REMOVABLE FILTER FLUID FLOW SHUTOFF APPARATUS

BLOC D'ALIMENTATION EN FLUIDE, A FILTRE AMOVIBLE

English Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A filter apparatus for a percussion device powered by
fluid pressure includes a percussion device housing having a
fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. A valve is displaced
between an open and a closed position. A filter recess is
formed within the housing. A filter is inserted within the
filter recess for moving the valve from the closed to the
open position, thereby permitting fluid pressure to be
supplied from the inlet to the outlet.
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Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
Having described the invention, what is claimed is:
1. A filter apparatus for a percussion device powered by
fluid pressure comprising:
a percussion device housing;
a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet within the percussion
device housing;
valve means movable between an open and a closed
position;
a filter recess formed within the housing; and
filter means inserted within the filter recess for
moving the valve from the closed to the open position
thereby permitting fluid pressure to be supplied from the
inlet to the outlet.
2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, further
comprising:
a passage interconnecting the inlet with the outlet.
3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, further
comprising:
spring means for biasing the valve means to a closed
position.
4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the valve
means further comprises a shoulder means which the filter
means acts against for biasing the valve from a closed to an
open position.
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5. The apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the
shoulder means forms a seal with the valve means when the
shoulder means and a valve means are in contact.
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Description

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Docket ~O 0902-IR-MC
REMOVABLE FILTER FLUID FLOW SHUTOFF APPARATUS
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to a filter for a
percus~ion device, and mor~ specifically a filter to be
~ used in a rock drill and contalned within the housing of
the rock drill. The rock drill is to be powered by an
impure fluid such as water.
Previously, rock drills have been constructed with
the filter element connected with the rock drill by a hose
element. This configuratlon is awkward considering the
weight o~ the filter and the small work space in which the
rock drill is typically used.
This conflguration also per~itted operation of the
percussion device with the ~llter disconnected from the
percussion device. Since the fluid used in these
applications is o~ten conta~inated, this reduced the
lifetime o~ th~ percussion device considerably.
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2038617
Docket ~ 0902-IR-MC
The foregoing illustrate~ limitations known to exist
in present rock drills. Thus, it is apparent that it would
be advantageous to provide an alternative directed to
overco~ing one or more of the l~tations set forth above.
Accordingly, a suitable alternatlve i8 provided including
features ~ore fully disclosed hereinafter.
SUMMARY OF ~HE INVENTION
In one aspect of the present invention, this is
accomplished by providing a filter apparatus for a
percus6ion device powered by fluid pressure comprising a
percuss~on dQvice housing. The ~ilter apparatus has a fluid
inlet and a fluid outlet.
A valve is displaceable between an open and a closed
position. A filter recess is formed within'the housing. A
filter is inserted within tAe ~ilter recess for moving the
valve from the closed to the open position, thereby
per~ittlng fluid pressure to be ~upplied from the inlet to
the outlet.
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The foregoing and other aspects will become apparent
from the following detailed description of the invention
when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing
figure~.

20~8617
Docket No.: 0902-IR-MC
BRIEF D~SCRIPTION OF THE D~AWING FIGURES
Fig. 1 is a side view of a per~ussion device
illustxating one embodiment of the location of the shutoff
valve o~ the in~tant invention;
Fig. 2 is a split cross sectional view on the left
side of the figure, and an elevation view on the right side
of the figure, illustrating an embodiment of the removable
filter flow shutoff apparatus of the in~tant invention, with
the ~ilter in the inssrted position; and
Fig. 3 is a cros~ sectional view of the valve portion
of Fi~. 2 with the valve in the clo~ed position.
DE~AILED DESC~IPTION
~ .'
A percussion device shown gener~lly at 10, such as a
jackhammer, is formed with a housing 12. An internal filter
recess 14 is formed within the hou~ing 12. A filter-i6,
which is mounted on a filter apparatus 18, i8 removably
di~pos2d within tha rece~s 14.
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The filt~r 16 is us~d to filter a fluid, such a~ water . .
or air, used in the operation of the percussion device.
During the normal operatlon of the percussion device 10,
fluid pa~sing fro~
.
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2038617
Docket No.: 0902-IR-MC
a fluid inlet 20 to a fluid outlet Z2 must pass through
filter 16. The fluid passing through the filter outlet 22
will be used to operate the percussion device.
A valve ~ean~ 24 can be displaced between an open
position (as shown in Fig. 21, and a clossd position (a~
shown in Fig 3). When the val~ i~ in a closed po~ition, a
shoulder 26 of the valve mean 24 acts against a ~alve seat
means 28, and acts as a seal to prevent the flow of ~luid :
from the fluid inlet 20 to the ~luid outlet 22. Whenever
the valve 24 is open, the fluid flows freely between the
inlet and the outlet. :
Insertion of the filter apparatus 18 into the filter
recess 14 with the filter 16 on the ~ilter apparatus w~
cause t~e filter 16 to act against the shoulder 26. This
will displace valve mean~ 24 from the closed to the open
position, and per~it t~e proper functioning of the
percussion device 10.
However, if the filter apparatus 18 is inserted into
the filter recess 14 with the f~lter 16 removed from the
filter apparatus 18, the valve means 24 will remain seated
against the valve seat means 28 under the force of a spring ~`
30. Fluid passing from th~ inlet 20 to the outlet 22 will
therefore be blocked, and the percussion device will be
inoperative.
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2038617
Docket ~o.: oso2-IR-Mc
This configuration en~ures that the percussion device
10 will be able to be operated only on fluid which has
pa~sed through filter 16, and enca~e~ the bulky filter
element within the percussion davice housing 12.

Representative Drawing