Importance

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Abstract

Methods, systems and apparatus for variable-depth microtrenching (e.g., for burying fiber optic cables, electrical conductors, and conduits beneath a ground surface of a road or other byway). An automated blade adjustment mechanism coupled to a cutting blade adjusts a depth of the microtrench by raising or lowering the cutting blade during the microtrenching operation. The ability to raise or lower the cutting blade in an automated fashion during the microtrenching operation facilitates effective microtrenching through elevated or depressed obstacles (e.g., speed bumps, curbs, water drainage channels) that may be present in a byway for vehicles or pedestrians. In particular, in one example, substantially uninterrupted formation of a microtrench through an elevated or depressed obstacle may be achieved in a single swath without stopping the microtrenching operation and while maintaining a substantially uniform, or minimum prescribed, microtrench depth.

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First Claim