Title:
FEED DEVICE FOR A ROCK DRILL
United States Patent 3692124
Abstract:
A feed device which is extendible by means of two cooperating feed screws and which comprises a coupling for locking the screws against rotation relative to each other or one of them relative to a girder unit. By interlocking the screws only half the feed range is available, and by locking one of them to a girder unit the full extended length can be used. One of the screws is hollow and provided with internal as well as external threads, the latter of which cooperates with a nut on a rock drill carrying slide. A hose guiding reel travels with half the speed of the rock drill and maintains a uniform tension in the hoses leading to the rock drill.
US Patent References:
Feeding mechanism
Renfer - August 1935 - 2010321
FEED MECHANISM FOR ROCK DRILL HOSE GUIDE
Rudman - March 1970 - 3500941
Feeding mechanism
Renfer - August 1935 - 2010321
FEED MECHANISM FOR ROCK DRILL HOSE GUIDE
Rudman - March 1970 - 3500941
Inventors:
Kimber, Erich Voldemar (130 50 Vendelso, SW)
Lewkowicz, Josef (130 10 Ektorp, SW)
Lewkowicz, Josef (130 10 Ektorp, SW)
Application Number:
05/128810
Publication Date:
09/19/1972
Filing Date:
03/29/1971
View Patent Images:
Export Citation:
Primary Class:
Other Classes:
74/89.350, 74/841
International Classes:
E21B19/081; E21B19/00; E21C5/02
Field of Search:
173/160 74/424.8,841 175/122,220
Primary Examiner:
Purser, Ernest R.
Claims:
What we claim is
1. Feed device for a rock drill consisting of a first girder unit and a second girder unit slidably guided upon the first girder unit, a rock drill carrying slide guided upon the second girder unit, and a drive unit comprising a motor and two cooperating screw members one of which is hollow and provided with internal threads as well as external threads for cooperation both with the other screw member and with a nut on the slide, said hollow screw member being connected to the motor while said other screw member is arranged to be unrotatably connected to the first girder unit so that, when rotated by the motor, the hollow screw member cooperates with said other screw member and with the nut, simultaneously feeding the second girder unit along the first girder unit and the slide along the second girder unit.
2. Feed device according to claim 1, characterized in that said other screw member is arranged to be unrotatably connected to the first girder unit by means of a coupling which is arranged to, if desired not to use the full feed length, lock the feed device in its contracted position by releasing said other screw member for rotation relative to the first girder unit and interlocking the two screw members against rotation relative to each other.
3. Feed device according to claim 2, characterized in that the coupling consists of a longitudinally shiftable sleeve, which, in a first position, connects splines on said other screw member with splines arranged on a non-rotatable sleeve portion attached to the first girder unit locking said other screw member against rotation relative to the first girder unit; in a second position the shiftable sleeve connects the splines on said other screw member with splines arranged on the forward end of said hollow screw member, interlocking the two screw members against rotation relative to each other, while said other screw member is released to freely rotate relative to said first girder unit.
4. Feed device according to claim 1, characterized in that the internal threads and the external threads of the hollow screw member have the same pitch.
5. Feed device for a rock drill comprising a first girder unit and a second girder unit slidably guided upon the first girder unit, a rock drill carrying slide guided upon the second girder unit, and a drive unit arranged to simultaneously drive said second girder unit along the first girder unit and the slide along the second girder unit, whereby the second girder unit is being driven at half the speed of the slide, said second girder unit being provided with a hose guide which is disposed so as to maintain uniform tension in the fluid hoses leading to the rock drill during feeding of the latter.
6. Feed device according to claim 5 wherein the hose guide consists of a reel which is journalled on a stub axle, which is rigidly attached to the second girder unit.
7. Feed device according to claim 6, characterized in that the first girder unit is provided with a through, longitudinal channel through which the fluid hoses extend.
1. Feed device for a rock drill consisting of a first girder unit and a second girder unit slidably guided upon the first girder unit, a rock drill carrying slide guided upon the second girder unit, and a drive unit comprising a motor and two cooperating screw members one of which is hollow and provided with internal threads as well as external threads for cooperation both with the other screw member and with a nut on the slide, said hollow screw member being connected to the motor while said other screw member is arranged to be unrotatably connected to the first girder unit so that, when rotated by the motor, the hollow screw member cooperates with said other screw member and with the nut, simultaneously feeding the second girder unit along the first girder unit and the slide along the second girder unit.
2. Feed device according to claim 1, characterized in that said other screw member is arranged to be unrotatably connected to the first girder unit by means of a coupling which is arranged to, if desired not to use the full feed length, lock the feed device in its contracted position by releasing said other screw member for rotation relative to the first girder unit and interlocking the two screw members against rotation relative to each other.
3. Feed device according to claim 2, characterized in that the coupling consists of a longitudinally shiftable sleeve, which, in a first position, connects splines on said other screw member with splines arranged on a non-rotatable sleeve portion attached to the first girder unit locking said other screw member against rotation relative to the first girder unit; in a second position the shiftable sleeve connects the splines on said other screw member with splines arranged on the forward end of said hollow screw member, interlocking the two screw members against rotation relative to each other, while said other screw member is released to freely rotate relative to said first girder unit.
4. Feed device according to claim 1, characterized in that the internal threads and the external threads of the hollow screw member have the same pitch.
5. Feed device for a rock drill comprising a first girder unit and a second girder unit slidably guided upon the first girder unit, a rock drill carrying slide guided upon the second girder unit, and a drive unit arranged to simultaneously drive said second girder unit along the first girder unit and the slide along the second girder unit, whereby the second girder unit is being driven at half the speed of the slide, said second girder unit being provided with a hose guide which is disposed so as to maintain uniform tension in the fluid hoses leading to the rock drill during feeding of the latter.
6. Feed device according to claim 5 wherein the hose guide consists of a reel which is journalled on a stub axle, which is rigidly attached to the second girder unit.
7. Feed device according to claim 6, characterized in that the first girder unit is provided with a through, longitudinal channel through which the fluid hoses extend.
Description:
This invention relates to a feed device for a rock drill, which is intended to be attached to a support, preferably a drill boom.
In making drift mining more efficient drilling depths have been increased. To drill deep holes rationally means that it is desirable to drill to the full depth with one drill rod. Otherwise the first part of the hole is drilled with a short drill rod, which later on must be exchanged by a longer one. To be able to use long drill rods long feed bars are required. However, there is a problem concerning long feed bars, namely that the mobility and availability of the drilling equipment, specially in small area tunnels, is limited.
By practical and economical reasons there is often a demand that a rock drill must be available for drilling of transverse holes in tunnels, for instance for roof bolting or grouting. That is not always possible with a long feed bar, which is too long to be able to be turned around in narrow tunnels or drifts.
The main object of the invention is to provide a feed device, by which the availability of a rock drill is increased at the same time as it make it possible to use long drill rods.
Other objects and advantages of the feed device according to the invention will be apparent from the following description and drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a shortened side elevational view of a feed device according to the invention.
FIG. 2 shows the feed device in FIG. 1 in a contracted position.
FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view along line III--III in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4a is a longitudinal sectional view of a coupling device and shows the coupling in a position in which the feed device is adapted for a long drill rod.
FIG. 4b shows the same coupling in a position in which the feed device is adapted for a short drill rod.
In the drawings 1 designates a first girder unit and 2 a second girder unit. The girder unit 2 is slidably guided upon the girder unit 1. For this purpose the two girder units are provided with flanges 3 and 4, respectively, and guide dogs 5. Upon the girder unit 2 there is guided a slide 6 which is carrying the rock drill 7. To the rock drill 7 is connected a drill rod 8. Moreover, the girder unit 2 is provided with a top flange 9 upon which a flange 10 on the slide 6 is guided. To the flange 10 are attached guide dogs 11 cooperating with the flange 9.
In a common way the girder unit 1 is slidably guided on a bracket 12 onto which is attached a hydraulic cylinder 13 by means of which the feed device is longitudinally displacable. (In order not to make the other figures indistinct the bracket and the hydraulic cylinder is shown just in FIG. 3) The bracket 12 is preferably supported by a drill boom (not shown). The girder unit 1 is provided with a bottom flange 14 which is cooperating with a top surface and guide dogs 15 on the bracket 11.
At the forward end, the girder unit 1 is provided with a front plate 16, to which are attached a spur 17 and a drill rod centralizer 18. Another drill rod centralizer 19 is provided at the forward end of the girder unit 2.
For driving the rock drill 7 forward during drilling there is provided a feed motor 20. The feed motor is mounted on the rear end of the girder unit 2 and is connected to a rotatable hollow screw 21. This screw 21 is journalled in a journal bracket 22 on the girder unit 2 and is provided with external threads as well as internal threads. The external threads are arranged to cooperate with a nut (not shown) on the slide 6 for driving the slide along the girder unit 2. The internal threads are arranged to cooperate with another screw 23 which is rotatably connected to the front plate 16 of the girder unit 1 by means of a coupling 24 and a bearing unit 25.
The coupling 24 comprises a longitudinally shiftable sleeve 26 having a through hole provided with splines 27 for cooperation with splines 28 on the screw 23. The hole is enlarged at the ends of the sleeve. These enlargements are cylindrical and coaxial with the through hole and are provided with splines 29 and 30, respectively.
The bearing unit 25 comprises a housing 31, which is rigid to the front plate 16. The screw 23 extends into the housing 31 and is journalled therein by means of ball bearings 32. The housing 31 is closed at its forward end by means of a cover 33. At its rear end, the housing is provided with a rearwardly extending sleeve 34 which surrounds the screw 23 and is provided with a flange 35 for connection to the housing. Moreover, the sleeve 34, which is connected to the bearing unit 25, is provided with external splines 36 which are dimensioned so as to match the splines 30 of the enlargement of the sleeve 26. The forward end of the screw 21 is provided with external splines 37 too. These are arranged to match the splines 29 of the opposite enlargement of the sleeve 26.
The working order of the above described feed device will be described hereinunder.
To adapt the feed device for a long drill rod (for example a 3,2 m standard rod) the sleeve 26 is displaced forwardly into engagement with the splines 36 of the rigid sleeve 34. (See FIG. 4a.) That means that the screw 23 via the splines 28, the sleeve 26, the splines 30 and 26 and the sleeve 34 is locked against rotation. When rotating the screw 21 by means of the motor 20, the external threads of the former cooperates with the nut on the slide 6, causing the slide and the rock drill 7 to move along the girder unit 2. Simultaneously, the screw 21 cooperates with the screw 23 whereby the screw 21 is being screwed onto the latter, making the girder unit 2 travel along the girder unit 1. The external and internal threads of the screw 21 have preferably the same pitch so that the rock drill 7 travels at twice the speed of the girder unit 2 relative to the girder unit 1.
To adapt the feed device for a short drill rod (for example a 1,7 m standard rod) the girder unit 2 and the rock drill 7 must be displaced into their forward-most positions (see FIG. 2). The sleeve 26 is then shifted rearwardly into engagement with the splines 37 on the forward end of the screw 21 (see FIG. 4b), which means that the two screws are interlocked and cannot be rotated to each other. It also means that the screw 23 has been disengaged relative to the rigid sleeve 34 and is free to rotate.
As the screw 23 is axially connected to the girder unit 1 and the screw 21 is axially connected to the girder unit 2, rotation of the screw 21 relative to screw 23 causes the girder unit 2 to move relative to the girder unit 1. Thus, when the two screws now are interlocked there will not be any movement of the girder unit 2 relative to the girder unit 1. Hereby, the feed movement of the rock drill will be caused by the external threads of the screw 24 only in cooperation with the slide nut. As the external and internal threads of the screw 21 have the same pitch, half the feed range is now used and the length over all of the feed device is considerably decreased.
The rock drill 7 is supplied with motive and flushing fluids by means of conduits 40 and 41. These conduits consist of hoses which are arranged to travel over a guide reel 42. The guide reel 42 is journalled on a stub axle 43 which is rigidly mounted at the rear end of the girder unit 2. In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings the hoses are connected to tubes which are extending through a longitudinal channel 44 in the girder unit 1. As the girder unit 2 travels at half the speed of the rock drill, when the coupling is adjusted for drilling with a long drill rod, the guide reel 42 will continuously maintain a uniform tension in the hoses. This is a very simple way of managing the hose tensions.
When drilling with a short drill rod, however, this effect gets lost, but as the feed length is short no serious problems concerning the hose handling will occur. Instead of tubes as parts of the conduits longer hoses may be used.
The invention is not limited to the described embodiment but can freely be varied within the scope of the claims.
In making drift mining more efficient drilling depths have been increased. To drill deep holes rationally means that it is desirable to drill to the full depth with one drill rod. Otherwise the first part of the hole is drilled with a short drill rod, which later on must be exchanged by a longer one. To be able to use long drill rods long feed bars are required. However, there is a problem concerning long feed bars, namely that the mobility and availability of the drilling equipment, specially in small area tunnels, is limited.
By practical and economical reasons there is often a demand that a rock drill must be available for drilling of transverse holes in tunnels, for instance for roof bolting or grouting. That is not always possible with a long feed bar, which is too long to be able to be turned around in narrow tunnels or drifts.
The main object of the invention is to provide a feed device, by which the availability of a rock drill is increased at the same time as it make it possible to use long drill rods.
Other objects and advantages of the feed device according to the invention will be apparent from the following description and drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a shortened side elevational view of a feed device according to the invention.
FIG. 2 shows the feed device in FIG. 1 in a contracted position.
FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view along line III--III in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4a is a longitudinal sectional view of a coupling device and shows the coupling in a position in which the feed device is adapted for a long drill rod.
FIG. 4b shows the same coupling in a position in which the feed device is adapted for a short drill rod.
In the drawings 1 designates a first girder unit and 2 a second girder unit. The girder unit 2 is slidably guided upon the girder unit 1. For this purpose the two girder units are provided with flanges 3 and 4, respectively, and guide dogs 5. Upon the girder unit 2 there is guided a slide 6 which is carrying the rock drill 7. To the rock drill 7 is connected a drill rod 8. Moreover, the girder unit 2 is provided with a top flange 9 upon which a flange 10 on the slide 6 is guided. To the flange 10 are attached guide dogs 11 cooperating with the flange 9.
In a common way the girder unit 1 is slidably guided on a bracket 12 onto which is attached a hydraulic cylinder 13 by means of which the feed device is longitudinally displacable. (In order not to make the other figures indistinct the bracket and the hydraulic cylinder is shown just in FIG. 3) The bracket 12 is preferably supported by a drill boom (not shown). The girder unit 1 is provided with a bottom flange 14 which is cooperating with a top surface and guide dogs 15 on the bracket 11.
At the forward end, the girder unit 1 is provided with a front plate 16, to which are attached a spur 17 and a drill rod centralizer 18. Another drill rod centralizer 19 is provided at the forward end of the girder unit 2.
For driving the rock drill 7 forward during drilling there is provided a feed motor 20. The feed motor is mounted on the rear end of the girder unit 2 and is connected to a rotatable hollow screw 21. This screw 21 is journalled in a journal bracket 22 on the girder unit 2 and is provided with external threads as well as internal threads. The external threads are arranged to cooperate with a nut (not shown) on the slide 6 for driving the slide along the girder unit 2. The internal threads are arranged to cooperate with another screw 23 which is rotatably connected to the front plate 16 of the girder unit 1 by means of a coupling 24 and a bearing unit 25.
The coupling 24 comprises a longitudinally shiftable sleeve 26 having a through hole provided with splines 27 for cooperation with splines 28 on the screw 23. The hole is enlarged at the ends of the sleeve. These enlargements are cylindrical and coaxial with the through hole and are provided with splines 29 and 30, respectively.
The bearing unit 25 comprises a housing 31, which is rigid to the front plate 16. The screw 23 extends into the housing 31 and is journalled therein by means of ball bearings 32. The housing 31 is closed at its forward end by means of a cover 33. At its rear end, the housing is provided with a rearwardly extending sleeve 34 which surrounds the screw 23 and is provided with a flange 35 for connection to the housing. Moreover, the sleeve 34, which is connected to the bearing unit 25, is provided with external splines 36 which are dimensioned so as to match the splines 30 of the enlargement of the sleeve 26. The forward end of the screw 21 is provided with external splines 37 too. These are arranged to match the splines 29 of the opposite enlargement of the sleeve 26.
The working order of the above described feed device will be described hereinunder.
To adapt the feed device for a long drill rod (for example a 3,2 m standard rod) the sleeve 26 is displaced forwardly into engagement with the splines 36 of the rigid sleeve 34. (See FIG. 4a.) That means that the screw 23 via the splines 28, the sleeve 26, the splines 30 and 26 and the sleeve 34 is locked against rotation. When rotating the screw 21 by means of the motor 20, the external threads of the former cooperates with the nut on the slide 6, causing the slide and the rock drill 7 to move along the girder unit 2. Simultaneously, the screw 21 cooperates with the screw 23 whereby the screw 21 is being screwed onto the latter, making the girder unit 2 travel along the girder unit 1. The external and internal threads of the screw 21 have preferably the same pitch so that the rock drill 7 travels at twice the speed of the girder unit 2 relative to the girder unit 1.
To adapt the feed device for a short drill rod (for example a 1,7 m standard rod) the girder unit 2 and the rock drill 7 must be displaced into their forward-most positions (see FIG. 2). The sleeve 26 is then shifted rearwardly into engagement with the splines 37 on the forward end of the screw 21 (see FIG. 4b), which means that the two screws are interlocked and cannot be rotated to each other. It also means that the screw 23 has been disengaged relative to the rigid sleeve 34 and is free to rotate.
As the screw 23 is axially connected to the girder unit 1 and the screw 21 is axially connected to the girder unit 2, rotation of the screw 21 relative to screw 23 causes the girder unit 2 to move relative to the girder unit 1. Thus, when the two screws now are interlocked there will not be any movement of the girder unit 2 relative to the girder unit 1. Hereby, the feed movement of the rock drill will be caused by the external threads of the screw 24 only in cooperation with the slide nut. As the external and internal threads of the screw 21 have the same pitch, half the feed range is now used and the length over all of the feed device is considerably decreased.
The rock drill 7 is supplied with motive and flushing fluids by means of conduits 40 and 41. These conduits consist of hoses which are arranged to travel over a guide reel 42. The guide reel 42 is journalled on a stub axle 43 which is rigidly mounted at the rear end of the girder unit 2. In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings the hoses are connected to tubes which are extending through a longitudinal channel 44 in the girder unit 1. As the girder unit 2 travels at half the speed of the rock drill, when the coupling is adjusted for drilling with a long drill rod, the guide reel 42 will continuously maintain a uniform tension in the hoses. This is a very simple way of managing the hose tensions.
When drilling with a short drill rod, however, this effect gets lost, but as the feed length is short no serious problems concerning the hose handling will occur. Instead of tubes as parts of the conduits longer hoses may be used.
The invention is not limited to the described embodiment but can freely be varied within the scope of the claims.