Vermeer Manufacturing Company, Inc.

Michael Lee McGriff

Brian John Bischel

A horizontal directional drilling machine for generating a bore with a drill string. The machine includes a frame defining a thrust axis. A rotational drive head for rotating the drill string is mounted on the frame. A thrust mechanism is provided for moving the rotational drive head in a first direction along the thrust axis to push the drill string into the ground, and a second direction along the thrust axis to pull the drill string from the ground. The horizontal directional drilling machine also includes an anchoring arrangement connected to the frame. In one embodiment, the anchoring arrangement includes a stake-down unit that is pivotally movable about a pivot axis that is generally transversely oriented relative to the thrust axis. The stake-down unit includes a power auger, and a stake-down actuator for moving the power auger toward and away from the ground. The anchoring arrangement also includes a tilt actuator for pivoting the stake-down unit about the pivot axis. In another embodiment, the anchoring arrangement can include a stake-down unit as described above that is laterally adjustable relative to the thrust axis.

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New Sharon, IA, United States of America

Michael Lee McGriff