Differential pneumopercussive reversible self-propelled soil penetrating machine

A differential pneumopercussive self-propelled reversible soil penetrating machine, comprising:

• an elongated compound housing assembly, including concentrically mounted outer and inner tubes creating an essential annular space between the external surface of said inner tube and internal surface of said outer tube, front and rear guide sleeves which are mounted on the threaded ends of said inner tube and maintain the concentricity of said outer and inner tubes by means of centering surfaces, two longitudinal strips secured to the external surface of said inner tube parallel to the longitudinal axis of said inner tube dividing said annular space between said outer and inner tubes into two unequal hermetically insulated from each other longitudinal channels, the smaller of which is alternately connected with the atmosphere or connected with compressed air supply while the larger of which is always connected with the atmosphere, and means to prevent bending of said inner tube in case when said smaller channel is connected with the atmosphere;
• a rear anvil assembly disposed inside the rear part of said inner tube and rigidly secured to said inner tube in order to prevent impact loading on all components of said machine located behind said rear anvil assembly, including a rear anvil having a central longitudinal stepped hole, and means for rigidly securing said rear anvil to said inner tube;
• a moveable chisel assembly secured by said front guide sleeve to the front part of said compound housing, including a disposable front stepped anvil, an elastic link, a stepped shank slidably disposed inside front part of said inner tube and accommodating the tail part of said disposable front anvil and also carrying said elastic link, a set of dynamic resilient sealing O-rings mounted in appropriate grooves on the larger step of said shank for preventing air leakage through the front part of said inner tube, a tapered head with a spiral mounted on it for developing a torque to twist said machine during its forward mode operation in order to ensure a uniform wear of the moveable components, a disposable tapered chisel representing the front part of said machine, a threaded bushing slidably disposed inside said front guide sleeve and carrying said tapered head and also connecting said stepped shank with said disposable chisel, a resilient bellows type diaphragm located between said front guide sleeve and said tapered head for preventing soil penetration into the gaps between moveable components, a dynamic sealing O-ring mounted in the groove on the smaller step of said front guide sleeve for sealing the slide fit between said front guide sleeve and said tapered head, and means to secure the threaded connections from loosening;
• a striker assembly slidably disposed inside said inner tube for reciprocation and impacting against said rear anvil and said front anvil creating a forward stroke chamber between its rear end and front end of said rear anvil and a backward stroke chamber between its front end and rear end of said front anvil, including a striker having on both ends hollow journals, two bushings pressed on said hollow journals and having a slide fit with said inner tube, and two disposable bits pressed into said hollow journals;
• a differential air-distributing mechanism secured into the rear part of said compound housing remotely from said rear anvil providing pneumatically control of the reciprocating motion of said striker which during forward mode operation of said machine is accelerated without restriction in order to impart an impact to said front anvil and is restricted to impart a slight impact to said rear anvil and during reverse mode operation of said machine is braked to avoid an impact to said front anvil or restricted to impart a slight impact to said front anvil and is accelerated without restriction in order to impart an impact to said rear anvil, including an adjustable by a pressure regulator nominal (high) air pressure line, an adjustable by a pressure regulator reduced (low) air pressure line, a rear valve chest carrying two barbs for hoses for said air lines, a spring loaded relief valve slidably disposed inside said rear chest for connecting by an additional air passage said forward stroke chamber with the atmosphere at the backward stroke of said striker during reverse mode operation of said machine, a coil spring disposed inside said rear valve chest to push said relief valve to its extreme right position, a front valve chest assembled with said inner tube by a conical fit, a hollow stepped bushing accommodated by said rear and front valve chests and centering said rear and front valve chests, a stepped stroke control valve slidably disposed inside said front valve chest, a hollow follower slidably disposed inside said rear anvil, a coil spring disposed in longitudinal central holes of said stepped stroke control valve and said follower and simultaneously loading said stepped stoke control valve and said follower in opposite directions, a tail nut securing said differential air-distributing mechanism to said compound housing, and alignment and securing means;
• and
• a frequency sensor including a miniature air pressure transducer mounted on the rear part of said rear valve chest and connected with said forward stroke chamber by a longitudinal hole drilled in said rear and front valve chests which is generating an electrical signal corresponding to the frequency of said machine operation, electrical wires transmitting this signal to a portable electronic device which converts the signal into frequency readouts.

A differential pneumopercussive self-propelled reversible soil penetrating machine, comprising:

• an elongated compound housing assembly, including concentrically mounted outer and inner tubes creating an essential annular space between the external surface of said inner tube and internal surface of said outer tube, front and rear guide sleeves which are mounted on the threaded ends of said inner tube and maintain the concentricity of said outer and inner tubes by means of centering surfaces, two longitudinal strips secured to the external surface of said inner tube parallel to the longitudinal axis of said inner tube dividing said annular space between said outer and inner tubes into two unequal hermetically insulated from each other longitudinal channels, the smaller of which is alternately connected with the atmosphere or connected with compressed air supply while the larger of which is always connected with the atmosphere, and means to prevent bending of said inner tube in case when said smaller channel is connected with the atmosphere;
• a rear anvil assembly disposed inside the rear part of said inner tube and rigidly secured to said inner tube in order to prevent impact loading on all components of said machine located behind said rear anvil assembly, including a rear anvil having a central longitudinal stepped hole, and means for rigidly securing said rear anvil to said inner tube;
• a moveable chisel assembly secured by said front guide sleeve to the front part of said compound housing, including a disposable front stepped anvil, an elastic link, a stepped shank slidably disposed inside front part of said inner tube and accommodating the tail part of said disposable front anvil and also carrying said elastic link, a set of dynamic resilient sealing O-rings mounted in appropriate grooves on the larger step of said shank for preventing air leakage through the front part of said inner tube, a tapered head with a spiral mounted on it for developing a torque to twist said machine during its forward mode operation in order to ensure a uniform wear of the moveable components, a disposable tapered chisel representing the front part of said machine, a threaded bushing slidably disposed inside said front guide sleeve and carrying said tapered head and also connecting said stepped shank with said disposable chisel, a resilient bellows type diaphragm located between said front guide sleeve and said tapered head for preventing soil penetration into the gaps between moveable components, a dynamic sealing O-ring mounted in the groove on the smaller step of said front guide sleeve for sealing the slide fit between said front guide sleeve and said tapered head, and means to secure the threaded connections from loosening;
• a striker assembly slidably disposed inside said inner tube for reciprocation and impacting against said rear anvil and said front anvil creating a forward stroke chamber between its rear end and front end of said rear anvil and a backward stroke chamber between its front end and rear end of said front anvil, including a striker having hollow journals on both ends, two bushings pressed on said hollow journals and having a slide fit with said inner tube, and two disposable bits pressed into said hollow journals;
• a differential air-distributing mechanism secured into the rear part of said compound housing remotely from said rear anvil providing pneumatically control of the reciprocating motion of said striker which during forward mode operation of said machine is accelerated without restriction in order to impart an impact to said front anvil and is restricted to impart a slight impact to said rear anvil and during reverse mode operation of said machine is braked to avoid an impact to said front anvil or restricted to impart a slight impact to said front anvil and is accelerated without restriction in order to impart an impact to said rear anvil, including an adjustable by a pressure regulator nominal (high) air pressure line, an adjustable by a pressure regulator reduced (low) air pressure line, a rear valve chest carrying two barbs for hoses for said air lines, a spring loaded relief valve slidably disposed inside said rear chest for connecting by an additional air passage said forward stroke chamber with the atmosphere at the backward stroke of said striker during reverse mode operation of said machine, a coil spring disposed inside said rear valve chest to push said relief valve to its extreme right position, a front valve chest assembled with said inner tube by a conical fit, a hollow stepped bushing accommodated by said rear and front valve chests and centering said rear and front valve chests, a stepped stroke control valve slidably disposed inside said front valve chest, a hollow follower slidably disposed inside said rear anvil, a coil spring disposed in longitudinal central holes of said stepped stroke control valve and said follower and simultaneously loading said stepped stoke control valve and said follower in opposite directions, a tail nut securing said differential air-distributing mechanism to said compound housing, and alignment and securing means;
• a frequency sensor including a miniature air pressure transducer mounted on the rear part of said rear valve chest and connected with said forward stroke chamber by a longitudinal hole drilled in said rear and front valve chests which is generating an electrical signal corresponding to the frequency of said machine operation, electrical wires transmitting this signal to a portable electronic device which converts the signal into frequency readouts;
• and
• a directional sensor, including electrical strain-gages cemented to the internal surface of a thin-walled part of said tail nut and electrically connected to each other in order to generate an electrical signal proportional to the difference in deformation of said strain-gages, which appears when said thin-walled part of said tail nut is not uniformly deformed by compressed soil as a result of deviation of said machine from rectilinear trajectory during its operation, electrical means connecting said transducer with an electronic device which accepts the signal and converts it into appropriate readouts characterizing the curvature of the trajectory.