Back to results
US 10,648,251 B2Granted
Directional drill stem rod loader and method
AssigneeTT Technologies, Inc.
InventorJohn A. Olander
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A directional drill stem loader and associated methods are shown. In one example, the drill stem loader operates in a linear motion. In one example, a drill stem gripper is configured to move the completely to one side of a drill stem during a retraction operation.
Claims16
A directional drill stem loader, comprising:
- a drill stem magazine;
- a linear actuator:
- a drill stem vice;
- and
- a drill stem gripper coupled to the linear actuator, wherein the drill stem gripper is adapted to hold a drill stem within a substantially vertical linear range of motion;
- wherein a first end of the substantial vertical linear range of motion is directly beneath a dispensing port of the drill stem magazine, and a second end of the substantially vertical linear range of motion is within gripping jaws of the drill stem vice.
3 more elements
A directional drill, comprising:
- a drill head mounted to a carriage frame along a movable track;
- a power supply coupled to the drill head;
- a directional drill stem loader, including:
- a drill stem magazine;
- a linear actuator;
- a drill stem vice;
- and
- a drill stem gripper coupled to the linear actuator, wherein the drill stem gripper is adapted to hold a drill stem within a substantially vertical linear range of motion;
- wherein a first end of the substantially vertical linear range of motion is directly beneath a dispensing port of the drill stem magazine, and a second end of the substantially vertical linear range of motion is within gripping jaws of the drill stem vice.
6 more elements
A method of drill stern loading, comprising:
- actuating a gripping device to grip a drill stem at a dispensing port of a drill stem magazine;
- moving the drill stem along a substantially vertical single linear range of motion directly from the dispensing port into gripping jaws of a drill stem vice;
- gripping the drill stem with the drill stem vice;
- and
- releasing the gripping device from the drill stem, and retracting the gripping device to the dispensing port of the drill stem magazine.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.