MICROTRENCH GRAVEL INSTALLER AND METHOD OF FILLING AND SEALING A MICROTRENCH CONTAINING AN OPTICAL FIBER AND/OR INNERDUCT/MICRODUCT USING THE MICROTRENCH GRAVEL INSTALLER
A microtrench gravel installer configured to install gravel into a microtrench at a precise gravel layer thickness using a gravel leveler and/or a premeasured gravel box. A hot patch fill wand and box surrounding the wand configured for installing a hot patch fill sealant into a microtrench. A method of filling and sealing a microtrench containing an optical fiber and/or innerduct/microduct using the microtrench gravel installer to precisely fill a microtrench to a desired gravel layer thickness.
1 . A microtrench gravel installer configured to install a layer of gravel in a microtrench comprising:
a gravel container configured for containing gravel;
a gravel chute connected to the gravel container and configured for dispensing gravel from the gravel container to a microtrench; and
a gravel leveler having a scraping surface and a bottom surface, the scrapping surface is configured to scrape gravel in the microtench and form a gravel layer in the microtrench having a gravel layer thickness based on the distance from the bottom surface to a bottom of the microtrench.
2 . The microtrench gravel installer according to claim 1 , further comprising a gravel leveler height adjuster configured to adjust a distance between the bottom surface and a bottom of the microtrench.
3 . The microtrench premeasured gravel box according to claim 1 , further comprising a gravel box container, a gravel measurement configured to measure an amount of gravel contained in the gravel box container, a gravel box door configured to dump premeasured gravel from the gravel box container into a microtrench to form a gravel layer in the microtrench having a desired height.
4 . The microtrench premeasured gravel box according to claim 1 , further comprising a microtrench guide configured to fit within a microtrench and guide a position or movement of the premeasured gravel box over the microtrench.
5 . The microtrench premeasured gravel box according to claim 1 , further comprising a gravel tamper configured to contact a top surface of the gravel layer.
6 . The microtrench premeasured gravel box according to claim 1 , wherein the scraping surface has a spatula shape, a convex shape, or a concave shape.
7 . The microtrench premeasured gravel box according to claim 1 , wherein the gravel leveler has a wheel that contacts a surface of the roadway and the gravel leveler is biased towards the bottom of the microtrench.
8 . The microtrench premeasured gravel box according to claim 7 , wherein the biasing is provided by a spring, air pressure, hydraulic pressure, or weight.
9 . The microtrench premeasured gravel box according to claim 7 , wherein the biasing is weight provided by added weight.
10 . The microtrench premeasured gravel box according to claim 7 , wherein the biasing is provided a gravel leveler connection to the gravel dispenser.
11 . The microtrench premeasured gravel box according to claim 1 , further comprising a vibrating device to vibrate the gravel leveler.