Rotating push rod boring system

A rotator for a push rod apparatus having a carriage which is stroked forwards and rearwards for cyclically moving a plurality of push rods into the ground in front of the carriage and along an axis, the rotator comprising:

• (a) a swivel supported by the carriage and having a rotating sleeve and an axis sized to freely pass the push rods;
• (b) unidirectional gripping means for alternately gripping and releasing the rod as the carriage stokes and which is supported axially in-line with and rotationally from the sleeve so that as the carriage reciprocates the gripping means cycles the push rods unidirectionally;
• (c) a torsion member which is supported by and rotatable with the sleeve, the torsion member having an axis for freely passing the push rods and having two or more pins extending perpendicularly therefrom;
• (d) a tubular conduit located and extending concentrically about the torsion member, the conduit having or more helical slots which correspond in number to and guide the torsion member's pins;
• and
• (e) means for restraining axial and rotational movement of the conduit when the carriage is reciprocated so that the torsion member is urged to rotate in order for its pins to follow the slots and thereby also cause the sleeve, gripping means and rods to rotate.