Directional boring apparatus for making small diameter or pilot holes through soil are well known. Upon completion of the pilot bore hole using a drill rod, a plastic pipe may be installed by pulling the pipe back through the hole. A known pulling operation includes the steps of securing a plug within the front end opening of the pipe, attaching the plug to a backreamer, attaching the backreamer to the drill rod, and then pulling the drill rod and attached assembly through the hole. In this manner, the backreamer will both enlarge and smooth the hole ahead of the pipe.
Securing the plug within the front end of the pipe may be done in several ways, such as by threaded engagement. However, threading of the plug within the pipe is often difficult to do, especially for pipes of large diameter. For small diameter plastic pipes, it is known to provide a plug with self-taping threads having a lengthwise cut for creating a cutting edge. Even so, cuttings produced by the threading operation may remain in the lengthwise cut and between the threads, inhibiting the threading operation. For larger plastic pipes, it is often simply not possible for a worker to generate the torque necessary to secure the self-taping plug within the pipe, and alternative methods must be used.
For some types of pipe installation, such as when using a self-propelled pneumatic mole, it is known to provide a pulling chain extending through the length of pipe being installed. In particular, the pulling chain attaches to a rear end of the mole at a front end of the pipe, and extends through the pipe to a tensioner frame at the rear end of the pipe. With this arrangement, the pipe remains securely clamped to the rear of the mole during the pulling operation.
It is often desirable to install several pipes in a side-by-side arrangement with a single pulling operation. For this operation, a variety of devices are known for coupling multiple pipes to a single puller. However, these known coupling devices all require the use of a tool for attaching and detaching the pipes from the puller, which takes time. A device for securing multiple pipes to a puller without the need for a tool would be desirable.