Disclosed are small model pit launch horizontal direction drills suitable for drilling a substantially horizontal bore hole and laying pipe underground from within a surface dug pit. The devices comprise a stationary frame and a carriage component competent to move forward and back along the frame and drill and retrieve an attached drill stem through an aperture in the frame. The carriage components are configured to allow an operator to straddle the carriage and operate the device from a seated position within the frame component interior.

Disclosed are small model pit launch horizontal direction drills suitable for drilling a substantially horizontal bore hole and laying pipe underground from within a surface dug pit. The devices comprise a stationary frame and a carriage component competent to move forward and back along the frame and drill and retrieve an attached drill stem through an aperture in the frame. The carriage components are configured to allow an operator to straddle the carriage and operate the device from a seated position within the frame component interior.

The present invention relates generally to a portable coring machine for penetrating a surface to install or repair sub-surface structures. Coring machine may include a frame assembly and a drilling device. Frame assembly may include a plurality of interconnected bars and facilitate operating drilling device in a generally horizontal position or in a generally vertical position. Further, frame assembly may accommodate core bits of different sizes for cutting an annular hole into asphalt, concrete or other hard surface. Support members of frame assembly may be configured to support a track including a plurality of teeth. The track may engage with a gear assembly of a mounting block configured to support the drilling device. Advantageously, coring machine may be moveable along track in response to an operator rotating a crank mechanically coupled to the gear assembly.

The present invention relates generally to a portable coring machine for penetrating a surface to install or repair sub-surface structures. Coring machine may include a frame assembly and a drilling device. Frame assembly may include a plurality of interconnected bars and facilitate operating drilling device in a generally horizontal position or in a generally vertical position. Further, frame assembly may accommodate core bits of different sizes for cutting an annular hole into asphalt, concrete or other hard surface. Support members of frame assembly may be configured to support a track including a plurality of teeth. The track may engage with a gear assembly of a mounting block configured to support the drilling device. Advantageously, coring machine may be moveable along track in response to an operator rotating a crank mechanically coupled to the gear assembly.

A horizontal directional drilling rig is described. The rig can be entirely electrically powered. The performance (or health) and/or the life cycle of individual components of the rig can be electronically monitored. This permits identification of specific individual components that are performing in a substandard manner or are not performing properly or have reached the end of their life cycle. Individual improperly performing components or components at the end of their life cycle can thus be specifically identified. The improperly performing component(s) or components at the end of their life cycle can then be replaced. In some embodiments, when a component is identified as performing improperly, the operation of other, properly functioning components of the rig can be modified accordingly to account for the improperly performing component.

A horizontal directional drilling rig is described. The rig can be entirely electrically powered. The performance (or health) and/or the life cycle of individual components of the rig can be electronically monitored. This permits identification of specific individual components that are performing in a substandard manner or are not performing properly or have reached the end of their life cycle. Individual improperly performing components or components at the end of their life cycle can thus be specifically identified. The improperly performing component(s) or components at the end of their life cycle can then be replaced. In some embodiments, when a component is identified as performing improperly, the operation of other, properly functioning components of the rig can be modified accordingly to account for the improperly performing component.

A system, including one or more supports disposed on a drill floor. The system also includes a movable support slidingly coupled to the one or more supports and configured to be selectively moved towards the drill floor during a tripping-in operation as part of a continuous tripping operation and away from the drill floor during a tripping-in operation as part of a continuous tripping operation, and a tripping apparatus coupled to the movable support and configured to make up or break out a threaded joint between a first tubular segment and a second tubular segment, wherein the tripping apparatus is configured to be selectively movable from a first position disposed proximate to the one or more supports and a second position at a distance away from the one or more supports to make up the threaded joint when the tripping apparatus is disposed in the second position during the tripping-in operation or to break out the threaded joint when the tripping apparatus is disposed in the second position during the tripping-out operation.

A system includes a crate and a deployer. The crate is configured to contain a plurality of elongated rods; the crate has a length, width and height. The deployer includes a bed frame upper surface, a crate support frame, a tilt mechanism and a scope mechanism. The crate support frame includes an attachment mechanism configured for removable attachment of the crate, wherein the crate support frame has a longitudinal extent aligned with the length of an attached crate. The tilt mechanism is configured to move the crate support frame between a horizontal position parallel to the bed frame upper surface and a vertical position normal to the bed frame upper surface. The scope mechanism is configured to move the crate support frame linearly along its longitudinal extent. A method of deploying a plurality of rods to a selected location is also described.

A pipe handling assembly carried by a horizontal boring machine includes a pipe box having a plurality of columns. One or more pipe sections may be received and stored in any of the columns. A pair of shuttle arms are used to move the pipe sections from the pipe box to a carriage included in the machine. The pipe column selection assembly includes an elongate rotatable shaft that carries a series of stop elements. A shaft-mounted pinion gear drives movement of the shuttle arms. A longitudinally positionable bolt element can block the rotational path of any selected one of the stop elements. Such blockage stops movement of the shuttle arms beneath a corresponding one of the columns. The pipe column selection assembly allows an operator to select which column to load or unload a pipe section into and from within a pipe box.

A horizontal directional drilling (HDD) machine that includes a rod box that has a large capacity, which allows the HDD machine to operate continuously for longer periods of time. The rod box has an upper end and a lower end and is pivotally connected to a frame of the HDD machine at a pivot axis positioned adjacent the lower end of the rod box. The rod box is pivotally movable between a stowed position and an operational position. The rod box obstructs movement of a drill head of the HDD machine when in the stowed position and is laterally offset from the drill head when in the operational position so as to not interfere with movement of the drill head. The rod box is tapered such that a width is larger adjacent the upper end of the rod box as compared to the lower end of the rod box.