Shock absorbing assembly

A shock absorbing assembly for absorbing shocks and vibrations of a drilling machine utilizing an air-operated hammer, the drilling machine having a drive head for applying downward and torsional forces for transmission to the hammer and drill bit connected to a drill string downwardly into the earth, said shock absorbing assembly comprising:

• upper drive member means for receiving and transmitting downward and torsional forces from the drilling machine to the drill string, hammer and the drill bit for drilling in a workplace, said drive member means including:
• connection means for operative connection to the drive head of the drilling machine to receive forces to the drive head;
• tubular drive means for transmitting compressed air from above the ground downwardly to drive the hammer, said tubular drive means having internal bore means for carrying compressed air downwardly to the drill string, said bore means having a longitudinal axis;
• upper drive flange means extending radially outwardly from an upper part of said tubular drive means for transmitting forces applied to said tubular drive means;
• and
• lower drive flange means extending radially inwardly towards the longitudinal axis from a lower part of said drive member means for moving in response to forces applied to said member means, said lower drive flange means having a free inner periphery portion;
• lower driven member means for receiving compressed air from said drive means and for transmitting compressed air to the drill string, said driven member means including:
• tubular driven means having a bore coaxial with said longitudinal axis for transmitting compressed air from said tubular drive means to the drill string;
• and
• driven flange means extending radially outwardly from said tubular driven means and located between said lower drive flange means and said upper drive flange means, for moving with said tubular driven means relative to said drive member means in response to forces placed on driven member means, said driven flange means and said lower drive flange means being moved apart as the driven member means moves the drill string into the earth for transmitting forces and vibration from said tubular driver means;
• resilient means operatively secured to said lower drive flange means and to said driven flange means for absorbing forces and vibration;
• said resilient means being placed under tension when force is applied to said drive member means and said lower driven flange means to move said lower drive flange means and said driven flange means apart, to tension and elongate said resilient means, the tensioned resilient member absorbing shocks and vibrations generated during the operation of the drilling machine.