US2586784A

US2586784A - Kelly drive for rotary drills

Info

Publication number: US2586784A
Application number: US145836A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank M Capp; Robert E Adamson
Original assignee: Joy Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: Joy Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1950-02-23
Filing date: 1950-02-23
Publication date: 1952-02-26
Anticipated expiration: 1969-02-26

Description

Feb. 26, F M. CAPP ET AL KELLY DRIVE FOR ROTARY DRILLS Filed Feb. 25, 195o v s sheets-sheet 1 4f um WW MT Il d'1 /b /70 65 y y y Ill Mlm E@ M @Ff/wf /7/ /72 73 70 iiawney.

Feb. 26, 1952 v F. M. CAPP ET AL 2,586,784

KELLY. DRIVE FOR ROTARY DRILLS Filed Feb. 23, 1950 y 5 Sheets-ShedI 2 Fay. 5. /4

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Feb. .26, 19.52 F. M. c APP T AL KELLY DRIVE FOR ROTARY DRILLS Filed Feb. 23, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Feb. 26, 1.9152

KELLY DRIVE FORROTARY DRILLS Frank M. Capp and Robert E. Adamson, Michigan City, Ind., assignors to Joy Manufacturing Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application February 23, 1950, Serial No. 145,836

This invention relates to rotary drilling apparatus and more particularly to driving means for a sectional kelly or drill rod whereby the kelly or rod may be driven even when the kelly or rod sections are randomly coupled together with the driver engaging portions of the sections out of alignment.

In a rotary drilling apparatus, such as a rotary blast hole drill, the drill bit is usually attached to the lower end of a kelly having a driver engaging portion ofV polygonal cross section and which is driven by a rotary table mechanism embodying a drive bushing having a polygonal opening for slidingly receiving the polygonal driver engaging portions of the kelly. In such a drill the kelly or drill rod may be made up in sections so that as the hole deepens additional kelly sections are coupled thereto at its upper end thereby eliminating the need of. pulling the kelly each time a new rod'section is to be added. Ofttimes the kelly sections are randomly mated with the driver engaging portions out of alignment so that considerable difficulty has been encountered in passing the misaligned driver engaging portions of the kelly sections through the drive bushing of the table. The present invention contemplates improvements over known types of rotary drills in that the polygonal opening in the drive bushing of the rotary table mechanism is so formed and constructed that a sectional kelly may pass freely therethrough and be driven thereby even when the driver engaging portions of the sections of the kelly are randomly mated and not in exact alignment. The kelly sections have round end portionsV which are threaded to provide the coupling between the' kelly sections, and the driver, in accordance with the present invention, is designed so that as the round sections of the coupling pass therethrough the kelly may be driven. Also, in a'ccordance'with the present invention, the driver has a slip bowl ernn bodied therein for receiving slip jaws which may at times grip and hold the kelly against downward axial movement, and also a wrench is provided on the drill for holding the upper kelly section against rotation while the' adjoining lower section is rotated by the driver to facilitate coupling and uncoupling of the joints of the kelly sections.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved rotary drilling apparatus especially designed for use in drilling upright blast holesin the earth. Another object is to provide an improved rotary driving means for the drill rod "or lfzrellyjoafL such an apparatus. Still ,another object 12 Claims. (Cl. Z55-23.2)

2 is to provide in such an apparatus an improved sectional kelly consisting of a series of kelly sec-- tions which are' coupled together in endto'end relation so that as the hole deepens additional kelly sections may be added at its upper end thereby eliminatingV the need of pulling the kelly each time the rod line is to be lengthened as is the conventional practice. A further object is to provide an improved rod driverv which may drive the drill rod or kelly even when the rod ori kelly sections are randomly mated with the polygonal driver engaging portions of the sections out of alignment. A still further object is to pro-'- vide an improved rod driver having a drive"'p'en-V ing of novel formation whereby the misaliged driver engaging portions of the kelly or rod sections may be driven as the kelly or rod-coupling passes through the driver. Yet another object isv of a rotary blast hole drillin which an illustraf tive form of theinvention is embodied, with parts of the drill broken away to show structural I with the secondary-driver removed. f a y Fig. 9 is an enlarged horizontalsection taken Fig. 6 is an enlarged verticalvsection take'nsub-A' stantially on the plane of-line 4(iQ-Bof Fig. 1;*

Fig. 7 is a detail vertical section taken on the plane of line 'l-l of Fig. 6',`showingthe wrench.v Fig. 8 is an' enlarged vertical sectional view t'aken on the plane of`line"8`-`8 of Fig. 6,' showing details of the improved kelly driving meansarrd on the plane of line S-S' of FigQS.

ng. 1o is a horizontall sectiontakenrriie JDM f In this illustrative embodiment of the invention the improved drill rod or kelly driving means, generally designated I, is shown embodied in a rotary blast hole drilling apparatus generally designated 2, for drilling upright blast holes in the earth. Evidently, the invention may be associated with other types of drilling equipment.

'I'he drilling apparatus may assume various forms but herein generally comprises a mobile base, desirably a tractor or crawler base 3, having a horizontal frame 4 carrying an upright frame structure 5. The base frame includes longitudinal beams 6 which support parallel horizontal plates 1 providing the bottom of the upright frame structure 5. The frame structure also includes upright side frame members 8 rigidly connected at their upper ends by a generally U-shaped cross frame 9. Secured to the upright frame structure at the inner sides of the frame members 8 are parallel vertical retracting cylinders I0 containing reciprooable pistons I I having their piston rods I2 extending upwardly through the packed top heads I3 of the cylinders. The upper ends of the piston rods are secured at I4 to yokes I5 which are in turn rigidly connected to the upper ends of parallel connecting rods I6 which extend downwardly along the sides of the cylinders as shown in Fig. 1. These connecting rods are rigidly secured at their lower ends to a cross head I1 slidingly guided on the exterior peripheries of the vertical retracting cylinders I0. Journaled in bearings I8 and suitably supported within cross head I1 is a rotatable thrust sleeve I9 through which a kelly or drill rod 20 is adapted to extend, and this sleeve carries an upper chuck 2| having conventional slip jaws 22 adapted to grip the kelly when the retracting pistons I I are moved upwardly in their cylinders to elevate the cross head thereby to raise the kelly with the cross head and chuck. The slip jaws 22 have suitable operating means 23 whereby the jaws may be released from their gripping position at the operators will.

In this improved construction, mounted on the base frame between the lower ends of the parallel cylinders I0, as shown i n Fig. 6, is a rotary table structure generally designated 25 which includes a table housing 216 suitably rigidly secured to the parallel beams of the base frame. Journaled in bearings 21 within the table housing is a rotary table 28 which includes a rod driver adapter or drive sleeve 29 to which a large bevel gear 30 is secured. A bevel pinion 3| meshes with and drives the bevel gear 33 and this pinion is secured to a horizontal shaft 32 suitably journaled in bearings 33 supported within the table housing 26, and this shaft is suitably driven by a drive shafting 34 connected to a conventional prime mover mounted on the drill base. Under certain conditions the drive for the rotary table may be made reversible. The driver adapter or sleeve 29 has an upstanding cylindrical portion 36 which is transversely slotted to provide vertical slots 31 for receiving lugs or lateral projections 38 formed integral with a rod driver 39. The rod driver has a sleevelike body 40 to the lower portion of which a rod driver bushing 4I is secured as by welding, and the upper portion of the body is desirably secured as by welding to the upper lugs or projections 38. Secured to the sides of the upper portion of the driver are handles 42 whereby adapter 29.

The kelly or drive rod 20 is of sectional construction and includes a series of rod or kelly sections 45 having the major portions of their lengths of polygonal, herein desirably square, cross section, and these kelly sections have short round end portions 46 which are threaded in a conventional manner to provide a joint or coupling 41 between the kelly sections. The kelly sections are coupled in end to end relation and, due to the threaded joints, are randomly mated so that when the sections are coupled together their polygonal driver engaging portions are out of registry with the corners of the square sections out of alignment. In Figs. 3 and 10 the corners of the polygonal portions of the kelly sections are shown out of alignment to the extent of 45 although, evidently, the amount of misalignment may vary between such an eX- treme and exact registry of the polygonal sections.

When the rod driver 39 is inserted in the adapter sleeve 29 with its lugs or projections 38 fitted in the slots 31 of the adapter, and the rotary table is driven through the bevel gearing, the adapter is rotated therewith. The upper portion of the adapter has journaled on parallel transverse horizontal shafts 43, rollers 5i) which back up slip jaws 5I which are adapted to grip the kelly to hold the lower kelly section against downward movement during coupling of an additional kelly section to its upper end. The joint 41 between the kelly sections is, of course, at that time located above the rotary table. These slip jaws 5I have conventional handles 52 so that they may be readily removed from the adapter. The driver bushing 4I has an opening 53 of novel design for receiving the kelly sections when the latter are randomly mated with their polygonal portions out of alignment. 'Ihis opening is of irregular shape, herein desirably of a so-called clover-leaf cross section, and has four equally spaced indentationsv or recesses 54 located between four equally spaced driver lugs 55, which have driving surfaces 56 for engaging the plane sides 51 of the kelly. The corners 58 of the square section of the kelly lie in the recesses 54 and the latter are of such lateral extent that when the square portions of the kelly sections are out of alignment as shown in Fig. 10, they still may pass freely through the opening of the driver bushing and be drivingly engaged by the driving lugs. Thus, when the kelly sections are randomly joined together with the corners of the square portion of one kelly section out of alignment with the square portion of the adjacent kelly section they may pass through and be drivenV by the driver bushing.

At times it is desirable to hold the upper kelly section against rotation while the adjoining lower kelly section is being rotated by the table, to couple and uncouple the joint between the adjacent sections. To accomplish this a wrench 50 is pivoted on a horizontal pivot pin 6I supported by a bracket 62 secured to the U-shaped cross frame 9 at the upper end of the upstanding frame structure 5. This wrench is counterweighted by an adjustable counterweight 63 which is held in adjusted position to an arm 64 of the wrench by a set screw 65. The wrench normally hangs downwardly by gravity in an out-of-the-way position as shown in Fig. 6 at one side of the kelly, and when it is desired to hold the upper kelly section the wrench may be swung into the position shown inFig. 7 to bring the sides 66 of its recess 61 in engagement with the flat sides of the kelly section. The slip jaws 5j may then be inserted in position within the top of the rod driver to hold the adjoining lower kelly section against downward movement with respect to the rotary table so that when the table is driven the lower kelly section may be rotated relative to the stationary upper section to couple or uncouple the joint. During uncoupling the table must, of course, be reversed.

A secondary rod driver 68 provided with a rectangular body and having a handle 69, may be placed in the slots 3l of the adapter 29 above the rod drive bushing 4l as shown in Fig. 2, with the sides of the slots engaging the parallel sides l of the driver 68. The latter has depending curved lugs or projections Il which fit down over the cylindrical outer surface of the flange 36 of the adapter to prevent endwise displacement of the driver 68 from the slots. This secondary driver when in driving position has the parallel sides 12 of its recess 'I3 engaging opposed parallel flat sides of the kelly. Thus, as the lower kelly section passes down through the driver bushing 4l the secondary upper driver 68 engages the upper kelly section to drive the kelly, and when the upper kelly section has moved downwardly into the driver bushing lll the secondary driver 68 may be removed from the table. In the infrequent event that the upper kelly section, as it moves downwardly into the drive sleeve, should have its corners catch on the driver lugs 55, the rotary table may be slightly rotated to allow the kelly section to enter the drive bushing.

As is usual in rotary drilling apparatus of the present character the rod line or kelly-may have a conventional elevator and swivel attached to its upper end and the kelly may be raised or lowered by the cable of the conventional draw works of the drill. A usual drill bit is attached to the lower end of the kelly beneath the rotary table and the kelly or rod line may be lowered by gravity during drilling, as it is rotated by the rotary table,

under the control of the draw works cable. When the pistons Il are in their lowered position in the retracting cylinders IU, and it is desired rapidly to raise the rod line or kelly,the slip jaws 22 of the top chuck 2| may be positioned to grip the kelly, and when fluid under pressure is supplied to the lower ends of the retracting cylinders the chuck is raised, causing the slip jawsgto grip the kelly, thereby to move the kelly upwardly with the chuck. The slip jaws 5i may be inserted in the driver of the rotary table to hold the kelly against downward movement through the table when the pistons Il are being lowered to bring the chuck downwardly to a new position wherein it may again grip the kelly as the pistons are moved upwardly. Thus, by alternate elevating and holding movements the kelly may be rapidly raised from the drill hole. Both during lowering of the kelly during drilling, and during raising of the kelly, the kelly sections, even when their square portions are out of alignment, may pass freely through the irregular shaped opening 53 in the driyer bushing 4I During lowering of the kelly through the rotary table during drilling the kelly is continuously engaged by the driver bushing l and the secondary driver 68 so that the drill bit may be continuously rotated as the kelly slides down through the table under the iniiuence of gravity. Also, due to the irregular shape of the opening 53 in the driver bushing 4| the kelly may be hoisted up through the table by the cable of the draw works of the drill, with the square kelly portions out of alignment.

..Evdentln the driver engaging portions of the kellysections may be of various shapes in cross' section, or may be splined or luted, and the opening 53 in the drive bushing may be shaped to correspond to the shape of the kelly, and the driving lugs may be suitably formed to engage and drive the kelly. Further, the top chuck 2l may b e double acting, so that the kelly may also be gripped upon downward movement of the chuck, thereby to enable the pistons il to feed the drill bit toward the work. Since such various forms of kelly sections and drive bushings, and such a reversible chuck, are well known to those skilled in the art further description and illustration thereof are herein unnecessary.

As a result of this invention, an improved rotary blast hole drilling apparatus is provided whereby a sectional kelly or rod line of polygonal cross section may be rotated by the rotary table of the drill even when the kelly sections are randomly mated with the polygonal portions of the kelly sections out of alignment. By the provision of the removable secondary driver the couplings of the sectional kelly may be moved through the rotary table while the kelly is at all times rotatably engaged and driven. The novel shape of the driver bushing enables free passage of the misaligned polygonal portions of the kelly sections through the driver while the plane surfaces of the kelly may be drivingly engaged by the driver lugs of the drive bushing. By the provision of the top wrench, the upper kelly section may be held against rotation while the adjoining lower kelly section is rotated by the table thereby to enable rapid coupling and uncoupling of joints. These and other advantages of the invention will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art.

While there is in this application specically 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 modined and embodied in various other forms without departing from the spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a rotary drilling apparatus, the combination comprising a kelly adapted to rotate a drill bit and composed of kelly sections coupled together in end to end relation, each kelly section having a driver engaging portion and said sections randomly joined together with said driver engaging portions out of alignment, and a rotary driver means having an opening for receiving the misaligned portions of said kelly sections and having axially spaced driving portions providing drive surfaces for respectively drivingly engaging said driver engaging portions of said misaligned portions of said kelly as the latter moves axially therethrough.

2. In a rotary drilling apparatus, the combination comprising a kelly adapted to rotate a drill bit and composed of upper and lower kelly sections coupled together in end to end relation, said kelly sections having driver engaging portions of irregular cross section and randomly joined together with said driver engaging portions out of alignment, and a rotary driving means having upper and lower driver elements, said lower element drivingly engaging the irregular portion of the lower kelly section and said upper driving element drivingly engaging the irregular portion of the upper kelly section whereby the misaligned driver engaging portions may be moved axially through the drivingmeans while being continuously driven by one or the other of said. driving elements.

3. In a rotary drilling apparatus, the combination comprising a kelly adapted to rotate a drill bit and composed of kelly sections coupled together in end to end relation, said kelly sections each having a portion of polygonal cross `section and said sections randomly coupled together with said polygonal portions out of alignment, and a rotary driving means for said kelly including a driver bushing and having axially spaced driving portions providing drive surfaces, one of said driving portions comprising spaced lugs on said drive bushing, with recesses between said lugs whereby said misaligned polygonal portions of said kelly sections may be moved axially through said bushing while one. of said misaligned polygonal portions is engaged by one of said driving portions of said driving means.

4. In a rotary drilling apparatus, the combination comprising a kelly adapted to rotate a drill bit and composed of upper and lower kelly sections coupled together in end to end relation, said kelly sections each having a portion of polygonal cross section and said sections randomly coupled together with said polygonal portions out of alignment, and a rotary driving means for said kelly including a driver bushing having spaced driving lugs and recesses between said lugs whereby said misaligned polygonal portions of said kelly sections may be moved axially through said bushing while said polygonal portions are engaged by said driving lugs, said driving means also including a secondary driver for drvingly engaging the polygonal portion of the upper kelly section as the polygonal portion of the lower kelly section moves axially out of engagement with the driving lugs of said driver bushing.

5. In a drilling apparatus, the combination comprising a rotary table having a central opening, a kelly adapted to rotate a drill bit and movable axially through said table, said kelly comprising upper and lower kelly sections, having driver engaging portions of irregular cross section and coupled together in end to end relation, a drive bushing carried by said table for drvingly engaging the lower kelly section, and a secondary driver carried by said table above said drive bushing for drvingly engaging the upper kelly section as the lower kelly section moves axially out of said drive bushing.

6. In a drilling apparatus, the combination comprising a rotary table having a central opening, a kelly adapted to rotate a drill bit and movable axially through said table, said kelly comprising upper and lower kelly sections each having a driver engaging portion of irregular cross section with said sections randomly coupled together in end to end relation with said driver engaging portions out of alignment, a drive bushing carried by and rotatable with said table for drvingly engaging the driver engaging portion of the lower kelly section, and a secondary driver carried by said table above said drive bushing and rotatable with said table for drvingly engaging the driver engaging portion of the upper kelly section as the driver engaging portion of said lower section moves axially out of said drive bushing, said drive bushing having an opening for receiving the misaligned driver engaging portions of said kelly sections and having driving lugs for engaging the driver engaging portion of either section.

'7. In a drilling apparatus, the combination comprising a rotary table having a central opening, a hollow adapter mounted on said table for rotation therewith and carried in said table opening, a kelly driver fitted within said adapter and secured to the latter for rotation therewith, said adapter having slots at its upper portion and said driver having projections received in said slots whereby said driver may rotate with said adapter while permitting free axial release of said driver from said adapter, said driver having a driver bushing adapted to engage a kelly of irregular cross section passing through the table, and a removable secondary driver engageable with the kelly and also tted in said slots in said adapter.

8. In a drilling apparatus, the combination comprising a rotary table having a central opening, a hollow adapter fitted in said table opening and secured to said table for rotation therewith, a driver insertable in said adapter and having a releasable connection with said adapter for permitting axial release of said driver from said adapter, and a kelly adapted to rotate a drill bit and extending axially through said table, said kelly including kelly sections coupled together in end to end relation and each section having a driver engaging portion and said sections randomly coupled together with the driver engaging portion of one section out of alignment with the driver engaging portion of the next adjacent section, said driver having an opening for receiving the misaligned driver engaging portions of said kelly sections and having axially spaced driving portions providing drive surfaces engaging one or the other of said misaligned driver engaging portions of said kelly whereby the latter may be rotated as it moves axially through said driver.

9. In a drilling apparatus, the combination comprising a rotary table having a central opening, a hollow adapter tted in said table opening and secured to said table for rotation therewith, a driver insertable in said adapter and having a releasable connection with said adapter for permitting axial release of said driver' from said adapter, and a kelly adapted to rotate a drill bit and extending axially through said table, said kelly including kelly sections coupled together in end to end relation and each section having a driver engaging portion of irregular cross section and said sections randomly coupled together with the driver engaging portion of one section out of alignment with the driver engaging portion of the next adjacent section, said driver having an opening for receiving the misaligned driver engaging portions of said kelly sections and having spaced driving lugs engaging said driver engaging portions of said kelly whereby the latter may be rotated as it moves axially through said driver, and a secondary driver secured to said rst mentioned driver for rotation therewith and disposed above the latter, said secondary driver adapted to engage the driver engaging portion of the upper kelly section as the driver engaging portion of the adjacent lower section moves axially out of said first mentioned driver.

10. In a drilling apparatus, the combination comprising a kelly adapted to rotate a drill bit and comprising kelly sections coupled together in end to end relation and each having a driver engaging portion of polygonal cross section, said sections randomly coupled together with the polygonal portion of one kelly section out of alignment with the polygonal portion of the next adjacent section, and a rotary driver means for said kelly for rotating the latter as said kelly moves axially therethrough, said driver means having an irregular shaped opening :for receiving` the misaligned polygonal portions of said kelly sections and provided with axially spaced driving portions providing drive surfaces for respectively engaging the polygonal portion of either section.

l1. In a rotary drilling apparatus, the combination comprising a rotary table through which a kelly is adapted to extend, a kelly adapted to rotate a drill bit and comprising upper and lower kelly sections coupled together in end to end relation, said kelly sections each having a polygonal driver engaging portion and a round coupling portion, said coupling portions when coupled together connecting said kelly sections with said polygonal portions of said sections spaced axially apart at adjacent ends by said round coupling portions, said sections randomly coupled together with their polygonal portions out of alignment, a driver carried by said table and having an irregular shaped opening through which said misaligned polygonal driver engaging portions of said sections are adapted to extend and provided with driving lugs engageable with said polygonal portions of said kelly sections, and a secondary driver carried at the top of said table above said first mentioned driver and engaging the polygonal portion of the upper kelly section as the polygonal portion of the lower kelly section passes axially out of said rst mentioned driver.

12. In a rotary drilling apparatus, the cornbination comprising a rotary table through which a kelly is adapted to extend, a kelly adapted to rotate a drill bit and comprising upper and lower kelly sections coupled together in end to end relation, said kelly sections each having a polygonal driver engaging portion and a round coupling portion, said coupling portions when coupled together connecting said kelly sections with said polygonal portions of saidnlsections spaced axially apart at adjacent ends by said round coupling portions, said sections randomly coupled together with their polygonal portions out of alignment, a driver carried by said table and having an irregular shaped opening through which said misaligned polygonal driver engaging portions of said sections are adapted to extend and provided with driving lugs engageable with said polygonal portions of said kelly sections, a secondary driver carried at the top of said table above said rst mentioned driver and engaging the polygonal portion of the upper kelly section as the polygonal portion of the lower kelly section passes axially out of said rst mentioned driver, and means for detachably securing said secondary driver to said table whereby said secondary driver may be detached when the polygonal portion of said upper section moves downwardly into engagement with the driving lugs of said first mentioned driver.

FRANK M. CAPP. ROBERT E. ADAMSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,331,309 Wright Feb. 17, 1920 1,644,470 Greve Oct. 4, 1927 1,734,482 Greve Nov. 5, 1929 2,179,645 Spaulding Nov. 14, 1939