An excavation apparatus includes a supporting linkage mountable to a vehicle, and a rotary spindle operable to drive a coring element about a cutting axis. The supporting linkage supports the rotary spindle and is operable to displace the rotary spindle relative to a ground surface. The supporting linkage can lower the rotary spindle to a deployed position and raise the rotary spindle to a stored position. The cutting axis can be maintained in a vertical direction in the deployed and stored positions. The rotary spindle can move relative to the supporting linkage about a hinge axis. The hinge axis can be generally parallel to the vertical direction.

The present invention relates to a multi-functional drilling experiment platform, which consists of a gantry, a hydraulic cylinder, a power swivel and a platform base. The gantry mainly realizes the control of the drill string during the drilling-in process. In order to simulate the vertical well, the inclined well, and the horizontal well, the drilling machine needs to rotate between 0 and 90. The rotation of the gantry is realized by the extension and contraction of the hydraulic cylinder. The platform base is used to set up the gantry and the hydraulic cylinder, bearing the pulling, pressing and twisting loads of drilling experiments. Also, the platform base can move along the track to achieve different types of experiments. The multi-functional drilling experiment platform of the present invention realizes the load simulation experiment of the drilling machine at different angles using the gantry and the hydraulic cylinder.

A drill rig includes a drawworks having a drum operably connected to a drive system and a brake. A drill string extends from the drum of the drawworks, along a derrick, to a block and tackle arrangement holding a travelling block so that operation of the drawworks causes the drum to release or retract the drill string. A travelling block controller controls the operation of the drawworks. An interlock sensor senses a sensed parameter, and the sensed parameter is at least one of a drill rig parameter, a drawworks parameter, or a travelling block controller parameter. An interlock signal generated by the interlock sensor is reflective of the sensed parameter. An interlock operably connected to the travelling block controller receives the interlock signal and disables operation of at least one of the travelling block controller or the drawworks if the interlock signal meets a predetermined criteria.

A work apparatus that can collect core samples of a seabed ground at a desired angle in a stable manner includes a body 10, four flippers 30 rotatably disposed at left and right of a front section of the body 10 and at left and right of a rear section of the body 10 and a coring mechanism 20 disposed on the body 10 as basic features. An inclination sensor 17 that detects inclinations in a front-rear direction and in a left-right direction is disposed on the body 10. A load sensor 49 is attached to a support structure 40 rotatably supporting the flippers 30. A controller 16 controls rotations of the four flippers 30 based on information on inclination from the inclination sensor 17 and information on landing of the flippers 30 from the load sensor 49 to make the body 10 assume a desired attitude, which is a horizontal attitude, for example, and to land at least three flippers 30. After the attitude control, the controller 16 activates the coring mechanism 20 to collect the core samples from the seabed.

A machine comprising a frame including a front-right portion, a front-left portion, a rear-right portion, and a rear-left portion. The machine includes a first jack coupled with the front-right portion for raising or lowering the front-right portion, a second jack coupled with the front-left portion for raising or lowering the front-left portion, a third jack coupled with the rear-right portion for raising or lowering the rear-right portion, and a fourth jack coupled with the rear-left portion for raising or lowering the rear-left portion. The machine includes a front jack leveling system operatively coupled with the first jack and the second jack. The front jack leveling system controls the first jack and the second jack such that a first movement of the first jack in a first direction corresponds to a second movement of the second jack in a second direction that is opposite from the first direction.

A method for leveling a jacked vehicle may involve: (a) sensing a pitch angle of the vehicle; (b) sensing a roll angle of the vehicle; (c) producing a pitch reference value that is related to the sensed pitch angle of the vehicle; (d) producing a roll reference value that is related to the sensed roll angle of the vehicle; (e) extending a vehicle jack that affects at least the pitch angle of the vehicle at a speed that is related to the pitch reference value; (f) extending a vehicle jack that affects at least the roll angle of the vehicle at a speed that is related to the roll reference value; and (g) repeating (a)-(f) until the sum of the pitch and roll angles falls below a predetermined angle.

An apparatus and method for selectively placing either an auger type or a ground rod or rod type anchor into the earth includes a machine frame that supports an elongated housing. The housing has upper and lower end portions. An anchor holder is positioned at the lower end of a tubular member rotatably mounted in the housing for holding an auger type anchor and rotating it during placement. If a ground rod or rod type anchor is selected, a drive that is offset from the housing central longitudinal axis drives the rod into the earth and without rotating the rod.

A vehicle support structure, which in petroleum wellsite operations is commonly called a rig mat or a ground stabilizing mat, includes: a main body including an upper surface, an underside, a front end and a rear end, the main body defining a planar structuring with a thickness; a front pad coupled to the main body and positioned adjacent the front end; a rear pad coupled to the main body and positioned adjacent the rear end, the front pad and the rear pad each configured to be moveable between a supporting position protruding from the underside of the main body and a retracted position in plane or retracted from the underside; a front pad drive mechanism for the front pad, the front pad drive mechanism configured to drive the front pad to move between the supporting position and the retracted position and to move the front pad forward and backwards and side to side relative to the main body; and a rear pad drive mechanism for the rear pad, the rear pad drive mechanism configured to drive the rear pad to move between the supporting position and the retracted position and to move the rear pad forward and backwards and side to side relative to the main body, the front pad and the rear pad being configured to operate to support the main body in an elevated position relative to a ground surface and configured to move the main body forward and backwards and side to side relative to the front pad and the rear pad and over the ground surface. In use as a rig mat, a method for well site operations includes: placing the rig mat at a position on a first well site; positioning a rig on the rig mat; and adjusting the position of the rig mat while the rig remains supported on the rig mat such that the rig is centered on a wellhead of the well site.

A moveable platform apparatus comprising a platform adapted to receive and support a moveable drilling rig or drilling equipment. The platform comprises a first set of legs connected to the platform, wherein the first set of legs support the platform in a first vertical position above ground, wherein each leg of the first set of legs is extendable with respect to the platform to vertically move the platform. The platform further comprises a second set of legs connected to the platform, wherein the second set of legs support the platform in a second vertical position above ground, wherein each leg of the second set of legs is extendable with respect to the platform to vertically move the platform. A method for a moving a platform apparatus along the ground.

A machine includes a front section having front wheels, a rear section having rear wheels, and a pivot that couples the front section to the rear section as well as a hydraulic steering circuit that moves the front section relative to the rear section about the pivot. The machine also includes a stabilizer and further includes a directional control valve that selectively depressurizes the hydraulic steering circuit according to a state of the stabilizer.