1. Field of the Invention
This earth soil sampler is specifically adapted to extract and contain successive samples of earth soil such as may have been contaminated by oil spillage. For example, earth soil in a given ten foot square vicinity of transformers, may be contaminated by oil containing PCB and if this likelihood occurs, it is desirable to secure small samples which cumulatively comprise a 5 gram total. This total, in practice, comprises 10 or more probing extractions and is desirably deposited in a 20 ml glass container for testing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous means have been created to obtain small earth samplings For example, operators have secured a sampler tube in extension of a rod. In this method the operator would hold the rod and while walking over the ground, probe with the tube end numerous times to obtain a cumulative sample. The resultant disadvantageous gravitational effect of packing the tube precludes successive sampling of minute aliquots in a given operation. Furthermore, such samples as were obtained in this manner became difficult to remove. This development had evolved from the classic mode of obtaining samples through the use of a spoon or small trowel wherein plural samples were scraped from the surface of the suspected contaminated soil in a 10 foot square or more area. In this earlier method, the operator desirably estimated his individual samplings to be at approximately 0.5 grams each and in digging over a given area, he would secure upwards of 10-12 samples, adding each to the contents of the same sample bottle. Not only in the art was it difficult for the operator to thus follow a definite pattern such as will insure a relatively complete coverage, but also it was difficult to obtain properly representative examples using such procedures. It was moreover difficult for operators to produce consistently sized sub-samples.
Other known prior art is present in such devices as may be used for aerating turf. There are also certain pertinent soil testing and coring devices. The best known aerators are represented by Schell et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,163,456 and Jones Pat. No. 522,286 (British) as well as Broadbent Pat. No. 856,537 (British). In none of this art, is the problem addressed of securing minute successive samples for instantaneous containment in a frangible glass bottle, the contents of which are sequentially adapted to testing. The inexact art or aerating thus does not address the more exact problem of soil sampling such as is addressed by the present invention. Coring devices are represented by U.S. Pat. No. 1,109,446 to Melberg and U.S. Pat. No. 2,666,330 to McAndrew. In the Melberg patent a so-called soil magazine is incorporated into the interior of a lightweight shaft for the purpose of obtaining a given soil sample. No effort is made to restrict the in-feed for a given sample nor to effectively cushion the soil magazine against fracture, considering the relative mass of the shaft, as in the present invention. The McAndrew coring device while including a container within, makes no provisions for the controlled obtaining of minute samples in a frangible container such as in the present invention.