Portable earth boring machine

Claim 2

In an earth boring apparatus of the type that forms horizontal holes and pushes sections of casing into said holes, the combination of casing means comprising a lead casing section provided with a plurality of side openings; bearing means mounted in said lead casing section; a rock head mounting shaft journaled in said bearing means; a rock drilling head mounted on the forward end of said mounting shaft; a wedging means radially moveably mounted at each of said side openings and extendable outwardly therefrom; wedge driving means for said wedging means for extending and retracting said wedging means against and away from the rock surrounding said lead casing section; sensing means for progressive extension into the earth fill; gauge means for location adjacent the earth fill and connected to the sensing means, said gauge means including read-out indicia for informing the operator of grade deviations of the sensing means; and automatic control means for energizing said wedge driving means responsive to sensing of a deviation in grade by said sensing means.

Claim 3

The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said wedge driving means comprises a fluid motor.

Claim 4

In an earth boring apparatus of the type that forms horizontal holes and pushes sections of casing into said holes, the combination of casing means comprising a lead casing section provided with a plurality of side openings; bearing means mounted in said lead casing section; a rock head mounting shaft journaled in said bearing means; a rock drilling head mounted on the forward end of said mounting shaft; a wedging means radially moveably mounted at each of said side openings and extendable outwardly therefrom; wedge driving means for said wedging means for extending and retracting said wedging means against and away from the rock surrounding said lead casing section; sensing means for progressive extension into the earth fill and including a fluid passage for establishing a fluid level corresponding with grade deviations of the progression into the earth fill; gauge means for observation by the boring machine operator and including a gauge tube communicating with said fluid passage and containing a fluid, said gauge tube being provided with indicia, the level of the fluid in said gauge tube corresponding with said fluid level in said sensing means; and automatic control means for energizing said wedge driving means responsive to deviations in said fluid level.

Claim 5

In an earth boring apparatus of the type that forms horizontal holes and pushes sections of casing into said holes, the combination of casing means comprising a lead casing section provided with a plurality of side openings; bearing means mounted in said lead casing section; a rock head mounting shaft journaled in said bearing means; a rock drilling head mounted on the forward end of said mounting shaft; a wedging means radially moveably mounted at each of said side openings and extendable outwardly therefrom; wedge driving means for said wedging means for extending and retracting said wedging means against and away from the rock surrounding said lead casing section; sensing means for progressive extension into the earth fill and including a fluid passage for establishing a fluid level corresponding with grade deviations of the progression into the earth fill; gauge means for observation by the boring machine operator and including a gauge tube communicating with said fluid passage and containing a fluid, said gauge tube being provided with indicia, the level of the fluid in said gauge tube corresponding with said fluid level in said sensing means; and automatic control means for energizing said wedge driving means responsive to deviations in said fluid level.

Claim 6

The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein said automatic control means includes a level control rod emersed in said fluid; and water level sensors on said control rod for sensing changes in water level caused by grade deviation of the lead casing section with respect to a preselected zero reference line.

Claim 7

The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein said automatic control means includes sensing means emersed in said fluid, said sensing means comprising a lower sensor that senses downward movement of the fluid level in said gauge tube; a middle sensor that senses upward movement of said fluid level; and an upper sensor that senses a fluid level high enough for the grade indicating system to settle out for a reading.

Claim 8

In an earth boring apparatus of the type that forms horizontal holes and pushes sections of casing into said holes, the combination of casing means comprising a lead casing section; bearing means mounted in said lead casing section; a rock head mounting shaft journaled in said bearing means; a rock drilling head mounted on the forward end of said mounting shaft; wedging means on said lead casing section and including a moveably mounted wedging element laterally extendable and retractable relative to said casing section; a fluid motor for driving said wedging element; means forming a source of pressurized fluid in circuit with said fluid motor; motor control valve means for the flow of pressurized fluid in said fluid circuit; sensing means for progressive extension into the earth fill and including a fluid passage for establishing a fluid level corresponding with grade deviations of the progression into the earth fill; gauge means for observation by the boring machine operator and including a gauge tube communicating with said fluid passage and containing a fluid, said gauge tube being provided with indicia, the level of the fluid in said gauge tube corresponding with said fluid level in said sensing means; and automatic control means for operating said motor control valve means responsive to deviations in said fluid level.

Claim 9

In an earth boring apparatus of the type that forms horizontal holes and pushes sections of casing into said holes, the combination of casing means comprising a lead casing section; bearing means mounted in said lead casing section; a rock head mounting shaft journaled in said bearing means; a rock drilling head mounted on the forward end of said mounting shaft; wedging means on said lead casing section and including a moveably mounted wedging element laterally extendable and retractable relative to said casing section; a fluid motor for driving said wedging element; means forming a source of pressurized fluid in circuit with said fluid motor; motor control valve means for the flow of pressurized fluid in said fluid circuit; sensing means for progressive extension into the earth fill and including a fluid passage for establishing a fluid level corresponding with grade deviations of the progression into the earth fill; gauge means for observation by the boring machine operator and including a gauge tube communicating with said fluid passage and containing a fluid, said gauge tube being provided with indicia, the level of the fluid in said gauge tube corresponding with said fluid level in said sensing means; and automatic control means for operating said motor control valve means responsive to deviations in said fluid level.

Claim 10

The apparatus defined in claim 6 wherein said automatic control means includes a level control rod emersed in said fluid; and water level sensors on said control rod for sensing changes in water level caused by grade deviation of the lead casing section with respect to a preselected zero reference line.

Claim 11

The apparatus defined in claim 7 wherein said automatic control means includes sensing means emersed in said fluid, said sensing means comprising a lower sensor that senses downward movement of the fluid level in said gauge tube; a middle sensor that senses upward movement of said fluid level; and an upper sensor that senses a fluid level high enough for the grade indicating system to settle out for a reading.