Engaging Means Advances In Adjacent Hole Patents (Class 175/326)
  • Patent number: 8662206
    Abstract: An apparatus for making a second borehole in the ground, a cross section of which second borehole partially intersects a cross section of an existing first borehole, includes a boring device and a guide device operatively connected to the boring device. The guide device includes at least a first guide element configured to interact with a wall of the existing first borehole and a direction-influencing device configured to influence a direction of the second borehole while the second borehole is being made. The guide device is configured to guide the boring device relative to the existing first borehole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Aker Wirth GmbH
    Inventors: Hermann Josef Von Wirth, Peter Heinrichs
  • Patent number: 8505650
    Abstract: An apparatus for making a second borehole in the ground, a cross section of which second borehole partially intersects a cross section of an existing first borehole, includes a boring device and a guide device operatively connected to the boring device. The guide device includes a first guide element configured to interact with a first side of a wall of the existing first borehole facing the second borehole and a second guide element configured to interact with a second side of the existing first borehole remote from the second borehole. The guide device is configured to guide the boring device relative to the existing first borehole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Aker Wirth GmbH
    Inventors: Willi Schmitz, Hermann Josef Von Wirth
  • Patent number: 8485281
    Abstract: Equipment for drilling secant holes (2) includes by an excavating system (3, 14, 4, 16, and 17) and by a guide system (7, 8), both of which are set in the hole (2) being drilled and in a previously made hole (2?). The two systems are fixed with respect to one another in such a way as to define a pre-set distance between centers of the holes; the excavating system includes a motor (3) and a bit (4) connected thereto, and being completely introduced into the borehole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Soilmec S.p.A.
    Inventor: Maurizio Siepi
  • Publication number: 20110120779
    Abstract: Equipment for drilling secant holes (2) includes by an excavating system (3, 14, 4, 16, and 17) and by a guide system (7, 8), both of which are set in the hole (2) being drilled and in a previously made hole (2?). The two systems are fixed with respect to one another in such a way as to define a pre-set distance between centers of the holes; the excavating system includes a motor (3) and a bit (4) connected thereto, and being completely introduced into the borehole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2009
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicant: Soilmec S.p.A.
    Inventor: Maurizio Siepi
  • Patent number: 7258165
    Abstract: A down-hole tool guide is disclosed for deflecting various down-hole tools having a tendency to hang or bind in uncased bore holes. The down-hole tool guide or ball guide assembly, being adaptive to the down-hole tools, extends forwardly there from and includes an eccentric rotatable ball and high-pressure jets. In cases where the guide is used to guide casing, the ball guide assembly is constructed from a drillable material thereby allowing the hole bore to be extended beyond the last set casing depth without side deviation from the original bore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Inventor: Donald L. Williams
  • Patent number: 5407011
    Abstract: A mill assembly having a mill face for milling material in a downhole milling operation is received in a casing or well bore having an internal wall having a first diameter. The mill face has a smaller diameter than the first diameter. The mill face is connected to a shaft assembly including a shaft and a stabilizing assembly for stabilizing the shaft in the casing or the well bore. The stabilizing assembly is connected at one end to the mill face and has a smaller diameter than the first diameter. The stabilizing assembly includes a stem having one or more tapered surfaces, the tapered surfaces tapering from a first diameter to a second diameter larger than the first diameter. The stabilizing assembly further includes a plurality of roller bearings circumferentially arranged in a plane around the stem, each roller bearing being in contact with one of the tapered surfaces at a first point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1995
    Assignee: Wada Ventures
    Inventor: Darin Layton
  • Patent number: 5261492
    Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for casing a well. The inventive apparatus comprises: an outer casing; an inner casing positionable inside the outer casing; and a squeeze packer assembly incorporatable in the inner casing. The squeeze packer assembly is mechanically operable for sealing the annulus between the inner casing and the outer casing.The present invention also provides a method of installing an inner casing inside an outer casing. The inventive method comprises the steps of: (a) incorporating a mechanically operable squeeze packer assembly in the inner casing and (b) inserting the inner casing into the outer casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1993
    Assignee: Halliburton Company
    Inventors: Alan B. Duell, Anthony M. Badalamenti, Jonathan Garrett, Chris P. Christensen, Douglas K. Vrooman
  • Patent number: 5224558
    Abstract: A down hole drilling tool activating mechanism comprising a drill string sub connectable between adjacent lengths of drill string pipe which provides a hollow housing with a central bore, a mandrel having a central bore positioned within the bore of said drill sub and moveable longitudinally within said sub bore between a deactivated position and an activated position and the reverse, said mandrel having a first portion of large diameter exposed to pressure in the central bore upstream from said mandrel and a second portion having a smaller diameter than said first portion exposed to pressure in said bore downstream from said mandrel, and having a seal between the small diameter portion and the bore of said drill sub to isolate said large diameter portion from pressure downstream of said mandrel. Spring means is located between the small diameter of the mandrel and the wall of the drill sub tending to urge the mandrel in a first position against the pressure on said large diameter portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1993
    Inventor: Paul Lee
  • Patent number: 4432422
    Abstract: A borehole guide for drilling interpenetrating boreholes which may be parallel to one another or inclined to one another. The borehole guide is clamped in position in an already drilled borehole by inflating an inflatable member. Thereafter a drill which is directed by the guide is used to drill a second borehole which overlaps the first hole. A number of the borehole guides may be used end to end, and their relative orientation may be varied to direct the second borehole, within limits, along a desired path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1981
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1984
    Assignee: Boart International, Limited
    Inventors: Robert J. Hopley, Wynand J. van der Westhuizen
  • Patent number: 4205881
    Abstract: A machine for mining hard material in-situ between adjacent auger holes is disclosed which is suitable for being drivingly connected to a conventional mining apparatus, particularly an auger mining apparatus. The mining machine includes cutting apparatus for mechanically contacting and dislocating hard material in-situ between adjacent auger holes. A power operated system is drivingly connected to the cutting apparatus for generating a cutting motion during the in-cutting operation. A guiding system is provided for maintaining the cutting apparatus in mechanical contact with hard material in-situ between the adjacent auger holes. In one embodiment of the invention a collection bin collects the dislocated material which is transported from the position at which the material is mined to a remote location for deposit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1980
    Date of Patent: June 3, 1980
    Assignee: Patent Development, Ltd.
    Inventor: Leonard R. Nitzberg
  • Patent number: 4071100
    Abstract: In a method of making holes of selective external configuration in a rock or earth formation, two or more rotatable drills provided with drill crowns are driven into the ground. The drill crowns are so arranged that they will touch each other or are radially spaced a small distance from each other and are substantially on the same level. The drill crowns are simultaneously axially displaced while they are rotated each about its own axis only. The drill crowns sit on drill rods provided with guide means such as tubes which are driven into the ground substantially simultaneously as the drill crowns. The guide means may be connected together to form a single common guide structure. When drilling two or more holes situated adjacent one or more previously drilled holes, a guide means having spacer means is inserted into a previously drilled hole, said spacer means guiding the drill for the further holes relative to the previously drilled hole by engagement with the residual walls of the drilled hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1976
    Date of Patent: January 31, 1978
    Inventor: Gustaf Hakan Oscar Wibom
  • Patent number: 3987857
    Abstract: When a pilot hole is pushed through the soil from one location to another prior to pulling an earth cutter through the pilot hole, it is often found that the pilot hole has deviated from a straight line. This deviation is usually at the maximum at the exit end of the pilot hole. The present device is a substantially rectangular cutter assembly having a pipe connection allowing it to be attached on the end or along the length of the pilot hole forming pipe. The offstanding cutter portion not only cuts a plug of soil as it is pulled through the soil in one direction, but compresses this plug slightly. When the device is moved in the opposite direction, projections or the like engage this compressed plug and facilitate the extrusion of the plug through the exit end of the pilot hole. The device is secured either to the end of the pilot hole forming assembly or adjacent thereto, at the exit end and is turned so that it is offset in the direction opposite to the direction of the deviation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1975
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1976
    Assignee: Armadillo Holdings Ltd.
    Inventor: Stanley G. Atkins