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US 6,035,950 AGranted
Method and apparatus for fluid and soil sampling
AssigneeSimulProbe Technologies, Inc.
InventorsNoah Heller, Jeffrey Barrow, Jeffrey Gamble
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sampling device includes a barrel having a downhole end, an exterior surface, an interior surface defining a hollow interior, and an open end at the downhole end of the hollow interior. A fluid entrance penetrates the exterior surface. A fluid path having an outlet port is fluidly coupled to the fluid entrance. The device is driven into a subsurface so that a soil sample is forced into the hollow interior. While the device is still in the subsurface a fluid sample is collected through the least one fluid entrance and fluid path.
Claims9
An environmental sampling device, comprising:
- a barrel including a downhole end, an interior surface defining a hollow interior configured to receive a soil sample, and an open end at the downhole end of the hollow interior;
- a drive cone assembly including a tip and an engaging member, the engaging member having a first, laterally extended, position in which it is engaged with the barrel to drivingly couple the drive cone assembly to the barrel, and a second retracted position in which the drive cone assembly is displaceable from the open end of the barrel, the engaging member releasable from the first to the second position in response to relative longitudinal movement between the barrel and the drive cone assembly.
An environmental sampling device, comprising:
- a barrel including a downhole end, an interior surface defining a hollow interior configured to receive a soil sample, and an open end at the downhole end of the hollow interior;
- a drive cone assembly including a tip and a releasing mechanism the releasing mechanism having a first position and a second position, the drive cone assembly being drivingly coupled to the barrel and covering the open end of the barrel when the releasing mechanism is in the first position, the tip and drive cone assembly being displaceable from the open end when the releasing mechanism is in the second position;
- the releasing mechanism including an engaging member resiliently carried by the drive cone assembly, the engaging member drivingly coupled to the barrel when the releasing mechanism is in the first position, the engaging portion springing to a natural, retracted, position to when the releasing mechanism is in the second position
- a drive shoe slidably coupled to the barrel, the drive shoe moveable between a driving position and a releasing position, the drive cone assembly operatively coupled to the drive shoe so that the releasing mechanism is in the first position while the drive shoe is in the driving position, the releasing mechanism moving to the second position when the drive shoe moves from the driving position to the releasing position.
1 more element
A method for collecting an environmental sample comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a barrel including a downhole end, a hollow interior configured to receive a soil sample, an open end at a downhole end of the hollow interior, and further providing a drive cone assembly having a tip and an engaging member carried by the drive cone assembly, the tip having a first position in which the engaging member is drivingly coupled to the barrel and the tip covers the open end of the barrel, and a second position in which the engaging member springs to a retracted position and the tip is displaceable from the open end;
- (b) with the engaging member drivingly coupled to the barrel, driving the downhole end into a subsurface;
- (c) altering the relative longitudinal positions of the barrel and drive cone assembly, causing the engaging member to spring from the first position to the second position;
- and
- (d) after step (c), driving the downhole end further into the subsurface so that a soil sample of the subsurface is forced through the open end and into the hollow interior.
2 more elements
A method for collecting an environmental sample comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a barrel including a downhole end, a hollow interior configured to receive a soil sample, an open end at a downhole end of the hollow interior, and further providing a drive cone assembly having a tip and an engaging member carried by the drive cone assembly, the tip having a first position in which the engaging portion is drivingly coupled to the barrel and the tip covers the open end of the barrel, and a second position in which the engaging portion springs to a retracted position and the tip is displaceable from the open end and further providing a drive shoe slidably coupled to the barrel, the drive shoe being operatively coupled to the drive cone assembly and being moveable between a driving position and a releasing position;
- (b) with the engaging portion drivingly coupled to the barrel, driving the downhole end of the sampling device into a subsurface;
- (c) causing the drive shoe to move from the driving position to the releasing position to release the engaging member from the first position to the second position, causing the engaging portion to spring from the first position to the second position;
- and
- (d) after step (c), driving the downhole end of the sampling device further into the subsurface so that a soil sample of the subsurface is forced through the open end and into the hollow interior.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.