Drilling apparatus which comprises support structure mounted guide tracks which extend in a drilling direction. A rotating and pushing unit is mounted on said guide tracks for movement in the drilling direction. The apparatus is provided with a series of members for adjusting the height of the rotating and pushing unit in relation to the guide tracks, the members extending in the drilling direction and allowing the rotating and pushing unit to glide in the drilling direction.
A system for drilling a horizontal bore through frangible material includes a barrel mechanism containing a automatically reciprocating piston mechanism for automatically delivering hammering blows to a bit for chipping away the frangible material, a fluid distributor for directing fluid to and exhausting pressurized fluid from the piston mechanism without exposing the wall of the bore being created to fluid pressure greater than ambient atmospheric pressure, a spline/flute arrangement for causing the bit to rotate with the barrel mechanism, a motor and swivel mounted on a driven platform mounted on a supporting frame for urging the bit against the frangible material and for supplying the pressurized fluid, a pushing mechanism for non-rotatingly and simultaneously installing casing joints as various components of the system is rotatingly drilling the bore, an augering arrangement for, in conjunction with the casing joints, removing the drilling debris, and drill/auger stem sections for extending the drilling and augering capability of the system as the drilling progresses.
