Patent GB-1455509-A (GB)
Title: Drill string element handling apparatus
IPC: E21B19/20
Filed: 1974-12-23
Abstract: 1455509 Boring earth &c ATLAS COPCO AB 23 Dec 1974 [21 Dec 1973] 55406/74 Heading E1F Drill rod handling apparatus, for use with a mobile earth drilling machine, includes a magazine for storing the drill rods 25, means for transferring a drill rod between the magazine and the drill axis, and means for connecting and disconnecting the drill rod to and from a drill string by spinning the drill rod, the connecting and discollecting means including means for causing a drill rod gripped thereby to be displaced axially during the spinning of the rod. As described the drilling machine includes a vehicle 13, a vertical guide column 14 and a rotary-percussive drill motor 15 movably mounted on the column 14. The drill rods 25 are stored in a magazine including an arcuate channel member 22 which supports the bottom ends of the rods and a pair of members 23, 24. Each member 23, 24 (Fig. 2) has an arcuate slot 28 and a plurality of turnstiles 29 arranged alternately on opposite sides of the slot 28. Each turnstile 29 has four arms 30 and is rotatably mounted so as to separate the rods 25 as shown in Fig. 2. A spring loaded detent on each turnstile 29 prevents the turnstiles 29 from being rotated accidently e.g. by the weight of the rods 25. The rods 25 are moved from the magazine to the drill axis by a device including a pair of arms 56, 57 (Fig. 6) rotatably mounted on the column 14 and driven by hydraulic motor 59 and a frame 66, 67, 68, 69 rotatably mounted on the arms 56, 57 and driven by hydraulic motor 72. At its upper end the frame carries a roll 84 driven by motor 84 and a pair of idler rolls 74, 75 urged towards the driven roll 84 by piston and cylinder 78. Rolls 76, 77 and 85, motor 83 and cylinder 79 are similarly mounted at the lower end of the frame. In use the device is swung towards the magazine by motor 59 where a drill rod is gripped between the rolls as shown in dotted line in Fig. 8. Motor 59 then moves the device away from the magazine and stops when arm 56 reaches point 0 (Fig. 8). Motor 72 then rotates the frame to transfer the drill rod to the opposite side of the device (the drill rod moving along path L) and motor 59 then moves the device until the rod 25 reaches the drill axis. The rod can then be screwed onto the drill string by operating motors 82, 83 so that rolls 84, 85 spin the drill rod. The rolls 74 to 77 and 84, 85 are inclined to the axis of column 14 so that the drill rod 25 is moved axially by the rolls as it is screwed onto the drill string, the inclination of the rolls being equal to the pitch angle of the threads on the drill rods.  The drill rods are connected together by threaded sleeves which remain on the top ends of the rods 25 when they are stored in the magazine. When the drill string is connected to or disconnected from the threaded adaptor on the drill motor 15 the sleeve is held by a sleeve braking device mounted on the motor 15 which prevents the sleeve from rotating so that it is not unscrewed from the top end of the drill rod. The machine also includes a drill string centralizing device 20 (Fig. 1) which is slidably mounted on the column 14 and which can be locked in its uppermost position as shown by lugs 290. The device 20 includes a pair of jaws (not shown) which can be moved towards each other. When in its uppermost position as shown the jaws of the device 20 grip the connector sleeve at the top of the drill string to allow a drill rod to be screwed into or unscrewed from the sleeve by the spinner rolls. When in its lowermost position the device 20 guides the drill string during drilling. A drill dust suction system (not shown) is connected to the device 20. The machine also includes a pair of drill bit changing devices 21 (only one shown, Fig. 1) mounted on each side of the drill axis. Each device non-rotatably holds a drill bit and can be swung into the drill axis to allow the drill bit to be connected to the drill rod 25 which is rotated by the spinner rolls.