Angle drilling apparatus

Two pivots are provided on a drill tower support. The drill tower is supported on and positively locked to the upper pivot in the horizontal position. The drill tower can be pivoted about the first pivot from the horizontal position to the vertical position and positively locked to the lower pivot. The drill tower is then disconnected from the first pivot and thereafter it can be pivoted about the second pivot for angle drilling.

This invention relates to drilling apparatus. More particularly, this 
invention is a new and improved angle drilling apparatus utilizing new and 
improved structure for positively locking the drill tower in one of two 
alternate pivot points. 
It is known to mount a drill tower on a vehicle so that the tower can be 
moved from one drilling location to another in a horizontal, vertical or 
angled position. It is also known to provide two pivot points spaced along 
the length of the tower and alternately engagable during the swinging of 
the tower between the horizontal and vertical positions. One example is 
shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,778,940 issued Dec. 18, 1973 to William E. 
Blecken and entitled "Transferential Pin". 
The present invention is a new and novel structure for positively locking 
the drill tower to the support while the tower is in the horizontal 
position and while the tower is being pivoted about one pivot point from 
the horizontal to the vertical position and new and novel structure for 
locking the drill to the second pivot while permitting the angular 
movement of the drill tower about said second pivot for angle drilling. 
Briefly described, the invention includes a platform with support means 
extending upwardly from the platform. A part of the drill tower is mounted 
for pivotal movement about an upper pivot on the support means. The upper 
pivot includes a slot in the drill tower support means with the previously 
mentioned part of the drill tower adaped to fit into the slot for pivotal 
connection of the drilling tower to the drill tower support. The upper 
pivot also includes means for positively locking the drill tower into the 
slot when the drill tower is horizontal. The upper pivot support means 
with its positive locking feature also permits the locked in part of the 
drill tower to move the drill tower support means when the drill tower is 
pivoted to the vertical position. A second pivot means is included which 
has slotted means mounted on the platform and a second part of the drill 
tower is adapted to fit into the slotted means. Means are also provided 
for positively locking the second part of the drill tower to the platform. 
Thus, the drill tower may be pivoted from the horizontal position to the 
vertical position, positively locked to the second pivot means, and 
disconnected from the first pivot means. The drill tower may thereafter be 
pivoted about the second pivot means for angle drilling.

In the various figures, like parts are referred to by like numbers. 
Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1, a mobile 
platform 10 supports a drill tower 12. A pair of laterally spaced and 
connected supports 14 and 16 (see FIG. 1 and FIG. 5) extend upwardly from 
the platform 10. When the drill tower 12 is in the horizontal position, 
the drill tower is pivotally connected to the upper portion of supports 14 
and 16. 
To pivot the drill tower 12 from the horizontal position to the vertical 
position shown in FIG. 2, a hydraulically actuated rod 22 actuated by 
hydraulic fluid in hydraulic cylinder 24 pivots drill tower 12 about the 
upper pivots. When the drill tower 12 is pivoted to the vertical position, 
a part of the drill tower 12 adjacent the drill tower platform 26 engages 
the lower pivot members 28 and 30 (see FIG. 1 and FIG. 6). While the drill 
tower 12 is pivoted about the upper pivots from the horizontal position to 
the vertical position, the drill tower is kept positively locked to 
thereby prevent any possibility of the drill tower falling out of the 
pivots, until after the drill tower 12 is positively locked into the lower 
pivot means 28 and 30, in the vertical position. 
As shown in FIG. 3, the drill tower 12 after it has been securely and 
positively locked in the lower pivots 28 and 30, may be pivoted about said 
pivots for angle drilling. The actual angle the drill is from the 
vertical, is determined by a pair of arms 32 (only one shown). Each arm 32 
has its outer end connected to the drill tower 12 at 34, and the arm 32 
extends through an arm support 36. A pneumatic rod 38 operated by air in a 
pneumatic cylinder 40 extends through the arm support 36 and into one of a 
plurality of longitudinally spaced holes (not shown) in the arm 32. 
The particular angle of the drill tower 12 with respect to the vertical is 
set by actuating rod 22 by means of hydraulic cylinder 24 to pivot the 
drill tower 12 about pivots 28 and 30. While this is done the pneumatic 
rod 38 is in the retracted position so that the shaft 32 will move 
longitudinally within the shaft support 36. When a predetermined hole in 
shaft 32 is in position, the pneumatic rod 38 is actuated to enter into 
the hole and lock the drill tower at the desired angle. 
Referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the upper portion of each drill tower 
support 14 and 16 is provided with a rearwardly extending slot 42 (only 
the slot in support 16 being shown). A rotatable shaft 44 (see FIG. 5) is 
mounted within shaft supports 46 and 48, which in turn are connected to 
vertical struts 50 and 52, respectively, forming part of the tower 12. The 
outer ends of the shaft 44 are also supported in bores 54 and 56, located 
in supports 14 and 16, respectively. The rearwardly extending slots 42 
extend from the bores 54 and 56 to the rear edge of the supports 14 and 
16. A pair of diametrically spaced locking ears 58 and 60 are provided on 
the edge of the shaft 44 fitting in bore 54; a pair of diametrically 
opposite locking ears 62 and 64 (see FIGS. 5, 8 and 9) is provided on the 
other end of the shaft 44 fitting into the bore 56. In FIG. 7, the locking 
ears are shown in the same position as shown in FIG. 8. In FIG. 5, the 
locking ears are shown in the same position as shown in FIG. 9. 
The diameter of shaft 44 is small enough so that the shaft will slide from 
the upper parts of supports 14 and 16 through the slots 42. However, the 
provision of the locking ears fitted into a counter bore make the 
effective diameter of the shaft 44 when the shaft 44 is rotated to the 
position shown in FIG. 4, such that the shaft 44 will not slide out of the 
bores 54 and 56, and the shaft 44 is positively locked within the bores 54 
and 56. 
In order to further make certain the shaft 44 is positively locked within 
the drill tower supports 14 and 16, a pair of hook assemblies 66 and 68 
(see FIGS. 4, 8 and 9) are provided. The shaft 44 is provided with locking 
ears 70 and 72, which are longitudinally spaced from locking ears 58 and 
60, and locking ears 62 and 64 and circumferentially located between said 
locking ears 58 and 60, and locking ears 62 and 64 and in a plane 
generally the same as the planes of the hooks 66 and 68, respectively. 
Each of the hooks 66 and 68 is provided with undercuts such as the undercut 
67 shown on hook 68, more particularly in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9. The undercuts 
67 on hook 68 as well as the undercut on hook 66 is of a predetermined 
diameter such that when the diameter across the locking ears 70 and 72 are 
in the position shown in FIG. 8, there forms an interference diametrical 
fit between the swing radius of the hook across the hook locking ears 70 
and 72 and the undercuts in the hooks 66 and 68. With this interference 
fit, it is impossible for the hook to be removed from the shaft 44, either 
intentionally or accidentally. 
However, when the shaft 44 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction, 
looking at FIG. 9, the hook locking ears 70 and 72 are rotated to a 
position such that there is no longer an interference diametrical fit 
between the hook locking ears 70 and 72 and the undercuts of hooks 66 and 
68, respectively. Therefore, when the hook locking ears 70 and 72 are in 
the position shown in FIG. 9, the hooks 66 and 68 may be actuated to 
remove the hooks from the shaft 44. This is accomplished by a 
hydraulically operated assembly including hydraulic cylinder 74, (FIG. 4 
and FIG. 5) which operates hydraulic rods 76, which in turn operates the 
hook 66 through a mechanical interconnection. Hook 68 is operated by means 
of a mechanical interconnection to the hydraulic rod 78 operated by 
hydraulic cylinder 80 (see FIG. 4 and FIG. 5). 
When the drill tower is in the horizontal position, the shaft 44 with its 
locking ears and its hook locking ears is in the position shown in FIG. 4 
and FIG. 8. Hooks 66 and 68 are also in the position shown in FIG. 4 and 
FIG. 8. The tower 12 is moved to the vertical position by the operation of 
cylinder 24 to move cylinder rod 22 upwardly (see FIG. 1) to thereby pivot 
the tower about the upper pivot means. As the tower 12 moves from the 
horizontal to the vertical, the shaft 44 is rotated in a counterclockwise 
direction looking at FIG. 4 and FIG. 7. When the tower 12 is fully 
vertical the shaft locking ears 58, 60, 62, and 64 and the hook locking 
ears 70 and 72 are in the positions shown in FIGS. 5, 7 and 9. The hook 68 
is in the full line position of FIG. 7 and the hook 66 is in the position 
shown in FIG. 9. With these elements in the positions shown for the 
vertical position of the tower 12, the hooks 66 and 68 can then be 
actuated by their respective hydraulically actuated systems to the 
position shown in broken lines in FIG. 7 and the shaft 44 removed from the 
drill tower supports 14 and 16. Thus, the drill tower can be moved from 
the horizontal to the vertical and securely locked to the second pivot 
means 28 and 30 (see FIG. 1) while keeping the shaft positively locked in 
the upper pivots. Therefore, there is a guarantee that the drill tower is 
securely locked inth lower pivot means 28 and 30 before the drill tower is 
subsequently pivoted about the lower pivot means for angle drilling. 
Referring specifically to FIGS. 4, 6, and 7 the lower pivot means 28 
includes a first pair of clevises 82 and 84 and a second pair of laterally 
spaced clevises 86 and 88 mounted on platform 10 (see FIG. 6). A rotatable 
shaft 90 has its one end supported by clevises 82 and 84 and its other end 
supported bu clevises 86 and 88. A first hook 92 is mounted between 
clevises 82 and 84 and a second hook 94 is mounted between clevises 86 and 
88. The hooks 92 and 94 are rotated by rotation of shaft 90. Shaft 90 is 
rotated by hydraulic rod 96 extending from hydraulic cylinder 98. 
A pair of laterally separated rotatable shafts 100 and 102 are mounted on 
shaft supports 104, 106, and 108 for rotatable shaft 100, and shaft 
supports 110, 112 and 114 for rotatable shaft 102. Rotatable shafts 100 
and 102 are actuated by hydraulic rods extending from hydraulic cylinders 
116 and 118, respectively. 
Rotatable shaft 100 is provided with a hook locking ear 120 (see FIG. 6) 
adapted to lock hook 92 and rotatable shaft 102 is provided with hook 
locking ear 122 adapted to lock hook 94. Hooks 92 and 94 are provided with 
undercuts shaped with respect to the locking ears 120 and 122 such that 
when the drill tower is moved horizontal horizonal to vertical, and the 
rotatable shafts 100 and 102 have been moved into the clevises the hooks 
92 and 94 can be actuated by cylinder 98 through shaft 90, while 
simultaneously the rotatable shaft 100 and 102 are actuated by cylinders 
116 and 118, respectively, to turn the shafts 100 and 102 to a position 
such that the hooks 92 and 94 are positively locked to the shafts 100 and 
102 by the locking ears 120 and 122, respectively. 
In operation the drill tower 12 is moved on the mobile platform 10 from one 
drill site to another drill site in the horizontal position, as shown in 
FIG. 1 and FIG. 4. The locking ears, 58, 60, 62, and 64 on shaft 44 are in 
position so that the shaft 44, connected to the drill tower 12 cannot be 
moved out of the supports 14 and 16 through the slots 42. Also, the hook 
locking ears 70 and 72 are in position so that it is impossible to remove 
the hooks 66 and 68 from around the shaft 44. Thus, the shaft is 
positively locked in position on the support and the hooks are positively 
locked in position on the shaft. 
When the mobile platform 10 has arrived at the new drilling location, the 
hydraulic cylinder 24 is actuated to extend the hydraulic rod 22 to 
thereby pivot the drill tower 12 about the top pivots from the horizontal 
to the vertical position shown in FIG. 2 and by the broken lines of FIG. 
4. With this 90.degree. movement of the drill tower the shaft 44 rotates 
90.degree. counterclockwise looking at FIG. 4 and FIG. 7 to a position 
where the shaft 44 may be moved from the supports 14 and 16 through the 
slots. However, shaft 44 cannot be moved from the supports through the 
slots until the hooks 66 and 68 are actuated. The hooks are not actuated 
until after the shafts 100 and 102 connected to the bottom of the drill 
tower 12 are securely locked in the bottom pivot means 28 and 30, 
respectively. Therefore, during the movement of the drill tower from the 
horizontal to the vertical, the shaft 44 is kept firmly locked in position 
in the supports 14 and 16. 
When the drill tower 12 is in the verticl position with the rotatable shaft 
100 and 102 located in the clevises 82, 84 and 86, 88 on the platform 10, 
the cylinders 98, 116, and 118 are hydraulically sequenced to actuate 
cylinder 98 first and then 116 and 118 simultaneously, thus positoning 
hooks 92 and 94 over rotatable shafts 100 and 102 and then rotating shafts 
100 and 102 to a position whereby locking ears 120 and 122 are engaged 
into hooks 92 and 94 respectively, positively locking shafts 100 and 102. 
For angle drilling the drill tower 12 is pivoted about the lower pivots to 
the desired angle of say 30.degree. such as shown in FIG. 3 and the broken 
lines of FIG. 7. This is accomplished by actuating the cylinder 24 to move 
rod 22 inwardly until the tower is in the position shown in FIG. 3. The 
tower 12 is locked in position by actuating the hydraulic cylinder 40 (see 
FIG. 3) to move the pneumatic rod 38 into the proper hole (not shown) 
contained in the shaft 32.