EP1463868B1 - Down-the-hole drill hammer. - Google Patents

Down-the-hole drill hammer. Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP1463868B1
EP1463868B1 EP02786339A EP02786339A EP1463868B1 EP 1463868 B1 EP1463868 B1 EP 1463868B1 EP 02786339 A EP02786339 A EP 02786339A EP 02786339 A EP02786339 A EP 02786339A EP 1463868 B1 EP1463868 B1 EP 1463868B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
driver
outer tube
drill bit
drill
shaft
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP02786339A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1463868A1 (en
Inventor
Karl Axel Stjernström
Thomas Greijer
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Epiroc Drilling Tools AB
Original Assignee
Atlas Copco Secoroc AB
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Atlas Copco Secoroc AB filed Critical Atlas Copco Secoroc AB
Publication of EP1463868A1 publication Critical patent/EP1463868A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1463868B1 publication Critical patent/EP1463868B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B17/00—Drilling rods or pipes; Flexible drill strings; Kellies; Drill collars; Sucker rods; Cables; Casings; Tubings
    • E21B17/02—Couplings; joints
    • E21B17/04—Couplings; joints between rod or the like and bit or between rod and rod or the like
    • E21B17/046—Couplings; joints between rod or the like and bit or between rod and rod or the like with ribs, pins, or jaws, and complementary grooves or the like, e.g. bayonet catches
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B4/00—Drives for drilling, used in the borehole
    • E21B4/20—Drives for drilling, used in the borehole combined with surface drive

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an arrangement pertaining to down-the-hole hammers.
  • rotational forces, feed, and percussion energy are transferred from a drilling unit to a down-the-hole hammer, which is lowered into the hole to be drilled.
  • the rotational forces are transmitted with the aid of a rotating outer tube, causing the drill bit to rotate, and the percussion forces are transmitted with the aid of a piston or ram that moves reciprocatingly in the tube in its longitudinal direction.
  • the rotational force is transferred from the outer tube by means of a chuck or driver screwed firmly into the outer tube.
  • a chuck or driver Arranged inside the driver or chuck is an array of splines which co-act with splines arranged on the outside of the bit shaft.
  • the driver/chuck is thus seated in the connection between the drill bit and the outer tube and the end of the driver/chuck facing towards the head of the drill bit has an outer diameter that corresponds roughly to the outer diameter of the outer tube and forms a direct extension thereof.
  • the drilling bit, the outer tube and the driver or chuck are all made of steel.
  • an object of the invention is to provide a novel arrangement that enables these problems to be avoided.
  • This object is achieved with an arrangement pertaining to down-the-hole hammers in which a driver is adapted to transmit torsion forces between a rotating outer tube and a drill bit belonging to the down-the-hole hammer, wherein the outer tube is arranged to fully surround the outside of the driver, in accordance with the invention.
  • the outer tube enables the driver to be made of a softer material without being subjected to external abrasion that would result in premature wear on the driver. Such external wear would only affect the outer tube, the material of which is considerably harder and much more wear resistant than that from which the driver is made. Moreover, the outer tube can be given a surface coating which will make abrasive wear on the outer tube lower nevertheless.
  • Figure 1 is a longitudinally sectioned view of a drill bit for a down-the-hole hammer and shows those parts that are in closest connection with the drill bit in accordance with known technology
  • Figure 2 is a corresponding longitudinally sectioned view of a drill bit for a down-the-hole hammer, showing those parts that are in closest connection with the drill bit in accordance with the present invention.
  • Figure 1 thus shows a drill bit 1 that has rock drilling buttons 2 mounted on its front end in a known manner.
  • the drill bit 1 also includes a shaft 3 which is provided with longitudinally extending splines 4 along a part of its length.
  • the drill bit also has a rear end 5 against which a percussion piston is intended to strike.
  • the drill bit 1 typically includes a longitudinally extending channel 6 through which compressed air is blown out from the front part of the drill to blow the drill cuttings away from the bit and out of the drill hole.
  • the shaft 3 carries a driver 7 which is provided internally with longitudinally extending splines 8 that co-act with the splines 4.
  • the driver 7 is generally in the form of a sleeve and is provided along at least part of its length with an external screw thread 9 by means of which the driver 7 can be screwed securely to the front end of an outer tube 10 that surrounds at least a part of both the driver 7 and the shaft 3 of the drill bit 1.
  • the outer tube 10 also surrounds the percussion piston 11.
  • the drill hammer can be spliced or joined to allow the drill run to be extended to a desired length.
  • the drilling unit causes the outer tube 10 to rotate, wherewith the rotational movement of the tube is transmitted to the driver 7 which, in turn, transfers the rotational movement to the drill bit 1 through the medium of the spline connection 8, 4.
  • the end part 12 of the driver 7 facing towards the head 13 of the drill bit 1 has an outer diameter which corresponds essentially to the outer diameter of the outer tube 10 and constitutes an extension thereof.
  • this end part 12 of the driver 7 and the outer tube 10 that are strongly abraded by the externally flowing cuttings.
  • FIG 2 illustrate the inventive arrangement, in which the driver 7 is generally in the form of a cylindrical sleeve which is totally enclosed externally by the outer tube 10, so that in this case said tube will reach all the way to the bit head 13.
  • the driver 7 is thus fully protected from the external affect of drill cuttings flowing back along the outside of the bit head and the outer tube. This allows the driver to be made of a much softer material than the material from which the drill bit 1 and its shaft 3 is made.
  • the driver will suitably be made of a material based on an alloy other than iron.
  • the alloy will conveniently have a frictional coefficient of ⁇ 0.25 in respect of a non-lubricated surface against steel, and a coefficient of thermal conductivity of ⁇ 320 W/m°K. Examples of alloys that fulfil these requirements are alloys of bronze and copper.
  • the outer tube 10 is preferably made of steel and may be provided with a harder outer coating to further reduce abrasive wear by the drill cuttings.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Earth Drilling (AREA)
  • Percussive Tools And Related Accessories (AREA)
  • Drilling And Exploitation, And Mining Machines And Methods (AREA)
  • Processing Of Stones Or Stones Resemblance Materials (AREA)
  • Detergent Compositions (AREA)
  • Dental Preparations (AREA)
  • Investigating Or Analyzing Non-Biological Materials By The Use Of Chemical Means (AREA)

Abstract

The present invention relates to an arrangement pertaining to down-the-hole hammers in which a driver (7) is adapted to transfer torsion forces between a rotating outer tube (10) and a drill bit (1) of the hammer, wherein the outer tube (10) surrounds all of the driver (7).

Description

  • The present invention relates to an arrangement pertaining to down-the-hole hammers.
  • In the case of down-the-hole hammers, rotational forces, feed, and percussion energy are transferred from a drilling unit to a down-the-hole hammer, which is lowered into the hole to be drilled. The rotational forces are transmitted with the aid of a rotating outer tube, causing the drill bit to rotate, and the percussion forces are transmitted with the aid of a piston or ram that moves reciprocatingly in the tube in its longitudinal direction. The rotational force is transferred from the outer tube by means of a chuck or driver screwed firmly into the outer tube. Arranged inside the driver or chuck is an array of splines which co-act with splines arranged on the outside of the bit shaft. The driver/chuck is thus seated in the connection between the drill bit and the outer tube and the end of the driver/chuck facing towards the head of the drill bit has an outer diameter that corresponds roughly to the outer diameter of the outer tube and forms a direct extension thereof. The drilling bit, the outer tube and the driver or chuck are all made of steel.
  • An example of such a down-the-hole hammer can be found in DE-42 00 580-A1 , showing a drill hammer head of the above type, in which a driver is arranged to transfer torsion forces between a rotating outer tube and a drill bit of the hammer. The driver is provided with longitudinally extending splines co-acting with longitudinally extending splines on the drill bit shaft from the rotating outer tube to the drill bit shaft. However, this device suffers from problems arising from cracks or fissures that are formed in the drill bit shaft due to the forces transmitted from the driver splines to the shaft splines, eventually leading to breaking the shaft at the connection to the driver.
  • In an attempt to solve problems arising from the formation of cracks or fissures that can cause the shaft of the bit to break at the spline connection to the driver, it has been proposed to replace the steel in the driver with a softer material, for instance with a bronze alloy. Unfortunately, this replacement has resulted in external wear and tear on the driver due to the backflow of cuttings along the outer surfaces of the drill bit, the driver and the outer tube. Although such wear can be observed from without and a change to a new driver can be made when it is seen that said element has worn down to an extent that makes such a change necessary, the new driver will normally have a larger diameter than the worn outer tube, therewith resulting in greater turbulence around the new driver and accelerated wear on the outer tube.
  • Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a novel arrangement that enables these problems to be avoided.
  • This object is achieved with an arrangement pertaining to down-the-hole hammers in which a driver is adapted to transmit torsion forces between a rotating outer tube and a drill bit belonging to the down-the-hole hammer, wherein the outer tube is arranged to fully surround the outside of the driver, in accordance with the invention.
  • Total enclosure of the driver by the outer tube enables the driver to be made of a softer material without being subjected to external abrasion that would result in premature wear on the driver. Such external wear would only affect the outer tube, the material of which is considerably harder and much more wear resistant than that from which the driver is made. Moreover, the outer tube can be given a surface coating which will make abrasive wear on the outer tube lower nevertheless.
  • The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to an exemplifying embodiment and also with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinally sectioned view of a drill bit for a down-the-hole hammer and shows those parts that are in closest connection with the drill bit in accordance with known technology; and Figure 2 is a corresponding longitudinally sectioned view of a drill bit for a down-the-hole hammer, showing those parts that are in closest connection with the drill bit in accordance with the present invention.
  • Figure 1 thus shows a drill bit 1 that has rock drilling buttons 2 mounted on its front end in a known manner. Typically, the drill bit 1 also includes a shaft 3 which is provided with longitudinally extending splines 4 along a part of its length. The drill bit also has a rear end 5 against which a percussion piston is intended to strike. The drill bit 1 typically includes a longitudinally extending channel 6 through which compressed air is blown out from the front part of the drill to blow the drill cuttings away from the bit and out of the drill hole.
  • The shaft 3 carries a driver 7 which is provided internally with longitudinally extending splines 8 that co-act with the splines 4. The driver 7 is generally in the form of a sleeve and is provided along at least part of its length with an external screw thread 9 by means of which the driver 7 can be screwed securely to the front end of an outer tube 10 that surrounds at least a part of both the driver 7 and the shaft 3 of the drill bit 1. The outer tube 10 also surrounds the percussion piston 11. The drill hammer can be spliced or joined to allow the drill run to be extended to a desired length. The drilling unit causes the outer tube 10 to rotate, wherewith the rotational movement of the tube is transmitted to the driver 7 which, in turn, transfers the rotational movement to the drill bit 1 through the medium of the spline connection 8, 4.
  • As will be seen from Figure 1, the end part 12 of the driver 7 facing towards the head 13 of the drill bit 1 has an outer diameter which corresponds essentially to the outer diameter of the outer tube 10 and constitutes an extension thereof. Thus, it is this end part 12 of the driver 7 and the outer tube 10 that are strongly abraded by the externally flowing cuttings.
  • Figure 2 illustrate the inventive arrangement, in which the driver 7 is generally in the form of a cylindrical sleeve which is totally enclosed externally by the outer tube 10, so that in this case said tube will reach all the way to the bit head 13. The driver 7 is thus fully protected from the external affect of drill cuttings flowing back along the outside of the bit head and the outer tube. This allows the driver to be made of a much softer material than the material from which the drill bit 1 and its shaft 3 is made.
  • The driver will suitably be made of a material based on an alloy other than iron. The alloy will conveniently have a frictional coefficient of ≤ 0.25 in respect of a non-lubricated surface against steel, and a coefficient of thermal conductivity of ≥ 320 W/m°K. Examples of alloys that fulfil these requirements are alloys of bronze and copper.
  • As mentioned before, the outer tube 10 is preferably made of steel and may be provided with a harder outer coating to further reduce abrasive wear by the drill cuttings.

Claims (4)

  1. An arrangement pertaining to down-the-hole hammers, comprising a driver, a rotating outer tube and a drill bit, wherein the driver (7) is adapted to transfer torsion forces between the rotating outer tube (10) and the drill bit (1), characterised in that the outer tube (10) is made of steel and is arranged outwardly surrounding all of the driver (7), and that the driver is made of a softer material than that in the outer tube (10).
  2. An arrangement according to Claim 1, characterised in that the driver (7) is made of a bronze alloy.
  3. An arrangement according to Claim 2, characterised in that the driver (7) is made of a copper alloy.
  4. An arrangement according to Claim 3, characterised in that the outer tube (10) has an outer coating that consists of a material which is harder than the material from which said tube (10) is chiefly comprised.
EP02786339A 2001-12-21 2002-12-10 Down-the-hole drill hammer. Expired - Lifetime EP1463868B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
SE0104377 2001-12-21
SE0104377A SE523946C2 (en) 2001-12-21 2001-12-21 Lowering drill hammer where the outer tube completely encloses a carrier
PCT/SE2002/002276 WO2003062586A1 (en) 2001-12-21 2002-12-10 Down-the-hole drill hammer.

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1463868A1 EP1463868A1 (en) 2004-10-06
EP1463868B1 true EP1463868B1 (en) 2007-08-15

Family

ID=20286475

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP02786339A Expired - Lifetime EP1463868B1 (en) 2001-12-21 2002-12-10 Down-the-hole drill hammer.

Country Status (9)

Country Link
US (1) US20050045385A1 (en)
EP (1) EP1463868B1 (en)
AT (1) ATE370305T1 (en)
CA (1) CA2470227A1 (en)
DE (1) DE60221899T2 (en)
ES (1) ES2291520T3 (en)
SE (1) SE523946C2 (en)
WO (1) WO2003062586A1 (en)
ZA (1) ZA200404801B (en)

Families Citing this family (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
SE524153C2 (en) * 2001-12-21 2004-07-06 Atlas Copco Secoroc Ab Carriers for submersible hammer made of material softer than the material of the shaft
IES20060005A2 (en) 2006-01-04 2007-02-21 Minroc Techn Promotions Ltd A drill bit assembly for fluid-operated percussion drill tools
US7900716B2 (en) * 2008-01-04 2011-03-08 Longyear Tm, Inc. Vibratory unit for drilling systems
IES20090701A2 (en) 2009-08-31 2010-05-12 Minroc Techn Promotions Ltd A drill bit assembly for fluid-operated percussion drill tools
US20110180330A1 (en) * 2010-01-26 2011-07-28 Conn Timothy W Drilling assembly with underreaming bit and method of use
WO2011129958A2 (en) * 2010-04-16 2011-10-20 Wvc Mincon Inc. Reverse circulation hammer with modular bit
IES20100666A2 (en) 2010-10-15 2011-06-22 Minroc Techn Promotions Ltd A down-the-hole hammer

Family Cites Families (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3193024A (en) * 1962-01-18 1965-07-06 Atlantic Refining Co Percussion drills with exhaust passage in hammer
US4173457A (en) * 1978-03-23 1979-11-06 Alloys, Incorporated Hardfacing composition of nickel-bonded sintered chromium carbide particles and tools hardfaced thereof
DE2854461C2 (en) * 1978-12-16 1983-03-10 Wirth Maschinen- und Bohrgeräte-Fabrik GmbH, 5140 Erkelenz Countersink hammer
ZA863192B (en) * 1986-04-29 1986-12-30 Abraham Gien Improvement in valveless pneumatic hammer
US4402370A (en) * 1981-05-15 1983-09-06 Abraham Gein Valveless pneumatic hammer
US4706764A (en) * 1986-08-01 1987-11-17 Ingersoll-Rand Company Two piece down hole drill chuck
USRE36002E (en) * 1990-04-26 1998-12-22 Sds Digger Tools Pty, Ltd. Transmission sleeve for a down hole hammer
US5065827A (en) * 1990-12-21 1991-11-19 Smith International, Inc. Hammer bit retention tool
DE4200580A1 (en) * 1991-09-13 1993-03-18 Hausherr & Soehne Rudolf STONE DRILL BIT
SE505170C2 (en) * 1993-12-13 1997-07-07 G Drill Ab Lowering drill with compressible spacer
US5685380A (en) * 1995-01-06 1997-11-11 Minroc Technical Promotions Limited Reverse circulation down-the-hole drill
US5647447A (en) * 1996-06-10 1997-07-15 Ingersoll-Rand Company Bit retention device for a bit and chuck assembly of a down-the-hole percussive drill
US6070678A (en) * 1998-05-01 2000-06-06 Numa Tool Company Bit retention system
US7395883B2 (en) * 2005-12-15 2008-07-08 Rockmore International, Inc. Keyed connection for drill bit

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP1463868A1 (en) 2004-10-06
SE523946C2 (en) 2004-06-08
WO2003062586A1 (en) 2003-07-31
SE0104377L (en) 2003-06-22
US20050045385A1 (en) 2005-03-03
DE60221899D1 (en) 2007-09-27
CA2470227A1 (en) 2003-07-31
SE0104377D0 (en) 2001-12-21
ATE370305T1 (en) 2007-09-15
ZA200404801B (en) 2005-08-29
ES2291520T3 (en) 2008-03-01
DE60221899T2 (en) 2008-03-13

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