Patent ID: 8667717

Claim:
A mobile digging and backfill system for removing and collecting material comprising: a. a mobile chassis; b. a collection tank mounted to said mobile chassis for storing material removed and collected from a location; c. a vacuum pump connected to said collection tank for pulling an air stream through said collection tank that carries the material from the location into said collection tank; d. a digging tool comprising a vacuum passage in fluid communication with said collection tank; and e. at least one backfill reservoir having a closable opening for allowing backfill to be added or removed from said backfill reservoir, said at least one backfill reservoir being movably mounted on said mobile chassis between a first transport position and a second offload position, f. wherein, in the second position, the backfill reservoir is inclined with respect to the first position, so that the closable opening opens and backfill located in the backfill reservoir expels from the backfill reservoir through the closable opening, g. wherein said at least one backfill reservoir is selectively connected to said vacuum pump so that said air stream generated by said vacuum pump can be used to draw backfill into said at least one backfill reservoir.