US3788423A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Plenum chamber
Assignee: Honeywell International Inc
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Filing: 1972-06-07
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Granted: 1974-01-29
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Expires: 1992-06-07
Abstract
Abstract A plenum chamber for covering and sealing a bore hole opening at the surface of the ground and for reducing the noise produced during a drilling operation is provided. The plenum chamber has a housing means comprising an open bottom and a closed top having a port therein which is adapted to receive a drill shaft. A vibration damping and sound absorbing means is disposed between and contacts a substantial portion of the external and internal walls of the housing means. Sealing means are connected to the housing means for maintaining the top and the bottom thereof in sealing engagement with the drill shaft and the surface of the ground, respectively. Drilling cuttings and dust particles carried up the bore hole by a compressed air stream are trapped by the plenum chamber in a highly efficient manner. Mechanical vibrational energy imparted to the housing means by impact of the drilling cuttings thereagainst is dissipated by the vibration damping and sound absorbing means. The external wall operates as a reflective barrier means to confine noise within the plenum chamber until it is eventually absorbed. As a result, the noise produced during operation of rotary drilling machines is substantially reduced.
Inventors
- 👤 R Nittinger
- 👤 D Taylor
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 16:16
CPC Classifications
B; B23; B23Q; B23Q11/00; B23Q11/0078; B23Q11/0096; B23Q11/08; E; E21; E21B; E21B21/00; E21B21/01; E21B21/015; E21B33/00; E21B33/02; E21B41/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
198 words
A plenum chamber for covering and sealing a bore hole opening at the surface of the ground and for concomitantly reducing the noise produced during a drilling operation, comprising: a. a housing means having an external wall composed of a reflective barrier means, an internal wall composed of an abrasion resistant means and a vibration damping and sound absorbing means disposed between and contacting a substantial portion of each of said external and internal walls; b. said housing means having an open bottom and a closed top defined by said internal and external walls and having a port therein adapted to receive a drill shaft; c. a first sealing means connected to said top of said housing means adjacent said port for maintaining said port in sealing engagement with said drill shaft; d. a conduit extending through said housing means so as to provide an outlet therein for removal of drilling cuttings and dust particles from the plenum chamber, said conduit having an internal surface composed of an abrasion resistant means; and e. a second sealing means connected to the bottom of said housing means for maintaining said bottom in sealing engagement with the surface of the ground.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
198 words
A plenum chamber for covering and sealing a bore hole opening at the surface of the ground and for concomitantly reducing the noise produced during a drilling operation, comprising: a. a housing means having an external wall composed of a reflective barrier means, an internal wall composed of an abrasion resistant means and a vibration damping and sound absorbing means disposed between and contacting a substantial portion of each of said external and internal walls; b. said housing means having an open bottom and a closed top defined by said internal and external walls and having a port therein adapted to receive a drill shaft; c. a first sealing means connected to said top of said housing means adjacent said port for maintaining said port in sealing engagement with said drill shaft; d. a conduit extending through said housing means so as to provide an outlet therein for removal of drilling cuttings and dust particles from the plenum chamber, said conduit having an internal surface composed of an abrasion resistant means; and e. a second sealing means connected to the bottom of said housing means for maintaining said bottom in sealing engagement with the surface of the ground.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
A plenum chamber as recited in claim 1 wherein said vibration damping and sound absorbing means has a vibration decay rate ranging from about 4 to 400 dbA per second and a sound absorption coefficient of about 0.04 to 1.0.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
A plenum chamber as recited in claim 2 wherein said vibration damping and sound absorbing means contacts from about 30 to 100 percent of the inner surface of said internal and external walls.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
59 words
A plenum chamber as recited in claim 3 wherein said vibration damping and sound absorbing means has a vibration damping capacity sufficient to substantially reduce the vibrational energy of each of said internal and external walls of said housing means by about 40 to 80 dbA per second during a time period ranging from about 1/100 to 2 seconds.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
A plenum chamber as recited in claim 1 wherein said vibration damping and sound absorbing means is selected from the group consisting of asbestos fibers, silicone rubbers and urethane rubbers.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
A plenum chamber as recited in claim 1 wherein said internal wall comprises an elastomeric material having a hardness of about 35 to 75 durometer Shore A (ASTM).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
A plenum chamber as recited in claim 1 wherein said reflective barrier means is selected from the group consisting of lead, aluminum and reinforced elastomers.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
67 words
A plenum chamber as recited in claim 1 wherein said first sealing means comprises a resilient, readily deformable elastomeric material having a substantially annular configuration and being connected to said top of said housing means, said first sealing means having a central portion which defines said port and an inside diameter which, in its undeformed state, is slightly smaller than the outside diameter of said drill shaft.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
A plenum chamber as recited in claim 1 wherein said housing means is substantially bell-shaped.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
36 words
A plenum chamber as recited in claim 9 wherein each of the internal wall of said housing means and the internal surface of said conduit has a uniform thickness ranging from about 1/8 to 3 inches.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
A plenum chamber as recited in claim 10 wherein the external wall of said housing means has a thickness ranging from about 1/8 to 2 inches.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
38 words
A plenum chamber as recited in claim 11 wherein said vibration damping and sound absorbing means has a thickness of at least about 30 percent of the average combined thicknesses of said internal wall and said external wall.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
21 words
A plenum chamber as recited in claim 1 wherein said vibration damping and sound absorbing means has a substantially annular configuration.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
52 words
A plenum chamber as recited in claim 1 wherein said second sealing means comprises a resilient readily deformable elastomeric material having a substantially annular configuration, the upper portion of said second sealing means being connected to said base and the lower portion of said second sealing means projecting downwardly from said base.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-01-28 | 1977-07-30 | 1978-01-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-01-28 | 1981-07-30 | 1982-01-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-01-28 | 1985-07-30 | 1986-01-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |