Patent 7627966 was granted and assigned to Caterpillar Inc. on December, 2009 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
A system is provided for controlling off-fall during trench excavation. The system includes a trench excavating assemblage. A mechanism moves the trench excavating assemblage from a position within a trench to be excavated to a position for dumping excavated material. A control system is configured to operate the trench excavating assemblage in an automated off-fall control mode to remove and/or compact off-fall along at least one edge of the trench.