Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PIPELINE PROBE
This invention is in the field of equipment for locating underground lines and
in
particular such equipment for locating buried pipelines.
In oil and gas fields it is common to find a network of pipelines buried in
the ground and
connecting various wells with central processing and/or storage facilities.
These
pipelines can be owned by different parties and often it is required to
install a new
pipeline though an area where there is already a significant network of
pipelines.
In such cases a preliminary survey of existing lines will typically be
conducted in order to
generally locate existing underground pipelines and other underground
utilities and the
like. Based on this preliminary survey a route is selected. Enact locations of
the
pipelines being crossed on this route are then required in order to avoid
damaging these
pipelines. Electronic sensors are available that will accurately locate the
lateral position
of buried pipelines, however such sensors are not sufficiently accurate to
determine the
depth of the pipeline for the purposes of digging near the existing pipeline.
Thus while the lateral location of the intersections where the new pipeline is
to cross an
existing pipeline can be accurately determined, and typically will be marked
by driving a
stake into the ground, the depth of the pipeline must be determined accurately
by other
means before installation. While some pipelines are made from material that
can be
damaged by contact with a probe, and so a probe cannot be used, in many cases
the depth
of a pipeline is accurately determined with a probe. Such probes typically
comprise a
rigid rod with a rounded end that is manually pushed into the ground.
Typically the stake
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marking the intersection location will be removed and the probe pushed down
into the
hole made by the stake. A T-handle is provided at the top end of the probe and
the
operator wiggles and pushes the probe downward until it strikes the buried
pipeline.
Where the soil is moist the probe will go in fairly easily however when the
soil is dry or
frozen considerable time and effort is required to push the probe downward the
30 inches
or more that are required. A like difficulty is encountered when driving the
stakes into
the ground for marking intersections or other locations. In dry or frown soil
conditions
water is commonly added to the hole to soften the soil. A conventional hammer
is
sometimes used to pound the probe into the ground. Where a deeper probe is
required,
extensions are available to extend the length of the probe.
In addition to being difficult to push into the ground, conventional probes
are often also
difficult to pull out of the ground.
Y O ~ THE INVENTIO
It is an object of the present invention to provide a pipeline probe for
accurately locating.
the depth of a buried pipeline that overcomes problems in the prior art.
The present invention provides in one embodiment, a probe apparatus for
locating
underground pipelines. The apparatus comprises an elongated hammer member
comprising an upper hammer portion and a hollow lower sleeve portion; an
elongated
probe member comprising an upper head portion slidably engagable in the sleeve
portion
of the hammer member, and a lower driven portion having a rounded bottom end
and
adapted to be driven into the ground to contact a buried pipeline; and a probe
tether
attached to the probe member and the hammer member. The probe tether is
configured
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such that the head portion of the probe member can slide in and out of the
sleeve portion
of the hammer member within a movement range, but is prevented from moving out
of
engagement with the sleeve portion of the hammer member.
In a second embodiment the invention provides a probe apparatus for locating
underground pipelines. The apparatus comprises an elongated hammer member
comprising an upper hammer portion and a hollow lower sleeve portion; an
elongated
probe member comprising an upper head portion slidably engagable in the sleeve
portion
of the hammer member, and a lower driven portion having a rounded bottom end
and
adapted to be driven into the ground to contact a buried pipeline; and a probe
tether
attached to the probe member and attached to the hammer member such that the
head
portion of the probe member can slide in and out of the sleeve portion of the
hammer
member within a movement range, but is prevented from moving out of engagement
with
the sleeve portion of the hammer member. In operation the hammer member can be
lifted and accelerated down onto the probe member to drive the driven portion
of the
probe member into the ground, and the hammer member can be dropped and
accelerated
up against the probe tether to pull the driven portion of the probe member out
of the
ground.
In a third embodiment the invention provides a method of probing for
underground
pipelines. The method comprises providing an elongated hammer member
comprising an
upper hammer portion and a hollow lower sleeve portion; providing an elongated
probe
member comprising an upper head portion slidably engagable in the sleeve
portion of the
hammer member, and a Iower driven portion having a rounded bottom end and
adapted to
be driven into the ground to contact a buried pipeline; and providing a probe
tether
attached to the probe member and attached to the hammer member such that the
head
portion of the probe member can slide in and out of the sleeve portion of the
hammer
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member within a movement range, but is prevented from moving out of engagement
with
the sleeve portion of the hammer member; lifting the hammer member and
accelerating
the hammer member down onto the probe member to drive the driven portion of
the
probe member into the ground until the bottom end contacts the buried
pipeline;
determining a distance between the bottom end of the driven member and ground
level;
dropping the hammer member and accelerating the hammer member up against the
probe
tether to pull the driven portion of the probe member out of the ground.
The apparatus drives the probe into hard, dry, or frozen ground much more
readily than
conventional probes, and also functions to pull the probe out of the ground.
When water
is used to soften the ground for probing, a splash guard can be provided to
prevent water
and mud from splashing up on the operator. A sta&e hole maker can be provided
to make
holes in hard or frozen ground for survey stakes.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:
While the invention is claimed in the concluding portions hereof, preferred
embodiments
are provided in the accompanying detailed description which may be best
understood in
conjunction with the accompanying diagrams where like parts in each of the
several
diagrams are labeled with likc numbers, and where:
Fig. 1 is a top view of the parts of a probe apparatus of the invention as
they
would appear laid out on the ground;
Fig. 2 is a schematic side view of the probe member fully inserted into the
hammer member;
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Fig. 3 is a schematic side view of the probe member withdrawn from the hammer
member to the position permitted by the attached probe tether,
Fig. 4 is a schematic side view of the probe apparatus of Fig. in use to
locate the
depth of a pipeline;
Fig. 5 is a top view of the splash guard of Fig. 1;
Fig. 6 is a front view of the flattened bottom end of the stake hole maker of
Fig. 1.
DETAILED D SCRIPTION OF TAE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS:
Fig. 1 illustrates a top view of the parts of a probe apparatus 1 of the
invention for
locating underground pipelines as they would appear laid out on the ground.
The
apparatus 1 comprises an elongated hammer member 3 comprising an upper hammer
portion 5 and a hollow lower sleeve portion 7. The hammer portion 5 is
provided by a
length of solid steel shaft and the sleeve portion 7 is provided by a length
of hollow pipe
or the like welded to the bottom end of the solid shaft.
An elongated probe member 9 comprises an upper head portion 11 slidabIy
engagable in
the sleeve portion 7 of the hammer member 3, and a lower driven portion 13
having a
rounded bottom end 15 and adapted to be driven into the ground to contact a
buried
pipeline. The head portion 11 is again provided by a length of solid steel
shaft smaller
than that used for the hammer portion 5 and having a cross-sectional area
sized to slide
into the sleeve portion 7.
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The driven portion I3 is provided by a length of stainless steel rod threaded
into a
threaded hole in the bottom end of the solid shaft, and secured with a lock
nut 17, such
that the driven portion 13 is releasable from its attachment to the head
portion 11 of the
probe member 9. Although it is contemplated that other materials might be used
for the
driven portion 13, stainless steel provides the required strength and rigidity
to allow the
relatively thin probe to be driven into the ground. A second driven portion 19
is also
provided and is longer than the driven portion 13 for deeper probing. For
example the
probes might be two feet long and four feet long, but could also be provided
in any
required length.
While it is contemplated that a circular cross-section for the shafts, pipe,
and rod would
be economical to produce, outer cross-sectional shapes could be used as well.
In the illustrated embodiment the rounded bottom end 15 of the driven portions
13, 19 is
provided by a ball attached to their bottom ends 15. The ball has a diameter
larger than a
diameter of the driven portions 13, 19 in order to facilitate pulling the
driven portion back
out of the ground by slightly increasing the diameter of the hole made by the
driven
portions 13, 19 and thereby reducing friction with the ground along the length
of the
driven portions 13, 19. The driven portion 19 is marked with a series of gauge
marks 21
to facilitate deternlining the distance between the bottom end 15 of the
driven member 19
and the surface of the ground, and thus determine the depth of a probed buried
pipeline.
A probe tether 23, illustrated as a length of chain, is attached to the probe
member 9 and
is releasably attachable to the hammer member 3 by engaging the probe tether
23 into the
fastener hook 25 welded to the hammer portion 5 of the hammer member 3. When
the
probe tether 23 is attached, the head portion 11 of the probe member 9 can
slide in and
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out of the sleeve portion 7 of the hammer member 3 within a movement range,
but is
prevented from moving out of engagement with the sleeve portion 7.
Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate the movement range using an alternate probe tether
123, illustrated
as a length of cable, that is fiaced to the probe member 9 and is releasably
attached by a
ring 124 to the hook 25. The head portion 11 of the probe member 9 can slide
in and out
of the sleeve portion 7 of the hammer member 3 within a movement range from
the
position of Fig. 2 to the position of Fig. 3.
In the illustrated embodiment of Fig. 1, the probe tether 23 is slidably
attached to the
lower driven portion 13 of the probe member 9. The driven portion 13 has a
diameter
that is smaller than the head portion 11, and the driven portion 13 passes
through rings 31
attached to ends of the chain probe tether 23. The rings 23 are sized to slide
along the
driven portion 13 between the bottom end 15 of the driven portion 13 and the
bottom of
the head portion 11. The probe tether 25 is attached to the hook 25 by looping
the chain
over the hook.
As illustrated in Fig. 4, when the probe tether 23 is released from the hook
25, the probe
tether 23 slides down the driven portion 13 and lies on the ground while the
lower driven
portion 13 is being driven into the ground. Thus the probe tether 23 is not
hanging and
swinging during the probing operation, but simply lies out of the way on the
ground. As
illustrated in Fig. 4, in operation the hammer member 3 is lifted and
accelerated down
onto the probe member 9 to drive the driven portion 13 into the ground.
Releasing the
probe tether 23 during probing increases the stroke of the hammer member 5
with respect
to the probe member 9.
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Once the driven portion 13 has been driven down and contacted a buried
pipeline 27, the
level of the ground surface 29 can be marked on the driven member 13 so that
when
withdrawn, the distance from the bottom end 15 of the driven member 13 to the
mark can
be measured, or gauge marks can be provided on the driven member 13 to allow
the
depth be read directly from the driven member when it contacts the pipeline
27.
To facilitate withdrawing the driven member 13 from the ground, the probe
tether 23 can
be re-attached to the hook 25, and then the hammer member 3 can be dropped and
accelerated up against the probe tether 23 to pull the driven portion 13 of
the probe
member 9 out of the ground. The amount of slack in the probe tether 23 can be
increased
if desired to increase the stroke for this removing operation.
Figs. 1, 4 and 5 also illustrate a splash guard 33 comprising a sheet 35
defining a probe
aperture 37 in a central portion thereof configured such that the driven
portion 13 of the
probe member 9 passes through the probe aperture 37. When pouring water on the
ground to soften the soil for probing, the driven portion 13 of the pmbe
member 9 is
inserted through the probe aperture 37 prior to driving the driven portion 13
into the
ground, and the sheet prevents water or mud from splashing up on the operator.
The
sheet 35 is conveniently cut from a piece of rubber belting or like sheet
material.
The probe member 9 can slide out of engagement with the hammer member 5 when
the
probe tether 23 is released. To provide added utility to the apparatus 1, an
elongated
stake hole maker 41 is also provided. The stake hole maker 41 comprises an
upper head
portion 43 slidably engagable in the sleeve portion 7 of the hammer member 3,
and a
lower hole making portion 45 having a flattened bottom end 47 adapted to be
driven into
the ground to create a hole into which a survey stake can be driven. Fig. 6 is
a front view
of the flattened bottom end 47 of the hole making portion 45 configured to
about the size
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of the stake to be driven. Thus during the survey operation prior to probing
the apparatus
1 can also be used to provide stake holes in hard or frozen ground.
The stake hole maker can further comprise a hole maker tether 49 illustrated
as a chain
welded at each end to a lower portion of the hole maker 41 to form a loop that
can be
engaged on the hook 25. The hole maker tether 49 is configured such that when
attached,
the head portion 43 of the hole maker 41 is prevented from moving out of
engagement
with the sleeve portion 7 of the hammer member 5, allowing the two parts to be
carried
together.
Thus the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the
invention.
Further, since numerous changes and modifications will readily occur to those
skilled in
the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction
and operation
shown and described, and accordingly, all such suitable changes or
modifications in
structure or operation which may be resorted to are intended to fall within
the scope of
the claimed invention.
