The disclosed systems for laying underground fiber optic cable may include a drive body, at least one rotational motor, a forward auger element rotatably coupled to the drive body and positioned to be rotated by the at least one rotational motor in a first rotational direction, and a rear auger element rotatably coupled to the drive body and positioned to be rotated by the at least one rotational motor in a second, opposite rotational direction. Various other systems, methods, and devices are also disclosed.

A system for installing continuous elongated tubular material (e.g. fiber optic cable) in the ground is provided. The system utilizes an agricultural tractor, preferably having rubber tires or tracks, to draw a plow for creating a trench in the ground in which to install the tubular material. The system is equipped with one or more of a specialized plow mount, an infinitely variable speed transmission on the tractor, a power beyond valve on the tractor and global positioning systems on the tractor and plow to more effectively install the tubular material in the ground.

A subsea trencher for arranging at least partly into the seabed a subsea pipeline, includes at least one cart that separately carries at least one trench tool and is configured to run along the subsea pipeline. The trench tool is configured to work the seabed underneath the subsea pipeline. A subsea support frame carries heavy subsea equipment connected to the trench tool for operating the trench too. When the subsea support frame is fixed to the cart, the subsea trencher is configured to load the assembled weight of the cart and subsea support frame onto the subsea pipeline as the subsea trencher runs on the subsea pipeline. When the subsea support frame is separate from the cart, the subsea support frame is configured to be suspended above the seabed or arranged beside the subsea pipeline at a distance from the subsea pipeline as the cart runs along the subsea pipeline.

An excavation data processing method includes: a first acquisition step of acquiring position data of a reference part of an excavating body, position data of a plurality of measuring parts with respect to the reference part in the excavating body, and data indicative of an excavation depth; a second acquisition step of acquiring inclination angle data of the plurality of measuring parts of the excavating body; a first deriving step of deriving a plurality of measurement positions as positions of the plurality of measuring parts from the reference part position data, the plurality of measuring part positions data and inclination angles data; a second deriving step of deriving an excavation bottom position by interpolation processing based on the plurality of measurement positions and the excavation depth; and an output step of outputting information of the excavation bottom position.

The present invention relates to a GPS-guided laser pipe positioning system and methods of using the same. More specifically, a target marker is placed a distance from a laser beam source and the target marker has a GPS tracker thereon, wherein the laser beam source tracks the precise location of the target marker through the GPS tracker. The laser beam is then aimed at the location of the GPS tracker, or at a location an offset distance, such as displaced vertically downward under the ground such that the laser beam is aimed at the location within a trench for positioning pipe therein.

First to third inertial sensors (16, 17, 18) are respectively mounted on a boom (5A), an arm (5B) and a bucket (5C) to rotate in coordinate axes different from each other at the time of operating the boom (5A). In a case where the boom (5A) is operated in a state where a traveling operation pressure Pa and a revolving operation pressure Pb are equal to or less than respective preset operation pressure threshold values, a controller (20) makes a determination on which movable part of the boom (5A), the arm (5B) and the bucket (5C) each of the inertial sensors (16, 17, 18) is mounted, based upon sensor outputs outputted from the inertial sensors (16, 17, 18). The controller (20) sets a corresponding relation between each of the boom (5A), the arm (5B) and the bucket (5C) and each of the inertial sensors (16, 17, 18) based upon the determination result.

De-trenching apparatus (100) for extracting a buried line, such as a cable or pipeline, is disclosed. The de-trenching apparatus comprises a channel (112) configured to receive a buried line to be extracted, the channel comprising a first flared opening (114) at a front end of the de-trenching apparatus and a second flared opening (115) at the rear end of the de-trenching apparatus, the first and second flared openings each having a curved surface (111) configured to support the line during extraction, and material removal means for removing material from around the buried line ahead of the de-trenching apparatus.

A method of using a fill mask to prevent overfill and/or spillage of a fill material from bonding to the roadway surface or staining the roadway surface during filling of a microtrench.

A controller (40) of a hydraulic excavator (1) includes: a first distance calculation section (43f) calculating a first distance D1 that is a distance between a bucket toe and a target surface on a virtual straight line Lv extended vertically from the bucket toe, based on position information on the bucket toe and position information on the target surface (700); and a second distance calculation section (43g) calculating a second distance D2 that is a distance between the target surface and a current landform on the virtual straight line Lv, based on the position information on the bucket toe and the position information on the target surface and position information on the current landform 800. A display device (53a) displays the first distance D1 and the second distance D2.

A work vehicle is formed from a plurality of ground-contacting motive elements, a chassis, an operator station, a switch, and a hydraulic manifold. The operator station has a joystick having a manually-actuable control element used to actuate the switch. The hydraulic manifold has a pair of primary hydraulic ports, first and second pairs of secondary hydraulic ports, and a control valve. The control valve is actuated by the switch and is adapted to allow pressurized hydraulic fluid to flow through a selected one of the first or second pair of secondary hydraulic ports. Each pair of secondary hydraulic ports fluidly communicates with a hydraulic actuator carried by a work attachment. By actuating the control element on the joystick, the operator can conveniently switch the hydraulic control of the joystick between different hydraulic operations on the attachment without leaving the operator's station.