Directional drilling machine and method of directional drilling
US6357537B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 15, 2000 |
| Grant date | Mar 19, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 15, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC E)Fixed Constructions
- CPC primaryE21B44/02
- WIPO fieldCivil engineering
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
A horizontal drilling machine for directionally drilling a drill string into the ground. The drill string includes a plurality of elongated members threaded together in an end-to-end relationship. The drilling machine includes a track, a rotational driver mounted on the track, and a thrust mechanism for propelling the rotational driver along the track. The rotational driver is used to rotate the drill string in forward and reverse directions about a longitudinal axis of the drill string. The drill string is rotated in the forward direction to thread the elongated members together, and rotated in the reverse direction to unthread the elongated members from one another. The drilling machine also includes a reverse torque limiter that prevents the rotational driver from applying a reverse torque to the drill string that exceeds a reverse torque limit. The reverse torque limit is less than a maximum reverse torque that can be generated by the rotational driver when the reverse torque limiter is deactivated.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.