Patent ID: 8092125

Claim:
In a peck drill having a start button for actuating a motor to rotate and a piston to advance a drill bit, a hydraulic damper assembly including a hydraulic cylinder and a damper rod for limiting the speed of advancement of the drill bit, the hydraulic damper assembly including a retainer device that prevents the damper rod from resetting to an initial position when the piston retracts the drill bit during a peck cycle, and the retainer device releasing the damper rod to reset when the drill bit is at total depth, the improvement comprising: a housing enclosing the damper rod and the start button, the housing having an aperture that provides manual access to the start button; and a safety device pivotally mounted to the housing and in cooperative engagement with the hydraulic damper assembly, the safety device having a closed position that blocks the aperture and access to the start button when the damper rod has moved from the initial position, and an open position that opens the aperture to provide access to the start button when the damper rod is in the initial position.