Ingersoll-rand Company

Center Rock Inc.

Atlas Copco Secoroc LLC

Atlas Copco Ab

Warren Thomas Lay

Leland H Lyon

Chuen-Cheng Fu

Jeffrey P White

Austin C Hine

An underreamer drill hammer comprising a canister including a housing having an outer diameter, a proximal end configured for attachment to a drill string, and a percussive drill hammer housed within the housing, the percussive drill hammer having a drill bit movable between a radially retracted position and a radially extended position. The drill bit can rotate and is designed in a manner that the drill bit head cams, pivots, or swings out to a larger cutting diameter when the system is rotated in a first direction. The system is rotated in a second direction to retract the bit heads. The bits are retracted to remove the canister from the casing or to drill a smaller diameter hole through rock.

Underreamer drill hammer

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.

Down-the-hole drill hammer having a reverse exhaust system and segmented chuck assembly

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.

Pressure reversing valve assembly for a down-the-hole percussive drilling apparatus

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.

Down-the-hole drill hammer having a sliding exhaust check valve

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.

Down-the-hole drill hammer having an extendable drill bit assembly

Drill bit

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.

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. At least a portion of the actuator flow portion of the motive fluid is exhausted through the top end of the drill.

A device is for channeling solids and fluids within a reverse circulating, fluid operated drill that has first and second ends, an axis extending between the ends, a casing and a piston. The casing has a bore extending between the drill ends and drive and valve chambers defined within the bore, the piston being movably disposed within the bore. The channeling device includes an elongated body disposeable within the casing bore so as to extend along the casing axis and through the piston. The body has a longitudinal axis, a first end locatable proximal to the drill first end, and a second end spaced from the first end and locatable proximal to the drill second end. A material transport passages extends axially between the two body ends and provides a path for moving solid materials through the drill. A fluid passage is configured to couple the valve and drive chambers.

Device for channeling solids and fluids within a reverse circulation drill

A fluid channeling device is for a percussive drill including a casing having an interior space, drive and valve chambers defined within the interior space, a piston disposed within the casing and having an upper end disposeable within the drive chamber and a longitudinal through-bore, and a valve for controlling flow into the drive chamber. The device includes a first member partially disposed within the drive chamber so as to extend into the piston bore when the piston end is within the drive chamber. The first member has an outer surface, an interior space and one or more ports extending between the outer surface and interior space and fluidly connectable with the drive chamber. A second member is disposed within the first member interior and has a passage fluidly connected with the valve chamber and fluidly connectable with the port(s) to establish fluid communication between the drive and valve chambers.

Percussive drill with adjustable flow control

A rockbolt assembly for securement within a borehole generally comprising a rockbolt, an anchor, a hollow tube assembly, a faceplate and a nut. The rockbolt has a threaded free end and a second end associated with the anchor. The hollow tube assembly has open first and second ends and an internally extending threaded portion configured to engage the rockbolt. The threaded portion is positioned between the ends with respective first and second tube areas defined on opposite sides thereof. At least one channel is defined in the tube assembly and extends from one tube area to the other such that a continuous passage traversing the threaded portion is defined between the ends of the tube assembly. The nut engages the tube assembly and the faceplate such that tightening of the nut about the tube assembly is translated through the rockbolt to cause engagement of the anchor.

Rockbolt assembly

A check valve system is for a fluid-actuated percussive drill assembly including a casing, a backhead connected with and extending into the casing, and a fluid distributor disposed within the casing. The backhead has a central axis, a supply passage extending along the axis, and an outer surface section extending circumferentially about the axis and disposed within the casing. The check valve system includes a port extending between the outer circumferential surface section of the backhead and the supply passage. Preferably, several ports are spaced circumferentially about the backhead outer surface. An annular check valve is disposed about the outer circumferential surface section of the backhead and is configured to alternately permit fluid flow through the backhead port and substantially seal the backhead port. At least a portion of the check valve is movable between a first position, where the check valve portion is disposed across and generally obstructs the backhead port, and a second position, where the check valve portion is spaced from the backhead port. The backhead body has an inner end disposed within the casing and a recess extending into the body from the end and generally along the central axis, the recess being sized to receive the a portion of the fluid distributor portion so as to generally retain the distributor at a desired position within the casing.

Backhead and check valve for down-hole drills

A reversible casing for a down-the-hole drill has a predetermined snap ring groove length centered between the casing ends, based upon the casing bore, the snap ring groove depth and the snap ring body length, whereby a snap ring will be retained in the snap ring groove, while permitting lengthwise movement of the snap ring during reverse orientation of the casing.

Reversible casing for a down-the-hole percussive apparatus

A pressure sensitive valve for a fluid-actuated percussive drill includes passageways for fluid flow to expose a valve surface to a burst of short-interval, high pressure fluid from a drive chamber to cause early closing of the valve.

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Catawba, VA, United States of America

Warren Thomas Lay