Signals and indicators – Indicators – By location
Patent
1999-03-02
2000-10-03
Gutierrez, Diego
Signals and indicators
Indicators
By location
116211, 16625012, 175 42, G01D 2100, E21B 704
Patent
active
061257869
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a system and apparatus for providing a visual indication around a pipe, conduit or cable laid in the ground to provide a service, where the pipe or conduit is laid by the directional drilling technique.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Pipes or conduits laid in the ground to provide a service are laid by either of two methods, the open trench method or the directional drilling method.
In open trench method, an open trench is excavated by mechanical machines. The appropriate conduit or pipe is laid in the trench and the trench is backfilled with the excavated soil up to the original level. It is common practice when backfilling the trench to lay a coloured plastic marker tape during the backfilling at some point in the ground above the conduit or pipe. This provides an early warning during any excavation directly over the conduit or pipe, whether this be by manual or machine excavation. The plastic may vary in colour, for example, red for electricity, blue for water, yellow for gas.
However in directional drilling method, a generally horizontal hole is bored in the ground by a drill head guided under the surface of the ground, roadway, footpath or other area from a point of entry to a point of exit without disturbing the surface of the ground there-between. Thus in this method, the coloured marker tape which is normally present in the open trench method is no longer present to provide a warning in the event of later excavation. Thus, up to the present time there is the risk that pipes or conduits laid by the directional drilling method can be damaged during later excavation.
Thus it is an object of this invention to provide an indication in the ground of the presence of a pipe or conduit laid in a hole bored by the directional drilling method.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a visual indication in the ground in the vicinity of a pipe or conduit by a distinctive colour surrounding the pipe or conduit.
A further object of the invention is to provide a method of providing a distinctive colour around or about the pipe or conduit in the soil.
Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus which provides a distinctive colour about the pipe or conduit in the soil.
Also it is an object of the invention to introduce the colour to the borehole fluid or mud during the drilling operation.
Furthermore it is an object of the invention to introduce the desired colour into the borehole during either the pilot bore stage or the back reaming stage, or during both the pilot bore stage and the back reaming stage.
BRIEF STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION
Thus there is provided according to the invention a method of providing a visual indication of a pipe or conduit in the ground by providing a visual discolouration of drilling mud and/or soil about the pipe or conduit.
Also there is provided according to the invention a method of providing a visual indication of the presence of a pipe or conduit installed in a bore hole provided by the direct drilling method, comprising the step of providing a distinctive colour to the drilling mud during the boring operation.
In another aspect, the invention comprises the step of providing the visual indication to the bore hole during the back reaming of the bore hole whereby the colour is added and mixed to the cut material during the back reaming operation.
Also there is provided according to the invention a reaming tool having cutting blades orientated on the reaming tool to transfer the cut material behind the reaming tool.
Preferably the angled blades have rearwardly directed holes or nozzles to direct fluid containing the coloured medium into the removed material.
In another preferred form of the invention there is provided a mixing tool positioned behind the cutting blades to mix the coloured fluid medium with the removed material to ensure a substantial colour dispersion in the cut material.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In order to more fully describe the invention reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:
F
REFERENCES:
patent: 3523515 (1970-08-01), Brown
patent: 3533243 (1970-10-01), Suydam
patent: 3581703 (1971-06-01), Hosack
patent: 3633533 (1972-01-01), Allen et al.
patent: 4447340 (1984-05-01), FeJean-Jacques
patent: 4699838 (1987-10-01), Gilbert
patent: 5044303 (1991-09-01), Culver
Jarmyn Gary Wayne
Schutz Robert
Gutierrez Diego
Jarmyn Gary Wayne
LandOfFree
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