Support-arm assembly for a drill or borer, particularly for subterranean applications

Claim 2

A drilling machine comprising: a column mounted for rotation about a substantially upright first axis; first motor means connected to said column for angularly displacing same about said first axis with an angular displacement represented by the parameter α1; an arm pivotally connected to said column at a second axis substantially perpendicular to said first axis; second motor means connected between said column and said arm for angularly displacing said arm about said second axis, the angularly displacement of said arm about said second axis being represented as a parameter α2; an intermediate support body carried by said arm; third motor means connected between said support body and said arm for rotating said support body about a third axis generally perpendicular to said second axis with the angular displacement of said support body being represented by a parameter α3; a rail support pivotally mounted on said support body and carrying a rail for a drilling head; fourth motor means connected between said support body and said rail support for pivotally displacing said rail support relative to said support body through an angle represented by the parameter α4; and control means for said motor means including at least one manual control element operatively connected to said first and second motor means for actuating same, respective displacement detectors responsive to displacements produced by said first and second motor means for generating signals representing the parameters α1 and α2, and follower means connected to said displacement detectors and responsive to the parameters α1 and α2 for establishing continuously the values of the parameters α3 and α4 defining the orientation of said rail to maintain the same parallel to itself, and automatically controlling said third and fourth motor means in response to the parameters α3 and α4 calculated in the follower means.

Claim 3

The machine defining claim 1, further comprising telescoping means on said first arm for selectively displacing said fourth axis toward and away from said first axis without modifying the orientation of said rail.

Claim 4

The machine defined in claim 2 wherein said telescoping means includes a pair of telescopingly interconnected arm members connected to said support body and rotatable therewith.

Claim 5

The machine defined in claim 2 wherein said telescoping means includes a pair of telescopingly interconnected arm members interposed between said second axis and said support body.

Claim 6

The machine defined in claim 1, claim 2, claim 3 or claim 4 wherein said first and second motor means each is a respective hydraulic cylinder while said third and fourth motor means are a rotary hydraulic motor and a hydraulic cylinder, respectively.

Claim 7

The machine defined in claim 5, wherein said follower means comprises two calculating circuits each receiving at respective inputs, two voltage values V1 and V2 representing the parameters α1 and α2, respectively, each of said calculator circuits delivering at a respective output a signal of a value Ve3 and Ve4, respectively, representing the two other parameters α3 and α4, said third motor means being controlled in response to the value of signal Ve3, while said fourth motor means is controlled in response to the value of said signal Ve4 through respective feedback circuits each comprising a detector responsive to the displacement of the third motor means and the fourth motor means respectively.

Claim 8

The machine defined in claim 5, wherein said follower means comprises two follower circuits each delivering at a respective output, a value Ve3 and Ve4, respectively, representing the desired values of the parameters α3 and α4, said third motor means being responsive to the value Ve3 and said fourth motor means being responsive to the value Ve4 to respective feedback circuits including detectors responsive to the position changed by the third and fourth motor means respectively, the first of said calculator circuits being connected to receive at its inputs two values V1 and V2 representing the parameters α1 and α2, the other calculator circuit receiving at inputs a value V1 representing the parameter α1 and a value Vs4 produced by the detector responsive to said fourth motor means and representing an actual value of the parameter α4.

Claim 9

The machine defined in claim 5, further comprising means for disconnecting said follower means and independently controlling said third and fourth motor means.

Claim 10

The machine defined in claim 5, further comprising a ball-and-socket joint disposed between the bottom of said column and a pedestal, and a pair of hydraulic cylinders having mutually octagonal axes connected to said column for displacing same about a pivot point defined by said ball-and-socket joint.

Claim 11

A drilling maching comprising: a column mounted for rotation about a substantially upright first axis; first motor means connected to said column for angularly displacing same about said first axis with an angular displacement represented by the parameter α1; an arm pivotally connected to said column at a second axis substantially perpendicular to said first axis; second motor means connected between said column and said arm for angularly displacing said arm about said second axis, the angular displacement of said arm about said second axis being represented as a parameter α2; an intermediate support body carried by said arm; third motor means connected between said support body and said arm for rotating said support body about a third axis generally perpendicular to said second axis with the angular displacement of said support body being represented by a parameter α3; a rail support pivotally mounted on said support body and carrying a rail for a drilling head; fourth motor means connected between said support body and said rail support for pivotally displacing said rail support relative to said support body through an angle represented by the parameter α4; control means for said motor means including at least one manual control element operatively connected to said first and second motor means for actuating same, respective displacement detectors responsive to displacements produced by said first and second motor means for generating signals representing the parameters α1 and α2, and follower means connected to said displacement detectors and responsive to the parameters α1 and α2 for establishing continuously the values of the parameters α3 and α4 defining the orientation of said rail to maintain the same parallel to itself, and automatically controlling said third and fourth motor means in response to the parameters α3 and α4 calculated in the follower means; telescoping means on said first arm for selectively displacing said fourth axis toward and away from said first axis without modifying the orientation of said rail, said first and second motor means each being a respective hydraulic cylinder, said third and fourth motor means being a rotary hydraulic motor and a hydraulic cylinder, respectively; means for disconnecting said follower means and independently controlling said third and fourth motor means; and a ball-and-socket joint disposed between the bottom of said column and a pedestal, and a pair of hydraulic cylinders having mutually orthogonal axes connected to said column for displacing same about a pivot point defined by said ball-and-socket joint.

Claim 12

A drilling maching comprising: a column mounted for rotation about a substantially upright first axis; first motor means connected to said column for angularly displacing same about said first axis with an angular displacement represented by the parameter α1; an arm pivotally connected to said column at a second axis substantially perpendicular to said first axis; second motor means connected between said column and said arm for angularly displacing said arm about said second axis, the angular displacement of said arm about said second axis being represented as a parameter α2; an intermediate support body carried by said arm; third motor means connected between said support body and said arm for rotating said support body about a third axis generally perpendicular to said second axis with the angular displacement of said support body being represented by a parameter α3; a rail support pivotally mounted on said support body and carrying a rail for a drilling head; fourth motor means connected between said support body and said rail support for pivotally displacing said rail support relative to said support body through an angle represented by the parameter α4; control means for said motor means including at least one manual control element operatively connected to said first and second motor means for actuating same, respective displacement detectors responsive to displacements produced by said first and second motor means for generating signals representing the parameters α1 and α2, and follower means connected to said displacement detectors and responsive to the parameters α1 and α2 for establishing continuously the values of the parameters α3 and α4 defining the orientation of said rail to maintain the same parallel to itself, and automatically controlling said third and fourth motor means in response to the parameters α3 and α4 calculated in the follower means; telescoping means on said first arm for selectively displacing said fourth axis toward and away from said first axis without modifying the orientation of said rail, said first and second motor means each being a respective hydraulic cylinder, said third and fourth motor means being a rotary hydraulic motor and a hydraulic cylinder, respectively; means for disconnecting said follower means and independently controlling said third and fourth motor means; and a ball-and-socket joint disposed between the bottom of said column and a pedestal, and a pair of hydraulic cylinders having mutually orthogonal axes connected to said column for displacing same about a pivot point defined by said ball-and-socket joint.