Drilling apparatus
AssigneeMinnich Manufacturing Company, Inc.
InventorRobert L. Kern
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is an automated drill apparatus composed of one or more gang drills mounted to a gang drill chassis, at least one powered drive wheel affixed to the gang drill chassis, and at least three pivotable support wheels. A control panel provides remote operation of drill rotation activation, drill advance, and drill bed position adjustment, and a panic off switch. A control system implements steering the automated drill apparatus and is selectable by the operator for steering in two-wheel mode or crab steer mode. The pivotable drive wheels, in conjunction with the control panel and control system, are used to position the automated drill apparatus along a slab to be drilled, and further activate one or more gang drills for drilling a slab.
Claims13
An automated gang drill apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of drills mounted on a gang drill bed;
- a gang drill chassis for relocating the gang drill bed to one or more workstations, wherein the gang drill bed is secured to the gang drill chassis;
- a mobile remote operating panel usable by a gang drill operator remotely from the gang drill chassis;
- and
- a steering system comprising a steering interlock arm, a steering interlock body, a steering control linkage, and at least two pivotable wheels, wherein the steering interlock arm is positionable so as to impede the motion of the steering interlock body, whereby the at least two pivotable wheels steer in a normal steer mode, and wherein the steering interlock arm is positionable so as to impede the motion of the steering control linkage, whereby the at least two pivotable wheels steer in a crab steer mode;
- whereby the operator may be positioned in multiple positions for observing, viewing, and controlling the apparatus at a workstation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.