Directional drill stem rod loader and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12078019-B2
Application number	US-202217697450-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2022
Priority date	Jan 25, 2017
Publication date	Sep 3, 2024
Grant date	Sep 3, 2024

Abstract

A directional drill stem loader and associated methods are shown. In one example, the drill stem loader operates in a linear motion. In one example, a drill stem gripper is configured to move the completely to one side of a drill stem during a retraction operation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A directional drill stem loader, comprising:
a drill stem magazine configured to house a drill stem segment, the drill stem magazine being stationary fixed with respect to a carriage frame;
a linear actuator, including two hydraulic cylinders with two different ranges of motion, wherein the two different ranges of motion are along a common line, wherein a first cylinder of the two hydraulic cylinders is configured to drop the drill stem segment by a distance equal to a diameter of the drill stem segment; and
a drill stem gripper coupled to the linear actuator, wherein the drill stem gripper is adapted to hold the drill stem segment.

2. The directional drill stem loader of claim 1 , wherein the two hydraulic cylinders are located on opposing ends of a common rod.

3. The directional drill stem loader of claim 1 , wherein a second cylinder of the two hydraulic cylinders is configured to drop the drill stem segment by a distance equal to a remaining distance to a drill stem vice.

4. The directional drill stem loader of claim 1 , wherein the drill stem gripper includes a single hydraulic cylinder coupled to a linkage that actuates opposable drill stem gripper jaws concurrently.

5. The directional drill stem loader of claim 1 , wherein the drill stem gripper is adapted to support the drill stem segment from underneath the drill stem segment.

6. The directional drill stem loader of claim 1 , wherein the drill stem gripper is coupled to the linear actuator by a linkage that is configured to move the drill stem gripper completely to one side of the drill stem segment during a retraction operation.

7. A directional drill, comprising:
a drill head mounted to a carriage frame;
a power supply coupled to the drill head;
a drill stem vice including jaws to grip a drill stem segment by applying pressure to sides of the drill stem segment, the jaws defining a loading/unloading passageway;
a directional drill stem loader, including;
a drill stem magazine, the drill stem magazine being fixed with respect to the carriage frame;
a linear actuator, including two hydraulic cylinders with two different ranges of motion, wherein the two different ranges of motion are along a common line, wherein a first cylinder of the two hydraulic cylinders is configured to drop the drill stem segment by a distance equal to a diameter of the drill stem segment; and
a drill stem gripper coupled to the linear actuator, wherein the drill stem gripper is adapted to hold the drill stem segment.

8. The directional drill of claim 7 , wherein a dispensing port of the drill stem magazine is located over a center of the directional drill.

9. The directional drill stem loader of claim 7 , wherein the two hydraulic cylinders are located on opposing ends of a common rod.

10. The directional drill stem loader of claim 7 , wherein a second cylinder of the two hydraulic cylinders is configured to drop the drill stem segment by a distance equal to a remaining distance to a drill stem vice.

11. The directional drill stem loader of claim 7 , wherein the drill stem gripper includes a single hydraulic cylinder coupled to a linkage that actuates opposable drill stem gripper jaws concurrently.

12. The directional drill stem loader of claim 7 , wherein the drill stem gripper is adapted to support the drill stem segment from underneath the drill stem segment.

13. The directional drill stem loader of claim 12 , wherein the drill stem gripper is coupled to the linear actuator by a linkage that is configured to move the drill stem gripper completely to one side of a drill stem segment during a retraction operation.

14. A method of drill stem loading, comprising:
actuating a gripping device to grip a drill stem segment within a drill stem magazine, the drill stem magazine being fixed with respect to a carriage frame;
moving the drill stem segment along a single linear range of motion directly from the drill stem magazine into gripping jaws of a drill stem vice, including;
actuating a first hydraulic cylinder to move the drill stem segment a first distance along the single linear range of motion from within the drill stem magazine to a location outside a dispensing port of the drill stem magazine; and
actuating a second hydraulic cylinder to move the drill stem segment a second distance along the single linear range of motion from the location outside the dispensing port to a drill stem vice.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein actuating the gripping device includes actuating a single hydraulic cylinder coupled to a linkage that actuates opposable drill stem gripper jaws concurrently.

16. The method of claim 14 , further including releasing the gripping device from the drill stem segment, and retracting the gripping device to the drill stem magazine.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein releasing the gripping device includes moving the gripping device completely to one side of the drill stem segment before retracting.

Assignees

• Tt Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Olander John A

Classifications

• E21B19/15

  Racking of rods in horizontal position; Handling between horizontal and vertical position · CPC title

• E21B7/046

  horizontal drilling (drilling with mechanical conveying means E21B7/003) · CPC title

• E21B7/02 Primary

  Drilling rigs characterised by means for land transport {with their own drive}, e.g. skid mounting or wheel mounting · CPC title

• E21B7/04

  Directional drilling · CPC title

• E21B19/16

  Connecting or disconnecting pipe couplings or joints (E21B19/20 takes precedence) · CPC title