Rock drilling unit and method of changing drill rods
AssigneeSandvik Mining and Construction Oy
InventorIlmo Pyörny
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A rock drilling unit and a method of changing drill rods in a rock drilling unit is disclosed. The rock drilling unit includes a feed beam, a retainer device, a rock drilling machine and at least one clamp. The clamp is operable without driving force of the drilling unit. The clamp has a space for receiving one single drill rod. The clamp is positioned at a side position, which is parallel to a drilling axis and is at a transfer distance from the drilling axis.
Claims15
A rock drilling unit comprising:
- a feed beam, which is an elongated piece;
- a rock drilling machine arranged movably on the feed beam and defining a drilling axis, whereby the rock drilling machine includes a shank for connecting a drill rod to the drilling axis;
- means for moving the drill rod in a transverse direction relative to the drilling axis;
- at least one retainer device arranged on the feed beam and located on the drilling axis;
- and
- at least one clamp having a retaining feature allowing one single drill rod at a time to be retained at a predetermined side position, which is parallel to the drilling axis and is located at a transverse distance from the drilling axis, the clamp including contact surfaces which are pressed against a retained drill rod placed between the contact surfaces, the clamp being spring-actuated, wherein the retaining feature of the clamp is independent of a driving force external to the clamp.
A method of changing drill rods in a rock drilling unit, the rock drilling unit including a feed beam, a rock drilling machine and at least one retainer device, the method comprising the steps of:
- connecting at least two drill rods together at a drilling axis of the drilling machine for forming an extension rod assembly when the rock drilling unit is in an inoperational state;
- dismantling the extension rod assembly after a drilling procedure;
- holding the extension rod assembly by the retainer device, wherein the connecting and dismantling includes moving the drill rods in a transverse direction relative to the feed beam between the drilling axis and at least one side position, wherein the at least one side position is parallel to the drilling axis and is located at a distance from the drilling axis;
- and
- supporting one single drill rod at a time at the at least one side position by at least one clamp, wherein the drill rods are fed manually to the clamp when the rock drilling unit is off and the drill rods are retained in the clamp by an internal spring force.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.