Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
  • E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
  • E21B25/00—Apparatus for obtaining or removing undisturbed cores, e.g. core barrels, core extractors
  • E21B25/02—Apparatus for obtaining or removing undisturbed cores, e.g. core barrels, core extractors the core receiver being insertable into, or removable from, the borehole without withdrawing the drilling pipe
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
  • E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
  • E21B17/00—Drilling rods or pipes; Flexible drill strings; Kellies; Drill collars; Sucker rods; Cables; Casings; Tubings
  • E21B17/10—Wear protectors; Centralising devices, e.g. stabilisers
  • E21B17/1057—Centralising devices with rollers or with a relatively rotating sleeve
  • E21B17/1064—Pipes or rods with a relatively rotating sleeve
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
  • E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
  • E21B7/00—Special methods or apparatus for drilling
  • E21B7/04—Directional drilling
  • E21B7/06—Deflecting the direction of boreholes
  • E21B7/062—Deflecting the direction of boreholes the tool shaft rotating inside a non-rotating guide travelling with the shaft

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a coupling device for a rock drill according to the preamble of Patent Claim 1. This application is concurrent with Swedish patent application No. 9902545-4.
• Drilling devices intended for this purpose are therefore provided with a guide mechanism or guide arrangement. These guide arrangements can be achieved, in the case of an outer sleeve which is non-rotating during drilling, with the inner rotary core barrel.
• the core barrel is the tube in which the drilling sample or product, etc. ends up and which is then raised to the ground surface.
• the core barrel is arranged in a connectable manner on the drilling tubes.
• the drilling tubes are joined to one another according to the prior art depending on the drilling depth and have the task of transmitting drilling pressure, rotation and drilling fluid for lubrication and cooling from a drilling machine to a cutter head, which cutter head produces a bored hole in the rock.
• guide cages as they are known, having extensible supporting units, are used.
• a guide cage of this kind is described in the application accompanying this one.
• Such a guide cage holds the non-rotating outer sleeve in a radial locked position at the same time as the guide cage permits the sleeve with the inner rotary core barrel being movable downwards in axial direction in a bored hole produced by the drilling device.
• the guide cage comprises a sleeve with recesses. In the recesses are arranged freely slidable supporting units. When the drilling fluid performs a pressure onto the supporting units from inside, the supporting units are pressed outwardly against a wall of the bored hole and arrest the sleeve in a radial position. The friction of the supporting units against the wall of the bored hole is sufficient low being possible to overcome in axial direction by means of the pressure of the drilling tubes downwards.
• the sleeve of the guide cage has threaded portions, which are connectable with the outer sleeve, or also so called the outer sleeve device.
• An interior movement limiting stopping sleeve is arranged central within the guide cage for preventing that the supporting units would fall into the guide cage when the core barrel is raised from the bored hole.
• EP 95 905 256.4 A guide arrangement for rock drills is described in EP 95 905 256.4.
• the guide cage is continually moved together with the core barrel as the drilling progresses.
• drilling fluid is fed under pressure from ground level through the interior of the drilling tubes down to the core barrel.
• EP 95 905 256.4 the mechanism which achieves the actual deflection of the core barrel and the outer sleeve in a desired bore hole direction is not described.
• a variation is described in the said document to be attainable with the aid of a cam, which forces the outer sleeve towards the bore hole wall.
• the invention according to EP 95 905 256.4 works very satisfactorily.
• the drilling tubes should not need to be raised in connection with the emptying of the core barrel or if a new guidance adjustment needs to be made. It is desirable that the time spent raising the core barrel containing the drilling product or drilling sample, etc. should be able to be reduced, whilst at the same time a new guidance adjustment should be able to be made.
• a core barrel is raised in this way, it is desirable if virtually all drilling equipment, including the guide arrangement, etc. apart from the core barrel, can be left in its position in the bore hole, which can extend up to four kilometres or more down into the rock. This in order to save time.
• the diameter of the drilling device should advantageously be as small as possible. In this way, both the production costs and the operating costs are reduced. Likewise, the strength characteristics are able to be maintained as the drill diameter is reduced. Likewise, the wall thickness of the drilling device can be kept to a minimum, so that a core barrel of greater diameter can be used.
• a main object of the invention is to produce a coupling device for a rock drill, which coupling device is able to be used in guidable drilling devices and in which the coupling device allows the drilling tubes not having to be raised to the ground surface when the core barrel is emptied.
• the object is further to allow rapid and economical access to the core barrel during drilling in order to be able to use this core barrel to act upon the guide mechanism with the aid of, for example, different projections, which guide mechanism can be left in the bore hole together with the outer sleeve and all drilling tubes when the coupling device is in an uncoupled position.
• Another object of the invention is to produce a connectable guide arrangement which is uncomplicated, reliable and easily adjustable on the basis of the exacting demands imposed in a rock drilling context.
• Fig. 1 shows in diagrammatic representation a divided side view of a drilling device with a coupling device according to the invention
• Fig. 2 shows in diagrammatic representation a coupling device in cross section according to the invention
• Fig. 3 shows in diagrammatic representation a section A-A in Fig. 2 according to a first embodiment
• Fig. 4 shows in diagrammatic representation a section A-A in Fig. 2 according to a second embodiment
• Fig. 5 shows in diagrammatic representation a splineway arranged on the coupling according to a third embodiment
• Fig. 5 a shows in diagrammatic representation a section through the splineway along the line A-A in Fig. 5,
• Fig. 6 shows in diagrammatic representation a guide cage described in an application accompanying the present application
• Fig. 7 shows in diagrammatic representation a guide elbow which can be acted upon in a cost-effective manner by the coupling device according to the invention
• Fig. 8 shows in diagrammatic representation a removable cutter head
• Fig. 8a shows in diagrammatic representation a core- lifter sleeve arranged on the core barrel.
• Fig. 1 shows an example of a rock drill 6 illustrated in divided sections with a coupling device 1 according to the invention in a side view.
• the ground surface is denoted by the reference notation m.
• a bored bore hole 9 is partly illustrated in the figure.
• This bore hole 9 has a bore hole wall 9a.
• a cutter head 31 is arranged, such that it can be uncoupled, on a lower end of the rock drill 6 viewed in the direction of the bore hole 9 from the ground surface m.
• the word downwards, as used in this patent application, means precisely this direction.
• the word upwards means the opposite direction.
• An outer sleeve device 7, which is non-rotating during drilling, is arranged between the cutter head 31 and the coupling device 1.
• a core barrel 5 which rotates during drilling, is active.
• This core banel 5 acts with a rotational force and compression force upon the cutter head 31.
• the core barrel 5 is acted upon, in turn, by a drive shaft (denoted by the reference notation 25 in Figs 2, 5 and 6), which is connected to an inner, carrier housing 15 (see Fig. 2) belonging to the coupling device 1.
• the core barrel 5 is the tube in which the drilling sample or the product ends up in the course of the drilling. The drilling is therefore done at intervals and the core barrel 5 has from time to time to be raised to the ground surface m for emptying.
• a guide adjustment can also be made of an articulated section 30, that is in this application so-called a section 30 which laterally displaces the centre, which is arranged at a distance below the coupling device 1.
• the guide adjustment implies an adjustment of a drill direction for providing desired direction of the bored hole.
• a guide cage 150 is arranged on the outer sleeve device 7. This guide cage 150 has the task of holding the outer sleeve device 7 against the bore hole wall 9a with a friction which is low enough to be surmountable in the axial direction by means of the downward pressure of the drilling tube 3 during drilling and high enough to friction- lock against possible rotation under the influence of the drilling tube 3 as this rotates.
• the guide cage 150 comprises supporting units 200, which, during drilling, engage in the bore hole wall 9a.
• a series of drilling tubes are arranged in a connectable manner on the coupling device 1. Only the lowermost drilling tube 3 is visible in the figure. These drilling tubes can extend up to 4-5 kilometres or more downwards from the ground surface m. The drilling tubes are joined to one another according to the drilling depth reached. The fact that the outer sleeve device is non-rotating during drilling makes it possibile to guide the drilling device. To raise drilling tubes 4-5 kilometres can take up to 6-8 hours. With the aid of the present invention, the guidable core barrel 5 can be raised to the ground surface without all the drilling tubes needing to be raised. According to the invention, the core barrel can be provided with various projections (58a and 58b shown in Fig.
• the coupling device 1 can be used to raise the core barrel to the ground surface with a considerable gain in time.
• influenceable guide means 35 for example a slidable screw bolt (not shown), different lengths of the actual core barrel 5, inserts (not shown) of various types, etc., can of course be used to act upon the guide device, which can be the guide elbow 57, as it is known.
• the drilling tubes 3 have the task of transmitting drilling pressure, torque and drilling fluid for lubrication and cooling from a drilling machine (not shown) to, inter alia, the cutter head 31.
• the coupling device 1 further has a connectable coupling sleeve 13, which is arranged such that it can be connected with the drilling tube 3.
• the coupling device 1 provides the facility of disconnecting the core barrel 5 from the drilling tube 3 when the core barrel 5 is to be raised.
• the cutter head 31 and the outer sleeve device 7 are likewise disconnected. Only the core barrel 5 containing the sample or the product is raised through the drilling tube 3, using, for example, a steel wire.
• the steel wire is during drilling arranged in the drilling tubes and extends from the ground surface m to a core barrel head (not shown) according to known technique. As the rock drill 6 makes its way deeper and deeper, the steel wire is being fed. When it is time for raising the core barrel 5 and this is disconnected, the steel wire is hoisted to the ground surface m, wherein the core barrel head together with a radial locking unit 11 and the core barrel 5 are being brought to the ground surface m.
• An articulated section 30 can be constituted according to the invention as a guide elbow 57.
• the guide elbow 57 can produce a deflection of the core barrel 5 for guidance of the rock drill.
• a coupling device 1 is shown in cross section, in which the coupling device 1 is in a coupled state.
• the inner parts, when these are shown, such as core barrel 5, drive shaft 29, etc., are not illustrated in cross section.
• Figs 2-5 three different embodiments of the invention are shown.
• Fig. 2 reveals that the drilling tube 3 is threaded onto the connectable coupling sleeve 13.
• This coupling sleeve 13 has a number of recesses 18a, which are also shown in Fig. 3.
• Inside the coupling sleeve 13 are four cylinder bodies 17a, in this embodiment so-called cylinder bodies 17a in the form of rollers, arranged in a carrier housing 15.
• a thread 60 for a core barrel head (not shown) is produced on a piston 63 belonging to the carrier housing 15.
• the core barrel head (not shown) has lugs (not shown), which, in the coupled state of the coupling device 1, are placed against the inner wall 64 of the drilling tube 3. In this way, the core barrel head (not shown) acts upon the carrier housing with a compression force.
• the above-described core barrel head is configured according to the prior art. All axial load is absorbed by the core barrel head.
• the various core barrel heads which are available on the market are suited to the present invention. That is to say, the piston can be adapted to the known core barrel heads directly or via an adapter.
• the compression force from the core barrel head is applied to/activated on a radial locking unit 11.
• the radial locking unit 11 comprises, inter alia, the carrier housing 15.
• the carrier housing 15 is held by means of the piston 63 such that it cannot move upwards.
• the axial pressure upon the drilling tube 3 is thus transmitted via the lugs of the core barrel housing to the carrier housing 15.
• the carrier housing 15 transmits the axial pressure, via a thrust bearing 21 by way of a projection 22, to the outer sleeve device 7.
• the axial pressure upon the cutter head 31 is transmitted from the drilling tube 3 by way of the coupling device 1 via the drive shaft 25 and the core barrel 5.
• the lugs are folded-in in the core barrel head when the core barrel is to be raised to the ground surface.
• a wire (not shown) is coupled to the core barrel head, which wire runs to the ground surface.
• the coupling device 1 is to assume its coupled position, that is to say when the carrier housing 15, with its cylinder bodies 17a in a retracted position, approaches the coupling sleeve 13 and its recesses 18a, the carrier housing 15 is moved first with its cylinder bodies 17a in the drilling tube 3 into a retracted position (shown with dashed contour in Fig. 3).
• the carrier housing 15 When uncoupling is to occur, the carrier housing 15 is conducted upwards and, once the carrier housing 15 is in position within the region of the transition between the coupling sleeve 13 and the drilling tube 3, a bevelled edge 80 of the cylinder bodies 17a guides the cylinder bodies 17a into the inner position and a passage can take place through the drilling tube 3.
• the drilling machine (not shown) is stopped. Then the inner parts, such as the drive shaft 25 of the drilling device 1, are lifted a little bit.
• the coupling sleeve 13 is thereby released as a result of the expansion sleeve 96 releasing the cylinder bodies 17a from their recesses 18a made in the coupling sleeve 13.
• the cylinder bodies 17a fall into the carrier housing 15 as a result of the expansion sleeve 96 departing from its locking position.
• the cylinder bodies 17a are pushed inwards in the carrier housing by virtue of them having a bevelled edge 80, which, upon the upward motion, is pressed against the inside of the drilling tube 3 (not shown).
• the radial locking unit 11 with the carrier housing 13 can thus run freely inside the drilling tube.
• the core barrel head (not shown) releases its lugs (not shown), which means that the core banel head (not shown), together with, inter alia, the piston 63, the carrier housing 15, the expansion sleeve 96 with the cylinder bodies 17a, the thrust bearing 21, the drive shaft 25 and the core barrel 5 (shown, for example, in Fig. 1), can be raised up.
• Drilling fluid is transported under pressure from the ground surface through the drilling tube 3, passes through the carrier housing and is transported onwards through the duct 70 down to the cutter head 31 (shown in Figs 1 and 8).
• the drilling tube 3 is connected to the coupling sleeve 13 with the aid of threads 13 a.
• an outer sealing sleeve 77 which rotates during drilling, is fixedly disposed on the coupling sleeve 3.
• seals made, for example, from ceramic material.
• the seals can be traditional chevron packings. Other types of seals can also be used.
• the inner sealing sleeve 78 is non-rotating during drilling, since it is fixedly connected to the outer sleeve device which is non-rotating during drilling. A complete sealing between the coupling sleeve 13 and the outer sleeve device
• the thrust bearing 21 is arranged between the carrier housing 15 and the drive shaft 25.
• the thrust bearing 21 has the task of using a part 21a, which is non-rotating during drilling, to transmit a pressure to a shoulder 21b of the inner sealing sleeve 78, which is non-rotating during drilling and which, in turn, has been configured to press upon the outer sleeve device 7 which is non-rotating during drilling.
• the outer sleeve device 7, which is non-rotating during drilling can therefore be moved downwards at the same time as the cutter head 31 bores downwards and creates the bore hole 9.
• a bevel 100 has been arranged in the outer sealing sleeve 77, which bevel 100 bears against a conesponding bevel 101 of the inner sealing sleeve 78.
• the bevel 100 has an angle ⁇ of approximately 15-30 degrees.
• the configuration of the bevel according to the invention means therefore that the coupling sleeve 13 and the outer sealing sleeve 77, when uncoupling occurs, can adequately grip the inner sealing sleeve 78. Because large forces are applied, a 90-degree bevel would not provide sufficient grip.
• the bevels 100, 101 have an inclination from inside the centre of the coupling device 1 and out in the downward direction.
• FIG. 3 shows a cross section along the line A-A in Fig. 2 according to the first embodiment described above.
• the cylinder bodies 17a are shown with dashed lines in a folded-in position in the carrier housing 15.
• the expansion sleeve 96 is located so as to effect a pushing-out of the cylinder bodies 17a into an outer position (not illustrated) in the coupling sleeve 13 corresponding to recesses 18a and their bottoms 70, thereby achieving a coupling.
• the piston 63 is centrally located in the coupling device 1 and, in coupled position, holds the guide cylinders 17a in locked position in the recesses 18a in the coupling sleeve.
• Fig. 4 shows a section A-A in Fig. 2 according to a second embodiment.
• the reference notations in this figure correspond to those in the previously shown figures.
• the four locking bodies are configured as rhomboids. With the aid of an expansion sleeve 96, these fall into conesponding recesses 18b in the same way as the locking cylinders described in the first embodiment in Figs 2-3.
• Fig. 5 shows diagrammatically in side view a splineway 14 included in the coupling device 1 according to a third embodiment and in Fig. 5a is shown a cross section, along the line A-A in Fig. 5, of the said splineway 14.
• the advantage of a splineway 14 is that it is space-saving.
• Splines 16 are resiliently arranged on this sleeve 14.
• a conical expansion sleeve 96 which has a slightly different configuration from the splineway in the previously described illustrative embodiments, is forced downwards.
• the splines 16 are forced outwards and brought into engagement with ridges 16a ananged in the coupling sleeve 13.
• the radial force is thereby able to be transmitted from the coupling sleeve 13 to the drive shaft 25.
• Fig. 6 shows diagrammatically a guide cage 150 described in an application accompanying the present application.
• the guide cage 150 comprises supporting units 200, which are illustrated as blocks.
• the supporting units 200 are illustrated as blocks.
• the guide cage 150 has the task of keeping the outer sleeve device 7 from rotating during drilling.
• the supporting units 200 are therefore ananged to be held against the bore hole wall 9a with a friction low enough to be surmountable in the axial direction by downward pressure of the drilling tube 3 during drilling and high enough to friction-lock against possible rotation under the influence of the drilling tube 3 when this rotates.
• Fig. 7 shows an articulated section, such as a guide elbow 57, or in this application otherwise called section 30 which laterally displaces the centre, which can be acted upon in a cost-effective manner by the coupling device 1 according to the invention. That is to say, the core barrel 5, which, provided with, for example, various projections 58a, 58b, acts upon this guide elbow 57, can be raised to the ground surface with little work effort. At the ground surface, a core barrel 5 having a new projection 58b is applied, which acts upon the guide elbow 57 to achieve a new deflection of the core barrel 5 and hence of the outer sleeve device 7, which is non-rotating during drilling.
• the core barrel 5 which, provided with, for example, various projections 58a, 58b, acts upon this guide elbow 57, can be raised to the ground surface with little work effort.
• a core barrel 5 having a new projection 58b is applied, which acts upon the guide elbow 57 to achieve a new deflection of the core barrel
• the outer sleeve device 7, which is non-rotating during drilling, serves according to the invention as a guide tube, whilst the core barrel 5 rotates with the cutter head 31.
• a number of solutions can be devised for adjusting devices using the core banel. This lies outside the scope of the present invention and is not therefore discussed here any further.
• the guide elbow 57 comprises an axially movable bearing part 122, which can hold the core barrel 5 in a linear position with the outer sleeve device 7, which is non- rotating during drilling. The guidance is effected by virtue of the fact that a variable control cam 124 is placed in the guide elbow 57. This produces a straight drilling.
• the movable bearing part 122 is moved downwards with the aid of various projections 58a, 58b on the core barrel 5 and brings about a deflection of the core banel 5.
• a number of hard-metal sleeves 126 are folded-in in the outer sleeve part 125 in order to produce a centring of the guide elbow 57 in the bore hole.
• Fig. 7 shows when the guide elbow 57 is acted upon with a projection 58a of such a length that the axially movable bearing part 122 is not taken up by the projection 58a of the inner tube 5.
• the axially movable bearing part 122 is taken up by a return spring 128, which return spring 128 is ananged to push back the axially movable bearing part 122.
• the return spring 128 has its stop configured in the downward direction by a locking washer 129 disposed on the outer sleeve part 125. A deflection is thus effected through lateral displacement of the core barrel 5, which, in turn, acts upon the cutter head via a flexible mounting 139 at the lower part of core banel 5. A guidance function of the drill is therefore achieved.
• a water duct 160 is suitably configured in the guide elbow 57 to allow the drilling fluid to pass through the guide elbow 57 between the outer sleeve device 7 and the core banel 5 down to the cutter head (not shown).
• a removable cutter head 31 (Fig. 8) according to the prior art and a core lifter sleeve 142 (Fig. 8a) disposed on the core barrel 5.
• the core banel 5 is configured with splines 131 at its lower end and is released when raised from the actual cutter head 31, whereupon the cutter head 31, together with the outer sleeve device 7, the guide elbow 57, the guide cage 150, the coupling sleeve 13 and the drilling tube 3, can be left in the bore hole.
• a flexible mounting 139 is placed between the core banel 5 and the ends of the outer sleeve device 7 on the cutter head 31 and at a distance from the section 30 which lateral displaces the centre (Figs 1 and 7), to allow deflection at the cutter head 31.
• a projection 135 is disposed at the lower end of the core banel 5. This projection 135 transmits the feed pressure from a projection 145 of the core banel 5 to a splineway 136 connected to the cutter head 31. Recesses 137 for splines 131 are configured in the splineway 136.
• Seals 138 are ananged on both sides of the flexible mounting 139 for the drilling fluid wash in the cutter head 31.
• a locking ring 140 is placed at the lower end of the sleeve device in order to detain the flexible mounting 139 and the seals 138.
• a core lifter spring 143 is ananged at the lower end of the core barrel 5 in order to collect the drilling product, etc. when the core barrel is full of the drilling product, etc. and is to be raised to the ground surface for emptying.
• the inner parts are moved back down into the drilling tube 3 and lowered with the aid of the said wire to a landing position in the outer parts. Landing is effected softly and smoothly according to the invention.
• the splines 131 of the core banel 5 are fitted into conesponding recesses in the cutter head 31.
• the locking cylinders 17 of the carrier housing 15 are extended with the aid of the expansion sleeve 96, which, in the course of the landing procedure, forces the locking cylinders 17 outwards into conesponding recesses in the carrier housing 15.
• the locking cylinders 17 Prior to coupling taking place, the locking cylinders 17 are held in the inner position with the aid of the inside 64 of the drilling tube 3.
• the core barrel 5 which has been applied to the drive shaft 25 has the length or projections which provide the desired guidance.
• a large axial play X (see Fig. 2) is obtained.
• the outer parts when the inner parts are lifted, the outer parts therefore remain in their position, inter alia due to the deflection of the outer sleeve device 7, and are also fixed in the bore hole 9 (not shown) due to their own weight.

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Citations (5)

• 1999
  • 1999-07-02 SE SE9902544A patent/SE516880C2/sv not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2000
  • 2000-06-30 WO PCT/SE2000/001396 patent/WO2001002696A1/en active Search and Examination
  • 2000-06-30 CA CA002377837A patent/CA2377837A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-06-30 AU AU60406/00A patent/AU6040600A/en not_active Abandoned
• 2002
  • 2002-01-02 NO NO20020007A patent/NO20020007L/no not_active Application Discontinuation

Patent Citations (5)

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