Friction rock stabilizer and method for insertion thereof in an earth structure bore

Claim 1

A method of inserting a radially-contractible, friction rock stabilizer, having a given, relaxed, greatest transverse dimension, into an earth borehole having a diameter of less than said given dimension, for stabilizing the earth, comprising the steps of: radially contracting the stabilizer to a prescribed transverse dimension which is substantially equal to the borehole diameter; and forceably inserting the contracted stabilizer into the borehole; and further including the steps of forming said stabilizer with at least one, substantially annular, relieved land, in the outer surface thereof, which land has a given depth; and fixing a restraining band in said land, to retain said stabilizer in said prescribed dimension, prior to said inserting step; wherein said fixing step comprises fixing a band, in said land, which has a thickness of less than said given depth, whereby said band will avoid contact with any surface of the borehole during borehole insertion of the stabilizer.

Claim 2

A method of inserting a radially-contractible, friction rock stabilizer, having a given, relaxed, greatest transverse dimension, into an earth borehole having a diameter of less than said given dimension, for stabilizing the earth, comprising the steps of: radially contracting the stabilizer to a prescribed transverse dimension which is substantially equal to the borehole diameter; and forceably inserting the contracted stabilizer into the borehole; and further including the steps of forming said stabilizer with at least one, substantially annular, relieved land, in the outer surface thereof, which land has a given depth; and fixing a restraining band in said land, to retain said stabilizer in said prescribed dimension, prior to said inserting step; wherein said fixing step comprises fixing a band, in said land, which has a thickness of less than said given depth, whereby said band will avoid contact with any surface of the borehole during borehole insertion of the stabilizer.

Claim 6

A method of inserting a friction rock stabilizer into a bore formed in an earth structure, for stabilizing the structure, said stabilizer comprising a generally tubular body; said body having an elongate, central axis, and wall means for frictionally engaging the surface of an earth structure bore; said body further having a first, free, relaxed, transverse dimension predetermined to be larger than the transverse dimension of a bore into which it is to be inserted, and an axial length which is considerably greater than said transverse dimensions; and said body also having an axially-extended relief formed in said wall means thereof to permit said body to assume a second, constrained, transverse dimension which is substantially equal to said transverse dimension of a bore into which it is to be inserted; wherein said wall means has confronting axially-extended and spaced-apart surfaces which define said relief therebetween, and axially-extended, substantially parallel strips for: (a) receiving stabilizer-contracting forces thereat, and (b) responsive to such forces, for moving said strips relative to each other to cause contraction of said stabilizer; wherein said strips lie substantially radially, relative to said elongate axis, and extend along a substantial length of said body; and at least one of said strips projects inwardly, from said wall means, toward said axis of said body; said inserting method comprising the steps of: slidably engaging the strips with a device to cause relative movement therebetween, and a resulting contraction of the stabilizer to said second, constrained transverse dimension; inserting the contracted stabilizer into the bore; and disengaging the device to permit a release of the stabilizer from its contracted constraint.

Claim 7

A method of inserting a friction rock stabilizer into a bore formed in an earth structure, for stabilizing the structure, said stabilizer comprising a generally tubular body; said body having an elongate, central axis, and wall means for frictionally engaging the surface of an earth structure bore; said body further having a first, free, relaxed, transverse dimension predetermined to be larger than the transverse dimension of a bore into which it is to be inserted, and an axial length which is considerably greater than said transverse dimensions; and said body also having an axially-extended relief formed in said wall means thereof to permit said body to assume a second, constrained, transverse dimension which is substantially equal to said transverse dimension of a bore into which it is to be inserted; wherein said wall means has confronting axially-extended and spaced-apart surfaces which define said relief therebetween, and axially-extended, substantially parallel strips for: (a) receiving stabilizer-contracting forces thereat, and (b) responsive to such forces, for moving said strips relative to each other to cause contraction of said stabilizer; wherein said strips lie substantially radially, relative to said elongate axis, and extend along a substantial length of said body; and at least one of said strips projects inwardly, from said wall means, toward said axis of said body; said inserting method comprising the steps of: slidably engaging the strips with a device to cause relative movement therebetween, and a resulting contraction of the stabilizer to said second, constrained transverse dimension; inserting the contracted stabilizer into the bore; and disengaging the device to permit a release of the stabilizer from its contracted constraint.