shaped in transverse cross section, means mounting the blades for longitudinal movement into and out of the ground at an angle thereto along convergent paths that intersect each other and the longitudinal axis of the pole below the ground level, said blades being shaped to combine with the polE at the end of their travel along convergent paths and form an inverted, conelike container having an opening at its apex through which the pole extends, means for moving the blades into the ground to sever an inverted conelike portion of the ground surrounding the pole, and to form said container for confining the ground portion, means for raising the blades while forming said container to slide the severed portion of the ground upward along the pole to leave a conelike hole around the pole exposing for inspection and treatment the portion of the pole adjacent the ground level and for lowering the blades back into the hole to return the severed portion of the ground back into the hole after the inspection and treatment is completed, and means for moving the blades longitudinally along divergent paths out of the ground leaving the severed portion of the ground to fill the hole.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 4 in which two ground piercing blades are provided, said blades being arcuate in cross section and mounted on the mounting means for positioning on opposite sides of a pole.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 4 in which said blade raising and lowering means includes a vertically mounted lead screw associated with each blade, means rotatably connecting the lower end of each of said lead screws to its associated blade mounting means, clamp means for attaching the excavating apparatus to a pole, nut means connected to the clamp means and threadedly engaging said lead screws, and means for rotating the lead screws to the same speed to move the lead screws through the nut means at the same speed to raise and lower the ground piercing blades with substantially no relative movement between the blades.