Convertible rotary impact hammer drill

A rotary hammer drill comprising a rotary holder for a drill bit, a cylinder which is rotatably mounted in the casing of the drill and which is coaxial with and drivingly connected to the holder, a driver piston and a striker piston in the cylinder, a motor connected to said cylinder for driving said cylinder in rotation, a crank and connecting rod mechanism connected to said motor and said driver piston to reciprocate the driver piston in the cylinder, the striker piston being free for reciprocatory movement in the cylinder under the influence of the pressure of air trapped between the two pistons and being arranged to strike an anvil axially slidably disposed between the striker piston and the holder whereby hammer blows are transmitted to the holder, an aperture being formed in the cylinder wall at a location between the two pistons and beyond the position at which the aperture can be closed off by the driver piston, a sleeve mounted on the outside of the cylinder which sleeve is axially slidable between a first position in which the sleeve covers the aperture and prevents the passage of air into and from the cylinder through the aperture whereby both rotary and axial movement is imparted to the drill bit and a second position in which the aperture is uncovered and places the space between the pistons in communication with the ambient atmosphere whereby only rotary movement is imparted to said bit, and manually operable means for selectively moving the sleeve into said first and second positions.