Mechanically actuated hammer and bit assembly therefor

Claim 2

In an assembly for mechanical impulse actuators having actuating means, the assembly comprising: A. a tubular housing; B. means for connecting said hoUsing to a desired actuator; C. a percussion bit; D. means for connecting said percussion bit to the actuating means of the desired actuator; and E. means supporting said percussion bit for rotational, lateral and axial displacement relative to said housing, said supporting means including: a. guide means axially guiding said percussion bit during its axial displacement, said guide means being fabricated as a tubular structue which is arranged concentrically between said housing and said percussion bit; b. spring means; and c. means mounting said spring means between said guide means and said housing, said spring means exerting, as a result of said mounting means, both axial and lateral reactive forces in response to the axial and lateral displacements of said percussion bit, with said axial reactive force being exerted through said mounting means.

Claim 3

The assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said spring means include a plurality of toroidal members forming part of said concentric arrangement, with each of said plurality of toroidal members being spaced from each other in the axial direction of displacement of said percussion bit by said mounting means.

Claim 4

The assembly as defined in claim 2, wherein said mounting means include a plurality of annular members, with a first portion thereof forming with said guide means a plurality of first recesses for said toroidal members and a second portion thereof forming with the housing an equal plurality of second recesses for said toroidal members, said first and second recesses forming corresponding and concentric pairs of recesses in the axial direction of displacement of said percussion bit.

Claim 5

The assembly as defined in claim 2, wherein each of said plurality of toroidal members is a pneumatic tire.

Claim 6

The assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for connecting said percussion bit to the actuating means includes a ball-and-socket joint with said socket being formed in said percussion bit by a concavely curved surface thereof, and a removable ring means having a curved surface which when rendered contiguous with said concavely curved surface forms a conformable continuation thereof.

Claim 7

The assembly as defined in claim 5, wherein said percussion bit includes a bore which penetrates into said percussion bit from one end thereof and in the axial direction of displacement thereof and forms a closed end, said ball-and-socket being formed at said closed end.

Claim 8

The assembly as defined in claim 5, wherein said joint is located at the center of rotation of the assembly of said percussion bit and said supporting means which is associated with the center of percussion at the tip of said percussion bit.

Claim 9

The assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for connecting said percussion bit to the actuating means includes a link element forming a ball-and-socket joint at one end thereof with said percussion bit and having a spherical surface at the other end thereof for forming a ball-and-socket joint with the actuating means, said sockets being formed in the percussion bit and the actuating means, respectively, by a concavely curved surface and removable ring means in each, with each said ring means having a curved surface which, when rendered contiguous with its respective concavely curved surface, forms a conformable continuation thereof.

Claim 10

The assembly as defined in claim 1, further comprising brake means mounted to directly engage said percussion bit in order to decelerate the axial movement of said percussion bit and thereby limit the stroke of the actuating means.

Claim 11

The assembly as defined in claim 9, wherein said brake means is mounted to the inner surface of said guide means, and wherein said percussion bit is provided with a tapered outer surface portion which engages said brake means after a predetermined axial displacement of said percussion bit.

Claim 12

The assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said guide means is displaceable in the axial diRection of displacement of said percussion bit, said assembly further comprising: brake means mounted to said guide means to directly engage said percussion bit thereby effecting the axial displacement of said guide means in the course of the axial displacement of said guide means in the course of the axial displacement of said percussion bit; and brake means mounted to said spring means to directly engage said housing, both said engagements serving to decelerate the axial movement of said percussion bit and thereby limit the stroke of the actuating means.

Claim 13

The assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein said guide means includes a tapered portion of the inside surface of which said brake means is mounted, and wherein said percussion bit includes a tapered portion which engages said guide means mounted brake means to effect the axial displacement of said guide means.

Claim 14

The assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein said percussion bit includes means for retracting said guide means after its axial displacement.

Claim 15

In combination, a percussion bit and link for connecting said percussion bit to the actuating means of a mechanical impulse actuator so that said percussion bit can be axially driven by the actuating means and laterally displaced relative to the actuating means and said link means, the percussion bit comprising: A. a work engaging tip portion; B. a brake means engaging portion; C. an intermediate portion which joins said tip portion and said brake means engaging portion to form thereby a continuous bit; and D. an actuating ring extending generally radially outwardly from said intermediate portion.

Claim 16

In combination, a percussion bit and link for connecting said percussion bit to the actuating means of a mechanical impulse actuator so that said percussion bit can be axially driven by the actuating means and laterally displaced relative to the actuating means and said link means, the percussion bit comprising: A. a work engaging tip portion; B. a brake means engaging portion; C. an intermediate portion which joins said tip portion and said brake means engaging portion to form thereby a continuous bit; and D. an actuating ring extending generally radially outwardly from said intermediate portion.

Claim 17

A mechanically actuated hammer, comprising in combination: A. a mechanical impulse actuator having actuating means; B. a percussion bit assembly including a percussion bit; C. means connecting said percussion bit assembly to said actuator; and D. means connecting said percussion bit to said actuating means, said mechanical impulse actuator including: a. a housing member; b. a cylinder displaceably mounted within said housing member; c. a piston assembly forming said actuating means, said piston assembly being mounted to said housing member for reciprocal movement within said cylinder, said piston assembly including a piston and a piston rod, said piston rod being mounted to said housing member to extend outwardly therefrom to thereby serve as the reciprocating output; d. first means effecting movement of said cylinder relative to said housing member and said piston assembly in a first direction toward said piston assembly; e. second means effecting movement of said piston assembly relative to said cylinder and said housing member in a second direction opposite to said first direction; and f. third means effecting movement of said cylinder and said piston assembly relative to each other and to said housing member, so that said cylinder means moves in said second direction while said piston assembly moves in said first direction said first, second and third means being associated in their respective operations to produce the reciprocating output.

Claim 18

A mechanically actuated hammer, comprising in combination: A. a mechanical impulse actuator having actuating means; B. a percussion bit assembly including a percussion bit; C. means connecting said percussion bit assembly to said actuator; and D. means connecting said percussion bit to said actuating means, said mechanical impulse actuator including: a. a housing member; b. a cylinder displaceably mounted within said housing member; c. a piston assembly forming said actuating means, said piston assembly being mounted to said housing member for reciprocal movement within said cylinder, said piston assembly including a piston and a piston rod, said piston rod being mounted to said housing member to extend outwardly therefrom to thereby serve as the reciprocating output; d. first means effecting movement of said cylinder relative to said housing member and said piston assembly in a first direction toward said piston assembly; e. second means effecting movement of said piston assembly relative to said cylinder and said housing member in a second direction opposite to said first direction; and f. third means effecting movement of said cylinder and said piston assembly relative to each other and to said housing member, so that said cylinder means moves in said second direction while said piston assembly moves in said first direction said first, second and third means being associated in their respective operations to produce the reciprocating output.

Claim 19

A mechanically actuated hammer, comprising in combination: A. a mechanical impulse actuator having actuating means; B. percussion bit assembly including a percussion bit; C. means connecting said percussion bit assembly to said actuator; and D. means connecting said percussion bit to said actuating means, said percussion bit assembly including: a. a tubular housing, said housing being connected to said actuator by said means (C); b. guide means axially guiding said percussion bit, said guide means being fabricated as a tubular structure which is arranged concentrically between said housing and said percussion bit; c. spring means; and d. means mounting said spring means between said guide means and said housing, said spring means exerting, as a result of said mounting Means, both axial and lateral reactive forces in response to axial and lateral displacements of said percussion bit, with said axial reactive forces being exerted through said mounting means.

Claim 20

A mechanically actuated hammer, comprising in combination: A. a mechanical impulse actuator having actuating means; B. percussion bit assembly including a percussion bit; C. means connecting said percussion bit assembly to said actuator; and D. means connecting said percussion bit to said actuating means, said percussion bit assembly including: a. a tubular housing, said housing being connected to said actuator by said means (C); b. guide means axially guiding said percussion bit, said guide means being fabricated as a tubular structure which is arranged concentrically between said housing and said percussion bit; c. spring means; and d. means mounting said spring means between said guide means and said housing, said spring means exerting, as a result of said mounting Means, both axial and lateral reactive forces in response to axial and lateral displacements of said percussion bit, with said axial reactive forces being exerted through said mounting means.

Claim 21

The mechanically actuated hammer as defined in claim 16, wherein said housing and said guide means are fabricated as tubular structures which are concentrically arranged with each other and said percussion bit, and wherein said spring means include a plurality of toroidal members forming part of said concentric arrangement, with each of said plurality of toroidal members being spaced from each other in the axial direction of displacement of said percussion bit by said mounting means.

Claim 22

The mechanically actuated hammer as defined in claim 17, wherein each of said plurality of toroidal members is a pneumatic tire.

Claim 23

The mechanically actuated hammer as defined in claim 16, wherein said means (D) comprises link means which forms an articulated joint at its connection with both said actuating means and said percussion bit.

Claim 24

The mechanically actuated hammer as defined in claim 16, wherein said percussion bit assembly further includes brake means mounted to directly engage said percussion bit in order to decelerate the axial movement of said percussion bit and thereby limit the stroke of said actuating means.

Claim 25

The mechanically actuated hammer as defined in claim 16, wherein said mechanical impulse actuator further includes a displaceable cylinder within which said actuating means is reciprocated, and means for effecting displacement of both said cylinder and said actuating means.

Claim 26

The mechanically actuated hammer as defined in claim 21, wherein said mechanical impulse actuator further includes: a. a housing member within which said cylinder is displaceably mounted, said means (C) connecting said percussion bit assembly to said housing member; b. first means effecting movement of said cylinder relative to said housing member and said piston assembly; c. second means effecting movement of said piston assembly relative to said cylinder and said housing member; and d. third means effecting movement of said cylinder and said piston assembly relative to each other and to said housing member, said first, second and third means being associated in their respective operations to produce a reciprocating movement of said actuating means.