The Charles Machine Works, Inc.

Rick G Porter

Max Allen Metcalf

Aleksander S Wolfe

Pete Ramos

A horizontal directional drilling machine having a modular pipe loader system. The system comprises a first and second pipe loader assembly supported on a drill frame. Each assembly supports a shuttle arm. The shuttle arms are configured to move independently of one another along a shuttle path that is traverse to a longitudinal axis of the drill frame. Movement of each shuttle arm is powered by an actuator supported on each pipe loader assembly. Each pipe loader assembly includes a sensor used to measure parameters related to the position of each shuttle arm relative to the drill frame. A controller analyzes the measured parameters and directs operation of each actuator in order to keep the shuttle arms moving in unison during operation.

Modular pipe loader assembly

A pipe shuttle for moving a pipe segment from an operating position to a pipe box. The pipe shuttle has a pair of gripper arms flanking a cradle. The cradle has a spring-loaded pad that has a concave surface for holding a pipe segment. As the pipe shuttle moves from underneath a pipe box to near a cradle, rollers are positioned to engage a guide plate. When the shuttle is underneath the pipe box, the rollers engage the guide plate to keep the cradle open. When moved towards an operating position, the rollers no longer engage the guide plate and cause grippers to close on the pipe segment. The spring-loaded pad allows the pipe shuttle to be moved relative to the pipe segment when the pipe segment is in its operating position.

Mechanical shuttle pipe gripper

A pipe handling device and method for use with a horizontal directional drilling system. The pipe handling device stores sections of drill pipe in individual columns within a magazine. The magazine is constructed so that it can be mounted to a boring machine in a pin-up or pin-down orientation. A plurality of signal elements are attached to the magazine and each extend at least partially within a footprint of each column. The signal elements may move from a first position, indicating the column is full of pipe sections, to a second position, indicating the column is not full of pipe sections. A proximity sensor assembly detects movement of the individual signal elements and signals a processor accordingly. These signals indicate whether or not a given column is full of pipe sections.

Pipe storage box

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.

Growing community of inventors

Perry, OK, United States of America

Rick G Porter