US2365749A - Rock drill - Google Patents

Description

J. C IS Dec, 1944.

ROCK DRILL Filed May 7' 41 fillje t zbr: cfoizu fl cu z lm Patented Dec, 26, 1944 ROCK DRILL John C. Curtis, Claremont, N'. H., assignor to Sullivan 'Machincry Company, a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 7, 1941, Serial No. 392,321

18 Claims. (01. 255-45) This invention relates to rock drills, and more particularly to improvements in the supporting, guiding and feeding means of a rock drill of the mounted type. i

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved supporting, guiding and feeding means for a rock drill. Another object is to provide an improved adjusting means for the drill guiding means whereby the drill guide may be adjusted into different drill guiding positions by power. A further object is to provide an improved guide adjusting means which is operated by the motor of the drill feeding means. Yet another object is to provide a drill feeding means embodying an independent feed motor and'having a releasable lock associated with an element of the feeding means whereby the drill guide may be adjusted by power from the drill feed motor. A still further object is to provide a drill feeding means embodying a flexible feeding .element and a releasable lock associated with said flexible feeding element whereby elements'of the drill feeding means may be employed to effect adjustment of the drill guide by power inv an improved manner, With these and other objects in view, this invention relates to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a rock drill in which an illustrative form of the invention is embodied.

Fig. 2 is a view in central longitudinal vertical section taken through the rock drill shown in Fig. 1, and illustrating structural details of the invention, parts being shown in elevation.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional viewjtaken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken substantially on line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail cross sectional view taken substantially on line 55 of Fig. 1.

In this illustrative construction, the invention is shown embodied in a rock drill of the mounted type which may be similar to that disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 321,346, filed February 28, 1940 (now Patent No. 2,338,625, dated Jan. 4, 1944). It will be evident, however, that features of the invention may be incorporated in rock drills of various other types.

'The rock drill generally comprises a drill hammer motor I, a drill supporting and guiding structure 2 and drill feeding means, generally designated 3. The drill hammer motor I is of a elements.

conventional design and comprises a motor cylinder [containing'a usual fluid actuated haminer piston for delivering impact blows to the shank of a usual drill steel 5, the. latter being suitably supported within a front chuck housing 6. A rear motor head 1 has connected thereto a supply hose connection 8 for conducting motive fluid to the motor cylinder under the con-v trol of a conventional throttle valve mechanism 9. Since the drill hammer motor does not per se enter into the present invention and may assume various forms, further description thereof is unnecessary, other than to state that when motive fluid is supplied to the motor cylinder, the hammer motor is operated to actuate percussively the drill steel.

The drill supporting and guiding structure 2 comprises a guide frame It] consisting of a pair of parallel guide elements II, II, herein in the form of channel irons arrangediin parallel spaced apart relation with their flanges projecting out-- Wardly in opposite directions at the opposite sides of the guide frame, thereby to provide guide The channel irons are rigidly secured together by bolts 12 which pass through spacing sleeves l3, in the manner shown in Fig. 3. A bottom trunnion support [4 has'guideways l5 slidably engaging the lower channel iron flanges, and is adapted to clamp the guide frame in adjusted position by clamping elements it provided with clamping bolts .I1 and engageable with the lower flanges. Simply by loosening the bolts ll, the trunnion support clamp may be released to permit sliding adjustment of the guide frame into different drill guiding positions longitudinally with respect to the trunnion. support, and by tightening the bolts the guide frame may be firmly clamped in the desired adjusted position to the trunnion support. The trunnion support has a usual swivel plate [8 adapted to be clamped in a usual saddle l9 mounted on a column or bar 21]. Supported at the forward end of the guide frame I0 is a drill steel centralizer 2|, of a conventional design, adapted to embrace the drill steel 5 for guiding the latter during starting or spotting of a drill hole,'in a well known manner. I

Now referring to the drill feeding means 3, it will be noted that secured by a clamp 22 to the outer side of the guide frame, near the rear end of the latter and engaging the lower flanges of the channel irons, is a gear housing 23 which supports a feeding motor 24, herein of a-conventional pressure fluid actuated type. Keyed tothe motor power shaft25 is a worm 26 meshing with a worm wheel 21 in turn keyed to a shaft 28. Fixed to the shaft 28 is a feed chain sprocket 29 which engages and drives a feed chain 30. Journaled on the spacing sleeves I 3 for the channel irons are guide rolls 3! engaging the opposite runs of the feed chain which extend longitudinally in parallelism with the upper and lower sides of the channel irons for guiding the chain for circulation with respect to the drill guide frame. The feed sprocket 29 is, as shown in Fig. 3, located directly opposite to one of the guide rolls 3|, so that the feed chain is maintained in proper engagement with the sprocket teeth. The feed motor 24 has a usual reversing valve 32, and the housing carries a throttle valve 33 for controlling the supply of motive fluid to the hose connection 8 for the drill hammer motor. The throttle valve 33 may also control the supply of motive fluid from a suitable source of supply to the feeding motor 24 under the control of the reversing valve. Secured to the motor cylinder 4 are guide elements 34 providing longitudinal guideways 35 for receiving the upper flanges of the channel irons whereby the drill hammer motor is guided for sliding movement longitudinally of the guide frame. The teeth of the worm gears 26, 21, in the drive between the motor power shaft and the chain sprocket, are self-locking and serve to hold the drill hammer motor against movement relative to the guide frame when the feeding motor is stopped, thereby to prevent undesired movement of the hammer motor along the guide frame. Secured to the guide frame, near its rear end, is a stop member 36 with which the rear end of the motor cylinder is adapted to abut to limit the rearward movement of the drill hammer motor along the guide frame.

The improved means for effecting adjustment of the guide frame along the guideways of the trunnion support by power derived from the feeding motor 24 comprises a releasable chain lock 31 mounted in a guiding recess 38 in a projection integral with the trunnion support l4, and this chain lock has an operating screw 39 provided with an operating handle 40. The chain lock may assume various forms and preferably has projecting teeth 4| adapted to interlock with links of the feed chain 3|] to lock the latter against movement relative to the trunnion support. Secured to the trunnion support, opposite the lock guiding recess, are abutment plates 42 preferably welded to the trunnion support, and these elements provide abutments for the feed chain when the chain lock is moved into operative locking position, and serve to prevent accidental release of the chain from the lock in the event of any slackness in the chain. It will of course be understood that the opposite ends of the feed chain 30 are secured to the hammer motor I as at 43. The tension of the chain may be adjusted by the adjustable support 44 for one of the end, herein the rear, guide rolls 3|.

The mode of operation of the rock drill is as follows: The rock drill is first properly set up with respect to the work, in the manner shown in Fig. 1, with the trunnion support clamped in position in the saddle mounting of the column or bar and the guide frame secured by the clamping element It to the trunnion support, and, at this time, the drill steel is engaged b the drill steel centralizer 2|. The operator may then manipulate the throttle valve 33 to admit pressure fluid to the hose connection 8 of the drill hammer motor, thereby to effect percussive actuation of the drill steel, and concurrently motive fluid may be admitted, under the control of the reversing valve 32, to the feeding motor 24 to effect power rotation of the feed chain sprocket 29 through the worm gearing in a direction to effect actuation of the feed chain 36, thereby to effect feed of the drill hammer motor forwardly along the guideways of the guide frame. The drill hammer motor may be either fed forward- 1y or rearwardly alon the guideways of the guide frame under the control of the reversing valve 32 by the feeding motor 24, and the direction of feed may be readily reversed simply by manipulating the motor reversing valve 32, thereby to reverse the direction of rotation of the chain sprocket 29. The stop element 36 limits the rearward travel of the hammer motor alon the guideways of the guide frame, while forward feeding movement of the hammer motor along the frame guideways is limited by the front guide roll, in an obvious manner. When the drill hammer motor reaches its extreme limit of forward feed with respect to the guide frame, it will be possible to feed it still forward relative to the work by first retracting it, then feeding the guideway forward while at the same time again advancing the drill motor, and when the drill motor again is in position for resumed drilling, locking'the guideway in its then advanced position and feeding the drill motor along it to continue drilling. Of course variations in the procedure will be possible. Now assuming that the drill motor is retracted as explained, the guide frame clamps [6 may be released by loosening the bolts I1, and the chain lock 31 may be adjusted by the screw 39 into locking engagement with the feed chain 30 to hold the feed chain stationary with respect to the trunnion support l4. The feeding motor 24 may then be operated in a direction to adjust the guide frame by power along the guideways of the trunnion support, the feed sprocket then moving along the lower rearward portion of the feed chain. When the guide frame has been adjusted into the desired position with respect to the trunnion support, it is again firmly clamped to the trunnion support by tightening the bolts of the tightening element l6 and the chain lock 31 is released, and the feeding motor ma then be operated to feed the drill hammer motor forwardly again while the guideway is stationary. Rearward feed of the guideway when desired is obviously possible by reversing the feed motor with the chain held and the guide freed. As the motor I will move rearwardly faster than the guide, it should be in a relatively forward position when the rearward feed of the guide is to be effected.

As a result of this invention, it will be noted that an improved rock drill supporting, guiding and feeding means is provided whereby the drill hammer motor may be supported, guided and fed in an improved manner. It will further be noted that by the provision of the improved adjustable supporting and guiding means for the drill hammer motor the guide frame may be adjusted by power through elements of the feeding means. It will further be noted that by the provision of the improved power operated adjusting means for the drill guide, the hammer motor may not only be fed along the guideways of the drill frame, but also the guide frame may be adjusted by power into different drill guiding positions with respect to the trunnion support. Other uses and advantages of the improved rock drill will be clearly apparent to those. skilled in.

the art.

While there is in this application specifically described one form which the invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this form of the same is shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be modified and'embodied in various other forms Without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by and adjusting means including a second motor distinct from said drilling motor and a feeding andadjusting element common to drilling motor feed and guide frame adjustment and operated by said second motor, said feeding and adjusting element being mounted on said guide frame for longitudinal adjustment therewith.

2. In a rock drill, the combination comprising a support, an elongated guide frame mounted on said support for adjustment longitudinally relative thereto, a drilling motor guided on said guide frame for movement longitudinally therealong, and means for feeding said drilling motor along said guide frame and for adjusting said guide frame longitudinally relative to said support, said feeding and adjusting means including a second motor relative to which said drilling motor moves during the feeding operation and a feeding and adjusting element common to drilling motor feed and guide frame adjustment and operated by said second motor, saidlfeeding and adjusting element being mounted on said guide frame for longitudinal adjustment therewith. 1

3. In a rock drill, the combination comprising a support, an elongated guide frame mounted on said support for adjustment relative thereto, a drilling motor guided on said guide frame for longitudinal movement therealong, and means for feeding said drilling motor along said guide frame and for adjusting said guide frame longitudinally relative to said support, said feeding and adjusting means including a second motor distinct from said drilling motor, feeding and adjusting elements actuated by said second motor and a releasable lock for securing one of said elements to said support during motor operated adjustment of said guide frame.

4. In a rock drill, the combination comprising a support, an elongated guide frame mounted on said ,support for adjustment in a longitudinal direction relative thereto, a drilling motor guided on said guide frame for movement longitudinally therealong, a second motor mounted on said guide frame for adjustment with the latter and relative to which said drilling motor is movable during the feeding operation, and means operated by said second motor for feeding said drilling motoralong said guide frame and for adjusting said guide frame longitudinally relative to said support.

5. In a rock drill, the combination comprising a support, an elongated guide frame mounted on said support for adjustment in a, longitudinal direction relative thereto, a drilling motor. guided on said guide frame for movement longitudinally therealong,

therealong, a second, motor mounted onsaidguide: frame for adjustment with thelatter and justing said guide frame longitudinally relative to said support, said feeding and adjusting means including feeding and adjusting elements common to drilling motor feed and guide frame adjustment.

6; In a rock drill, the combination comprising a support, an elongated guide-frame mounted on said support for adjustment in a longitudinal direction relative thereto, a drillingmotor guided on said guide frame for movement longitudinally a second motor mounted on said guide frame for adjustment with the latter and relative to which said drilling motor is movable during the feeding operation, and means operated by said second motor for feeding said drill ingmotor along said guide frame and for adjusting said guide frame longitudinally relative to said support, said feeding and adjusting means including a feeding and adjusting element driven by said second motor and relative to which said drilling motor moves during the feeding operation.

7. In a rock drill, the combination comprising a support, an elongated guide frame mounted on said support for adjustment in a longitudinal direction relative thereto, a drilling motor guided on said guide frame for movement longitudinally therealong, a second motor mounted on said guide frame for adjustment with the latter and relative to which said drilling motor is movable during the feeding operation, and means operated by said second motor for feeding said drilling motor along said guide frame and for adjusting said port, said feeding and adjusting means including a flexible feeding and adjusting element guided on said guide, frame for circulation relative thereto and a releasable lock for securing said flexible element to said support during guide frame adjustment.

8. In a rock drill, the combination comprising i a support, an elongated guide frame guided on said support for adjustment in a longitudinal direction relative thereto, a drilling motor guided on said guide frame for movement longitudinally therealong, a second motor mounted on said guide frame for adjustment with the latter and relative to which said drilling motor moves during the feeding operation, and means operated by said second motor for feeding said drilling motor along said guide frame and for adjusting said guide frame longitudinally relative to said support, said feeding and adjusting means including a feeding and adjusting chain guided on said guide frame for circulation relative thereto and operatively connected to said drilling motor and a chain sprocket driven by said second motor and engaging said chain, said feeding and adjusting means also including a releasable lock for securing said chain to said support during motor operated guide frame adjustment.

9. 'In a rock drill, the combination comprising a support, an elongated guide frame guided on said support for adjustment in, a longitudinal direc-' tion relative thereto, a drilling motor guided on said guide frame for longitudinal movement therealong, and motor operated means for feeding said drilling motor along said guide frame and for adjusting said guide frame longitudinally relative to said support, said motoroperated feeding and adjusting means having a source of power other than said drilling motor and including a motor operated feeding and adjusting element common to drilling motor feed and guide frame adjustment, said feeding and adjusting element being mounted on said guid frame for longitudinal adjustment therewith.

10. In a rock drill, the combination comprising a support, an elongated guide frame mounted on said support for adjustment longitudinally relative thereto, a drilling motor guided on said guide frame for longitudinal movement therealong and within which vibrations are set up during its operation, and motor operated means for feeding said drilling motor along said guide frame and for adjusting said guide frame longitudinally relative to said support, said motor operated feeding and adjusting means having a source of power other than the vibrations set up within the drilling motor during its operation and including a motor operated feeding and adjusting element common to drilling motor feed and guide frame adjustment, said feeding and adjusting element being mounted on said guide frame for longitudinal adjustment therewith.

11. A rock drill comprising, in combination, a drilling motor for actuating a drill steel, a guide along which said drilling motor is longitudinally movable, a support on which said guide is guided for longitudinal adjustment into different guiding positions relative thereto, a second motor separate and distinct from said drilling motor, and means operated by said second motor for feeding said drillin motor along said guide while the latter is stationary and for adjusting said guide relative to said support, said feeding and adjusting means including a motor operated feeding and adjusting element common to drilling motor feed and guide adjustment and mounted on said guid for longitudinal adjustment therewith and said feeding and adjusting means also including means operable at will and including means for holding said guide stationary for selectively effecting feed of said drilling motor as aforesaid and adjustment of said guide.

12. A rock drill comprising, in combination, a drilling motor for actuating a drill steel, a guide along which said drilling motor is guided for longitudinal movement, a support on which said guide is guided for longitudinal movement into different guiding positions relative thereto, a second motor, and means operated by said second motor for feeding said drilling motor along said guide and for adjusting said guide longitudinally relative to said support, said feeding and adjusting means including a motor operated feeding and adjusting element common to drilling motor feed and guide adjustment and mounted on said guide for longitudinal adjustment therewith and means, including means for holding said guide stationary at will, for alternately rendering said motor operated and adjusting means operative to effect drilling motor feed while it is ineffective support and for adjusting said guide longitudinally relative to said support, said means including means for holding said guide stationary to prevent guide adjustment during drilling motor feed as aforesaid, and said feeding and adjusting means also including a feeding and adjusting element common to drilling motor feed and' guide adjustment and mounted on said guide for longitudinal adjustment therewith and means for holding a portion of said element stationary at will.

14. In a rock drill, the combination comprising a support, an elongated guide frame guided on said support for adjustment in a longitudinal direction relative thereto, a drilling motor guided on said guide frame for movement longitudinally therealong, a second motor mounted on said guide frame and relative to which said drilling motor moves during the feeding operation, and means operated by said second motor for feeding said drilling motor along said guide frame and for adjusting said guide frame longitudinally relative to said support, said feeding and adjusting means including a flexible feeding and adjusting element guided on said guide frame for circulation relative thereto and operatively connected to said drilling motor, a rotatable feeding and adjusting element journaled on said guide frame and engaging said flexible element, said rotatable element bein driven by said second motor, and said feeding and adjusting means also including means for holding said guide frame stationary at will and a releasable lock for securing said flexible element to said support during motor operated guide frame adjustment, said lock being releasable to permit circulation of said flexible element relative to said guide frame during drilling motor feed with the guide frame stationary. 15. In a rock drill, the combination comprising a support, an elongated guide mounted on said support for adjustment longitudinally relative thereto, a drill steel actuator guided on said guide for movement longitudinally therealong, and means for selectively feeding said drill steel actuator along said guide and for adjusting said guide relative to said support, said feeding and adjusting means including a, motor mounted on said guide and relative to which said drill steel actuator is bodily movable during the feeding operation, and feeding and adjusting connections mounted on said guide for longitudinal adjustment therewith and operatively connected to said motor, said connections being actuated by said motor.

16. In a rock drill, the combination comprising a support, an elongated guide mounted on said support for adjustment longituldinally relative thereto, a drill steel actuator guided on said guide for movement longitudinally therealong, and means for selectively feeding said drill steel actuator along said guide and for adjusting said guide relative to said support, said feeding and adjusting means including a motor mounted on said guide and relative to which said drill steel actuator is bodily movable durin the feeding operation, feeding and adjusting connections mounted on said guide for longitudinal adjustment therewith and operatively connected to said motor, said connections being actuated by said motor, and releasable locking means for securing one of said connections to said support to effect adjustment of said guide relative to said support, said locking means being releasable to permit movement of said connection relative to said supa port [during feeding of said drill steel actuator along said guide.

17. In a rock drill, the combination comprising a support, an elongated guide frame mounted on 18. In a rock drill, the combination comprising a support, an elongated guide frame adjustable longitudinally with respect to said support, a drilling motor guided for longitudinal movement along said guide frame, and means for feeding said drilling motor along said guide frame and for adjusting said guide frame longitudinally relative to said support including a second motor movable longitudinally with the guide frame during longitudinal adjustment of the latter, a rotatable feeding and adjusting element operated by said second motor and a flexible element extending along said guide frame and operatively engaged with said rotatable element, said rotata-' ble and flexible elements being common to drilling motor feed and guide frame adjustment. JOHN C. CURTIS.

Images