Multiple blow percussion drill assembly with rapid field maintenance and adjustment capability
OwnerAllen E. Bardwellinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multiple blow percussion drill assembly is specially configured to provide significantly increased maintainability and adjustability in the field, thereby greatly extending its service life and usefulness over a wide variety of drilling conditions. Both spring replacement and impact hammer delay time variations are rapidly accomplished by virtue of unique positioning and interactions of the internal components, without the need for dissassembly of the sealed high impact energy portion of the drill assembly. Advantageously, a first chamber housing the high impact energy transferring components is isolated from a second chamber housing the control components, such that the control components may be rapidly cleaned, adjusted, or replaced via a simple access port.
Claims19
A multiple blow percussion drill assembly for carrying a drill bit comprising:
- (a) an elongated tubular housing having first and second vertically displaced longitudinal chambers interconnected by a vertical axial passageway of narrow bore, and further having an aperture at its lower extremity including means for retaining said drill bit and means for accessing said second chamber;
- (b) said first chamber positioned at an upper portion of said housing for containing one or more movable impact energy transfer components;
- (c) said second chamber positioned at a lower portion of said housing for containing components for controlling the operation of said impact energy transfer components;
- (d) a narrow lifting element positioned within said passageway for transferring an upwardly biasing force from at least one of said control components in said second chamber to at least one of said impact energy transfer components in said first chamber;
- (e) whereby upon actuating said accessing means, said control components may be readily removed for maintenance.
A method of improving the maintainability of a multiple blow percussion drill assembly comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing an elongated tubular drill assembly housing having a vertically disposed longitudinal axis and having a first longitudinal chamber located above a second smaller longitudinal chamber;
- (b) providing an axial passageway having a longitudinal extent substantially greater than its transverse extent between the first and second chambers, said transverse extent further being substantially lesser than the transverse extent of said first and second chambers;
- (c) providing one or more impact energy transfer means within said first chamber and providing helical spring control means within said second chamber for controlling in part said impact energy transfer means via said axial passageway;
- (d) providing access means to said second chamber via an opening in the lower extremity of said housing thereby allowing ready access to the control means for maintenance without the need to disassemble in whole or in part said impact energy transferring means within said first chamber.
A method of improving the adjustability of a multiple blow percussion drill assembly for carrying a drill bit, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing an elongated tubular drill assembly housing having a first longitudinal chamber vertically located above a second smaller longitudinal chamber;
- (b) providing an axial passageway having a longitudinal extent substantially greater than its transverse extent between the first and second chambers, said transverse extent further being substantially lesser than the transverse extent of said first and said second chambers;
- (c) providing one or more impact energy transferring means within said first chamber and providing a helical spring within said second chamber for controlling in part said impact energy transferring means via said axial passageway;
- (d) providing access means to said second chamber via an opening in the lower extremity of said housing;
- and
- (e) providing one or more spacing elements for inclusion with said spring in the second chamber whereby said controlling in part includes controlling the static relative positioning of said impact energy transfer means response to said spacing elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.