Vermeer Manufacturing Company, Inc.

David P Langenfeld

Peter C Rozendaal

Gregg Alan Austin

Ward E Ryon

Michael D Belloma

Ryan P Roberts

Russel Novelo

Lucas Laverman

A drilling machine includes a chassis and a primary rod box mounted on the chassis, which includes a rod box interface mechanism positioned adjacent a top of the primary rod box for facilitating interfacing the primary rod box with a supplemental rod box. A rod box interface mechanism automatically secures the rod box to the drilling machine as the rod box is lowered in place on the drilling machine. The rod box interface mechanism can be used to secure a supplemental rod box to a top of a primary rod box that is attached to a chassis of the drilling machine and can be used to secure a rod box directly to the chassis of the drilling machine. Self-aligning features can be used to guide the rod box into place on the drilling machine as the rod box is lowered onto the drilling machine.

Latching rod box

An underground directional boring machine includes a frame and a drive mechanism slidably mounted on the frame. A drill string is coupled to the drive mechanism for rotation and longitudinal advancement and retraction. A drive assembly moves the drive mechanism along the frame. The drive assembly includes two hydraulic cylinders coupled to the drive mechanism and extending in opposite directions. Free ends of the hydraulic cylinders are releasably secured to the frame at any one of a plurality of positions along the length of the frame. Selective pressurization of the cylinders results in sequential movement of the drive mechanism along the frame by alternative extension and retraction of the cylinders.

Directional boring machine

An automatic pipe loading device includes a magazine containing a plurality of pipes which are gravity fed through a discharge opening at a discharge end of the magazine. A pipe transfer member is mounted beneath the magazine and rotates between load and unload positions. In a load position, the pipe transfer mechanism presents a pocket in alignment with a discharge opening of the magazine. In all other positions, the pipe transfer mechanism presents a blocking surface preventing pipes from being discharged from the magazine. The pipe transfer member includes a pipe grip for grasping a pipe received within the receiving pocket and releasing the grasped pipe at a desired location.

Automatic pipe-loading device

Growing community of inventors

Pella, IA, United States of America

David P Langenfeld