Ram boring implement having a movable bit

Claim 2

A ram boring implement for driving earth bores comprising: a housing; a control sleeve disposed within said housing, means for securing said control sleeve to said housing, said securing means having at least one opening extending therethrough to allow fluid communication between the interior and the exterior of said housing; a fluid driven percussion piston reciprocally movable axially on the control sleeve within said housing; an axially movable bit connected to one end of said housing, said bit being directly or indirectly acted upon by the percussion piston in response to resistance acting against the bit; a restoring piston being connected to the bit; and means for subjecting a side of said restoring piston which is remote from the percussion piston to fluid pressure produced during a rearward stroke of the percussion piston.

Claim 3

The ram boring implement of claim 1 including: means for forming a drive-pressure chamber in the housing, said percussion piston being in said drive-pressure chamber; and means for forming a restoring chamber in and adjacent to one end of the housing, said restoring piston being in said restoring chamber, said restoring chamber being in fluid communication with said drive-pressure chamber.

Claim 4

The ram boring implement of claim 2, wherein said fluid communication between said restoring and drive-pressure chambers is interrupted in response to movement of said bit.

Claim 5

The ram boring implement of claim 2, wherein said bit and said restoring piston are of a one-piece construction, said restoring piston having a portion thereof protruding into said drive-pressure chamber for direct contact with said percussion piston.

Claim 6

The ram boring implement of claim 2, including: axial channel means for fluidly interconnecting said drive-pressure chamber and said restoring chamber, said axial channel means extending through said restoring piston, said axial channel means being closed in response to said bit being in direct contact with said percussion piston.

Claim 7

The ram boring implement of claim 5 including: radial channel means for fluidly interconnecting said drive-pressure chamber and said restoring chamber, said radial channel means being fluidly connected to said axial channel means, said radial channel means being closed by an endwall portion of said housing in response to movement of said restoring piston.

Claim 8

The ram boring implement of claim 6 including: a dividing wall formed in said housing between said drive-pressure chamber and said restoring chamber, said percussion piston being movable into contact with a portion of said dividing wall.

Claim 9

The ram boring implement of claim 7, wherein said bit is movable to a position wherein said radial channel means is closed by said endwall simultaneously with said percussion piston being limited from direct contact with said bit by said dividing wall.

Claim 10

The ram boring implement of claim 6 including: resilient means for damping movement of said restoring piston, said resilient means being between said endwall portion and said restoring piston.

Claim 11

The ram boring implement of claim 1, wherein said bit is rotatably connected to said housing and includes helical profiling on an earth-penetrating outer surface thereof.

Claim 12

A ram boring implement for driving earth bores comprising: a housing having an endwall, a dividing wall, a restoring chamber and a drive-pressure chamber therein, said dividing wall separating the restoring chamber and the drive-pressure chamber, a control sleeve disposed within said housing, means for securing said control sleeve to said housing, said securing means having at least one opening extending therethrough to allow fluid communication between the interior and the exterior of said housing; a fluid driven percussion piston reciprocally movable axially on said control sleeve within said drive-pressure chamber, movement of said percussion piston being limited by said dividing wall; an axially movable bit connected to one end of said housing, said bit being directly and indirectly acted upon by the percussion piston in response to resistance acting against the bit; means for preventing direct contact of the percussion piston upon the bit, which means is responsive to resistance acting against the bit; a restoring piston being connected to the bit; and means for fluidly connecting a portion of said restoring chamber to said drive-pressure chamber during a rearward stroke of the percussion piston, the portion of the restoring chamber being on a side of the restoring piston remote from the percussion piston.

Claim 13

A ram boring implement for driving earth bores comprising: a housing having an endwall, a dividing wall, a restoring chamber and a drive-pressure chamber therein, said dividing wall separating the restoring chamber and the drive-pressure chamber, a control sleeve disposed within said housing, means for securing said control sleeve to said housing, said securing means having at least one opening extending therethrough to allow fluid communication between the interior and the exterior of said housing; a fluid driven percussion piston reciprocally movable axially on said control sleeve within said drive-pressure chamber, movement of said percussion piston being limited by said dividing wall; an axially movable bit connected to one end of said housing, said bit being directly and indirectly acted upon by the percussion piston in response to resistance acting against the bit; means for preventing direct contact of the percussion piston upon the bit, which means is responsive to resistance acting against the bit; a restoring piston being connected to the bit; and means for fluidly connecting a portion of said restoring chamber to said drive-pressure chamber during a rearward stroke of the percussion piston, the portion of the restoring chamber being on a side of the restoring piston remote from the percussion piston.

Claim 14

The ram boring implement of claim 11 including: channel means extending through said restoring piston for fluidly interconnecting said drive-pressure chamber and said restoring chamber.

Claim 15

The ram boring implement of claim 12 including: resilient means for damping movement of said restoring piston.

Claim 16

A ram boring implement for driving earth bores comprising: a housing; a control sleeve disposed within said housing, means for securing said control sleeve to said housing, said securing means having at least one opening extending therethrough to allow fluid communication between the interior and the exterior of said housing; a fluid driven percussion piston reciprocally movable axially on the control sleeve within said housing; an axially movable bit connected to one end of said housing, said bit being directly acted upon by the percussion piston in response to a first resistance acting against the bit and being indirectly acted upon by the percussion piston in response to a second resistance, greater than said first resistance, acting against the bit; a restoring piston being connected to the bit; and means for subjecting a side of said restoring piston which is remote from the percussion piston to fluid pressure produced during a rearward stroke of the percussion piston.

Claim 17

A ram boring implement for driving earth bores comprising: a housing; a control sleeve disposed within said housing, means for securing said control sleeve to said housing, said securing means having at least one opening extending therethrough to allow fluid communication between the interior and the exterior of said housing; a fluid driven percussion piston reciprocally movable axially on the control sleeve within said housing; an axially movable bit connected to one end of said housing, said bit being directly acted upon by the percussion piston in response to a first resistance acting against the bit and being indirectly acted upon by the percussion piston in response to a second resistance, greater than said first resistance, acting against the bit; a restoring piston being connected to the bit; and means for subjecting a side of said restoring piston which is remote from the percussion piston to fluid pressure produced during a rearward stroke of the percussion piston.