Boring or penetrating the earth – Boring without earth removal
Patent
1975-10-14
1978-06-20
Purser, Ernest R.
Boring or penetrating the earth
Boring without earth removal
175 94, 175 73, 299 31, E21B 1102, E21B 106
Patent
active
040956555
ABSTRACT:
A method and apparatus for applying lateral thrust for moving a member, especially for applying lateral thrust to an earth penetrating device. A tubular mandrel of fixed length has four generally toroidal force cells disposed thereon, two laterally expandable force cells having a substantially constant radial dimension, the sum of the lateral dimensions of the lateral force cells always being the same, and two radially expandable force cells having a substantially constant lateral dimension. By alternately expanding and contracting the cells the mandrel is moved laterally. The radial cells engage the walls of a borehole during earth penetration to anchor themselves thereto when expanded. Any type of earth penetrating device may be placed in front of the lateral thrust applying unit, such as a drill bit or a compacting device. Adjacent lateral thrust applying units may be connected together by apparatus for allowing parallel or non-parallel orientation between adjacent units to provide for steering during earth penetration. The compacting device may take the form of a sharpened tip movable with respect to a conical rigid member having a plurality of inflatable cells of increasing diameter disposed thereon. Individual lateral cells of the lateral thrust applying unit may take the form of a piston disposed with clearance in a cylinder, and a flexible baglike membrane of a diameter smaller than or equal to that of the piston engaging the piston and cylinder, enough pressure always being supplied to the membrane to maintain it in tension.
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patent: 3853186 (1974-12-01), Dahl et al.
patent: 3881776 (1975-05-01), Fashbaugh et al.
Favreau Richard E.
Purser Ernest R.
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