CA2058784C - Earth drilling apparatus - Google Patents
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- CA2058784C CA2058784C CA 2058784 CA2058784A CA2058784C CA 2058784 C CA2058784 C CA 2058784C CA 2058784 CA2058784 CA 2058784 CA 2058784 A CA2058784 A CA 2058784A CA 2058784 C CA2058784 C CA 2058784C
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Abstract
An earth drilling apparatus for use with a vehicle of a type which performs utility pole hole drilling operations is disclosed.
The apparatus attaches to an end of a movable boom mounted on the vehicle. The apparatus includes an elongated guide attachable to the boom and to the ground. A drill head is movably attached along at least a portion of the guide, and a drill bit is rotatably attached to the drill head. A loop of chain advances and retracts the drill means along the guide.
The apparatus attaches to an end of a movable boom mounted on the vehicle. The apparatus includes an elongated guide attachable to the boom and to the ground. A drill head is movably attached along at least a portion of the guide, and a drill bit is rotatably attached to the drill head. A loop of chain advances and retracts the drill means along the guide.
Description
The invention relates to the field of earth drilling equipment, and more particularly, to an earth drilling apparatus attached at an end of a vehicle-mounted boom, especially to permit substantially vertical boring through hard earth, rock, or rock-like material, at a distance from the vehicle.
The electric utility industry relies heavily on overhead power lines to distribute electrical power to its various customers.
High voltage power lines emanating from a generating station are strung between transmission towers. The high voltage power is stepped down to a lower voltage via transformers at an electrical substation, on utility poles, ar elsewhere. Power lines carrying lower voltage power are strung between smaller utility poles and lead eventually to individual residences and businesses. Utility poles may support power lines, telephone lines, cable TV lines, etc., and similar poles may be used as pilings or footings for structures.
The utility pales typically are simply placed in the earth.
The poles have a portion of their length, typically 10 percent plus 2 feet, embedded in the earth, which typically is filled or peaked around the pale. The pole protrudes upwardly to provide a location for fixing cables and the like, or far attachment of structural members. Holes must be drilled in the earth to accept the embedded portion whenever a new or~replacement utility pole is to be installed, and pole installation and maintenance are frequent and routine jobs for utility companies and the like. The standard pole hole must be in the range of 6 to 10 feet deep to accommodate a standard utility pale up to 17 inches in diameter at its widest part, and typical7ly anywhere from 20 to 50 feet high.
The utility poles are commonly located at regularly spaced locations along the side of a roadway. The terrain along the side of the roadway may be flat or sloped, smooth or jagged. The earth itself may include sand, dirt, clay, broken or solid rock, or any combination of these. Often, the side of the roadway terminates in a steeply ascending or descending rock-faced cliff. Tt is advisable to support the utility lines at a regular spacing to avoid undue tension or an unduly low arc in the lines, and to avoid installing an unnecessary number of poles. Therefore, the utility industry has a need to drill pole holes in the earth regardless of the character and condition of the earth at the respective location.
Earth drilling bits and drives adapted for all types of material are known. The utility industry generally employs auger type drills for producing holes in loose material. The auger apparatus is mounted on a vehicle and typically includes a hydraulic motor and a helical auger bit which is rotated by hydraulic fluid pressure generated by a hydraulic pump on the vehicle. The auger apparatus may be mounted on a boom extending from the vehicle, and the boom is generally rotatable over a limited span to either side of the vehicle such that the auger can be positioned for drilling a hole anywhere within a range determined by maneuvering the vehicle and moving the boom to position the auger at a distance from the vehicle. An auger bit is not suitable for drilling through rock, broken rock or rocky soil, as the rock will quickly wear out the auger bit. Further, the auger apparatus is not suitable for drilling in steeply sloped earth because the apparatus is not supported near the auger bit, other than by the earth itself. Thus, the auger bit tends to slide downhill whenever hole drilling in steeply sloped earth is attempted.
Rock drill bits are also known. These bits may include, for example, a drilling face having one or more hardened cutting elements embedded in the face and protruding toward the rock to be cut. A percussion tool, typically operated by compressed air, is generally attachec't behind the rock drill bit for delivering repetitive blows through the rock drill bit to the rock. The percussion tool and the drill bit can be attached at the bottom of a drill string, all or part of which is also rotatable about an ~~~1~~~
The electric utility industry relies heavily on overhead power lines to distribute electrical power to its various customers.
High voltage power lines emanating from a generating station are strung between transmission towers. The high voltage power is stepped down to a lower voltage via transformers at an electrical substation, on utility poles, ar elsewhere. Power lines carrying lower voltage power are strung between smaller utility poles and lead eventually to individual residences and businesses. Utility poles may support power lines, telephone lines, cable TV lines, etc., and similar poles may be used as pilings or footings for structures.
The utility pales typically are simply placed in the earth.
The poles have a portion of their length, typically 10 percent plus 2 feet, embedded in the earth, which typically is filled or peaked around the pale. The pole protrudes upwardly to provide a location for fixing cables and the like, or far attachment of structural members. Holes must be drilled in the earth to accept the embedded portion whenever a new or~replacement utility pole is to be installed, and pole installation and maintenance are frequent and routine jobs for utility companies and the like. The standard pole hole must be in the range of 6 to 10 feet deep to accommodate a standard utility pale up to 17 inches in diameter at its widest part, and typical7ly anywhere from 20 to 50 feet high.
The utility poles are commonly located at regularly spaced locations along the side of a roadway. The terrain along the side of the roadway may be flat or sloped, smooth or jagged. The earth itself may include sand, dirt, clay, broken or solid rock, or any combination of these. Often, the side of the roadway terminates in a steeply ascending or descending rock-faced cliff. Tt is advisable to support the utility lines at a regular spacing to avoid undue tension or an unduly low arc in the lines, and to avoid installing an unnecessary number of poles. Therefore, the utility industry has a need to drill pole holes in the earth regardless of the character and condition of the earth at the respective location.
Earth drilling bits and drives adapted for all types of material are known. The utility industry generally employs auger type drills for producing holes in loose material. The auger apparatus is mounted on a vehicle and typically includes a hydraulic motor and a helical auger bit which is rotated by hydraulic fluid pressure generated by a hydraulic pump on the vehicle. The auger apparatus may be mounted on a boom extending from the vehicle, and the boom is generally rotatable over a limited span to either side of the vehicle such that the auger can be positioned for drilling a hole anywhere within a range determined by maneuvering the vehicle and moving the boom to position the auger at a distance from the vehicle. An auger bit is not suitable for drilling through rock, broken rock or rocky soil, as the rock will quickly wear out the auger bit. Further, the auger apparatus is not suitable for drilling in steeply sloped earth because the apparatus is not supported near the auger bit, other than by the earth itself. Thus, the auger bit tends to slide downhill whenever hole drilling in steeply sloped earth is attempted.
Rock drill bits are also known. These bits may include, for example, a drilling face having one or more hardened cutting elements embedded in the face and protruding toward the rock to be cut. A percussion tool, typically operated by compressed air, is generally attachec't behind the rock drill bit for delivering repetitive blows through the rock drill bit to the rock. The percussion tool and the drill bit can be attached at the bottom of a drill string, all or part of which is also rotatable about an ~~~1~~~
axis by a drill head attached to the 'top of the drill string. Rock drill bits are commonly used by water well drillers in conjunction with vehicle mounted drilling equipment. Water wells may reach a depth of several hundred feet or more, and the well drilling vehicles include a relatively tall mast so that the drill head can be raised to a height above the ground sufficient to enable long lengths of drill pipe to be inserted or removed laterally into the drill string beneath the drill head.
Water well drilling equipment is not suitable for drilling utility pole holes, which xequire a quick setup and only a short hole depth. Since the water wells extend much deeper 'than the utility pole holes, water. well drilling equipment is necessarily large and expensive and is setup relatively permanently as compared to utility pole drilling needs. The tall mast may interfere with trees along the side of the roadway. Of even greater concern, in the case of hole drilling for replacement utility poles, is potentially disastrous contact between the mast and existing power lines. Further, the tall mast cannot be used as a practical matter to conveniently place a drilling apparatus over a roadway guardrail to drill a hole an the remote side thereof.
Rock drills also have been mounted on cranes, which likewise have large booms . U. 8 . Patent No . 4 ,102 , 094 to MacKinnon discloses a drill mast attached at an upper end to a large boom. An adjustable brace extends betcaeen the boom and a lower part of the mast to stabilize the mast and maintain correct alignment of the mast above a hole being drilled. The mast disclosed by MacKinnon is complex and bulky and does not overcome the practical disadvantages of such apparatus with respect to the job of drilling regularly spaced utility pole holes, such as excess mast height, high cost and inconvenience.
Heretofore, attempts to employ a rock drill on a truck mounted boom of the type normally used for auger drills have not been very successful. The booms have free play in their joints and tend to flex under the load of rock drilling. ~1s a result, the drill bit tends to walk across a surface instead of digging in, and after the hole is started the bit is easily deflected from drilling in a straight line. This results in jamming of the bit in the hole, broken bits, increased drilling time, improperly aligned holes, etc. Consequently, the standard method of drilling utility pole holes in rock is manual; that is, a man with a jackhammer breaks up the rock and the rock is removed with a shovel. This method is obviously time consuming, and a single hole may take a day or longer to drill to the required depth. There is thus a need in the utility industry for a drilling apparatus which will overcome these problems.
It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus for efficiently drilling utility pole holes, especially in broken or solid rock.
Tt is another object of the invention to provide an earth drilling apparatus which can be used in conjunction with conventional utility pole hole drilling vehicles.
It is a further object of the .invention to provide an earth drilling apparatus which attaches to a boom on a hole drilling vehicle.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide an earth drilling apparatus which interchangeably attaches to booms on different vehicles.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a convenient earth drilling apparatus which is more versatile than commonly used earth drilling apparatus.
These and other objects are accomplished by an earth drilling apparatus for use with a vehicle of a type which performs utility pole hole drilling operations. The vehicle has an elongated structure attached at one end to the vehicle, the other end being maneuverable, and means for providing hydraulic fluid under pressure to the apparatus through hydraulic fluid couplings. The apparatus comprises an elongated guide means having means for attachment to the elongated structure. A drill head is movably mounted for advance and retraction along at least a portion of the guide means. The drill head comprises at least one hydraulic motor for producing operative movement of a body. Means are provided for communicating the hydraulically produced forces from the vehicle to the drill head. Furthex means axe provided for moving the drill head along the at least a portion of the guide means. A drilling tool is attachable to the drill head and is thereby oriented to drill a hole as the drill head is moved with respect to a ground surface. A stabilizer atvtached to a lower end of the guide means defines anchoring holes for receiving pins which are driven into the ground in order to fix the guide means against transverse and rotative movement of the guide means. The invention thus provides a quickly erected arid effective means to drill holes of a size and at locations suitable, for example, for utility poles along the sides of highways.
l~~J~~
In the accompanying drawings:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a drilling apparatus according to the invention, the drilling apparatus being attached at an outer end of a boom which is mounted on a vehicle.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the drilling apparatus before attachment of a drill pipe and a drill bit.
Fig. 3 is a side view of the drilling apparatus with the drill pipe and the drill bit, the drill head being shown in raised (broken lines) and lowered (solid lines) position.
Fig. 4 is a close-up view of a means for attaching a chain to a plate means on the drilling apparatus.
Fig. 5 is a close-up view of an upper sprocket of the drilling apparatus which is engaged to be driven by a hydraulic motor.
s An earth drilling apparatus according to the invention is shown generally in Fig. 1. A service vehicle of a size commonly used in the utility industry providles a mobile base for drilling utility pole hales. The apparatus includes a truck designated generally as 10 having an elongated structure, such as universally jointed boom 12, mounted on a rotatable carousel 17 at the rear of the truck. The boom 12 is preferably extensible to reduce the need for maneuvering the truck 10, for example by telescoping inner and outer portions, or by an articulating joint near a central part of the boom. The vehicle has means for providing hydraulic forces including a hydraulic fluid pump (not shown) which may be driven by the vehicle's main power source or by an auxiliary power source mounted on the vehicle. The hydraulic fluid under pressure from the pump is coupled via suitable valves to extensible cylinders and/or hydraulic motors and other actuating devices for extending, raising and lowering the boom, and for rotating the carousel. The hydraulic pumping and actuating apparatus for the boom 12 can be of the type conventionally used in boom trucks such as small cranes, cherry picker lift apparatus, etc.
The vehicle also includes hydraulic couplings for providing hydraulic forces to a drilling apparatus via couplings, valves and similar connection means. The vehicle may also have means for providing pneumatic forces, including an air compressor and an auxiliary power source for driving the air compressor. The auxiliary power source for the air compressor and the auxiliary power source for driving the hydraulic oil pump may be a single unit.
The utility industry normally employs an auger drill bit (not shown) for drilling the utility pole holes in all earth formations except for solid rock, and an auger drill can be mounted on the apparatus of the invention. The auger drill has a hydraulic motor at an upper end which is hingedly attached to one end of an arm 13.
The other end of 'the arm 13 is perpendicularly hingedly attached town outer end 14 of the boom l2. Thus, the arm 13 defines a form of universal joint mounting whereby the auger drill can be inclined ~~~~'~8~
from vertical in order to drill the pole holes at any desired angle. Of course the usual pole hole is precisely vertical.
Nevertheless, inclined holes may be needed as well, for example to anchor a diagonal bracing pole, etc The drilling apparatus according to the invention can be operated by removing the auger drill from the commonly used drilling vehicle from which the auger dangles without support, and attaching a drill support and powering device as hereinafter described. The auger drill is easily detached by a skilled mechanic using ordinary hand or power tools to remove attaching hardware. In order to retain the universal joint function of the arm 13, it is preferred to detach the auger drill where the hydraulic motor connects to the one end of the arm.
As shown in Fig. 2, the earth drilling apparatus of the invention includes an elongated guide means 20 which preferably includes two lengths of angle iron 21, 22 having suitable size and strength to form a rigid structure to support and guide the drilling means. The lengths of angle iron 21, 22 are rigidly connected in either contacting or laterally spaced apart relationship as necessary to achieve desired dimensions. In the preferred embodiment shown, angle irons 21, 22 are laterally spaced and the space protectively accommodates part of the structures used to raise and lower the drilling means. The angle irons may be connected by bolting, welding, or other suitable means or by similarly connecting angle irons 21, 22 to end members andJor intermediate transverse members.
According to the invention, the guide means 20 is removably attached to the boom 12. Preferably, the guide means is removably attached to the one end of the arm 13 (the lower or distal end), mounted on the boom 12. As shown in Fig. 3, an upper end of the guide means defines a bore 25 for receiving a transverse shaft, namely shaft 36, shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The upper end of the guide means may include a pair of spaced apart ear members 27 defining a pair of coaxial holes which form the bore 25 for shaft 36. The holes may be coaxially aligned on either side of a corresponding bore in the one end of the arm 13. Support bar 36 ~~j~"~81~
is insertable through the coaxially aligned holes which form the bore 25 and through the corresponding bore in arm 13 for suspending the guide means as shown in Fig. 2. The support bar may be retained with locking means such as cotter pins, C-clips, or the like. In this manner the guide 20 is fixed to arm 13 for lateral positioning of guide 20, but is movable in a longitudinal direction relative to the boom 12.
Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3, a drill head 45 is movably mounted to be advanced or retracted along at least a portion of the guide means. In a preferred embodiment, a plate means 26 is movably attached along the guide means, and the drill head 45 is attached to the plate means such as by threaded fasteners. The drill head has at least one hydraulic motor and can be a standard drill head for rock drilling operations such as a drill head made by the Gill Rock Drill Company. The plate means 26 defines a pair of opposed internal grooves which are dimensioned to slidingly receive oppositely extending legs of the angle irons 21, 22. The plate means 26 may be formed by parallel plate members joined and appropriately machined to define the opposed grooves between mating surfaces of the plate members. Alternatively, the plate means may be an integral part of the drill head. The drill head includes a rotatable shaft 48 which may be attached in a known manner to a drill pipe 52, and receives a rock drill bit 56 at a remote, or lower, end thereof. The rook drill bit is of a type known in the drilling industry and includes a drilling face 59 having a plurality af, for example, tungsten carbide or other hard inserts embedded in the drilling face and protruding therefrom toward the material to be drilled. The drill bit 56 has a central passageway for conveying a flow of air to the drilling face 59 in order to clear the hole of drilling debris as hereinafter described. The drill bit as shown is oriented to drill a hole vertically downward as the drill bit is moved toward the earth formation. ~iowever, as noted above, the guide can be inclined.
The drilling apparatus may also include a percussion tool 63 attached between the rock drill bit 56 and the drill pipe 52 for producing a reciprocating motion of the drill bit while the drill bit is rotating. The drill bit thus cuts and pulverizes the rock in a single operation, thereby decrea:~ing drilling time as compared to the same drilling apparatus without the percussion tool. The percussion tool may be of a type which is generally known in the drilling industry. Xnown percussion tools typically require a source of pneumatic pressure for their operation. For this purpose the percussion tool can be connected to an air compressor mounted on the vehicle. An air hose is connected at one end to an output from the air compressor, and at the other end to an air inlet fitting 46 on the drill head 45, for example, with snap-on couplings, threaded connectors, etc. An air hose support 49 is provided to reduce bending stress at the fitting 46 due to the weight of the air hose, and to maintain the air hose clear of the drilling apparatus. Each of the drill head 45 and the drill pipe 52 has a central passageway through which air flows to the percussion tool, and further flows through the central passageway in the drill bit 56 before exhausting from a central aperture in the drilling face 59. The air hose between the truck mounted air compresssor and the air inlet fitting 46 can run along the boom 12 or can be run directly, for example along the ground.
The percussion tool 63 has an external diameter which is greater than an external diameter of the drill pipe 52. Therefore, sleeve 54 is preferably attached at an upper end of the percussion tool. The sleeve 54 is a hollow pipe which has an external diameter substantially the same as the external diameter of the percussion tool. The sleeve 54 is disposed external to and coaxial with the drill pipe 52. The sleeve 54 and the percussion tool 63 define an outer surface of constant diameter from the drill head 45 to the rock drill bit 56. Thus, as a hole is drilled in the earth, an annular space of constant cross-section is defined between the drill string outer surface and the wall of the hole.
Air which is exhausted at the drilling face 59 gathers drilling debris at the bottom of the hole and forces the debris through the annular space up to the ground surface. The constant cross-section of the annular space causes the air and debris to be maintained at a high velocity so that the debris does not fall back down the hole.
Means are provided for communicating the hydraulic forces from the vehicle to the drill head. Hydraulic hose means are attached at one end to the hydraulic fluid couplings on the vehic:Le,and at the other end to hydraulic fittings 71 on the drill head.
Control means are provided for controlling the hydraulic forces to the drill head. The control means preferably include a plurality of hydraulic pressure control valves 68 which are attached to brackets supported by the guide means in a location to allow a drill operator to stand next to the guide means for optimum viewing of the hole being drilled. Safety shut-off means or pressure relief means, etc., can also be included.
Means for affixing a lower end of the guide means to the ground to be drilled are provided in order to resist transverse and rotative movement of the guide means relative to the drilling axis.
The means for affixing may include anchoring holes in the lower end of the guide means for receiving pins to be driven through the anchoring holes into the ground. A preferred embodiment for the means for affixing as shown in Figs. z and 3 includes a stabilizer bar 73 attached rigidly to the lower end of the guide means. The stabilizer bar has at least two sleeves 76 adapted to receive a pin, dowel or the like, which is hammered or threaded into the ground. The at least two sleeves 76 each have an axis which extends parallel to an elongation axis of the guide means. The sleeves may be formed from short lengths of pipe or the like.
Prior to starting a drilling operation, the guide means is positioned at the pole hale to be drilled. The at least two sleeves are used as templates for locating the dowels in the ground. When the ground has a sufficient top layer of soil, the dowels may simply be inserted through the sleeves and hammered into the ground. The dowels are preferably formed from lengths of pipe having a diameter smaller than an inside diameter of the sleeves, and can be as long as necessary in view of the character of the earth into which the dowels are passed to fix the bottom of the guide means in place. When the top layer of soil above rock is very shallow, portable rock drills may be used to drill pilot holes ~~~~3~~~~
in the rock before the dowels are hammered into the earth.
The drilling apparatus has means for advancing and.retracting the drill head over a span along the guide means. The means for moving includes an upper rota~table sprocket 32 and a lower rotatable sprocket 33 mounted along 'the span, for example at the upper and lower ends of the guide means, respectively. A length of roller chain 18 is looped around and engaged by teeth on the upper and lower sprockets. The length of chain has ends 58, 59 which are attached to the drill head such as by threaded fasteners 62 from opposite directions along the guide means. As shown in Fig. 4, one end of the threaded fastener 62 is threadedly engaged with the chain end 59. A portion of the fastener 62 extends through a hole in tab 41 attached to the plate means 26, and the fastener 62 is secured to the tab 41 by nuts 6'7. Tension in the chain 18 is adjustable by varying the portion of the fastener 62 which extends through the tab 41.
Nteans for rotating at least one of the upper and lower sprockets are also provided. The means for rotating may be a further hydraulic motor 82 which receives hydraulic forces from the vehicle via hydraulic hose means. The hydraulic motor 82 is preferably operable by controls disposed among the control valves 68. Rotating one of the upper and the lower sprockets via motor 82 exerts a force via the length of chain on the drill head. Thus, the drill head may be raised or lowered depending upon the direction of rotation of the sprockets and the resultant direction of the force exerted by the length of chain. In a preferred embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5, the motor 82 is a standard hydraulic motor such as one manufactured by the Braden Winch Company. The motor 82 operates a drive unit which is mechanically engaged with the upper spracket 32 to cause rotation of the upper sprocket upon the application of hydraulic forces to the motor 82.
During a drilling operation, the drill head is gradually lowered to advance the drill bit 56 into the ground. A great downward pressure can be exerted on the drill bit as a result of the hydraulic forces acting through the hydraulic motor 82 to urge rotation of the associated upper sprocket 32 and cause a high tension in the chain 18.
The drilling apparatus may further include a drill bit guide 85 attached to the guide means for preventing deflection of the drill bit relative to the plate 26, especially when starting the hole in the ground. The drill bit guide 85 is formed by a plate which is attached to the guide means in a plane substantially perpendicular to the drill pipe, and is preferably attached at the lower end of the guide means in the vicinity of the percussion tool 63. The drill bit guide defines a hole having a diameter which is sufficient to permit rotation of the percussion tool therein, while providing a minimal clearance around the periphery of the percussion tool for retaining alignment of 'the percussion tool.
Deflections of the drill bit are .resisted by contact between the percussion tool and an inside edge of the drill bit guide. The drill bit guide is described in U.S. Patent No. 3,370,285 to Andersen et al.
Water well drilling equipment is not suitable for drilling utility pole holes, which xequire a quick setup and only a short hole depth. Since the water wells extend much deeper 'than the utility pole holes, water. well drilling equipment is necessarily large and expensive and is setup relatively permanently as compared to utility pole drilling needs. The tall mast may interfere with trees along the side of the roadway. Of even greater concern, in the case of hole drilling for replacement utility poles, is potentially disastrous contact between the mast and existing power lines. Further, the tall mast cannot be used as a practical matter to conveniently place a drilling apparatus over a roadway guardrail to drill a hole an the remote side thereof.
Rock drills also have been mounted on cranes, which likewise have large booms . U. 8 . Patent No . 4 ,102 , 094 to MacKinnon discloses a drill mast attached at an upper end to a large boom. An adjustable brace extends betcaeen the boom and a lower part of the mast to stabilize the mast and maintain correct alignment of the mast above a hole being drilled. The mast disclosed by MacKinnon is complex and bulky and does not overcome the practical disadvantages of such apparatus with respect to the job of drilling regularly spaced utility pole holes, such as excess mast height, high cost and inconvenience.
Heretofore, attempts to employ a rock drill on a truck mounted boom of the type normally used for auger drills have not been very successful. The booms have free play in their joints and tend to flex under the load of rock drilling. ~1s a result, the drill bit tends to walk across a surface instead of digging in, and after the hole is started the bit is easily deflected from drilling in a straight line. This results in jamming of the bit in the hole, broken bits, increased drilling time, improperly aligned holes, etc. Consequently, the standard method of drilling utility pole holes in rock is manual; that is, a man with a jackhammer breaks up the rock and the rock is removed with a shovel. This method is obviously time consuming, and a single hole may take a day or longer to drill to the required depth. There is thus a need in the utility industry for a drilling apparatus which will overcome these problems.
It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus for efficiently drilling utility pole holes, especially in broken or solid rock.
Tt is another object of the invention to provide an earth drilling apparatus which can be used in conjunction with conventional utility pole hole drilling vehicles.
It is a further object of the .invention to provide an earth drilling apparatus which attaches to a boom on a hole drilling vehicle.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide an earth drilling apparatus which interchangeably attaches to booms on different vehicles.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a convenient earth drilling apparatus which is more versatile than commonly used earth drilling apparatus.
These and other objects are accomplished by an earth drilling apparatus for use with a vehicle of a type which performs utility pole hole drilling operations. The vehicle has an elongated structure attached at one end to the vehicle, the other end being maneuverable, and means for providing hydraulic fluid under pressure to the apparatus through hydraulic fluid couplings. The apparatus comprises an elongated guide means having means for attachment to the elongated structure. A drill head is movably mounted for advance and retraction along at least a portion of the guide means. The drill head comprises at least one hydraulic motor for producing operative movement of a body. Means are provided for communicating the hydraulically produced forces from the vehicle to the drill head. Furthex means axe provided for moving the drill head along the at least a portion of the guide means. A drilling tool is attachable to the drill head and is thereby oriented to drill a hole as the drill head is moved with respect to a ground surface. A stabilizer atvtached to a lower end of the guide means defines anchoring holes for receiving pins which are driven into the ground in order to fix the guide means against transverse and rotative movement of the guide means. The invention thus provides a quickly erected arid effective means to drill holes of a size and at locations suitable, for example, for utility poles along the sides of highways.
l~~J~~
In the accompanying drawings:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a drilling apparatus according to the invention, the drilling apparatus being attached at an outer end of a boom which is mounted on a vehicle.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the drilling apparatus before attachment of a drill pipe and a drill bit.
Fig. 3 is a side view of the drilling apparatus with the drill pipe and the drill bit, the drill head being shown in raised (broken lines) and lowered (solid lines) position.
Fig. 4 is a close-up view of a means for attaching a chain to a plate means on the drilling apparatus.
Fig. 5 is a close-up view of an upper sprocket of the drilling apparatus which is engaged to be driven by a hydraulic motor.
s An earth drilling apparatus according to the invention is shown generally in Fig. 1. A service vehicle of a size commonly used in the utility industry providles a mobile base for drilling utility pole hales. The apparatus includes a truck designated generally as 10 having an elongated structure, such as universally jointed boom 12, mounted on a rotatable carousel 17 at the rear of the truck. The boom 12 is preferably extensible to reduce the need for maneuvering the truck 10, for example by telescoping inner and outer portions, or by an articulating joint near a central part of the boom. The vehicle has means for providing hydraulic forces including a hydraulic fluid pump (not shown) which may be driven by the vehicle's main power source or by an auxiliary power source mounted on the vehicle. The hydraulic fluid under pressure from the pump is coupled via suitable valves to extensible cylinders and/or hydraulic motors and other actuating devices for extending, raising and lowering the boom, and for rotating the carousel. The hydraulic pumping and actuating apparatus for the boom 12 can be of the type conventionally used in boom trucks such as small cranes, cherry picker lift apparatus, etc.
The vehicle also includes hydraulic couplings for providing hydraulic forces to a drilling apparatus via couplings, valves and similar connection means. The vehicle may also have means for providing pneumatic forces, including an air compressor and an auxiliary power source for driving the air compressor. The auxiliary power source for the air compressor and the auxiliary power source for driving the hydraulic oil pump may be a single unit.
The utility industry normally employs an auger drill bit (not shown) for drilling the utility pole holes in all earth formations except for solid rock, and an auger drill can be mounted on the apparatus of the invention. The auger drill has a hydraulic motor at an upper end which is hingedly attached to one end of an arm 13.
The other end of 'the arm 13 is perpendicularly hingedly attached town outer end 14 of the boom l2. Thus, the arm 13 defines a form of universal joint mounting whereby the auger drill can be inclined ~~~~'~8~
from vertical in order to drill the pole holes at any desired angle. Of course the usual pole hole is precisely vertical.
Nevertheless, inclined holes may be needed as well, for example to anchor a diagonal bracing pole, etc The drilling apparatus according to the invention can be operated by removing the auger drill from the commonly used drilling vehicle from which the auger dangles without support, and attaching a drill support and powering device as hereinafter described. The auger drill is easily detached by a skilled mechanic using ordinary hand or power tools to remove attaching hardware. In order to retain the universal joint function of the arm 13, it is preferred to detach the auger drill where the hydraulic motor connects to the one end of the arm.
As shown in Fig. 2, the earth drilling apparatus of the invention includes an elongated guide means 20 which preferably includes two lengths of angle iron 21, 22 having suitable size and strength to form a rigid structure to support and guide the drilling means. The lengths of angle iron 21, 22 are rigidly connected in either contacting or laterally spaced apart relationship as necessary to achieve desired dimensions. In the preferred embodiment shown, angle irons 21, 22 are laterally spaced and the space protectively accommodates part of the structures used to raise and lower the drilling means. The angle irons may be connected by bolting, welding, or other suitable means or by similarly connecting angle irons 21, 22 to end members andJor intermediate transverse members.
According to the invention, the guide means 20 is removably attached to the boom 12. Preferably, the guide means is removably attached to the one end of the arm 13 (the lower or distal end), mounted on the boom 12. As shown in Fig. 3, an upper end of the guide means defines a bore 25 for receiving a transverse shaft, namely shaft 36, shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The upper end of the guide means may include a pair of spaced apart ear members 27 defining a pair of coaxial holes which form the bore 25 for shaft 36. The holes may be coaxially aligned on either side of a corresponding bore in the one end of the arm 13. Support bar 36 ~~j~"~81~
is insertable through the coaxially aligned holes which form the bore 25 and through the corresponding bore in arm 13 for suspending the guide means as shown in Fig. 2. The support bar may be retained with locking means such as cotter pins, C-clips, or the like. In this manner the guide 20 is fixed to arm 13 for lateral positioning of guide 20, but is movable in a longitudinal direction relative to the boom 12.
Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3, a drill head 45 is movably mounted to be advanced or retracted along at least a portion of the guide means. In a preferred embodiment, a plate means 26 is movably attached along the guide means, and the drill head 45 is attached to the plate means such as by threaded fasteners. The drill head has at least one hydraulic motor and can be a standard drill head for rock drilling operations such as a drill head made by the Gill Rock Drill Company. The plate means 26 defines a pair of opposed internal grooves which are dimensioned to slidingly receive oppositely extending legs of the angle irons 21, 22. The plate means 26 may be formed by parallel plate members joined and appropriately machined to define the opposed grooves between mating surfaces of the plate members. Alternatively, the plate means may be an integral part of the drill head. The drill head includes a rotatable shaft 48 which may be attached in a known manner to a drill pipe 52, and receives a rock drill bit 56 at a remote, or lower, end thereof. The rook drill bit is of a type known in the drilling industry and includes a drilling face 59 having a plurality af, for example, tungsten carbide or other hard inserts embedded in the drilling face and protruding therefrom toward the material to be drilled. The drill bit 56 has a central passageway for conveying a flow of air to the drilling face 59 in order to clear the hole of drilling debris as hereinafter described. The drill bit as shown is oriented to drill a hole vertically downward as the drill bit is moved toward the earth formation. ~iowever, as noted above, the guide can be inclined.
The drilling apparatus may also include a percussion tool 63 attached between the rock drill bit 56 and the drill pipe 52 for producing a reciprocating motion of the drill bit while the drill bit is rotating. The drill bit thus cuts and pulverizes the rock in a single operation, thereby decrea:~ing drilling time as compared to the same drilling apparatus without the percussion tool. The percussion tool may be of a type which is generally known in the drilling industry. Xnown percussion tools typically require a source of pneumatic pressure for their operation. For this purpose the percussion tool can be connected to an air compressor mounted on the vehicle. An air hose is connected at one end to an output from the air compressor, and at the other end to an air inlet fitting 46 on the drill head 45, for example, with snap-on couplings, threaded connectors, etc. An air hose support 49 is provided to reduce bending stress at the fitting 46 due to the weight of the air hose, and to maintain the air hose clear of the drilling apparatus. Each of the drill head 45 and the drill pipe 52 has a central passageway through which air flows to the percussion tool, and further flows through the central passageway in the drill bit 56 before exhausting from a central aperture in the drilling face 59. The air hose between the truck mounted air compresssor and the air inlet fitting 46 can run along the boom 12 or can be run directly, for example along the ground.
The percussion tool 63 has an external diameter which is greater than an external diameter of the drill pipe 52. Therefore, sleeve 54 is preferably attached at an upper end of the percussion tool. The sleeve 54 is a hollow pipe which has an external diameter substantially the same as the external diameter of the percussion tool. The sleeve 54 is disposed external to and coaxial with the drill pipe 52. The sleeve 54 and the percussion tool 63 define an outer surface of constant diameter from the drill head 45 to the rock drill bit 56. Thus, as a hole is drilled in the earth, an annular space of constant cross-section is defined between the drill string outer surface and the wall of the hole.
Air which is exhausted at the drilling face 59 gathers drilling debris at the bottom of the hole and forces the debris through the annular space up to the ground surface. The constant cross-section of the annular space causes the air and debris to be maintained at a high velocity so that the debris does not fall back down the hole.
Means are provided for communicating the hydraulic forces from the vehicle to the drill head. Hydraulic hose means are attached at one end to the hydraulic fluid couplings on the vehic:Le,and at the other end to hydraulic fittings 71 on the drill head.
Control means are provided for controlling the hydraulic forces to the drill head. The control means preferably include a plurality of hydraulic pressure control valves 68 which are attached to brackets supported by the guide means in a location to allow a drill operator to stand next to the guide means for optimum viewing of the hole being drilled. Safety shut-off means or pressure relief means, etc., can also be included.
Means for affixing a lower end of the guide means to the ground to be drilled are provided in order to resist transverse and rotative movement of the guide means relative to the drilling axis.
The means for affixing may include anchoring holes in the lower end of the guide means for receiving pins to be driven through the anchoring holes into the ground. A preferred embodiment for the means for affixing as shown in Figs. z and 3 includes a stabilizer bar 73 attached rigidly to the lower end of the guide means. The stabilizer bar has at least two sleeves 76 adapted to receive a pin, dowel or the like, which is hammered or threaded into the ground. The at least two sleeves 76 each have an axis which extends parallel to an elongation axis of the guide means. The sleeves may be formed from short lengths of pipe or the like.
Prior to starting a drilling operation, the guide means is positioned at the pole hale to be drilled. The at least two sleeves are used as templates for locating the dowels in the ground. When the ground has a sufficient top layer of soil, the dowels may simply be inserted through the sleeves and hammered into the ground. The dowels are preferably formed from lengths of pipe having a diameter smaller than an inside diameter of the sleeves, and can be as long as necessary in view of the character of the earth into which the dowels are passed to fix the bottom of the guide means in place. When the top layer of soil above rock is very shallow, portable rock drills may be used to drill pilot holes ~~~~3~~~~
in the rock before the dowels are hammered into the earth.
The drilling apparatus has means for advancing and.retracting the drill head over a span along the guide means. The means for moving includes an upper rota~table sprocket 32 and a lower rotatable sprocket 33 mounted along 'the span, for example at the upper and lower ends of the guide means, respectively. A length of roller chain 18 is looped around and engaged by teeth on the upper and lower sprockets. The length of chain has ends 58, 59 which are attached to the drill head such as by threaded fasteners 62 from opposite directions along the guide means. As shown in Fig. 4, one end of the threaded fastener 62 is threadedly engaged with the chain end 59. A portion of the fastener 62 extends through a hole in tab 41 attached to the plate means 26, and the fastener 62 is secured to the tab 41 by nuts 6'7. Tension in the chain 18 is adjustable by varying the portion of the fastener 62 which extends through the tab 41.
Nteans for rotating at least one of the upper and lower sprockets are also provided. The means for rotating may be a further hydraulic motor 82 which receives hydraulic forces from the vehicle via hydraulic hose means. The hydraulic motor 82 is preferably operable by controls disposed among the control valves 68. Rotating one of the upper and the lower sprockets via motor 82 exerts a force via the length of chain on the drill head. Thus, the drill head may be raised or lowered depending upon the direction of rotation of the sprockets and the resultant direction of the force exerted by the length of chain. In a preferred embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5, the motor 82 is a standard hydraulic motor such as one manufactured by the Braden Winch Company. The motor 82 operates a drive unit which is mechanically engaged with the upper spracket 32 to cause rotation of the upper sprocket upon the application of hydraulic forces to the motor 82.
During a drilling operation, the drill head is gradually lowered to advance the drill bit 56 into the ground. A great downward pressure can be exerted on the drill bit as a result of the hydraulic forces acting through the hydraulic motor 82 to urge rotation of the associated upper sprocket 32 and cause a high tension in the chain 18.
The drilling apparatus may further include a drill bit guide 85 attached to the guide means for preventing deflection of the drill bit relative to the plate 26, especially when starting the hole in the ground. The drill bit guide 85 is formed by a plate which is attached to the guide means in a plane substantially perpendicular to the drill pipe, and is preferably attached at the lower end of the guide means in the vicinity of the percussion tool 63. The drill bit guide defines a hole having a diameter which is sufficient to permit rotation of the percussion tool therein, while providing a minimal clearance around the periphery of the percussion tool for retaining alignment of 'the percussion tool.
Deflections of the drill bit are .resisted by contact between the percussion tool and an inside edge of the drill bit guide. The drill bit guide is described in U.S. Patent No. 3,370,285 to Andersen et al.
Claims (20)
1. Earth drilling apparatus for use with a vehicle for performing hole drilling operations, the vehicle having an elongated structure attached at an inner end to the vehicle, and having a maneuverable outer end, and means for providing hydraulic forces to the apparatus through hydraulic fluid couplings, the earth drilling apparatus comprising:
an elongated guide means defining an elongation direction;
means for rotatably attaching an upper end of the guide means to the elongated structure, whereby the guide means is rotatable relative to the elongated structure on an axis extending parallel to the elongation direction;
plate means movably attached along at least a portion of the guide means;
a drill head attached to the plate means, the drill head comprising at least one hydraulic motor for producing operative movement of a body;
means for communicating the hydraulic forces from the vehicle to the drill head;
means for moving the plate means along the at least a portion of the guide means;
a drilling tool attached to the drill head and oriented to drill a hole as the drill head is moved toward a ground surface; and means for restraining a lower end of the guide means to the ground surface to resist transverse and rotative movement of the guide means.
an elongated guide means defining an elongation direction;
means for rotatably attaching an upper end of the guide means to the elongated structure, whereby the guide means is rotatable relative to the elongated structure on an axis extending parallel to the elongation direction;
plate means movably attached along at least a portion of the guide means;
a drill head attached to the plate means, the drill head comprising at least one hydraulic motor for producing operative movement of a body;
means for communicating the hydraulic forces from the vehicle to the drill head;
means for moving the plate means along the at least a portion of the guide means;
a drilling tool attached to the drill head and oriented to drill a hole as the drill head is moved toward a ground surface; and means for restraining a lower end of the guide means to the ground surface to resist transverse and rotative movement of the guide means.
2. The drilling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for rotatably attaching includes an upper coupling member attached to the elongated structure, and a lower coupling member attached to the upper end of the guide means, the upper and lower coupling members being relatively rotatable on a shaft, one of the upper and lower coupling members defining a plurality of apertures concentric with the shaft, the other of the upper and lower coupling members having a rod selectively engageable in the plurality of apertures such that relative rotation of the coupling members is prevented, and means for selectively engaging the rod in the plurality of apertures.
3. The drilling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for rotatably attaching further comprises means for pivotably attaching the upper end of the guide means to the elongated structure.
4. The drilling apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the guide means is attached to the elongated structure exclusively at the upper end, whereby a lower end of the guide means is positionable beyond an obstruction in a vicinity of the vehicle.
5. The drilling apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the means for pivotably attaching comprises a pair of spaced apart ear members extending from the upper end of the guide means, the ear members defining holes adapted to coaxially align with a bore on the elongated structure for mutually receiving a shaft therethrough.
6. The drilling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for moving the plate means comprises an upper rotatable sprocket mounted at the upper end of the guide means, a lower rotatable sprocket mounted at the lower end of the guide means, a length of roller chain engaged around the upper and lower sprockets, the length of roller chain having ends attached to the plate means, and means for rotating at least one of the upper and lower sprockets.
7. The drilling apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the means for rotating comprises a hydraulic motor, and means for communicating the hydraulic forces from the vehicle to the hydraulic motor.
8. The drilling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for restraining comprises a stabilizer attached to the lower end of the guide means, the stabilizer defining anchoring holes for receiving pins to be driven through the anchoring holes into the ground whereby the guide means can float above the ground along a length of the pins when the drilling tool exerts a pressure on the ground.
9. The drilling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for communicating comprises hydraulic hose means attached at one end to the hydraulic fluid couplings on the vehicle, and at an other end to the drill head.
10. The drilling apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising control means attached to the guide means for controlling the hydraulic forces to the drill head.
11. The drilling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plate means is an integral part of the drill head.
12. The drilling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drilling tool is a drill bit, and the drill head is operable to rotate the drill bit.
13. The drilling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a percussion tool attached between the drill head and the drilling tool.
14. Earth drilling apparatus comprising:
a vehicle having means for providing hydraulic forces through hydraulic fluid couplings;
an elongated structure attached at an inner end to the vehicle, and having a maneuverable outer end;
an elongated guide means defining an elongation direction and rotatably attached at an upper end to the elongated structure, whereby the guide means is rotatable relative to the elongated structure on an axis extending parallel to the elongation direction;
plate means movably attached along at least a portion of the guide means;
a drill head attached to the plate means, the drill head comprising at least one hydraulic motor for producing operative movement of a body;
means for communicating the hydraulic forces from the vehicle to the drill head;
means for moving the plate means along the at least a portion of the guide means;
a drilling tool attached to the drill head and oriented to drill a hole as the drill head is moved toward a ground surface; and means for restraining a lower end of the guide means to resist transverse and rotative movement of the guide means.
a vehicle having means for providing hydraulic forces through hydraulic fluid couplings;
an elongated structure attached at an inner end to the vehicle, and having a maneuverable outer end;
an elongated guide means defining an elongation direction and rotatably attached at an upper end to the elongated structure, whereby the guide means is rotatable relative to the elongated structure on an axis extending parallel to the elongation direction;
plate means movably attached along at least a portion of the guide means;
a drill head attached to the plate means, the drill head comprising at least one hydraulic motor for producing operative movement of a body;
means for communicating the hydraulic forces from the vehicle to the drill head;
means for moving the plate means along the at least a portion of the guide means;
a drilling tool attached to the drill head and oriented to drill a hole as the drill head is moved toward a ground surface; and means for restraining a lower end of the guide means to resist transverse and rotative movement of the guide means.
15. The drilling apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the means for rotatably attaching includes an upper coupling member attached to the elongated structure, and a lower coupling member attached to the upper end of the guide means, the upper and lower coupling members being relatively rotatable on a shaft, one of the upper and lower coupling members defining a plurality of apertures concentric with the shaft, the other of the upper and lower coupling members having a rod selectively engageable in the plurality of apertures such that relative rotation of the coupling members is prevented, and means for selectively engaging the rod in the plurality of apertures.
16. The drilling apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the means for rotatably attaching further comprises means for pivotably attaching the upper end of the guide means to the elongated structure.
17. The drilling apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the guide means is attached to the elongated structure exclusively at the upper end, whereby a lower end of the guide means is positionable beyond an obstruction in a vicinity of the vehicle.
18. The drilling apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the means for pivotably attaching comprises a pair of spaced apart ear members extending from the upper end of the guide means, the ear members defining holes adapted to coaxially align with a bore on the elongated structure for mutually receiving a shaft therethrough.
19. The drilling apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the means for moving the plate means comprises an upper rotatable sprocket mounted at the upper end of the guide means, a lower rotatable sprocket mounted at the lower end of the guide means, a length of roller chain engaged around the upper and lower sprockets, the length of roller chain having ends attached to the plate means, and means for rotating at least one of the upper and lower sprockets.
20. The drilling apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the means for restraining comprises a stabilizer attached to the lower end of the guide means, the stabilizer defining anchoring holes for receiving pins to be driven through the anchoring holes into the ground whereby the guide means can float above the ground along a length of the pins when the drilling tool exerts a pressure on the ground.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US63804891A | 1991-01-07 | 1991-01-07 | |
| US638,048 | 1991-01-07 |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2058784A1 CA2058784A1 (en) | 1992-07-08 |
| CA2058784C true CA2058784C (en) | 2004-12-14 |
Family
ID=24558430
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2058784 Expired - Lifetime CA2058784C (en) | 1991-01-07 | 1992-01-06 | Earth drilling apparatus |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2058784C (en) |
Families Citing this family (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN109356520A (en) * | 2018-09-25 | 2019-02-19 | 中国电力科学研究院有限公司 | A kind of drilling apparatus of movable ground anchor |
-
1992
- 1992-01-06 CA CA 2058784 patent/CA2058784C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| CA2058784A1 (en) | 1992-07-08 |
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