Deep bore drilling apparatus with rotatable single tube system

A horizontal gun drilling apparatus for penetrating material comprising:

• elongated rotary tool means for boring an aperture in a workpiece by turning about a longitudinal axis and moving along said axis relative to said workpiece during a cutting operation, said tool means for forming a deep aperture having a ratio of depth to diameter greater than or equal to two, said tool means including a cutting head mounted on an end of an elongated, hollow, single wall shaft, said shaft having a constant diameter less than said cutting head along an entire longitudinal length of said elongated shaft;
• frame means for supporting said workpiece in a predetermined position relative to said tool means;
• drive means for rotating said tool means relative to said workpiece and for moving said tool means along said axis toward said workpiece during said cutting operation;
• and
• fluid circulation means for bringing a flowable substance temporarily into engagement with said workpiece during said cutting operation, said circulation means forcing said substance to flow in a passage defined by an external surface of said shaft and said workpiece toward said cutting head along an entire longitudinal length of said aperture being bored, said substance exiting said aperture through said hollow shaft after flushing cut material from said cutting head.

A drilling apparatus for penetrating material comprising:

• elongated rotary tool means for boring an aperture in a workpiece by turning about a longitudinal axis and moving along said axis relative to said workpiece during a cutting operation, said tool means for forming a deep aperture having a ratio of depth to diameter greater than or equal to two, said tool means including a cutting head mounted on an end of an elongated, hollow, single wall shaft;
• frame means for supporting said workpiece in a predetermined position relative to said tool means;
• drive means for rotating said tool means relative to said workpiece and for moving said tool means along said axis toward said workpiece during said cutting operation;
• fluid circulation means for bringing a flowable substance temporarily into engagement with said workpiece during said cutting operation, said circulation means forcing said substance to flow in a passage defined by an external surface of said shaft and said workpiece toward said cutting head along an entire longitudinal length of said aperture being bored, said substance exiting said aperture through said hollow shaft after flushing cut material from said cutting head, wherein said circulation means further includes an elongated pressure head sheathing a portion of said shaft adjacent said workpiece, said pressure head having a first end and a second end, an inlet port on said pressure head disposed between said first and second ends in fluid communication with said external surface of said shaft for introduction of said flowable substance, seal means connected to said first end of said pressure head for sealing engagement with said shaft during said cutting operation, piston means slidably received in said second end of said pressure head for driving longitudinally along said axis of said shaft, said piston means having a passage therethrough for said shaft with sufficient clearance to allow passage of said flowable substance along said external surface of said shaft into said aperture to be drilled, and nosepiece means extending outwardly from said piston means toward said workpiece for sealing engagement with said workpiece, such that said flowable substance is in fluid communication with said aperture being drilled during said cutting operation;
• and
• externally adjustable stop means, connected to said nosepiece means, for setting an outer limit of reciprocal movement toward said workpiece.

A drilling apparatus for penetrating material comprising:

• elongated rotary tool means for boring an aperture in a workpiece by turning about a longitudinal axis and moving along said axis relative to said workpiece during a cutting operation, said tool means for forming a deep aperture having a ratio of depth to diameter greater than or equal to five, said tool means including a cutting head mounted on an end of an elongated, hollow, single wall shaft;
• frame means for supporting said workpiece in a predetermined position relative to said tool means;
• drive means for rotating said tool means relative to said workpiece and for moving said tool means along said axis toward said workpiece during said cutting operation;
• and
• fluid circulation means for bringing a flowable substance temporarily into engagement with said workpiece during said cutting operation, said circulation means forcing said substance to flow in a passage defined by an external surface of said shaft and said workpiece toward said cutting head along an entire longitudinal length of said aperture being bored, said substance exiting said aperture through said hollow shaft after flushing cut material from said cutting head, said circulation means including:
• a reservoir for holding a predetermined amount of flowable substance;
• pump means for drawing flowable substance from said reservoir for delivery to said passage under pressure;
• return means for delivering flowable substance from said hollow shaft to a used fluid reservoir;
• an elongated pressure head sheathing a portion of said shaft adjacent said workpiece, said pressure head having a first end and a second end, an inlet port on said pressure head disposed between said first and second ends in fluid communication with said external surface of said shaft for introduction of said flowable substance;
• seal means connected to said first end of said pressure head for sealing engagement with said shaft during said cutting operation;
• piston means slidably received in said second end of said pressure head for driving longitudinally along said axis of said shaft, said piston means having a passage therethrough for said shaft with sufficient clearance to allow passage of said flowable substance along said external surface of said shaft into said aperture to be drilled;
• nosepiece means extending outwardly from said piston means toward said workpiece for sealing engagement with said workpiece, such that said flowable substance is in fluid communication with said aperture being drilled during said cutting operation;
• and
• externally adjustable stop means, connected to said nosepiece means, for setting an outer limit of reciprocal movement toward said workpiece.