US 4,099,784 A · Method and apparatus for breaking hard compact material such as rock

Abstract

A method of breaking hard compact material such as rock adjacent a hole drilled thereinto and an apparatus for performing the method are described. Two forces contribute to efficiently breaking the rock: a force for firmly gripping a region of material adjacent the hole and an axial outwardly directed force. When breaking the material the force for firmly gripping the material is unidirectional with but separate from the axial outwardly directed force. To generate these forces wedge means and sleeve means of the apparatus are inserted into the hole and an axial outwardly directed thrust is exerted on the sleeve means by means of cooperating sliding wedge surfaces of the wedge means and sleeve means which converge towards the apparatus power means. This power means as well as the thrust transmitting means for transferring the reaction force are situated outside the hole.

Claims12

Dependent claims

In a method of breaking hard compact material such as rock adjacent a hole drilled thereinto, comprising first firmly gripping a region of the material from the wall of the hole by a wedge effect under the influence of a force applied to a wedging means;

the improvement comprising:
then applying an axial force directed outwardly of said hole to said gripped region of sufficient magnitude to cause breaking and pulling out of said region of material;
said outwardly directed axial force being exerted under the influence of a further force which is unidirectional with but separate from said force producing said outwardly directed axial force;
and
taking up and neutralizing the thrust reaction force incident to said outwardly directed axial force by said material.

2 more elements

Apparatus for breaking hard compact material such as rock adjacent a hole drilled thereinto, comprising:

an expandable sleeve means;
a wedge means;
a first power means for driving said wedge means into said expandable sleeve means while said wedge and sleeve means are in said hole to expand said sleeve means radially outwardly to firmly grip a region of a material from a hole wall;
and
a second power means for exerting an axial outwardly directed thrust on said sleeve means to draw it out of the hole, said second power means being situated outside the hole;
a thrust transmitting member;
a thrust transmitting means coupled to said thrust transmitter member for transmitting the reaction force emanating from said axial thrust to said material via said thrust transmitting member, said thrust transmitting means being situated outside the hole;
said wedge means and said sleeve means having cooperating sliding wedge surfaces which converge towards said first power means.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for breaking hard compact material such as rock

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for breaking hard compact material such as rock

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12