Method and apparatus for imparting a seismic pulse to the earth
AssigneeAtlantic Richfield Company
InventorClifford D. Dransfield
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for controlling the travel of a vehicle mounted seismic gas exploder adapted to deliver a downwardly directed pulse to the earth and thereafter be driven in an upward direction by the resultant reaction force. The exploder is flexibly coupled by means of a rope and pulley arrangement to the piston rod of a hydraulic cylinder. Compressed coil spring means aligned with the cylinder are released when the exploder jumps upward and apply a force to extend the piston rod and in so doing cause the rope to be retracted with gradually diminishing force. The exploder may be held at the upper limit of its travel, and its subsequent descent is utilized to recompress the spring means.
Claims22
Apparatus for controlling the travel of a seismic gas exploder of the type adapted to apply a downwardly directed pulse to the earth and which is driven upwardly by the resultant reactive force comprising:
- a. an upstanding frame within which said seismic gas exploder is adapted to move, and said frame not being unitary with said gas exploder,
- b. means connected between the top and the bottom of said frame for guiding said seismic gas exploder, said means being elastically yieldable in a transverse direction responsive to deviation of said seismic gas exploder from a selected path defined by said guiding means.
Apparatus for controlling the travel of a seismic gas exploder of the type adapted to apply a downwardly directed pulse to the earth and which is driven upwardly by the resultant reactive force comprising:
- a. an upstanding frame within which said seismic gas exploder is adapted to move,
- b. a plurality of parallel elongated guide members connected between the top and bottom of said frame and disposed laterally adjacent said seismic gas exploder, and
- c. means for slidably interconnecting said guide members with said seismic gas exploder, said guide members being elastically yieldable in a transverse direction responsive to deviation of said seismic gas exploder from a selected path defined by said guide members.
Apparatus for imparting a seismic pulse to the earth comprising:
- a. a seismic gas exploder actuable to impart a downwardly directed pulse to the earth, said seismic gas exploder being thereafter driven upwardly by the resultant reaction force;
- b. an upstanding frame within which said seismic gas exploder is adapted to travel;
- c. lifting means mounted on said frame;
- and
- d. means for flexibly coupling said seismic gas exploder to said lifting means, said lifting means being enabled by the upward movement of said seismic gas exploder so as to maintain tension on said flexible coupling means.
The method of controlling the travel of the seismic gas exploder adapted to impart a downwardly directed pulse to the earth with a resultant reaction lifting force thereon wherein the seismic gas exploder is permitted to travel freely upward and thereafter gradually descend under the control of a lifting device comprising the steps of:
- a. supporting the seismic gas exploder from said lifting device at one end of a flexible connector adapted to be retracted by means of said lifting device;
- b. actuating said lifting device by means of an energy source released by the upward movement of said seismic gas exploder to retract the flexible connector at a speed sufficient to maintain tension therein during the upward travel of said seismic gas exploder;
- and
- c. exerting the downward force of said seismic gas exploder on said flexible connector during the descent thereof to restore the source of energy for the actuation of said lifting device.
In the method of imparting a seismic pulse to the earth wherein a seismic gas exploder is allowed to rise freely subsequent to an explosion therein to the upper limit of its travel and then descend gradually to the ground and wherein said seismic gas exploder is coupled by nonrigid means to a hydraulic cylinder in which the movement of a piston is controllable to impart variable lifting force to said seismic gas exploder through said nonrigid means, the improvement comprising the steps of:
- a. actuating said seismic gas exploder to impart a seismic pulse to the earth with a resultant reaction lifting force acting thereon;
- b. applying the stored energy of spring means normally disabled by the weight of the seismic gas exploder to move said piston in one direction to maintain tension in said nonrigid means responsive to the upward movement of said seismic gas exploder and until said seismic gas exploder reaches the upper limit of its travel;
- and
- c. applying the weight of said seismic gas exploder during the descent thereof to move said piston in an opposite direction so as to restore the energy of said spring means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.