The chainline trencher is a machine specifically designed to manufacture a trench by means of excavating soil using a driven continuous chain with attached cutters. Included in this discussion are the various means of power transfer, the different types of frame construction, the range of material that a trencher may be expected to work in, and the various designs of cutter arrangement to accomplish trenching in these various conditions.
This paper provides a general design description of the Vermeer four-wheel drive, rubber-tired trencher, along with a brief discussion of the secondary uses of the machine.