US 4,674,925 A · Gang drill and method for clearing patterns of holes in tubular members

Abstract

A gang drill head having a row of drills spaced according to repeated patterns of holes in a tubular member such as a suction roll in a paper-making machine which are clogged and are to be cleared by drilling the same, the drill head being guided for longitudinal movement along a guide member positioned upon the roll for circumferential incremental movement to effect radial movements of the rotating drills for the full circumference of the roll and the head including longitudinal adjustment of individual drill supports in accordance with the spacings of the repeated patterns of holes in the roll. The individual drill chucks are rotated simultaneously and manually controlled linkage causes raising and lowering of the drill head by a fluid-operated unit.

Claims19

Dependent claims

Drill mechanism operable to support a row of drill bits for radial operation in holes formed in or to be formed radially in a tubular member in repeated patterns to provide overall close spacing of holes to be formed therein or cleared of accumulations therein, said mechanism comprising in combination, an elongated frame, a row of drill chucks supported upon said frame for longitudinal adjustment along elongated support members on said frame, guide means for said frame positionable longitudinally upon a tubular member in successive circumferentially spaced positions according to rows of holes in repeated patterns thereof in or to be formed in said tubular member and along which guide means said frame is successively positionable between opposite ends of said tubular member, means operable to raise and lower said elongated support members for said chucks to cause drill bits in said chucks to drill holes in said tubular member or clear the same of accumulations therein, means engageable with said tubular member and operable to stabilize said guide means in successive circumferentially spaced locations thereof upon said tubular member, and power means on said frame operable to rotate said drill chucks and bits simultaneously in drilling directions.

A method of removing material clogged in multitudinous holes in a tubular suction roll in paper-making machinery comprising the steps of:

a. mounting an elongated guide member upon the substantially uppermost surface of the suction roll when positioned substantially horizontally upon supporting means, the guide member being parallel to the axis of the roll and maintained in a selected position by positioning means engaging said suction roll at spaced locations,
b. mounting upon said guide member a frame upon which a limited length of row of chucks and drill bits thereon are mounted for simultaneous rotation,
c. aligning said bits with a portion of a selected row of holes in said tubular member disposed in a straight line parallel to the axis of said member and spaced longitudinally in a pattern of said holes according to the spacing of said bits,
d. lowering said bits while rotating into the holes of the selected row thereof to engage and remove clogged material in said holes,
e. retracting said bits from the holes which have been cleared of said clogged material,
f. moving said frame along said guide member to align the bits thereon with a successive section of the same row of holes and repeating the foregoing drilling and removal steps until the entire selected row of holes has been cleared of clogged material,
g. while the frame is successively moved along the guide member toward the far end thereof commencing re-inserting said positioning means in the next successive row of holes to be drilled until the frame has reached the far end of the guide member,
h. returning the frame to the starting end of the guide member and commence drilling the holes of said sections of the next successive row of holes while completing the positioning of the guide means in the far end section of said next successive row of holes, and
i. repeating said re-positioning of said guide means relative to row after row of said holes to be drilled.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Gang drill and method for clearing patterns of holes in tubular members

Life of this patent

Gang drill and method for clearing patterns of holes in tubular members

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19