Patent ID: 8302706

Claim:
A method for forming a borehole in an earthen formation for an anchoring system, comprising: coupling a side cutting apparatus to a drill bit having a body with a first end configured for coupling to the drill bit and a second end configured for coupling to a drill stem, the body having a nonconcentric portion, a sleeve disposed on the nonconcentric portion and rotatable relative thereto between a first radial position and a second radial position, the sleeve having at least one cutting element disposed thereon so that when the sleeve is in the first radial position, the at least one cutting element is disposed closer to a longitudinal axis of the body so that an outer edge of the at least one cutting element is in a first retracted position relative to the body and when the sleeve is in the second radial position, the at least one cutting element is disposed farther from the longitudinal axis of the body so that the outer edge of the at least one cutting element is in a second extended position relative to the body so as to cut the side all of the borehole upon rotation of the body; rotating the drill bit in a first direction; drilling a borehole having a first diameter into an earthen formation to a first down hole position of a depth sufficient to receive a portion of an anchoring system; maintaining the drill bit in the first down hole position while rotating the drill bit in a second direction opposite to the first direction to cause a side cutting element to engage a sidewall of the borehole proximate the first down hole position; moving the drill bit to a second down hole position that is closer to an opening of the borehole than the first down hole position while rotating the drill bit in the second direction to cause the side cutting element to increase the first diameter of the borehole to a second diameter between approximately the first down hole position and the second down hole position; reversing the rotation of the drill bit back to the first direction to cause the side cutting element to disengage the sidewall of the borehole; and removing the drill bit from the borehole.