Rock drill equipment having a mechanized drill bit exchange

Claim 2

A drilling apparatus containing an arrangement for disengaging worn bits from the end of a drill rod and then engaging an unworn drill bit on the end of the drill rod, comprising in combination: a. a support frame which is adapted to support at least one drill rod, said support frame including means to both rotate a drill rod and to move it in the direction of its longidutinal axis, b. a drill bit gripping means that is adapted to sequentially (1) grip a worn drill bit that is threaded on the end of a drill rod and to facilitate disengagement of the worn drill bit from the drill rod by relative movement between the drill rod and the gripping means and then (2) position a new drill bit against the end of the drill rod and to facilitate threading of the new drill bit on the end of the drill rod by relative movement between the drill rod and the gripping means, c. means for moving said drill bit gripping means from a non-operative position, where the gripping means is out of axial alignment with the drill rod, to an operative position, where the gripping means is both in axial alignment with said drill rod and engageable with the drill bit on the end of the drill rod, d. said drill bit gripping means including a casing and a wrench member that is axially movable in the casing said casing receiving the drill bit during the threading and unthreading of the drill bit from the drill rod.

Claim 3

A drilling apparatus containing an arrangement for disengaging worn bits from the end of a drill rod and then engaging an unworn drill bit on the end of the drill rod, comprising in combination: a. a support frame which is adapted to support at least one drill rod, said support frame including means to both rotate a drill rod and to move it in the direction of its longitudinal axis, b. a drill bit gripping means that is adapted to sequentially (1) grip a worn drill bit that is threaded on the end of a drill rod and to facilitate disengagement of the worn drill bit from the drill rod by relative movement between the drill rod and the gripping means and then (2) position a new drill bit against the end of the drill rod and to facilitate threading of the new drill bit on the end of the drill rod by relative movement between the drill rod and the gripping means, and c. means for moving said drill bit gripping means from a non-operative position where the gripping means is out of axial aligment with the drill rod, to an operative position, where the gripping means is both in axial alignment with said drill rod and engageable with the drill bit on the end of the drill rod.

Claim 4

A drilling apparatus containing an arrangement for disengaging worn bits from the end of a drill rod and then engaging an unworn drill bit on the end of the drill rod, comprising in combination: a. a support frame which is adapted to support at least one drill rod, said support frame including means to both rotate a drill rod and to move it in the direction of its longitudinal axis, b. a drill bit gripping means that is adapted to sequentially (1) grip a worn drill bit that is threaded on the end of a drill rod and to facilitate disengagement of the worn drill bit from the drill rod by relative movement between the drill rod and the gripping means and then (2) position a new drill bit against the end of the drill rod and to facilitate threading of the new drill bit on the end of the drill rod by relative movement between the drill rod and the gripping means, and c. means for moving said drill bit gripping means from a non-operative position where the gripping means is out of axial aligment with the drill rod, to an operative position, where the gripping means is both in axial alignment with said drill rod and engageable with the drill bit on the end of the drill rod.

Claim 5

A drilling apparatus containing an arrangement for disengaging worn bits from the end of a drill rod and then engaging an unworn drill bit on the end of the drill rod, comprising in combination: a. a support frame which is adapted to support at least one drill rod, said support frame including means to both rotate a drill rod and to move it in the direction of its longitudinal axis, b. a drill bit gripping means that is adapted to sequentially (1) grip a worn drill bit that is threaded on the end of a drill rod and to facilitate disengagement of the worn drill bit from the drill bit from the drill rod by relative movement between the drill rod and the gripping means and then (2) position a new drill bit against the end of the drill rod and to facilitate threading of the new drill bit on the end of the drill rod by relative movement between the drill rod and the gripping means, c. means for moving said drill bit gripping means from a non operative position, where the gripping means is out of axial alignment with the drill rod, to an operative position, where the gripping means is both in axial alignment with said drill rod and engageable with the drill bit on the end of the drill rod, and d. a magazine containing a plurality of drill bits, said magazine being positioned between the end of a drill rod and said drill bit gripping means and being rotatable so as to both carry away worn bits and supply new bits.

Claim 6

A drilling apparatus containing an arrangement for disengaging worn bits from the end of a drill rod and then engaging an unworn drill bit on the end of the drill rod, comprising in combination: a. a support frame which is adapted to support at least one drill rod, said support frame including means to both rotate a drill rod and to move it in the direction of its longitudinal axis, b. a drill bit gripping means that is adapted to sequentially (1) grip a worn drill bit that is threaded on the end of a drill rod and to facilitate disengagement of the worn drill bit from the drill bit from the drill rod by relative movement between the drill rod and the gripping means and then (2) position a new drill bit against the end of the drill rod and to facilitate threading of the new drill bit on the end of the drill rod by relative movement between the drill rod and the gripping means, c. means for moving said drill bit gripping means from a non operative position, where the gripping means is out of axial alignment with the drill rod, to an operative position, where the gripping means is both in axial alignment with said drill rod and engageable with the drill bit on the end of the drill rod, and d. a magazine containing a plurality of drill bits, said magazine being positioned between the end of a drill rod and said drill bit gripping means and being rotatable so as to both carry away worn bits and supply new bits.

Claim 7

An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said magazine includes a plurality of bushings that hold the drill bit prior to and during the time that a drill bit is engaged with the end of a drill rod.

Claim 8

An apparatus according to claim 3 which includes a piston cylinder means for moving said drill bit gripping means into contact with the drill bit and out of contact with the drill bit.

Claim 9

An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the drill bit gripping means is pivotally supported on said support frame and said apparatus includes a piston cylinder means to move said drill bit gripping means from said operative position to a non-operative position.

Claim 10

An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the drill bit gripping means includes a sleeve-shaped wrench member for substantially non-rotatably receiving a drill bit therein.

Claim 11

An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said sleeve-shaped wrench member is restrictedly rotatable between end stop members on the drill bit gripping means so as to enable it to bring about a striking effect to break the thread connection between the drill bit and the drill rod.

Claim 12

A drilling apparatus containing an arrangement for disengaging worn bits from the end of a drill rod and then engaging a new drill bit on the end of the drill rod, comprising in combination: a. a support frame which is adapted to support at least one drill rod, said support frame including means to both rotate a drill rod and to move it in the direction of its longitudinal axis, b. a magazine member for successively positioning drill bits adjacent the end of a drill rod, c. means for rotating said magazine member so that a new drill bit can be brought into axial alignment with the drill rod, d. a locking means for locking a drill bit against rotation while it is in axial alignment with a drill rod, and e. means for moving said locking means into and out of axial alignment with said drill rod.

Claim 13

A drilling apparatus containing an arrangement for disengaging worn bits from the end of a drill rod and then engaging a new drill bit on the end of the drill rod, comprising in combination: a. a support frame which is adapted to support at least one drill rod, said support frame including means to both rotate a drill rod and to move it in the direction of its longitudinal axis, b. a magazine member for successively positioning drill bits adjacent the end of a drill rod, c. means for rotating said magazine member so that a new drill bit can be brought into axial alignment with the drill rod, d. a locking means for locking a drill bit against rotation while it is in axial alignment with a drill rod, and e. means for moving said locking means into and out of axial alignment with said drill rod.

Claim 14

A drilling apparatus containing an arrangement for disengaging worn bits from the end of a drill rod and then engaging an unworn drill bit on the end of the drill rod, comprising in combination: a. a support frame which is adapted to support at least one drill rod, said support frame including means to both rotate a drill rod and to move it in the direction of its longitudinal axis, b. a magazine means containing a plurality of drill bits, c. means for bringing any selected drill bit in said magazine into alternate engaging and disengaging relationship with the end of a drill rod, and d. means for effecting relative rotational movement between the drill rod and a selected drill bit so as to effect either engagement or disengagement thereof.

Claim 15

A drilling apparatus containing an arrangement for disengaging worn bits from the end of a drill rod and then engaging an unworn drill bit on the end of the drill rod, comprising in combination: a. a support frame which is adapted to support at least one drill rod, said support frame including means to both rotate a drill rod and to move it in the direction of its longitudinal axis, b. a magazine means containing a plurality of drill bits, c. means for bringing any selected drill bit in said magazine into alternate engaging and disengaging relationship with the end of a drill rod, and d. means for effecting relative rotational movement between the drill rod and a selected drill bit so as to effect either engagement or disengagement thereof.

Claim 16

A drilling apparatus containing an arrangement for disengaging worn bits from the end of a drill rod and then engaging an unworn drill bit on the end of the drill rod, comprising in combination: a. a support frame which is adapted to support at least one drill rod, said support frame including means to both rotate a drill rod and to move it in the direction of its longitudinal axis, b. a carrier means for drill bits located adjacent one end of said support frame and mounted so that it can move a drill bit into and out of axial alignment with the end of a drill rod, c. a drill bit gripping means that is adapted to sequentially (1) grip a worn drill bit that is threaded on the end of a drill rod and to facilitate disengagement of the worn drill bit from the drill rod by relative movement between the drill rod and the gripping means and then (2) position a new drill bit carried by said carrier means against the end of the drill rod and to facilitate threading of the new drill bit on the end of the drill rod by relative movement between the drill rod and the gripping means, and d. means for moving said drill bit gripping means from a non operative position, where the gripping means is out of axial alignment with the drill rod to an operative position, where the gripping means is both in axial alignment with said drill rod and engageable with the drill bit on the end of the drill rod.

Claim 17

A drilling apparatus containing an arrangement for disengaging worn bits from the end of a drill rod and then engaging an unworn drill bit on the end of the drill rod, comprising in combination: a. a support frame which is adapted to support at least one drill rod, said support frame including means to both rotate a drill rod and to move it in the direction of its longitudinal axis, b. a carrier means for drill bits located adjacent one end of said support frame and mounted so that it can move a drill bit into and out of axial alignment with the end of a drill rod, c. a drill bit gripping means that is adapted to sequentially (1) grip a worn drill bit that is threaded on the end of a drill rod and to facilitate disengagement of the worn drill bit from the drill rod by relative movement between the drill rod and the gripping means and then (2) position a new drill bit carried by said carrier means against the end of the drill rod and to facilitate threading of the new drill bit on the end of the drill rod by relative movement between the drill rod and the gripping means, and d. means for moving said drill bit gripping means from a non operative position, where the gripping means is out of axial alignment with the drill rod to an operative position, where the gripping means is both in axial alignment with said drill rod and engageable with the drill bit on the end of the drill rod.

Claim 18

In a rock drilling machine that includes at least one drill rod that is designed to drill through rocks when it has a drill bit attached to the end thereof, the improvement which comprises the combination of a. means for gripping and holding a drill bit that is located on the end of a drill rod so that when said drill rod is rotated in a direction so as to disengage a drill rod and drill bit the drill bit will not rotate, b. means to rotate said drill rod so as to disengage it from its drill bit, c. means to remove the disengaged drill bit from the area of disengagement and to bring to said area of disengagement a new drill bit, d. means to bring the new drill bit into end-to-end alignment with the drill rod so that when the drill rod is rotated in the engaging direction the new drill bit will be fixed on the end of the drill rod.

Claim 19

In a rock drilling machine that includes at least one drill rod that is designed to drill through rocks when it has a drill bit attached to the end thereof, the improvement which comprises the combination of a. means for gripping and holding a drill bit that is located on the end of a drill rod so that when said drill rod is rotated in a direction so as to disengage a drill rod and drill bit the drill bit will not rotate, b. means to rotate said drill rod so as to disengage it from its drill bit, c. means to remove the disengaged drill bit from the area of disengagement and to bring to said area of disengagement a new drill bit, d. means to bring the new drill bit into end-to-end alignment with the drill rod so that when the drill rod is rotated in the engaging direction the new drill bit will be fixed on the end of the drill rod.