Pit Launch Drilling Device with Roller Carriage and Breakout Wrench
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current pit-launched horizontal directional drilling machines are cumbersome, require excessive maintenance, and suffer from high weight, size, and friction issues, limiting their operational efficiency and ease of transportation and installation.
Innovation Solution
A compact, lightweight pit launch directional drilling device with a hydraulic rotary drive unit, linear actuator, and dual ball bearing system for reduced friction and vibration, along with an integrated wrench collar and breakout wrench for easy drill stem joint management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If traditional pit launch drilling machines are used, then drilling functionality is achieved, but weight and size become excessive making transportation and installation cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into a stationary frame component and a moveable carriage component that can be independently handled. The carriage can be removed and transported separately from the frame, allowing the heavy components to be managed in smaller, more manageable sections that are easier to transport and install.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent reconfigures the device layout to optimize the spatial arrangement of heavy components. By carefully positioning the carriage and frame elements to utilize vertical and lateral space efficiently, the overall footprint is reduced while maintaining structural integrity, making the device more compact for transportation.
2Force
If traditional glide systems are used, then the drive mechanism can move along the frame, but friction becomes excessive reducing thrust and pullback efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The traditional glide system is replaced with a roller-based mechanical system. Rollers are introduced between the carriage and frame to convert sliding friction into rolling friction, dramatically reducing the coefficient of friction and energy loss, thereby improving thrust and pullback efficiency.
3Reliability
If traditional pit launch devices are used, then drilling capability is achieved, but device complexity and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The drill string retrieval function is extracted from the main drilling mechanism. A separate breakout wrench mechanism is provided that can be independently operated to crack and break drill string joints, simplifying the main drilling mechanism while providing dedicated functionality for the retrieval operation.
Solution Approach 2:
A collar mechanism is introduced as an intermediary component to facilitate drill string joint management. The collar can be positioned and secured on drill string joints, providing a mechanical interface that simplifies the cracking and breaking operations during retrieval.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are pit launched horizontal drilling devices suitable for drilling a substantially horizontal bore hole and laying pipe underground from a surface dug pit. The devices comprise a stationary frame and a carriage component competent to move forward and back along the frame and drill and retrieve an attached drill stem through an aperture in the frame, the device comprising mechanical linear actuator means for moving the carriage along said frame. The devices are compact, light-weight, easy to maneuver and suitable for utility contractor applications exhibiting on the order of about 800-15,000 lbs of push/pull force. Also disclosed herein are improved means and components for easily and quickly breaking drill stem joints, including integrated, positionable collar wrenches and breakout wrenches.