US 12,203,370 B2
Tunneling device including expandable section
Andrew Thomas Cross, Waterford, NY (US); Christopher Walter Falcone, Schenectady, NY (US); and Deepak Trivedi, Halfmoon, NY (US)
Assigned to GE Infrastructure Technology LLC, Greenville, SC (US)
Filed by General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed on Nov. 7, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/981,940.
Prior Publication US 2024/0151110 A1, May 9, 2024
Int. Cl. E21B 7/26 (2006.01); E21B 10/32 (2006.01)
CPC E21B 7/26 (2013.01) [E21B 10/322 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
17. A method for maintaining a tunnel having a sidewall defining an interior cavity, said method comprising:
moving a tunneling device through an underground location, the tunneling device including:
a body assembly including a plurality of sections and a force transmitter;
an expander coupled to the body assembly and extending along a longitudinal axis, wherein the expander is expandable in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis between a first configuration having a first width measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and a second configuration having a second width measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis; and
a tip coupled to the expander and configured to move relative to the expander, wherein the expander is disposed between the force transmitter and the tip, wherein the tip has a width measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the first width of the expander is equal to or less than the width of the tip; and
switching the expander between the first configuration and the second configuration.