US 12,442,251 B1
Straddle seat pit launch directional drill
Rod Herrick, Kalispell, MT (US)
Assigned to RODDIE, INC., Columbia Falls, MT (US)
Filed by RODDIE, INC., Columbia Falls, MT (US)
Filed on Jan. 28, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/424,820.
Application 18/424,820 is a continuation of application No. 17/809,050, filed on Jun. 27, 2022, granted, now 11,920,470.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/215,557, filed on Jun. 28, 2021.
Int. Cl. E21B 7/04 (2006.01); E21B 3/02 (2006.01); E21B 12/00 (2006.01); E21B 19/083 (2006.01)
CPC E21B 7/046 (2013.01) [E21B 3/02 (2013.01); E21B 12/00 (2013.01); E21B 19/083 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A pit launch horizontal drilling device comprising:
a front plate configured with an aperture to allow passage of a drill stem therethrough and a chassis extending back from said plate and, straddling said chassis and coupled thereto so as to be moveable forward and back along said chassis,
a straddle seat dimensioned and configured to allow an operator to sit on said seat and operate said device and, connected to said seat and configured thereunder,
a gear mechanism that couples with said chassis, said gear mechanism rotatable by a hydraulic drive motor positioned above said mechanism and connected thereto to move said straddle seat forward and back along said chassis,
a hydraulic rotary drive for releasably coupling to a drill stem end to form a drill stem joint and rotating said coupled drill stem joint in opposing directions, and
hydraulic controls engaged with said hydraulic rotary drive and said hydraulic drive motor for directing rotation of said coupled drill stem and traversal of said straddle sear, said controls being manipulatable by said operator when seated on said straddle seat such that said seated operator can travel forward and back at will along said chassis.