Self guiding force applicator

Claim 2

Apparatus useful in earth boring comprising a wheeled cart, reel means carried by the cart, multipassage hose means wound on the reel, a storage and launch tube mounted on the cart, a bore wall engageable force applicator adapted to be supported in said tube and projectable therefrom, said hose means being connected to one end of said applicator, a drilling machine connected to the other end of said force applicator, said force applicator including a tubular mandrel providing means for conveying operating fluid to said drilling machine, hydraulically actuated piston and cylinder means for applying axial force to the mandrel and including a piston connected to the mAndrel and a cylinder in which the piston is slidable, anti-rotation means preventing relative rotation of the mandrel and cylinder, first hydraulically actuated anchor means connected to said cylinder at the end thereof nearest said drilling machine, second hydraulically actuated anchor means connected to said mandrel on the opposite side of said piston and cylinder means from said first anchor means adjacent said one end of the force applicator to which said hose is connected, and pressure fluid supply and control means connected to said hose means for separately supplying fluid to said drilling machine, each of said anchor means, and to the piston and cylinder means on opposite sides of said piston, said supply and control means including two sources of pressure fluid one of which is connected to a passage of said hose means that communicates with said drilling machine and the other which is carried by said cart and is in communication with separate passages in said hose means communicating with said two anchor means and with said piston and cylinder means on opposite sides of the piston thereof, said control and supply means further including on said cart two separate means regulating the pressure of fluid supplied to said piston and cylinder means on opposite sides of the piston, a third means for regulating the pressure of fluid supplied to said anchor means, and two separate valve units, one unit connecting a selected one of said anchor means with said second source while disconnecting the other therefrom and the other unit connecting said second source to said piston and cylinder means on one side of the piston while disconnecting from said second source the piston and cylinder means at the other side of the piston, and gage means indicating the pressure supplied to said anchor means and to said piston and cylinder means on opposite sides of the piston thereof.

Claim 3

Apparatus useful in earth boring, said apparatus comprising a support, reel means carried by the support, hose means wound on the reel, a storage and launch tube carried by said support, a bore wall engageable force applicator disposed in said tube, one end of said hose means being connected to said force applicator.

Claim 4

Apparatus useful in earth boring, said apparatus comprising a support, reel means carried by the support, hose means wound on the reel, a storage and launch tube carried by said support, a bore wall engageable force applicator disposed in said tube, one end of said hose means being connected to said force applicator.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said support includes a cart and wheel means supporting said cart for movement in a horizontal direction, said storage and launch tube is mounted on said cart to be in a horizontal position when said cart is supported by said wheel means for such horizontal movement, said reel means is mounted for rotation about an axis parallel to the axis of said tube, said apparatus further including power winch means mounted for rotation about an axis that is vertical when said cart is supported by said wheel means as aforesaid, said hose means passing around said winch means between said reel means and said force applicator, the edge of the inner periphery of said storage and launch tube nearest said winch means being tangent to the outer periphery of said winch means.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 2, said force applicator including a tubular mandrel providing fluid passage means to convey drilling fluid and providing means to apply axial force to a drilling machine when connected to the mandrel, two releasable anchor means each including a barrel disposed around the mandrel and sealed thereto at axially spaced positions defining a chamber between the barrel and mandrel, bore wall engageable means mounted in the barrel for motion outwardly relative to the mandrel axis and back toward it in response to the pressure differential between inside said chamber and outside said force applicator, and conduit means extending through the mandrel for supplying pressure fluid to said chamber, piston and cylinder means for exerting an axial force on said mandrel including a piston connected to said mandrel, a cylinder disposed around said piston and axially slidable relative thereto, and separate conduit means extending through said mandrel for supplyiNg pressure fluid to said cylinder on opposite sides of said piston, the barrel of one of said anchor means being fixedly connected to said mandrel, the barrel of the other of said anchor means being fixedly connected to said cylinder, and means preventing relative rotation of said cylinder and said mandrel, said bore wall engageable means being engageable with the inner periphery of said storage and launch tube when moved outwardly under said pressure differential.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said anchor means are disposed on opposite sides of said piston and cylinder means, said one anchor means fixedly connected to said mandrel being disposed adjacent the end of said force applicator to which is connected said hose means.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 5, said hose means providing five parallel fluid paths, said hose means being connected to said force applicator by a manifold having five fluid passages therethrough, said five fluid passages being connected respectively to said two anchor means and to two opposite sides of said piston and cylinder means and to said fluid passage means to convey drilling fluid, said manifold also providing the means by which the barrel of said one anchor means is connected to said mandrel.

Claim 9

Apparatus useful in earth boring, said apparatus comprising a force applicator includng a tubular mandrel having means at one end thereof for making connection at least indirectly with a drilling machine, said one end constituting the inner end of the mandrel and the opposite end of the mandrel constituting the outer end of the mandrel, said mandrel providing means to apply force to such drilling machine when connected thereto, bore wall engaging means concentric piston and cylinder means for applying axial force to said mandrel incluidng a piston connected to said mandrel and a cylinder within which said piston is axially slidably disposed, cylinder anchor means for releasably anchoring said cylinder to the wall of an earth bore, spline means for preventing relative rotation of said mandrel and cylinder while allowing relative axial motion thereof, and mandrel anchor means for releasably anchoring said mandrel to the wall of an earth bore, each of said anchor means including bore wall engageable means extending radially outwardly beyond the outer periphery of said mandrel even when said anchor means is released from bore wall engaging position, whereby said anchor means serve also as guide means for said mandrel, said releasable anchor means being disposed at opposite ends of said barrel and cylinder means.

Claim 10

Apparatus useful in earth boring, said apparatus comprising a force applicator includng a tubular mandrel having means at one end thereof for making connection at least indirectly with a drilling machine, said one end constituting the inner end of the mandrel and the opposite end of the mandrel constituting the outer end of the mandrel, said mandrel providing means to apply force to such drilling machine when connected thereto, bore wall engaging means concentric piston and cylinder means for applying axial force to said mandrel incluidng a piston connected to said mandrel and a cylinder within which said piston is axially slidably disposed, cylinder anchor means for releasably anchoring said cylinder to the wall of an earth bore, spline means for preventing relative rotation of said mandrel and cylinder while allowing relative axial motion thereof, and mandrel anchor means for releasably anchoring said mandrel to the wall of an earth bore, each of said anchor means including bore wall engageable means extending radially outwardly beyond the outer periphery of said mandrel even when said anchor means is released from bore wall engaging position, whereby said anchor means serve also as guide means for said mandrel, said releasable anchor means being disposed at opposite ends of said barrel and cylinder means.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 7, said cylinder anchor means being connected to said cylinder at the end thereof nearest said inner end of the mandrel, said mandrel anchor means being connected to said mandrel at the side of said piston and cylinder means nearest the outer end of said mandrel.

Claim 12

Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said mandrel is tubular providing fluid passage means to supply pressure fluid from the outer end of the mandrel to a drilling machine connected to said inner end of said mandrel, each of said anchor means including return fluid passage means to conduct past said anchor means exteriorly of said mandrel pressure fluid returning from such drilling machine between the force applicator and an earth bore therearound, said piston and cylinder means lying between said anchor means and spacing them apart at all times, thereby assuring that said return fluid passage means in one anchor means is not blocked by the bore wall engaging means of the other anchor means when said mandrel moves relative to said cylinder.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 9, each of said anchor means including a barrel around the mandrel, means sealing between the barrel and mandrel at positions spaced apart axailly of the mandrel forming between said seals and said barrel and said mandrel a chamber, each bore wall engageable means of each of said anchor means comprising a shoe mounted in a window in the barrel of said anchor means and projectable radially outwardly by pressure fluid within the chamber of said anchor means, said force applicator further including a manifold connected to the outer end of said mandrel anchor means providing means to connect the force applicator to means for separately supplying pressure fluid to each of said anchor means, the piston and cylinder means on both sides of said piston, and to a drilling machine connected to the inner end of said force applicator.

Claim 14

Apparatus according to claim 10, said mandrel being also connected to the outer end of the barrel of said mandrel anchor means and providing the outermost of one of said seals between said mandrel and said mandrel anchor means.

Claim 15

Apparatus according to claim 11, said manifold including a first fluid passage connected at its inner end with the outer end of said mandrel in communication with said fluid passage means to supply pressure fluid to a drilling machine connected to said one end of the mandrel, said manifold further including a second fluid passage directly connected at its inner end with the chamber of said mandrel anchor means, said manifold further including third, fourth and fifth fluid passages connected to conduits in said mandrel leading to said cylinder anchor means and to said piston and cylinder means on opposite sides of said piston.

Claim 16

Apparatus useful in earth boring, said apparatus comprising a force applicator including a mandrel having means at one end thereof for making connection at least indirectly with a drilling machine, said one end constituting the inner end of the mandrel and the opposite end of the mandrel constituting the outer end of the mandrel, said mandrel providing means to apply force to such drilling machine when connected thereto, piston and cylinder means for applying axial force to said mandrel including a piston connected to said mandrel and a cylinder within which said piston is axially slidably disposed, cylinder anchor means for releasably anchoring said cylinder to the wall of an earth bore, spline means for preventing relative rotation of said mandrel and cylinder while allowing relative axial motion thereof, and mandrel anchor means for releasably anchoring said mandrel to the wall of an earth bore, said mandrel being tubular providing fluid passage means to supply pressure fluid from the outer end of the mandrel to a drilling machine connected to said inner end of the mandrel, each of said anchor means incluidng a barrel around the mandrel, means sealing between the barrel and mandrel at positions spaced apart axially of the mandrel forming between said seals and said barrel and said mandrel a chamber, each of said anchor means further including bore wall engageable means comprising a shoe mounted in a window in the barrel of said anchor means and projectable radially outwardly by pressure fluid with the chamber of said anchor means, said force applicator further including multipassage means for separately supplying pressure fluid to each of said anchor means and to the piston and cylinder means at each side of said piston, flexible hose means connected at one end to the outer end of said force applicator and including first, second, third, fourth, and fifth channels, the first of said five channels communicating with said fluid passage means to supply pressure fluid to a drilling machine connected to the force applicator, and said second, third, fourth and fifth channels communicating respectively via said multipassage means with said two anchor means and the piston and cylinder means on opposite sides of the piston thereof, pressure fluid supply and control means connected to the other end of said hose means for selectively supplying pressure fluid to said channels as desired, said pressure fluid supply and control means incluDing a first source of pressure fluid for supplying drilling fluid to said first channel and a second source of pressure fluid for supplying hydraulic fluid to the remainder of said channels, said pressure fluid supply and control means further including a first valve unit selectively to connect one of said second and third channels to said second source of pressure fluid and disconnect the other therefrom and a second valve unit selectively to connect one of said fourth and fifth channels to said second source of pressure fluid and disconnect the other therefrom.

Claim 17

Apparatus useful in earth boring, said apparatus comprising a force applicator including a mandrel having means at one end thereof for making connection at least indirectly with a drilling machine, said one end constituting the inner end of the mandrel and the opposite end of the mandrel constituting the outer end of the mandrel, said mandrel providing means to apply force to such drilling machine when connected thereto, piston and cylinder means for applying axial force to said mandrel including a piston connected to said mandrel and a cylinder within which said piston is axially slidably disposed, cylinder anchor means for releasably anchoring said cylinder to the wall of an earth bore, spline means for preventing relative rotation of said mandrel and cylinder while allowing relative axial motion thereof, and mandrel anchor means for releasably anchoring said mandrel to the wall of an earth bore, said mandrel being tubular providing fluid passage means to supply pressure fluid from the outer end of the mandrel to a drilling machine connected to said inner end of the mandrel, each of said anchor means incluidng a barrel around the mandrel, means sealing between the barrel and mandrel at positions spaced apart axially of the mandrel forming between said seals and said barrel and said mandrel a chamber, each of said anchor means further including bore wall engageable means comprising a shoe mounted in a window in the barrel of said anchor means and projectable radially outwardly by pressure fluid with the chamber of said anchor means, said force applicator further including multipassage means for separately supplying pressure fluid to each of said anchor means and to the piston and cylinder means at each side of said piston, flexible hose means connected at one end to the outer end of said force applicator and including first, second, third, fourth, and fifth channels, the first of said five channels communicating with said fluid passage means to supply pressure fluid to a drilling machine connected to the force applicator, and said second, third, fourth and fifth channels communicating respectively via said multipassage means with said two anchor means and the piston and cylinder means on opposite sides of the piston thereof, pressure fluid supply and control means connected to the other end of said hose means for selectively supplying pressure fluid to said channels as desired, said pressure fluid supply and control means incluDing a first source of pressure fluid for supplying drilling fluid to said first channel and a second source of pressure fluid for supplying hydraulic fluid to the remainder of said channels, said pressure fluid supply and control means further including a first valve unit selectively to connect one of said second and third channels to said second source of pressure fluid and disconnect the other therefrom and a second valve unit selectively to connect one of said fourth and fifth channels to said second source of pressure fluid and disconnect the other therefrom.

Claim 18

Apparatus according to claim 13, said pressure fluid supply and control means including means independently to regulate the pressure of fluid supplied to each of said fourth and fifth channels.

Claim 19

Apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said first valve is a three position valve in a center position of which both of said second and third channels are connected to said second source of pressure fluid thereby to insure that shifting the condition of the apparatus from that in which an anchor means is set to that in which the other anchor means is set, one of said anchor means is always set.

Claim 20

Apparatus useful in earth boring including a force applicator comprising a tubular mandrel, a cylinder around the outside of the mandrel, a piston affixed to the mandrel slidable in the cylinder, two barrels around the mandrel, one barrel being connected at one end to one end of the cylinder, the other barrel being connected at one end to the mandrel at the opposite end of said cylinder from said first barrel, spline means connecting said mandrel and cylinder, hydraulically actuatable shoes carried by each barrel, first conduit means inside said mandrel extending from a port in said mandrel inside said first barrel through said cylinder and second barrel to the end of said mandrel, second conduit means extendng inside said mandrel from said end of the mandrel to a port in the mandrel communicating with said cylinder on one side of said piston, third conduit means extending inside said mandrel to a port in the mandrel communicating with said cylinder on the other side of said piston, the mandrel being otherwise clear of conduits leaving a passage means therethrough for communication with a drilling machine when connected to the other end of the mandrel, and passage means communicating with the interior of said second barrel.

Claim 21

Apparatus useful in earth boring including a force applicator comprising a tubular mandrel, a cylinder around the outside of the mandrel, a piston affixed to the mandrel slidable in the cylinder, two barrels around the mandrel, one barrel being connected at one end to one end of the cylinder, the other barrel being connected at one end to the mandrel at the opposite end of said cylinder from said first barrel, spline means connecting said mandrel and cylinder, hydraulically actuatable shoes carried by each barrel, first conduit means inside said mandrel extending from a port in said mandrel inside said first barrel through said cylinder and second barrel to the end of said mandrel, second conduit means extendng inside said mandrel from said end of the mandrel to a port in the mandrel communicating with said cylinder on one side of said piston, third conduit means extending inside said mandrel to a port in the mandrel communicating with said cylinder on the other side of said piston, the mandrel being otherwise clear of conduits leaving a passage means therethrough for communication with a drilling machine when connected to the other end of the mandrel, and passage means communicating with the interior of said second barrel.

Claim 22

Apparatus according to claim 16 including a manifold connected to the first said end of the mandrel for connecting multipasage hose means to the three conduits in the mandrel and said passage means in the mandrel and said passage means communicating with the interior of the second barrel, said manifold also providing means by which said second barrel is connected to the mandrel as aforesaid, and said passage means communicating with the interior of said second barrel being formed in said manifold.

Claim 23

Apparatus useful in earth boring including a mandrel, a bore around the outside of the mandrel, a manifold which at one end provides means mechanically connecting one end of the barrel to one end of the mandrel, hydraulically extendable bore wall engaging means carried by the barrel, first fluid passage means through the manifold connecting the space inside the barrel outside the mandrel with the other end of the manifold, second fluid passage means through the manifold connecting the interior of the mandrel with said other end of the manifold, and means at said other end of the manifold for connecting said fluid passage means with a flexible hose bundle.

Claim 24

Apparatus useful in earth boring including a mandrel, a bore around the outside of the mandrel, a manifold which at one end provides means mechanically connecting one end of the barrel to one end of the mandrel, hydraulically extendable bore wall engaging means carried by the barrel, first fluid passage means through the manifold connecting the space inside the barrel outside the mandrel with the other end of the manifold, second fluid passage means through the manifold connecting the interior of the mandrel with said other end of the manifold, and means at said other end of the manifold for connecting said fluid passage means with a flexible hose bundle.