Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090308661 | Exhaust valve and bit assembly for down-hole percussive drills - A bit assembly is for a percussive drill that includes a casing with an interior chamber and includes a bit connectable with the casing and having a longitudinal bore and an axis through the bore. The bore has a retainer portion with one or more generally. conical inner surfaces extending circumferentially about and facing generally toward the axis. A generally cylindrical valve has a longitudinal passage with an inlet fluidly connectable with the casing chamber and an outlet fluidly connectable with the bit central bore and an axis through the passage. An engagement portion with at least one generally conical outer surface extends circumferentially about and faces generally away from the valve axis. The valve engagement portion is disposable within the bit bore retainer portion such that the valve conical outer surface is disposed within and against the bit conical inner surface to retain the valve coupled with the bit. | 12-17-2009 |
20090321143 | Self-Indexing Down-The-Hole Drill - A down-the-hole drill (DHD) hammer having a casing, a drill bit proximate a distal end of the casing, a piston mounted within the casing and a self-indexing drive transmission is provided. The piston includes a plurality of helical and axial splines. The drive transmission includes a driver sleeve, a driven sleeve and a wrap spring clutch assembly. The driver sleeve and driven sleeve are housed within the casing and circumscribes the piston. The driver sleeve includes a plurality of openings for receiving a plurality of bearings. The driver sleeve bearings are configured to operatively engage the helical splines on the piston. The wrap spring clutch assembly includes a wrap spring circumscribing the driver sleeve and driven sleeve. The driven sleeve operatively engages the drill bit to rotationally index the drill bit. | 12-31-2009 |
20100059284 | DOWN-THE-HOLE DRILL HAMMER HAVING A REVERSE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND SEGMENTED CHUCK ASSEMBLY - A down-the-hole drill hammer is provided that includes a housing, a solid core piston mounted within the housing, a seal located between the solid core piston and the housing, and a backhead configured to exhaust working fluid volumes about a proximal end of the DHD hammer. The backhead includes a check valve assembly having a plug seal that can be moved to a closed seal position by gravity. A DHD hammer having a segmented chuck assembly is also provided. The segmented chuck assembly includes a plurality of chuck segments forming a cylindrical chuck assembly. | 03-11-2010 |
20100187017 | Down-the-hole Drill Reverse Exhaust System - A DHD hammer that can exhaust working air volumes partially through a proximal end of the DHD hammer's actuator assembly includes a drive chamber, a return chamber, and a backhead that includes exhaust ports. Working air volumes from the drive chamber are exhausted through the backhead while working air volumes from the drive chamber are exhausted primarily through a drill bit. | 07-29-2010 |
20100200301 | DOWN HOLE HAMMER HAVING ELEVATED EXHAUST - A percussive assisted rotary drill includes a top sub for connection with a drill pipe. The drill pipe imparts torque to the drill and also supplies motive fluid to the drill. The drill includes a shank adapter to facilitate affixing a rotary drill bit to the drill. The motive fluid is divided between a bit flow which flows through the bit to clear debris at the bottom of the drill, and an actuator flow. An actuator, which may be in the form of a reciprocating piston, moves within the drill under the influence of the actuator flow to impart cyclical blows to the shank adapter. The blows are transferred to the drill bit through the shank adapter to provide a relatively high frequency low amplitude percussive force on the rotating drill bit to assist in the drilling operation. At least a portion of the actuator flow portion of the motive fluid is exhausted through the top end of the drill. The relative flow rates and volumes of the bit and actuator flows can be adjusted with a check valve in the actuator flow exhaust path. | 08-12-2010 |
20110036636 | DOWN-THE-HOLE DRILL DRIVE COUPLING - A down-the-hole drill hammer is provided that includes a housing, a piston mounted within the housing, a drill bit mounted below the housing, and a drive coupling operatively engaged with the housing and drill bit. The drive coupling can be configured with a plurality of lugs circumferentially disposed about the drill bit and coupled with the casing for providing rotation thereof. Alternatively, the drive coupling can be configured with segmented lugs configured to circumscribe the drill bit, or as a cylindrical chuck formed out of arch-shaped chuck segments which radially assemble onto the shank of the drill bit. | 02-17-2011 |
20110240373 | DOWN-THE-HOLE DRILL HAMMER HAVING AN EXTENDABLE DRILL BIT ASSEMBLY - A down-the-hole drill hammer assembly includes a casing, a drill stem, a drilling lug segment and a pilot drill bit is provided. The drill stem is housed within the casing and includes an abutment surface. The drilling lug segment is slidably engaged with a distal end of the drill stem and movable between an initial configuration and an extended configuration. The drilling lug segment includes a proximal end engageable with the abutment surface of the drilling lug segment. The drill stem is movable between first and second positions within the pilot drill bit. In moving to the second position, the drill stem slidingly engages the drilling lug segment and moves the drilling lug segment to the extended configuration. | 10-06-2011 |
20110266067 | DOWN HOLE HAMMER HAVING ELEVATED EXHAUST - A percussive assisted rotary drill includes a top sub for connection with a drill pipe. The drill pipe imparts torque to the drill and also supplies motive fluid to the drill. The drill includes a shank adapter to facilitate affixing a rotary drill bit to the drill. The motive fluid is divided between a bit flow which flows through the bit to clear debris at the bottom of the drill, and an actuator flow. An actuator, which may be in the form of a reciprocating piston, moves within the drill under the influence of the actuator flow to impart cyclical blows to the shank adapter. The blows are transferred to the drill bit through the shank adapter to provide a relatively high frequency low amplitude percussive force on the rotating drill bit to assist in the drilling operation. At least a portion of the actuator flow portion of the motive fluid is exhausted through the top end of the drill. The relative flow rates and volumes of the bit and actuator flows can be adjusted with a check valve in the actuator flow exhaust path. | 11-03-2011 |
20110297447 | Pressure Reversing Valve Assembly For a Down-the-Hole Percussive Drilling Apparatus - A pressure reversing valve for a down-the-hole percussive drilling (“DHD”) apparatus has a first valve pressure surface, a second valve pressure surface and a third valve pressure surface. The first valve pressure surface engages an internal surface of a housing of the DHD hammer. The second valve pressure surface is in communication with a high pressure port of the DHD hammer. The third valve pressure surface is in communication with a passageway that extends through a distributor within the DHD hammer. The valve also includes a valve passageway that extends through the valve and which is in communication with a first volume of the DHD hammer. The first volume is formed by surfaces of the distributor and the third valve pressure surface. | 12-08-2011 |
20120006598 | Down-the-Hole Drill Hammer Having a Sliding Exhaust Check Valve - A down-the-hole drill hammer having a housing, a backhead and a tubular sliding check valve assembly that includes a distal end, a threaded male proximal end, a supply inlet and an exhaust port. The exhaust port communicates between an interior of the backhead and an exterior of the backhead. The tubular sliding check valve assembly includes a distributor, a sliding valve, and a biasing member. The distributor has a central opening extending through the distributor, an aperture extending through the distributor, and an exhaust gallery. The sliding valve is slidable along the central opening. The biasing member biases the sliding valve to a closed position. | 01-12-2012 |
20140131116 | NON-ROTATING DRILL BIT FOR A DOWN-THE-HOLE DRILL HAMMER - A non-rotational drill bit for a down-the-hole drill hammer is provided that includes a head and a shank extending from the head. The head includes a plurality of axisymmetric cutting members about its working face. The drill bit also includes a porting system that includes a central through hole, an air inlet port, an exhaust outlet port and a central exhaust port for exhausting air from an interior of the drill hammer and for clearing drilling debris from the face of the drill bit. | 05-15-2014 |
20140360783 | PRESSURE CONTROL CHECK VALVE FOR A DOWN-THE-HOLE DRILL HAMMER - A down-the-hole drill hammer for optimizing air consumption. The down-the-hole drill hammer includes a housing, a backhead connected to the housing, and a pressure control check valve assembly mounted within the housing. The pressure control check valve assembly includes a first check valve and a second check valve. The first check valve controls a flow of working fluid through the backhead. The second check valve is mounted to the first check valve and controls a flow of working fluid through the first check valve. | 12-11-2014 |