US 6,182,773 B2 · Blasthole drill having a drill pipe seal assembly

Abstract

A blasthole drill includes a drill pipe seal to seal an opening around a drill pipe which extends through a drill deck in order to substantially prevent drilled ground material, such as dust and rock chips, from escaping into the atmosphere. The seal comprises a pliable membrane which is capable of sealing the opening around the drill pipe and which also allows the drill pipe to be positioned in variable drilling positions while still providing the necessary sealing arrangement. First and second flexible seal flaps are connected to the drill deck in an overlapping fashion. The seal flaps are separable to allow the drill pipe to pass therethrough, but otherwise remain overlapped. The flexible seal flaps substantially seal the opening around the drill pipe in any operable position of the drill pipe. To increase the sealing effectiveness, additional pairs of similar seal flaps may be added. The drill pipe seal allows the drill angle of the drill pipe to be changed without having to remove the drill pipe from the drill deck.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A blasthole drill comprising:

a frame supported for movement over a ground surface,
a mast supported by said frame for movement relative thereto between a vertical position and a plurality of non-vertical positions, said mast defining a drill hole axis which moves in a plane as said mast moves relative to said frame;
a drill pipe supported relative to said mast for movement along said drill hole axis;
a drill deck which is supported by said frame and which includes an opening through which said drill pipe extends such that said drill pipe moves relative to said drill deck when said mast moves relative to said frame;
and
first and second flexible seal flaps connected to said drill deck such that said first seal flap at least partially overlaps and engages said second seal flap, and such that said first and said second seal flaps are separable to engage opposite sides of the drill pipe to substantially seal said opening around the drill pipe in order to minimize passage of undesirable material through said opening.

3 more elements

A blasthole drill according to 4, further comprising a second flexible end seal flap connected to said drill deck opposite said first end seal flap such that said first and second seal flaps at least partially overlap and engage said second end seal flap, wherein said second end seal flap includes slits therein so as to define a portion of said second end seal flap which is independently bendable with respect to other portions of said second end seal flap upon contact with the drill pipe so as to engage a further portion of the drill pipe to further seal said opening around the drill pipe.

A blasthole drill comprising:

a frame supported for movement over a ground surface;
a mast supported by said frame for movement relative thereto between a vertical position and a plurality of non-vertical positions, said mast defining a drill hole axis which moves in a plane as said mast moves relative to said frame;
a drill pipe supported relative to said mast for movement along said drill hole axis;
a drill deck which is supported by said frame and which includes an opening through which said drill pipe extends such that said drill pipe moves relative to said drill deck when said mast moves relative to said frame;
first and second flexible seal flaps connected to said drill deck and each including an edge, said first seal flap partially overlapping and engaging said second seal flap such that said edges of said first and second seal flaps are located on opposite sides of said plane, and such that said first and second seal flaps are separable so that said edges of said first and second seal flaps engage opposite sides of said drill pipe to substantially seal said opening around said drill pipe in each operable position of said drill pipe;
third and fourth flexible seal flaps connected to said drill deck below said first and second seal flaps and each including an edge, said third seal flap partially overlapping and engaging said fourth seal flap such that said edges of said third and fourth seal flaps are located on opposite sides of said plane, and such that said third and fourth seal flaps are separable so that said edges of said third and fourth seal flaps engage opposite sides of said drill pipe to further substantially seal said opening around said drill pipe in each operable position of said drill pipe;
and
fifth and sixth flexible seal flaps connected to said drill deck below said third and fourth seal flaps and each including an edge, said fifth seal flap partially overlapping and engaging said sixth seal flap such that said edges of said fifth and sixth seal flaps are located on opposite sides of said plane, and such that said fifth and sixth seal flaps are separable so that said edges of said fifth and sixth seal flaps engage opposite sides of said drill pipe to even further substantially seal said opening around said drill pipe in each operable position of said drill pipe, said seal flaps minimizing passage of undesirable material through said opening.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Blasthole drill having a drill pipe seal assembly

Life of this patent

Blasthole drill having a drill pipe seal assembly

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17