Method and means for drilling

Claim 3

A method according to claim 1 in which flushing medium entering through said slot is led rearwardly past said centering surfaces in bypassed relation to the sliding engagement thereof.

Claim 4

An improved drilling means of the type incorporating a rotatable drilling tool adapted to drill a hole in advance of trailing casing tube means which are passed by rotatable drill rod means for carrying, rotating, and supplying flushing medium to said drilling tool, the drilling particles produced during drilling being removed by said flushing medium via said casing tube means, wherein the improvement comprises a. centering means on the rear portion of said drilling tool having centering surface means of substantial axial width thereon on a diameter chosen for sliding engagement with an interior cylindrical portion of said casing tube means, b. a cylindrical strainer body on said drilling tool in close proximity to and forwardly of said centering means, said strainer body protruding from the mouth of said casing tube means and having a diameter smaller than said centering surface means thereof for providing at the mouth of said casing tube means an annular strainer slot between said strainer body and said casing tube means through which slot said flushing medium during removal is permitted to enter into said casing tube means, and c. bypass passage means associated with said centering surface means for conducting flushing medium issuing from said slot rearwardly past said centering surface means in bypassed relation to the sliding engagement thereof.

Claim 5

An improved drilling means of the type incorporating a rotatable drilling tool adapted to drill a hole in advance of trailing casing tube means which are passed by rotatable drill rod means for carrying, rotating, and supplying flushing medium to said drilling tool, the drilling particles produced during drilling being removed by said flushing medium via said casing tube means, wherein the improvement comprises a. centering means on the rear portion of said drilling tool having centering surface means of substantial axial width thereon on a diameter chosen for sliding engagement with an interior cylindrical portion of said casing tube means, b. a cylindrical strainer body on said drilling tool in close proximity to and forwardly of said centering means, said strainer body protruding from the mouth of said casing tube means and having a diameter smaller than said centering surface means thereof for providing at the mouth of said casing tube means an annular strainer slot between said strainer body and said casing tube means through which slot said flushing medium during removal is permitted to enter into said casing tube means, and c. bypass passage means associated with said centering surface means for conducting flushing medium issuing from said slot rearwardly past said centering surface means in bypassed relation to the sliding engagement thereof.

Claim 6

A drilling means according to claim 3 in which said drilling tool comprises a drill bit with an integral shaft portion coaxial therewith and in fixed coaxial engagement with said strainer body and centering means.

Claim 7

A drilling means according to claim 4 in which said drilling tool comprises a sleeve mounted on said shaft between said strainer body anD said drill bit, and reamer cutting edge means for said casing tube means, said cutting edge means being provided on said sleeve.

Claim 8

A drilling means according to claim 5 in which said shaft has an eccentric portion and said sleeve is mounted on said eccentric portion of said shaft turnably between diametrically opposed positions, and peripherally spaced abutment means for said sleeve on said drill bit for defining said diametrically opposed positions, said abutment means maintaining said sleeve with said cutting edge means thereof respectively radially projected or retracted with respect to said strainer body.

Claim 9

A drilling means according to claim 6 in which there are provided cooperating impact transmitting surfaces on said strainer body and said sleeve, one of the abutment means of said drill bit being slanted for urging the abutting surface of said sleeve against the abutting surface of said strainer body during appropriate rotation of said drilling tool.

Claim 10

A drilling means according to claim 4 in which said centering means comprises a coupling sleeve in threaded engagement with said drill rod means and said shaft portion, said centering surface means being disposed on helically extending guiding ribs defining said bypass passage means therebetween and disposed on and extending from said coupling sleeve with a sufficiently large wrap angle so as to provide radial guidance of said coupling sleeve on center with the surrounding casing tube means.

Claim 11

A drilling means according to claim 4 in which said centering means comprises a cylindrical body with said centering surface means provided cylindrically therearound, an annular groove between said cylindrical body and said strainer body, and bypass passage means for said flushing medium extending rearwardly from said groove through said cylindrical body.

Claim 12

A drilling means according to claim 4 in which a splined impact receiving shank is provided integrally with said centering means, and a down-the-hole drill is disposed at the head of said drill rod means in said casing tube means for carrying, rotating, supplying flushing medium and impacting said drilling tool means by said shank.

Claim 13

A drilling means according to claim 10 in which said casing tube means has an internal shoulder spaced rearwardly from the mouth thereof, and said centering means is provided with a shoulder thereon for impact transmitting cooperation with said internal shoulder in said casing tube means.

Claim 14

A drilling means according to claim 3 in which said drilling tool comprises a drill bit having an integral rearwardly extending shaft portion, said rearwardly extending shaft portion of said drill bit being in axially fixed coaxial engagement with said strainer body, a sleeve mounted eccentrically on said shaft portion between said strainer body and said drill bit, and reamer cutting edges on said sleeve.

Claim 15

An improved drilling means of the type incorporating a rotatable drilling tool adapted to drill a hole in advance of trailing casing tube means which are passed by rotatable drill rod means for carrying, rotating, and supplying flushing medium to said drilling tool, the drilling particles produced during drilling being removed by said flushing medium via said casing tube means, wherein the improvement comprises a. a drill bit having a shaft which extends rearwardly therefrom, b. a sleeve mounted on an intermediate portion of said shaft, c. eccentrically disposed reamer cutting edge means on said sleeve, d. a cylindrical strainer body disposed on the rear end of said shaft in coaxial relation to said drill bit, said strainer body protruding from the mouth of said casing tube means and having a diameter smaller than said mouth for providing an annular strainer slot between said strainer body and said casing tube means through which slot said flushing medium during removal is permitted to enter into said casing tube means, said strainer slot being dimensioned so as to block large size drilling partIcles from entering said casing tube means, e. centering means in coaxial proximity rearwardly of said strainer body, said centering means having centering surface means of substantial axial width thereon on a diameter chosen for sliding engagement with an interior cylindrical portion of said casing tube means, and f. bypass passage means associated with said centering surface means for conducting flushing medium issuing from said slot rearwardly past said centering surface means in bypassed relation to the sliding engagement thereof.

Claim 16

An improved drilling means of the type incorporating a rotatable drilling tool adapted to drill a hole in advance of trailing casing tube means which are passed by rotatable drill rod means for carrying, rotating, and supplying flushing medium to said drilling tool, the drilling particles produced during drilling being removed by said flushing medium via said casing tube means, wherein the improvement comprises a. a drill bit having a shaft which extends rearwardly therefrom, b. a sleeve mounted on an intermediate portion of said shaft, c. eccentrically disposed reamer cutting edge means on said sleeve, d. a cylindrical strainer body disposed on the rear end of said shaft in coaxial relation to said drill bit, said strainer body protruding from the mouth of said casing tube means and having a diameter smaller than said mouth for providing an annular strainer slot between said strainer body and said casing tube means through which slot said flushing medium during removal is permitted to enter into said casing tube means, said strainer slot being dimensioned so as to block large size drilling partIcles from entering said casing tube means, e. centering means in coaxial proximity rearwardly of said strainer body, said centering means having centering surface means of substantial axial width thereon on a diameter chosen for sliding engagement with an interior cylindrical portion of said casing tube means, and f. bypass passage means associated with said centering surface means for conducting flushing medium issuing from said slot rearwardly past said centering surface means in bypassed relation to the sliding engagement thereof.

Claim 17

A drilling means according to claim 13 in which said intermediate portion of said shaft is disposed eccentrically to said drill bit and said sleeve is mounted turnably thereon between diametrically opposed positions, and said drilling means including spaced abutment means on said drill bit for defining said positions of said sleeve, said abutment means maintaining said sleeve with said reamer cutting edge means thereof respectively radially projected or retracted with respect to said strainer body.

Claim 18

A drilling means according to claim 14 in which there are provided cooperating axial faces on said strainer body and said sleeve for transmitting impacts therebetween, one of said abutment means of said drill bit being slanted for urging the abutting surface of said sleeve against the abutting surface of said strainer body during appropriate rotation of said drilling tool.

Claim 19

A drilling means according to claim 13 in which said centering means comprises a coupling sleeve adapted for threaded engagement with said drill rod means and said shaft portion, helically extending guiding ribs on said sleeve defining said bypass passage means therebetween, said centering surface means terminating said ribs in a radial direction, and said ribs defining a sufficiently large wrap angle for said surface means so as to provide close radial guidance of said coupling sleeve in sliding relation on center with the surrounding casing tube means.

Claim 20

A drilling means according to claim 13 in which said centering means comprises a cylindrical body with said centering surface means provided cylindrically therearound, an annular groove between said cylindrical body and said strainer body, and bypass passage means for said flushing medium extending rearwardly from said groove through said cylindrical body.

Claim 21

A drilling means according to claim 13 in which a splined impact receiving shank is provided integrally with said centering means, and a down-the-hole drill is disposed at the head of said drill rod means in said casing tube means for carrying, rotating, supplying flushing medium and impacting said drilling tool means by said shank.

Claim 22

A drilling means according to claim 18 in which there is provided an internal shoulder in said casing tube means spaced rearwardly from the mouth thereof and said centering means is provided with a shoulder thereon for impact transmitting cooperation with said internal shoulder.

Claim 23

An improved drilling means of the type incorporating a rotatable drilling tool adapted to drill a hole in advance of trailing casing tube means which are passed by rotatable drill means for carrying, rotating, and supplying flushing medium to said drilling tool, the drilling particles produced during drilling being removed by said flushing medium via said casing tube means, wherein the improvement comprises a. a ring shoulder at the forward end mouth of said casing tube means, said mouth of said casing tube means being drill bit free, b. a down-the-hole drill in said casing tube means, c. a cylindrical guide flange cooperating coaxially and slideably with the inside of said casing tube means, d. a shank piece extending from said cylindrical guide flange and in striking engagement with said down-the-hole drill, said cylindrical guide flange hitting said ring shoulder under impacts of said down-the-hole drill for feeding the drill-bit-free forward end of the casing tube means under said impacts, and e. drill bit means connected to and forwardly of said cylindrical guide flange for drilling a hole in advance of said casing tube means.

Claim 24

An improved drilling means of the type incorporating a rotatable drilling tool adapted to drill a hole in advance of trailing casing tube means which are passed by rotatable drill means for carrying, rotating, and supplying flushing medium to said drilling tool, the drilling particles produced during drilling being removed by said flushing medium via said casing tube means, wherein the improvement comprises a. a ring shoulder at the forward end mouth of said casing tube means, said mouth of said casing tube means being drill bit free, b. a down-the-hole drill in said casing tube means, c. a cylindrical guide flange cooperating coaxially and slideably with the inside of said casing tube means, d. a shank piece extending from said cylindrical guide flange and in striking engagement with said down-the-hole drill, said cylindrical guide flange hitting said ring shoulder under impacts of said down-the-hole drill for feeding the drill-bit-free forward end of the casing tube means under said impacts, and e. drill bit means connected to and forwardly of said cylindrical guide flange for drilling a hole in advance of said casing tube means.

Claim 25

A drilling means according to claim 20 wherein said shank piece and down-the-hole drill are matingly splined.

Claim 26

A drilling means according to claim 20 in which said drill bit means has a shaft which extends rearwardly from a drill bit to couple said drill bit to said cylindrical guide flange, and further comprising a cylindrical strainer body disposed on the rear end of said shaft in coaxial relation to said drill bit, said strainer body protruding from the mouth of said casing tube means and having a diameter smaller than said mouth for providing an annular strainer slot between said strainer body and said casing tube means through which slot said flushing medium during removal is permitted to enter into said casing tube means, said strainer slot being dimensioned so as to block large size drilling particles from entering said casing tube means.

Claim 27

A drilling means according to claim 22 including a sleeve mounted on an intermediate portion of said shaft, and eccentrically disposed reamer cutting edge means on said sleeve.

Claim 28

A drilling means according to claim 23 wherein said sleeve is mounted eccentrically on said shaft.

Claim 29

A drilling means according to claim 24 wherein said shaft has an eccentric intermediate portion and said sleeve is mounted on said eccentric portion.

Claim 30

A drilling means according to claim 23 in which said intermediate portion of said shaft is disposed eccentrically to said drill bit and said sleeve is mounted turnably thereon between diametrically opposed positions, and said drilling means including spaced abutment means on said drill bit for defining said positions of said sleeve, said abutment means maintaining said sleeve with said reamer cutting edge means thereof respectively radially projected or retracted with respect to said strainer body.

Claim 31

A drilling means according to claim 20 including centering means in coaxial proximity rearwardly of said strainer body, said centering means having centering surface mean of substantial axial width thereon on a diameter chosen for sliding engagement with an interior cylindrical portion of said casing tube means.

Claim 32

A drilling means according to claim 27 wherein said centering means includes said cylindrical guide flange which is integral with said shank piece.