US2152220A - Drilling bucket hammer - Google Patents

Description

` k G J, SQLOMQN I 2,152,22

'- DRILLING BUCKET HAMMER Filed March 6, 1957 f 2 Sheets-Sheet l A l 3l'.

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and): l tier/ zeg- Patented Mar. 28, 1939 UNITED -sTATEs PATENT .or-FICE Guillaume 'Jean Solomon, Paris, France Application March 6, 1937, Serial No. 129,294

In France May 12, 1936 2 Claims.

The present 'invention concerns a machine specially built for the sinking of wells, (either vertical orv little inclined), of any diameter and in all grounds, by drawing out the ear-th and for any work of the same kind (boring, mining,

etc.).

The present machine constitutes a hammer operated by a compressed fluid, such as compressed air. The lower part of the hammer comprises jaws'closed by a piston. 'I'he earth which has been acted on by the hammer and has consequently entered the machine is thus gripped between the jaws and then raised tothe surface.

One of the principal characteristics of the invention is that eitherseveral pneumatic or electric vibrators, or a second piston, according to the different sorts of grounds, may cause-the hammer which has arrived at the bottom of the well after until the whole cavity of the machine is filled with earth. This results in a high increase in capacity of the machine and a material reduction in the weight thereof being rendered possible.

Another advantage of the invention is that the pressure of the air is very easily-changed, so thatthe power needed for each sort of earth, -can be very easily obtained.

Ihe bucket-hammer may be used to determine the dynamic lresistance of the ground at the bottom of the well, to vsink tubes used to restrain earth, and owing to the diierent tools provided, for all sinking operations.

The objects of my invention are attained by the apparatus shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1v is a vertical sec-tion of a bucket hammer provided with several vibrators and three jaws (in Figure 1 one vibrator only may be seen).

Figure 2 is a plan view of the machine regarded from below and with the jaws removed.

Figure 3 is a vertical section of the hammer with a second piston instead of the vibrators.

Figure 4 is a vertical section of a cylindrical element provided with jaws and used `for cozy grounds.

Figure 5 is a vertical section of the'three knives of the bore-bit which is used for hard and. compact grounds.

Figure 6 is a horizontal section of the ram shown in Figure 5, regarded from below.

Figure 7 is a horizontal section of the boringbit, regarded from below.

Referring to the drawings, the machine shown a free fall, to continue to sink into the ground in Figure 1 comprises a cylinder I inside of which works a piston 2 which is connected to the jaws 20 by a piston rod 3. The jaws 20 are pivotally mounted in forked blocks II.

The cylinder I isclosed at its lower end by 5 an end cover 5. Bolts I9 (Figure 2) and a packing gasket I4 between the cylinder and the end cover lmake the cylinderv absolutely air-tight. Other bolts IU (Figure 1) secure the blocks II to the cylinder and end cover. These blocks may 10 .be connected differently. For instance they may each be keyed to the end cover by a key 56, as shown in Figure 5.

There is a jaw-20 for each block II. The jaws are shaped to produce when closed. a substan- 15 tially conical bucket. It is advantageous to provide the jaws with claws. The jaw pivot I2 engages a lug I 'I on the jaw so that the jaw may turn on its pivot. A lug 2I is provided on the jaw 2U and has a slot 22 engaged by a pivot stud 20 23 which is carried by a lug I5 formed on a collar 24. The collar 24 is secured te the piston rod 3` by nuts I6 and I'l and a key 25.

Figure 1 showsthe wide-open position of the jaw 20 in which the stud 23 is at one end of the 25 slot 22. A'split collar may be secured to the piston rod 3 to reduce the length of piston stroke by impingement against the end cover 5.

T o produce a perfectly air-tight joint between the piston rod 3 and the end cover 5, the end 30 cover 5 isprovided with a packing gland 6 to act on a packing of oakum. Lubrication iseffected by means of a lubricator I3.

It is obvious that the means for transmission of motion from the piston' 2 to the jaws may be 35 of various forms. Another form of the said means is shown in Figure 4.

In Figure 1, 9 is a block secured to the end cover 5 and used to secure a vibrator 4 in position inside the cylinder 4. The drawings show 40 only one vibrator, but there are preferably three vibrators. The arrangement and means for securing'the vibrators may vary. For instance, they may alternatively be secured to the piston 2.

The tube required for feeding compressed air, electric current, or liquid pressure waves to the vibrator 4 is connected to the vibrator by means of a passage 1 drilled into the` wall ofthe cylinA der I and communicating with the vibrator, a union 26 being provided on the cylinder for con- 50 nection of the said tube thereto.

The space 38 beneath the piston 2 is connected to a compressed iiuid supply by an opening 31 leading to a passage"8 which is provided in the wall of the cylinder and has a union 29 whereby it is connected to a compressed'air tube 32 forming the hauling cable.

The machine is suspended from the tube 32 the eyes 38 and the cables 3|. The space 39 above the piston 2 may be connected to the open air by the oblique passage 21 which is closed by the valve 28.

Figure 3 shows the same machine, but with a piston 48 employed instead of vibrators tovibrate the machine. The piston slides on the piston rod 3. v

'I'he hereinbefore described machine operates as follows:

In soft grounds the machine is lowered in free fall' by a capstan, the tube 32 being unwound from the drum of the capstan. The jaws are kept wide open by keeping the pressure in 39 higher than atmospheric pressure which exists in 38. When the machine arrives atthe bottom of the well, the jaws sink into the ground. At l this moment, the vibrators are operated through the tube connected to the union 26 and their action'causes the machine to descend further until the ground is completelypenetrated by the jaws. The vibrators are stopped and compressed air is injected through the tube 32, and thereby raises the piston 2, whereby the jaws are closed. The amount of power which can be employed to close the jaws is quite independent oi' the weight of the machine. When the machine has been hauled up, the pressure in 38 is released by permitting the compressed air to escape from the tube 32. The weight of the piston and the pressure existing in 39 thereupon make the jaws open to deposit the charge of earth held by them. These operations are repeated until the well is nished.

In oozy grounds, to increase the capacity oi' the machine it.is desirable to insert a cylinder 43 (Figure 4) between the blocks Il and the jaws. The piston rod 3 is lengthened by an extension rod 46. 'I'he jaws 49 are pivotally mounted on the lower end of the cylinder 43 and formed to tightly close up the said. lower end. Each jaw 49 is closed by the connecting bar 58 articulated at 53 by means of a slot 52 in the jaw and at 55 by means of a slot 54 in the rod 46. Exactly as in Figure 1, the translation of the linear motion of the piston into the circular motion of the jaw can be eiIected by other means.

If the ground is very hard (with rocks or gravel) a boring-bit (Figures 5, 6 and 7) is substituted for the jaws. Bars 51 are connected by keys 55 to the bolts I8' shown in Figures 1 and -2 and 6 after removal of the brackets Il from the said bolts. At the lower part 85 of the said bars steel blades 63 which constitute the boringbit are secured by bolts 54. The part 58 which is' connected to the two bars 65 ci' each of the three branches of the boring-bit supports its three blades. A striker 68' having perforations 6| is securedto the piston rod 3, in place of the collar 24 of Figure 1, by a cross key 25 and works in a space enclosed by a shell or casing 52.

In operation, the machine provided with the boring-bit and striker 68 instead of the Jaws 28 arrives after a free fall at the bottom of the well. The compressed fluid lifts the piston 2 of Figure 1 and the striker 68 on the end of the rod 3 until the moment arrives when the pressure in 39 equals the sum of the pressure in 38 and the weight of the moving parts.' The compressed fluid is then allowed to escape from 38 by releasing the compressed air in the tube 32. with the result that the piston 2 and striker 88 fall and the striker 68 hits the boring-bit and drives it further into the ground.

In very hard grounds the machine shown in Figure 1 is usedbut a second piston as shown on Figure 3 should be used in the cylinder I of the -said machine.

The machine then operates as follows:

The machine arrives at the bottom of the well with its jaws 28, Figure 1, open. The compressed air passes through 31 into the space below the piston 48 which rests on the end cover 5 and the piston 40 is thereby raised from the end cover until the pressure beneath it becomes equal to the sum of the pressure inthe intermediate space 4l and the weight of the piston 48 and may beequal at the same time to the initial pressure in 39 and even greater. During the raising of the piston 48, the piston 2 remains stationary. The compressed fluid from the space beneath the piston 48 is then released by allowing the compressed air to escapefrom the tube 32. 'Ihe piston 48 then falls and hits the end cover. The jaws are thereby caused to sink further into the ground. Such operations are continued until the jaws are full. The air under pressure is then again delivered through 31 until the pressure beneath the piston 48 is greater than the pressure in 39. This causes the piston 40 -to raise the piston 2 and close the jaws. The machine is then hauled up and emptied. The operations may then be repeated. y

Naturally', the boring-bit may be directly connected so the cylinder and the piston 48 may act as the striker instead of the striker 88.

The hauling cable may alternatively be an ordinary cable instead of the tube 32, and in that case, the tube 8 and the tube 32 need not take any of the strain. Furthermore the admission and release of the compressed uid from the cylinder may be effected by means other than those bination a cylinder, a piston reciprocatable therein. jaws articulated thereto, connecting means operatively connecting the said jaws to the pisy ton, vibratory means in the said cylinder for driving the said jaws into the ground, and duct means in the said cylinder for supplying motivating power both to the said piston and to the vibratory means.

2. A machine for sinking vertical and slightly inclined holes in the ground comprising in combination, a fluid tight cylinder, pivotal jaws connected to the cylinder, a piston within the cylinder for closing and opening the said jaws, means for introducing compressed air into the cylinder for actuating the piston in jaw-closing direction, and a second and separately movable piston withinthe cylinder for operation by -the said compressed air for producing inside the cylinder impacts whicndrive the said jaws into the ground.

GUILLAUME JEAN SOLOMON.

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