Abstract: A mud pump is provided with two cylinders for pumping mud in connection with water well drilling, and two sets of hydraulic oil cylinders with pistons connected to and driving the pistons of the mud pump by piston rod connecting plates. A flow divider located downstream from a hydraulic oil power supply pump applies hydraulic power evenly to two sets of mud pump driving cylinders, but the flow divider accommodates re-routing of hydraulic oil to one driving cylinder during a directional valve shift for the other driving cylinder. Rod position sensing switches coupled to an electro-hydraulic control system coordinates the action of the sets of pump driving cylinders and thereby of the mud pumping cylinders, to control and phase the mud driving pistons produce a steady mud pump output simulating the effect of constant velocity pistons.

Abstract: A pipe storage and handling system for storing and manipulating a plurality of drill pipes on a drilling rig. The drilling rig has a mast coupled thereto and a drill head coupled to the mast. A pipe rack is disposed on the drilling rig and includes a number of support members adapted to maintain the drill pipes in at least two pipe columns, with a first of the pipe columns being positioned along a vertical indexing axis. An indexing mechanism is coupled to the drilling rig and is adapted to incrementally index the first pipe column along the indexing axis to successively position the upper-most pipe to a predetermined selection location. A shifting mechanism is coupled between the drilling rig and one of the support members and is adapted to shift a second of the pipe columns in a horizontal direction to thereby position the second pipe column along the indexing axis.

Abstract: A mobile drilling rig has a rectangular tubular derrick or mast normally transported on the truck in a generally horizontal attitude. The mast is pivoted to vertical at the drilling site. A drill rotating power head is connected to a pull-down system located inside the mast tube and which includes a rectangular guide tube slidably mounted inside the mast tube, and two double-acting hydraulic cylinder assemblies situated in a telescoping arrangement with one cylinder assembly inside the other. A cylinder inside the inner hydraulic cylinder assembly has a closed upper end secured to the upper end of the guide tube and serves as a piston rod connected to the power head. The overall stroke of the pull-down system is greater than the typical conventional length of pipe in a drill string to facilitate adding and removing lengths of pipe. The power head is floating mounted to the guide tube.

Abstract: A mud pump assembly has a housing having a motor-mounting face directly connected to a standard hydraulic drive motor. The pump housing supports and partially encloses a bearing assembly which supports the pump impeller shaft. A face-type impeller shaft seal is located between the bearing assembly and the impeller. The motor case completes enclosure of the impeller shaft bearing assembly. A motor case drain line is coupled to the mud pump housing for continuous pressure lubrication of the bearing assembly. In one embodiment, case drain fluid is returned from the mud pump housing to the hydraulic fluid reservoir for the hydraulic motor.

Abstract: A mobile drilling rig includes a rectangular tube which is used for the derrick and is normally transported on the vehicle in a generally horizontal attitude. The derrick is pivoted to vertical position by a hydraulic cylinder. A pulldown system located inside the tube includes a double-acting hydraulic pulldown cylinder, drive pinions mounted to the piston rod, one gear rack fixed inside the tube and another gear rack slidable inside the tube. A drill-driving powerhead is slidably mounted on the outside of the tube and is connected to the slidable gear rack. The pinions connected to the pulldown cylinder piston rod engage both racks and, with a piston stroke less than half the length of the tube, drive the power head essentially the full length of the tube for the pull-down function.

Abstract: A continuous feed system for a drill comprising a down-hole drill assembly having a support end and a drilling bit. Rotation is imported to the down-hole drill assembly between the support end and the drilling bit, which results in a torque being applied to the support end. A vertically disposed support chain has two ends, one end of the chain is connected to the support end. The chain resists the torque with limited torsional flexibility. A drive interacts with the chain at a point between the two ends for positively providing axial extension of a length of the chain.

Abstract: A compact earthdrilling module for vehicle mounting includes a derrick having a conventional tophead-drive drill assembly slidably mounted thereon. The derrick includes an extendable top portion mounting a hoist. A single telescoping piston-cylinder assembly on the derrick moves the drillhead assembly along the derrick and extends the top portion of the derrick. The piston-cylinder assembly is hydraulically actuated.