Non-Circular Conduit Bundle Puller for Secure HDD Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing conduit pulling systems struggle to securely attach and pull bundles of multiple small plastic pipes or micro-ducts, especially due to friction within the drilled hole and improper attachment, leading to installation delays and improper placement.
Innovation Solution
A pulling device with a non-circular interior pocket that matches the exterior shape of the conduit bundle, combined with fasteners that intersect the conduits, providing a secure and strong connection to the bundle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional pullers are used to grip conduits from the inside, then the pulling system can be simple in structure, but the attachment reliability is insufficient for multiple micro-duct bundles
Solution Approach 1:
The pulling device incorporates an interior pocket with a non-circular profile that receives and nests the bundle of conduits, creating a nested structure where the pocket contains the conduits and the fasteners penetrate through the pocket to secure the conduits. This nesting approach provides reliable attachment for multiple micro-duct bundles while maintaining a compact device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The pulling device is pre-configured with a non-circular interior pocket profile that matches the exterior shape of the conduit bundle before the pulling operation begins. This preliminary shaping ensures proper engagement and rotational constraint is established in advance, improving attachment reliability without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms during operation.
2Reliability
If conventional circular pulling devices are used, then the device design is simple, but they cannot properly constrain non-circular conduit bundles
Solution Approach 1:
The pulling device features a non-circular interior pocket profile that is asymmetric in shape to match the non-circular exterior profile of the conduit bundle. This asymmetric design provides proper rotational constraint and secure engagement for the bundle, while the manufacturing process uses standard forming techniques that can accommodate non-circular cross-sections without significantly increasing complexity.
3Strength
If fasteners are driven through the pulling device to intersect conduits, then the connection strength is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pulling device incorporates multiple apertures positioned at different locations and angles around the perimeter, allowing multiple fasteners to be driven through the device to intersect different conduits within the bundle. This segmentation approach distributes the connection strength across multiple attachment points, securing the bundle effectively while using simple, individual fastener components.
Solution Approach 2:
The fasteners are driven through the pulling device at various angles (between positive and negative 60 degrees from normal relative to the central axis), utilizing three-dimensional spatial arrangement to achieve secure intersection with multiple conduits. This angular diversity in fastener orientation provides strong multi-directional constraint without requiring complex mechanical structures.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure describes a pulling device that is used to attach to a non-circular bundle of conduits during installation of micro-duct bundles using horizontal directional drilling (HDD). According to some embodiments, the pulling device includes an interior pocket at a distal end to receive one end of the bundle of conduits and is shaped to constrain a rotational orientation of the bundle of conduits within the pulling device. Additionally, the pulling device includes a pulling eye configured to provide for the pulling device to be pulled through a bore hole in order to be installed underground. The pulling device includes one or more apertures on the exterior surface that receive a fastener to attach the bundle of conduits for pulling through the bore hole.