Abstract:
A drill rod feeding device which stores drilling rods and sorts them before placing them into hands with a hydraulic lock. These hands, when loaded and locked, pivot and position the rods into the axis of a drilling head, maintaining them in position to screw them. When this operation is completed, the hands unlock and continue their course toward a waiting position located at 180° from their starting point upward to allow the movement of the drilling head. The opposite takes place when the rods have to be withdrawn, that is waiting at +180°, movement to the drilling axis, locking, unscrewing of the rod of the drilling head, downward to less 180°, unlocking, capture by a sorter-positioner and storage.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to storage and handling of drilling rods. 
     PRIOR ART 
     Some patents have particularly attracted our attention: 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,195; Robinson, May 30, 1989: shows a charger of drilling rods equipped with a pair of arms, spaced out, and secured by an open jaw in which two drilling rods (34, 36) are parallel, side by side; there is no storage space and the rod position is obtained by a spring (54) and the balls (52,33). 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,978,994; Woolslayer, Sep. 7, 1976: shows a rod holder with pivoting fingers that selects pipes, row by row; there are three lengths of three meters end to end. The positioner (49) is over the pile, and the pipes are piled by a pair of parallel rods (46). A cable system (34) sets the pipes in the axis of the positioner. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,189, Jahnke and al., Oct. 12, 1976: shows a system for the manipulation of drilling rods, of a carrousel type of designated case, limited to six rods. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,753, Swartz and al., Oct. 21, 1975: illustrates a system for storing and manipulating drilling rods. A cam at 90° with shaft, with a pivot point pushed by a cylinder. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,160; Schivley, Jr and al.; Jan. 9, 1990: vertical drilling and carrousel type, with designated bin. A charger (20) contains a hand (26) driven by a jack (22). 
     OBJECTIVES AND ADVANTAGES 
     A general objective of the invention is to install, in a semi-continuous way, drill string sections coming from a storage box where from the sections are extracted one by one and mechanically assembled to make a long drill string. 
     A more precise objective is to install on the storage box a toothed wheel for disentangling coordinated with a toothed wheel for delivery which loads the drill string sections one by one into the hands. These hands when loaded may be locked, pivoting and positioning the string sections along the axis of the drilling head and hold them in position during the screwing. When this operation is completed, the hands can be unlocked and move towards a waiting position located at 180° of their starting point, upward, to allow the movement of the drilling head and, later on, come back to the starting point. 
    
    
     DRAWINGS 
     In the annexed drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective of a drill equipped with the device. 
     FIG. 2 is a back view according to arrow 2 of FIG. 1 
     FIG. 3 is a front view according to arrow 3 of FIG. 1 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the area of arrow 4 of FIG. 1 
     FIG. 5 is a detail according to arrow 5 of FIG. 4 in movement. 
     FIG. 6 is a detail view according to arrow 6 of FIG. 1 
     FIG. 7 is a cut view according to line 7--7 of FIG. 3 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In the description that follows and in the drawings also included similar numbers refer to the identical parts in the varying figures. 
     On the FIG. 1 one sees an horizontal drilling machine, illustrated by an arrow 20 comprising a power unit 22 with an operator&#39;s post 24 mounted on a tractor 26, a storage box an magazine 28 for storing sections. Magazine 24 located adjacent to the drilling axis 31 of machine 20. One also sees a drilling head 34 attached to a feeding chain 35 and mounted on a guiding structure 36 for movement along the axis. The drilling head 34 is supplied by hydraulic tubes in a flexible conduit 38. One sees a clinometer 40 and a group of control sticks 42. FIGS. 1 and 6 show a pair of hands 44, a rotation shaft 46 journaled in the frame 48 of magazine 28. A U-shaped hand 44 is formed at the outer end of each arm 43. Shaft 46 is rotated throughout 180 degrees by a rotating device 74 actuated by a double acting hydraulic cylinder 50. A latch lever 53 is pivoted on hand 44 intermediate its ends and is actuated between latching and unlatching positions by a latch lever actuator 52 through a synchronization tube 54 and a link 55. 
     Actuator 52 is a double acting hydraulic cylinder pivotally mounted on a plate 45 secured to arm 43. Tube 54 freely rotates about shaft 46 and serves to synchronize the latching and unlatching movements of the two latch levers 53. 
     On FIG. 2 one sees a motor 56 to command the feeding chain 35 which is not shown on FIG. 1 which moves the drilling head 34 along axis 31. One also sees a sorter shaft 58 commanding two sorter toothed wheels 60 and driven by a sorter motor 62. One also sees a motor positioner 64 which drives two positioner toothed wheels 66 attached to a shaft positioner 68. 
     On FIG. 3, one sees the stored drill string sections 72, the pair of hands 44 in elevated position +180°, the latch levers 53 and rotating device 74. 
     On FIG. 4 one sees the rotating device 74 and its components: hydraulic cylinder 50 held by a body pivot 51 welded at 82&#39; on the frame 48, a piston rod 76, a first crescent 78, an upper pivot 80 welded of 82 on the frame 48, an intermediary pivot 84, an inferior pivot 86 an intermediary crescent 88 with a base male pivot 90 integrated with the inferior female pivot 86, an terminal female 92 a lever arm 94 attached to the rotation shaft 46 by a keyway 96 and attached to the intermediary crescent 88 by a pivot pin 98. In FIG. 4 keyway 96 and rod 94 are oriented upward in a position corresponding to the raised portion of the pair of hands 44 shown in FIG. 3 and 7. 
     FIG. 5 shows in full line rotating device 74 in the position of FIG. 4, piston rod 76 being fully extended, and in dotted line piston rod 76 fully retracted with lever arm 94 having rotated through 180 degrees and extending downwards. As shown in FIG. 7, rotation device 74 can rotate hands 44 between a lowermost position and an elevated position, in both these positions, hands 44 clear drilling head 34 during its movement over guiding structure 36 for feeding chain 35. 
     On FIG. 7 one sees the storage box 28 with a semi-circular bottom 100 with a radius 101: on the bottom are stored the drill string sections 72. One sees a reinforcement plate 104 and an exiting drill string section 106, one of two sorting toothed wheels 60 keyed to the sorter shaft 58, one of the two positioner toothed wheel 66 on a positioner shaft 68; one sees the pair of hands 44 in lowermost pickup position with a displacement radius 102 that defines arm 43 attached to rotation shaft 46. One sees, in dotted line, the pair of hands 44 about to capture an exiting rod section 106 and which is in the position of drilling axis 31 located at about 60 degrees of the exiting section 106. A guiding structure 36 also serves to screw the string section now in the drilling axis. Then the pair of unlatched hands 44 which continue around the rotation shaft 46 to stop in an upper position 37. 
     SUMMARY AND RAMIFICATIONS 
     The feeding device for drilling rods 30 which are to be used in a drilling axis 31 comprises: 
     a storage box 28 comprising a curved bottom, preferably a circular bottom 100, where lay the stored rods 72 disposed in a parallel direction, one on another, the bottom having an opening 105, 
     a sorter toothed wheel 60 capable of orienting the rods in a parallel direction, with circumferential teeth, 
     a positioner toothed wheel 66 capable of withdrawing a rod from the bottom of the storage box and position the rod, by means of engaging teeth, 
     a pair of hands 44, lockable, the positioner toothed wheel 66 positioning the section in the hands when it is appears through the opening 105. The positioner toothed wheel 66 are also capable of taking the section back from the hands 44 and returning it to the sorter toothed wheels 60 which put it back into the storage box and sets it parallel to the stocked drill sections 72. 
     The bottom wall 100 extends through an arc of preferably 90° and its radius 101 is proportional to the diameter and quantity of sections 72. The proportion is preferably of 10 to 15 times the diameter. The sorter toothed wheel 60 comprises a shaft, two toothed wheels joined to the shaft and synchronized, and acting as two rotating devices located on the face of the curved bottom. 
     The two positioner wheels are located at opening 105 and are sufficiently distant from the sorter that the circular section body of a drill string section 72 is supported a moment by the teeth of both the sorter toothed wheels 60 positioner toothed wheel 66. The lock is preferably hydraulic. 
     The place of storage box 28 comprises a bin pivot located it a certain distance above the opening. This bin pivot coincides with the rotation shaft 46, the bin pivot being an eye in the wall of the bin in which the rotation shaft 46 turns. 
     The pair of hands 44 is capable of moving around the bin pivot, about a radius equal to the distance between this pivot and the drilling axis, so that the pair of hands, when moving, can be placed within the rotation axis of the drilling head, so that the drilling head can be screwed onto a drilling rod while in position. 
     The objectives of the invention may be effected while using a method of supplying drill string sections 30 in a storage box 28 having an opening 105 at the bottom, the method comprising the following steps: 
     1° sort the drill string sections, 
     2° position sections at the opening, one at a time, 
     3° load in two mechanical pivoted hands a certain distance above the opening, 
     4° lock the mechanical hands with two latches, 
     5° move the hands, according to a circular arc, towards a drilling axis, 
     6° move forward the drilling head, 
     7° screw the drilling head to the drill string sections, 
     8° unlock the hands to release the sections, 
     9° release the latches so that the hand may pursue its angular course upward and places itself of 180° of the storage box opening and the free space for the movement of the drilling head. 
     The hands are always lifted by the two latches, serving as guide to allow the rotation of the section and the movement of the drilling head, to assure the alignment of the new section and to allow it to join the section already in place in the drilling axis. The drilling axis will preferably be placed at 60° of the opening. 
     A subsequent step of storage: at the time of the removal of the sections the hands initiate the reversed process: movement from the waiting position +180° toward the drilling axis, locking, unscrewing, movement toward the opening of the storage box to replace the sections. 
     Means for locking the hands comprise a rigid synchronization tube 54, pivoting freely around a rotation shaft 46 of the hands and assuring a perfect synchronization with the latch guide 53. The rotation shaft 46 serves as support for the synchronization tube 54 of the latch guide 53. The latch guide 53 comprises a hydraulic cylinder body 50, the closure of the latch guide 53 assured by closing rods 55 attached to the synchronization tube 54. 
     A rotation shaft 46 of the hands on which are placed the hands of the pair of hands 44 according to a precise alignment so that the hands may grab the rods and keep them parallel to the drilling axis 31, the exit axis and the rotation axis of the hands. 
     The rotation shaft 46 on which are placed the hands transmits the power of the rotation system of the hands through an angular displacement of 180 degrees, that is from the storage box opening to the superior waiting position and vice-versa, passing by the drilling axis to add or withdraw a rod from the drilling axis 31. 
     The rotating device 74 allows a movement of more than 180 degrees and this without standing still or congestion to prevent any interference with the drilling head. This device assures the rotation of the hand from the opening of the storage box to the waiting position of +180 degrees, passing by the drilling axis of +60 degrees for the installation or the removal of the drilling rods 30. 
     The rotating device 74 comprises a cylinder body 50 comprising a body pivot 51, a cylinder rod 76, a first crescent 78, an intermediary crescent 88 and a connection rod 94; the cylinder rod 76 protruding from the cylinder body 50, the first crescent 78, in its upper part comprises an upper pivot 80 welded 82 to a fixed point on the structure of the storage box, the cylinder rod 76 being attached to a part of the first crescent 78 by a pin, an upper part of the first crescent 78 being linked to a reaction pivot placed on the structure of the storage box and the lower part of the first crescent being attached at the lower part of the intermediate crescent 88, the upper part of the intermediary crescent 88 being attached to a connection rod 94 joining the rotation shaft 46 of the hands. 
     The movements in and out of the cylinder rod 76 make the first crescent 78 pivot around the fixed upper pivot 80, the descent of the intermediary crescent 88 and the rotation of the connection rod 94 and of the rotation shaft 46 that are attached to the hands. 
     What I have described is a device for supplying drill rods 30 to be used in a drilling axis 31, the device comprising: 
     a storage box 28 for drill rods having an inclined bottom where the drill rods 30 pile up, parallel to each other, and at a certain distance of one another, 
     a sorter shaft 58 equipped with teeth capable of making the rods parallel, 
     a positioner toothed wheel 66 for rods, which grabs the rods and guides them towards an opening 105, 
     a pair of hands 44 pivoting around a pivot axis located at a certain distance, higher than the opening and corresponding to a circle radius. The drilling axis and the storage opening are located on the same circumference. 
     the pair of hands 44 comprising rotation means up to a position corresponding to the drilling axis and then up to 180 degrees to allow the movement of the drilling head. 
     It is well intended that the embodiments of the present invention which have been described herein in reference to the joining drawing has been given as indicative and are in no case limitative, and that the modifications and adaptations may be brought without losing sight of the objects of present invention. 
     Other embodiments are possible and limited only by the scope of the claims that follow: 
     PARTS LIST 
     20. horizontal drilling device 
     22. power unit 
     24. operator&#39;s post 
     26. tractor 
     28. storage box 
     30. drill rod 
     31. drilling axis 
     34. drilling head 
     35. feeding chain 
     36. guiding structure 
     37. upper position 
     38. coupling 
     40. clinometer 
     42. control sticks 
     44. pair of hands 
     46. rotation shaft 
     48. frame 
     50. cylinder body 
     51. body pivot 
     52. latch eye 
     53. latch guide 
     54. synchronization tube 
     55. closing rod 
     56. advancing motor 
     58. sorter shaft 
     60. sorter toothed wheel 
     62. sorter motor 
     64. positioner motor 
     66. positioner toothed wheel 
     68. positioner shaft 
     70. rod guide. 
     72. stocked rod 
     74. rotating device 
     76. cylinder rod 
     78. first crescent 
     80. upper pivot 
     82. weld 
     84. intermediary pivot 
     86. inferior pivot 
     88. intermediary crescent 
     90. base pivot 
     92. extremity pivot 
     94. connection rod 
     96. keyway 
     98. connection rod pivot 
     100. circular bottom 
     101. bottom radius 
     102. radius of displacement 
     104. reinforcing plaque 
     105. opening 
     106. exiting rod