Underground boring machine employing navigation sensor and adjustable steering
AssigneeVermeer Manufacturing Company
InventorsKevin L. Alft, Gregory W. Draper, Hans Kelpe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An excavation system includes a cutting tool coupled to a drill pipe, an adjustable steering mechanism provided on or in the cutting tool, and a driving apparatus coupled to the drill pipe for moving the cutting tool along an underground path. The system further includes a navigation sensor system and a controller. The controller produces a control signal to adjust one or both of the steering mechanism and the driving apparatus for directing the cutting tool along the underground path in accordance with one or both of position information and orientation information produced by the navigation sensor system.
Claims33
An excavation system, comprising:
- a cutting tool coupled to a drill pipe;
- an adjustable steering mechanism provided on or in the cutting tool;
- a driving apparatus coupled to the drill pipe for moving the cutting tool along an underground path;
- a navigation sensor system;
- and
- a controller, the controller producing a control signal to adjust the steering mechanism for directing the cutting tool along the underground path in accordance with one or both of position information and orientation information produced by the navigation sensor system.
An excavation system, comprising:
- a cutting tool coupled to a drill pipe;
- an adjustable steering mechanism provided on or in the cutting tool;
- a driving apparatus coupled to the drill pipe for moving the cutting tool along an underground path;
- a navigation sensor system comprising an above-ground receiver, and a transmitter and gyroscope respectively provided in the cutting tool, the navigation sensor system generating a position signal and an orientation signal;
- and
- a controller, the controller producing a control signal to control the driving apparatus in response to one or both of position information and orientation information produced by the navigation sensor system.
An excavation system, comprising:
- a cutting tool coupled to a drill pipe;
- an adjustable steering mechanism provided on or in the cutting tool;
- a driving apparatus coupled to the drill pipe for moving the cutting tool along an underground path;
- a navigation sensor system;
- and
- a controller, the controller producing a control signal to adjust the driving apparatus for directing the cutting tool along the underground path in accordance with one or both of position information and orientation information produced by the navigation sensor system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.