A DRILLING MACHINE TO BE COUPLED TO AN EXCAVATOR

Abstract: A drilling machine includes a coupling means (19) for removably coupling the drilling machine (1) to the bucket of an excavator with the aid of gripping arms (20, 21). Between the drilling machine and coupling means there is a rubber member (9) taking up misalignment stresses and a gas spring (11, 12) taking up shock and compression stresses arising in conjunction with drilling.

Description: DESCRIPTION A DRILLING MACHINE TO BE COUPLED TO AN EXCAVATOR Technical Field The present invention relates to a drilling machine, more specifically a drilling machine intended for removably coupling to a machine for manoeuvring the drilling machine, e.g. an excavator. •*** Background Art In digging and excavating work with excavators, there are often encountered hard earth, stones, rock and frozen ground (in wintertime) , which require drill¬ ing and blasting to cope with them. 10 With the exception of large rock excavations where special drilling carriages are used, one is consigned to manual drilling with air or hydraulically driven hand drilling machines for handling minor obstructions. This work is heavy and injurious to 5 health, due to the heavy vibrations propagated to the driller as well as the stone dust liberated during the process and inhaled by the driller during . drilling. Disclosure of Invention It is an object of the present invention to 0 provide a drilling machine which does not need to be served by a person especially delegated for the purpose, and which without manual assistance can be coupled to a machine, e.g. a bucket provided with gripping fingers and mounted on an excavator, for carrying out drilling 5 by operating the excavator. The excavator can thus be utilized optionally for excavating or drilling, and when the excavator is utilized during drilling the person normally carrying. out drilling and who is idle during excavating work may be appointed to other tasks. 0 It is also an object of the invention to provide a drilling machine which can be coupled to a machine OMPI * operating it such that the drilling work can be executed in practically direction at all. It is a further object of the invention to provide a drilling machine which takes up the misalignment forces occurring during drilling as a result of the drilling machine being rigidly coupled to the operating machine, and also to take up the shock stresses occurring when putting down the drill on rock, on a stone or the like and further to even out the compression stresses the drill is subjected to during drilling. A still further object is to provide a drilling machine connectable to an operating machine and which comprises a hand drilling machine modified with simple means and in a simple way. These objects are achieved by the invention having been given the characterizing features disclosed in the claims. Description of Figures Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a portion of a drilling machine in accordance with the invention, coupled to gripping means on the bucket of an excavator, and Figure 2 is a schematic side view of the drilling machine in accordance with Figure 1 , coupled to the excavator bucket in a different angular attitude relative thereto. Preferred Embodiment The drilling machine in accordance with the invention comprises an ordinary pneumatic or hydraulic drilling machine 1 , of which an upper portion is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, and which is provided with two handles 2 and 3, with the aid of which the user operates the drilling machine during manual drilling, the inventive drilling machine also including a means 4 attached to the machine 1. The means 4 includes a holder 5 partially surround¬ ing a head 6 on the upper portion of the machine 1 , and with the aid of which a bolt 7 and handles 2 and 3, which are threaded on a shaft 8 taken through the head 6 and removable therefrom, are removably attached to the head 6. A rubber block 9 is attached to the upper side of the holder 5. The upper portion of the rubber block 9 is attached to the lower portion of a tube 10, and to the lower portion of a piston rod 11 incorporated in a gas spring which also includes a cylinder 12. A tube 13, the interior cross section of which somewhat exceeds the exterior cross section of the tube 10 is telescopically displaceable on the tube 10 and is provided with a slot 14, in which thrusts a pin 15 attached to the tube 10. Withdrawal of the tube 10 from the tube 13 is restricted by the pin 15 when it contacts a locking plate 16, attached to the lower portion of the tube 13, and cover¬ ing the open, lower portion of the slot 14. The pin 15 and slot 14 serve as guide means for preventing rotary movement between the tubes 10 and 13. Such movement is also inhibited by the tubes themselves, if they are made with a quadratic cross-section. The upper portions of the cylinder 12 and tube 13 are attached to two members 17 and 18, the upper ends of which are attached to the ends of a circular tube 19. When the drilling machine 1 and means 4 are to be used for vertical drilling, the gripping arms 20 and 21 are inserted in both ends of the tube 19 in the manner illustrated in Figure 1, said gripping arms 20 and 21 being pivotably mounted on an excavator bucket 22 provided with a recess 23, e.g. of the kind described in the Swedish Patent 7714027-5 and marketed under the registered trade name of CRAB JOHN. The drilling machine 1, 4 can lie on the ground during this procedure. The bucket is then lifted to a suitable height, during which the machine 1, 4 assumes a substantially vertical position, since the gripping arms are not clamped in the tube but only loosely inserted therein. The bucket is then lowered O PI vertically until the drill touches the ground. The shock occurring thereby is taken up by the gas spring 11, 12, thus preventing the drill and the rest of the drilling machine from being subjected to damage. During drilling, the gas spring is compressed a predetermined distance and the drill will therefore the pressed into the drill hole with a predetermined force adjusted to the purpose, and substantially constant, this force being 60 kp for certain applications, even if the distance between the gripping arms 20, 21 and drilling machine 1 is not constant. This distance is however limited by the lengths * of the gas spring 11, 12 and tubes 10, 13. The lateral misalignment forces to which the drilling machine 1 , 4 is subjected during drilling are taken up by the rubber block 9 which thus functions as a yielding joint. When the drilling machine 1 , 4 is to be used for horizontal drilling, the gripping arms 20, 21 grip round the tube 19 in the manner illustrated in Figure 2, the bucket 22 then being lifted and taken toward the material to be drilled. The gas spring 11, 12 and block 9 take up the forces acting on the drilling machine 1 , 4 in horizontal drilling as well, so that effective drilling without damage to the machine 1 , 4 is achieved. It should be understood that drilling can also be executed in directions other than those illustrated on the drawings, and the directions corrected during work by manoeuvring the bucket 22 an d machine 1 , 4 so as to alter the angle between the gripping arms 20, 21 and the tube 19 when the arms grip the tube as in Figure 1 , or as in Figure 2. It should also be understood that the invention is not limited to the illustrated and described embodiment, but can be modified within the scope of the inventive idea. For example, the rubber block and/or the gas spring 11, 12 can comprise any kind of elastic elements at all, such as one or more springs. The invention is thus only restricted by what is disclosed in the claims.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A drilling machine to be coupled to an excavator and provided with a resilient device for taking up stresses occurring in conjunction with drilling, characterized in that it includes coupling means (19) for detachably coupling of the drilling machine to a gripping device (20, 21) on the excavator in anyone of at least two- possible positions relatively thereto. 2. A drilling machine as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the coupling means comprises a member (19) to be gripped round by at least one swingable gripping arm (20, 21) on an excavator bucket (22). 3. A drilling machine as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the coupling means comprises a tube (19) provided with a circular inner cross section, in the opposing ends of said tube two gripping arms (20, 21) are insertable to retain the tube, and thereby the drilling machine (1, 4), in a desired first angular position relative the excavator bucket (22) . 4. A drilling machine as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the coupling means comprises a tube (19) with a circular outside cross section and adapted for retention between the gripping arm (20, 21) and the bucket (22) in a desired second angular position relatively thereto. 5. A drilling machine as claimed in claims 3 and 4, characterized in that the first angular position is variable at right angles to the second angular position and vice versa. 6. A drilling machine as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a hand drilling machine (1 ) removably attached to a holder (5) connecting the resilient means (11, 12; 9) with the coupling means (19). -- x EA OMPI .

Inventors: SONERUD JOHN TEODOR, SONERUD, JOHN, TEODOR
Applicants: SONERUD JOHN TEODOR, SONERUD, JOHN, TEODOR
Application year: 1983
Main classification: E02F3
IPC codes: E02F3, E21B7