GB2032494A

GB2032494A - Drilling Arrangement for Earth Drilling

Info

Publication number: GB2032494A
Application number: GB7933450A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Salzgitter Maschinen und Anlagen AG; Salzgitter Maschinen AG
Current assignee: Salzgitter Maschinen und Anlagen AG; Salzgitter Maschinen AG
Priority date: 1978-10-21
Filing date: 1979-09-27
Publication date: 1980-05-08
Also published as: FR2439289B1; PL217727A1; IT1119367B; BR7905603A; GB2032494B; DE2845878A1; JPS5559293A; DE2845878C2; FR2439289A1; IT7968954A0; PL123409B1

Abstract

In a drilling arrangement, non- rotatable telescopic rods (4, 5, 6) carrying a drilling drive and head (7, 8) at their lower end. Endless flexible elements (11, 12) connected between the rods provide the drill feed from a feed drive (3) supported on the mast along with a guide (2). A flushing head (not shown) can be interposed between the drilling drive (7) and the drill head (8) to provide the drill head with flushing fluid from a non- rotatable pipe. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Drilling Arrangement for Earth Drilling The invention refers to a drilling arrangement for earth drilling having a device for the feed of the telescopic carrying rods forming the drill rods and a guide for the drill rods arranged externally of the bore hole.

In known drilling arrangements of this type it is usual to provide, for the telescopic carrying rods forming the drill rods (the so-called telescopic "Kelly" rods) a rotary drive means on the mast or a specialised feed for the carrying rods in the case of stationary rotary driving arrangement connectable with the carrying rods. Thus all the carrying rods are always rotated. Rotary drive means and feed arrangement for the carrying rods are arranged externally of the bore hole and the carrying rods carry the rotatary and feed movements to the drilling tool. The required load is carried to the drilling tool either through an interlocking of the drilling rods under each other or through friction contact between the carrying rods. This involves various disadvantages.The need for interlocking the carrying rods under each other creates a high additional time requirement, which lengthens the drilling work and thereby raises cost. If friction contact is used there is no certainty that this friction contact will remaineffective; it can be lost through service failure so that in some cases the drilling operation is severely disturbed. The known constructions are furthermore expensive since in each case a hoist for the mast serving as the guide is necessary in addition to the appropriate feed drive for the operation of the carrying rods.A further disadvantage of the known drilling arrangement is to be seen in that no definite flushing steam for the bore hole bottom can be lead to the drilling tool, in particular in the case of core boring augers, whereby the drilling processes are indefinite and the drilling tools are pulled from the drilling hole very hot. Hitherto, the known drilling arrangements have had to be completely reequipped for the introduction of suction or air lift drilling, which brings with it a great cost since in particular, the rotary drive means must be changed over from the operation with the carrying rods to that with the flushing head. With respect to the boring processes it is also only possible therefore to distinguish basically between dry drilling and flush drilling.

The object of the present invention is to provide a drilling arrangement of the aforementioned type whose construction and function is simplified in as much as that, on the one hand, there is assured with an essentially smaller expense and more secure transfer of the load the feed of the carrying rods inclusive of the drilling tool and on the other hand, there can be, a changeover in a particularly simple and timesaving manner of the drilling arrangement from dry drilling to flush drilling.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a drilling arrangement for earth drilling comprising a plurality of telescopic carrying rods forming the drilling rods and a guide and a main feed drive for the drilling rods arranged to be located externally of the bore hole, the outer carrying rod being movable by the main feed drive by way of a feed element extending over the length of the outer carrying rod and this as well as the succeeding inwardly arranged carrying rods with the exception of the innermost carrying rod each comprising an endless flexible feed element extending over its length and being connected, on the one hand, to the guide or the preceding outwardly lying carrying rod as the case may be and, on the other hand, to the respective next succeeding inwardly lying carrying rod, and wherein the innermost carrying rod carries a rotary drive means at its lower end and a drilling tool connected to the rotary drive means. In this way the feed for the carrying rods and the drilling tool fills a double function since it also takes on the rearward retraction movement for the carrying rods in addition to the appropriate feed in the direction of drilling. Therefore, the function of the hoist necessary in known drilling arrangements can here be dispensed with. The rotary drive means passes the innermost carrying rod into the drilling hole. The carrying rods do not therefore take part in the rotating movement. Rather they only carry the reaction force to the guide and therefore to the drilling apparatus arranged externally of the bore hole. Particular interlocking arrangements are not therefore required and the load is therefore more securely taken up.

Altogether the constructive arrangements are simplified and in each case the drilling means is simplified and above all made faster.

This invention furthermore makes possible, in particular embodiments thereof, the provision of a flushing stream through the drilling tool, e.g. the core bit or the roll bits, without the provision of costly equipment, and, therefore, defining the work in the bore hole bottom and making the transfer from drive drilling to flush drilling in the simplest possible way.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention a flushing head is inserted between the rotary drive means and the drilling tool, whose non-rotatable part for carrying the feed pipe for the flushing medium or the drive medium for the flushing medium cycle is releasably connected to the non-rotating part of the drive means and whose rotatable part is connected to the drilling tool and is for feeding the flushing medium to the drilling tool or the drive medium to the flushing medium feeding system.

In this way it is possible to bring a flushing stream into the bore hole without changing over the whole drilling arrangement. Furthermore the change over from dry drilling to flush drilling can take place in the shortest possible time whereby the cost in time is essentially no longer than in the case of the changing of a tool. That is the drilling and carrying rods already present can be used again while in the known drilling arrangement a change over of the whole of the drilling rods is necessary and a change can be carried out in practice with the actual flushing systems.

A particularly advantageous arrangement of the part of the drilling arrangement encompassing the rotary drive means, the flushing head and the tool is obtained in a further embodiment of the invention in that the rotatable part of the flushing head is connected on the one side with the drilling tool and on the other side with the rotating part of the rotary drive means by way of a releasable connecting coupling. In this way a constructional unit of the flushing head and the drilling tool is created which can be quickly and simply connected with the rotating part of the drive means by way of the connecting coupling so that a quicker change of the drilling system inclusive of the flushing head is possible. The usual coupling piece fixed in the drilling rods with the help of a bolt can be used as the connecting coupling.

Further characteristics, details and advantages of the invention are given in the claims and the following description of several exemplary embodiments of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic and, in the representation of the dimension of the carrying rod and the drilling hole, merely illustrative view of a whole drilling arrangement without a flushing head, Fig. 2 is a schematic partly sectioned view of the drilling rod formed from the carrying rods together with rotary drive means and the tool by way of explanation of the principle of the invention, Fig. 3 is a partly sectioned side view of the part of a drilling arrangement consisting of the rotary drive means, a flushing head and a double core tube forming the drilling tool, Fig. 4 is a partly sectioned side view of the part of a drilling arrangement formed of the rotary drive means, a flushing head and a simple core tube, Figs. 5 and 5a are respectively sectioned side view and a section along line A-8 of the part of a drilling arrangement consisting of the flushing head and a roller bit as the tool having a divisible sediment tube.

Fig. 1 shows, as a first stage in an explanation of the whole construction, the entire drilling arrangement in schematic form. The guide 2 for the drilling arrangement is arranged in the usual way in which the framework of a mast-like structure on a vehicle 1, on which guide the further constructional parts of the drilling arrangement are held and guided. The guide 2 carried a feed drive 3 for the drilling rod and the rotary drive means having the tool as will be further explained in detail in the following. The drilling rod which, as in Fig. 1 is clearly schematically indicated, consists of three telescopic carrying or Kelly rods 4, 5, 6, is fixed to the feed drive 3 and is movable in and out with it.

The feed drive 3 acts on the outermost carrying rod 4. The innermost carrying rod 6 carries the rotary drive means 7 and, on this, the tool 8 at its lower end. Fig. 1 shows the drilling arrangement with the drill rods, drive means and drilling tool fully inserted in the bore hole 9.

The principle in accordance with the invention of the construction and arrangement of the drilling rod, of its feed means, as well as the arrangement of the rotary drive means with the drilling tool, but without the flushing head to be discussed further below, is illustrated schematically in Fig. 2.

The guide 2 is schematically illustrated as a fixed element, and has fixed thereto the feed drive 3. In accordance with Fig. 2 the outer carrying rod 4 carries on its lefthand side as shown in the drawing a feed element 10 in the form of a feed chain which extends over the whole length of it and which runs in the schematically shown manner over the feed drive 3 and is driven by this in order to move the outer carrying rod 4 vertically. Furthermore the outer carrying rod 4 carries an endless flexible feed element 11 on its righthand side as shown in the drawing, preferably as in the other case constructed as a feed chain.This feed chain 11 is connected on the one hand to the guide 2 and on the other hand to the succeeding carrying rod 5 on such a way that a feed movement of the outer carrying rod 4 by way of the feed sement 1 0 leads to a corresponding feed movement of the succeeding carrying rod 5.

The carrying rod 5 carries in the same way an endless flexible feed element 12 on its lefthand side as shown in the drawing, again preferably in the form of a feed chain, which is connected on the one hand to the lower end of the preceding, that is the outer, carrying rod 4 and on the other hand to the upper end of the succeeding, namely the innermost, carrying rod 6. The respective connections of the flexible feed elements 11 and 12 occur in accordance with the feed movements of the carrying rods on their respective oppositely arranged sides, therefore respectively first outside and then inside of the guide 2, the carrying rod 4 and the carrying rod 5.The connection of the flexible feed element 12 of the middle carrying rod 5 is carried out in such a way that the innermost carrying rod 6 is moved in a vertical direction during the above described movement of the carrying rod 5 as a result of its association with the movement of the carrying rod 4. In the same way the feed drive 3 creates the necessary drive and load on the tool 8 by way of the rotary drive means 7, which is guided therewith in the bore hole, over the described feed connections of the carrying rods 4, 5 and 6. For the withdrawal of the drill rods formed by the carrying rods 4, 5 and 6 it is only necessary to reverse the direction of the feed movement, whereby the carrying rods automatically move in the upward direction of Fig.

2.

The feed element 10 is fixed to the carrying rod 4 at an upper point 13 and at a lower point 14.

The flexible feed element 11 is guided over suitable reversing discs 1 5 at upper and lower ends of the carrying rod 4 and equally the feed element 12 of the carrying rod 5 runs over reversing discs 1 6. The connection between feed element 11 and guide 2 is shown at 17, the connection between feed element 11 and carrying rod 5 at 18, the connection between carrying rod 4 and feed element 12 at 1 9 and the connection between the carrying rod 6 and the feed element 12 at 20. The drill rod consisting of the carrying rods 4, 5 and 6 is non-rotatable; the drive means 7 rotates the drilling tool 8 in the bore hole.

In Figs. 3 to 5 there are shown different exemplary embodiments of the invention. By these forms of the invention there is obtained, in use of the above described feed for the drilling or carrying rods, that in a simple way a flushing medium can be brought into the bore hole bottom in order to make possible a defined working in the bore hole.

The principle of this further form of the invention will be described with reference to Fig.

3. A flushing head 22 is inserted between the rotary drive means 7 arranged on the innermost carrying rod 6 and the drilling tool which is formed as a double coring bit 21 in this embodiment. The non-rotatable part 22a of the flushing head is releasably connected with a suitable schematically illustrated rod 23 with the non-rotatable part of the drive means 7. The flushing medium pipe 24 connected to the nonrotating part 22a of the flushing head 22 does not therefore take part in the rotating movement of the drilling tool which flush pipe can therefore be guided in an unhindered way through the bore hole. The rotating part 22b of the flushing head 22 is on the other hand connected to the drilling tool 21 and feed the flushing medium to the drilling tool 21. The drilling medium stream is indicated by the arrow 25.The double core bit representing the tool guides the flushing medium stream for the fluid flushing in the usual way.

The rotating part 22b of the flushing head 22 is fixedly connected on the one hand with the drilling tool 21 at its upper side and on the other hand is connected with the rotating part of the drive means 7 by means of a releasable connection coupling 26. A usual coupling part with a bolt connection can be used, as illustrated in Fig. 3, as the connecting coupling 26.

As the preceding description shows, a single constructional unit is created from the flushing head 22 and the drilling tool 21, which is coupled in a simple way with the drive means 7 and can be released from it so that a change over of the drilling arrangement from dry drilling to flush drilling through a simple change can take place as in a usual tool change and therefore in the shortest possible time. A faster change of the drilling system is therefore possible.

Fig. 4 shows a similar arrangement to that in Fig. 3 in which merely another drilling tool is used.

Similar parts are shown with similar reference numerals. The drilling tool is shown as a single coring tube 27 and it becomes evident through the illustration and on the basis of the present description that the arrangement in accordance with the invention can be utilized for the most different types of flushing medium cycles in the bore hole. The single core tube can be utilised within the inserted flushing head 22 in accordance with the invention for pure fluid flushing as well as for a pumped system with air and liquid. In the case of the pumped system the pipe 24 feeds the drive air over the non-rotating part 22a of the flushing head. If about 3 metres of flushing medium is present in the bore hole, the direction of flow of the fluid stream indicated by arrow 28, is changed through the selective connection of the pipe 24 to a compresser and the atmosphere.Preferably, the single core tube can be provided at its upper side with an inserted sediment tube in order to be able to withdraw the sediment coming from the flushing medium with the drilling tool. Advantageously; the pipe 24 also does not here participate in the rotating movement of the tool.

Fig. 5 shows a similar construction and arrangement as described with reference to Fig.

3. The same parts have again been shown with the same reference numerals. In the embodiment according to Fig. 5 a roll bit 30 with an attached sediment tube 31 is used as the drilling tool. The sediment tube 31 is used as the drilling tool. The sediment tube 31 is divisible and outwardly hingeable as indicated by the dash-dot lines. For the hingeing or partitioning of the sediment tube 31 serves, in a known manner, a turning plate 32 connected to the under end of the guide 2 (Fig. 1) which operates the opening rods 33 of the divided sediment tube 31 in the withdrawn position of the drilling tool.The pipe 24 in this exemplary embodiment feeds air over the nonrotating part 22a of the flushing head 22 and thereafter over the rotating part 22b of the flushing head 22 as the drive medium for the operation of the pump for the fluid flushing, which air is fed over the eccentrically arranged guide conduit 34 to the central tube 35 of the sediment tube 31 for the flushing medium operation. The flushing medium stream is indicated by the arrow 36.

In the described exemplary embodiments according to Figs. 3 to 5 the flushing medium cycle takes place in an advantageous manner in the bore hole so that the flushing medium or the drive medium for the flushing cycle is fed through the fixed pipe 24 and the nonrotating part of the flushing head and thereafter through the rotating part of the flushing head to the working tool in the respectively desired manner. In contrast to the known drilling arrangements with telescopic carrying rods in which it is only possible with much greater expense to provide a flushing medium to the drilling tool, in accordance with the invention a precisely defined removal of the drilling spoil with the flushing is obtained so that the whole drilling arrangement and its change over processes is substantially simplified. With the drilling arrangement in accordance with the invention one can change over in a simple manner and in accordance with the properties of the earth regions from the so-called dry drilling method to the flush drilling method with an exactly defined working in the boring hole.

Claims

1. A drilling arrangement for earth drilling comprising a plurality of telescopic carrying rods forming the drilling rods and a guide and a main feed drive for the drilling rods arranged to be located externally of the bore hole, the outer carrying rod being moveable by the main feed drive by way of a feed element extending over the length of the carrying rod and this as well as the succeeding inwardly arranged carrying rods with the exception of the innermost carrying rod each comprising an endless flexible feed element extending over its length and being connected, on the one hand, to the guide or the preceding outwardly lying carrying rod as thte case may be and, on the other hand, to the respective next succeeding inwardly lying carrying rod, and wherein the innermost carrying rod carries a rotary drive means at its lower end and a drilling tool connected to the rotary drive means.

2. A drilling arrangement according to claim 1 wherein a flushing head is inserted between the rotary drive means and the drilling tool, whose non-rotatable part for carrying the feed pipe for the flushing medium on the drive medium for the flushing medium cycle is releasably connected to the non-rotating part of the drive means and whose rotatable part is connected to the drilling tool and is for feeding the flushing medium to the drilling tool or the drive medium to the flushing medium feeding system.

3. A drilling arrangement according to claim 2 wherein the rotatable part of the flushing head is connected on the one side with the drilling tool and on the other side with the rotating part of the rotary drive means by way of a releasable connecting coupling.

4. A drilling arrangement substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 or Figs. 1 and 2 and one of Figs. 3, 4 and

5.