GB2572969A

GB2572969A - Drill stand for drilling into a floor

Info

Publication number: GB2572969A
Application number: GB1806248.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Owen George
Original assignee: George Owen Ltd
Current assignee: George Owen Ltd
Priority date: 2018-04-17
Filing date: 2018-04-17
Publication date: 2019-10-23
Also published as: GB201806248D0

Abstract

A stand for supporting a power tool 12 driving a drill bit 14 to enable drilling into a, possibly concrete, floor 16. The stand comprises a wheeled frame 20 having a base on which the weight of the frame is supported when in an operating position. A column 26 is secured to the frame 20 and a power tool support platform 32 is mounted for free sliding movement along the column 26. The platform 32, which may support extra weights 34, applies a force to the power tool to cause the drill bit into the floor, without a force being applied by an operator. The downward force may also be applied by a spring that acts between the platform and the frame. The drill may be pivotable about a pivot axis 28 and the drilling depth may be limited by a stop. The stand may be used to transport liquid spraying apparatus, to spray lubricating or cooling liquid, or aspirating apparatus 40, to vacuum dust. There may be a cord and pulley 36, 37, 38 system to raise the platform.

Description

Drill stand for drilling into floor

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a stand for supporting a power tool driving a drill bit to enable drilling of a hole in a floor.

Background of the invention

A known method of laying concrete floor, such as in the construction of car parks, is to mount pre-cast concrete beams on a frame and them to construct a concrete floor on the beams. To do this, holes are formed in the beams to receive metal posts which are to form part of a metal reinforcement frame over which a wet concrete mix is poured.

Holes are normally drilled into the concrete beams by an operator manually wielding a power tool. Drilling into concrete requires a hammer action and the resulting vibrations are felt by the operator. For this reason, there is a limit, both practical and legal, on the length of time that an operator can perform this task in any one session. Thus, when a project requires numerous holes to be drilled, the drilling can cause serious delays.

Summary of the invention

With a view to mitigating the above problem, the invention provides a for supporting a power tool driving a drill bit to enable drilling into a concrete floor, comprising a wheeled frame having a base on which the weight of the frame is supported when in an operating position so as to prevent the frame from moving relative to the floor, a column secured to the frame, a power tool support platform mounted for free sliding movement along the column and a force applicator for urging the support platform in the direction of the base of the frame to cause a drill bit driven by a power tool supported by the platform to drill a hole in the floor, without a force being applied by an operator to the power tool.

The invention allows an operator to wheel the stand to a position where a hole is to be drilled and then to leave the power tool operating, without human intervention, until the hole is drilled to the desired depth. When using such a stand, the drilling does not endanger the health of the operator in any way. Furthermore, the operator can work with several power tools at the same time, thus saving the labour cost and reducing the total length of time required to complete a project.

It is important that the stand should not be moved by the vibrations of the power tool during drilling. To provide the necessary stability, the frame may either not rest on its wheels during operation of the power tool or a braking mechanism may be used to prevent the frame from rolling.

-2In some embodiments, the stand may comprise a cord and pulley system to enable the platform to be raised by an operator. Such a construction avoids the need for the operator to stoop when pulling the power tool and drill bit out of the drilled hole and allows the drill bit to be held clear of the floor as the stand is moved from one location to another.

A stop may be provided to limit the downward movement of the support platform along the column, to set the depth of the hole drilled in the floor. Such a stop may for example be incorporated in the cord and pulley system.

It is convenient for the support column to be pivotable relative to the base of the frame to allow adjustment of the angle of the hole drilled in the floor relative to the vertical.

The stand may be used to transport apparatus for spraying a liquid onto the drill bit during drilling, to act as lubricant and/or coolant. It may also carry an aspirating apparatus to vacuum dust generated by the drilling.

Different ways may be used to apply a downward force to the power tools to drive the drill bit into the ground. In some embodiments, a weight may rest on the support platform so that the platform is urged towards the base of the frame by gravity. Alternatively, or additionally a spring may act between the support platform and the frame and in this case one would rely on the weight of the stand, and any equipment that it is used to transport, to push down on the power tool.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will now be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a power tool stand in a position in which it can be wheeled to a desired position,

Figure 2 shows the power tool stand of Figure 1 in an operation position.

Figure 3 is s view similar to that of Figure 2 of an alternative embodiment of the inventionn

Detailed description of the drawings

The drawings show a stand 10 for a power tool 12 driving a drill bit 14 to drill a hole in a concrete floor 16. The stand 10 comprises a frame 20, which may for example be formed of welded metal tubing, that has two wheels 22 mounted on a common axis and a handle 24 to allow the entire stand to be tilted backwards in the maimer shown in Figure 1 so that is weight is supported on the wheel axle, allowing it to be pushed using the handle 24 to the position where drilling is to be carried out. Once in the

-3desired position, the frame 20 is allowed to drop back onto its base, as shown in Figure 2, so that it may remain stationary during the drilling.

A column 26 is secured to the frame 20 and is capable of pivoting relative to the frame 20 about a pivot axis 28 arranged at its lower end. A locking mechanism 30 is mounted on the frame 20 to enable the column 26 to be locked in position at a desired angle relative to the vertical.

A platform 32 supporting the power tool 12 is freely slidable along the column 26. Additional weights 34 can be placed on the platform to apply a downward force to the power tool 12. A cord 36 guided over various pulleys 38 is connected at one end to the platform 32 and has a pull ring 37 at its other end to enable the platform to be raised, and to be held in a raised position as the stand 20 is being wheeled.

The frame 20 also serves to support air moving apparatus 40 connected by schematically drawn hoses 42 to a hood 44 surrounding the drill bit 14. The frame also carried a control box 46 that allows electrical power to be supplied to the power tool 12 and to the air moving apparatus 40. The stand 10 is itself connected to an electrical power supply and to a water supply that are not shown in the drawings.

In use an operator wheels the stand 10 to a position where the drill bit 114 overlies a location where a hole is to be drilled and allows the stand 10 to rest on its base. While wheeling the stand, the cord 36 is pulled by means of the ring 37 to raise the platform so that the still of the drill bit lies higher than the level of the floor, and on reaching the desired drilling location, the cord 36 is released so that the drill bit rests on the floor 16 and is urged downwards by the weight of the platform 32 and the power tool

12. If necessary, additional weights 34 are placed in the platform to increase the downward force on the drill bit. Instead of, or in addition to, the weights 34, one or more springs may act on the platform 32 to increase the downward force on the drill bit.

With the stand now in the correct position for drilling, the angle of penetration of the drill bit 14 can be adjusted by pivoting the column 26 about the pivot 28 and locking it in a desired position. The locking mechanism 30 may adopt any one of numerous designs, for example the column may be secured to a toothed or screw threaded rod engaged by a pinion or worm wheel, or it may be engaged by a clamping mechanism.

Electrical power is now supplied to the power tool 12 from the control box 12 to commence the drilling. Because a force is being applied by the stand to the drill bit 14, the operator need not at this stage take any further action and the drill will form a hole in the floor 16 with assistance from the operator. The purpose of the air moving apparatus 40 is to supply to the hood 44 a water spray to act as a lubricant and to cool the drill bit. Additionally, through separate one of the hoses 42, the air moving apparatus 40 sucks away any dust created at the drilling site and traps in a filter.

-4The depth of penetration of the drill bit can be limited using a stop or knot on the cord 36 or by means of a collar or pin on the column 26. Once such a limit position has been reached, the operator will be alerted to the termination of drilling by the fact that the power tools will no longer be operating under load and will run faster. The operator may then disconnect the electric supply to the power tool and the air moving apparatus using a switch on the control box 46, raise the platform 32 using the cord 36, thereby avoiding the need for the operator to stoop, and wheel the stand 10 to the correct position for the next hole.

The embodiment of Figure 3 is generally similar to that of Figure 2 and to avoid the need to repeat the description, components serving the same purpose as those already described by reference to Figures 1 and 2 have been allocated reference numerals with the same two least significant digits. The essential difference between the two embodiments is that the wheels 122 in this case are disposed on the opposite side of the frame 120 from the handles 124 so that the stand is wheeled in the same way as a wheel barrow, so that as the rear end of the stand is raised, the weight of the stand at at its front end is supported by the wheels 122. The columns 126 in this embodiment are pivoted about the axle of the wheels 122. To set the inclination of the columns 126, a bar 131 is pivotably connected to the columns 126. The opposite end of the bar 131 is engaged by a locking mechanism 130. The locking mechanism in this case comprises a tab welded to the frame 120 and a pin that passes through a hole in the tab and a selectable one of several holes in the bar 131. Various details of the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, such as the various wires and hoses, the extraction hood and the cord and pulley system, are also present in the embodiment of Figure 3 but have been omitted from the drawing to reduce its complexity.

In the case of both embodiments, a non-slip coating, or an elastomeric pad, may be applied to the underside of the base of the frame 20,120 to improve its grip on the floor and avoid movement during drilling.

The stand of the invention can be used in any situation where it is necessary to drill multiple holes in a floor. The floor need not necessarily be made of concrete and the holes need not be for the purpose of receiving metal posts prior to laying a concrete floor.

It will be clear to the person skilled in the art that various modifications may be made to the described apparatus without departing from the scope of the invention as set out in the appended claims. For example, the frame 20 or 120 may be used to carry a lithium-ion battery in situations where a mains supply of electricity is not accessible, and the control circuit may include a charger for such a battery. Similarly, if no water supply is readily available, a tank may be mounted on the frame to store water for cooling and lubrication.

Claims

1. stand for supporting a power tool driving a drill bit to enable drilling into a floor, comprising a wheeled frame having a base on which the weight of the frame is supported when in an operating position so as to prevent the frame from moving relative to the floor, a column secured to the frame and a power tool support platform mounted for free sliding movement along the column, wherein the support platform is operative to apply a force to the power tool secured thereto to cause a drill bit driven by the power tool to drill a hole in the floor, without a force being applied by an operator to the power tool.

2. A stand as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support column is pivotable relative to the base of the frame to allow adjustment of the angle of the hole drilled in the floor relative to the vertical.

3. A stand as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein a stop is provided to limit the downward movement of the support platform along the column so as to set the depth of the hole drilled in the floor.

4. A stand as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a weight rests on the support platform to urge the platform towards the base of the frame by gravity.

5. A stand as claimed in any preceding claim, in which a spring acts between the support platform and the frame to urge the platform towards the base.

6. A stand as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the stand further serves to transport apparatus for spraying a liquid onto the drill bit during drilling, to act as lubricant and/or coolant.

7. A stand as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the stand further serves to transport an aspirating apparatus to vacuum dust generated by the drilling.

8. A stand as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a cord and pulley system is provided on the stand to enable the platform to be raised by an operator.