Patent Publication Number: US-2023151699-A1

Title: Rotary percussive hydraulic drill provided with a shank equipped with coupling splines

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a National Stage of PCT Application No. PCT/PCT/FR2021/050547 filed on Mar. 29, 2021, which claims priority to French Pat. Application No. 20/03324 filed on Apr. 2, 2020, the contents each of which are incorporated herein by reference thereto. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a rotary percussive hydraulic drill more especially used on a drilling installation. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A drilling installation comprises, in known manner, a rotary percussive hydraulic drill slidably mounted on a slide and driving one or more drilling bars, the last of these drilling bars carrying a tool called a cutting edge which in contact with the rock. The objective of such a drill is generally to drill more or less deep holes in order to be able to place explosive charges therein. The drill is therefore the main element of a drilling installation which, on the one hand, gives the cutting edge the setting in rotation and the setting in percussion through the drilling bars so as to penetrate the rock, and, on the other hand, provides an injection fluid so as to extract the debris from the drilled hole. 
     A rotary percussive hydraulic drill more particularly comprises, on the one hand, a striking device which is driven by one or more hydraulic fluid flow rates coming from a main hydraulic supply circuit and which comprises a striking piston configured to strike, at each operating cycle of the drill, a shank coupled to the drilling bars, and, on the other hand, a rotation driving device provided with a hydraulic rotary motor and configured to rotate the shank and the drilling bars. 
     The rotation driving device comprises in particular a coupling member which is disposed around the shank and which comprises male coupling splines and female coupling splines respectively rotatably coupled with female coupling splines and male coupling splines provided on the outer surface of the shank. The male and female coupling splines provided on the shank extend substantially parallel to an extension axis of the shank and are angularly offset from each other with respect to the extension axis of the shank. 
     When blocking in the rock of the cutting edge, the rotary percussive hydraulic drill is retracted until the front ends of the male coupling splines provided on the shank abut against a front abutment surface provided on a front abutment member which is fixed to the body of the rotary percussive hydraulic drill. 
     Then, in an attempt to unlock the tool, the rotation driving device and/or the striking device can be activated so as to drive the shank in rotation and/or to have an impact on the latter with the striking piston. 
     Such activation of the rotation driving device and/or of the striking device induces rotational friction of the male coupling splines provided on the shank against the front abutment surface and/or axial shocks of the male coupling splines provided on the shank against the front abutment surface. 
     However, such repeated axial shocks and rotational friction are likely to generate rapid wear of the male coupling splines provided on the shank, requiring a frequent replacement of the shank. In addition, such wear of the male coupling splines generates chips which are likely to get stuck between different moving parts of the rotary percussive hydraulic drill and therefore to damage the latter. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure aims to remedy all or part of these drawbacks. 
     The technical problem underlying the present disclosure is therefore consists in providing a rotary percussive hydraulic drill which is simple in structure, economical and reliable, while being compact. 
     To this end, the present disclosure relates to a rotary percussive hydraulic drill including:
     a body,   a shank intended to be coupled to at least one drilling bar equipped with a tool, the shank including a coupling part comprising female coupling splines and male coupling splines which are angularly offset from each other others with respect to the extension axis of the shank,   a striking piston slidably mounted inside the body along a striking axis and configured to strike the shank,   a rotation driving device which is configured to drive the shank in rotation about an axis of rotation substantially coincident with the striking axis, the rotation driving device comprising a coupling member disposed around the shank, the coupling member comprising male coupling splines and female coupling splines which are respectively rotatably coupled with the female and male coupling splines of the shank,   a front abutment surface which is fixed with respect to the body, the front abutment surface being annular and extending around the shank, the shank being configured to abut against the front abutment surface so as to limit the displacement stroke of the shank forwards,   

     characterized in that the shank includes an annular bearing flange which is provided on an outer surface of the shank and which includes an annular bearing surface configured to abut against the front abutment surface, and in that each of the female and male coupling splines provided on the shank extends from the annular bearing flange and in the direction of the striking piston, each female coupling spline provided on the shank including a bottom surface and a connecting surface which connects the respective bottom surface to the annular bearing flange and which extends forwards away from the extension axis of the shank, the connecting surface of each female coupling spline provided on the shank being at least in part formed by a curved concave surface extending substantially in the extension direction of the respective female coupling spline and having a radius of curvature which is less than the radial height of each of the male coupling splines provided on the shank. 
     The presence of such an annular bearing flange at the front of the female and male coupling splines provided on the shank makes it possible to avoid contact between the front abutment surface and the male coupling splines provided on the shank, and therefore to preserve the integrity of the latter. 
     In addition, the presence of an annular bearing surface on the annular bearing flange ensures a relatively large contact surface between the front abutment surface and the annular bearing flange, and therefore a better distribution of the forces of impact and/or friction applied by the shank against the front abutment surface. 
     Thus, the specific configuration of the rotary percussive hydraulic drill according to the present disclosure gives the shank a substantially increased service life, which makes it possible to significantly reduce the periods of immobilization of the drill to replace the shank, and risk of damage to the drill that could affect the safety of users. 
     Furthermore, given that the male coupling splines provided on the shank extend directly from the annular bearing flange, the axial length of the shank is not affected by the presence of the annular bearing flange, which makes it possible to obtain a compact rotary percussive hydraulic drill. The fact that each female coupling spline provided on the shank includes a connecting surface at least in part formed by a curved concave surface having a small radius of curvature makes it possible to further reduce the axial length of the shank, and therefore to further increase the compactness of the rotary percussive hydraulic drill. 
     The specific configuration of the connecting surface of each female coupling spline provided on the shank also makes it possible to avoid the presence of sharp angles likely to induce high stresses on the shank during operation of the drill, and therefore to induce ruptures of the shank. 
     The rotary percussive hydraulic drill may also have one or more of the following characteristics, taken alone or in combination. 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the female and male coupling splines provided on the shank extend substantially parallel to the extension axis of the shank. 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the connecting surface of each female coupling spline provided on the shank is entirely formed by the respective curved concave surface. 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the annular bearing flange has a maximum external diameter which is greater than or equal to the external diameter of the coupling part. Such a configuration of the coupling part makes it possible to reduce the cross section of the shank at the coupling part, and therefore to reduce the cross section of the coupling member, while retaining a large surface of protection. These arrangements thus make it possible to reduce the footprint of the rotary percussive hydraulic drill according to the present disclosure. 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the front end of each female coupling spline provided on the shank is provided on the annular bearing flange. According to one variant of the present disclosure, the front end of each female coupling spline provided on the shank could be adjacent to the annular bearing flange. 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the front end of each male coupling spline provided on the shank is adjacent to the annular bearing flange. 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, each male coupling spline provided on the shank includes a top surface which extends from the annular bearing flange. 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, for each male coupling spline provided on the shank, the radial distance between the extension axis of the shank and the top surface of said male coupling spline is substantially constant along said male coupling spline. 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the radius of curvature of each curved concave surface is less than 15 mm, and for example less than 10 mm. Such a value of the radius of curvature of the curved concave surface of each female coupling spline provided on the shank makes it possible to reduce the length of the connection between the bearing flange and the different coupling splines provided on the shank, and therefore to reduce the length of the shank. These arrangements thus make it possible to increase the compactness of the rotary percussive hydraulic drill according to the present disclosure. 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the connecting surface of each female coupling spline provided on the shank includes an inclined surface which is inclined with respect to the extension axis of the shank and which diverges in the direction of the front abutment surface. Advantageously, the inclined surface extends in the extension of the curved concave surface and in the direction of the front end of the shank. 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the annular bearing flange includes an external peripheral surface which is generally cylindrical. 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the front end of each female coupling spline provided on the shank opens into an external surface of the annular bearing flange. 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the front end of each female coupling spline provided on the shank opens into the external peripheral surface. 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the external peripheral surface extends in the extension of the annular bearing surface in the direction of the striking piston. 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the front end of each female coupling spline provided on the shank opens into the annular bearing surface of the annular bearing flange. 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the radial height of the annular bearing flange at an outlet of the front end of each female coupling spline provided on the shank is greater than 50%, and for example greater than or equal to 60 or 70%, of the maximum radial height of the annular bearing flange. 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, each female coupling spline provided on the shank includes two lateral surfaces which extend longitudinally and which are substantially parallel. 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the annular bearing surface is inclined with respect to the striking axis and diverges in the direction of the striking piston. However, according to a variant of the present disclosure, the annular bearing surface could be perpendicular to the striking axis. 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the front abutment surface is provided on the body. 
     According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the rotary percussive hydraulic drill includes an annular abutment ring which is disposed in the body, the annular abutment ring being disposed around the shank and including the front abutment surface. 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the coupling member includes external peripheral teeth rotatably coupled, for example directly or indirectly, with an output shaft of a drive motor belonging to the rotation driving device. 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the coupling member is a coupling pinion. 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the female coupling splines of the shank are evenly distributed about the extension axis. 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the male coupling splines of the coupling member are evenly distributed about the extension axis of the shank. 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the shank includes a first end portion facing the striking piston and provided with an end face against which the striking piston is intended to strike, and a second end portion, opposite to the first end portion, intended to be coupled to the at least one drilling bar. 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the coupling part is formed by the first end portion of the shank. 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the extension axis of the shank is parallel, and for example coincident, with the striking axis. 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the rotary percussive hydraulic drill includes a main hydraulic supply circuit configured to control reciprocating sliding of the striking piston along the striking axis. 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, each of the female and male coupling splines provided on the shank extends to the rear end of the shank. According to one variant of the present disclosure, the rear end of each of the female and male coupling splines provided on the shank is spaced from the rear end of the shank. 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, each of the female and male coupling splines provided on the shank has a useful length of less than 100 mm. 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the shank has, at the front of the annular bearing flange, a maximum diameter less than or equal to 61 mm, and advantageously less than 46 mm. 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the bottom surface of each female coupling spline provided on the shank is substantially flat. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will be better understood with the aid of the description which follows with reference to the appended schematic drawings showing, by way of non-limiting example, one embodiment of this rotary percussive hydraulic drill. 
         FIG.  1    is a schematic view in longitudinal section of a rotary percussive hydraulic drill according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  2    is a side view of a shank belonging to the rotary percussive hydraulic drill of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  3    is a cross-sectional view of the shank of  FIG.  2   . 
         FIG.  4    is a partial view in longitudinal section of the shank of  FIG.  2   . 
         FIG.  5    is a partial view in longitudinal section of the shank of a rotary percussive hydraulic drill according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIGS.  1  to  4    show a rotary percussive hydraulic drill  2  which is intended for the perforation of blast holes. 
     The rotary percussive hydraulic drill  2  comprises a body  3  which is configured to be slidably mounted on a slide. 
     The rotary percussive hydraulic drill  2  further comprises a striking device  4  including a striking piston  5  mounted to slide alternately in a piston cylinder  6  which is delimited by the body  3  and which extends along a striking axis A. The striking piston  5  and the piston cylinder  6  delimit a primary control chamber  7  which is annular, and a secondary control chamber  8  which has a section larger than that of the primary control chamber  7  and which is antagonistic to the primary control chamber  7 . 
     The striking device  4  further comprises a control valve  9  arranged to control a reciprocating movement of the striking piston  5  within the piston cylinder  6  alternately following a striking stroke and a return stroke. The control valve  9  is configured to put the secondary control chamber  8 , alternately in connection with a high pressure fluid supply duct  11 , such as a high pressure incompressible fluid supply duct, during the striking stroke of the striking piston  5 , and with a low pressure fluid return duct  12 , such as an low pressure incompressible fluid return duct, during the return stroke of the striking piston  5 . The primary control chamber  7  is advantageously continuously supplied with high pressure fluid by a supply channel. 
     The high pressure fluid supply duct  11  and the low pressure fluid return duct  12  belong to a main hydraulic supply circuit with which the striking device  4  is provided. The main hydraulic supply circuit can advantageously include a high pressure accumulator connected to the high pressure fluid supply duct  11 . 
     The rotary percussive hydraulic drill  2  also includes a shank  13  intended to be coupled, in a known manner, to at least one drilling bar (not shown in the figures) equipped with a tool. The shank  13  extends longitudinally along an extension axis which is advantageously coincident with the striking axis A, and includes a first end portion  14 . 1  facing the striking piston  5  and provided with an end face  15  against which is intended to strike the striking piston  5  during each operating cycle of the rotary percussive hydraulic drill  2 , and a second end portion  14 . 2 , opposite to the first end portion  14 . 1 , intended to be coupled to the at least one drilling bar. 
     The shank  13  includes a coupling part, which is formed for example by the first end portion  14 . 1 , comprising female coupling splines  16  and male coupling splines  17  which extend for example parallel to the extension axis of the shank  13  and which are angularly offset from each other with respect to the extension axis of the shank  13 . The female and male coupling splines  16 ,  17  are advantageously evenly distributed about the extension axis of the shank  13 . Advantageously, each male coupling spline  17  is disposed between two adjacent female coupling splines  16 . 
     Each of the female and male coupling splines  16 ,  17  includes a rear end which is oriented towards the striking piston  5  and a front end which is opposite to the respective rear end. According to the embodiment shown in  FIGS.  1  to  4   , each of the female and male coupling splines  16 ,  17  extends to the rear end of the shank  13 . However, according to one variant of the present disclosure, the rear end of each of the female and male coupling splines  16 ,  17  could be spaced from the rear end of the shank  13 . 
     The rotary percussive hydraulic drill  2  further includes a rotation driving device  18  which is configured to drive the shank  13  in rotation about an axis of rotation which is substantially coincident with the striking axis A. 
     The rotation driving device  18  comprises a coupling member  19 , such as a coupling pinion, which is tubular and which is disposed around the shank  13 . The coupling member  19  comprises male coupling splines and female coupling splines which are rotatably coupled with the female and male coupling splines  16 ,  17  of the shank  13 , respectively. The male coupling splines and the female coupling splines provided on the coupling member  19  are evenly distributed about the extension axis of the shank  13 . 
     Advantageously, the coupling member  19  includes external peripheral teeth rotatably coupled with an output shaft of a drive motor  21 , such as a hydraulic motor supplied hydraulically by a hydraulic supply external circuit, belonging to the rotation driving device  18 . The rotation driving device  18  may for example include an intermediate pinion  22  which is coupled, on the one hand, to the output shaft of the drive motor  21  and, on the other hand, to the external peripheral teeth of the coupling member  19 . 
     The rotary percussive hydraulic drill  2  further includes a front abutment surface  23  which is annular and which extends around the shank  13 . The front abutment surface  23  is located opposite the striking piston  5  with respect to the coupling member  19 . The front abutment surface  23  may be provided directly on the body  3 , or may be provided on an annular abutment ring which is disposed in the body  3 . 
     The shank  13  includes an annular bearing flange  24  which is provided on an outer surface of the shank  13 . The annular bearing flange  24  includes an annular bearing surface  25  configured to abut against the front abutment surface  23  so as to limit the displacement stroke of the shank  13  forwards. Advantageously, the annular bearing surface  25  is inclined with respect to the striking axis A and diverges in the direction of the coupling part of the shank  13 . 
     According to the embodiment shown in  FIGS.  1  to  4   , the annular bearing flange  24  further includes an external peripheral surface  26  which is generally cylindrical and which extends in the extension of the annular bearing surface  25  in the direction of the rear end of the shank  13 . The external peripheral surface  26  advantageously has an external diameter which is greater than or equal to the external diameter of the coupling part. 
     Advantageously, each female and male coupling spline  16 ,  17  extends from the annular bearing flange  24  in the direction of the rear end of the shank  13 . According to the embodiment shown in  FIGS.  1  to  4   , the front end of each female coupling spline  16  is provided on the annular bearing flange  24  and opens into an external surface of the annular bearing flange  24  and for example into the external peripheral surface  26 . 
     According to the embodiment shown in  FIGS.  1  to  4   , each female coupling spline  16  includes a bottom surface  27  which is substantially planar and which extends in the extension direction of said female coupling spline, and a connecting surface  28  which connects the respective bottom surface  27  to the annular bearing flange  24  and which extends forwards away from the extension axis of the shank  13 . According to the embodiment shown in  FIGS.  1  to  4   , the connecting surface  28  of each female coupling spline  16  is entirely formed by a curved concave surface  28 . 1  extending in the extension direction of the respective female coupling spline  16  and having a radius of curvature R which is less than the radial height Hr of each of the male coupling splines  17  provided on the shank  13 . The radius of curvature R of each curved concave surface  28 .1 is advantageously less than 15 mm, and is for example less than 10 mm. 
     Each female coupling spline  16  may for example have a rectangular cross section, and therefore have two lateral surfaces which extend longitudinally and which are substantially parallel. However, each female coupling spline  16  could have a generally V-shaped cross section. 
     According to the embodiment shown in  FIGS.  1  to  4   , for each male coupling spline  17 , the radial distance D R  between the extension axis of the shank  13  and a top surface  29  of said male coupling spline  17  is substantially constant along said male coupling spline. 
     When blocking in the rock of the cutting edge, the rotary percussive hydraulic drill  2  is retracted until the annular bearing surface  25  of the annular bearing flange  24  abuts against the front abutment surface  23 . 
     Then, in order to unlock the cutting edge, the rotation driving device  18  is activated so as to drive the shank  13  in rotation. The striking device  4  could also be activated simultaneously with the rotation driving device  18  so as to have also an impact on the shank  13  with the striking piston  5 . 
     Such activation of the rotation driving device  18  and possibly of the striking device  4  induces rotational friction of the annular bearing surface  25  of the annular bearing flange  24  against the front abutment surface  23  and potential axial shocks of the annular bearing surface  25  against the front abutment surface  23 . 
     The presence of the annular bearing flange  24  at the front of the female and male coupling splines  16 ,  17  provided on the shank  13  makes it possible to avoid contact between the front abutment surface  23  and the male coupling splines  17  provided on the shank  13 , and therefore to preserve the integrity of the latter. In addition, the fact that the annular bearing surface  25  is annular ensures a relatively large contact surface between the front abutment surface  23  and the annular bearing flange  24 , and therefore a better distribution of the impact forces applied by the shank  13  against the front abutment surface  23 . 
     Thus, the specific configuration of the rotary percussive hydraulic drill  2  according to the present disclosure gives the shank  13  a significantly increased service life, which makes it possible to significantly reduce the periods of immobilization of the rotary percussive hydraulic drill  2  for replace the shank  13 , and the risk of damaging the rotary percussive hydraulic drill  2  by wear particles from the shank  13 . 
     In addition, given that the male coupling splines  17  provided on the shank  13  extend directly from the annular bearing flange  24 , the axial length of the shank  13  is not affected by the presence of the annular bearing flange  24 , which makes it possible to obtain a rotary percussive hydraulic drill  2  which is compact. 
       FIG.  5    shows the shank  13  of a rotary percussive hydraulic drill  2  according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure which differs from the first embodiment shown in  FIGS.  1  to  4    essentially in that the front end of each female coupling spline  16  opens into the annular bearing surface  25  of the annular bearing flange  24 . According to such an embodiment of the present disclosure, the radial height of the annular bearing flange  24  at an outlet of the front end of each female coupling spline  16  is greater than 50%, and for example greater than or equal to 60 or 70%, of the maximum radial height of the annular bearing flange  24 . 
     As goes without saying, the present disclosure is not limited to the sole embodiment of this rotary percussive hydraulic drill, described above by way of example, it embraces on the contrary all the variants thereof.