US1905995A - Underreamer - Google Patents

Description

\pril 25, 1933. B, BER-[RAN 1,905,995

UNDERREAMER Filed June 24, 1951 Inventor BEN/AMI 5 BER TRAN Attorney Patented Apr. 25', 1933 nENiAmm 1'. BERTRAN, or LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO Josm A. IBERTRAN uunnnnmunn Application filed June 24,

My invention relates to underreamers particularly adapted for undercutting or underreaming holes in the ground for receiving or constructing piers or concrete underfootings 1 for buildings and the like in which the piers or underfootings are provided with enlarged or expanded bases.

The objects of this invention are: first, to provide a novel, si-mple, economical and efli- 1 cient underreamer of this class; second, to provide a device of this class whereby a hole may be underreamed to the identical shape desired, and particularly tosuch shape for constructing an underfooting having the greatest strength in proportion to its mass; third, to provide a device of this class having a very large opening in the side wall of the dirt receiving bucket, and a cutter or combined cutter and deflector of substantially the shape of the desired undercut or of the footing, so that the undercut may be quickly made and the material quickly directed into the bucket through the opening or openings, the cutter or combined cutter and deflector being so arranged as to drawnor direct the cut materials into the bucket and substantially close the openings of the bucket when desiring to remove the out materials from the hole;

fourth, to provide a device of this class having no material obstruction within the bucket for interfering with thejcut materials being discharged thereinto or from interfering with the closing or drawing inwardly of the cutters and deflectors, the cutters and deflectors conforming substantially to the contour of the bucket when the former are drawninwar'dly, thus increasing the capacity of the underreamer to its maximum; fifth, to provide novel, simple, economical and efficient means of rotating'the bucket for operating the underreamer which means also extends the cutters and draws the same inwardly; sixth, to provide simple and positive means for. limiting the outward extension of the cutters or combined cutters and deflectors, said means being readily adjustable for variously. but positively limiting the outward extension of the cutters or'combined cutters and deflectors; seventh, to provide a 50 novel arrangement of the means for extend- 1931. Serial No. 548,467.

ing and drawing inwardly the cutters whereby maximum force is obtained for extending and drawing inwardly the cutters, commensurat with simplicity of construction; and, eight to provide a device of this class which is durable and which will not readily deteriorate or get out of order.

With these and other objects in View, as will appear hereinafter, I- have devised an underreaming means having certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement ofparts and portions, as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing and to the characters of reference thereon which form a part of this application in which showing the usual operating member in section; Fig. 3 is a sectional elevational view thereof taken through 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view thereof taken through of Fig. 3; and, Fig. 5 is a sectional View on a reduced scale showing the approximate shape of the underreamed hole adapted to be made by my underreamer.

Like characters of reference refer to simi lar parts and portions throughout the views of the drawing.

My underreamer, as illustrated in the drawing, is substantially in the form of a receptacle when in its closed or inoperative position. This receptacle, formed when the underreamer is closed or in its inoperative position or condition for underreaming, consists of a cylindrical bucket 1, a bottom member 2, deflectors 3, and cutters 4.

The bucket 1 is provided at its diametrically opposite sides with openings 1a which extend from the lower edge of the member 1, or 95 from the bottom member 2 upwardly, preferably the greater portion of the length of the bucket member. Each opening is formed with a. vertical edge 1b, a short horizontal upper edge 10, and a substantially angular 100 edge 1d extending from the edge 10 downwardly in diverging relation with respect to the edge 16, and preferably slightly curved outward with respect to the opening. The 5 lower portion of the edge 1d is substantially vertical, as indicated by 1e, and extends to the lower edge of the bucket member 1.

The deflectors 3 are preferably made from the portions cut out to form the openings 1a. These deflectors are hinged, by means of strap hinges 5, to the bucket member 1, the hinges being secured to the inner sides of the bucket member and of the deflectors at the vertical edges 1?) of the bucket member and corresponding vertical edges 3a of the deflectors. At the free edges of the deflectors are secured the cutters 4. The cutting means of each deflectorconsists preferably of a cutting member 4a and a cutting member 46, the former being substantially helical in shape and conforming substantially to the angular and curved portion of the edge 1d, while the latter is positioned vertically and conforms substantially to the edge 1e of the opening. These cutting members 4a and 4b are secured to the outer side of the deflectors and are provided with cutting edges 40 which are deflected outwardly slightly, as shown in Fig. 2. When the cutters, or the combined cutters and deflectors, are drawn inwardly, as shown in Fig. 4, they cover or enclose substantially the whole of the openings, and when so drawn inwardly are positioned substantially wholly shown in Fig. 4.

Devices of this class are often lowered into and operated in the hole by rods, sometimes known as Kelly bars. In this instance there is secured to the lower end of the rod a bail 7 which is made of heavy plate metal bent into inverted U-shape form. The rod or bar 6 is secured by a bolt 8 or other means to a socket 7 at intermediate the ends of the cross portion 7 b of the bail, The legs 7 c of the bail are slightly narrower than the cross portion 7b and are shiftably mounted in a vertical direction in channels at the diametrically opposite sides of the bucket member. These channels may be formed by securing bars 9 in parallel spaced relation to the inner side of the bucket lnember, as shown best in Figs. 2 and 3. This bail isconnected by links 10 to eyes 11 secured to the inner sides of the cutters or deflectors adjacent the free edges and lower end thereof. The upper ends of the links may be pivotally connected to the legs or, as shown in the drawing, to eyes 12a at the lower ends of eyebolts 12 which depend from and are swivelly mounted in the cross portion 7 b of the bail. The eyebolts 12 are preferably positioned at the opposite sides of the center line of the cross portion of the bail from the sides at which the cutters are positioned in order to increase the angular within the contour of the bucket member, as-

positions of the links 10 as much as practicable.

From the above, it will be observed that the bail is positively connected to the bucket member through the cutters or deflectors and the links so that the underreamer may be readily lowered into and raised from the hole. The rod or Kelly bar 6 is also non-rotatably connected with respect to the underreamer so that the bucket member may be rotated. rota-ting with it the cutters. As the device is lowered to the bottom of a hole and the bail 7 lowered still farther with respect to the bucket member, by reason of the weight of the Kelly bar, the bail and the links, the cutters are forced outwardly by the links. When the Kelly bar is then rotated, the underreaming operation takes place. The extent of the underreaming, however, is limited positively by means of pins 13 which are placed into a pair of diametrically opposed holes lf, these holes being one in each series of vertically spaced apart holes at the opposite sides of the bucket member and preferably arranged in the channels in which the legs 70 slide. When the bucket is full, or when the cutters are extended to their lateral limits by reason of the engagement of the bail with the stop pins 13, the bar 6 is raised. causing the cutters and deflectors to be drawn inwardly for closing the openings 1a, permitting the bucket 1 to be removed from the holes. The pins 13 are successively lowered until the hole is under-reamed to the desired extent.

The sectional view shown in Fig. 5 indicates substantially that the undercut may be made in any shape desired, the shape depending upon the shape of the cutting edge of the cutters. In this manner an underreamed hole may be obtained of such shape that an underfooting of concrete cast in place will be of maximum strength in proportion to the mass of concrete used.

When the device is raised above the ground, the material or detritus removed from the undercut hole may be removed from the device through the lower end of the bucket member. For this purpose the bottom member 2 is hinged at one side, by means of a hinge 14, to the inner side of the bucket member. The free edge of the bottom member is held in a raised position by means of a latch portion 1511 at the lower end of a rod 15. the latch portion engaging a keeper 16 at the inner side of the bottom member. The rod 15 may be provided at its upper end with a handle 15b for readily controlling the latch.

In the bottom member may be provided cutters 17' which are extended downwardly so as to clean out from the bottom of the hole any loose materials having'dropped therein.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions, I do not wish to be limited to this particular construction, combination and arrangement, but desire to include in the scope of my invention the construction, combination and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an underreamer, a bucket having an opening in its side wall, a cutter pivotally mounted on a substantially vertical axis on the bucket at said opening, the cutting edge of the cutter being positioned with one end adjacent the pivotal axis of the cutter and extending downwardly in diverging relation with respect to the axis toward the lower end of the bucket, the lower end of thecutter being positioned a considerable distance outwardly from the pivotal axis of the cutter, and means for forcing the cutter outwardly and drawing the same inwardly, said cutter being so shaped as to form an enlargement at the lower end of a hole with the enlargement 25 gradually increasing-toward. the lower end of the hole.

2. In an underreamer, a bucket having an opening in its side wall, a cutter pivotally mounted on a substantially vertical axis on the bucket at said opening, the cutter having a cutting edge positioned with one end adj a cent the pivotal axis of the cutter and extending therefrom downwardly in diverging relation with res ct to the axis and in outwardly curved orm,the lower portion of the cutting edge being substantially vertical and extending with such substantially vertical portion to substantially the lower end of the bucket, and means for forcing the cutter outwardly and drawing the same inwardly about its pivotal axis.

3. In an underreamer, a bucket having an opening in its side wall, a cutter pivotally mounted on a substantially vertical axis on the bucket at said opening, the cutting edge of the cutter being positioned with one end adjacent the pivotal axis of the cutter and extending downwardly in diverging relation with respect to the axis toward the lower end 9 of the bucket, the lower end of the cutter being positioneda considerable distance outwardly from the pivotal axis of the cutter, and means for forcing the cutter outwardly and drawing the same inwardly, said cutter being so shaped as to form an enlargement at the lower end of a hole with the enlargement gradually increasing toward the lower end of the hole, there being provided a deflector portion conforming with the contour of the bucket and extending from the cutting edge to the pivotal axis, said cutter and deflecting portion, when drawn inwardly, substantially closing said 0 ning and conforming with the contour of t e bucket.

4. In an underreamer, a bucket having an ter outwardly and drawing .the same inwardly about its pivotal axis, there being provlded a deflector portion conforming with the contour of the bucket and extending from the cutting edge to the pivotal axis, sa1d cutter and deflecting portion, when drawn inwardly, substantially closing said opening and conforming with the contour of the bucket.

5. In an underreamer for underreaming holes for receiving concrete underfootings with bell-shaped bases, a bucket having an opening in the side wall thereof extending from the extreme bottom of said bucket upwardly, the one side being substantially v'ertical and the other side tapering in curved line from near the lower side upwardly, a cutter pivotally mounted on the wall of the bucket at the vertical side thereof and shaped to conform to said opening and adapted to form a portion of the side of the bucket when closed.

6. In an underreamer for underreaming holes for receiving concrete underfootings with bell-shaped-bases, a bucket having an openin from t e extreme bottom of said bucket upwardly, the one side being substantially ver tical and the other side tapering in curved line from near'the lower side upwardly, a cutter pivotally mounted on the wall of the bucket at the vertical side thereof and shaped to conform to said opening and adapted to form a portion of the side of the bucket when closed, means for rotating said bucket, and means for extending and closing said cutter whereby said cutter will load said bucket when extended and rotated and when closed may be raised for carrying the contents of the bucket upwardly and out of the hole being reamed.

7. In an underreamer, a bucket having an unobstructed opening in its side wall, a cutter pivotally mounted on a substantially ver-' tical axis on the bucket at said opening of the same size and shape as 'said opening, said cutter having a cutting edge positioned with one end adjacent the pivotal axis of the cutter and extending therefrom downwardly in diverging relation with respect to theaxis and in outwardly curved form to the extreme lower end of the bucket.

8. In an underreamer for underreaming in the side wall thereof extending holes for receiving concrete underfootings with bell-shaped bases, a bucket having an unobstructed opening in its side wall, a cutter pivotally mounted on a substantially ver- 5 tical axis on the bucket at said opening of the same size and shape as said opening, said cutter having a cutting edge positioned with one end adjacent the pivotal axis of the cutter and extending therefrom downwardly in diverging relation with respect to the axis and in outwardly curved form to the extreme lower end of the bucket.

9. In an underreamer for underreaming holes for receiving concrete underfootings with bell-shaped bases, a bucket having an unobstructed opening in its side wall, a cutter pivotally mounted on a substantially vertical axis on the bucket at said opening of the same size and shape as said opening, said cutter having a'cutting edge positioned with one end adjacent the pivotal axis of the cutter and extending therefrom downwardly in diverging relation with respectto the axis and in outwardly curved form to the extreme lower end of the bucket, said cutter being so shaped as to form an enlargement at the lower end of the hole with the enlargement gradually increasing toward the lower end of said hole whereby said hole is formed in bell shape at the lower end by the gradual outward feeding of the cutter while being revolved and whereby the dirt from the cutter is forced into said bucket and when said cutter is moved inwardly holds the same in said bucket,

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 12th day of June, 1931.

BENJAMIN E. BERTRAN.

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