The accompanying list of tools gives the complete outfit needed:
In addition to the above are needed one small kit of blacksmith’s tools, anvil, and forge for sharpening and repairing. A few machinist’s tools for pipe fitting and threading, and carpenters tools for erecting windlass and platforms.
Erecting the Spring Pole, Platform, Etc.
The spring pole is erected as shown in Figures 1 and 2 with its upper end nearly over the location for the hole, or that part from where the rope suspends about 2 or 3 inches back of the line of the hole, so that when the weight of the rods comes on the spring pole in drilling, this point will comes over the hole or travel ½ inch to 1 inch from one side to the other of the hole when being operated.
There should be sufficient height between the upper end of the spring pole and the working platform to operate the pipe driver in the sinking pipe or the brace head in drilling. The pulley of the derrick in Figure 1 or the windlass reel in Figure 2 is erected 13 feet of more above the working platform so as to have enough height for handling the longest pipes and rods in raising and lowering them. If the platform is arranged as shown in Figure 2 a distance of 8 feet below the surface is sufficient.
In order to handle the pipe in driving it, it is necessary to have access to it for 3 or 4 feet below the platform level, that that if the outfit is all erected above ground as in Figure 1, it will be necessary to sink a pit centrally on the location of the hole and 3 or 4 feet deep below the working platform (C) or else erect the working platform 3 or 4 feet above the level of the ground and raise the end of the spring pole and windlass reel and pulley a like amount. The platform has a central removable blocking with a hole large enough to introduce the piping and rods.
Driving Through Soil or Loose Material
The pipe should be driven down until 4 or 6 inches of the pipe remain above the platform, or enough so that the pipe and cap can be grasped by wrenches to permit uncoupling. The pipe driver is placed in position as shown in Figure 1 for operating above ground. The screw end of the upper part of the pipe driver being screwed into the end of the swivel attached to the spring pole rope. If the pipe driver is to be operated below ground, as in Figure 2, the connection with the spring-pole rope would be the same, the brace head shown in Figure 2 being removed and replaced by the pipe driver.
A six foot length of pipe is fitted with a cap and shoe as shown in Figure 4 and placed in position for driving. The lower end is sunk some distance in the ground by hand. The upper end is guided by the platform blocks, while the lower end is sunk into the soil by the blows of the pipe driver delivered upon the upper end. In driving not more than three feet of the pipe extends above the platform, more than this necessitates the pipe driver being too high for ease in operation. About 1 ½ to 2 ½ feet above the platform is better [working height].
The pipe driver is adjusted by the rope of the spring pole being raised or lowered as needed and held in place by a hitch knot in the rope at the swivel end. In starting to drive the pipe, the pipe driver is fastened by a hitch knot so that its lower end will nearly rest on the cap of the pipe. Two or four men standing between the handles of the pipe driver, and each with a hand on a different handle, then raise and lower the pipe driver by means of the handles and assisted by the spring of the pole, they let is strike the cap of the pipe squarely on it’s down blow. After the pipe have been driven 4 or 6 inches, the men at the handles instead of exerting more force on the up stroke find it necessary to apply more strength on the down stroke and less on the up stroke as the spring pole assists in lifting the pipe driver. After driving 6 to 8 inches the hitch knot is then loosened by a splicing iron and the driver lowered within an inch or so of the cap, the knot tightened and the driving repeated as in the beginning of the operation, until the pipe has been driven down about 2 feet, or so that about 6 inches remain above the platform. Then the cap is removed and a 1 foot length of pipe added with the cap screwed on top. This is similarly
The cap and the1 foot length of pipe are now removed and a 2 foot length added with the cap screwed on top. This is again driven down until about 6 inches of the pipe remain above the platform when the cap and 2 foot length of pipe is removed and similarly, a 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-foot length are in turn put in place, the 6-foot length remaining connected with the first 6-foot length and shoe and driven in the ground to form the second length of the casing. The driving with the 1-, 2-, 3-, 4- 5-, and 6-foot lengths of pipe is then repeated, the 6-foot length remaining in place each time and being driven in the soil to form part of the casing. The operation continues until rock is reached.
If the soil yields readily so that the pipe drives easily, the 2-, 4-, and 6-foot lengths need only be used, which makes the pipe stand higher above the platform in driving, but reduces the time of changing the lengths and cap and increases the speed of driving.
To facilitate the joining of the lengths of pipe in the frequent changes, the opening in the platform C is arranged so as to be readily opened and closed by the loose blocking as shown in l Figure 17. The joining of the successive rods is required to be done below the platform. The joints of pipe are oiled to permit their being easily disconnected. If the soil has not sufficient resistance to hold the lower pipes in place while disconnecting the upper pipe with a wrench, then it will be necessary to make a small platform around the pipe, 4 feet below the platform C (Figures 1 and 2) on which to grasp the lower pipe with a chain or alligator wrench while disconnecting the upper pipe.
The play of the spring pole varies from 6 to 14 inches, depending greatly upon its stiffness and the weight of the pipe driver. The weight of the pipe driver will vary from 200 to 600 pounds, depending upon the depth of the pipe to be driven. The best arrangement is to have a pipe weighting 200 or 300 pounds, whose weight can be increased as desired by adding bands or ribs of bar iron.
Boring through Soil or Loose Material
After driving the pipe until it ceases to sink in the soil or nearly so, which distance may vary from a few inches to several feet, the pipe driver is removed and the cap and such length of pipe is removed as is necessary to reduce it to about the level of the platform. The earth auger (Figure 3) is then connected with the desired length of drill rods (Figure 6) and lowered inside the piping by means of a windlass rope and swivel (see J in Figures 1 and 2). When the auger rests on the soil in the pipe, the rods should be of such length, that when the brace head (Figure 9) is connected to the top of the rods it will not stand over 3 or 3 ½ feet above the platform, so as to facilitate the boring.
Men now turn the brace head around by pushing on the handles as they walk around the hole, thus imparting a boring movement to the rods and auger. The auger is thus sunk as far as the strength of the men and rods and resistance to the auger will permit. The brace head is then removed and the rods and auger, with its load of earth, are lifted by the windlass. The operation of lowering and raising the rods, connecting and disconnecting, is described further on under “Drilling”.
The auger and rods are again returned into the hole through the piping, and the operation of boring and removing soil is repeated as often as is necessary to penetrate the soil as far as the piping has been driven and such distance ahead of the piping as the nature of the soil will permit. Figure 3 shows the auger penetrating some distance in advance of the piping. Even is the soil is slightly caving, it assists the driving of the pipe to remove some of the soil in advance of it with the auger. Depending on the nature of the soil, the auger is sunk a few inches to several feet between the operations of driving the pipe. Generally 1 to 3 feet can be driven in ordinary sandy and clayey soils. In some firmer and more tenacious soils a greater distance can be driven. In loose, sandy soil and gravel it will only be possible to sink a few inches at a time ahead of the pipe.
The operations of driving and boring are repeated until the piping is sunk to rock. Then the hole is cleaned and the pipe, driver, and cap are removed. Such lengths of casing pipe are added as will bring the top of the pipe just below the platform, not more than a foot, so as not to interfere with the following operation of handling the rod and wrenches during drilling.
Spring-pole drilling out fit (Bowman, pg. 27). Notice that the drill rods are supported by a chain wrapped around the spring pole. Instead of loosening a hitch knot and letting out more rope, the driller could temporarily suspend the drill rods by hooking the windlass rope to the swivel at the top of the drill rods. While the weight of the drill rods and tools were carried by the rope and windlass, the drill chain could be adjusted. The driller would then reconnect the drill to the swivel and continue drilling. Although not shown in this figure, there would need to be a way to secure the drill chain to the spring pole.
Isaiah Bowman, Well Drilling Methods, USGS, Water-Supply paper 257, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1911
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