Method and apparatus for roof drilling

Claim 1

In a roof drilling assembly comprising a starter-driver bar including a first end adapted to be driven by a motor and a second end having a female socket therein, a rod extension having a male end shaped to be received in said female socket and a female socket at its other end of the same cross-sectional size and shape as the first named female socket, and a bit having a male shank of the same general cross-sectional shape as said male end and a head portion, said sockets, male end and shank being noncircular in transverse cross-section, each of said starter-driver bar and rod extension having an axial hole therethrough; the improvement comprising at least one longitudinal groove in the outer surface of said bit shank extending from the end remote from said head portion to a point beyond the socket when the bit is in said socket.

Claim 9

The method of drilling a hole in a mine chamber roof to a greater depth than the height of the chamber below the roof which comprises providing a starter-driver bar including a first end adapted to be driven by a motor and a second end having a female socket therein, a plurality of rod extensions each having a male end shaped to be received in said female socket and a female socket at its other end of the same cross-sectional size and shape as the first named female socket, a bit having a male shank of essentially the same cross-sectional shape as said male end and having at least one longitudinal groove in its outer surface extending from its lower end to a point beyond said socket, each of said starter-driver bar and rod extensions having an axial hole therethrough, securing the bit shank in the female socket of said starter-driver and connecting the first end of the starter-driver to said motor to provide a first assembly, then drilling a hole in said roof with said first assembly while passing water from the bottom of said starter-driver through said axial hole therein and discharging the water through said longitudinal groove, then separating said bit from said starter-driver, then securing the bit in the female socket of a first rod extension and the male end of said first rod extension in the socket of said starter-driver, and then continuing drilling said hole while supplying water to the bottom of said starter-driver bar.

Claim 10

The method of drilling a hole in a mine chamber roof to a greater depth than the height of the chamber below the roof which comprises providing a starter-driver bar including a first end adapted to be driven by a motor and a second end having a female socket therein, a plurality of rod extensions each having a male end shaped to be received in said female socket and a female socket at its other end of the same cross-sectional size and shape as the first named female socket, a bit having a male shank of essentially the same cross-sectional shape as said male end and having at least one longitudinal groove in its outer surface extending from its lower end to a point beyond said socket, each of said starter-driver bar and rod extensions having an axial hole therethrough, securing the bit shank in the female socket of said starter-driver and connecting the first end of the starter-driver to said motor to provide a first assembly, then drilling a hole in said roof with said first assembly while passing water from the bottom of said starter-driver through said axial hole therein and discharging the water through said longitudinal groove, then separating said bit from said starter-driver, then securing the bit in the female socket of a first rod extension and the male end of said first rod extension in the socket of said starter-driver, and then continuing drilling said hole while supplying water to the bottom of said starter-driver bar.

Claim 13

The method of drilling a hole in a mine chamber roof to a greater depth than the height of the chamber below the roof which comprises providing a starter-driver bar including a first end adapted to be driven by a motor and a second end having female socket therein, a plurality of rod extensions each having a male end shaped to be received in said female socket and a female socket at its other end of the same cross-sectional size and shape as the first named female socket, a bit having a male shank of essentially the same cross-sectional shape as said male end and having a pair of opposed longitudinal grooves in its outer surface extending from its lower end to a point beyond said socket and a pair of tapered sides of said shank extending outwardly from its lower end, each of said starter-driver bar and rod extensions having an axial hole therethrough, each of said sockets having a pair of opposed transverse holes through its wall adjacent its top extending upwardly at an angle substantially the same as the angle of said tapered side, and securing the bit shank in the female socket of said starter-driver with the top of said transverse holes being in general alignment with said tapered sides, connecting the first end of the starter-driver to said motor to provide a first assembly, then drilling a hole in said roof with said first assembly while applying suction to the bottom of said starter-driver bar, then separating said bit from said starter-driver, then securing the bit in the female socket of a first rod extension and the male end of said first rod extension in the socket of said starter-driver, said male end of said first rod extension covering the transverse holes of the female socket of said starter-driver bar, and then continuing drilling said hole while applying suction to the bottom of said starter-driver bar.

Claim 14

The method of drilling a hole in a mine chamber roof to a greater depth than the height of the chamber below the roof which comprises providing a starter-driver bar including a first end adapted to be driven by a motor and a second end having female socket therein, a plurality of rod extensions each having a male end shaped to be received in said female socket and a female socket at its other end of the same cross-sectional size and shape as the first named female socket, a bit having a male shank of essentially the same cross-sectional shape as said male end and having a pair of opposed longitudinal grooves in its outer surface extending from its lower end to a point beyond said socket and a pair of tapered sides of said shank extending outwardly from its lower end, each of said starter-driver bar and rod extensions having an axial hole therethrough, each of said sockets having a pair of opposed transverse holes through its wall adjacent its top extending upwardly at an angle substantially the same as the angle of said tapered side, and securing the bit shank in the female socket of said starter-driver with the top of said transverse holes being in general alignment with said tapered sides, connecting the first end of the starter-driver to said motor to provide a first assembly, then drilling a hole in said roof with said first assembly while applying suction to the bottom of said starter-driver bar, then separating said bit from said starter-driver, then securing the bit in the female socket of a first rod extension and the male end of said first rod extension in the socket of said starter-driver, said male end of said first rod extension covering the transverse holes of the female socket of said starter-driver bar, and then continuing drilling said hole while applying suction to the bottom of said starter-driver bar.