US3670830A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Drilling apparatus
Assignee: BV MACHINE BOUW CONTAD STORK
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Filing: 1970-04-09
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Granted: 1972-06-20
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Expires: 1990-04-09
Abstract
Abstract A drilling apparatus is deposited on a submerged floor for cutting a borehole in the floor and removing samples therefrom. The drilling apparatus has a drilling head which is detachably coupled to a string of pipes all detachably connected together by connecting devices which are engageable by axial pushing of the pipes together. The pipes carry inner tubes which cooperatively form an inner annular cavity and a core member is detachably connected to the lowermost inner tube of the drill string by spring-loaded latches. When a core sample is in the core tube it is detached by fluid pressure in the space between the outer pipes and the inner tubes and the core barrel is then pumped upwardly and stored in a turntable containing further drill pipes and core barrels. A further drill pipe is connected in the string and a further core barrel is dropped into the inner tubes of the string and connected to the lowermost inner tube pressurizing fluid in the inner tubes.
Inventors
- 👤 Franciscus Theodorus Ma Wijden
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 16:45
CPC Classifications
E; E02; E02F; E02F3/00; E02F3/04; E02F3/88; E02F3/90; E02F3/92; E02F3/9212; E02F3/9243; E21; E21B; E21B17/00; E21B17/02; E21B17/04; E21B17/046; E21B17/18; E21B19/00; E21B19/14; E21B19/146; E21B25/00; E21B25/18; E21B7/00; E21B7/12; E21B7/124; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S285/00; Y10S285/92
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
216 words
Drilling apparatus for obtaining a continuous soil sample, said apparatus comprising a drill head, means for connecting drill pipes in succession to said head to form a string, and means for controlling connection of said pipes one to another from a location remote from said drilling head, each drill pipe having top and bottom ends with connecting means, said drill head also including connecting means, the connecting means at the top of each drill pipe being engageable with the connecting means at the lower end of another drill pipe or with the connecting means of the drill head by relative axial engaging movement, said connecting means being capable of transferring torque in both directions and axial and pressure forces, and disconnecting means operable by remote control for releasing the connecting means between the pipes and the head, said connecting means for the drill pipes comprising a series of circumferentially spaced splines near the top and bottom ends of each pipe, said splines slidably interfitting with one another when the pipes are connected by relative axial movement, spring-loaded locking catches pivotably mounted on each pipe, said catches each including a hammer head shaped top part urged towards the drill pipe, said pipes each having an annular recess for receiving the hammer head parts of the locking catches.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
216 words
Drilling apparatus for obtaining a continuous soil sample, said apparatus comprising a drill head, means for connecting drill pipes in succession to said head to form a string, and means for controlling connection of said pipes one to another from a location remote from said drilling head, each drill pipe having top and bottom ends with connecting means, said drill head also including connecting means, the connecting means at the top of each drill pipe being engageable with the connecting means at the lower end of another drill pipe or with the connecting means of the drill head by relative axial engaging movement, said connecting means being capable of transferring torque in both directions and axial and pressure forces, and disconnecting means operable by remote control for releasing the connecting means between the pipes and the head, said connecting means for the drill pipes comprising a series of circumferentially spaced splines near the top and bottom ends of each pipe, said splines slidably interfitting with one another when the pipes are connected by relative axial movement, spring-loaded locking catches pivotably mounted on each pipe, said catches each including a hammer head shaped top part urged towards the drill pipe, said pipes each having an annular recess for receiving the hammer head parts of the locking catches.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for controlling connection of said pipes comprises controlled fluid means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said disconnecting means comprises an annular member including means for acting on said locking catches to pivot the hammer head parts thereof from said recess.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
58 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising a drilling bit coupled to the lowermost pipe of the string, said bit being constructed in such a way that by rotating in one direction the drilling bit is adapted for drilling through a soft ground formation and by rotating in the other direction for drilling in a hard ground formation.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
69 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the drilling bit includes a plurality of spaced knives which are pivotally mounted and formed such that by rotating in one direction the knives are automatically positioned to cover a section completely situated at the outside of the circumference of a core barrel and by rotating in the other direction to cover a section starting at the inside of the core barrel.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
41 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising a turntable storing the drill pipes such that by turning the table the drill pipes are successively positioned between the drilling head and the top of the uppermost drill pipe extending into the soil.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
88 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the turntable comprises a horizontal circular disc having circumferentially and uniformly spaced circular orifices with a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the drill pipe, said disc being rotatably mounted around a vertical axis and a fixed plate mounted at a short distance underneath this disc extending at least to the circular orifices in said disc but being interrupted in the area underneath the drilling head and a shiftable element adapted to occupy this interrupted portion of the fixed plate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
46 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said disc has a tangentially extending channel opening into each circular orifice, and a radially extending channel opening into each tangentially extending channel, said channels have a width which is slightly larger than the diameter of a core barrel.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 comprising a separate core barrel detachably connected inside each drill pipe such that upon increase of fluid pressure the core barrel is released.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
60 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 comprising means for resiliently locking each core barrel inside the lowermost drill pipe of a drilling string, such that the core barrel projects beyond a drill bit at the bottom end of the lowermost drill pipe by a distance which depends on the ground formation from which a core sample is to be obtained.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
57 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein the core barrel is provided with at least one orifice near the closed top part thereof and a movable valve normally closing said orifice, and means for acting on fluid through said valve and in said core barrel to facilitate withdrawal of a core to a position within the barrel.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein said means which acts on said fluid comprises means for pulsating the fluid.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein said means which acts on said fluid comprises means for subjecting the fluid to suction.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
42 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 comprising an inner tube coaxially mounted inside each drill pipe to form a continuous inner space through the length of the drilling string, and an annular outer space between the inner tubes and the drill pipes.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
57 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 14 wherein the core barrel is located in the inner tube, the inner tube of the lowermost drill pipe including latching means to catch and resiliently hold a core barrel, said latching means being adapted to be released by the pressure of fluid in the outer annular space of the drilling string.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
47 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein the drilling head is provided with a device capable of catching the core barrel to pull it from the inner tube, the core barrel being raised through the inner tube by an ascending flow of fluid through the inner tube.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
42 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 16 comprising means for shifting each core barrel after being pulled out on the turntable to a position which is closer to the center of the turntable than the positions of the drill pipes in the turntable.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
159 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein said latching means comprises a sliding bushing on each core barrel, a sealing member carried by said bushing to provide a seal between the core barrel and the surrounding inner tube of the lowermost drill pipe, an annular stop ring on the core barrel, a coil spring around each core barrel positioned between the sliding bushing and said annular stop ring, a plurality of catches on said drill pipe spring biased towards the inside of the drill tube and including one end for engaging the sliding bushing and an opposite end and extending inside said annular outer space of the drill tube, and a further sliding bushing on the inner tube normally positioned above the spring-loaded catches and movable downwardly by pressure fluid in the outer part of the drill pipe until the further bushing engages said opposite ends of the spring-loaded catches to move these catches outwardly to a disconnecting position.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
99 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 18 wherein said latching means further comprises a housing around the inner tube of the lowermost pipe receiving the spring-loaded catches and the further sliding bushing, said housing being provided with an orifice at tHe top thereof, which is normally closed by the further bushing and at least one side orifice and a bottom orifice for the flow of fluid through the annular outer space of the drill pipe, said further bushing being shaped such that it closes, at least partially, the side orifices upon its downward travel when it disengages the spring-loaded catches.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-06-20 | 1975-12-20 | 1976-06-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-06-20 | 1979-12-20 | 1980-06-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-06-20 | 1983-12-20 | 1984-06-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |