Method and Device for Navigating Excavation Towards A Buried Target

Abstract

A method and device to navigate excavation towards a target buried in an excavatable material, for example excavation near an underground pipeline by excavation equipment. The device generally comprises indicating material arranged to be buried in the ground in proximity to the target. The indicating material is arranged to be frangible for permitting a portion of the indicating material to be removed from a remainder either by tearing, separation at separated sections or separation at perforated lines of severance. Different visual proximity indicators on the indicating material cause different sections of the indicating material to be visually distinct from one another corresponding to different degrees of proximity to the target. In use, the indicating material is placed in the ground and excavation towards the target results in portions of the material being removed. Proximity is indicated by associating which section a removed portion of the indicating material corresponds with. The proximity indicators may comprise use of varying colour, scaled indicia or other suitable notation.

1 . A method of navigating excavation towards a target buried in excavatable material, the method comprising:
 placing indicating material in the excavatable material in proximity to the target;   excavating the excavatable material towards the target to remove a portion of the indicating material leaving a remainder of the indicating material; and   indicating a degree of proximity to the target by arranging the portion of the indicating material to be visually distinct from another portion of the remainder.   
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1  including removing a plurality of portions from the indicating material while excavating towards the target and indicating a degree of proximity to the target as each portion is removed by visually comparing each portion to the remainder. 
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 1  including indicating a degree of proximity to the target by arranging a plurality of sections of the indicating material to be visually distinct from another in which each section corresponds to a different degree of proximity to the target and determining which section that a portion of the indicating material removed from the remainder corresponds with. 
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 1  including arranging the sections to be visually distinct from one another by providing scaled indicia on the sections respectively. 
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 1  including arranging the sections to be visually distinct from one another by associating a different colour with each section. 
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 5  including providing scaled indicia on the sections. 
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 1  including removing the portion of the indicating material and leaving the remainder of the indicating material by tearing the portion from the remainder. 
   
   
       8 . The method according to  claim 1  including removing the portion of the indicating material and leaving the remainder of the indicating material by forming lines of severance defining sections of the indicating material and breaking apart at least one section from a remainder of the sections at one of the lines of severance. 
   
   
       9 . The method according to  claim 8  including arranging the sections to be visually distinct from one another in which each section corresponds to a different degree of proximity to the target. 
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 1  including removing the portion of the indicating material and leaving the remainder of the indicating material by forming the indicating material into a plurality of separated sections and removing at least one section from a remainder of the sections. 
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 10  including arranging the sections to be visually distinct from one another in which each section corresponds to a different degree of proximity to the target. 
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 1  including forming the indicating material to be elongate in a longitudinal direction and orienting the longitudinal direction of the indicating material in a direction of excavation of the excavatable material towards the target. 
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 1  including extending the portion of the indicating material in length as the portion is removed. 
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 13  including forming the indicating material of elongate sheeted material, placing the indicating material in proximity to the target in a folded condition and extending the portion of the indicating material in length as the portion is removed by unfolding the material. 
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 14  including folding the elongate sheeted material into segments laying one against another. 
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 14  including folding the segments in alternating directions in a zig-zag pattern. 
   
   
       17 . The method according to  claim 14  wherein the segments are rectangular and of similar dimension, the method including folding the segments such that each segment spans a full thickness of the indicating material in a folded condition. 
   
   
       18 . The method according to  claim 14  including maintaining the sheeted material in a folded condition by surrounding the indicating material with a housing from which the indicating material is readily separable. 
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 18  including forming the housing as channels spanning in a direction of proximity indication of the proximity indicating means and receiving opposing edges of the segments in the channels in the folded condition. 
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 18  wherein the segments are rectangular, the method including arranging the housing to span across the corners of the segments. 
   
   
       21 . The method according to  claim 14  including orienting the segments in the folded condition to be perpendicular to a direction of proximity indication of the proximity indicating means. 
   
   
       22 . The method according to  claim 14  including providing a housing which spans in the direction of proximity indication and maintains the segments in the folded condition and arranging the indicating material to be readily separable from the housing. 
   
   
       23 . The method according to  claim 14  including supporting the indicating material within a housing and placing the indicating material in proximity to the target by placing the housing in the excavatable material. 
   
   
       24 . The method according to  claim 18  including forming the housing in frangible sections and separating at least one frangible section of the housing from a remainder of the housing when the portion of the indicating material is removed from the remainder of the indicating material. 
   
   
       25 . The method according to  claim 18  including forming the housing of tearable material and tearing a portion of the housing from a remainder of the housing when the portion of indicating material is removed from the remainder of the indicating material. 
   
   
       26 . The method according to  claim 1  including anchoring the indicating material in the excavatable material by coupling the indicating material to an anchor and burying the anchor in the excavatable material. 
   
   
       27 . The method according to  claim 1  including abutting the indicating material against the target. 
   
   
       28 . The method according to any  claim 1  including discontinuing excavating towards the target using power-assisted excavation equipment while a portion of the indicating material remains in the excavatable material in proximity to the target. 
   
   
       29 . The method according to  claim 1  for a target comprising an elongate pipe, the method including forming the indicating material into a panel structure and orienting the panel structure substantially parallel to the pipe. 
   
   
       30 . The method according to  claim 1  including locating the target at the surface of the excavating material by extending a marker from the indicating material to the surface. 
   
   
       31 . A device for navigating excavation towards a target buried in excavatable material, the device comprising:
 indicating material arranged to be placed in the excavatable material in proximity to the target;   frangible means for permitting a portion of the indicating material to be removed from a remainder of the indicating material to be left in the excavatable material; and   proximity indicating means on the indicating material corresponding to a degree of proximity to the target for permitting a removed portion of the indicating material to be visually distinguished from a remaining portion of the indicating material.   
   
   
       32 . The device according to  claim 31  wherein the proximity indicating means comprises a plurality of sections formed in the indicating material which are visually distinct from one another in which each section indicates a different degree of proximity to the target. 
   
   
       33 . The device according to  claim 31  wherein a different colour is associated with each section. 
   
   
       34 . The device according to  claim 31  wherein there is provided scaled indicia on the sections respectively. 
   
   
       35 . The device according to  claim 31  wherein a different colour is associated with each section and wherein there is provided scaled indicia on the sections respectively. 
   
   
       36 . The device according to  claim 31  wherein the frangible means comprises tearable material forming the indicating material. 
   
   
       37 . The device according to  claim 31  wherein the frangible means comprises lines of severance defining sections of the indicating material which are readily separable from one another at the lines of severance. 
   
   
       38 . The device according to  claim 37  wherein the proximity indicating means comprises forming the sections to be visually distinct from one another in which each section indicates a different degree of proximity to the target. 
   
   
       39 . The device according to  claim 31  wherein the frangible means comprises the indicating material being formed in a plurality of separated sections. 
   
   
       40 . The device according to  claim 39  wherein the proximity indicating means comprises forming the sections to be visually distinct from one another in which each section indicates a different degree of proximity to the target. 
   
   
       41 . The device according to  claim 31  wherein the indicating material is elongate in a direction of proximity indication of the proximity indicating means. 
   
   
       42 . The device according to  claim 31  wherein the indicating material is extendable in length in a direction of proximity indication of the proximity indicating means. 
   
   
       43 . The device according to  claim 31  wherein the indicating material is formed of elongate sheeted material folded into segments against one another so as to be extendable in length by unfolding the segments. 
   
   
       44 . The device according to  claim 43  wherein the segments are folded in alternating directions in a zig-zag pattern. 
   
   
       45 . The device according to  claim 43  wherein the segments are rectangular and of similar dimension such that each segment spans a thickness of the device in a folded condition. 
   
   
       46 . The device according to  claim 43  wherein the sheeted material is maintained in a folded condition by a surrounding housing, the indicating material being readily separable from the housing. 
   
   
       47 . The device according to  claim 43  wherein the housing comprises channels spanning in the direction of proximity indication of the proximity indicating means, the channels receiving opposing edges of the segments therein in the folded condition. 
   
   
       48 . The device according to  claim 43  wherein the segments are rectangular and the housing spans across the corners of the segments. 
   
   
       49 . The device according to  claim 43  wherein the segments in the folded condition are oriented perpendicular to the direction of proximity indication of the proximity indicating means. 
   
   
       50 . The device according to  claim 43  wherein there is provided a housing spanning in the direction of proximity indication which maintains the segments in the folded condition, the indicating material being readily separable from the housing. 
   
   
       51 . The device according to  claim 31  wherein there is provided a housing surrounding and supporting the indicating material. 
   
   
       52 . The device according to  claim 51  wherein the frangible means includes the housing being formed in frangible sections which are readily separable from one another. 
   
   
       53 . The device according to  claim 51  wherein the frangible means includes the housing being formed of tearable material permitting sections of the housing to be readily separable from one another. 
   
   
       54 . The device according to  claim 31  wherein there is provided an anchor coupled to the indicating material for spanning outwardly into surrounding excavatable material. 
   
   
       55 . The device according to  claim 54  wherein the anchor is formed of flexible material for conforming about the target. 
   
   
       56 . The device according to  claim 31  wherein the indicating material comprises a panel which spans in a direction of proximity indication of the proximity indicating means. 
   
   
       57 . The device according to  claim 31  wherein the indicating material comprises a column which is elongate in a direction of proximity indication of the proximity indicating means. 
   
   
       58 . The device according to  claim 31  wherein there is provided an elongate flexible marker coupled to the indicating material for extending to a surface of the excavatable material.