Pipe pushing apparatus

Claim 2

Apparatus for driving a pipe through the ground, comprising: a. an elonGated base support structure having groundabutting end plates for securing said support structure against the ground; b. a pipe guide member attached to one of said end plates; c. a carriage assembly slideably mounted on said base support structure; d. a pair of opposed, confronting pipe-gripping jaws pivotally mounted to said carriage assembly for gripping a pipe therebetween, each jaw having a jaw edge with a radius of curvature greater than the distance between said jaw pivot mounting point and said jaw edge to alternately grip and release the pipe as the jaw is slightly pivoted in opposite directions, said carriage having pins in the path of pivotal movement of the jaws and positioned to prevent movement of the jaws in one direction from a rod releasing position to a rod gripping position; e. a linear force driving member, anchored at one of its ends to said base support structure, and pivotally attached at its other end to each of said pipe-gripping jaws at a point removed from said jaw pivot mounting.

Claim 3

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said linear force driving member comprises a pair of hydraulically actuated piston, each having one end anchored against said base support structure, and a second moveable end pivotally attached to respective ones of said pipe-gripping jaws at a point removed from said jaw pivot mounting.

Claim 4

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising jack means attached to said base support structure for adjusting the relative angle of inclination of said base support structure.

Claim 5

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said carriage assembly further comprises a bearing plate slideable over said base support structure surface.

Claim 6

Apparatus for driving a rod generally horizontally through the ground, comprising: a. an elongate horizontal base support structure having bulkheads at its ends to bear against the ground in one direction as the rod is driven in the opposite direction, one of said bulkheads having an opening therethrough through which the rod will be driven into or drawn from the ground, said base structure having a track extending longitudinally thereof; b. a pair of horizontal and parallel hydraulic cylinders spaced from each other to permit the rod to be laid therebetween, each of the cylinders having one of its ends attached to the base support structure and having at its other end an extensible and retractable piston rod; c. a carriage assembly adjacent said piston rods and slideably mounted on the track of said base structure for movement in a direction parallel to said piston rods; d. a pair of rod-gripping jaws opposite each other to engage and grip opposite sides of the rod, each jaw being pivotally mounted by upstanding pivot pins on the carriage assembly and having a jaw face with a curvature of a radius greater than the distance between the jaw mounting pivot and said jaw face to alternately grip and release the rod as the jaw is slightly pivoted in opposite directions, said jaw faces having transverse configurations identical to the periphery of the rod being pushed; e. means for pivotally attaching each of said piston rods to a respective rod-gripping jaw whereby to swing the jaws from their rod-releasing position into their rod gripping position on the rod with either extension or retraction movement of the piston rod and thereby move the rod with the piston rods in both extension and retraction directions; f. a pair of removable pins on the carriage assembly in position to respectively obstruct swinging of the jaws from their release position toward one gripping position of the jaws as the jaws are moved in one direction by the piston rods and thereby permit the jaws to pass along the rod without gripping the rod, the jaws being free to swing away from said pins as the piston rods are moved in the opposite direction whereby to grip and move the rod with the jaws and piston rods; and g. a rigid plate overlying said jaws and having bearing apertures receiVing the upstanding pivot pins of the jaws, the pivot pins of the jaws also protruding downwardly from the jaws into the carriage assembly, said plate accurately locating the jaws relative to each other and relative to the pipe being gripped therebetween.

Claim 7

Apparatus for driving a rod generally horizontally through the ground, comprising: a. an elongate horizontal base support structure having bulkheads at its ends to bear against the ground in one direction as the rod is driven in the opposite direction, one of said bulkheads having an opening therethrough through which the rod will be driven into or drawn from the ground, said base structure having a track extending longitudinally thereof; b. a pair of horizontal and parallel hydraulic cylinders spaced from each other to permit the rod to be laid therebetween, each of the cylinders having one of its ends attached to the base support structure and having at its other end an extensible and retractable piston rod; c. a carriage assembly adjacent said piston rods and slideably mounted on the track of said base structure for movement in a direction parallel to said piston rods; d. a pair of rod-gripping jaws opposite each other to engage and grip opposite sides of the rod, each jaw being pivotally mounted by upstanding pivot pins on the carriage assembly and having a jaw face with a curvature of a radius greater than the distance between the jaw mounting pivot and said jaw face to alternately grip and release the rod as the jaw is slightly pivoted in opposite directions, said jaw faces having transverse configurations identical to the periphery of the rod being pushed; e. means for pivotally attaching each of said piston rods to a respective rod-gripping jaw whereby to swing the jaws from their rod-releasing position into their rod gripping position on the rod with either extension or retraction movement of the piston rod and thereby move the rod with the piston rods in both extension and retraction directions; f. a pair of removable pins on the carriage assembly in position to respectively obstruct swinging of the jaws from their release position toward one gripping position of the jaws as the jaws are moved in one direction by the piston rods and thereby permit the jaws to pass along the rod without gripping the rod, the jaws being free to swing away from said pins as the piston rods are moved in the opposite direction whereby to grip and move the rod with the jaws and piston rods; and g. a rigid plate overlying said jaws and having bearing apertures receiVing the upstanding pivot pins of the jaws, the pivot pins of the jaws also protruding downwardly from the jaws into the carriage assembly, said plate accurately locating the jaws relative to each other and relative to the pipe being gripped therebetween.

Claim 8

The apparatus according to claim 5 and said pair of removable pins being alternately locatable on the carriage at opposite sides of the jaws so as to selectably prevent pivoting of the jaws in a desired direction, whereby to control the direction of driving force applied to the rod.