CA2173585A1 - Direction controllable subsurface borehole tool - Google Patents

Direction controllable subsurface borehole tool

Info

Publication number
CA2173585A1
CA2173585A1 CA002173585A CA2173585A CA2173585A1 CA 2173585 A1 CA2173585 A1 CA 2173585A1 CA 002173585 A CA002173585 A CA 002173585A CA 2173585 A CA2173585 A CA 2173585A CA 2173585 A1 CA2173585 A1 CA 2173585A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
sleeve bearing
relative
subjoint
borehole
wedges
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
CA002173585A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Robert G. Hale
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of CA2173585A1 publication Critical patent/CA2173585A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • EFIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21EARTH DRILLING; MINING
    • E21BEARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B7/00Special methods or apparatus for drilling
    • E21B7/04Directional drilling
    • E21B7/06Deflecting the direction of boreholes
    • E21B7/062Deflecting the direction of boreholes the tool shaft rotating inside a non-rotating guide travelling with the shaft
    • EFIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21EARTH DRILLING; MINING
    • E21BEARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B7/00Special methods or apparatus for drilling
    • E21B7/04Directional drilling
    • E21B7/06Deflecting the direction of boreholes
    • E21B7/067Deflecting the direction of boreholes with means for locking sections of a pipe or of a guide for a shaft in angular relation, e.g. adjustable bent sub
    • EFIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21EARTH DRILLING; MINING
    • E21BEARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B7/00Special methods or apparatus for drilling
    • E21B7/20Driving or forcing casings or pipes into boreholes, e.g. sinking; Simultaneously drilling and casing boreholes

Abstract

A drilling head (12) for making a borehole (18) along a predetermined underground path is formed by a tubular body (22) having a guidable rotary drilling sub normally axially mounted in the body by means of a sleeve bearing (36) journalling a drill bit (40) equipped rotary drilling string sub joint moveable with and within the sleeve bearing for disposing the drilling bit (40) on a predetermined angle in a predetermined direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the body (22) by means of diametrically opposite superposed pairs of wedges (28-29), (30-31) interposed between respective end portions of the sleeve bearing and the inner periphery of the body.

Description

~ L 5~

WO 96t05402 PCT/US~5/06681 DIRECTION CONT~Or-T~RT-F~ SUBSURFACE BOE2h~T~OT~F~ TOOL
Te~hnical Field 1 This invention generally relates to subsurface horizontal 2 borehole drilling for installing co~mlln;cation lines such as 3 optical cables across a highway right-of-way and more 4 particularly to a direction controllable boring tool capable of 5 crossing a highway where the surface of the earth on either 6 side of the highway is substantially equal to the elevation of 7 the roadway.
8 Bach~Lo~l~d Art 9 United States patent No. 5,002,138 issued March 26, 1991 and 10 No. 5,078,218 issued January 7, 1992 to Smet for ST~
11 n~TTTTNG MOLE both disclose a down hole motor connected with a 12 steering element in turn obli~uely connected with a drill head 13 driven by a drilling motor. The motor has a part spherical 14 ball at its rearward end in a guide socket. By operating the 15 motor and turning the guide element the motor and the drill bit 16 are disposed in a desired upward or lateral direction, 17 monitored as indicated by a monitoring device rearwardly of the 18 motor.
19 United States patent No. 4,453,603 issued June 12, 1984 to 20 Voss et al for APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SELECTED PATH DRTTTTNG
21 and United States patent No. 4,993,503 issued February 19, 1991 22 to Fisher et al for HORIZONTAL BORING APPARATUS AND METHOD
23 illustrate the general state-of-the-art. The Voss patent 24 discloses hydraulic rams moving a hole forming apparatus under `f~73~8~

1 an obstruction with the small hole later enlarged as by reaming 2 for installing wiring or optical cable in which the hole may be 3 cased by a pipe forced into the large borehole. The Fisher 4 patent discloses a boring apparatus having an angle cutting 5 head which by its rotation forms a borehole substantially 6 larger than the drill string connected with a cutting head.
7 When it is desired to change the direction of the borehole the 8 rotation of the drill string is stopped and the drill bit is 9 forced into the soil and utilizes a jet stream which starts a 10 hole at an angle to the previously drilled borehole.
11 Diæclosure Of The Invention 12 A C~Si ng size sleeve-like drilling head body is axially 13 connected to the end of a length of casing to be inserted into 14 a borehole. The drill head axially supports a non-rotating 15 sleeve bearing between superposed pairs of wedges for 16 longitll~; n~l movement of the sleeve bearing in a forward 17 direction relative to the drilling head body which inclines the 18 sleeve bearing in an upward direction when moved forwardly 19 relative to the drilling head body The sleeve bearing journals the forward end portion of a 21 drill string subjoint having a drill bit at its earth 22 penetrating end of slightly greater diameter with respect to 23 the outside diameter of the drilling head body. Longitll~in~lly 24 spaced stops on the drill string limit forward and rearward 25 ~..o~.r.ellt of the sleeve bearing relative to the drilling head 26 body. The drill bit may be oriented in an upward direction by 27 interrupting forward movement of the casing and moving the 28 drill string and drill bit forwardly relative to the casing in 29 which moveable wedges moving longitll~; n~l ly relative to 30 stationary wedges tilts the forward end of the drilling head 31 body in an upwardly inclined direction.
32 Brief DeæcriPtion Of The Drawinaæ
33 Figure 1 is a diagrammatic cross sectional view of highway 34 right-of-way illustrating the boring tool in operative 3S position;
36 Figure 2 is a fragmentary longit~ n~ l cross sectional view 37 of the boring tool to a larger scale;
38 Figure 3 is a vertical cross sectional view taken substan-39 tially along the line 3---3 of Fig. 2; and, ~ 2:~73~85 WO~GI~5402 PCT~S95/06681 1 Figure 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating the drill 2 bit portion of the tool oriented in an upward direction.
3 Be~t Mode For CarrYin~ Out The Invention 4 The reference numeral lo indicates a highway right-of-way 5 under which the tubular boring tool 12 has formed a borehole 18 6 by its forward rotating bit 40 being pushed by a continuous 7 length of pipe 16 into the borehole below the surface of the 8 earth 20.
9 The borehole tool 12 is formed by an outer sleeve or tubular 10 body 22 having a predeterminded length, for example, 12 inches 11 (30.48 cm) and a diameter 3~ to 4 (8.89 to 10.16 cm) inches.
12 A pair of wall plates 24 substantially coextensive with the 13 sleeve 22 are disposed in spaced apart parallel relation and 14 secured to the inner surface of the body 22 for guiding a box 15 channel 26 in longitll~;n~l sliding movement relative to the 16 body 22, as presently explained.
17 Upper and lower superposed pairs of wedge guides 28-29, 18 30-31 respectively over and underlie the forward and resrward 19 end portions of the box channel upper surface 32 and depen~;ng 20 surface 34 to form a change of direction guide, as presently 21 explained.
22 The outermost wedge guides 28'-29' and 30'-31' are secured to 23 the inner surface of the body 22 at its respective end portions 24 and the respective upper and lower limits of the wall guides 24 25 are secured to the body 22.
26 The inner most guides 28''-29'' and 30''-31'' are coopera-27 tively secured to the upper and lower surfaces 32 and 34, 28 respectively, of the box channel 26 at its respective end 29 portions for longitll~; n~ lovc,.~nt with the box channel 30 relative to the body respective companion wedge guides 28'-29' 31 and 30' 31', as presently explained.
32 A bearing sleeve 36 is coextensive with and secured to the 33 inner wall surfaces of the box channel 26 for journalling the 34 forward end portion of a subjoint on a rotary drill string 38 35 having a drill bit 40 connected with its forward end. In 36 addition to being journalled by the sleeve bearing 36 the drill 37 string 38 is longitll~; n~l ly moveable a selected distance 38 relative the sleeve bearing, being limited by a forward stop 42 39 and a rearward stop 44 spaced a predetermined distance 2~73~
W 096/05402 ^ PCTrUS95/06681 --4--1 rearwardly of the box channel 26, a distance slightly less than 2 the longitll~i n~ 1 length of the respective pairs of the wedge 3 guides for the reasons believed presently apparent. A ring 45 4 surrounds the drill string subjoint adjacent the rearward end 5 of the channel 26 for longitll~i n~l movement of the box channel 6 with the drill string as presently explained.
7 In operation the drill string 38 is angularly rotated to 8 rotate the bit 40 in an earth boring action and the body 22 is 9 moved by the casing 16 in a forward direction as the drill bit lo penetrates the earth 20 while simultaneously other surface 11 equipment, such as a drilling rig including pipe handling 12 equipment and a mud pump as disclosed by the above named patent 13 No. 4,453,603 pumps drilling mud forwardly through the drill 14 string 38 and through the bit 40 in a conventional oil-well 15 borehole drilling manner. The drilling mud is circulated by 16 returning through the body spaces 46, between the inner surface 17 of the body 22, the guide walls 24, box tube 26 and in the 18 annulus of the casing 16 around the drilling string 38 to a mud 19 pump, not shown.
At a selected position from the point of earth entry the 21 drill string 38 and box channel 26 are moved in a forward 22 direction, relative to the body 22 a selected distance or until 23 the rearward stop 44 contacts the rearward end surface of the 24 box channel guide walls 23 and the rearward end of the wedge guide 31'.
26 The forward movement of the box channel 26 by the coopera-27 tive shape of the pairs of wedge guides 28-29, 30-31 lowers the 28 rearward end portion of the box channel and lifts the forward 29 end portion of the box channel 26 and the bit 40 upwardly at a 30 small angle relative to the body 22, for example, 3 to 4 31 degrees which inclines the direction of drilling toward the 32 opposite side of the roadway, as illustrated by Figure 4.
33 After changing the direction to an upwardly inclined angle 34 the drilling string forward end portion is then repositioned in 3S the box channel 26, (by moving the casing 16 forwardly) so that 36 the rç~;n;n~ or outward end portion of the borehole 18 emerges 37 from the surface of the earth opposite the point of entry of 38 the highway.

Claims (3)

Claims
1. (Amended) A direction controllable drilling head (12) for forming a borehole (18) along a selected underground path, comprising: an elongated tubular body (22) having forward and rearward ends and an inner periphery and adapted to be axially connected at its rearward end with one end of a length of casing (16) and longitudinally moved by the casing in a borehole (18); a sleeve bearing (36) having an outer periphery in said body (22) and longitudinally moveable relative to said body; cooperating pairs of superposed wedge means (28-29), (30-31) interposed in diametric opposition between the inner periphery of said body (22) and the outer periphery of said sleeve bearing (36) at respective end portions of the latter for normally concentrically supporting said sleeve bearing in said body; and, a rotary drill pipe subjoint adapted to be connected at one end with a rotary drill string (38) and having a drill bit (40), of at least slightly larger diameter than said body (22), on its other end projecting beyond the forward end of said body, said subjoint journalled by said sleeve bearing (36) and longitudinally moveable with said sleeve bearing relative to said body, whereby longitudinal movement of said sleeve bearing and said subjoint relative to said body in a borehole forming direction moves one wedge (28"), (29"), (30"), (31") of said pairs of wedges (28-29), (30-31) relative to the other wedge (28'), (29'), (30'), (31') of the respective pair of wedges and changes the longitudinal axes of said sleeve bearing and said subjoint to a predetermined angle and in a preselected direction relative to the longitudinal axis of said body.
2. The drilling head (12) according to claim 1 and further including: a guide sleeve (26) interposed between said sleeve bearing (36) and said pairs of wedges.
3. The drilling head (12) according to claim 2 and further including: stops (42), (44) on each end portion of said subjoint at respective ends of said sleeve bearing (36) for limiting longitudinal movement of said subjoint relative to the sleeve bearing.
CA002173585A 1994-08-08 1995-05-26 Direction controllable subsurface borehole tool Abandoned CA2173585A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US08/287,449 US5423388A (en) 1994-08-08 1994-08-08 Direction controllable subsurface borehole tool
US287,449 1994-08-08

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2173585A1 true CA2173585A1 (en) 1996-02-22

Family

ID=23102963

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA002173585A Abandoned CA2173585A1 (en) 1994-08-08 1995-05-26 Direction controllable subsurface borehole tool

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (1) US5423388A (en)
CA (1) CA2173585A1 (en)
MX (1) MX9601309A (en)
WO (1) WO1996005402A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
USRE38418E1 (en) 1996-02-14 2004-02-10 The Charles Machine Works, Inc. Dual member pipe joint for a dual member drill string
US5859544A (en) * 1996-09-05 1999-01-12 Altera Corporation Dynamic configurable elements for programmable logic devices
US5957222A (en) * 1997-06-10 1999-09-28 Charles T. Webb Directional drilling system
DE19731517C1 (en) * 1997-07-23 1999-02-11 Dmt Gmbh Device for controlling a drill pipe
ATE343704T1 (en) * 1998-06-08 2006-11-15 Charles T Webb DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DIRECTIONAL DRILLING
US6702046B2 (en) 2000-07-28 2004-03-09 Charles T. Webb Drill device for a drilling apparatus
WO2002010547A1 (en) 2000-07-28 2002-02-07 Webb Charles T Directional drilling apparatus with shifting cam
FR2813340B1 (en) * 2000-08-29 2002-12-06 Geoservices DEVICE FOR RADIALLY MOVING TWO ORGANS IN RELATION TO ONE ANOTHER AND DRILLING DEVICE INCLUDING APPLICATION
US7347283B1 (en) 2002-01-15 2008-03-25 The Charles Machine Works, Inc. Using a rotating inner member to drive a tool in a hollow outer member
US6739413B2 (en) 2002-01-15 2004-05-25 The Charles Machine Works, Inc. Using a rotating inner member to drive a tool in a hollow outer member
US8408843B2 (en) * 2008-07-15 2013-04-02 Verizon Florida Llc System and method for facilitating underground communication cable installation utilizing soil erosion techniques
DE102011109330B4 (en) * 2011-08-03 2021-05-20 Tracto-Technik Gmbh & Co. Kg Steerable drilling device

Family Cites Families (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1636032A (en) * 1927-02-28 1927-07-19 Everett W Abbott Milling tool
US2492794A (en) * 1944-08-28 1949-12-27 Eastman Oil Well Survey Co Methods of and apparatus for transmitting intelligence to the surface from well bores
US4076084A (en) * 1973-07-16 1978-02-28 Amoco Production Company Oriented drilling tool
US3961674A (en) * 1974-07-11 1976-06-08 Standard Oil Company Directional drilling system
US4453603A (en) * 1980-12-09 1984-06-12 Voss Development Corporation Apparatus and method for selected path drilling
DE3902869C1 (en) * 1989-02-01 1990-04-12 Eastman Christensen Co., Salt Lake City, Utah, Us
BE1003502A6 (en) * 1989-04-28 1992-04-07 Smet Marc Jozef Maria Steerable BOORMOL.
US4993503A (en) * 1990-03-27 1991-02-19 Electric Power Research Institute Horizontal boring apparatus and method

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
US5423388A (en) 1995-06-13
WO1996005402A1 (en) 1996-02-22
MX9601309A (en) 1998-11-29

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
FZDE Discontinued