Patent Publication Number: US-7896099-B2

Title: Upper beam for a telescopic feeder, telescopic feeder and drilling device for rock drilling

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to an upper beam intended to be used with a lower beam in a telescopic feeder for a drilling machine for rock drilling. The present invention also relates to a telescopic feeder for a drilling machine and a drilling device for rock drilling. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In bolting in narrow drifts in mines, there is often a conflict between the desired advance per round for the blast hole drilling and the feeding length in bolt drilling. If the required length for the blasting was to be drilled, the feeder would be so long that it would not be possible for it to be arranged transversely in the drift. One way of solving this problem is to use a feeder with displaceable drilling supports or to use a telescopic feeder. A telescopic feeder has a lower beam and an upper beam which is slidably arranged on the lower beam. The length of the telescopic feeder may be changed so that it may be extended to the desired length in a drilling condition and retracted which results in that it may be accommodated transversely in the drift when needed. One problem with telescopic feeders is that they are heavy and ungainly. 
     An example of a telescopic feeder is disclosed in WO9518912. This telescopic feeder comprises a lower beam and an upper beam slidably mounted on the lower beam. The slide rail, intended for the sliding arrangement between the upper beam and the lower beam, is placed solely on the lower portion of the upper beam which makes the lower beam low. This results in a reduced height of the telescopic feeder. The disadvantage of this design is that the upper beam becomes heavy and ungainly. This is in particular a problem when the feeder is used in a position where it has been rotated somewhat around its axis. The leverage with a heavier upper beam and lighter lower beam will then result in impaired friction between the beams. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a drilling device which is compact and has good sliding properties. 
     According to the present invention, this object is achieved by an upper beam intended to be used with a lower beam in a telescopic feeder for a drilling machine for rock drilling. The upper beam extends along a longitudinal axis and has a generally U-shaped cross section comprising a bottom wall and a first and a second side wall, wherein each side wall has an inward surface and an outward surface. The upper beam comprises a cooperating member intended for slidable cooperation with the lower beam. The cooperating member comprises an attachment means extending outwardly from each outward surface of each side wall. Each attachment means is intended for fixed mounting of a crank block bracket, which crank block bracket faces said outward surface of each side wall. 
     According to the present invention, this object is also achieved by a telescopic feeder for a drilling machine for rock drilling. The telescopic feeder comprises a generally U-shaped lower beam and the upper beam according to the present invention. 
     According to the present invention, this object is also achieved by a drilling device for rock drilling, comprising a drilling machine and a telescopic feeder according to the present invention. 
     Since the upper beam comprises crank block brackets facing the side wall of the upper beam, a space is created between the crank block bracket and the side walls of the upper beam, which space enables the upper beam to travel partly in the lower beam, which makes the telescopic feeder compact. Since the crank block brackets, having a much lower weight than the slide rail, are arranged at the upper beam, the weight of the upper beam is kept low which means a reduced leverage and thus improved sliding properties. 
     An advantage of the present invention is that it provides for an improved view for the person performing the drilling since the telescopic feeder is not very high, i.e. the telescopic feeder is more compact. 
     A further advantage of the present invention is that the lower beam, which is subjected to large forces, is strong and robust. This is since slide rails for sliding cooperation with the upper beam are arranged along the lower beam which makes it more heavy and stable. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic side view of a drilling device for rock drilling according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic view of the cross section of an upper beam according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic view of the cross section of a drilling device according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic view of the cross section of a telescopic feeder according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A number of embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Various variants, equivalents and modifications may be used. Therefore, the embodiments should not be considered as limitations of the scope of the invention, which scope is defined by the appended claims. 
       FIG. 1  discloses a drilling device  10  for rock drilling. The drilling device  10  comprises a drilling machine  20  and a telescopic feeder  30  which telescopic feeder  30  comprises a upper beam  40  and a lower beam  50 . The upper beam  40  is slidably arranged on the lower beam  50  along the longitudinal axes of both beams  40 ,  50 . The telescopic feeder  30  has an initial position wherein the upper beam  40  and the lower beam  50  are in a fully overlapping relation. The length of the telescopic feeder  30  may be changed so that it extends by displacing the upper beam  40  and the lower beam  50  so that they are less and less in an overlapping relation up to a maximum extended position. The drilling machine  20  is slidably arranged on the telescopic feeder  30  so that it is displaceable along the upper beam  40  of the telescopic feeder  30 , this may be performed in a conventional manner, e.g. using a feeding cylinder mounted between the upper beam and the drilling machine by a cable. The drilling machine  20  is thus movable back and forth along the longitudinal axis of the upper beam  40 . In  FIG. 1 , a boring tool  56  arranged in the drilling machine  20  is also visible. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a cross section of the upper beam  40 . The upper beam  40  extends along a longitudinal axis and may for example be constituted by an extruded aluminium profile. The upper beam  40  comprises a bottom wan  60 , a first side wall  70  and a second side wall  80  which results in a U-shaped cross section of the upper beam  40 , wherein “upwards” of the upper beam  40  is defined as a direction towards the opening of the U-shape and wherein “downwards” of the upper beam  40  is defined as a direction towards the bottom wall  60 . The upper beam  40 , i.e. both the bottom wall  60  and the first  70  and second  80  side wall has an inward surface  90 , which thus is constituted by the inside of the U-shaped upper beam  40  and an outwards surface  100  which thus is constituted by the outside of the U-shaped upper beam  40 . The upper beam  40  has a height defined by the height of the side walls  60 ,  70  and a width defined by the distance between the first side wall  60  and the second side wall  70 . The upper beam is vertically divided into a lower portion  102  which is the portion comprised by the bottom wall  60  and a lower portion of the side walls  70 ,  80  and an upper portion  104  which is the portion comprised by the upper portion of the side walls  70 ,  80 . In order to reduce the height of the telescopic feeder  30 , at least the lower portion  102  of the upper beam  40  is less wide that the lower beam  50  so that the lower portion  102  of the upper beam  40  may fit into the lower beam  50  and may thus fully or partly travel in the lower beam  50 . The lower portion  102  is the portion of the upper beam  40  intended to travel in the lower beam  50  and the upper portion  104  is the portion of the upper beam  40  intended to protrude above the lower beam  50 . In one embodiment, illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the lower portion  102  of the upper beam  40  is less wide than the upper portion  104  of the upper beam  40 . The lower portion  102  of the upper beam  40  is also less wide than the lower beam  50 . According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the upper portion  104  and the lower portion  102  of the upper beam  40  may have the same width, i.e. the same width along its entire height, which width in this case thus is less than the width of the lower beam  50 . The larger the vertical portion of the upper beam  40  travelling in the lower beam  50 , the more compact the telescope feeder  30  may be, i.e. the lower the telescope feeder  30 . A more compact telescope feeder  30  is advantageous since the centre of gravity is lower and the leverage of the telescopic feeder  30  decreases if it used for drilling in a position wherein it has been rotated somewhat around its longitudinal axis. 
     The upper beam  40  comprises cooperating members  110  intended for slidable cooperation with the lower beam  50  so that the upper beam  40  is telescopically displaceably arranged in the lower beam  50 . The upper beam  40  moves along the longitudinal axis of the lower beam  50  in a conventional manner, e.g. utilizing a telescopic cylinder which may for example be fixedly mounted to the upper beam  40  and the lower beam  50 , in a space between the upper beam  40  and the lower beam  50 . 
     The upper beam  40  may comprise two or more cooperating means  110 , arranged at the upper beam  40 , advantageously on each of the outer surfaces  110  of the side walls  70 ,  80 , alternatively on the bottom wall  60 . The cooperating members  110  each comprise an attachment means  120  and a crank block bracket  130 . The attachment means  120  is fixedly mounted on the upper beam  40  and fixedly mounted on the crank block bracket  130 . The attachment means is arranged at the outward surface  100  of the upper beam  40 , e.g. by means of welding, and is arranged so as to extend outwardly from the outer surface  100  of the side walls  70 ,  80 . In order to enable the upper beam  40  to travel in the lower beam  50 , and in order for the attachment means  120  to not be in the way for the lower beam  50 , the attachment means  120  is vertically arranged at a portion of the side wall intended to protrude above the upper beam  50 , i.e. is arranged at the upper portion  104  of the upper beam  40 . This means that the attachment means  120  is arranged at a distance from the bottom wall  60  so that the lower portion  102  of the upper beam is free from protruding parts and enable the lower portion  102  to travel in the lower beam  50 . In an alternative embodiment, the attachment means  120  is arranged on the bottom wall  60 , in order for it not to be in the way for the lower beam  50  the attachment means  120  is arranged so as to run tightly along the bottom wall  60  and side walls  70 ,  80  of the upper beam  40  up to the upper portion  104 , where it deflects outwardly from the outward surface  100  of the side walls  70 ,  80  as mentioned above. 
     The higher on the upper beam  40  the attachment means  120  extends outwards from the outward surface  100  of the side walls  70 ,  80 , the larger the portion of the upper beam  40  that is enabled to travel in the lower beam  50 . The attachment means  120  may be manufactured by extrusion or in another suitable manner and may be constituted by e.g. aluminium or other suitable material. The upper beam  40  has a front end  140  and a rear end  150  (see  FIG. 1 ) which front end  140  is defined as the end which, when drilling, is facing the object to be drilled, e.g. rock, and the rear end  150  is defined as the end which is directed away from the object to be drilled. The cooperating members  110  are each arranged along a small portion of the longitudinal axis of the upper beam  40  in order to keep the weight low, preferably along 1/20- 1/10 of the upper beam  40 . The cooperating means  110  may for example be arranged in pairs on both the side wails  70 ,  80  in two respective separate positions along the upper beam  40  with an appropriate distance therebetween, preferably a distance which is sine third of the total length of the upper beam  40 . This is in order to provide stability and allow a suitable extension of the telescopic feeder, this is illustrated in  FIG. 1 . For example, a pair of attachment means  120  may be arranged at the front end  140  of the upper beam  40  and another pair of attachment means  120  may be arranged at a distance of a third of the total length of the upper beam  40  from its front end  140 . The attachment means  120  is intended for a fixed mounting of a crank block bracket  130 , for example by means of a screw. The crank block bracket  130  is this fixedly mounted to the upper beam  40  by the attachment means  120  and slidably arranged against the lower beam  50 . 
     In  FIG. 3 , a cross section of the drilling device  10  is illustrated as well as how the upper beam  40  cooperates with a drilling machine  20  and with the lower beam  50 . The crank block bracket  130  is intended for sliding cooperation with a slide rail  160  on the lower beam  50 , which is illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The crank block bracket  130  has a female profile suitable for sliding cooperation with the sliding rail  160  having a male profile, in the example in  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  4  the crank block bracket has a V-shaped profile for sliding cooperation with a V-shaped sliding rail  160 . The crank block bracket  130  comprises one or a pair of sliding surfaces  170  arranged at the inside of the female profile, which sliding surfaces are intended to be in sliding contact with the sliding rail  160 . The sliding surfaces  170  are made of a material with suitable sliding properties such as polyurethane or polyethylene. The crank block bracket  130  faces the outward surface  100  of each side wall  70 ,  80  of the upper beam  40 , which means that also the sliding surfaces  170  also face the outward surface  100  of each side wall  70 ,  80  of the upper beam  40 . The feature of the crank block bracket  130  facing the upper beam  40  and not an area below the bottom wall  60  of the upper beam  40  results in that there is a space between the crank block bracket  130  and the side walls  70 ,  80  of the upper beam  40  which space enables the upper beam  40  to partly travel in the lower beam  50 . This also enables a stable and secure sliding motion between the upper beam  40  and the lower beam  50  without a risk of derailment. It is desired to have as low a weight as possible of the upper beam  40  in order to avoid leverage when drilling in a position wherein it has been rotated around its longitudinal axis. It is therefore an advantage to arrange the crank block brackets  130  and the attachment means  120  at the upper beam  40  and arrange the sliding rail  160  cooperating with the crank block bracket  130 , on the lower beam  50  since the crank block bracket  130  and the attachment means  120  extend only along a small portion of the upper beam and thus have a lower weight than the sliding rail  160  extending along the entire lower beam  50 . 
     The upper beam  40  also comprises a pair of sliding rails  180  intended for sliding cooperation with a carriage  190  on which carriage  190  the drilling machine  20  is arranged (the carriage is also illustrated in  FIG. 1 ). The sliding rails  180  are arranged at the upper portion  104  of the upper beam  40  and extend along the longitudinal axis of the upper beam  40 . The sliding rails  180  may for example be fixedly attached along the upper beam  40  or constitute a portion of its extruded profile. The sliding rails  180  have a suitable male profile for sliding cooperation with a crank block bracket  200  having a female profile. The sliding rails  180  may for instance be cladded with an outer layer  205  having suitable abrasion and sliding properties such as a thin steel sheet. The crank block bracket  200  is arranged on the carriage  190 , which crank block bracket  200  comprises one or more sliding surfaces  210  arranged on the inside of the female profile, which sliding surfaces  210  are intended to be in sliding contact with the sliding rails  180 . The sliding surfaces  210  are made of a material with suitable sliding properties such as e.g. polyurethane or polyethylene. In the example illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the sliding rails  180  and the crank block bracket  200  have V-shaped profiles. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a cross section of the telescopic feeder  30  according to the present invention. The lower beam  50  extends along a longitudinal axis and may for example be constituted by a extruded aluminium profile. The lower beam  50  comprises a bottom wall  220  and side walls  230 , which results in a U-shaped cross section of the lower beam  50 , wherein upwards of the lower beam  50  is defined as a direction towards the opening of the U-shape and wherein “downwards” of the lower beam is defined as a direction towards the bottom wall  220 . The lower beam  50 , having an inward surface  240  which is constituted by the inside of the U-shaped lower beam  50  and an outward surface  250  which is constituted by the outside of the U-shaped lower beam  50 . The lower beam  50  has a height being defined by the height of the side walls  230  and a width being defined by the distance between the side walls  230 . 
     In order to reduce the height of the telescopic feeder  30 , the lower beam  50  is wider than the total or at least the lower portion  102  of the upper beam  40  so that the lower beam  50  within its U-shape accommodates all of the lower portion  102  of the upper beam  40  in such a manner that the upper beam  40  fully or partially may travel in the lower beam  50 . As mentioned above, it is a matter of fact that the larger the vertical portion of the upper beam  40  traveling in the lower beam  50 , the more compact the telescopic feeder  30  can be made, i.e. the less is the height of the telescopic feeder. The lower beam  50  is manufactured of a suitable material such as e.g. an extruded aluminium profile. The lower beam  50  comprises a pair of slide rails  160  as mentioned above, intended for sliding cooperation with the above mentioned crank block bracket  130  arranged on the upper beam  40 . The sliding rails  160  may for instance be cladded with an outer layer  260  having suitable abrasion and sliding properties such a thin steel sheet. The sliding rails  160  may be fixedly arranged along the lower beam  50  or constitute a part of its extruded cross section. Suitably, the slide rails  160  are arranged with one sliding rail on the outward surface  250  of each side wall  230 . The slide rails  160  have a suitable male profile for cooperation with the female profile of the crank block bracket  130  on the upper beam  40 . In the example in  FIG. 4 , the sliding rails  160  and the crank block bracket  130  are V-shaped profiles, as mentioned above. The slide rails  160  are advantageously arranged high up, preferably at the uppermost portion of the side wall  230 , on the outer surface  250  of the lower beam  50  in order for cooperating members  110  of the upper beam  40  to be located as close as possible in order to engage with the sliding rails  160  of the lower beam  50 .