Steering head

• US 10,309,155 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2017
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vermeer Manufacturing Company
• Original Assignee: McLaughlin Group, Inc. (Vermeer Corporation)
• Inventors: Malcolm, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Coy, Nicole
• Application Number:
  US15/412,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20170350190A1
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/046 horizontal drilling drilling with mechanical conveying means E21B7/003
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/062 the tool shaft rotating inside a non-rotating guide travelling with the shaft E21B7/067 and E21B7/068 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/201 with helical conveying means

Abstract

A steering head for use with a casing, the steering head having a generally cylindrical body with a first body end with a lead edge, a second body end with a rear edge, and a body surface extending from the lead edge to the rear edge, an outer tube with an internal side generally facing the body surface, the outer tube extending from the first body end to the second body end, and a steering flap disposed on an external side of the outer tube having a first flap face facing radially inwardly and a second flap face facing radially outwardly. A biased hinge is secured to both the outer tube and the steering flap, the biased hinge being operative to retract the steering flap into a retracted position from an extending position.

Claims

1. A steering head for use with an auger machine and a casing engagable to the auger machine for boring through soil, the steering head comprising:

a generally cylindrical body defining a longitudinal body axis, wherein the body has a first body end and an opposing second body end, and a body surface extending between the first body end and the second body end, wherein the second body end is mountable to the casing, and the body defines a bore channel for receipt of an auger, the bore channel being concentric with the longitudinal body axis and defining a channel surface;

an outer tube having an internal side and an opposing external side, the internal side generally facing and operative to cover the body surface from the first body end to the second body end;

a steering flap pivotably disposed on the outer tube, the steering flap being pivotable between an extended position and a retracted position;

a powered actuator fixedly mounted to the flap and the body surface and connecting the flap to the body surface so that the powered actuator, when activated, is operative to extend the flap into the extended position; and

a first light fixture disposed proximate the second body end so that the first light fixture is capable of illuminating a cutting path of the steering head through soil.

2. The steering head of claim 1, wherein:

the steering flap further comprises a rear end, a front end, a first flap face, and an opposing second flap face, the first flap face facing radially inwardly toward the longitudinal body axis and the second flap face facing radially outwardly away from the longitudinal body axis, and

the powered actuator is disposed in a recess defined between the steering flap and the bore channel.

3. The steering head of claim 2, wherein the front end of the steering flap is pivotably connected to the steering head.

4. The steering head of claim 2, wherein the front end of the steering flap is pivotably connected to the outer tube.

5. The steering head of claim 2, further comprising a biased hinge secured to both the outer tube and the front end of the steering flap so that the steering flap is mounted to the outer tube, wherein the biased hinge is operative to retract the steering flap into the retracted position from the extended position.

6. The steering head of claim 1, wherein the steering head is mounted to a first end of the casing and the first light fixture is disposed on the steering head so that it is visible from a second end of the casing when the casing and the steering head are concentric about the longitudinal center axis of the steering head.

7. The steering head of claim 1, wherein the first light fixture is disposed in a gap that extends radially with respect to the longitudinal body axis between the bore channel and the outer tube.

8. The steering head of claim 1, further comprising a second light fixture disposed proximate the second end of the body.

9. The steering head of claim 8, wherein the first and second light fixtures are equally spaced from a vertical plane in which the longitudinal center axis of the steering head lies.