Soil sample procuring tool and method of preparing soil sample for analysis

Abstract

A tool for withdrawing a soil sample comprising a frame member including a portion including spaced vertically extending legs having lower ends, a foot portion fixed to the lower ends of the legs and including a horizontally extending slot defined by a vertically extending wall including a horizontally extending groove, and an abutment surface extending horizontally and located between the legs in upwardly spaced relation from the foot portion.

1. A method of taking a soil sample, said method comprising the steps of providing a hollow member having an open end, a plunger housed in the hollow member, and a sealable vial having a self-sealing penetrable part, forcing the open end of the hollow member into the ground to locate a soil sample in the hollow member, ejecting the soil sample from the hollow member by the plunger and into the sealable vial, sealing the vial, thereafter injecting through the penetrable part a first quantity of capturing agent into the vial, shake for fifteen seconds, thereafter introducing a second quantity of capturing agent into the vial, and analyzing the contents of the vial. 
     
     
       2. A method of taking a soil sample in accordance with  claim 1  and further including providing the hollow member with a second end spaced form the open end, and an outwardly extending flange at the second end thereof, providing a tool having a slot including a groove, and inserting the second end of the hollow member into the slot so as to locate the flange of the hollow member in the groove. 
     
     
       3. A tool for withdrawing a soil sample, said tool comprising a frame member including a portion including spaced vertically extending legs having lower ends, a foot portion fixed to said lower ends of said legs and including a horizontally extending slot defined by a vertically extending wall including a horizontally extending groove, and an abutment surface extending horizontally and located between said legs in upwardly spaced relation from said foot portion. 
     
     
       4. A tool for withdrawing a soil sample, said tool comprising a frame member including an inverted U-shaped guard portion including spaced upright legs having lower ends, a foot portion fixed to said lower ends of said legs, and including an outer perimeter extending laterally beyond said spaced leg portions, a slot defined by a vertically extending wall and including an entry part, and a semi-circular part extending from said entry part and located between said legs, and a groove located in said wall, extending horizontally, and adapted to removably receive a flange at the top end of a hollow member which, when said flange is received in said groove, extends downwardly from said foot portion, which also includes an open lower end, and which has slideable located therein a plunger member extending, in part, above said hollow member and between said spaced legs and having an upper end, and an abutment portion extending horizontally and located between said legs in upwardly spaced relation from said foot portion, and adapted to engage the upper end of the plunger member to maintain the plunger member in a predetermined position relative to the hollow member when the flange is received in said annular groove. 
     
     
       5. A tool for withdrawing a soil sample, said tool comprising a frame member including an inverted U-shaped guard portion including spaced upright legs having lower ends, a foot portion fixed to said lower ends of said legs and including an outer perimeter extending laterally beyond said spaced legs, a slot defined by a vertically extending wall and including an entry part, a semi-circular part extending from said entry part and located between said legs, and a groove located in said wall and extending horizontally, and an abutment portion extending horizontally between said legs in upwardly spaced relation from said foot portion, an elongated hollow cylindrical member adapted to be inserted into the ground, extending downwardly from said foot portion, and including an inner wall, upper and lower ends, and a flange extending horizontally outwardly from said upper end and removably located in said groove, and a plunger member located, in part, between said legs and, in part, for slideable movement within said elongated hollow cylindrical member and including upper and lower ends, and a piston seal engaging said inner wall of said elongated hollow cylindrical member, and a horizontally extending portion at said upper end thereof engageable with said abutment portion of said frame member to prevent upward movement of said plunger member during insertion of said elongated hollow cylindrical member into the ground. 
     
     
       6. A tool in accordance with  claim 5  wherein said plunger member includes a stem extending downwardly from said upper end thereof and having a cross shaped horizontal cross-section, and vertically extending edges engaging said inner wall of said hollow member, and a cap located at said upper end, fixed to said stem and including said horizontally extending portion. 
     
     
       7. A tool in accordance with  claim 5  wherein said piston resiliently engages said inner wall of said elongated hollow cylindrical member. 
     
     
       8. A tool in accordance with  claim 5  wherein said frame member includes a horizontal portion extending from and between said legs, and wherein said abutment portion includes an abutment member which is adjustably fixed in said horizontal portion. 
     
     
       9. A tool in accordance with  claim 8  wherein said horizontal portion includes a vertically extending threaded bore, and wherein said abutment member comprises a bolt including a head located below said horizontal portion, and a threaded stem extending upwardly from said head and threadedly engaged in said threaded bore in said horizontal portion. 
     
     
       10. A tool in accordance with  claim 5  wherein said cylindrical member includes an axis, and wherein said flange includes a pair of horizontally spaced straight edges, and a pair of opposed circular edges extending from and between said straight edges in concentric relation to said axis of said cylindrical member. 
     
     
       11. A tool in accordance with  claim 5  wherein said vertically extending wall includes a pair of horizontally spaced straight portions defining said entry part and including inner ends, and a semi-circular portion defining said semi-circular part and extending from said inner ends of said straight portions of said vertically extending wall, and wherein said groove includes a pair of horizontally spaced straight portions located in said straight portions of said vertically extending wall and including inner ends, and a circular portion located in said semi-circular portion of said inner wall and extending from said inner ends of said straight portions of said groove. 
     
     
       12. A tool in accordance with  claim 11  wherein said cylindrical member includes an axis, wherein said straight portions of said groove respectively have inner vertically extending straight wall surfaces spaced horizontally from said straight portions of said vertically extending wall at a first distance, wherein said circular portion of said groove has an inner vertically extending circular wall surface extending at a constant radius from said axis of said cylindrical member, concentrically with said axis of said cylindrical member, and spaced horizontally from said semi-cylindrical portion of said vertically extending wall at a second distance greater than said first distance, and wherein said flange includes a pair of horizontally spaced straight edges which are horizontally spaced at a distance slightly less than the horizontal spacing between said straight wall surfaces of said groove, and a pair of opposed circular edges which extend concentrically with said axis of said cylindrical member, and which are spaced horizontally from said axis of said cylindrical member at a distance slightly less than the spacing of said circular wall surface from said axis of said cylindrical member. 
     
     
       13. A soil sampling device comprising:
   a housing defining an open inner chamber, the housing having a first end and a second end;        an opening formed in the second end of the housing and defining a passageway from outside the housing to the inner chamber;        a groove at least partially surrounding the passageway;        a tube formed to include a flange, the flange engageable with the groove to couple the tube to the housing; and        a plunger slidably positioned within the tube and moveable over a distance between a first position wherein a tail of the plunger is toward the flange of the tube and a second position wherein the tail of the plunger is away from the flange and abuts an abutment surface within the inner chamber of the housing.     
     
     
       14. The soil sampling device of  claim 13  wherein the distance can be varied. 
     
     
       15. A soil sampling device comprising:
   a housing having a first and second end and defining an open inner chamber and a longitudinal axis, the second end of the housing including an opening providing a passageway from outside the housing to the inner chamber;        a groove formed in the opening;        an abutment surface positioned within the inner chamber and moveable along the longitudinal axis;        a tube formed to include a flange engageable with the groove to couple the tube to the housing; and        a plunger slidably positioned within the tube and having an end moveable between a first position toward the flange and a second position away from the flange and abutting the abutment surface.     
     
     
       16. A soil sampling device comprising:
   a hollow housing including a moveable abutment surface positioned within the housing;        a tube coupled to the housing; and        a plunger having an end, the plunger slidably positioned within the tube and moveable between a first position wherein the plunger end abuts the tube and a second position wherein the plunger end abuts the abutment surface.     
     
     
       17. The soil sampling device of  claim 16  wherein the tube further includes a flange positioned within a groove in the housing. 
     
     
       18. The soil sampling device of  claim 16  wherein the first position is spaced apart from the second position by an adjustable distance. 
     
     
       19. A method of taking a soil sample for volatile- component analysis, the method comprising the steps of:      providing a hollow member having an open end,        forcing the open end of the hollow member into the ground to locate a soil sample in the hollow member,        ejecting the soil sample from the hollow member and into a sealable vial,        sealing the vial with a cap, the sealed vial having a self - sealing penetrable part,        thereafter injecting a capturing agent through the self - sealing penetrable part into the vial without otherwise disturbing the sealed condition of the vial, and        thereafter analyzing the contents of the vial.     
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19  wherein the capturing agent is methanol. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 19  further including storing the sealed vial containing the soil sample and the capturing agent before the analyzing step. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 19  wherein the hollow member is an elongated cylindrical member having a plunger housed therein and the ejecting step comprises sliding the plunger within the hollow member. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 22  further comprising:
   providing the hollow member with a second end which is spaced from the open end and has an outwardly extending flange,        providing a frame member with a foot portion having a flange - receiving groove, and        engaging the hollow member with the frame member by inserting the flange into the flange - receiving groove in preparation for the forcing step.     
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 23  wherein the plunger has a top end and the frame member supports an adjustable abutment member thereon in position above the plunger top end when the hollow member and the frame member are engaged and the method further includes setting a fixed predetermined soil sample volume by adjusting the position of the abutment member. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 24  further including storing the sealed vial containing the soil sample and the capturing agent before the analyzing step. 
     
     
       26. A method of taking a soil sample from a sample site for volatile- component analysis at a sample processing site, the method comprising the steps of:      providing a hollow member having an open end,        forcing the open end of the hollow member into the ground to locate a soil sample in the hollow member,        ejecting the soil sample from the hollow member into a sealable vial,        sealing the vial with a cap, the sealed vial having a self - sealing penetrable part,        before sampling analysis, transporting the sealed vial from the sample site to the processing site,        injecting a capturing agent into the vial at the processing site through the self - sealing penetrable part without otherwise disturbing the sealed condition of the vial, and        thereafter analyzing the contents of the vial.     
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 26  wherein the capturing agent is methanol. 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 26  further including storing the sealed vial containing the soil sample and the capturing agent before the analyzing step. 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 26  wherein the hollow member is an elongated cylindrical member having a plunger housed therein and the ejecting step comprises sliding the plunger within the hollow member. 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 29  further comprising:
   providing the hollow member with a second end which is spaced from the open end and has an outwardly extending flange,        providing a frame member with a foot portion having a flange - receiving groove, and        engaging the hollow member with the frame member by inserting the flange into the flange - receiving groove in preparation for the forcing step.     
     
     
       31. The method of  claim 30  wherein the plunger has a top end and the frame member supports an adjustable abutment member thereon in position above the plunger top end when the hollow member and the frame member are engaged and the method further includes setting a fixed predetermined soil sample volume by adjusting the position of the abutment member. 
     
     
       32. The method of  claim 31  further including storing the sealed vial containing the soil sample and the capturing agent before the analyzing step. 
     
     
       33. A method of taking a soil sample for volatile- component analysis, the method comprising the steps of:      removing a soil sample from the earth,        inserting the soil sample into a sealable vial,        sealing the vial with a cap, the sealed vial having a self - sealing penetrable part,        thereafter injecting a capturing agent through the self - sealing penetrable part into the vial without otherwise disturbing the sealed condition of the vial, and        thereafter analyzing the contents of the vial.     
     
     
       34. The method of  claim 33  wherein the capturing agent is methanol. 
     
     
       35. The method of  claim 33  further including storing the sealed vial containing the soil sample and the capturing agent before the analyzing step. 
     
     
       36. The method of  claim 33  wherein the self- sealing penetrable part is positioned on the cap.   
     
     
       37. The method of  claim 33  further including the step of shaking the vial after the capturing agent has been injected. 
     
     
       38. The device of  claim 13  wherein the abutment surface prevents movement of the tail away from the flange when the tail abuts the abutment surface.