Open path horizontal pipe rammer for variable pipe diameter

A machine for pushing or pulling pipe horizontally through space underground comprising:

• (a) a chassis component comprising a frame having a front and back end, said back end including a back plate having an opening for receiving a pipe to be pushed or pulled horizontally through space, and a pair of parallel, horizontally positioned piston cylinders with extendable, hydraulically controlled piston rods, and, coupled to said extendable piston rods,
• (b) a staging tray comprising an open path cradle dimensioned to receive a standard dimensioned pipe stem, said cradle comprising a plurality of slots for receiving both a positionable ram plate dimensioned to contact a free end of a cradled pipe stem, and a positionable stop plate dimensioned to straddle a said cradled pipe stem but not a coupler attached to a free end of said pipe stem,
• such that,
• when said machine front end faces the ground space through which said pipe is to be pushed through horizontally and said ram plate is in a said slot and in contact with a free end of a said cradled pipe, extension of said piston rods pushes said pipe horizontally through said ground space, and
• when said machine back end faces said ground space, a coupler is attached to a free end of a said cradled pipe stem in said staging tray and said stop plate is in a said slot, straddling said pipe stem, extension of said piston rods pulls said pipe horizontally from said ground space.