Method and apparatus for splitting or cleaving rock

A method for splitting rock, said method comprising:

• providing apparatus comprising:
• a housing;
• a drill assembly mounted to the housing and configured to move longitudinally relative to the housing, said drill assembly comprising a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, a drive element for selectively rotating said shaft and a drill bit mounted to said distal end of said shaft for drilling a hole into rock;
• a splitter assembly mounted to the housing and configured to move longitudinally relative to the housing, said splitter assembly comprising a tether and a wedge, said tether and said wedge being configured to be moved independently relative to one another;
• wherein said wedge comprises a proximal end, a distal end and a bore extending between said proximal end of said wedge and said distal end of said wedge, wherein said bore is sized to receive said shaft of said drill assembly;
• wherein said drill assembly is disposed proximal to said splitter assembly such that said shaft of said drill assembly passes through said bore of said wedge and through said tether;
• wherein said tether comprises a radially-reduced profile when said wedge is disposed proximal to said tether, and wherein said tether comprises a radially-expanded profile after said wedge is moved distally relative to said tether;
• and
• rotating said shaft of said drill assembly and moving said drill assembly distally so as to drill a hole in a rock with said drill bit;
• moving said tether distally into the hole formed in the rock with said drill assembly;
• driving said wedge distally into said tether such that said tether exhibits a radially-expanded profile and bears against the walls of the hole formed in the rock, whereby to split the rock.