Sealing structure for pole boring machine

Abstract

Abstract A pair of aligned drills each includes a drill tube carrying a drill bit including a forward pilot pin, forward cutters of a smaller diameter and rearward cutters of a larger diameter. The drill tube is rotated and drills an axial hole in a pole slightly larger than a guide tube, which extends to a point just behind the rearward cutters and journals the drill tube. Pressurized air fed into the guide tube through a rotary coupling travels through a venturi passage at the forward end of the guide tube and carries chips from the drill bit back through the drill tube. The guide tube is rotated slowly to dislodge chips and facilitate movement of the guide tube into the bore being formed. A carriage slidable on tubular ways and guides slidable on the ways support the guide tube and is moved forwardly slowly by a cable drive to feed the drill and is returned rapidly by the cable drive. The drills are moved forwardly from opposite ends of the pole to be drilled until one drill reaches the end of its feed stroke and then this drill is retracted while the other drill completes its stroke. A slidable interlock prevents the drills from coming together and reverses the motion of the carriage of one of the drills when the drills closely approach each other. Opposed clamps having generally V-shaped jaws on the ends of tongs grip and center the pole relative to the drills. The rotary coupling forms pressure-tight seals both with the drill tube and the guide tube. Spiders in the guide tube mount ball bearings journaling the drill tube and permit flow of air along the space between the drill tube and the guide tube.

Inventors

• 👤 M Mater

Bibliographic Details