Tool for use on exit side of bore and method of use thereof
AssigneeAmerican Augers, Inc.
InventorsGuy Randall, Jared E. Bird, Richard Gentry
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tool for making up and breaking out a drill string at an exit side of a bore. The tool includes a fixed vise and a moveable vise for torqueing a pipe joint, a roller assembly for threading and unthreading adjacent sections of pipe, and a retainer assembly to retain a detached pipe section. The components of the tool are mounted on a frame, which is pivotally connected to a hydraulic machine such as an excavator. Thus, the tool may be manipulated to remove and add sections of pipe to a drill string remote from the primary horizontal directional drill.
Claims15
An apparatus for boring using a drill string, the drill string comprising a first end, a second end, and a middle portion wherein the middle portion is below a surface of the ground, the system comprising:
- a horizontal directional drilling machine located at the first end of the drill string;
- and
- a pipe handler disposed at the second end of the drill string and suspended from an arm comprising:
- a frame made of a unitary piece and pivotally attached to the arm;
- a vise assembly supported on the frame to apply a twisting force to the second end of the drill string;
- a first retainer assembly supported by the frame;
- and
- a second retainer assembly supported by the frame and substantially identical to the first retainer assembly and longitudinally separated from the first retainer assembly on the frame along an axis parallel to the drill string;
- wherein each of the first retainer assembly and the second retainer assembly are located on a first side of the vise assembly to hold a pipe section.
An apparatus for making up and breaking out a pipe joint on the exit side of a bore and attachable to a hydraulic machine comprising an arm, said apparatus comprising:
- a unitary frame comprising a first end and a second end and pivotable relative to the arm and suspended from the arm;
- a first vise assembly and a second vise assembly supported on the first end of the frame, each adapted to grip a first and a second pipe section on opposing sides of a pipe joint distal from an entry side of the bore;
- wherein the second vise assembly is moveable with respect to the first vise assembly;
- and
- a first retainer assembly supported on the frame between the first vise assembly and the second end of the frame and adapted to hold the first pipe section;
- and
- a second retainer assembly identical to the first retainer assembly supported on the frame between the first vise assembly and the first retainer assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.