A ditch digging and cleaning apparatus comprising a housing adapted for being moved along a longitudinal axis of the ditch. The housing has an inlet opening at a bottom front portion thereof for transmitting therethrough debris disposed in the ditch and an outlet opening at an upper portion thereof. An impeller is disposed in the housing and rotatably movable mounted thereto. The impeller receives the debris from the inlet opening and propels the same through the outlet opening. A drive is connected to the impeller for driving the same, the drive has a power of at least 30 hp.

A system and method for installing a membrane-lined wall for levee reinforcement or leak prevention. The installation system may comprise a sled positioned above the trench having a length, and may comprise a frame and support members, and a weight suspension system mounted on the frame to lower an elongated weight into the trench. The liner installation sled may also include a liner roller rotatably mounted on the frame, the liner roller adapted to hold a roll of a liner above the surface on a first side of the trench when the liner installation sled is in an installation position relative to the trench, wherein a longitudinal axis of the roll of liner can be aligned with the length of the trench. The elongated weight is usable to force the liner into the trench.

An apparatus for use with an excavation machine to move ground material comprises a bucket configured for collecting ground material and an internal material expulsion device in the bucket and configured for discharging the collected ground material through a rear opening of the bucket, which is opposite to a front opening through which material passes into the bucket during digging. The apparatus includes a deflection member outside the bucket and at or adjacent the rear opening, which is configured to direct discharged material. Thus is provided an apparatus which can be used to substantially simultaneously dig and discharge the excavated material away from the excavated location, in a common digging action.

Bucket mountable plow suitable for mounting on a front bucket of a loader vehicle may include a clamp assembly configured for mounting on the front bucket of the loader vehicle. A plow blade mount assembly may be carried by the clamp assembly. The plow blade mount assembly may have a fore-aft axis configured to be oriented along a direction of travel of the loader vehicle. A plow blade may be carried by the plow blade mount assembly. The plow blade may be disposed at a blade angle with respect to the fore-aft axis.

An undercarriage frame is supported by driven tracks. An upper frame is pivotally connected to the carriage frame for pivotal movement about a vertical axis. Left and right booms are attached to the carriage frame for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis. The operator's enclosure is mounted on the carriage frame between rear boom portions. Front portions of the booms are offset toward each other to enter a trench. A forked stick includes a tube coaxial with a stick pivot axis. A stick tine is attached to each end of the tube. A stick portion fixed to the tube between the tines extends away from the tines. Left and right trunnions with center passages are journaled in boom bores and received in the tube. A stick shaft passes through the central passages and fix the trunnions to the tube. Stick and boom cylinders pivot the booms and the stick.

A support system for an excavator is disclosed as it may include an extended center frame, a trench support, and/or a mat. The extended center frame may be bolted onto a standard excavator to widen the overall footprint of the machine and reduce ground pressure. The trench support relieves any remaining pressure toward the open trench. The extended center frame enables a larger excavator to straddle an open trench, while at the same time a smaller excavator can dig the shallower depths, thereby increasing efficiencies. By implementing the trench support and/or the mat, it might not be necessary to widen the tracks of the excavator as far, thus further reducing time-related costs. In addition, the trench support may also enhance safety of the trenching operations.

A system can include a tractor bucket adapter configured to be removably attached to a bucket of a tractor, and a component configured to be removably attached to the tractor bucket adapter. The component may be a digging tool or a sod removal tool. The system can also include an intermediary component to facilitate removable attachment between the tractor bucket adapter and the component.

A method for forming a trench and a membrane-lined wall in the trench for levee reinforcement or leak prevention, prevention of water migration, and pollution control of impoundments. The membrane-lined wall generally includes a cementitious or concrete wall formed within an excavated trench. The concrete may be internally reinforced, and the wall may also comprise a double-layer of impermeable geomembrane liner that forms a barrier between the concrete and the sides and bottom of the trench. The membrane or liner reduces water migration, prevents levee leakage, and prevents the escape of contaminants in impoundments.

An excavator comprises a frame, a boom assembly and a control architecture. The control architecture may include a first actuator, a second actuator, a third actuator, a user input interface, a storage medium having a control algorithm, and a controller configured to execute the control algorithm to: receive a target grade request from one or more of the user input interface and a storage medium; receive a dipper stick position relative to the pivot axis; receive a direction of movement of the dipper stick; determine whether the dipper stick position is outside the pivot axis or inside the pivot axis; and operate the first actuator in automatic mode to automatically adjust the pivot axis height relative to the frame when the dipper stick position and the direction of movement of the dipper stick are within the automatic control region for automatically maintaining a target grade.

A system and method for installing a membrane-lined wall for levee reinforcement or leak prevention. The installation system may comprise a sled positioned above the trench having a length, and may comprise a frame and support members, and a weight suspension system mounted on the frame to lower an elongated weight into the trench. The liner installation sled may also include a liner roller rotatably mounted on the frame, the liner roller adapted to hold a roll of a liner above the surface on a first side of the trench when the liner installation sled is in an installation position relative to the trench, wherein a longitudinal axis of the roll of liner can be aligned with the length of the trench. The elongated weight is usable to force the liner into the trench.