GB2179280A - Hall-mounted rotary drilling machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The machine (10) has a rotary drill head (23) and an associated ram (24) mounted on an elongate T-rail (12,13) by a respective set of hinged plates (27;28) to allow the drilling machine to be readily moved between an operative drilling position on the rail and an inoperative drilling position away from the rail thereby to facilitate the withdrawal or insertion of drill rods from or into a borehole without causing misalignment of the drilling machine with respect to the axis of the borehole. The ram's hinged plates (28) are releasably connectable to the rail at a number of positions therealong to accommodate different drill lengths. A separate control unit is provided for location remote from the drilling machine. A uni-directional drill receiving clamp is provided for releasable connection to the head's hinged plates (27) with the drilling machine in its inoperative position to allow power insertion or withdrawal of a drill rod. A uni-directional drill receiving clamp is provided at the forward end of the rail to resist movement of a drill rod out of an inclined borehole when the drilling machine is moved to its inoperative position. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to rotary drilling machines This invention relates two rotary drilling machines for use, principally, but not exclusively, in rock boring operations.

A rotary diamond drilling machine in common use in manyminesthroughouttheworldcomprisesa pneumatic rotary drill head and a pneumatic ram assembly mounted on an elongate support rail. The rail is in the form of aT-section barwhich is provided with a single hook at its forward end for direct attachment to the rock face. The ram is fixedly mounted on the upper surface of the rail and the free end ofthe piston rod thereof is connected to the rearofthe rotary drill head which is slidingly mounted on the rail.A drill is attached to the drill head to be rotated thereby and advanced into the rockface during drilling by sliding movement of the drill head underthe action of the ram. Adjustable legs are attached directlyto a rear end section of the rail where the ram is located.The controls for the machine are mounted directly ontop ofthe pneumatic motorofthe rotary drill head.

This machine has certain disadvantages as follows: a) Drilling can only proceed in 0.5 metre stages as this machine cannot accommodate longer lengths of drill rod.

b) When the drill rods are to be removed from the borehole, the drilling machine must be disconected from the drill rods and physically removed to one side, thus causing a re-alignment problem when the machine is later re-positioned.

c) The drill rods are inserted into, or withdrawn from,the borehole manually and the process requires great physical exertion on the part of the operator and is limited by his physical ability.

d) When drilling an inclined borehole,the rods whilst being inserted into the borehole by the operator, will have a natural tendency to slide back out with no availablefacilityto hold them.

e) With the controls mounted directly onto the rotary head ofthe drilling machine, the operatorexperiences physical discomforts due to the issuing of airfrom the exhaustofthe rotary head,theflushing of waterfrom the borehole and occasionallythe restricted position in which the drilling machine is placed.

The invention provides the following separate and distinct aspects, but which may also be employed in conjunction with one or more of the othersuch aspects, to overcome or minimize disadvantages of the above described conventional drilling machine.

According to a first aspect ofthe invention, there is provided, in, or for, drilling apparatus including a rotary drilling machine comprising a rotary drill head and an expandable and contractable ram, and an elongate support rail; mounting means for mounting the drilling machine on the rail such that the drill head is slidablealong the rail underthecontrol oftheram, said mounting means being adapted to permit movement of said drilling machine relative to said rail between an operative position in which the drilling machine is disposed on the rail for carrying out a drilling operation along a required axis and an inoperative position in which the drilling machine is out of alignmentwith said axis to permitwithdrawal or insertion of a drill rod into a borehole extending along said axis.In one arrangement, said mounting means may include pivotally connected portions for association respectively with the rail and the drilling machine allowing the drilling machine to be pivotted between said operative and inoperative positions. Releasable means may be provided for locking together said pivotallyconnected portion when said drilling machine is in said operative position.

This aspect of the invention allows for drill rods to be withdrawn from or inserted into the borehole without causing a misalignment ofthe drilling machine with respect to the axis ofthe borehole.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided, in, orfor, drilling apparatus including a rotary drilling machine comprising a rotary drill head and an expandable and contractable ram and an elongate support rail; first mounting means for mounting the drill head on the rail for sliding movementtherealong, and second mounting means for mounting the ram on the rail to control sliding movement ofthe drill head along the rail, wherein said second mounting means are releasablyattachabletothe rail ataplural- ity of positions spaced along the rail allowing different lengths of drills two be used with the driling machine.

This aspect ofthe invention allowsforlonger length drill rods, e.g. 1.5 metres, to be inserted into the rock face by the drilling machine, thereby simplifying the drilling process.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided, in, orfor, drilling apparatus comprising an elongate support rail and a drilling machine comprising a rotary drill head mounted on the rail for sliding movementtherealong and an expandable and contractable ram mounted on the rail to control sliding movement ofthe drill head; a separate control unit having controls for operation of the drilling machine for positioning remote from the drilling machine.

This aspect of the invention allows for control ofthe drilling machine at a position remote therefrom thereby minimizing physical discomfort to the operator.

According to a further aspect ofthe invention,there is provided, in, or for, drilling apparatus comprising an elongate support rail, and a drilling machine comprising a rotary drill head mounted on the rail for sliding movementtherealong and an expandable and contractable ram mounted on the rail to control sliding movement ofthe drill head; connection meansfor connecting a drill rod to be inserted orwithdrawn from a borehole with respecttothedrill headwhereby such insertion of withdrawal can be facilitated by operation ofthe ram.Such features are preferably employed in conjunction with the aforesaid features ofthe first aspect ofthe invention, the arrangement being such that said connection means are engagable when the drilling machine is in the inoperative posi tionto allow withdrawal or insertion of a drill rod with the machine in that position.

This aspect ofthe invention allows forwithdrawal or insertion of drill rods using the power of the ram thereby greatly extending the capability of the drilling machine and decreasing the physical demands upon the operator.

According to a yetfurther aspect of the invention, there is provided, in, orfor, drilling apparatus comprising an elongate support rail, and a drilling machine comprising a rotary drill head mounted on the rail for sliding movementtherealong and an expandable and contractable ram mounted on the rail to control sliding movement of the drill head; an upstanding guide, ator adjacent a forward end ofthe rail, for a drill rod to be inserted into a borehole bythe drilling machine, the guide being adapted to support a uni-directional clamp through which the drill rod extends in use to resist movement ofthe rod out of an inclined borehole.Such features are advantageously employed in conjunction with the aforesaidfeatures ofthe first aspect ofthe invention to prevent a drill rod from sliding out of an inclined borehole when the drilling machine is moved to the inoperative position.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described byway of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a perspective view of drilling apparatus embodying the invention comprising a rotary drill mounted on a carriage assembly; Figure2 is a side view of the apparatus of Figure 1 setto drill an inclined borehole; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the apparatus of Figure 1 illustrating the drilling machine in its hinged inoperative positiion; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a separate control unit ofthe apparatus; Figure 5 is a perspective view ofthe carriage assemblywith some parts thereof illustrated in exploded detail; and Figure 6 is an exploded view of a front mounting bracket of the carriage assembly.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a drilling apparatus comprising a rotary drilling machine 10 mounted on a support carriage assembly 1 1.The carriage assembly comprises a support rail in the form of a beam 12 ofT-section, e.g. 150 mm wide and 2 m. in length, as seen in Figure 1,tithe rear end of which is bolted an extension piece 13 (Figure 2) having the same cross-sectional shape. As seen in Figures 1,3 and 5,the horizontal upperflangeofthe beam 12 and the extension piece 13 are drilled to provide a series of space apertures 14 along the lengththereoffora purpose to be described below.

As seen in Figures 3 and 5, the horizontal flange of the beam 12 is also drilled at its forward end to provide a pair of apertures 1 for mounting thereon a rod guide bracket 16. The vertical flange ofthe beam 12 is drilled at its forward end to provide an aperture 17 to enable the front mounting bracket assembly as shown in Figure 6to be connected to the forward end of the beam. This vertical flange is also drilled towards the rear end thereof to provide an aperture 18to enable an adjustable leg assembly 19to be secured to the beam. As seen in Figure 1 ,the adjustable leg assembly comprises a cross beam 20 having flanges 21 which receive a portion ofthevertical flange of the rail 12 and are bolted thereto.A pair of bolted clamps 21 are attached at respective opposite ends of the beam 20 two receive rod-like, vertically extending support legs 22, the height of which can be adjusted by manipulation ofthe clamps 21.

The drilling machine 10 is ofatypewell known to persons skilled in the art and comprises a rotarydrill head 23 driven by an air motor and a pneumatic ram 24, the free end of the piston 25 of which is attached buy a locking collar 26 to the rear end ofthe housing of the drill head 23. The drilling machine 10 is mounted on the rail 12,13 buy a pair of mounting units 27 and 28.

Each mounting unit 27,28 comprises a pair of hinged plates 29,30. The lower plates 29,30 are adapted to rest upon the upper surface of the rail 12,13 for sliding movementtherealong and at theirfree edges have an L-shaped flange defining a recess for receiving a side edge portion ofthe rail 12,13. The plate 30 of the rear mounting unit28 isformedwith an aperture and an encircling collar 33 for alignment with a selected aperture 14 in the uppersurface ofthe rail 12,13 whereby the mounting unit can be located at a series of different selected positions along the rail by engaging an anchor pin 34 (Figure 5) in the aligned apertures in the plate 30 and in the rail 12,13.The L-shaped bracket 32 ofthe lower plate 29 of the front mounting unit is deeperthan the corresponding flange ofthe rear mounting unit to receive a slide bar 35 provided with cooperating adjusting screws 36 to minimize relative movement between that mounting unit and the rail, as seen in Figures 3 and 5. Furthermore, a pivotally mounting locking nut and bolt37 is provided on the upper plate 29 ofthe front mounting unitfor cooperation with a projecting abutment 38 on the lower plate to allow the two plates to be locked together to hold the drill mounted thereby in its operative position as described below in more detail.

As seen in Figures 1 to 3, the pneumatic ram 24 is mounted on the upper plate of the rear mounting unit 28 and the rotary drill head 27 is mounted on the upper plate of the front mounting unit 27. As seen in Figure 5, the upper plate ofthe front mounting unit has a cradle for receiving the housing of the rotary drill head,the cradle being intheform oftwo spaced transverse plates 40 having curved upper seating surfaces for receiving the drill head housing and an upstanding strip 41 extending between and bracing the plates 40.The front plate 40 has a bracket projecting forwardlythereof and provided buy a pair of spaced arcuate members 43 having aligned apertures 44 adjacenttheirfree ends for receiving a connecting pin for the connection to the front mounting unit of a one-way clamping device 45 which can be located on a drill rod 80 to be extracted from a borehole so that such withdrawal ofthe drill rod can be effected using a force exerted by the pneumatic ram 24 as described below. Various forms of known clamping devices which allow free passage of a drill rod in one direction therethrough but resist relative movementtherethrough in the opposite direction, can be used. The housing ofthe device 45 is provided with a bracket 46 (see Figure 3) which, when the drill 10 is in i n its upward- ly hinged, inoperative position, as seen in Figure 3, can be engaged between the curved plates 43 ofthe bracket on the forward mounting device 28 and con nected thereto by a transverse pin engaged in the apertures 44 in the bracket and an aligned aperture in the bracket46 of the clamping device. A pairof projecting stop members 47 are provided on the hinge knuckles associated with the upper plate 29 of the front mounting device, as seen in Figure 1, to support that plate when the drill loins its upwardly hinged, inoperative position, as illustrated in Figure 3.

The rod support bracket 16, as seen in Figure 5, consists of a steel tube 50 located on a support bracket 51. The steel tube is made of a suitable wall thickness and has an internal diameter, for example of46 mm. An annularflange 52 is welded to theforward end ofthe tube 50 and is drilled so that a standard 46 mm rod support device 53 can be bolted thereto as illustrated in Figure 3. The rod support device can be anysuitably known clamping devicefor43 mm drill rods which allows passagetherethrough ofthe rod in one direction but resists relative movement thereto in the opposite direction.

Referringto Figure 6 in particular,thefrontmount- ing assembly comprises a main transverse beam 60 and a hinge bracket assembly 61. The beam 60 is made of steel channel, for example 100mm X 50mm steel channel having at opposite ends forwardly step ped portionsforbolting directlytotherockfaceas shown in Figure 2. The hinged bracket unit 61 comprises a plate 62 for bolting to a central poriton ofthe transverse beam 60 to which is hinged a bifurcated section 63 which embraces a forward end portion of the vertical flange of the rail 12,13 and is provided with apertures for alignment with the aperture 17 in that rail section to allow the bracket unit 61 to be bolted attheforward end ofthe rail. This assembly allows lateral and horizontal adjustment of the main beam.

Figure 4 illustrates a separate remote control unit for operating the drill. The unit comprises atubular steel frame 70 to which a steel panel 71 is secured.

The panel 71 supports all the controls necessaryfor operating the drill and also supports some additional equipment such as water and air pressure gauges.

The air line oil lubricater system 72 is fabricated by attaching two separate oil bottles 73 to two receivers 74, all of which are then mounted on the base section ofthe frame 70.

In operation, the rotary drill loins initially positioned, as indicated in broken line profile in Figure 2, with the rear mounting unit 28 secured to the rail extension section 13 with the anchor pin 34 engaged in an aperture 14therein. A drill rod 80 is attached to the forward rotary connection of the drill head 23 and during drilling,thedrill head 23 is slid forwardlyalong the rail 12 by expansion ofthe ram 24. The drill rod 80 is advanced through the forward support bracket assembly 16 and the rod holder 53 attached thereto.

When the air ram 24 reaches its position of maximum extension, the anchor pin 34 is removed and the air ram is slid forwardly onto the main section of the rail 12 so that it can be anchored in the new position by re-engagementwith the anchor pin thropugh the col lar33 ofthe lower mounting plate ofthe rear mounting unit which is then in alignment with an aperture in the rail 12. Drilling then proceeds further as the pneumatic ram 24 is again extended. In this way, a semi-continuous drilling operation can be carried out with movement ofthe drilling machine along the rail 12 and extension 13 thereof without the necessity for the drill rods to be frequently unscrewed for the addi tion ofa short drill rod section.In this way, a much longer section of drill rod can be used eachtime,for example 1.5m in length and full insertion thereof into the rock face can be achieved by intermittent adjust- ment of the position ofthe pneumatic ram along the rail 12,13.

As seen in Figure 3,the hinge mounting facility of the drilling machine 10 on the rail 12,13 allowsthe drilling machine to be moved from its operative position as seen in Figure 1,to its upwardly hinged, inoperative position as seen in Figure 3 which then allows free passage of the drill rod string without disturbance of the position of the main support rail 12,13wherebyre-positioning ofthedrilling machine by hinging it back to its operative position maintains the required alignment of the drilling machine with the rod guide bracket unit 16 located at the forward end of the rail.The unit 16 is adapted to locate a rod holder device 53, for example a proprietary one-way rod clamping device, so that when an inclined borehole is being made, as seen in Figure 2, the drill rod 80 will be prevented from sliding out ofthe borehole when the drilling machine 10 is moved to itsinoperative position.

Withdrawal of a drill rod from a borehole can be made by engaging annular rod clamping device 45, for example a proprietary ball clamping device, with the rod and connecting the bracket 46 thereof with the cooperating bracket on the front mounting unit by means of a connecting pin whereby removal ofthe drill rod is effected by contracting the pneumatic ram 24 causing the drill head 23 and the drill rod 80 connected thereto by the device 45, to move rearwardly along the rail 12,13. This action is carried outwith the drilling machine in its inoperative position as iilustrated in Figure 3.In order to insert a new drill rod 80 into the aperture, the clamping device 45 is engaged therewith butthistime in a reverse orientation to that illustrated in Figure 3 and again attached by a connecting pin to the bracket 43 provided on the forward mounting unit 27 whereby expansion ofthe pneumatic ram 24then causes the forward mounting unit and the drill rod 80 attached to itto be moved forwardly with respect to the rail 12,13. This facility eliminates the need for the operator to perform the task manually and thus extends the use of the system beyond the operator's physical limits.

The provision of a separate control unitforthe drilling machine allows for the controls to be placed at a position remote from the drilling machine so that the operator is less effected by conditions prevailing close to the drilling machine.

Claims (15)

1. In, orfor, drilling apparatus including a rotary drilling machine comprising a rotary drill head and an expandable and contractable ram, and an elongate support rail; mounting meansformountingthedrill- ing machine on the rail such that the drill head is slidable along the rail underthe control ofthe ram, said mounting means being adapted to permit movement of said drilling machine relative to said rail between an operative position in which the drilling machine is disposed on the rail for carrying outa drilling operation along a required axis and an inoperative position in which the drilling machine is out of alignmentwith said axis to permit withdrawal or insertion of a drill rod into a borehole extending along axis.

2. Mounting means according to Claim 1, including pivotally connected portions for association re spectivelywith the rail and the drilling machine allowing the drilling machineto be pivotted between said operative and inoperative positions.

3. Mounting means according to Claim 2, including reieasable means provided for locking together said pivotally connected portions when said drilling machine is in said operative position.

4. Mounting means according to Claim 2 or Claim 3 wherein said portions comprise a first pair of hinged plate members for association with said rail and said drill head respectively and a second pair of hinged plate members for association with said rail and said ram respectively.

5. Mounting means according to any of Claims 1 4, wherein said mounting means comprise first mounting means for mounting the drill head on the rail for sliding movementtherealong, and second mounting meansformountingtheramontherailto control sliding movementofthe drill head along the rail, wherein said second mounting means are releasably attachable to the rail at a plurality of positions spaced along the rail allowing different lengths of drillsto be used with the drilling machine.

6. Mounting means according to Claims 4 and 5, wherein said rail has a series of longitudinally spaced apertures, one plate member of said second setthereof having an aperture alignablewith any selected one of said apertures in said rail to allow pin means to be engaged in the aligned apertures to locate the second set of plate members at a selected position along the rail.

7. Mounting means according to any of Claims 1 6, including a separate control unit having controls for operation of the drilling machine, for positioning remote from the drilling machine.

8. Mounting means according to any of Claims 1 7, including connection means for connecting a drill rodto be inserted or withdrawn from a borehole, with respectto the drill head, the connecting means being engagable when the drilling machine is in the aforesaid inoperative position to allow withdrawal or insertion of a drill rod with the machine in that position.

9. Mounting means according to Claim 8, wherein said connection means comprise a one-way drill clamping device for receiving a drill rod and resisting movement thereof through the clamping device in one axial direction, and releasable means for secur- ing the clamping device with respectto a drill head mounted, in use, on the mounting means.

10. Mounting means according to any of Claims 1 -9, including an upstanding guide, at or adjacent a forward end of the rail, for a drill rod to be inserted into a borehole by the drilling machine, the guide being adapted to support a uni-directional clamp throughwhichthedrill rod extends in use to resist movement ofthe rod out of an inclined borehole.

11. In, orfor, drilling apparatus including a rotary drilling machine comprising a rotary drill head and an expandable and contractable ram, and an elongate support rail; first mounting means for mounting the drill head on the rail for sliding movementtherealong, and second mounting means for mounting the ram on the rail to control sliding movement of the drill head along the rail, wherein said second mounting means are releasably attachable to the rail at a plural ity of positions spaced along the rail allowing different lengths of drills two be used with the drilling machine.

12. In, orfor, drilling apparatus comprising an elongate support rail, and a drilling machine comprising a rotary drill head mounted on the rail for sliding movementtherealong and an expandable and contractable ram mounted on the rail to control sliding movement of the drill head; connection meansfor connecting a drill rod to be inserted or withdrawn from a borehole with respecttothedrill head whereby such insertion or withdrawal can be facilitated by operation of the ram.

13. In, or for, drilling apparatus comprising an elongate support rail, and a drilling machine comprising a rotary drill head mounted on the rail for sliding movementtherealong and an expandable and contractable ram mounted on the rail to control sliding movementofthedrill head; an upstanding guide, at or adjacent a forward end of the rail, for a drill rod to be inserted into a borehole by the drilling machine, the guide being adapted to support a uni-directional clamp through which the drill rod extends in use to resist movement ofthe rod out of an inclined borehole.

14. Means for mounting a drilling apparatus on an elongate support rail, which means is substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

15. An assembly of a drilling apparatus mounted by mounting means on an elongate rail, the assembly being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.