Apparatus for drifting openings in hard rock

An apparatus for drifting openings in hard rock comprising:

• a carrier capable of travelling along the floor of the opening:
• a jib mounted on said carrier with provision for turning about said carrier in the horizontal plane;
• means for turning said jib with respect to said carrier in the horizontal plane;
• a means of breaking of the percussive type with a percussion tool directly acting upon the rock so as to break same when the means of breaking is set into a given position, said means of breaking being mounted on said jib with a provision for turning about said jib in a vertical plane for setting said means of breaking into said given position, and with a provision for limited turning about said jib in two mutually-perpendicular planes running through the longitudinal axes of said means of breaking;
• means for turning said means of breaking with respect to said jib in the vertical plane for setting said means of breaking into said given position;
• shock absorbing means mounted between said jib and said means of breaking and serving to absorb the undesirable deflections of said means of breaking when said percussion tool recoils from the rock in any direction perpendicular to its longitudinal axis and to reset said means of breaking into said given position after the loading action of rock causing said undesirable deflection stops;
• and
• a means of loading including a mucking conveyor being arranged on said carrier under said jib.