Rotary drive for applying rotary torque to a shaft to be axially vibrated

A rotary drive assembly of or for a drill string, the assembly including

• a spindle directly or indirectly connected or connectable to the drill string to be rotated,
• vibrational apparatus, or adaptation to connect to vibrational apparatus, so as, in use, to impart vibration to the spindle,
• a geared carriage slideably carried on parallel slides that are fixed relative to and rotate with said spindle, and
• a geared drive to rotate said geared carriage about the rotational axis of the spindle and thus, via the slides, to impart rotation to such spindle.

A drilling assembly comprising or including

• a support,
• a vibrational head carried by such support via gas bags which allow movement between the vibrational head and the support but constrains such movement between limits,
• apparatus carried by the vibrational head directly or indirectly which is connectable into the drill string, and
• the drill string,
• wherein the apparatus carried directly or indirectly by the vibrational head has a geared drive of a sliding carriage adapted to slide relative to the axis of the drill string and/or a spindle therefor yet still to impart rotational drive thereto.

A drive assembly suitable for a spindle connection to a drill string, the assembly including

• a drive shaft,
• a shuttle rotatable under the action of the drive shaft but being slidable relative thereto, the shuttle carrying magnets,
• a containment assembly to constrain the shuttle to a shuttle axis, the containment assembly carrying magnets to co-act with those of the shuttle as the shuttle is rotated by the drive shaft thereby to cause the shuttling of the shuttle,
• a spindle not forming part of the shuttle arrangement to receive vibration from said containment assembly and/or said shuttle,
• a carriage assembly on part of the spindle slidable on an axis coincident with and/or parallel to the spindle's rotational axis, and
• a drive carried by the carriage assembly to rotate the spindle or to rotate both the spindle and part of the carriage assembly.

A spindled apparatus for supporting, vibrating and driving a drill string, the apparatus including

• a support,
• a shuttle able to be driven,
• a containment assembly to constrain the shuttle to a shuttle axis, the containment assembly being directly or indirectly suspended from the support by gas bags that allow movement up and down,
• a spindle not forming part of the shuttle arrangement to receive vibration from said containment assembly and/or said shuttle,
• a carriage assembly on part of the spindle slidable on an axis coincident with and/or parallel to the spindle's rotational axis, and
• a drive carried by the carriage assembly to rotate the spindle or to rotate both the spindle and part of the carriage assembly.

A spindled apparatus for supporting, vibrating and driving a drill string or other shaft, the apparatus including

• a support,
• a drive shaft,
• a shuttle rotatable under the action of the drive shaft but being slidable relative thereto, the shuttle carrying magnets,
• a containment assembly to constrain the shuttle to a shuttle axis, the containment assembly carrying magnets to co-act with those of the shuttle as the shuttle is rotated by the drive shaft thereby to cause the shuttling of the shuttle, and the containment assembly directly or indirectly being suspended from the support via gas bags,
• a spindle not forming part of the shuttle arrangement to receive vibration from said containment assembly and/or said shuttle,
• a carriage assembly on part of the spindle slidable on an axis coincident with and/or parallel to the spindle's rotational axis, and
• a drive carried by the carriage assembly to rotate the spindle or to rotate both the spindle and part of the carriage assembly.