A multi-modal screw propelled excavation system for small body sample collection includes a craft having screw-shaped wheels to traverse the surface of the target body. When the craft is ready to collect a sample, the craft opens a door to an excavation bin on a bottom face of the craft, and uses the screw-shaped wheels to churn up regolith which is captured by closing the door.

A drive device for a diaphragm wall cutter, having a drive housing and/or gear housing, which encloses an interior for accommodating drive and/or gear elements and comprises two housing parts which are rotatable relative to one another and sealed off from one another by a sealing device, and having a pressure equalization device for pressure equalization between the interior and the surroundings. A diaphragm wall cutter having such a drive device. The pressure equalization device comprises at least one intermediate chamber, which is pressurized and is sealed off from the interior by an inner seal and off from the surroundings by an outer seal. By virtue of such a sealed intermediate chamber that can be considerably smaller in terms of volume than the interior, the pressurization for pressure equalization between interior and surroundings is considerably simpler.

A system for uncovering and sealing a narrow trench. The system comprises several subsystems, including a work machine, a frame for providing a seal with the surface to be trenched, a saw blade, a vacuum system, a system for placing product, and a resealer. The blade includes rotatable tooth bits, which may be rotated and secured to create a blade for narrower or a wider trench. A removable cover and the blade are easily changeable. A surface engaging member on the frame is manipulated to maintain a seal with changing ground surfaces. Additionally, the vertical location of the blade within the frame is adjustable to create a deeper or shallower trench.

A system for uncovering a trench. The system comprises several subsystems, including a work machine and a frame for providing a seal with the surface to be trenched with a saw blade contained therein. The blade is supported on a hub which is slidably movable relative to the frame by operation of a linear actuator, which may be a hydraulic cylinder or the like. The vertical location of the blade within the frame is continuously adjustable to create a deeper or shallower trench. A monitoring system is provided to monitor the vertical location from an operator station.

A system for uncovering and sealing a narrow trench. The system comprises several subsystems, including a work machine, a frame for providing a seal with the surface to be trenched, a saw blade, a vacuum system, a system for placing product, and a resealer. The blade includes rotatable tooth bits, which may be rotated and secured to create a blade for narrower or a wider trench. A removable cover and the blade are easily changeable. A surface engaging member on the frame is manipulated to maintain a seal with changing ground surfaces. Additionally, the vertical location of the blade within the frame is adjustable to create a deeper or shallower trench.

A system for uncovering a trench. The system comprises several subsystems, including a work machine and a frame for providing a seal with the surface to be trenched with a saw blade contained therein. The blade is supported on a hub which is slidably movable relative to the frame by operation of a linear actuator, which may be a hydraulic cylinder or the like. The vertical location of the blade within the frame is continuously adjustable to create a deeper or shallower trench. A monitoring system is provided to monitor the vertical location from an operator station.

Implementations of the accessory and associated methods allow for excavation of a ditch, wherein rotating grating means are used for expelling rubble and form a ditch. The accessory includes grating means which are moved with respect to the ditch to ensure contacting of the grating means with the road and alignment of a rotation axis of the grating means with the ditch axis. The ditch is progressively excavated when the grating means are rotated and displaced along the ditch axis. The grating means may be connectable to a mobile device through an arm assembly configured to controllably move the grating means from the mobile device. The accessory may be used for connection to a mining device for excavating the ditch along the road of an underground mining tunnel.

The invention relates to a trench cutter comprising a box-shaped housing, on the upper face of which a lifting apparatus can be mounted, at least one cutting wheel, which is arranged on a lower face of the housing and can be driven in rotation to remove soil material, wherein cutting teeth are arranged along the outer circumference of the cut-ting wheel at least one circumferential row, which at least one axial clearance adjoins, and at least one clearing plate, which is arranged to be fixed relative to the housing and engages in the at least one circumferential clearance on the cutting wheel to clear away soil material. According to the invention, it is provided that the at least one clearing plate is mounted on a plate holder so as to be spaced apart from the housing, wherein a passage is formed between the at least one clearing plate and the housing, through which passage soil material that has been cut out during operation can be guided upwards.

The invention relates to a drive device for a diaphragm wall cutter, with a hydraulic motor, a gear unit, to which at least one cutting wheel of the diaphragm wall cutter can be connected on the output side, and a drive shaft which connects the hydraulic motor to the gear unit, wherein the drive shaft is mounted by way of at least one drive shaft bearing which is arranged between the hydraulic motor and the gear unit, wherein the drive shaft bearing has a lubricant feed line which is connected to a leakage discharge line of the hydraulic motor and/or to the hydraulic circuit in order to operate the hydraulic motor, and is configured to lubricate the drive shaft bearing with hydraulic oil.

The invention relates to a drive device for a construction machine, in particular for a trench cutter, comprising a connection support and a wheel support, which is rotatably supported on the connection support via at least one rolling bearing and which can be rotationally driven relative to the connection support by a drive motor via at least one gear stage, wherein the gear wheel of the gear stage, the wheel being arranged within the connection support and meshing or being in rolling engagement with at least one other gear wheel, is movably and/or tiltably supported in the radial direction relative to the connection support by a flexible and/or movable bearing element so as to be rotationally fixed to the connection support and/or to a bearing shield rigidly connected thereto.