Irregular surface drill rod for a directional drilling machine

Abstract

A horizontal drilling machine for directionally drilling a drill string into the ground. The drill string includes a plurality of elongated members threaded together in an end-to-end relationship. The drilling machine includes a track, a rotational driver mounted on the track, and a thrust mechanism for propelling the rotational driver along the track. The rotational driver is used to rotate the drill string in forward and reverse directions about a longitudinal axis of the drill string. The drill string is rotated in the forward direction to thread the elongated members together, and rotated in the reverse direction to unthread the elongated members from one another. Rods of the drilling machine have surface irregularities for mixing or agitating drilling fluid within the bore.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A drill rod, of the type used in a drilling operation, the drill rod comprising: 
 a) a length of elongated material having a first end and a second end;    b) an inner periphery forming a void between the first end and the second end of the elongated material; and    c) an irregular surface on the exterior of the elongated material, the irregular surface defining an effective outer circumference and a lowered area recessed relative to the effective outer circumference.    
     
     
         2 . The drill rod of  claim 1 , wherein the irregular surface includes a series of channels.  
     
     
         3 . The drill rod of  claim 1 , wherein the irregular surface includes a series of lobes.  
     
     
         4 . The drill rod of  claim 1 , wherein the elongated material has a longitudinal axis and wherein the irregular surface is arranged and configured into a spiral pattern about the longitudinal axis.  
     
     
         5 . The drill rod of  claim 1 , wherein the elongated material has a longitudinal axis and wherein the irregular surface is arranged and configured into one or more lines which are generally parallel to the longitudinal axis.  
     
     
         6 . The drill rod of  claim 2 , wherein the channels have a rounded cross-section profile.  
     
     
         7 . The drill rod of  claim 3 , wherein the cross section profile of the lobes includes a leading edge and a trailing edge.  
     
     
         8 . The drill rod of  claim 7 , wherein the profile of the leading and the trailing edges are identical.  
     
     
         9 . The drill rod of  claim 7 , wherein the profile of the leading and trailing edges differ.  
     
     
         10 . The drill rod of  claim 1 , wherein the inner periphery has a generally circular cross-section profile.  
     
     
         11 . The drill rod of  claim 1 , wherein the inner periphery has a generally lobed cross-section profile.  
     
     
         12 . A drill rod for a horizontal drilling machine for directionally drilling a drill string into the ground, the drill string including a plurality of elongated members connected end-to-end and the horizontal drilling machine using a drilling fluid for helping transport spoils out of the hole in operation, the drill rod comprising: 
 a) an inner periphery defining a void between a first and second end of the drill rod;    b) an outer periphery including outermost portions defining an effective outer circumference of the drill rod;    c) an irregular surface provided at the outer periphery which is recessed relative to the effective outer circumference; and    d) wherein the irregular surface agitates the drilling fluid and spoils during operation, whereby the spoils remain suspended in the drilling fluid.    
     
     
         13 . A horizontal drilling machine for directionally drilling a drill string into the ground, comprising: 
 a) a track;    b) a rotational driver for rotating the drill string in forward and reverse directions about a longitudinal axis of the drill string;    c) a thrust mechanism for propelling the rotational driver along the track;    d) a plurality of drilling rods, the drilling rods including: 
 i) an inner periphery defining a void between a first and second end of the drill rod;  
 ii) an outer shell defining an effective outer circumference;  
 iii) an irregular surface formed in the outer shell which is recessed relative to the effective outer circumference; and  
 iv) wherein the irregular surface agitates the drilling fluid and spoils when the rotational driver is rotating the drill string, whereby the spoils remain suspended in the drilling fluid, and wherein the irregular surface agitates the drilling fluid and spoils to re-suspend the spoils when rotation begins after adding or removing a drill rod from the drill string.  
   
     
     
         14 . A method for directionally drilling a drill string into the ground, the drill string including a plurality of elongated members and having an inside and an outside, the drill string including outer surface irregularities, the method comprising: 
 pushing the drill string into the ground;    rotating the drill string by applying a torque to the drill string;    pumping a drilling fluid on the inside of the drill string from the proximal end of the drill string to the distal end of the drill string; and    agitating the drilling fluid on the outside of the rotating drill string with the surface irregularities to help keep the spoils suspended in the drilling fluid as the fluid flows back on the outside of the drill string from the distal end to the proximal end.    
     
     
         15 . A drill rod comprising: 
 a hollow rod member having a threaded male end and a threaded female end;    the hollow rod member including an outer surface defining at least one recess that extends at least partially in a longitudinal direction along the rod member.    
     
     
         16 . The drill rod of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one recess includes a plurality of recesses spaced about a circumference of the rod member.  
     
     
         17 . The drill rod of  claim 16 , wherein the recesses extend longitudinally along the rod member in a spiral pattern.  
     
     
         18 . The drill rod of  claim 16 , wherein the recesses comprise linear slots aligned parallel to a longitudinal axis of the rod member.