U.S. patent application number 10/138206 was filed with the patent office on 2003-11-06 for soil sample liner assembly having permanently attached core catcher for use in dual tube sampling system.
This patent application is currently assigned to Kejr, Inc.. Invention is credited to Bourbon, Troy M., Lee, Nathan Wade.
Application Number | 20030205408 10/138206 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 29269277 |
Filed Date | 2003-11-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030205408 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lee, Nathan Wade ; et
al. |
November 6, 2003 |
Soil sample liner assembly having permanently attached core catcher
for use in dual tube sampling system
Abstract
A soil sample liner assembly having a permanently attached core
catcher is disclosed for use in a dual tube sampling system. The
liner assembly includes a generally cylindrical tube having an
upper end, a lower end, and a substantially smooth cylindrical
outer surface extending between the ends. A core catcher is
positioned within the tube and permanently attached at its lower
end. The core catcher includes a plurality of resilient fingers
that deflect outwardly to allow soil to pass into the tube and
prevent soil from falling back out. The liner assembly has its
lower end supported by an inner ledge of a cutting shoe of the dual
tube sampling system. The liner assembly with the permanently
attached core catcher is removable through the upper end of the
outer casing without disturbing the attachment between the cutting
shoe and the outer casing while the sampling system remains in the
ground.
Inventors: |
Lee, Nathan Wade; (Salina,
KS) ; Bourbon, Troy M.; (Salina, KS) |
Correspondence
Address: |
THOMPSON & THOMPSON, P.A.
310 4th Street
P.O. Box 66
Scandia
KS
66966
US
|
Assignee: |
Kejr, Inc.
|
Family ID: |
29269277 |
Appl. No.: |
10/138206 |
Filed: |
May 3, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
175/20 ;
175/249 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01N 33/24 20130101;
E21B 25/06 20130101; G01N 1/08 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
175/20 ;
175/249 |
International
Class: |
E21B 025/06 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A soil sample liner assembly for use in a soil sampling system,
comprising: a generally cylindrical tube having an upper end, a
lower end, and a substantially smooth cylindrical outer surface
extending between the upper and lower ends; a core catcher
positioned within said tube and permanently attached to said lower
end of said tube, said core catcher comprising a plurality of
inwardly and upwardly extending resilient fingers that deflect
outwardly to allow soil to pass into said tube and to prevent soil
from falling back out of said tube, said core catcher having an
annular bottom which is substantially flush with the lower end of
said tube.
2. The soil sample liner assembly according to claim 1, wherein
said resilient fingers form a dome shape within said tube.
3. The soil sample liner assembly according to claim 1, wherein
said tube and said core catcher are both made of thermoplastic
material.
4. The soil sample liner assembly according to claim 3, wherein
said tube and said core catcher are welded together.
5. A dual tube soil sampling system, comprising: an outer tubular
casing having an upper end and a lower end; a cutting shoe attached
to the lower end of said outer casing, said cutting shoe having an
annular inner ledge; a soil sample liner assembly placed within
said outer casing, said liner assembly comprising a generally
cylindrical tube having an upper end, a lower end, and a
substantially smooth cylindrical outer surface extending
therebetween; said liner assembly further comprising a core catcher
positioned within said tube and permanently attached to said lower
end of said tube, said core catcher comprising a plurality of
inwardly and upwardly extending resilient fingers that deflect
outwardly to allow soil to pass into said tube and prevent soil
from falling back out of said tube; said liner assembly having its
lower end supported by the inner ledge of said cutting shoe and
being removable through the upper end of said outer casing without
disturbing the attachment between the cutting shoe and the outer
casing, whereby the liner assembly can be removed and replaced
between successive sampling intervals while the cutting shoe and
outer casing remain in the ground.
6. The dual tube soil sampling system according to claim 5, further
comprising an inner probe rod coupled to the upper end of said tube
of said liner assembly, said inner probe rod being operable to
raise and lower said liner assembly within said outer casing.
7. The dual tube soil sampling system according to claim 6, further
comprising a drive head positioned over the upper end of said outer
casing, said drive head providing an impact surface for driving
said soil sampling system into the ground.
8. The dual tube soil sampling system according to claim 6, wherein
said outer casing comprises a plurality of tubular members which
are selectively connected together end-to-end to change a length of
said outer casing, and said inner probe rod comprises a plurality
of probe rods selectively connected together end-to-end to change a
length of said inner probe rod, whereby a combined length of the
inner probe rod and the soil sample liner assembly can be adjusted
to approximately the same length as the outer casing when the soil
sampling system is assembled.
9. The dual tube soil sampling system according to claim 6, further
comprising a solid drive point which can be interchanged with the
soil sample liner assembly and connected to the lower end of the
inner probe rod, said solid drive point being adapted to extend at
least partially through the cutting shoe and seal a lower end of
the outer casing to allow the sampling system to be driven to the
top of an initial sampling interval which begins below the ground
surface.
10. The dual tube soil sampling system according to claim 5,
wherein said core catcher has an annular bottom which is
substantially flush with an outside profile of said tube.
11. The dual tube soil sampling system according to claim 5,
wherein said resilient fingers of said core catcher form a dome
shape within said tube.
12. The dual tube soil sampling system according to claim 5,
wherein said tube and said core catcher are both made of
thermoplastic material.
13. The dual tube soil sampling system according to claim 12,
wherein said tube and said core catcher are welded together.
14. The dual tube soil sampling system according to claim 5,
wherein said soil sample liner assembly is not attached to said
outer casing or to said cutting shoe.
15. A soil sample liner assembly for use in a dual tube soil
sampling system, comprising: a generally cylindrical tube having an
upper end, a lower end, and a substantially smooth cylindrical
outer surface extending between the upper and lower ends; and a
core catcher positioned within said tube and permanently attached
to said lower end of said tube, said core catcher comprising a
plurality of inwardly and upwardly extending resilient fingers that
deflect outwardly to allow soil to pass into said tube and prevent
soil from falling back out of said tube; said core catcher having
an annular bottom which is substantially flush with an outside
profile of said tube, said liner assembly having a means at its
lower end for engaging and resting on an annular inner ledge of a
cutting shoe of the dual tube soil sampling system.
16. The soil sample liner assembly according to claim 15, wherein
said resilient fingers of said core catcher form a dome shape
within said tube.
17. The soil sample liner assembly according to claim 15, wherein
said tube and said core catcher are both made of thermoplastic
material.
18. The soil sample liner assembly according to claim 17, wherein
said tube and said core catcher are welded together.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates generally to devices for
obtaining soil samples from below the surface of the ground. In
particular, the present invention relates to soil sample liners for
use in dual tube soil sampling systems.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Soil sampling systems are commonly used to obtain soil
samples from below the surface of the ground. The soil samples are
used to determine soil conditions prior to construction, to locate
mineral deposits, to study chemical dissipation and residue, to
determine the concentration of environmental contaminants, to
investigate hazardous waste sites, and in other ways well known in
the art.
[0005] A variety of soil sampling systems are known in the art. For
example, one method of continuous soil sampling involves repeatedly
driving and retrieving a soil probe sampler in-and-out of the same
probe hole. A first sample is taken adjacent to the surface by
driving the sample tube its full length into the ground. The sample
tube is then removed from the ground and the soil sample therein
removed. The sample tube is then lowered into the previously
sampled hole and the next sampling interval taken at the lower
depth. Probe rods are attached to the upper end of the sample tube
to transmit the percussive forces from a hammer to the sample tube
at the lower depth.
[0006] Another common type of soil sampling system is known as the
dual tube soil sampling system. Dual tube sampling uses two sets of
probe rods to collect continuous soil cores. One set of rods is
driven into the ground as an outer casing. These rods receive the
driving force from the hammer and provide a sealed hole from which
soil samples may be recovered without the threat of
cross-contamination. The second, smaller set of rods are placed
inside the outer casing. The function of these smaller rods is to
hold a sample liner in place as the outer casing is driven one
sampling interval. The inner rods are then retracted to retrieve
the full sample liner. An example of a dual tube soil sampling
system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,854,432.
[0007] The dual tube sampling system can also be equipped with a
solid drive tip that allows an operator to start continuous coring
from a desired depth below the ground surface. The solid drive tip
allows the tool string to be advanced directly through undisturbed
soil to the top of a desired sampling interval. The solid drive tip
can be installed on the leading end of the inner probe rod string
in place of the sample liner. When in place, the solid drive tip
fits firmly inside and plugs the cutting shoe and effectively seals
the tool string as the outer casing is driven to the desired
depth.
[0008] The sample liners used in dual tube soil sampling systems
are typically clear plastic cylinders that can be attached to the
inner probe rod string using a liner drive head assembly. The soil
sample is guided into the liner by a cutting shoe at the lower end
of the outer casing of the dual tube sampling system. The liner
allows easy removal and storage of the soil sample core. Further,
the clear plastic material of the liner allows the different strata
of the soil sample to be easily inspected while still in the liner
and the relative positions of the strata are preserved.
[0009] During the collection of loose or sandy soils, it is
sometimes difficult to keep the soil sample from exiting the open
lower end of the sampling tube during extraction of the probe from
the ground. To alleviate this problem and hold the soil sample
within the sample tube, basket-type soil catcher devices have
sometimes been positioned at the lower end of the tube. Such
devices are designed to allow a soil sample to pass into the sample
tube, but inhibit soil from passing back out of the sample tube. An
example of such a basket-type soil catcher device is described in
U.S. Pat. No. 5,606,139. However, the soil catcher device disclosed
in the '139 patent is unsuitable for use in dual tube sampling
systems. Specifically, the retainer on which the soil catcher is
mounted is sandwiched between the lower end of the probe tube and
the cutting shoe, thereby requiring the entire probe assembly to be
removed from the soil bore and disassembled to remove the liner and
soil catcher from the probe tube and cutting shoe.
[0010] A core catcher designed for dual tube sampling systems has
been produced by AMS, Inc. of American Falls, Id. This core catcher
slips over the outside lower end of a soil sample liner. This
slip-over attachment method makes the core catcher more prone to
fall off during sample retrieval. This is especially true when soil
material, deposited by multiple sampling in the same hole, tends to
bind the core catcher to the cutting shoe. The slip-over attachment
method also creates a step at the transition area between the top
most portion of the core catcher and the outside surface of the
liner. The step increases the possibility that the core catcher
will be pulled off, or the liner will become stuck in the cutting
shoe.
[0011] Thus, there is a need in the industry for an improved soil
sample liner with an attached core catcher for use in dual tube
soil sampling systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] It is an object of the present invention to provide a soil
sample liner with a permanently attached core catcher suitable for
use in a dual tube soil sampling system.
[0013] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
soil sample liner assembly that prevents a soil sample from falling
out of the soil sampler when the sample is retrieved to the ground
surface.
[0014] It is a further object of the present invention to provide
an improved soil sample liner assembly with a core catcher that can
be used effectively with various soil sampling systems, that is
dependable and economical to manufacture, and that is particularly
well suited for use in dual tube soil sampling systems.
[0015] In order to solve the problems with the prior art described
above, the applicants have developed an improved soil sample liner
assembly with a core catcher permanently attached to the sample
liner for use in a dual tube soil sampling system. The liner
assembly includes a generally cylindrical tube having an upper end,
a lower end, and a substantially smooth cylindrical outer surface
extending between the ends. A core catcher is positioned within the
tube and permanently attached at its lower end. The core catcher
includes a plurality of resilient fingers that deflect outwardly to
allow soil to pass into the tube and prevent soil from falling back
out. The liner assembly has its lower end supported by an inner
ledge of a cutting shoe of the dual tube soil sampling system. The
liner assembly with the permanently attached core catcher is
removable through the upper end of the outer casing without
disturbing the attachment between the cutting shoe and the outer
casing while the sampling system remains in the ground.
[0016] According to a broad aspect of the present invention, a soil
sample liner assembly for use in a soil sampling system is
provided, comprising: a generally cylindrical tube having an upper
end, a lower end, and a substantially smooth cylindrical outer
surface extending between the upper and lower ends; and a core
catcher positioned within the tube and permanently attached to the
lower end of the tube. The core catcher has a plurality of inwardly
and upwardly extending resilient fingers that deflect outwardly to
allow soil to pass into the tube and prevent soil from falling back
out of the tube. The core catcher has an annular bottom which is
substantially flush with the lower end of the tube.
[0017] According to another broad aspect of the present invention,
a dual tube soil sampling system is provided, comprising: an outer
tubular casing having an upper end and a lower end; a cutting shoe
attached to the lower end of the outer casing, the cutting shoe
having an annular inner ledge; and a soil sample liner assembly
placed within the outer casing. The liner assembly has a generally
cylindrical tube having an upper end, a lower end, and a
substantially smooth cylindrical outer surface extending
therebetween. The liner assembly also has a core catcher positioned
within the tube and permanently attached to the lower end of the
tube. The core catcher has a plurality of inwardly and upwardly
extending resilient fingers that deflect outwardly to allow soil to
pass into the tube and prevent soil from falling back out of the
tube. The lower end of the liner assembly is supported by the inner
ledge of the cutting shoe and is removable through the upper end of
the outer casing without disturbing the attachment between the
cutting shoe and the outer casing. The liner assembly can be
removed and replaced between successive sampling intervals while
the cutting shoe and outer casing remain in the ground.
[0018] Numerous other objects of the present invention will be
apparent to those skilled in this art from the following
description wherein there is shown and described a preferred
embodiment of the present invention, simply by way of illustration
of one of the modes best suited to carry out the invention. As will
be realized, the invention is capable of other different
embodiments, and its several details are capable of modification in
various obvious aspects without departing from the invention.
Accordingly, the drawings and description should be regarded as
illustrative in nature and not restrictive.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] The present invention will become more clearly appreciated
as the disclosure of the invention is made with reference to the
accompanying drawings. In the drawings:
[0020] FIG. 1 is a cross section view providing an overview of
conventional dual tube soil sampling system.
[0021] FIG. 2 is a cross section view providing an overview of a
dual tube soil sampling system having a core catcher permanently
attached to the lower end of the soil sample liner assembly.
[0022] FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail view showing the lower end of
the soil sample liner assembly shown in FIG. 2.
[0023] FIG. 4 is an exploded front view in partial section of a
dual tube soil sampling system having a core catcher permanently
attached to the lower end of the soil sample liner assembly
according to the present invention.
[0024] FIG. 5 is a cross section view of a soil sample liner
assembly having a core catcher permanently attached to the lower
end of the liner tube according to the present invention.
[0025] FIG. 6 is an enlarged detail view of the lower end of the
soil sample liner assembly according to the present invention.
[0026] FIG. 7 is a front view of the tube of the soil sample liner
assembly of the present invention.
[0027] FIG. 8 is an end view of the tube shown in FIG. 7.
[0028] FIG. 9 is a cross section side view of a core catcher used
in the soil sample liner assembly of the present invention.
[0029] FIG. 10 is an end view of the core catcher shown in FIG.
9.
[0030] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the core catcher shown in
FIG. 9.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0031] A soil sample liner assembly for a dual tube soil sampling
system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention
will now be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 11 of the
accompanying drawings.
[0032] The nature of the problem to be solved by the present
invention will first be explained by reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 of
the drawings. In FIG. 1, a conventional dual tube soil sampling
system 10 is shown having an outer casing 11, a cutting shoe 12
attached to the lower end of the outer casing 11, an inner probe
rod 13, and a soil sample liner 14 coupled to the lower end of the
inner probe rod 13 by a soil sample liner drive head 16. The soil
sample liner 14 can be raised and lowered within the outer casing
11 by raising and lowering the inner probe rod 13.
[0033] In operation, the soil sample liner 14 in the conventional
dual tube soil sampling system 10 is lowered within the outer
casing 11 until the lower edge of the soil sample liner 14 engages
an inner ledge 15 of the cutting shoe 12. The soil sample liner 14
is held in place against the inner ledge 15 of the cutting shoe 12
by a drive head placed over the upper end of the sampling system
10. The outer casing 11 is then driven down into the subsoil
causing a soil sample 17 to pass through the cutting shoe 12 and
into the soil sample liner 14. Once the outer casing 11 is driven
to the desired soil sampling interval, the inner probe rod 13 and
soil sample liner 14 are raised within the outer casing 11 to
retrieve the soil sample 17.
[0034] The soil sample liner 14 in the conventional dual tube
sampling system shown 10 in FIG. 1 has an open lower end 18. The
open lower end 18 of the liner 14 often allows part of the soil
sample 17 to fall out of the liner 14 and remain within the outer
casing 11, particularly when sampling sandy soils or other loose
soils. As a result, the soil sample liner 14 does not retrieve a
complete sample, and the lower interior of the outer casing 11
tends to fill with soil interfering with additional samplings from
the same bore hole.
[0035] FIGS. 2 and 3 show a dual tube sampling system 20 having an
improved soil sample liner assembly 21 according to the present
invention. The dual tube sampling system 20 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3
has many of the same components as the system 10 shown in FIG. 1,
which are depicted by the same reference numerals as the
corresponding components in FIG. 1, and will not be further
described herein.
[0036] The improved soil sample liner assembly 21 has a core
catcher 22 permanently attached to the lower end of the liner tube
23. The core catcher 22 allows the soil sample 24 to pass from the
cutting shoe 12 into the liner tube 23, but prevents the soil
sample 24 from falling back out of the liner tube 23. As a result,
the soil sample liner assembly 21 can be raised within the outer
casing 11 with the complete soil sample 24 remaining intact within
the soil sample liner assembly 21. The soil sample liner assembly
21 is not attached to the outer casing 1 or to the cutting shoe 12.
The bottom edge 25 of the liner assembly 21 merely engages and
rests on the inner ledge 15 of the cutting shoe 12.
[0037] As in the conventional dual tube soil sampling system 10,
the soil sample liner assembly 21 of the present invention can be
removed through the top of the outer casing 11 without disturbing
the attachment between the cutting shoe 12 and the outer casing 11.
Once the soil sample liner assembly 21 is removed, a new soil
sample liner assembly with a permanently attached core catcher can
be coupled to the lower end of the inner probe rod 13 and lowered
down into the outer casing 11 until the lower end of the liner
assembly 21 engages and seats against the inner ledge 15 of the
cutting shoe 12. The dual tube sampling system 20 is then ready to
be driven further down into the subsoil to complete another soil
sampling interval. The liner assembly 21 can thus be removed and
replaced between successive sampling intervals while the cutting
shoe 12 and outer casing 11 remain in the ground.
[0038] The various components of the dual tube sampling system 20
according to the present invention will be further described with
reference to FIG. 4 of the drawings. As explained above, the system
20 includes a cutting shoe 12, an outer casing 11, a soil sample
liner assembly 21, and an inner probe rod 13. The soil sample liner
assembly 21 has a core catcher 22 permanently attached at its lower
end. A soil sample liner drive head 26 couples the lower end of the
inner probe rod 13 to the upper end of the soil sample liner
assembly 21. A drive bumper 27 is attached to the upper end of the
inner probe rod 13. A drive head 28 is attached to the upper end of
the outer casing 11 and provides an impact surface for driving the
soil sampling system 20 into the ground. The drive bumper 27 is
made of a resilient material that helps cushion the impact of the
drive head 28 against the inner probe rod 13 to limit stress on the
soil sample liner assembly 21 as the sampling system 20 is driven
into the ground. A rod clamp assembly (not shown) can be attached
to the upper end of the outer casing 11 after removing the drive
head 28 and drive bumper 27 to facilitate lifting the inner probe
rod 13 and the soil sample liner assembly 21 from the outer casing
11.
[0039] The outer casing 11 is sometimes referred to as the outer
probe rod string. The outer casing 11 comprises a plurality of
tubular members which are selectively connected together end-to-end
in a known manner to change a length of the outer casing 11. The
inner probe rod 13 is sometimes referred to as the inner probe rod
string. The inner probe rod 13 comprises a plurality of probe rods
which are selectively connected together end-to-end in a known
manner to change a length of the inner probe rod 13. The combined
length of the inner probe rod 13 and the soil sample liner assembly
21 will normally be adjusted to approximately the same length as
the outer casing 11 when the soil sampling system 21 is
assembled.
[0040] As in conventional dual tube soil sampling systems, a solid
drive point (not shown) can be interchanged with the soil sample
liner assembly 21 and connected to the lower end of the inner probe
rod 13. The solid drive point is adapted to extend at least
partially through the cutting shoe 12 and seal a lower end of the
outer casing 11. When assembled, the solid drive point protrudes
from the lower end of the outer casing 11 and allows the sampling
system 20 to be driven to the top of an initial sampling interval
that begins below the ground surface.
[0041] As shown in further detail in FIGS. 5 and 6, the core
catcher 22 is fit within and attached to the lower end of the soil
sample liner tube 23. The core catcher 22 has a generally dome
shape comprising a plurality of flexible arcuate-shaped fingers 29.
The fingers 29 are preferably formed integrally with an annular
bottom 30 of the core catcher 22 and project upwardly and inwardly
therefrom as shown in the drawings. The fingers 29 can also be
connected to the annular bottom 30 by any suitable means. The
fingers 29 deflect outwardly toward the inner surface of the liner
tube 23 as soil is forced into the liner assembly 21 by driving the
sampling assembly 20 into the ground. After the liner tube 23 has
been filled with a soil sample 24 and the inner probe rod 13 and
soil sample liner assembly 21 are pulled upwardly within the outer
casing 11, the fingers 29 will resume their undeflected original
positions. Thus, during extraction of the soil sample liner
assembly 21 from within the outer casing 11, the fingers 29 in
their original undeflected positions will inhibit soil collected in
the liner tube 23 from escaping through the lower portion of the
liner assembly 21 and into the lower portion of the outer casing
11.
[0042] The soil sample liner tube 23 is a generally cylindrical
tube having a smooth cylindrical outer surface extending between
upper and lower ends 31, 32. The core catcher 22 is permanently
attached to the lower end 32 of the soil sample liner tube 23 with
the annular bottom 30 substantially flush with the lower end 32 and
with the outside profile of the tube 23.
[0043] The soil sample liner tube 23 is preferably made of a clear
thermoplastic material. The core catcher 22 is preferably formed of
the same material as the soil sample liner tube 23, but can also be
formed of any other suitable material capable of being securely
attached to the liner tube 23 and providing the necessary
resiliency. The permanent attachment of the core catcher 22 to the
soil sample liner tube 23 is preferably made by welding the parts
together using thermal welding or ultrasonic welding processes. The
permanent attachment can also be made using adhesives (e.g., with
epoxies, cyanoacrylates, etc.), riveting, or by using other
suitable fastening techniques that provide a durable permanent
connection. In the preferred embodiment, the soil sample liner tube
23 and core catcher 22 are both made of the same type of
thermoplastic material and are permanently attached to each other
using a welding process (thermal or ultrasonic) that fuses the
components together. The fusion between the soil sample liner tube
23 and the core catcher 22 provides a durable assembly and
minimizes the introduction of potential sample contaminants, such
as glues.
[0044] It will be appreciated that certain features of the present
invention described above can be changed without departing from the
scope of the invention. For example, the soil sample liner assembly
21 of the present invention can be used with soil sampling systems
other than dual tube soil sampling systems. Also, the particular
dimensions of the components can be changed to suit a particular
soil sampling system, the shape of the core catcher 22 can be
different from the preferred "dome" shape shown in the drawings,
the number and resiliency of the fingers 29 of the core catcher 22
can be changed, and the materials of the soil sample liner tube 23
and the core catcher 22 can be different.
[0045] While the invention has been specifically described in
connection with specific embodiments thereof, it is to be
understood that this is by way of illustration and not of
limitation, and the scope of the appended claims should be
construed as broadly as the prior art will permit.
* * * * *