WO2014116158A1 - Dust controlling device - Google Patents

Dust controlling device Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2014116158A1
WO2014116158A1 PCT/SE2013/051488 SE2013051488W WO2014116158A1 WO 2014116158 A1 WO2014116158 A1 WO 2014116158A1 SE 2013051488 W SE2013051488 W SE 2013051488W WO 2014116158 A1 WO2014116158 A1 WO 2014116158A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
dust
seal
drill
controlling seal
resilient tongues
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/SE2013/051488
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Carl SAMUELSON
Original Assignee
Trelleborg Industri Ab
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Trelleborg Industri Ab filed Critical Trelleborg Industri Ab
Publication of WO2014116158A1 publication Critical patent/WO2014116158A1/en

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Classifications

    • EFIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21EARTH DRILLING; MINING
    • E21BEARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B21/00Methods or apparatus for flushing boreholes, e.g. by use of exhaust air from motor
    • E21B21/01Arrangements for handling drilling fluids or cuttings outside the borehole, e.g. mud boxes
    • EFIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21EARTH DRILLING; MINING
    • E21BEARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B21/00Methods or apparatus for flushing boreholes, e.g. by use of exhaust air from motor
    • E21B21/01Arrangements for handling drilling fluids or cuttings outside the borehole, e.g. mud boxes
    • E21B21/015Means engaging the bore entrance, e.g. hoods for collecting dust

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Earth Drilling (AREA)
  • Processing Of Stones Or Stones Resemblance Materials (AREA)

Abstract

The present invention provides a dust-controlling seal (100) for rock drilling comprising an elastic integral sheet structure (101) having upper (102) and lower (104) surfaces and an edge (110) encircling the sheet structure (101), said structure (101) comprising at least one through aperture (106) in the upper (102) and lower (104) surface of the elastic integral sheet structure (101), said aperture being defined by a wall (108), the dust-controlling seal (100) further comprising a plurality of resilient tongues (112a-f) each resilient tongue (112) being defined by said wall (108), a first side edge (122), a second side edge (124) and an outer edge (114) as well as an upper and a lower side (128, 130), which plurality of adjacently arranged resilient tongues (112a-f) protrude from said wall (108), and wherein said outer edges (114a-f) of said resilient tongues (112a-f) together define a circular opening (116) adapted for accommodating the stem (118) of a rock drill (120), wherein said plurality of resilient tongues (112) are integral parts of said elastic integral sheet structure (101). The invention also provides a rock drill unit comprising such a dust-controlling seal.

Description

DUST CONTROLLING DEVICE
The present invention provides a dust-controlling seal for rock drilling, said seal consisting of an elastic integral sheet structure. The present invention also comprises a method of using such a dust-controlling seal for protecting a rock drill unit, as well as a rock drill unit comprising such a dust-controlling seal.
Technical background
When drilling rock, stones and sand particles, rock dust is forced out from the drilled hole and contaminates the surrounding area. Efforts have been made to seal off the area closest to the drilled hole using different types of sealing equipment. It is comparatively easy to seal at a distance from the drill but it is more challenging to seal in the vicinity of the drill stem. Typically, the drill bit has a larger diameter than the drill stem and the drill rotates when drilling. The sealing equipment must therefore be able to receive and be penetrated by the drill bit and still be able to provide good sealing when accommodating the narrower drill stem.
Traditionally, the equipment that has been used to seal the area closest to the drill has been an elastic disc with an aperture. Most commonly used is a rubber disc having a thickness of approximately 20 mm and a diameter of approximately 300 mm. The disc has a centrally arranged aperture for which the diameter is dimensioned after the drill stem. Such a disc provides sufficient sealing but its service life is very short. Usually, such a disc has to be replaced after only one or two days of service. The short replacement intervals are costly and unsatisfactory.
Other ways of sealing the area closest to the drill have been suggested.
Examples of such alternative ways can be found in US 3,800,890 and GB 1 ,428,322. US 3,800,890 discloses a complex sealing involving two plastic sheets. Each of these sheets comprises a central aperture and slits directed axially out from the centre of the aperture. One of the sheets is rotating while the other one is fixed. The plastic sheets forming the sealing are exposed to harsh conditions during a drilling operation. Accordingly this seal does not have a significantly longer service life and it is more expensive to manufacture.
GB 1 ,428,322 describes a sealing arrangement consisting of a ring having a number of resilient tongues extending radially inwards. The tongues are inclined in relation to the plane of the outer ring. Accordingly, there is a free air passage through the seal and accordingly a large risk that dust could escape through the seal thereby contaminating the environment close to the drill. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved dust-controlling seal adapted for use in rock drilling.
Summary of the invention The present invention generally aims at eliminating or at least reducing the problems discussed above as well as other problems known in the art. This is accomplished with a dust-controlling seal in accordance with the appended claims. In a first aspect, the invention provides a dust-controlling seal for rock drilling comprising an elastic integral sheet structure having upper and lower surfaces and an edge encircling the sheet structure, said structure comprising at least one through aperture in the upper and lower surface of the elastic integral sheet structure, said aperture being defined by a wall, the dust- controlling seal further comprising a plurality of resilient tongues, each resilient tongue being defined by said wall, a first side edge, a second side edge and an outer edge as well as an upper and a lower side, which plurality of resilient tongues protrude from said wall, and wherein said outer edges of said resilient tongues together define a circular opening adapted for accommodating the stem of a rock drill, wherein said plurality of resilient tongues are integral parts of said elastic integral sheet structure and they are adjacently arranged in relation to each other.
As disclosed herein, the term "dust-controlling seal" relates to a device for preventing dust from escaping in the vicinity of the drill stem of a rock drill. Typically, the dust-controlling seal constitutes a part of a larger seal arrangement for preventing dust from coming out into the environment close to a rock drill unit. Furthermore, such a seal typically has the appearance of a circular disc having a centrally arranged circular aperture.
As disclosed herein, the term "elastic integral sheet structure" relates to a flat structure made by a single elastic material in one piece.
As disclosed herein the term "a plurality of resilient tongues" relates to a group of at least two, but preferably at least five resilient tongues. The tongues are integral with the rest of the sheet structure and therefore, naturally, made by the same elastic material as the rest of the elastic integral sheet structure. The feature said plurality of resilient tongues being
"adjacently arranged in relation to each other" is intended to mean that the tongues are so closely arranged in relation to each other that they together form a sheet structure with no open space except for said circular opening. When a suitable drill stem is accommodated in the opening, a tight seal is formed preventing rock dust from escaping into the close environment.
In a preferred embodiment, there are grooves in some of the resilient tongues along said wall. In a still more preferred embodiment, there are grooves in all of the resilient tongues on both sides along said wall. In a preferred embodiment, the elastic integral sheet structure is produced from a material chosen from the group of polyurethane and thermoplastic elastomers (TPE). Thermoplastic elastomers, or thermoplastic rubbers, are a class of copolymers or a physical mix of polymers, which consist of materials with both thermoplastic and elastomeric properties. Typical and commercially available examples of TPEs are styrenic block copolymers, polyolefin blends, elastomeric alloys (TPE-v or TPV), thermoplastic polyurethanes,
thermoplastic copolyester and thermoplastic polyamides. In order to qualify as a thermoplastic elastomer, a material must have three essential
characteristics. They must be able to be stretched to moderate elongations and, upon removal of stress, be able to return to something close to the original shape. They must be processable as a melt at elevated temperatures. Finally, they must not have significant creep. In a preferred embodiment, the thickness of the elastic integral sheet structure is within the range of 10 - 40 mm.
In a preferred embodiment, the resilient tongues have a thickness within the range of 1 .5 - 4 mm.
In a preferred embodiment, the grooves of the resilient tongues have a depth within the range of 0.3 - 1 .5 mm.
In a second aspect, the invention provides a method of using a dust- controlling seal according to the first aspect, for protecting the close
environment and the machinery of a rock drill unit from dust produced during rock drilling.
In a third aspect, the invention provides a rock drill unit comprising a partial enclosure, a drill stem having a drill bit at one end and a machinery for rotating said drill stem, wherein said drill bit and part of said drill stem is located in said partial enclosure, which is adapted for sealing off the area in close proximity to the drill stem together with the rock in which a hole is to be drilled, said enclosure having an opening adapted for receiving said drill stem, wherein a dust-controlling seal according to the first aspect of the invention has been arranged in said opening in such a way that said drill stem protrude through the circular opening of the dust-controlling seal, thereby preventing dust from escaping through said seal.
Brief description of the figures
The present invention will now be described with reference to the enclosed figures, in which:
Figure 1 shows a top perspective view of a dust-controlling seal according to the present invention; Figure 2 discloses a cross-sectional view of a dust-controlling seal according to the present invention;
Figure 3 presents a view from above of a resilient tongue of the dust- controlling seal according to the present invention;
Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional side view of a resilient tongue of the dust- controlling seal according to the present invention;
Figure 5 discloses how a plurality of resilient tongues together defines a circular opening and forms a seal;
Figure 6 shows the dust-controlling seal arranged in a partial enclosure, and accommodating a drill stem comprising a drill bit; and Figure 7 outlines a mobile rock drill unit comprising a partial enclosure including the dust-controlling seal. Detailed description of the invention
The present invention aims at providing an improved dust-controlling seal to be used in connection with a rock drill unit. The seal has an increased service life compared to seals according to the state of the art. Furthermore, the dust- controlling seal is comparatively simple to manufacture. Both these factors lead to reduced costs for the end user.
The present invention is based on the idea of providing a dust-controlling seal wherein the material being put under stress when using the drill, i.e. the resilient tongues, is sufficiently flexible not to be broken but resilient against being deformed when the drill bit is penetrating the dust-controlling seal or when the stem is rotated and jacked up and down while drilling. At the same time, the dust-controlling seal must provide a sufficiently solid enclosure against rock dust while drilling.
Since the stem of the drill has a smaller diameter than the drill bit, it is required that an opening of the dust-controlling seal in which the stem will be accommodated while drilling, has a smaller diameter than the drill bit.
Consequently, the drill will have to be forced through the dust-controlling seal. As a result, that part of the dust-controlling seal is put under a lot of stress while the drill bit is forced through. By using resilient tongues as a means for preventing rock dust from being pushed out from the drill hole, the dust- controlling seal may be more durable against such stress.
Moreover, since the dust-controlling seal needs to fit tightly around the stem while drilling in order to prevent rock dust from being pushed out of the drill hole, the dust-controlling seal may even need to engage with the stem while drilling. Using adjacently arranged resilient tongues is one way of obtaining such a required close fit. Finally, as the dust-controlling seal of the present invention is integral and made in one piece, the manufacturing process is relatively simple and straight forward. Such a dust-controlling seal 100 is shown in Figures 1 and 2. It consists of an elastic integral sheet structure 101 having an upper surface 102 and a lower surface 104. The structure is manufactured as a single and integral piece. Typically, the elastic integral sheet structure is manufactured of polyurethane or a thermoplastic elastomer.
The structure 101 is encircled by an edge 1 10. The edge shown in the figures is circular but the elastic integral sheet structure 101 may have any shape as long as it fits with the rock drill unit to be used. The dust-controlling seal typically has a defined thickness, t. The thickness "t" is typically within the range of 10 - 40 mm. Values of "t" below 10 mm may lead to reduced service life. Values above 40 mm may result in reduced elasticity and inferior sealing characteristics.
There is an aperture 106 in the elastic integral sheet structure from the upper 102 to the lower 104 surface. The aperture is defined by a wall 108. There are a plurality of resilient tongues 1 12a-e protruding from the wall 108 and the outer edges 1 14a-e of these tongues 1 12a-e together define a circular opening. The opening is adapted for accommodating a drill stem. When a drill bit penetrates the dust-controlling seal 100, the resilient tongues 1 12a-e bend enabling the drill bit to pass. When the drill bit has passed through the dust- controlling seal 100 and is ready to be involved in a drilling operation, the resilient tongues 1 12a-e bend back and the outer edges 1 14a-e redefine the circular opening 1 16. Typically, the resilient tongues 1 12a-e may comprise grooves 126 adjacent to the wall 108. In a preferred embodiment, all resilient tongues 1 12a-e have such a groove 126 in the upper 128 or lower 130 side. The purpose of such grooves is to increase flexibility and facilitate penetration by a drill bit. Referring now to Figure 3, each resilient tongue 1 12 has a first straight side 122 and a second straight side 124. The outer edge 1 14 is bow-shaped and defines a part of a circular opening 1 16. The wall 108 from which the resilient tongue protrudes is also indicated at the bottom as well as a groove 126.
Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional side view of a resilient tongue 1 12. As already shown in Figure 3, the tongue 1 12 protrudes from wall 108 and there are grooves 126 adjacent to the wall 108 in the upper 128 and lower 130 side of the tongue 1 12. The depth "g" of the grooves 126 is also indicated in Figure 4. The thickness of a resilient tongue 1 12, which corresponds to g + tr + g in Figure 4, amounts to 1 .5 - 4 mm and is typically about 2 mm. The depth g of the grooves 126 amounts to 0.3 - 1 .5 mm and is typically about 0.5 mm. Figure 5 shows how the outer edges 1 14a-e of the resilient tongues 1 12a-e in aperture 106 together define opening 1 16. The tongues are arranged in the same plane and adjacent to each other in such a way that there is no open space between them except at opening 1 16. When a drill stem is
accommodated in opening 1 16 in such a way that outer edges 1 14a-e engage with said stem, an excellent sealing is obtained.
Figure 6 presents the part of a rock drill unit, where a dust-controlling seal 100 is arranged in a partial enclosure 132. The seal 100 is accommodating a drill stem 1 18 comprising a drill bit 1 19. The drill bit 1 19 has penetrated the seal 100 and is ready to drill.
Figure 7 outlines a mobile rock drill unit comprising a partial enclosure 132 including the dust-controlling seal. The drill bit 1 19 at the tip of the drill stem 1 18 has drilled a hole in the rock 136. The partial enclosure and the rock 136 together define a closed space in the vicinity of the drilled hole. Rock dust produced in the drilling process is prevented from escaping from the closed space and contaminating the close environment including the machinery 134 of the rock drill unit. The person skilled in the art realizes realizes that the present invention by no means is limited to the preferred embodiments described above. On the contrary, many modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims. For example, the outer geometry of the elastic sheet structure 101 is just shown by way of example to be cylindrical. Other geometries, such a rectangular geometry, are equally possible.
Additionally, variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by the skilled person in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

Claims

1 . A dust-controlling seal (100) for rock drilling comprising an elastic integral sheet structure (101 ) having upper (102) and lower (104) surfaces and an edge (1 10) encircling the sheet structure (101 ), said structure (101 ) comprising at least one through aperture (106) in the upper (102) and lower (104) surface of the elastic integral sheet structure (101 ), said aperture being defined by a wall (108), the dust-controlling seal (100) further comprising a plurality of resilient tongues (1 12a-f), each resilient tongue (1 12) being defined by said wall (108), a first side edge (122), a second side edge (124) and an outer edge (1 14) as well as an upper and a lower side (128, 130), which plurality of resilient tongues (1 12a-e) protrude from said wall (108), and wherein said outer edges (1 14a-e) of said resilient tongues (1 12a-e) together define a circular opening (1 16) adapted for accommodating the stem (1 18) of a rock drill (120), characterized in that said plurality of resilient tongues (1 12) are integral parts of said elastic integral sheet structure (101 ) and in that they are adjacently arranged in relation to each other.
2. A dust-controlling seal (100) according to claim 1 , characterized in that there are grooves (126) in some of the resilient tongues (1 12) along said wall (108).
3. A dust-controlling seal (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that there are grooves (126) in all of the resilient tongues (1 12) on both sides (128, 130) along said wall (108).
4. A dust-controlling seal (100) according to any of claims 1 - 3, characterized in that the elastic integral sheet structure is produced from a material chosen from the group of polyurethane and thermoplastic elastomers (TPE).
5. A dust-controlling seal (100) according to any of claims 1 - 4, characterized in that the thickness of the elastic integral sheet structure (101 ) is within the range of 10 - 40 mm.
6. A dust-controlling seal (100) according to any of claims 1 - 5, characterized in that the resilient tongues (1 12) have a thickness within the range of 1 .5 - 4 mm.
7. A dust-controlling seal (100) according to any of claims 1 - 6, characterized in that the grooves (126) of the resilient tongues (1 12) have a depth within the range of 0.3 - 1 .5 mm.
8. Use of a dust-controlling seal (100) according to any of claims 1 - 7, for protecting the close environment and the machinery of a rock drill unit from dust produced during rock drilling.
9. A rock drill unit comprising a partial enclosure (132), a drill stem (1 18) having a drill bit (1 19) at one end and a machinery (134) for rotating said drill stem, wherein said drill bit (1 19) and part of the drill stem (1 18) is located in said partial enclosure (132) which is adapted for sealing off the area in close proximity to the drill stem together with the rock (136) in which a hole is to be drilled, said enclosure (132) having an opening adapted for receiving said drill stem (1 18), characterized in that a dust-controlling seal (100) according to any of claims 1 - 7 adapted for said drill stem (1 18) has been arranged in said opening (1 16) in such a way that said drill stem (1 18) protrude through the circular opening (1 16) of the dust-controlling seal (100), thereby
preventing dust from escaping through said seal (100).
PCT/SE2013/051488 2013-01-28 2013-12-11 Dust controlling device WO2014116158A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
SE1350087A SE537317C2 (en) 2013-01-28 2013-01-28 Dust control seal for rock drilling, use of such seal and rock drilling unit including such seal
SE1350087-1 2013-01-28

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2014116158A1 true WO2014116158A1 (en) 2014-07-31

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WO (1) WO2014116158A1 (en)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN106437572A (en) * 2015-10-23 2017-02-22 鄂托克前旗长城六号矿业有限公司 Dry drilling opening dust extractor
CN109236216A (en) * 2018-11-05 2019-01-18 济南力稳岩土工程有限公司 A kind of down-the-hole drill device for reducing dust, down-the-hole drill and working method

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3173502A (en) * 1960-10-31 1965-03-16 Terry A Overby Rotating control head
US3946818A (en) * 1973-02-01 1976-03-30 Atlas Copco Aktiebolag Dust controlling device for rock drilling
US3965998A (en) * 1974-12-19 1976-06-29 Ingersoll-Rand Company Dust control hood and dust control system
US4321975A (en) * 1980-06-02 1982-03-30 Dyer Ronald S Slurry diverter
AT367163B (en) * 1980-10-15 1982-06-11 Ver Edelstahlwerke Ag COMPRESSED AIR HAMMER

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3173502A (en) * 1960-10-31 1965-03-16 Terry A Overby Rotating control head
US3946818A (en) * 1973-02-01 1976-03-30 Atlas Copco Aktiebolag Dust controlling device for rock drilling
US3965998A (en) * 1974-12-19 1976-06-29 Ingersoll-Rand Company Dust control hood and dust control system
US4321975A (en) * 1980-06-02 1982-03-30 Dyer Ronald S Slurry diverter
AT367163B (en) * 1980-10-15 1982-06-11 Ver Edelstahlwerke Ag COMPRESSED AIR HAMMER

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN106437572A (en) * 2015-10-23 2017-02-22 鄂托克前旗长城六号矿业有限公司 Dry drilling opening dust extractor
CN109236216A (en) * 2018-11-05 2019-01-18 济南力稳岩土工程有限公司 A kind of down-the-hole drill device for reducing dust, down-the-hole drill and working method

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
SE537317C2 (en) 2015-04-07
SE1350087A1 (en) 2014-07-29

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