Tool For Use On Exit Side Of Bore An Method Of Use Thereof
AssigneeAmerican Augers, Inc.
InventorsGuy Randall, Jared Bird, Rich 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 vice and a moveable vice 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.
Claims22
A system 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 comprising:
- a vice assembly to apply a twisting force to the second end of the drill string;
- a first retainer assembly;
- and
- a second retainer assembly;
- wherein each of the first retainer assembly and the second retainer assembly are located on a first side of the vice assembly to hold a pipe section.
A tool for making up and breaking out a pipe joint on the exit side of a bore and attachable to a hydraulic machine, said tool comprising:
- a frame comprising a first end and a second end and pivotable relative to the hydraulic machine;
- a first vice assembly and a second vice assembly mounted proximate the first end of the frame each adapted to grip a pipe section on opposing sides of a pipe joint distal from an entry side of the bore:
- wherein the second vice assembly is moveable with respect to the first vice assembly;
- and
- a retainer assembly supported on the frame between the first vice assembly the second end of the frame and adapted to hold a pipe section.
A method of drilling a hole having an entry side and an exit side comprising:
- boring a hole with a horizontal directional drilling machine;
- advancing a drill string comprised of a plurality of pipe sections from the entry side of the hole to the exit side of the hole;
- placing a tool comprising a vice assembly, a roller assembly, and a retainer assembly proximate the exit side of the hole;
- adjusting the tool such that a pair of adjacent pipe sections of the drill string are within the vice assembly of the tool:
- separating the pair of adjacent pipe sections with the vice assembly;
- unthreading one of the pair of adjacent pipe sections from the drill string through operation of the roller assembly;
- and
- retaining the unthreaded pipe section in the retainer assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.