Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 INNOVATION PATENT SPECIFICATION (ORIGINAL) Name of Applicant: Lift Along of 159 Nott Street Port Melbourne Vic 3207 Actual Inventor: David Charles Nicholls Address for Service: DAVIES COLLISON CAVE, Patent Attorneys, 1 Nicholson Street, Melbourne 3000, Victoria, Australia Innovation Patent specification for the invention entitled: "DRILL HOLDER" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: C:Dcu n rd S mskzsLoca StAngs\Tempomry InIFieOLK IE\pei_3743398. l(2) DOC-8/8O/2Ui I - I DRILL HOLDER Field of the invention The present invention relates to a drill holder, and has particular (though not exclusive) applicability to drilling of holes for ceiling fixtures. 5 Background In order to install ceiling-mounted structures, such as ceiling-mounted tracks for patient lifts in hospitals and other care facilities, it is necessary to drill suitable holes in the ceiling to receive load-bearing anchors and the like. 10 In the past, it has been customary for workers using hand drills to stand on stools or stepladders in order to attain sufficient elevation to drill holes in a ceiling. This poses occupational health and safety issues because a worker on a stepladder must concentrate on remaining stable whilst also facing towards the ceiling in order to drill the holes. In some 15 cases, hundreds or even thousands of holes may need to be drilled and a worker using a hand drill may consequently suffer fatigue or repetitive strain injury. The present invention seeks to address the above problems, or at least provide a useful alternative. 20 Summary of the invention The present invention provides a drill holder for a drill having a handle, a trigger and a chuck for holding a tool, the drill holder including: a mast having an upper section and a lower section; 25 a lever for moving the upper section relative to the lower section; drill retention means mounted to the upper section; and actuator means to remotely operate the trigger of the drill to rotate the chuck; wherein the upper section is movable in a generally upward direction when a generally downward force is applied to the lever, such that the tool is moved towards a 30 workpiece located above the drill holder.
C:\Docum and SctinpkrALoc StgTempory I Filetd OLK I Epi.3743398_ (2) DOC-/&/2O II -2 The mechanical advantage afforded by a mechanism which moves the upper section, and hence the tool, upwards on application of a downwards force means that the operator may easily drill a large number of holes without becoming fatigued. In particular, the operator may operate the lever with his or her foot, for example, without needing to continually tilt 5 his or her head backwards in order to preserve line of sight with the drill bit. Preferably, the upper section is pivotable relative to the lower section. In one embodiment, the drill retention means includes a restraining member projecting 10 transversely of the mast and having a bearing surface to restrain movement of the drill transverse to the mast. The restraining member may be positioned near the chuck end of the drill. Advantageously, positioning of the restraining member near the chuck end will tend to restrain movement of that part of the drill which is most prone to movement, i.e. the part near the rotating chuck. 15 In one embodiment, the restraining member is adjustable to move the position of the bearing surface relative to the mast. This allows the drill holder to be used with a wide variety of drills of varying sizes and shapes. 20 In another embodiment, the drill retention means includes a platform having a cradle to receive the handle of the drill. The platform may be adjustable in position relative to the restraining member, thereby allowing drills of differing lengths to be accommodated. The cradle provides support for the drill handle, restraining it from excessive sideways 25 movement relative to the platform, and may advantageously be formed with sidewalls which are sufficiently spaced to accommodate a variety of handle thicknesses. The cradle may include a layer of an anti-slip material. Preferably, the anti-slip material has a high coefficient of static friction when in contact with the drill handle. 30 In one example of the invention, the upper section has a top section including the C Docum a Scungskz\XLocal Seinp\Tempory ]me met FieOLK1EIspeci_3743398_1 (2) DOC-8/O/2011 -3 restraining member, the top section being movable within a sleeve to which the platform is mounted. The platform may then be adjusted in position by moving the top section within the sleeve until the desired vertical distance between restraining member and platform is attained. The top section and sleeve may each include a plurality of through-holes to 5 receive a spring pin to hold the relative positions of top section and sleeve fixed. The upper section of the mast may have at least one hollow region. The hollow region may extend to a top of the mast, and a funnel for collecting drilled material may be mounted to the top of the mast. In one embodiment, a bottom of the hollow region opens into a tube 10 for passage of the drilled material outside the mast. The tube may be configured to receive a hose of a vacuum cleaner. A large amount of debris can accumulate when operating a drill. Accordingly, it is advantageous to provide a funnel which can collect the debris at the time of drilling, rather 15 than the operator having to do a significant amount of cleaning once the job is complete. In a further embodiment of the present invention, the actuator means includes an actuator handle, and a trigger yoke in communication with the actuator handle, wherein the trigger yoke is biased to an untriggered position when the actuator handle is not depressed, and is 20 movable to depress the trigger of the drill when the actuator handle is depressed. The drill holder may further include at least one wheel at a bottom of the upper portion or the lower portion. Provision of a wheel or wheels assists in transportation of the holder. 25 The mast of the drill holder may be foldable about an articulated joint to be collapsed into a more compact configuration. The drill holder may further include a latch for restraining movement of the articulated joint. Brief description of the drawings 30 Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: C:\Do umn S einpkzstLoca ScuTing\empomy Iemletile.OLKI Especi_3743398_ (2) DOC-8O02011 -4 Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a drill holder according to the invention; Figure 2 shows the upper-most portion of the drill holder of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows the lower-most portion of the drill holder; 5 Figure 4 is a view of part of the upper-most portion, showing a cradle of the drill holder; Figure 5 illustrates an articulated joint of a drill holder according to one embodiment of the invention; Figure 6 shows height adjustment means for a drill holder according to embodiments of the invention; 10 Figure 7 shows a wheel set for use with the drill holder of Figure 1. Detailed description of the drawings Referring initially to Figure 1, there is shown a drill holder 100 having a mast with upper section 102 and lower section 104. The drill holder further includes a lever 170 for moving 15 the upper section 102 relative to the lower section 104 by a pivoting movement which will be described below. The upper and lower sections may each be made of anodized aluminium, though it will be appreciated that the precise material from which the mast is constructed is not critical to 20 the operation of the drill holder provided it is sturdy enough to withstand the stresses normally encountered during drilling operations. The drill holder 100 includes, at the upper end of upper section 102, drill retention means including a restraining member 130 and a platform I10 having a cradle 114 to receive the 25 handle of a drill (not shown). The cradle 114 preferably includes a layer 115 of an anti-slip material (Figure 4) and this may be a rubber or polymer insert or the like. The cradle 114 may be made as wide as desired to accommodate varying thicknesses of drill handle. In this regard the cradle could be made wide enough to accommodate the largest expected thickness for drills which are generally used for the particular application at hand. 30 A funnel 180 (including an aperture 182 through which the drill chuck can pass) for C:\Do nu and Scum kzsLocai Sctting\Tempomry lntmet FilesOLK I E~speci_3743398_1 (),DOC-M/08/2O11 -5 collecting drilled material is mounted to the top of the mast by placing its stem within a hollow top section 106. The top section 106 fits within a sleeve and is movable within the sleeve to adjust the relative positions of platform 110 and restraining member 130. 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the upper section 102 of the mast is hollow, so that it forms a channel for drilled material to pass therethrough. The channel opens into a tube 108 for passage of the drilled material outside the mast, and the tube 108 is preferably configured to receive a hose of a vacuum cleaner (not shown). 10 Also included in drill holder 100 is an actuator means which includes an actuator handle (remote trigger) 150 and a trigger yoke 112 which is in communication with the actuator handle 150 via a trigger cable 154. The trigger cable 154 is preferably a flexible cable such as a Bowden cable. 15 With reference to Figure 2, a drill 200 can be mounted to the drill holder 100 as follows. The drill bit 208 and chuck 206 are passed through the restraining member 130 and the aperture 182 of funnel 180, and the handle 202 then allowed to sit on platform 110 such that it is within the cradle 114. The trigger yoke 112, which is initially detached or loosened, is then attached and/or tightened such that it loops around trigger 204 and handle 20 202 and is in close relationship with, but not applying a force to, trigger 204. The restraining member 130, which is preferably a U-bolt or the like, is then tightened so that a bearing surface of the restraining member bears against the drill just below the chuck 206, thereby to restrain the drill 200 against movement transverse to the mast. If, for example, the restraining member 130 is a U-bolt, the bearing surface will be the web portion 25 between the two arms of the U-bolt. The restraining member 130 may be tightened by means of bolts 134 which bear against a mounting plate 132 welded to the top section 106. 30 The configuration of the trigger yoke 112 is shown in more detail in Figure 4. The trigger yoke 112 includes a threaded rod 116 having a sheath 118 (preferably of a plastics C:\Do.m kz. U . Sc ns\Tempory Im-nt i FilesOLKiEIp i_3743398_1 (2).DOC-8//201 -6 material) enclosing part of its length. Each end of the rod 116 passes through a plate 158 and is locked to the plate 158 by a polymer insert nut 159 such as those sold under the trade mark NYLOC. Each end also passes through a compression spring 155 (the respective ends of which bear against plate 158 and platform 110), then through a hole in 5 platform 110 and is attached to a bar 140 by a polymer insert nut. The bar 140 is in turn attached to trigger cable 154 via trigger cable bracket 156. When the actuator handle 150 is not depressed, the trigger yoke 112 is biased by springs 155 to an untriggered position in which the trigger yoke sits clear of the drill trigger 204. When the actuator handle 150 is depressed, the trigger cable 154 is pulled and in turn pulls the bar 140, and hence the ends 10 of threaded rod 116, downwards such that springs 155 are compressed and the sheathed portion 118 of trigger yoke 112 bears against the trigger 204. Referring now to Figures 1 to 4, the operation of the drill holder will be described. The operator mounts the drill 200 using the cradle 114 and restraining member 130 as 15 described above. The operator then supports the drill holder 100 by gripping handle 160 with one hand and with rubber foot 190 in engagement with a surface below a ceiling in which holes are to be drilled. Actuator handle 150 is then depressed to depress trigger 204 as described above. 20 A remote actuator means of the type described herein has been found to be particularly advantageous in that a fine degree of control has been able to be exercised over the force which is applied to depress the trigger 204 of the drill 200 (and hence the speed of rotation of the chuck 206), much finer than if the trigger 204 was to be depressed directly by the operator. 25 With the chuck 206 and drill bit 208 now rotating, the operator steps on lever 170. As best shown in Figure 3, the lever 170 is attached to both upper and lower sections 102 and 104 by bolts 172. A bar 174 is likewise attached to upper and lower sections 102 and 104 by bolts 176. Lever 170, upper and lower sections 102 and 104, and bar 174, thereby form a 30 four-bar linkage such that a downward force applied to the lever 170 causes upper section 102 to move upward relative to lower section 104. This causes the rotating drill bit 208 to C:\Documenls and Scwnpkz lo SettingsTempowy Immt FilesOLK EIspci3743398_1 (2)DOC-88/20 1 -7 move towards and contact the ceiling to drill the desired hole. To drill the next hole, the operator need merely reposition the drill holder 100 below the appropriate point and repeat the operation just described. 5 It will of course be appreciated that in the pivoting mechanism described above, the lengths of the linkage arms may be varied in order to allow a greater or lesser range of movement of the upper section 102, as desired. It has surprisingly been found that, other than supporting the mast (for example, by 10 gripping the handle 160), no additional stabilisation is required in order to ensure that the drill bit 208 maintains the correct angle with respect to the surface being drilled. It is though that the use of a relatively long mast to support the drill allows the operator to use the mast as a guide for the eye. 15 In order to accommodate ceilings of varying height, the mast may be made adjustable in height. As shown in Figures 1 and 6, the upper section may be formed from multiple lengths of tubing, for example by providing an outer sleeve 123 over a central tube or post 124 which has a plurality of holes 126 to receive a spring pin 125. The holes 126 may be spaced apart by any suitable increment, for example at 40 mm intervals. 20 Likewise, to accommodate drills of varying size, the hollow tube 106 may have a plurality of holes 107 at regular intervals to receive a spring pin 109 on sleeve 123. The platform 110 should then be located on the sleeve 123 and the restraining member 130 on hollow tube 106 in order to permit the relative positions of platform 110 and restraining member 25 130 to be adjusted. Alternatively, the mount 132 of restraining member 130 may be made adjustable in height by any suitable fashion, for example by providing a plurality of mounting points along tube 106 at regular intervals. The drill holder may include an optional depth guide 263 to assist the drill operator in 30 drilling the ceiling. Depth guide 263 is clamped to the mount 132 by means of winged bolts which bear against a grooved plate (not shown). The position of depth guide 263 may C:Oc m and Settngs\k\Local Settings\Tem y I FieOLOLK i E 3743398.1 (2).DOC-4MS/20 11 -8 be adjusted relative to the position of the drill bit 208 by unscrewing the winged bolts and sliding the depth guide 263 up or down until the distance between the top of the drill bit 208 and the top of the depth guide 263 is approximately equal to the desired drilling depth. When drilling the ceiling, the top of depth guide 263 will abut the ceiling, indicating to the 5 operator that the desired drilling depth has been achieved. The drill holder presently described may have a mast of any suitable length depending on the use to which it is to be put. For drilling holes in ceilings, a drilling height of between about 2600 mm and 3550 mm is generally sufficient, although with the height adjustment 10 means described herein a drilling height of up to 5000 mm could easily be achieved. With masts of this length, it may be desirable to provide means to make the drill holder more compact, and this could be achieved by providing an articulated joint about which the mast is foldable. This is illustrated in Figures 1 and 6 in which an articulated joint 300 is provided roughly halfway along the length of the upper section 102. The joint may have a 15 rubber seal 302 and may be lockable using a cam clamp 304. In a further advantageous development, a set of wheels 430 may be provided to assist in transportation of the drill holder. These may either be permanently affixed to the drill holder, or as shown in Figure 7, may form part of a separate wheel set 400 in which the 20 wheels 430 are affixed to a plate 410. The plate 410 has a tube 420 extending therefrom, which can be push-fitted into the bottom of tube 124 to form an interference fit. Many modifications may be made to the above embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as broadly described herein, and as set out in the claims appended 25 hereto. 30