Drilling machine having a movable rod handling device
AssigneeAtlas Copco Secoroc LLC
InventorJeffrey Hamner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A drilling machine including a frame, a tower, a rotary head, and a rod handling device. The frame is supported for movement over the ground and the tower is mounted on the frame. The rotary head is movable along the tower and is engageable with the drill string for rotating the drill string. The rod handling device is movable along the tower and operable to selectively support the drill string. The rod handling device is biased to a first position along the tower.
Claims39
A drilling machine for use with a drill string, the drilling machine comprising:
- a frame supported for movement over the ground;
- a tower mounted on the frame;
- a rotary head movable along the tower, the rotary head engageable with the drill string for rotating the drill string;
- and
- a rod handling device movable along the tower, the rod handling device biased in a first direction toward the rotary head.
A method for moving a rod handling device along a portion of a tower mounted to a frame of a drilling machine, the method comprising
- providing a rotary head that is movable along the tower;
- positioning a rod handling device along the tower;
- biasing the rod handling device in a first direction toward the rotary head;
- moving the rotary head along the tower;
- and
- moving the rod handling device along the tower.
A drilling machine for use with a drill string, the drilling machine comprising:
- a frame supported for movement over the ground;
- a tower mounted on the frame, the tower including first and second elongated members;
- a rotary head movable along the tower, the rotary head engageable with the drill string for rotating the drill string;
- and
- a rod handling device movable along the tower, the rod handling device extending between the elongated members.
A method for moving a rod handling device along a portion of a tower mounted to a frame of a drilling machine, the method comprising
- providing a rotary head that is movable along the tower;
- positioning a rod handling device along the tower;
- moving the rotary head along the tower toward the rod handling device;
- and
- moving the rotary head and the rod handling device in tandem along the portion of the tower.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.