Astec Industries, Inc.

Neil M Baker

Guy Randall

Joseph R Szarka

William G Riel

Justin Wheeler

Brian Hollis

William Burky

John J Eglin

Joe Szarka

Christopher L Shepherd

Jack Weyer

Stephen Berger

Pengfei Yang

A wrench assembly is mounted on a drill rig so as to have some freedom of movement in three axes. The wrench assembly includes a wrench subassembly having an upper wrench and a lower wrench. Both the upper wrench and the lower wrench are provided with jaw assemblies that are adapted to grip a pipe section or to release it. One of the upper wrench and lower wrench is pivotally moveable with respect to the other to apply a twisting force to a pipe section gripped by one of the upper and lower wrenches with respect to an adjacent pipe section gripped by the other of the upper and lower wrenches. The wrench assembly also includes a generally planar support table. The wrench subassembly is attached to the support table in such a manner as to allow the wrench subassembly to pivot about an axis that is perpendicular to the plane of the support table, and in such a manner as to allow the wrench subassembly to tilt with respect to the plane of the support table.

Floating wrench assembly for drill rig

A drilling assembly for drilling pipe into a drilling surface using a drill bit. The drilling assembly comprises a power unit, a thrust frame, a means for moving the thrust frame, a rotary and carriage assembly and a microprocessor adapted to control the load on the drill based upon the level of mud pressure in the assembly. The drilling assembly is adapted to drill pipe at any angle relative to the drilling surface between substantially parallel to the drilling surface and substantially perpendicular to the drilling surface. The method comprises providing a such drilling assembly, placing a drill pipe onto the drilling assembly, moving the thrust frame to a desired drilling angle, moving the rotary and carriage assembly into direct contact with the drill pipe, applying rotational, thrust and pull-back forces to the drill pipe, drilling the pipe into the drilling surface and controlling the load on the drill bit.

Apparatus and method for a drilling assembly

A hydraulic fluid tank for a drilling machine includes a primary chamber and a secondary chamber. The primary chamber is located entirely below the hydraulic pump of the drilling machine, and the secondary chamber is located above and in fluid communication with the primary chamber. The secondary chamber is adapted to maintain a hydraulic fluid level that is above the pump suction centerline of the drilling machine pump as the hydraulic fluid in the tank reaches its normal operating temperature during operation of the drilling machine. The secondary chamber is also sized and configured to allow for thermal expansion of hydraulic fluid in the amount of at least about 5% of the total tank volume as the hydraulic fluid in the tank reaches its normal operating temperature during operation of the drilling machine.

Hydraulic fluid tank for drilling machine

An auger boring machine includes a track having an initial end and a terminal end, and the track is provided with a rack. The boring machine also includes a sled that is mounted on the track and adapted to be moved between the initial end and the terminal end of the track. The boring machine also includes a mechanism for rotating an auger on the sled and a drive system. The drive system includes a pinion which is mounted so as to engage with the rack on the track and a mechanism for rotating the pinion so as to drive the sled along the track.

Drive mechanism for boring machine

Growing community of inventors

Gambler, OH, United States of America

Neil M Baker