Apparatus for making earth bores

• US 5,339,909 A
• Filed: 12/01/1992
• Issued: 08/23/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Terra AG Fuer Tiefbautechnik
• Original Assignee: Terra AG Fuer Tiefbautechnik
• Inventors: Jenne, Dietmar, Jenne, Gustav
• Primary Examiner(s): Britts, Ramon S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TSAY, FRANK
• Application Number:
  US07/983,656
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 175/21, 175/22, 175/23
• US Class Current: 175/22
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/206 using down-hole drives

Abstract

An apparatus for making earth bores with simultaneous emplacement of pipe, especially for making well bores, includes an earth boring device (10) with a drive device (12) and a displacement head (14) coaxial with the drive device (12). The outer diameter of the displacement head is larger than that of the drive device (12) and of the surrounding pipe (16) with the pipe being connected to the drive device with a releasable force fit connection, wherein at least three pressure fluid jet nozzles (18) are arranged on the displacement head (14) pointing nearly in the boring direction and arranged at least nearly symmetrical to the longitudinal axis of the displacement head (14).

Claims

1. An apparatus for making earth bores with simultaneous emplacement of a pipe having a front end, inside and outside diameters and a longitudinal axis, especially for the making of well bores, said apparatus comprising a dynamic ram earth boring device (10) with a drive device (12) and a displacement head (14) arranged coaxial to the drive device (12), said displacement head having a longitudinal axis and being adapted to be placed on said front end of said pipe with its longitudinal axis collinear with said longitudinal axis of said pipe and with a portion thereof extending forwardly in the longitudinal direction of said pipe, said forwardly extending portion of said displacement head having a maximum diameter greater than said outside diameter of said pipe, and said drive device having a maximum outside diameter less than said internal diameter of said drive so as to be adapted to be receivable within said front end of said pipe and to be releasably engageable with said displacement head to exert a forward driving force on said displacement head, and a pressure fluid jet nozzle (18) carried by said displacement head (14) and pointed nearly forwardly in the longitudinal direction of said head, which fluid jet nozzle is connectable to a pressure fluid source providing pressurized fluid for said nozzle.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of pressure fluid jet nozzles (18) are carried by said displacement head (14) and are located behind one another in the longitudinal direction of the displacement head (14).

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said fluid jet nozzles (18) have different jet angles relative to the longitudinal direction of the displacement head (14).

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an additional fluid jet nozzle (20) is carried by said displacement head and is directed at least nearly opposite to said forward longitudinal direction of said head.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the displacement head (14) carries further fluid jet nozzles (22) which are directed outwardly perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said displacement head (14).

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pressure fluid jet nozzle is one of a plurality of nozzles carried by said displacement head, and means for controlling the pressure fluid delivery to each of said nozzles with respect to the pressure and/or amount of the pressure fluid.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pressure fluid jet nozzle is one of a plurality of pressure fluid jet nozzles carried by said displacement head, and means for adjusting the jet angle of each of said nozzles.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pressure fluid jet nozzle is one of a plurality of pressure fluid jet nozzles carried by said displacement head, the displacement head (14) is conical and has grooves (24) distributed symmetrically over its conical surface and about its longitudinal axis, in which grooves said fluid jet nozzles are located.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pressure fluid jet nozzle is one of a plurality of pressure fluid jet nozzles earned by said displacement head, and the displacement head (14) is stepped, so or to have in proceeding forwardly from said front end of said pipe successive longitudinal portions of decreasing diameters, and has grooves (24) distributed over it and arranged symmetrically about its longitudinal axis, in which grooves said fluid jet nozzles are located.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pressure fluid jet nozzle is one of a plurality of pressure fluid jet nozzles carried by said displacement head, said nozzles being connected to means providing pressure fluid flow channels running parallel to said longitudinal axis of said pipe between said drive device (12) and said pipe (16) or inside of said drive device (12), said channels at their ends opposite to the head being connected by flexible conductors with a pressure fluid source.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pressure fluid jet nozzle is one of a plurality of pressure fluid jet nozzles carried by said displacement head, and including control valves (28) for controlling the pressure fluid delivery to the individual fluid jet nozzles carried by said displacement head (14), said control valves being located in the displacement head.

12. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pressure fluid jet nozzle is one of a plurality of pressure fluid jet nozzles carried by said displacement head, and including control valves (28) for controlling the pressure fluid delivery to the individual fluid jet nozzles carried by said displacement head, said control valves being located at the pressure fluid source.

13. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pressure fluid jet nozzle is one of a plurality of pressure fluid jet nozzles carried by said displacement head, and including a sender built into the displacement head (14) to make possible a determination of the position of the earth boring device (10).

14. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said dynamic ram boring device (12) includes a housing connected with a watertight exhaust air conductor which conductor carries away the pressurized air necessary for driving the dynamic ram boring device (12).

15. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said pressure fluid jet nozzle (18) is one of a plurality pressure fluid jet nozzles (18) carded by said displacement head and all of which nozzles are pointed nearly forwardly in the longitudinal direction of said pipe and are distributed symmetrically around said longitudinal axis of said pipe.