Virgil R Mahlum, 87914 Lake View Dr, Mission, TX 78572

5435399, Jul 25, 1995

Jul 5, 1994

8/271064

Gary G. Peterson - Fargo ND
Jacob N. Gust - Fargo ND
Virgil R. Mahlum - Lake Park MN
Michael W. Smette - Fargo ND

Concord, Inc. - Fargo ND

E21B 4902

175 20

A soil sampler for taking soil samples at multiple locations around a vehicle is disclosed. The soil sampler has a probe for withdrawing soil samples from the ground. The probe is suspended on a support structure or boom assembly which can move the probe to multiple withdrawal locations around a vehicle. The soil sampler has a percussion-type vibrator to aid in inserting the probe into the ground. The vibrator assembly operates automatically off of a hydraulic line used to lower the boom assembly, such that the vibrator normally operates only when the probe is encountering significant resistance to being pressed into the ground. The support structure is raisable to allow an operator within the vehicle to collect multiple soil samples without leaving the vehicle.

5931236, Aug 3, 1999

Aug 8, 1997

8/907566

Virgil Mahlum - Lake Park MN
Dennis Wamre - Hawley MN
Gordy Walker - Pelican Rapids MN
Tom Roy - Hawley MN

CEE, L.L.C. - Hawley MN

E21B 4902

175 20

A soil sample taker includes a sample-taking probe, a support frame, a removable sample-collecting receptacle having an open side and partitions hingedly disposed inside the receptacle and capable of pivoting to define essentially equally-sized compartments and to substantially close two of the compartments. An actuator having a motor, a tubular housing, a screw mechanism, an shaft, and a partition mover is used to pivot the partitions for the purpose of separating and collecting the soil samples. A control unit switch is used to energize the motor which actuates the screw mechanism which moves the shaft which moves the partition mover which moves the partitions. An air evacuator is mounted to the support frame and includes an elongate nozzle support, a nozzle housing, and a air nozzle for effectively and conveniently blowing out the bottom end of the probe where a small amount of soil sample may be engaged. This soil sample taker increases production by saving time and effectively maintains the integrity of the soil sample taken and separated.