Remotely actuated device for surveying underground strata

Claim 5

A device according to claim 1, wherein said plug means includes a substantially spherical element, a rotatable shaft means for mounting said spherical element in close proximity to said crown-shaped drill bit, said shaft being rotatable about a rotation axis substantially perpendicular to the axis of said tubular body, said rotation axis passing substantially through the center of said substantially spherical element, said central opening including a bore extending perpendicular to said rotation axis, said bore having a diameter at least equal to the internal diameter of said crown-shaped drill bit, said bore in said second position being coaxial to said tubular body, said spherical element being provided with cutting means on an external wall thereof for destroying the core formed in said central opening when said plug means is in said first position.

Claim 6

A device according to claim 1, wherein said means for surveying the ground formations further includes a core barrel, and wherein said plug means in said second position permits the formation of a core within said central opening.

Claim 7

A device according to claim 4, wherein means are provided for displacably mounting said core barrel within said tubular body between a first position and a second position, said first position corresponding to the drilling conditions with the lower end of said core barrel spaced from said plug means, said position corresponding to the coring conditions with said core barrel displaced toward said plug means.

Claim 8

A device according to claim 5, wherein said plug means includes a substantially spherical element including an internal bore, and wherein said core barrel includes an internal bore, said last-mentioned bore in said second position of said core barrel being in close extension of said bore of said spherical element.

Claim 9

A device according to claim 5, wherein said plug means includes a substantially spherical element having an internal bore, and wherein said last-mentioned bore has a diameter at least equal to the external diameter of the lower portion of said core barrel, the lower end of said core barrel in said second position thereof penetrating said bore of said substantially spherical element and coming to a position in close proximity to said central opening.

Claim 10

A device according to claim 5, wherein said means for displaceably mounting said core barrel includes resilient means for suspending said core barrel inside said tubular body, and wherein means for locking said core barrel in a coring position are provided, said locking means being releasable by changing the rotational speed of the device and subsequently modifying the pressure of the flushing fluid.

Claim 11

A device according to claim 8, wherein at least one radial slot and an annular groove are provided, one of said slot and said annular groove being carried on said tubular body and the other being solid with said core-barrel, and wherein said means for locking said core-barrel in coring position includes at least one cotter-pin disposed in said radial slot.

Claim 12

A device according to claim 9, further comprising means for displacing said cotter-pin in said groove when said core barrel is in coring position.

Claim 13

A device according to claim 10, wherein a control rod is provided and wherein said means for displacing said cotter-pin includes a conical shoulder provided on said control rod.

Claim 14

A device according to claim 11, wherein a piston is provided, said control rod being solid with said piston, and wherein resilient means for suspending said piston is provided interposed between said tubular body and said piston, said piston being displaceable by the action of the flushing fluid pressure to release said core-barrel from its coring position.

Claim 15

A device according to claim 12, further comprising an articulated shutter for protecting said piston against the action of the fluid pressure when the flushing fluid is circulated and before the rotation of the device.

Claim 16

A device according to claim 13, wherein a small mass solid with said shutter is provided for driving said shutter about its articulation axis as a result of the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the device preceeding the pressurization of the flushing fluid.

Claim 17

A device according to claim 5, further comprising remotely controlled means for imparting to said core-barrel successive axial displacements and rotations relative to said tubualr body.

Claim 18

A device according to claim 15, wherein said means for actuating said plug means includes at least one toothed conical pinion provided on said rotatably mounted shaft, a toothed crown cooperating with said pinion for driving said shaft in rotation, a tubular element solid with said crown, said tubular element being disposed inside of and coaxial with said tubular body with respect to which it is rotatable, and means for selectively connecting said tubular element with said core barrel to permit selective rotation of said tubular element therewith.

Claim 19

A device according to claim 16, wherein said connecting means includes longitudinal grooves provided on said core barrel and longitudianl corrugations provided on said tubular element, said grooves and said corrugations being disposed substantially parallel to the axis of said tubular body.

Claim 20

A device according to claim 16, wherein said remotely controlled means includes a discharge ring having an internal bore solid with said tubular body, said discharge ring defining with the bore of said tubular body an annular space, duct means provided at the upper part of said discharge ring for selectively communicating said annular space with the internal bore of said tubular body, and at least one orifice arranged through the wall of said discharge ring at the upper portion thereof for selectively communicating said annular space with the internal bore of said discharge ring, a distributor member having a bore therein solid with said core barrel, means for displaceably mounting said member in the bore of said discharge ring, at least one bore provided at the upper portion of said distributor member along the axis of the device, said last-mentioned bore including a wall havIng at a first level at least one first orifice communicating with said annular space in the position of drilling condition, at least one second orifice at a second level above said first level and shifted with respect to the first orifice for communicating said bore with said annular space in the position of coring condition, and wherein said control means includes a control piston displaceable in said bore of said distributor member, said piston including a lateral wall, at least one first orifice provided in said lateral wall at a first level, at least one second orifice provided in said lateral wall shifted with respect to the first orifice in said lateral wall and at a second level with respect thereto, a duct arranged in the body of said control piston and opening into the upper face thereof, and wherein said remotely controlled means includes a remotely controlled member for selectively establishing communication exclusively between said duct and said first or second orifice of said control piston, said duct of said control piston, said first orifice of said control piston and said orifice of the discharge ring being simultaneously in communication only in the position of drilling condition, said duct of the control piston, said second orifice of the control piston and said orifice of the discharge ring being simultaneously in communication only in the position of coring condition, resilient means interposed between said control piston and said distributor member, means for sequentially connecting in rotation said control piston to said distributor member and wherein said guiding means includes a member for guiding said control piston.

Claim 21

A device according to claim 18, wherein said remotely controlled member includes a flap valve means for establishing a communication exclusively between said duct of said control piston and said first orifice of said control piston, said flap valve means being displaceable from a first position to a second position by the effect of the centrifugal force resulting from the rotation of the device occurring before the increase in pressure of the flushing fluid.

Claim 22

A device according to claim 12, wherein said sequentially connecting means includes teeth carried by said control piston and said distributor member, said teeth selectively meshing with one another when, under the action of the flushing fluid pressure, said piston moves to a position closer to said distributor member against the bias of said resilient means interposed between said piston and said distributor member.

Claim 23

A device according to claim 18, wherein said guiding member includes a closed guiding path, at least one guiding finger displaceable along said guiding path, at least one of said guiding finger and said guiding path being solid with said tubular body and the other being solid with said control piston.

Claim 24

A device according to claim 21, wherein said guiding member consists of a guiding ring solid with said tubular member and disposed in the bore thereof, said guiding ring including a slot defining said guiding path, said guiding finger being solid with said control piston, and wherein a resilient means is interposed between said tubular body and said core barrel, said slot being formed of successive portions with said guiding finger being guided therealong by predetermined variations in the pressure of the flushing fluid, said successive portions including at least: a first portion imparting to said control piston, when the flushing fluid pressure is increased up to a first value, a vertical displacement from a first value corresponding to drilling conditions of the device, to a second level below said first level with said control piston being connected with said distributor member through said connecting means, a second portion imparting to said control piston, when the flushing fluid pressure is increased up to a second value greater than said first value, a rotational movement with a simultaneous vertical displacement from said second level to a third level below said second level said rotational movement and said vertical movement being imparted through said means connecting said core barrel to said distributor member, the rotational movement being imparted through said actuating means to said spherical element to rotate the same by 90* about its axis to a position corresponding to coring conditions; a third portion imparting to said control piston a vertical movement from said third level to a fourth level below said third level when the flushing fluid pressure is increased from said second value to a third value greater than said second value, and a vertical movement from said fourth level to said second level, when the flushing fluid pressure is reduced from said third value to said first value under the action of said resilient means interposed between said tubular body and said core barrel; a fourth portion imparting to said control piston, in the absence of a flushing fluid pressure and by the action of said resilient means interposed between said piston and said distributor member, a rotational together with a vertical displacement from said second level to said first level; a sixth portion imparting to said control piston, when the flushing fluid pressure is increased up to said second value, a rotational movement together with a vertical displacement from said second level to said third level, said rotational movement being imparted through said connecting means by said distributor member and said actuating means to said spherical element to rotate the same by 90* about its axis to a position of drilling conditions; a seventh portion imparting to said control piston, when the flushing fluid pressure is decreased from said second value to said first value and by the action of said resilient means interposed between said tubular body and said core-barrel, a vertical displacement from said third level to said secon level; and an eighth portion imparting to said control piston, in the absence of a flushing fluid pressure and by the action of said resilient means interposed between said piston and said distributor member, a rotational movement together with a vertical displacement from said second level to said first level whereby the device is placed in the drilling condition.

Claim 25

A device according to claim 21, wherein a tubular extension member is provided, and wherein said core-barrel is disposed in said tubular extension member, and wherein bearing means are provided for fixing said tubular extension member to said distributor member and for permitting the relative rotation of the core-barrel with respect to said extension member.