Patent ID: 7802639

Claim:
A drive apparatus for a drill stem, in particular for de-coking systems, having a feeder ( 4 ) connected to a water supply ( 8 ) via a first interface ( 6 ) and to a drill stem ( 12 ) via a second interface ( 10 ), and having a drive ( 14 ) and a gearbox ( 16 ) for rotatably driving said feeder ( 4 ) and said drill stem ( 12 ), characterized in that said feeder ( 4 ) has a first water carrying section ( 20 ) releasably connected to said water supply ( 8 ) and a second water carrying section ( 40 ) connected to said drill stem ( 12 ) and said first ( 20 ) and second ( 40 ) sections are releasably connected to each other at a point above the gearbox, said first section ( 20 ) of said feeder ( 4 ) forming an assembly together with sealing elements ( 32 ) and said first interface ( 6 ), and said assembly being formed as a unit being removable from the feeder in a direction transverse to a central axis of the feeder ( 4 ) upon releasing the connection of the first water carrying section ( 20 ) to said water supply ( 8 ) and the connection of said first ( 20 ) and second ( 40 ) sections.