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This is a record of a document published elsewhere, first published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, as US-6332502-B1, on 25 December 2001. OpenTechnical did not first disclose it. The identifier, hashes and timestamps below record what this library served and when, not when the material became public. View the original.

OT-2026-000003075

Pipe loading device for a directional drilling apparatus

Published
Permanent URL
Classification
Tools & Tooling › Clamping Tools
Assignee
VERMEER MFG CO
Original source
US-6332502-B1, the United States Patent and Trademark Office, 25 December 2001
Document SHA-256
068f69927611e3b7b4ff1ed0ab412055f012c6fc70bfdf29efe79e5bc6ce956c

A magazine for holding a plurality of pipes, and a drive head including a drive member adapted to be coupled to a pipe. The drive member is aligned along a drive axis. The drilling apparatus includes a first drive mechanism for rotating the drive member about the drive axis, and a second drive mechanism for moving the drive member axially along the drive axis. The drilling apparatus also includes a pipe transfer member for transferring pipes between the magazine and the drive head. The pipe transfer member defines a pipe receiving region for receiving a pipe. The pipe transfer member is movable between a first orientation in which the pipe receiving region is located adjacent to the magazine, and a second orientation in which the pipe receiving region is located adjacent to the drive axis of the drive head. The drilling apparatus further includes a magnet for magnetically attracting a pipe received at the pipe receiving region of the pipe transfer member at least when the pipe member is in the second orientation. The magnet is adapted to magnetically hold the pipe in coaxial alignment with the drive axis while the drive member of the drive head is being coupled to the pipe or uncoupled from the pipe.

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Abstract

A magazine for holding a plurality of pipes, and a drive head including a drive member adapted to be coupled to a pipe. The drive member is aligned along a drive axis. The drilling apparatus includes a first drive mechanism for rotating the drive member about the drive axis, and a second drive mechanism for moving the drive member axially along the drive axis. The drilling apparatus also includes a pipe transfer member for transferring pipes between the magazine and the drive head. The pipe transfer member defines a pipe receiving region for receiving a pipe. The pipe transfer member is movable between a first orientation in which the pipe receiving region is located adjacent to the magazine, and a second orientation in which the pipe receiving region is located adjacent to the drive axis of the drive head. The drilling apparatus further includes a magnet for magnetically attracting a pipe received at the pipe receiving region of the pipe transfer member at least when the pipe member is in the second orientation. The magnet is adapted to magnetically hold the pipe in coaxial alignment with the drive axis while the drive member of the drive head is being coupled to the pipe or uncoupled from the pipe.

1. Drawings

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Publication information

Plain textMarkdownManifestIntegrity record

Citation

OpenTechnical Publication OT-2026-000003075, “Pipe loading device for a directional drilling apparatus,” published September 15, 2026 at 19:23:38 UTC, https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000003075.

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Terms

This record reproduces a document published elsewhere and is provided for reference and study. Rights in the original remain with its owner. See the publication policy.