Drilling tool changer apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus for changing a drilling tool for a drilling rig is described, where the drilling rig comprises a drill tower supporting a drill pipe. The apparatus for changing a drilling tool has a drilling tool changer assembly moveable between a storage position and an exchange position, and the drilling tool changer assembly supports a rotatable carousel assembly. The rotatable carousel assembly has a plurality of bit adaptors for holding drilling tools and is selectively rotatable to bring a selected drilling tool into coaxial alignment with the drill pipe when the drilling tool changer assembly supporting the rotatable carousel assembly is moved into the exchange position. The apparatus includes mechanisms for aligning the selected drilling tool within a bit adaptor holding the selected drilling tool. The apparatus further includes mechanisms for aligning the drill pipe or a hammer with the selected drilling tool.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.