The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 13, 2004
Filed:
Nov. 25, 2002
Applicant:
Inventors:
Assignee:
Vermeer Manufacturing Company, Pella, IA (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
E21B 4/400 ; E21B 1/022 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
E21B 4/400 ; E21B 1/022 ;
Abstract
An excavation system includes a cutting tool coupled to a drill pipe, an adjustable steering mechanism provided on or in the cutting tool, and a driving apparatus coupled to the drill pipe for moving the cutting tool along an underground path. The system further includes a navigation sensor system and a controller. The controller produces a control signal to adjust one or both of the steering mechanism and the driving apparatus for directing the cutting tool along the underground path in accordance with one or both of position information and orientation information produced by the navigation sensor system.