Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Drilling arrangement and method for holding a drill string
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a method pertaining to a drilling arrangement
underground to
grip a drill string means. The invention also relates to a drilling
arrangement and a computer
program product comprising program code for an electronic control unit
associated with the
drilling arrangement to perform the method.
The present invention can relate to the manufacturing industry for mining
equipment and to
the mining industry in general, but is not limited to this.
BACKGROUND
Today's technology to drill in rocks underground sometimes requires that an
operator have to
move his drill rig from the drift where it is currently located, to another
drift above in order to
be able to drill downwards. This way, the need to turn the drilling equipment
upside down is
avoided and cumbersome handling of the drilling equipment and problems with
drill cuttings
etcetera which can complicate the handling if falling down on the drilling
equipment is
thereby avoided.
Existing technology thus implies that a large amount of work is required.
Known drilling
arrangements implies that the drill steel of the drill string is detached
either manually or by
means of retaining structures for holding the drill steel, which are arranged
adjacent the
drilling arrangement and which are bulky in the drilling direction. Cumbersome
and bulky
structures of today require as mentioned a large amount of work when drilling
upwards. Drill
cuttings may fall down in the drive head of the drilling arrangement which can
cause
shutdown.
Such handling to detach drill steel from each other and from the drive head of
the drilling
arrangement is thus time consuming and may according to prior art be dangerous
for the
operating personnel.
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US 6 230 590 describes a free standing gripping wrench for holding drill steel
during upward
drilling. EP 2 487 325 discloses a tong for holding drill steel. US 5 012 878
describes a
gripping wrench integrated in a drive head and used to detach drill steel from
each other.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to achieve a flexible drilling
arrangement.
An object is to achieve a drilling arrangement which is user friendly to use
in a mine.
An object of the invention is to provide a new and advantageous method for a
drilling
arrangement for holding drill string means, in particular during raise boring,
but it is not
limited to such type of boring.
Another object of the invention is to provide a new and advantageous drilling
arrangement to
achieve said method and an advantageous computer program pertaining to a
drilling
arrangement.
An object of some embodiments of the invention is to achieve a semiautomatic
drilling
arrangement, comprising a hub or "wrench" for holding drill steel. One object
is that it easily
may be used for driving a reamer in a direction towards the drive head of the
drilling
arrangement regardless of bore hole direction, i.e. drilling upwards (Eng. box
hole) should
likewise be cost effectively performed.
A further object of some embodiments of the invention is to provide a drilling
arrangement
which is cost effective to use from a time and safety aspect.
A further object of some embodiments of the invention is to provide a drilling
arrangement
which is compact and easy to manufacture.
A further object of some embodiments of the invention is to provide a drilling
arrangement
which is reliable.
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3
A further object of some embodiments of the invention is to provide a drilling
arrangement
and method, which is user friendly during the drilling procedure per se.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method
pertaining to a
drilling arrangement to grip a drill string means for removing a drill steel
from said drill string
.. means, wherein the drilling arrangement comprises a drive head for driving
a chuck, wherein
the chuck is displaceable in an axial direction and is arranged in engagement
with the drill
steel; and a gripping device surrounding the chuck which is arranged
rotationally fixed in
relation to the chuck and which is displaceable in the axial direction, the
method comprising
the steps of: providing holding of said drill string means by means of a
locking means;
providing a rotation of the chuck in order to unscrew the drill steel from the
chuck; displacing
the gripping device in the axial direction, from an initial position in a
direction away from the
drive head by means of an actuator means, wherein said displacement comprises
spring
actuation, and holding a drill steel end arranged closest to the drive head in
a holding position,
by means of said gripping device; and unscrewing the drill steel from the
remaining drill
string means by rotating the chuck and the gripping device.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
drilling arrangement
comprising a drive head for driving an, in axial direction, displaceable chuck
which is
arranged to be in engagement with a drill steel of a drill string means, and a
gripping device
surrounding the chuck which is arranged rotationally fixed in relation to the
chuck and which
is displaceable in the axial direction, said chuck is arranged for screwing on
and unscrewing
drill string means, wherein an actuator means is arranged to displace said
gripping device in
the axial direction, from an initial position in a direction away from the
drive head, such that
the gripping device holds a drill steel end arranged closest to the drive head
in a holding
position and to enable the drill steel to be unscrewed from the remaining
drill string means by
rotation of the chuck and the gripping device, wherein the actuator means
comprises a spring
means.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
vehicle comprising
the drilling arrangement described above.
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3a
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a non-
transitory
computer readable medium storing a computer program pertaining to a drilling
arrangement,
the drilling arrangement comprising a drive head for driving an in an axial
direction
displaceable chuck and a gripping device surrounding the chuck arranged
rotationally fixed in
relation to the chuck and displaceable in the axial direction, said chuck
being arranged for
screwing on and unscrewing drill string means, an actuator means is arranged
to displace said
gripping device from an initial position in a first direction away from the
drive head, wherein
the computer program comprises a executable program code for performing the
method steps
described above when the computer program is run on an electronic control unit
associated
with the drilling arrangement.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a non-
transitory
computer readable medium storing a computer program comprising executable
program code
for performing the method steps described above when the computer program is
run on an
electronic control unit associated with the drilling arrangement.
According to an aspect of the present invention a method pertaining to a
drilling arrangement
to grip a drill string means for removing a drill string from said drill
string means is provided.
The method comprises:
- providing holding of said drill string means;
- providing a rotation of a drive head arranged at the drilling arrangement
in order to unscrew
the drill steel from the drive head;
- providing an actuator means to displace a gripping device in an axial
direction, from an
initial position in a direction away from the drive head and to hold a drill
steel end arranged
closest to the drive head in a holding position by means of said gripping
device; and
- unscrewing the drill steel from the remaining drill string means.
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3b
In this way, the actuator means can ensure that the gripping device is
displaced in an axial
direction away from the drive head towards recesses for gripping the drill
steel such that the
drill steel can be held and rotated by an internally threaded body (chuck) of
the drive head.
This is particularly advantageous during raise boring when drilling is
performed vertically
.. upwards towards the ground surface. The method described herein thus allows
a reliable
functionality and the gripping device is guaranteed to be displaced in a
direction from an
initial position at the drive head to a holding position, when restraining
means of the gripping
device is pushed into, for this reason recessed, recesses in the end of the
drill steel by means
of a ring member arranged about the rotational axis of the drive head and
actuable by a
linkage arrangement.
In this way, an operator does not need to manually move the gripping device in
a direction
upwards to grip one end of the drill steel for holding. A necessary upward
movement of grips
must be performed in order to detach the drill steels from each other. During
for example raise
boring for drilling two opposing holes or two holes oriented at an angle
relative to each other
in vertical direction this means a large amount of work.
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A drill string means, also called drill string, suitably comprises one or a
plurality of drill steels
screwed onto each other and a drill bit.
According to an aspect of the present invention a method pertaining to a
drilling arrangement
to grip a drill string means for removing a drill steel from said drill string
means is provided.
The method comprises:
- providing holding of said drill string means;
- providing a rotation of the drive head arranged at the drilling
arrangement in order to
unscrew the drill steel from the drive head;
- providing an actuator means to displace a gripping device in an axial
direction, from an
initial position in a direction away from the drive head, said providing of
the actuator means
comprising spring actuation, and to hold a drill steel end arranged closest to
the drive head in
a holding position by means of said gripping device; and
- unscrewing the drill steel from the remaining drill string means.
According to an aspect of the present invention a method pertaining to a
drilling arrangement
to grip a drill string means for removing a drill steel from said drill string
means is provided.
The method comprises:
- holding said drill string means;
- rotating a drive head arranged at the drilling arrangement in order to
unscrew the drill steel
from the drive head;
- displacing a gripping device in an axial direction, from an initial position
in a direction away
from the drive head, wherein said displacement comprises spring actuation;
- holding a drill steel end arranged closest to the drive head in a holding
position, by means of
said gripping device; and
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- unscrewing the drill steel from the remaining drill string means.
Since the actuator means displaces the gripping device in axial direction by
means of spring
actuation a reliable operation can be provided. Spring actuation is preferably
performed by
means of actuator means comprising spring means. The number of spring means
may vary
5 .. from a single one enclosing the drill steel to a plurality symmetrically
arranged in peripheral
extension. The spring means may consist of compression springs, tension
springs, or
combinations of these types.
The actuator means may comprise various types of spring assemblies. It may be
spring pads,
reverse dampers, lowering springs, electromagnetic spring devices and/or
devices with
pressurized fluid.
In some embodiments, the step of providing said actuator means for said
displacement of the
gripping device in the axial direction preferably comprises actuation by means
of hydraulics
and/or pneumatics.
This way, the drive head may be easily displaced with adjustable power and the
power source
.. in for example an already existing vehicle may be used.
In some embodiments, preferably, the actuator means is supplemented with a
linkage
arrangement controlled by hydraulics or the like to, in engagement with a ring
member
surrounding the gripping device, bring the ring member down over said
restraining means and
displace these for engagement in recesses in the drill steel, in order to be
able to rotate the drill
steel by means of the drive head and to unscrew this drill steel from a
connecting held drill
steel.
The restraining means may comprise shoulders, blocks, wedges or similar
restraining means
arranged for moving in and out from the recesses of the drill steel.
Suitably, the step of providing said actuator means comprises insertion of
restraining means in
at least one recess of the drill steel. When the drill steel is rotated
relative to the other drill
steels for disassembling, an unscrewing occurs.
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6
In some embodiments, preferably, the step with the holding position also
comprises bringing
said restraining means in engagement with a stop member of the gripping device
when
unscrewing the drill steel from the remaining drill string means.
Thus, said ring element may be provided less bulky in the axial direction
since the stop
member prevents the ring element to end up beside the restraining means,
whereby the ring
element does not need to be made wider to always reach the restraining means.
Since large
forces on the restraining means are required for holding the drill steel it is
important that the
inner circumference of the ring element and the restraining means gets in
position of the drill
steel's recesses.
The stop means may for example be a projecting flange portion of a housing
arranged at the
gripping device, also called edge flange.
By using restraining means which is pushed into the recess of the drill steel
for holding by
means of the ring member provided in an optimal position, the ring element can
be made as
narrow as possible while the load distribution is optimal, whereby the
drilling arrangement
may be provided less bulky.
In some embodiments, the gripping device preferably comprises a hub. By means
of circlip
grooves in the hub, and in cooperation with a cylinder assigned to the
actuator means and
comprising a length sensor means, various types of brands of drill steel may
be used for the
drilling arrangement. Preferably, the length sensor means is programmed with
predetermined
length values so that an operator easily can input representative setting
values in the control
unit for the CUlTent drill steel, wherein the drilling arrangement thereby
automatically adapts
the positioning of the gripping device relative to the recesses of the drill
steel.
Alternatively, a detection means for detecting a position of a drill steel is
used.
Thereby, a user does not need to mine an unnecessarily large underground
passage or drift in
order to accommodate the drilling arrangement.
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In some embodiments, preferably, the restraining means of the gripping device
comprises
shoulders and an arm which is journalled over a pivot point and which in turn
is actuated by
the ring element which is pushed over, and thus pushes in and holds, the
shoulders in the
recess of the drill steel. Since the gripping device grips the drill steel and
the gripping device
has internal splines in engagement with external splines of a chuck arranged
at the drive head,
and the external splines of the chuck are in engagement with internal splines
of a drive unit of
the drive head, the drill steel can be rotated. Due to a rotationally fixed
transmission of power
via splines a displacement in axial direction can be done. During unscrewing
of the drill steel
from the other drill string means, the drill steel will move away from the
drill string means,
wherein of course also the gripping device moves in the direction away from
the drill string
means and thus in the direction towards the drive head. During detachment of
the drill steel
said ring element is pushed, by means of the linkage arrangement, in a
direction towards the
drive head and away from the shoulders and opens these.
In some embodiments, preferably, the method also comprises the step of
adjusting, in axial
direction, the gripping device together with a sealing member arranged at the
gripping device,
such that said sealing member does not end up flush with said recess of the
drill steel during
drilling. The sealing device may be constituted by a sealing membrane, a
sealing washer or
the like.
In this way, drill cuttings, such as dirt, water and rock residues, are
prevented from entering
the drive head via the recess in the drill steel when a user is drilling a
pilot borehole or is
drilling or reaming an upward hole during raise boring.
Said length sensor means arranged at the cylinder associated with the actuator
means, (the
length sensor means may for example be in the form of a position sensor built-
in in the
cylinder) allows the drilling arrangement to be easily controlled to position
the sealing device
such that it seals against recesses of different types of drill steels.
In this way an external sensor is not required.
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In some embodiments, preferably, and in the case it appears necessary, a
sensor is arranged at
the drive head and based on the position of the recess of different types of
drill steels relative
to the thread of the drill steel, the sensor can detect the current position
of the recess relative
to the chuck of the drive head in the axial direction, and a control unit is
preferably arranged
to control the gripping device comprising the sealing device, to always seal
against the drill
steel regardless where the recess is arranged on the current drill steel.
In some embodiments, preferably, the actuator means is arranged to displace
the gripping
device in a direction opposite or in a substantial direction opposite the
gravitational force.
According to an aspect of the present invention a drilling arrangement is
provided, comprising
a drive head for driving an internally threaded body which is displaceable in
axial direction,
and a gripping device arranged rotationally fixed surrounding the body and
displaceable in the
axial direction, wherein said body is arranged for screwing on and unscrewing
drill string
means, wherein an actuator means is arranged to displace said gripping device
in the axial
direction, from an initial position in a direction away from the drive head.
According to an aspect of the present invention a drilling arrangement is
provided, comprising
a drive head for driving an internally threaded body which is displaceable in
axial direction,
and a gripping device arranged rotationally fixed surrounding the body and
displaceable in the
axial direction, wherein said body is arranged for screwing on and unscrewing
drill string
means, wherein an actuator means is arranged to displace said gripping device
in the axial
direction from an initial position in a direction away from the drive head,
wherein the actuator
means comprises a spring means.
The internally threaded body may also be called chuck.
Thereby, a design of a compact non-bulky drilling arrangement is achieved. The
drilling
arrangement is particularly space-saving in the axial direction of the drive
head, i.e. the
dimension transverse, for example, the longitudinal extension of a mining
drift. This in turn
creates a cost efficient mining.
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9
Thereby, also a reliable drilling arrangement is achieved. The actuator means,
such as a spring
assembly, displaces the gripping device (comprising a hub axially displaceable
on the chuck
of the drive head) in an axial direction away from the drive head (from the
initial position),
i.e. towards the drill steel's recess/-es associated with the drill steel end
adjacent the drive
head.
Due to such a structure, an opportunity is also created to turn the drive head
for driving of
bore holes upwards, which occurs for example during raise boring. In some
embodiments, the
actuator means is preferably arranged to displace the gripping device (the
hub) in a direction
opposite or in substantial direction opposite the gravitational force.
In some embodiments, preferably, the actuator means comprises at least one
hydraulic
actuator.
In this respect, the hub of the gripping device may be operated back by a
control unit by
means of a linkage arm arrangement.
In some embodiments, preferably, the gripping device comprises a ring element
displaceable
in the axial direction in order to drive a restraining means radially inwardly
to provide a
rotationally fixed connection between the gripping device and the drill steel.
Suitably, an end
portion of a linkage arrangement is in engagement with, and journalled at, the
ring element
such that the actuation in the axial direction by the ring element is
performed against cam
surfaces of restraining means in the form of for example rockers, such that
the rockers drive
restraining means in the form of for example blocks in the radial direction
into the recesses of
the drill steel.
In some embodiments, preferably, the gripping device has a stop means for
positioning the
ring member in the axial direction relative to said restraining means.
In some embodiments, preferably, the hub of the gripping device has a flange
portion acting
as stop means. The flange portion is alternatively formed at the hub's side
facing away from
the drive head.
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During unscrewing of the drill steel's second end (closest to the drilled
borehole), the drill
steel is enabled (by for example splines) to move towards the drive head,
whereby the
gripping device for obvious reasons follows this movement and thereby
approaches the drive
head.
5 The linkage arrangement connected to the ring element adapts to this
movement and also the
actuator means. The stop member in the form of the flange portion of the hub
prevents, during
such a movement, the ring element to end up outside the area for actuation of
said restraining
means. Thus, the ring element does not need to be formed with a wide envelope
surface in the
axial direction, which enables an axially non-bulky drilling arrangement.
10 Alternatively, the actuator means has a spring element arranged at a
linkage arrangement,
which spring element initially moves the gripping device from its initial
position. A cylinder
comprising piston and piston rod is arranged to act on a shorter arm which in
turn, via said
spring element, acts on a longer arm supporting the gripping device. Suitably,
said cylinder is
arranged to pivot the shorter arm around a pivot point common with the longer
arm, in order
to actuate, via said spring members, the gripping device in a disengaged
position.
In this way a disconnection is obtained, which results in a smooth and rigid
actuation of the
gripping device, especially during unscrewing of the drill steel from the next
drill steel when
the gripping device follows the drill steel in the direction towards the drive
head. The spring
member allows a free movement of the longer arm towards the shorter arm while
the cylinder
acts on the shorter arm to pivot back to its initial position.
In some embodiments, preferably, the gripping device comprises a sealing
device having an
inner circumference adapted to the diameter of the drill steel. Preferably,
the drilling
arrangement is provided with a control unit which controls the gripping device
to position the
sealing device in an alternative position around the drill steel other than in
the area of the drill
steel's recess for said restraining means. This functionality is primarily
used during reaming
of boreholes.
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10a
The above objects are also achieved by a vehicle comprising the drilling
arrangement, which
vehicle may be a motor vehicle. The vehicle may be a drilling rig intended for
mining.
According to an aspect of the invention a computer program for a drilling
arrangement to grip
a drill string means for removing a drill steel from said drill string means
is provided, wherein
said computer program comprises a program code stored on a, by a computer
readable,
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medium for performing the method described above when the computer program is
run on an
electronic control unit associated with the drilling arrangement.
Software comprising program code for positioning the drilling arrangement can
easily be
updated or replaced. Further, various parts of the software may be replaced
independently of
each other. This modular configuration is advantageous from a maintenance
perspective.
According to an aspect of the invention, a computer program product is
provided comprising a
program code stored on a, by a computer readable, medium for performing the
method as
described above when a computer program is run on an electronic control unit
associated with
the drilling arrangement.
According to some aspects of the invention, there is provided a method
pertaining to a drilling
arrangement to grip a drill string means for removing a drill steel from said
drill string means,
comprising: providing holding of said drill string means; providing a rotation
of a drive head
arranged at the drilling arrangement in order to unscrew the drill steel from
the drive head;
providing an actuator means to displace a gripping device in an axial
direction, from an initial
position in the direction away from the drive head, said providing of the
actuator means
including spring actuation, and holding a drill steel end arranged closest to
the drive head in a
holding position, by means of said gripping device; and unscrewing the drill
steel from the
remaining drill string means.
According to some aspects of the invention, there is provided a drilling
arrangement
comprising a drive head for driving an, in axial direction, displaceable
internally threaded
body, and a gripping device surrounding the body which is arranged
rotationally fixed and
which is displaceable in the axial direction, said body is arranged for
screwing on and
unscrewing drill string means, wherein an actuator means is arranged to
displace said gripping
device in the axial direction, from an initial position in direction away from
the drive head,
wherein the actuator means comprises a spring means.
According to some aspects of the invention, there is provided a vehicle
comprising a drilling
arrangement as described herein.
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According to some aspects of the invention, there is provided a computer
program pertaining
to a drilling arrangement, comprising a drive head for driving an in an axial
direction
displaceable internally threaded body and a gripping device surrounding the
body arranged
rotationally fixed and displaceable in the axial direction, said body being
arranged for
screwing on and unscrewing drill string means, an actuator means is arranged
to displace said
gripping device from an initial position in a first direction away from the
drive head, wherein
the computer program comprises a program code stored on a by a computer
readable medium
for performing the method steps as described herein when the computer program
is run on an
electronic control unit associated with the drilling arrangement.
According to some aspects of the invention, there is provided a computer
program product
comprising a program code stored on a computer readable medium for performing
the method
steps as described herein when a computer program is run on an electronic
control unit
associated with the drilling arrangement.
Other objects, advantages and new features of some embodiments of the present
invention
will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the following
technical features and
during practice of the invention. For example, the drilling arrangement per se
may comprise a
remote controlled vehicle transporting the equipment to the designated
location. The vehicle
may be arranged for autonomous control. For example, the communication link
may be a
physical line, such as an opto-electrical communication line, or a non-
physical line such as a
wireless connection, for example a radio or microwave link.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a more complete understanding of the present invention and further objects
and
advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following detailed
description which should
be read together with the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference
numbers refer to
similar parts in the different figures, and in which drawings schematically:
Figure 1 shows a vehicle supporting a drilling arrangement according to an
embodiment of the
invention;
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13
Figure 2 shows the vehicle in Figure 1 during positioning of the drilling
arrangement;
Figure 3 shows a gripping device of the drilling arrangement according to an
embodiment of
the invention;
Figures 4a to 4h show steps for removing drill steel from a drill string
according to an aspect
of the invention;
Figure 5 shows an aspect of the invention wherein so called raise boring is
performed;
Figures 6a to 6f show an aspect of the invention in more detail;
Figures 7a to 7c show an embodiment of a linkage arrangement;
Figure 8 a gripping device and actuator means according to an aspect of the
invention;
Figures 9a to 9j show different aspects of the invention;
Figures 10a to 10b show flowcharts of methods according to different aspects
of the
invention; and
Figure 11 shows a control unit according to an embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
Details that are not of major importance for the invention are omitted in the
drawings in order
to clarify the figures. Corresponding details in different figures can be
shown with different
reference numbers.
With reference to Figure 1, a vehicle 1 is shown. The exemplified vehicle 1 is
according to an
embodiment a so called drilling rig 3 arranged for mining. The vehicle 1 is a
motor vehicle
with four wheels 5 and is provided with a drilling arrangement 7. The drilling
arrangement 7
shown in Figure 1 is in the transport position to transport the drilling
arrangement 7 to a
position for drilling underground (for example mine, tunnel etc.).
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Figure 2 shows the vehicle 1 in Figure 1 during the positioning of the
drilling arrangement 7.
The drilling arrangement 7 is arranged in position between two wall sections 9
of a space 11,
wherein the extension of the drilling arrangement 7 is oriented in the
borehole direction.
The vehicle 1 is, according to this embodiment, operator controlled by an
operator (not
shown) by means of a first control unit 100. A communication link between the
drilling
arrangement 7 and the control unit 100 is shown by reference number L100. A
second control
unit 110 is arranged for communication with the first control unit 100 and is
an external
control unit and is used to load software to the first control unit 100 via
the link L110 which is
a part of an internal network in the vehicle 1.
The operator is operating four supporting legs 13 (only two are shown) to
brace against said
wall sections 9. A drive means 15, in the form of two double acting hydraulic
cylinders 17, is
coupled to the supporting legs 13. Between the hydraulic cylinders 17 a motor
unit 19 is
pivotally mounted with a pivot sector of 180 degrees, the motor unit 19
comprising gearbox
and a chuck (not shown) arranged at a drive head 20. The operator operates the
drive head 20
to pivot to a first end position, wherein the chuck is facing the position of
the first borehole to
be drilled, and the control unit 100 locks the drive head 20 in a first
position. A first drill steel
(not shown) is by screwing arranged in engagement with the chuckat one end and
with a drill
bit (not shown) at its other end. Mounting of the drill steel is performed by
the operator via the
control unit 100. The control unit 100 thereafter provides, under the
supervision of the
operator, driving of the drill bit and continuously checks the hydraulic
pressure both regarding
pressure applied to the hydraulic cylinders 17 and pressure that drives the
rotation of the
motor unit 19 of the drive head 20 for rotation of the drill bit. The control
unit 100 thus
controls the operation of the drilling arrangement 7 by means of control
signals via the link
L100. A second drill steel (not shown) is screwed onto the first drill steel
and subsequent drill
steels are screwed on as the drill bit works its way into the rock.
Mounting of drill steel (not shown) is performed sequentially by the operator
via the control
unit. The control unit 100 continuously controls the driving of the drill bit
and simultaneously
checks the hydraulic pressure for the hydraulic cylinders 17 and the motor
unit 19. During
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reaming of the borehole, the drill string is pulled in the direction of the
drilling arrangement 7,
whereby subsequent drill steels must be unscrewed from the drill string one by
one and also
unscrewed from the drive head's 20 chuck. At each step of unscrewing a drill
steel (may also
be a drill pipe or the like) for removal, the drill steel which is coupled to
the drill steel closest
5 to the drive head 20 is held. The drill steel which is to be removed and
which is closest to the
drive head 20 is first unscrewed from the chuck. This is achieved by that the
drill steel, which
is adjacent to it, is held rotationally fixed relative to the hole which is
drilled, by means of a
locking means. In this way, the chuck will be unscrewed from the drill steel
during its
rotation. The rotational direction is opposite the rotational direction for
drilling. This is
10 followed by a step to unscrew the drill steel arranged closest to the
drive head 20 from the
adjacent drill steel. This is accomplished by holding, rotationally fixed in
relation to the
chuck, the drill steel adjacent the drive head 20, by means of a gripping
device 21, such that
the chuck during its rotation rotates this drill steel such that it is
unscrewed from the adjacent
drill steel. Now when the drill steel arranged closest to the drive head 20 is
free in its both
15 ends, it is removed and the drive head 20 is moved to the free end of
the subsequent drill steel
and the chuck is screwed on. Reaming or lifting of the drill string continues
and the procedure
is repeated until the last drill steel is removed.
Figure 3 shows in a perspective view a gripping device 21 of a drilling
arrangement 7
according to an embodiment of the invention. The gripping device 21 is built
up of a hub
housing 23 and a ring element 25 which is displaceable in the axial direction
X and joumaled
around the hub housing. The hub housing 23 comprises a central through hole 27
formed with
internal splines 29. The hole 27 is fitted with a rotationally fixed and in
the axial direction X
displaceable chuck (not shown) of a drive head (not shown) having external
splines for
engagement with the splines 29. The chuck is in turn journalled axially
movably and
rotationally fixed with its external splines in engagement with splines of a
rotating drive
means of the drive head, wherein the drive means is coupled to the drilling
arrangement's 7
gearbox (not shown). By means of circlip grooves (not shown) in the hub
housing 23 together
with a detection means (not shown) for detecting a position of a drill steel,
various types of
brands of drill steels can used for the drilling arrangement 7.
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A linkage arrangement 31 is journalled about an axis Y extending transversely
to the axial
direction X. The function of the linkage arrangement 31 is to hold in position
and guide the
ring member 25 over the circumference of the hub housing 23 and via the ring
element 25
thus actuate the displacement of the gripping device 21 along the drill steel
(not shown) and
act on the restraining means 33 of the gripping device to achieve a
rotationally fixed
connection between the gripping device 21 and the drill steel.
The figures 4a to 4h schematically show steps for removing the drill steel 35
from a drill
string 36 according to an aspect of the invention. Figure 4a shows a drilling
arrangement 7
clamped in a drift by means of a support leg 13 and hydraulics (not shown but
merely
indicated by the dotted line). The drilling arrangement 7 comprises a drive
head 37 for
rotating an internally threaded chuck 39 which is displaceable in an axial
direction X, and a
gripping device 21which is arranged rotationally fixed surrounding the chuck
39 and which is
displaceable in an axial direction X. The chuck 39 is designed for screwing on
and
unscrewing said drill steel 35. The gripping device 21 is journalled around
the chuck 39 and
an actuator means 42 in the form of a preloaded pressure spring 41 is arranged
for actuation of
a hub (not shown) of the gripping device 21. Figure 4a shows the drilling
arrangement 7
rotating a drill string 36 for making a borehole 43. In this case, the reaming
is performed by
means of a reamer 45. The rotational direction for drilling is clockwise ME.
Figure 4b shows
a step where the drill steel 35' screwed on said drill steel 35 is held by
means of a locking
means in the form of a wrench 47 which holds and supports the drill string 36
and the reamer
45. The chuck 39 is rotated counter clockwise MO and the drill steel's 35 end
38, facing the
drive head 37, is unscrewed from the chuck 39. Figure 4c shows that the
rotation is stopped
and the preloaded compression spring 41 is arranged to displace said gripping
device 21 from
an initial position U (see Figure 4a) for the gripping device 21, adjacent the
drive head 37, in a
first direction away from the drive head 37 along the axial direction X. This
way is achieved
that the gripping device 21 in a reliable way is ensured to be pushed down
over the recesses
51 at said end 38 of the drill steel 35.
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Figure 4d shows a step wherein the restraining means 33 of the gripping device
21 is forced
into its respective recesses 51 to achieve a rotationally fixed connection
between the gripping
device 21 and the drill steel 35. The chuck 39 is then again rotated counter
clockwise, shown
in Figure 4e, whereby the gripping device 21 unscrews the drill steel 35 from
said screwed on
drill steel 35' held by the wrench 47. During such an unscrewing, the drill
steel 35 is pushed
towards the drive head 37 and the splines of the type shown in Figure 3 allows
displacement
of the chuck 39 in axial direction towards the drive head 37. At the same
time, rotationally
fixed driving of the chuck 39 is performed to achieve rotation of the drill
steel 35 and to
achieve said unscrewing.
Figure 4f shows a step wherein a hydraulic (not shown) acts on the gripping
device 21 in a
direction opposite the spring force of the preloaded spring 41 to displace the
restraining means
33 in said direction X towards the drive head 37 after the restraining means
has been pulled
out from said recess 51. When the gripping device 21 has been displaced
towards the drive
head 37, the drill steel 35 can be removed, as shown in Figure 4g.
.. Figure 4h finally shows how the drilling arrangement 7 is positioned at a
position adjacent the
previously screwed on drill steel 35', which now constitutes the first said
drill steel. The chuck
39 is screwed onto the drill steel 35' and the reaming progresses a distance D
corresponding to
the length of a drill steel 35, 35'. The method is repeated from the step
shown in Figure 4a.
Figure 5 shows an aspect of the invention where so called raise boring is
performed. This
embodiment refers to a step when the drilling arrangement 7 is turned with the
thread of the
chuck 39 facing upwards (for drilling from a drift underground in a direction
towards the
ground surface). Actuator means 42 in the form of two springs 41' ensures that
the gripping
device 21 is displaced in a direction away from the drive head 37 to
facilitate the locking of
the gripping device 21 against the recesses 51 of the drill steel 35. A
locking means in the
form of a wrench 47' holds the drill string 36 and the reamer 45. The drilling
arrangement 7 is
suspended in a support device (not shown) comprising drive means (not shown)
(such as
hydraulics) for feeding the drive head 37 in the axial direction X. A pivoting
mechanism 60 is
arranged to pivot the drive head 180 degrees about an axis extending
orthogonal to the axial
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direction X. The pivoting of 180 degrees is performed from a first position,
where the chuck's
39 (also the drive head's 37 or the drill steel's 35) rotational axis
corresponds to the axial
direction X, to a second position where the chuck's 39 rotational axis
naturally also
corresponds to the axial direction. This functionality in combination with
said drilling
.. arrangement 7 allows a very efficient raise boring. It is an advantage when
said functionality
and removal of drills steel is performed semi-automatically and a control unit
100 (shown in
Figure 2) enables an operator controlled method. Both the gripping device 21
and the pivot
mechanism 60 are then arranged for signal communication with the control unit
100. When
the driving of the first borehole is finished, the drill steels 35, 35'
succeeding each other are
.. detached from each other. They are unscrewed from each other with a
rotational direction
opposite the rotational direction (during drilling) of the drill string 36
under the supervision of
the control unit 100. When the last drill steel has been removed from the
chuck 39, the drive
head 37 is pivoted (180 degrees) about an axis Y extending transverse the
direction of the
hydraulic cylinder's (not shown) operation movement, i.e. transverse the
direction of the
.. borehole or transverse the longitudinal extension of the hydraulic
cylinders. The pivoting is
performed from a position where the direction of the drive head's 37
rotational axis, aligned
with the longitudinal direction of the drill steel 35, corresponds to the
direction or the
extension of the hydraulic cylinders. The drive head 37 is thus pivoted from a
position where
the axis of the drive head's 37 rotational centre is parallel with said
direction of the hydraulic
cylinder's operation movement. Thus, the operator operates the drive head 37
to pivot to a
second end position, where the chuck 39 faces the position for the second
borehole to be
drilled, and the control unit 100 ensures locking of the drive head 37. A
first drill steel (not
shown) is again screwed onto the chuck 39 and a drill bit starts the driving
of a second hole in
another direction.
.. The figures 6a to 6f show an aspect of the invention in more detail. Figure
6a shows a drive
head 37 comprising a chuck 39. The chuck 39 is rotationally fixed and
displaceably journalled
at the drive unit 53 of the drive head 37. A spring assembly 41" (only two
springs are shown)
of an actuator means 42 is arranged between said drive unit 53 and a gripping
device 21 for
active and direct actuation on the housing 22 of the gripping device 21. The
gripping device
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21 comprises a hub 24 formed by the housing 22 which is rotationally fixed
journalled at the
chuck 39 and which is displaceable in axial direction. The hub 24 has a stop
means 40 in the
form of an edge flange 40. The gripping device 21 further comprises a ring 25'
formed with a
groove 55, in which groove 55 a hinge member 57 is arranged to bring the ring
25' in the axial
direction X. Figure 6a further shows a first drill steel 35 screwed to the
chuck 39. The drill
steel 35 has two recesses 51. The recesses 51 are each formed with flat
surfaces against which
surfaces restraining means 33 in the form of blocks 59 may be arranged for
locking and
holding of the drill steel 35 by means of the gripping device 21. The ring 25'
cooperates with
rocker arms 61 for actuating the blocks 59.
.. Figure 6b shows how the spring assembly 41" of an actuator means 42 acts on
the gripping
device 21 in a direction toward the recesses 51. The drilling steel's 35
thread facing the drive
unit 53 is unscrewed from the chuck 39. A linkage arrangement (not shown) is
configured to
act on the ring 25 in motion over the rocker arms 61 for inserting the blocks
59 in the recesses
51 of the drill steel 35, as shown in Figure 6c. In Figure 6c is also shown an
initiated
unscrewing of the drill steel 35 from the drill string's other drill steels
(not shown). The
gripping device 21 is rotationally fixed and displaceably connected to the
chuck 39 via
engagement means (such as splines) and holds the drill steel 35, which drill
steel 35 rotates
together with the gripping device 21 and the chuck 39 while the drill string's
36 drill steel 35',
closest to said drill steel 35, is locked by a locking means (such as the
wrench 47 in Figure
4b). Figure 6d shows how the gripping device 21 is displaced in a direction
towards the drive
unit 53 together with the drill steel 35 during unscrewing of the drill steel
35 from the drill
string (not shown). The spring assembly 41" will now be compressed (supported
against the
rotating part of the drive unit 53) and take a position for preloading. Such
an automatically
achieved preloading has by test procedures, performed by the applicant, proved
to be effective
during mining, since mechanisms for acting on the gripping device 21 thus may
be
manufactured less bulky than known drilling arrangements. It is advantageous
with a non-
bulky drilling arrangement during mining because mining of larger drifts is
expensive. In
Figure 6d is also shown according to this described embodiment how the blocks
59 are
arranged in engagement with the recesses 51. At this holding position, said
edge flange 40
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will be arranged against the blocks 59 (or restraining means 33) upon
displacement of the drill
steel 35 towards the drive unit 53, whereby the ring 25' is held in position
against the blocks
59 and does not slide off them. Since large forces are required for holding
the drill steel 35
during separation of the drill steels from each other, it is important that
the ring 25' abuts the
5 rocker arms 61 in line with the blocks 59. This solution with the edge
flange 40 guiding the
ring 25' in position with the blocks 59, permits the ring 25' to be configured
with a relatively
small dimension, seen in the axial direction X, which in turn means that the
drilling
arrangement 7 can be provided less bulky than known drilling arrangements.
In Figure 6e is shown how the ring 25', after the unscrewing of the drill
steel 35 from adjacent
10 drill steels has been achieved, is displaced up to a second edge 40' of
the hub's 24 housing 22
thereby detaching the blocks 59 from the recesses 51. A linkage arrangement
(not shown),
driven by pneumatics, engages and guides the gripping device 21 in the
direction back,
towards the drive unit 53, as shown in Figure 6f wherein the spring assembly
41" is further
pretensioned to its initial position U.
15 .. The figures 7a to 7c show one aspect of the invention, wherein it is
shown a linkage
arrangement 65 pivotally arranged about an axis 66 extending transverse to the
axial axis X.
According to this aspect, a link arm 67 guides a ring element 25" over the two
rocker arms 69
actuating these to pivot and to hold drill steel 35 by means of a hydraulic
cylinder 71. The
actuator means 42 in form of four springs 41" (only two are shown) have
previously displaced
20 the gripping device 21 in the direction away from the drive head 37. In
this position,
unscrewing of the drill steel 35 is initated by rotation of the chuck 39.
External splines of the chuck 39 are engaged with internal splines of the hub
24 of the
gripping device. The linkage arrangement 65 follows, in Figure 7b, the
movement of the drill
steel 35 towards the drive head 37 since the drill steel 35 will move towards
the drive head 37
when being unscrewed from a screwed on drill steel (such as 35' in Figure 4e).
In Figure 7c is
shown as an example how the arm 67 of the linkage arrangement 65 pushes back
the gripping
device 21 towards the drive head 37 and thereby preloads the four springs 41"
to the initial
position U. In this position, also the blocks 59 are free and the drill steel
35 can be removed
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21
from the drilling arrangement 7 manually or automatically by means of an
operating arm (not
shown).
Figure 8 shows a gripping device 21 according to a further embodiment of the
invention. The
gripping device 21 comprises a hub 24 having an internal central passage 27'.
The passage 27'
is formed with splines 29. A sealing device in the form of a sealing washer 73
is arranged at
the side of the hub 24' facing away from the drive head 37. The gripping
device 21 is guided
into position along the axial axis X so that the washer 73 is positioned
tightly fitting at least
next to a recess 51 of the drill steel 35.
Figure 9a schematically shows an actuator means 42 in the form of hydraulic
cylinders H.
Figure 9b schematically shows an actuator means 42 in the form of a combined
spring
element 41' and pneumatic cylinders H.
Figure 9c schematically shows an actuator means 42 in the form of a resilient
rubber bellow
means 41" which is arranged centrally about the axial axis and which is
pressurized for
actuation on the gripping device 21. Figure 9d schematically shows an actuator
means 42
comprising a lever 68 actuated by a tension spring 41".
Figure 9e schematically shows an actuator means 42 where a spring element 80
of a linkage
arrangement 65 is arranged between a short arm K and a long arm L. A cylinder
C comprising
a piston and a rod is arranged for acting on the short arm K, which in turn,
via the spring
element 80, acts on the long arm L supporting the gripping device 21. From the
initial position
U, the spring element 80 is acting first and presses the long arm L in the
direction away from
the short arm K such that the gripping device 21 ends up in position for
engagement (not
shown) around the drill steel (not shown). Thereafter, the cylinder C is
actuated to retract
whereby the short arm K is rotated while compressing the spring element 80. In
this position
shown in Figure 9f also the short arm K is disconnected from the long arm L,
whereby the
gripping device 21 via the long arm L obtains a satisfactory degree of freedom
of movement F
along the axial direction X.
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Figure 9g schematically shows an actuator means 42 comprising a linkage
arrangement 65
and springs 41 according to one aspect of the invention. The linkage
arrangement 65
comprises a first linkage arm 67 connected to a second linkage arm 70. A
spring element 80
is arranged between the two linkage arms 67, 70. The first linkage arm 67 is
connected to the
gripping device 21 and a ring element 25 arranged thereon, and the second
linkage arm 70 is
in one of its ends connected to a hydraulic cylinder 71. The springs 41 ensure
that the hub 24
of the gripping device 21 is moved in a direction away from the drive head 37,
whereby the
first linkage arm 67 thus also is moved. The cylinder 71 is also connected via
an ear S to the
first linkage arm 67, so that when the cylinder 71 is pulled in a direction
Pl, the front end A of
the first linkage arm 67 is moved in the opposite direction (see Figure 9h).
Since the first
linkage arm 67 is connected to the ring element 25, the ring element 25 will
thereby be moved
in a direction P3 away from the drive head 37. When the hub 24 is stuck on a
circlip SR on
the chuck of the drive head 37, the second linkage arm 70 is "activated" by
means of the
cylinder 71, such that the second linkage arm 70 is moved towards the first
linkage arm 67
and the spring element 80 is compressed. This way, the spring element 80
pushes on the first
linkage arm 67 and ensures that the ring element 25 is further pushed in a
direction away from
the driving head 37. The ring element ensures in turn that retraining means
(not shown) are
positioned in the correct position. Figure 9i schematically shows how the said
first linkage
arm 67 has been disconnected from the second linkage arm 70 and the cylinder
71 acts on the
second linkage arm 70 in the direction P4, such that the spring element 80 is
compressed and
such that the ring element thereby is pressed over said retraining means by
force.
The figures 9g to 9i thus schematically shows a cylinder 71 which is used for
"activation" or
"deactivation" of the gripping device 21 by movement of a ring element 25. The
cylinder 71 is
also used, according to an aspect, for positioning a sealing device in the
form of a sealing
membrane (reference 73 in Figure 8). Such positioning may result in a further
movement of
20-30 mm for engagement with the envelope surface of the drill steel depending
on the value
entered in the control unit for the currently used drill steel. A spring means
41 ensures that the
gripping device 21 always is pressed against the ring member 25 until the
gripping device 21
is in the correct position on the chuck 39 of the drive head 37. The second
linkage arm 70
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23
thereafter presses the first linkage arm 67, such that the restraining means
are pushed into the
drill string means. By the ring element 25 being actuated by both the cylinder
71 and the
spring element 80, and in conjunction with the second linkage arm 70, a
"floating" function is
provided. The height of the gripping arrangement 21 (in the axial direction X)
may thereby be
optimized. That is, a ring element 25 with smaller dimension in the X
direction may be
achieved since the ring element 25 always will be optimally positioned.
The first linkage arm 67 is actuated by the hydraulic cylinder 71 for
displacement of the hub
24 in the direction away from the drive head 37 by means of the ring element
25 connected to
the first linkage arm 67. A releasable interconnection between the hydraulic
cylinder 71 and
the end of the first linkage arm 67 facing away from the hub 24 allows a
disconnection when
the second linkage arm 70, via the first linkage arm 67, actively holds the
hub 24 in position
during unscrewing of the drill steel 35 from the adjacent drill steel 35. It
is especially
important during said unscrewing to allow such disconnection to avoid
disturbance of the
hydraulic cylinder's 71 contraction. The second linkage arm 70 also allows
that a relatively
large torque and thereby a positioning force may be applied on the ring
element 25 for holding
the rocker arms against the restraining means in the form of blocks and in
abutment with an
edge flange 40 of the gripping device 21.
One aspect might be that the second linkage arm 70 thus pushes the first
linkage arm 67 and
thereby the hub 24 in a direction away from the drive head 37 by abutment of
the ring element
25 against the edge flange 40 (see Fig. 8) of the gripping device 21, and a
spring element 80,
arranged between the second linkage arm 70 and the first linkage arm 67,
allows a smooth and
resilient movement of the first linkage arm 67 in engagement with the ring
member 25.
Figure 9j schematically shows a spring means 41 directly connected to a
linkage arm 67 in the
absence of a shorter arm (such as 70 in the previous Figure 9i). This is
allowed by the
cylinder's 71 coupling (may be a push rod, an end of rod piston or cylinder
ear) to the linkage
arm end 67 being flexible, that is, at the position FL running in an elongated
hole at the
cylinder's cylinder ear.
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Figure 10a shows a flow chart according to an aspect of the invention. The
first step is the
start. The method further comprises to, pertaining to a drilling arrangement
7, grip a drill
string means 36 for removing a drill steel 35 from said drill string means 36.
The method
comprises the steps of providing holding 202 of said drill string means 36;
providing a
rotation 203 of a drive head 20, 37 arranged at the drilling arrangement 7, in
order to unscrew
the drill steel 35 from the drive head 20, 37; providing an actuator means 42
to displace 204 a
gripping device 21 in axial direction, from an initial position in the
direction away from the
drive head 20, 37; and holding 205 a drill steel end arranged closest to the
drive head 20, 37 in
a holding position, by means of said gripping device 21, and unscrewing 206 it
from the
remaining drill string means 36.
Figure 10b shows a flow chart wherein the method step 302 comprises providing
holding of
said drill string means 36, providing a rotation of a drive head 20, 37
arranged at the drilling
arrangement 7 in order to unscrew the drill steel 35 from the drive head 20,
37, providing an
actuator means 42 in order to displace a gripping device 21 in an axial
direction X, from an
initial position U in a direction away from the drive head 20, 37, and holding
a drill end
arranged closest to the drive head 20, 37 in a holding position, by means of
said gripping
device 21, and to unscrew the drill steel 35 from the remaining drill string
means 36.
Figure 11 shows a control unit according to an embodiment of the invention.
Herein a chart of
an embodiment of a device 400 is shown. The control units 100 and 110
described with
reference to Figure 2 comprise according to this embodiment said device 400.
The device 400
comprises a non-volatile memory 401, a data processing unit 402 and a
read/write memory
403. The non- volatile memory 401 has a first memory portion 404, wherein a
computer
program P. such as an operating system, is stored for controlling the function
of the device
400. Further, the device 400 comprises a bus controller, a serial
communication port, I/O
body, an A/D converter, a time and date input and transfer unit, an event
counter and an
interrupt controller (not shown). The non- volatile memory 401 also has a
second memory
part 405.
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It is provided a computer program P comprising routines for removing said
drill steel 35 from
the drill string 36 one after another in series according to an embodiment.
The program P
comprises routines for adjusting a hydraulic pressure of the actuator means 42
to in this
respect adjust an axial force on the gripping device 21. The program P further
comprises
5 routines to disconnect the gripping device 21 to move away from the drive
head 37 and to
change the rotational direction of the chuck 39 and to stop the rotation.
Likewise, the program
P comprises routines to position the drive head 37 at the free end of the
drill string 36, screw
on the chuck 39, drive back the drill string 36 from the borehole, and grip
the drill string 36
according to the method described herein. The program P is in this embodiment
stored in an
.10 executable manner or in a compressed manner in a memory and/or in a
read/write memory
406.
When it is described that the data processing unit 402 performs a specific
function, it is to be
understood that the data processing unit 402 performs a specific part of the
program P which
is stored in the memory 406, or a certain part of the programme P which is
stored in the
15 read/write memory 403. The data processing device 402 can communicate
with a data port DP
via a data bus 407. The non-volatile memory 401 is intended for communication
with the data
processing unit 402 via a data bus 408. The separate memory 406 is intended to
communicate
with the data processing unit 402 via a data bus 409. The read/write memory
403 is arranged
to communicate with the data processing device 402 via a data bus 410. To the
data port DP
20 can for example links L100 and L101 be connected (see Figure 2).
When data is received on the data port DP, it is temporarily stored in the
second memory
portion 405. When the received input data has been temporarily stored, the
data processing
unit 402 is prepared to perform the execution of code in a manner as described
above.
According to one embodiment, signals received on the data port DP comprise
information
25 .. about a current hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic cylinder of the
actuator means 42 and
hydraulic pressure for the rotation of the drive head's 37 provided rotation
of the drill string
36 and provided opposite the rotation for detachment.
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According to an embodiment, signals received on the data port comprises
information about
complete removal of drill steel 35 or, during drilling, the current position
of the recess of the
drill steel 35 for positioning of sealing. Said information may be detected
with suitable
sensors or entered manually in the first control unit by means of a touch
screen (not shown).
The received signals at the data port of the DP can be used by the device 400
for controlling
said hydraulic pressure based on the detected current values. Steps of the
methods described
are performed by the device by means of a data processing unit 402 that runs
the program P
stored in the memory 406 or read/write memory 403 and when the device 400 is
running said
program said methods are executed.
Additional embodiments and combinations of the described embodiments are
possible. For
example, the drilling arrangement per se may comprise a remote controlled
vehicle
transporting the equipment to the designated location. The vehicle may be
arranged for
autonomous control. For example, the communication link may be a physical
line, such as
opto-electric communication line, or a non-physical line such as a wireless
connection, for
example a radio or microwave link. Removal of drill steels one after another
may be
performed entirely automatically, semi-automatically or manually. The drilling
may be raise
boring or other reaming boring where you are trying to connect a space with
two other spaces
and the spaces are located in one plane, horizontally, vertically, or in
between. The stop means
may, in addition to being formed of a flange or an end edge of the gripping
device, be formed
of stop shoulders or protrusions of a hub comprised in the gripping device.
Restraining means
such as blocks or wedges are preferably dimensioned to fit the current
recesses present in the
drill steel for splicing. Actuator means may, in addition to being constituted
by springs or of a
single spring, be formed of a motor-driven push rod to achieve the
displacement in the axial
direction. The motor drive may be electric, pneumatic or hydraulic. Likewise,
a type of
magnet means or electromagnet means may achieve the initial displacement. For
example, the
initial displacement of the gripping device may likewise, starting from the
initial position in a
direction away from the drive head, be performed both by spring force and by
means of
linkage arrangements actuated by hydraulic cylinder. The actuator means may be
secured to
the housing of the drive head, non-rotating about the rotational axis of the
chuck and rotating
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together with the chuck and the gripping means about the rotational axis. The
actuator means
may be supported against the drive head's gear box or drive house. It may
likewise be
attached to other foundations for supported driving of the gripping device in
the direction
away from the drive head and from the initial position. The definition of the
drill steel of the
drill string may also be synonymous with drill pipe, "pipe", or the like.
Raise boring is often
used for driving boreholes, such as shafts and/or raises between a first,
second and third space.
With raise boring spaces in different levels or horizontally lying spaces in a
mine can be
connected for communication, wherein for example, ventilation, material
transport or a lift
can be arranged. Usually, a pilot hole is first drilled in a first direction
from the drilling
arrangement. Double-acting hydraulic cylinders are operated to feed a rotary
drive head. This
creates a pressure force which presses the drill bit in the direction away
from the drilling
arrangement and a propulsion in the opposite direction to feed back the drill
bit. This thrust
may for example be used for reaming a further hole in the direction back to
the drilling
arrangement. The drill string has sections with drill steel, drill rods, drill
pipes etc., which
sections are gradually added or removed based on the feed direction.
The drill string has at one end a drill bit or the like for making holes. Upon
retraction, drill
steels are detached from each other one at a time. Various support mechanisms
are available
today to detach the drill steels from each other. Various means are available
for attaching the
drill steel against a drive head, such as clamping, bolting, magnetism etc.
Alternatively, the drilling arrangement according to an aspect of the
invention may be
remotely controlled, wherein an operator at a distance from the drilling
arrangement, for
example from the ground surface, can control the method to hold drill string
means and to
remove it from the drilling arrangement. According to another alternative, the
drilling
arrangement may be a remotely operated vehicle arranged with the drilling
arrangement,
wherein an operator remotely controls the vehicle to the place intended for
drilling, drills and
then back. According to another alternative, the drilling arrangement
comprising a carrier may
be autonomous, wherein an operator only needs to start the process and the
process continues
by itself to completion.
