Patents by Inventor William G. Riel

William G. Riel has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8033345
    Abstract: A drilling assembly for drilling pipe into a drilling surface using a drill bit. The drilling assembly comprises a power unit, a thrust frame, a means for moving the thrust frame, a rotary and carriage assembly and a microprocessor adapted to control the load on the drill based upon the level of mud pressure in the assembly. The drilling assembly is adapted to drill pipe at any angle relative to the drilling surface between substantially parallel to the drilling surface and substantially perpendicular to the drilling surface. The method comprises providing a such drilling assembly, placing a drill pipe onto the drilling assembly, moving the thrust frame to a desired drilling angle, moving the rotary and carriage assembly into direct contact with the drill pipe, applying rotational, thrust and pull-back forces to the drill pipe, drilling the pipe into the drilling surface and controlling the load on the drill bit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Astec Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Guy Randall, Brian Hollis, William Burky, Joe Szarka, Neil Baker, Jack Weyer, Pengfei Yang, William G. Riel
  • Patent number: 7318491
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for a modified horizontal directional drilling assembly for drilling pipe into a drilling surface. The drilling assembly comprises a power unit for supplying power to the assembly, a thrust frame adapted to be moved between a position substantially parallel to the drilling surface and a position substantially perpendicular to the drilling surface and a means for moving the thrust frame. The drilling assembly further comprises a rotary and carriage assembly mounted on the thrust frame. The rotary and carriage assembly is adapted to apply rotational, thrust and pull-back forces to the drill pipe. The drilling assembly is adapted to drill pipe into the drilling surface at any angle relative to the drilling surface between substantially parallel to the drilling surface and substantially perpendicular to the drilling surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Astec Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: William G. Riel
  • Patent number: 7152700
    Abstract: A coil tubing or jointed dual wall drill string assembly for subsurface drilling. The drill string assembly includes a metallic outer tube having an outer tube first end and an outer tube second end opposite the outer tube first end. The assembly also includes a flexible, substantially non-metallic inner tube that is substantially enclosed within and generally coaxially aligned with the outer tube. The flexible, substantially non-metallic inner tube has an inner tube first end, an inner tube second end opposite the inner tube first end, and an inner tube inner diameter. The inner tube and the outer tube define an annular channel therebetween. The drill string assembly also includes a means for conveying fluid through the annular channel toward the inner tube first end. The annular channel is adapted to convey drilling fluid under pressure toward the inner tube first end and the inner tube is adapted to convey cuttings toward the inner tube second end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignees: American Augers, Inc., TorqueLock Corporation
    Inventors: Kris L. Church, William G. Riel