Portable earth boring machine

• US 3,939,926 A
• Filed: 11/29/1974
• Issued: 02/24/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Augers Unlimited, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Richmond Manufacturing Company
• Inventors: Richmond, Albert R., Barnes, Thomas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Purser, Ernest R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Favreau, Richard E.
• Application Number:
  US05/528,460
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: 175/24, 175/26, 175/61, 175/62, 175/73, 175/74, 299/1, 173/2
• US Class Current: 175/24
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 44/00 Automatic control systems specially adapted for drilling operations, i.e. self-operating systems which function to carry out or modify a drilling operation without intervention of a human operator, e.g. computer-controlled drilling systems; Systems specially adapted for monitoring a plurality of drilling variables or conditions
• 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

Abstract

A portable earth boring machine for the horizontal boring of shafts and the insertion of pipeline casing sections in installations where excavation from the surface is undesirable. The machine is characterized by a steering head particularly adapted for rock drilling operations which head is positioned at the front of the casing with such steering head being automatically controlled so as to directionally control the direction of extension of the pipeline as the drilling operation progresses.

Claims

1. In an earth boring apparatus of the type that forms horizontal holes and pushes sections of casing into said holes, the combination of casing means comprising a lead casing section provided with a plurality of side openings;

bearing means mounted in said lead casing section;

a rock head mounting shaft journaled in said bearing means;

a rock drilling head mounted on the forward end of said mounting shaft;

a wedging means radially moveably mounted at each of said side openings and extendable outwardly therefrom;

wedge driving means for said wedging means for extending and retracting said wedging means against and away from the rock surrounding said lead casing section;

sensing means for progressive extension into the earth fill;

gauge means for location adjacent the earth fill and connected to the sensing means, said gauge means including read-out indicia for informing the operator of grade deviations of the sensing means; and

automatic control means for energizing said wedge driving means responsive to sensing of a deviation in grade by said sensing means.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said wedge driving means comprises a fluid motor.

3. In an earth boring apparatus of the type that forms horizontal holes and pushes sections of casing into said holes, the combination of casing means comprising a lead casing section provided with a plurality of side openings;

bearing means mounted in said lead casing section;

a rock head mounting shaft journaled in said bearing means;

a rock drilling head mounted on the forward end of said mounting shaft;

a wedging means radially moveably mounted at each of said side openings and extendable outwardly therefrom;

wedge driving means for said wedging means for extending and retracting said wedging means against and away from the rock surrounding said lead casing section;

sensing means for progressive extension into the earth fill and including a fluid passage for establishing a fluid level corresponding with grade deviations of the progression into the earth fill;

gauge means for observation by the boring machine operator and including a gauge tube communicating with said fluid passage and containing a fluid, said gauge tube being provided with indicia, the level of the fluid in said gauge tube corresponding with said fluid level in said sensing means; and

automatic control means for energizing said wedge driving means responsive to deviations in said fluid level.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein said automatic control means includes a level control rod emersed in said fluid;

and water level sensors on said control rod for sensing changes in water level caused by grade deviation of the lead casing section with respect to a preselected zero reference line.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein said automatic control means includes sensing means emersed in said fluid, said sensing means comprising a lower sensor that senses downward movement of the fluid level in said gauge tube;

a middle sensor that senses upward movement of said fluid level; and

an upper sensor that senses a fluid level high enough for the grade indicating system to settle out for a reading.

6. In an earth boring apparatus of the type that forms horizontal holes and pushes sections of casing into said holes, the combination of casing means comprising a lead casing section;

bearing means mounted in said lead casing section;

a rock head mounting shaft journaled in said bearing means;

a rock drilling head mounted on the forward end of said mounting shaft;

wedging means on said lead casing section and including a moveably mounted wedging element laterally extendable and retractable relative to said casing section;

a fluid motor for driving said wedging element;

means forming a source of pressurized fluid in circuit with said fluid motor;

motor control valve means for the flow of pressurized fluid in said fluid circuit;

sensing means for progressive extension into the earth fill and including a fluid passage for establishing a fluid level corresponding with grade deviations of the progression into the earth fill;

gauge means for observation by the boring machine operator and including a gauge tube communicating with said fluid passage and containing a fluid, said gauge tube being provided with indicia, the level of the fluid in said gauge tube corresponding with said fluid level in said sensing means; and

automatic control means for operating said motor control valve means responsive to deviations in said fluid level.

7. The apparatus defined in claim 6 wherein said automatic control means includes a level control rod emersed in said fluid;

and water level sensors on said control rod for sensing changes in water level caused by grade deviation of the lead casing section with respect to a preselected zero reference line.

8. The apparatus defined in claim 7 wherein said automatic control means includes sensing means emersed in said fluid, said sensing means comprising a lower sensor that senses downward movement of the fluid level in said gauge tube;

a middle sensor that senses upward movement of said fluid level; and

an upper sensor that senses a fluid level high enough for the grade indicating system to settle out for a reading.