Core sample orientation

A core drill having a core orientation device comprising:

• an arrangement for providing signals associated with a rotational orientation of the core orientation device;
• processing means for processing the signals provided by the arrangement so as to provide processed data from which a measure of the rotational orientation of the core orientation device can be established, the measure being associated with the rotational orientation of the core orientation device at a particular moment in time;
• memory for storing the processed data;
• and interface means having first means for storing the processed data in the memory and second means for accessing the memory to provide the measure of the rotational orientation of core orientation device when required;
• wherein the core drill comprises:
• means for maintaining a rotational orientation of a core drilled by the core drill stationary with respect to the rotational orientation of the core orientation device;
• and
• means for relating the measure of the rotational orientation of the core orientation device with the present rotational orientation thereof such that the core orientation device can be rotated so that the core reflects the measure of the rotational orientation of the core orientation device.

A method of obtaining and orientating a core sample comprising:

• moving a core drill having a core orientation device from a first location to a drilling location and thereafter operating the core drill to drill a core;
• maintaining a physical orientation of the core stationary with respect to a physical orientation of the core orientation device;
• generating signals associated with the physical orientation of the core orientation device between the first location and the drilling location;
• processing the signals to provide processed data from which a measure of the physical orientation of the core orientation device at the drilling location can be established;
• storing the processed data in memory such that the measure of the physical orientation of the core orientation device can be obtained therefrom;
• and
• displaying a related measure of the physical orientation of the device and varying that related measure upon rotation of the core orientation device such that a user can position the core in the measured physical orientation for marking.

An orientation device for providing an indication of a rotational orientation of a core relative to a body of material from which the core has been extracted, the orientation device comprising:

• means for maintaining the rotational orientation of the core stationary with respect to a rotational orientation of the orientation device;
• means for determining and storing the rotational orientation of the orientation device at predetermined time intervals relative to a reference time;
• means for inputting a selected time interval;
• means for relating the selected time interval to one of the predetermined time intervals and providing an indication of the rotational orientation of the core orientation device at the selected time interval;
• and
• means for comparing the rotational orientation of the orientation device at the selected time interval to the rotational orientation of the orientation device at any subsequent time and providing an indication of the direction in which the orientation device should be rotated in order to bring the core into a rotational orientation corresponding to the rotational orientation of the core at the selected time.

An orientation device for providing an indication of the rotational orientation of a core relative to a body of material from which the core has been extracted, the orientation device comprising:

• means for maintaining the rotational orientation of the core stationary with respect to a rotational orientation of the orientation device;
• means for generating signals responsive to the rotational orientation of the orientation device;
• a processor for receiving the generated signals and for processing the signals to generate orientation data representative of the rotational orientation of the orientation device;
• means for storing the orientation data at predetermined time intervals;
• and
• means for inputting a signal representative of a selected time interval to the processor, the processor operating to relate the selected time interval to the predetermined time intervals and output a signal indicative of the rotational orientation of the core device at the selected time interval;
• wherein, the orientation data is generated representative of the rotational orientation of the orientation device at any subsequent time and the processor is operable to output a signal to a display means to provide a visual indication of the direction in which the orientation device should be rotated at said subsequent time in order to bring the core into a rotational orientation corresponding to its rotational orientation at the selected time.

A method of providing an indication of a rotational orientation of a core relative to a body of material from which the core has been extracted, the method comprising:

• drilling a core from a body of material with a core drill having an inner tube assembly adapted to receive the core;
• maintaining the rotational orientation of the core stationary with respect to a rotational orientation of the inner tube assembly;
• recording the rotational orientation of the inner tube assembly at predetermined time intervals with reference to an initial reference time during said drilling;
• recording the specific time interval beyond the reference time at which the core sample was separated from the body of material;
• removing the inner tube assembly and core contained therein from the body of material;
• and
• relating the recorded specific time to the recorded time intervals to obtain an indication of the rotational orientation of the inner tube assembly and consequently the core contained therein at the specific time interval.