Drill rod and core tube handler device

Abstract

A drill rod and core tube handler assembly for use with a drill rig including an elongate mast, a drill head, and a drill string, including a drill rod traversing assembly with elongate rail mounted to the mast, a carriage slidably secured to the elongate rail, a pivot arm having a proximal end pivotably secured to the carriage about a first pivot axis, and a rod holder assembly pivotably secured to a distal end of the pivot arm about a second pivot axis, the rod holder assembly including a body portion and a pair of opposed rollers, the pair of opposed rollers being configured to both grip a drill rod section therebetween and move the drill rod section axially along a longitudinal axis of the drill rod section.

Description

DRILL ROD AND CORE TUBE HANDLER DEVICECROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority to and the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 515,276, filed July 24, 2023, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.FIELD

[0002] This disclosure relates to drill rod and core tube handling systems used with drill rigs and, in particular, to drill rigs configured for core drilling (e.g., diamond exploration drilling).BACKGROUND

[0003] One particular application of the disclosure relates to an accessory which can be used with drill rigs that are used to drill holes. Typical drill rigs generally comprise a mast which has a drill head mounted to it, wherein the drill head is capable of movement along the mast, and the drill head is configured to receive and engage the upper end of a drill string and can apply a rotational force to the drill string to cause it to rotate within the bore hole whereby such rotation results in the cutting action by the drill bit mounted to the lower end of the drill string. The drill string often includes a number of drill rods that are connected end to end. Each drill rod generally is at the most equal to the height of the mast. Frequently, each drill rod can have a length up to approximately six meters (e.g., three meters for underground drilling or six meters for surface drilling).

[0004] For underground drilling operations, the drill head can include a through chuck, which allows rods to pass through the chuck. In some systems, in order to shorten the drill rig, the traverse stroke of the drill head can be limited to approximately half the length of a drill rod section, leading to a process where the drill head has to re-chuck after drilling only about half the drill rod length. During drilling activities of deep holes which may extend for hundreds of meters, it is necessary to locate fresh drill rod into a drill string at very regular intervals. For underground drilling, the drill is typically mounted to a positioner frame or a mobile underground carrier on an arm that allows adjustment of the drilling angle. Conventionally, additional drill rod sections are frequently kept in stillages (e.g., pallets) or rod racks in thevicinity of the underground drill. When drilling underground, it is common for workers to have to manually lift additional drill rod sections into place for addition to the existing drill string.

[0005] Similarly, during the raising of a drill string, it becomes necessary to regularly remove drill rods from a drill string and locate those drill rods in the storage zone located beside the mast which may either be located on the same vehicle as the drilling rig, on some adjacent vehicle, or on the ground beside the drilling rig. This can also create hazards for the personnel required to handle and store the drill rods.

[0006] Additionally, some drill rigs are used to retrieve core samples from rock strata at significant depths, including at depths of up to 1800 meters or more. The core samples can be analyzed to determine if the drilling site has potential for mining operations. Such exploratory rigs can use annular (e.g., annular diamond-impregnated) drill bits attached to the end of hollow drill rods to cut a cylindrical core sample from the solid rock. Core samples can be retrieved using a core tube (also known as an “inner tube” or a “core barrel”), a hollow receptacle positioned within the drill string and that receives core or rock sample material as the core is drilled. An overshot, attached to the core tube and to a winch by a cable, may be used to retrieve the core tube (e.g., as part of an inner tube assembly) from inside the drill string. Retracting the winch can pull the core tube to the surface (or other location where the drill rig is positioned).

[0007] Once at the surface, the core tube must be maneuvered to a position where the overshot can be removed from the core tube and the core sample removed from the core tube. The challenge is to handle a core tube, which can be 3-6 meters long and weigh 120 kg - 260 kg or more, held by the wireline cable. Similar to the addition and / or removal of drill rods, prior art techniques for handling core tubes require the awkward and heavy core tubes to be physically man-handled by the drilling crew. There are clearly physical challenges and safety concerns associated with this process, which requires lifting of heavy weight and working at dangerous heights.SUMMARY

[0008] A drill rod handling device is provided that can be incorporated into a drill rig either as an attachment or as an integral part of the drill rig. Such drill rigs generally comprise a mast that extends upwardly from a rod clamp (or other rod holder that holds the rod string when the check is not holding the rod string). The mast may include a drive head that is movable along the mast between a lower position adjacent the rod clamp and a raised position towards the freeend of the mast. The mast is pivotable on its mounting about a transverse axis. The pivotal movement of the mast is controlled and enables the mast to adopt a variety of erect positions which can include the horizontal or vertical position to enable a hole to be drilled at a desired angle (such as, for example, between -90° to +90°). The drill rod handling device disclosed herein allows for drill rod sections to be both added and removed from a corresponding drill string with minimal manual handling of the drill rod sections by the workers. Additionally, the drill rod handling device similarly allows for the insertion and removal of core sample tubes and / or barrels (the first section of the rod string (outer tube) within which the core sample (inner) tube is housed during drilling), which typically include flats formed on their outer surface, from the drill string with minimal manual interaction by the workers. As such, the risk of injury, damaged equipment, loss of time due to accidents, etc., can be reduced.

[0009] The drill head is configured to receive and engage the upper end of a drill string and can apply a rotational force to the drill string to cause it to rotate within the bore hole whereby such rotation results in the cutting action by the drill bit mounted to the lower end of the drill string. In addition, the drill head can be configured to apply an axial force to the drill string.

[0010] It is an object of the drill rod handler assembly, according to the embodiments described herein, to enable drill rods to be moved from a storage zone located in close proximity to the mast of the drill rig and delivered into position in alignment with the drill string located in the hole with minimal assistance of a crew member to manipulate and support the drill rod section in its movement between the storage zone and drill string and without the use of a winch cable. Specifically, once a drill rod section is positioned in the drill rod holder assembly of the traversing assembly by the workers, the drill rod handler system controls rod motion without further manual handling by the workers. The drill rod handler assembly according to the embodiments described herein provides that once the drill rod section is positioned by the drill rod traversing assembly, a drill rod spinner assembly may be operated independently of the drill rod traversing assembly to secure the drill rod to the drill string. Additionally, it is an object of the drill rod handler assembly to enable core tubes and / or barrels to be picked up, aligned with, and inserted into a corresponding drill string without the need of a crew member to support and align the core tube and / or barrel. Further, the drill rod handler assembly allows for the retrieval of a core tube or a barrel without manual manipulation by a crew member, apart from removal of the core tube or barrel from the assembly following retrieval from the hole.

[0011] The present disclosure provides an embodiment of a drill rod handler assembly for use with a drill rig including an elongate mast, a drill head slidably mounted thereon, and a drill string. The rod handler assembly may include a drill rod traversing assembly with at least one elongate rail mounted to the mast of the drill rig so that a longitudinal axis of the at least one elongate rail is parallel to the drilling axis of the drill rig, a carriage slidably secured to the at least one elongate rail, and a pivot arm having a proximal end pivotably secured to the carriage about a first pivot axis. The drill rod traversing assembly may also include a drill rod holder assembly pivotably secured to the distal end of the pivot arm about a second pivot axis. The rod holder assembly preferably includes a body portion, and at least one pair of opposed rollers, each roller of the at least one pair of opposed rollers being rotatably mounted to the body portion about a roller axis. The at least one pair of opposed rollers are configured to both grip a drill rod section therebetween and move the drill rod section from a first axial position to a second axial position with respect to a longitudinal axis of the drill rod section. The drill rod traversing assembly may be used to move drill rod sections from an ergonomic manual loading position adjacent the drill rig to a position in-line with the drill string so that the drill rod sections may be added to the drill string. The drill rod traversing assembly negates the need for workers to manually manipulate the drill rod section into the mast adjacent the drill string.

[0012] Yet another embodiment of the present disclosure provides a drill rod handler assembly for use with a drill rig including an elongate mast, a drill head slidably mounted thereon, and a drill string. The rod handler assembly may include a drill rod traversing assembly with an elongate rail mounted to the mast of the drill rig so that a longitudinal axis of the elongate rail is parallel to the drilling axis of the drill rig, a carriage slidably secured to the elongate rail, and a pivot arm, having a proximal end pivotably secured to the carriage about a first pivot axis, and a drill rod holder assembly. The drill rod holder assembly is pivotably secured to the distal end of the pivot arm about a second pivot axis and is configured to selectively grasp a drill rod section. As well, the drill rod handler assembly includes a drill rod spinner assembly secured to the mast of the drill rig. The drill rod spinner assembly is configured to rotate a drill rod section about a longitudinal center axis of the drill rod section with respect to the drill string and the pivot arm of the drill rod traversing assembly is configured to move the drill rod section from a first position in which the longitudinal center axis of the drill rod section is both parallel to and spaced from the drilling axis to a second position in which the longitudinalcenter axis of the drill rod section is collinear with the drilling axis. The rod spinner assembly facilitates adding and removing drill rod sections from the drill string by rotating the drill rod sections when aligned with the drill string, thereby either engaging or disengaging the threaded portion of the drill rod section with the drill string. Additionally, the drill rod spinner assembly contributes to improved operational safety by providing the ability to clamp and hold a single core rod section, barrel (outer tube), or core tube while the drill head is traversed to a different holding position along the mast. The drill rod traversing and spinning assemblies may be operated independently of each other.

[0013] These and other objects and features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an example drill rig and embodiment of a drill rod handler assembly in accordance with the present disclosure, with a drill rod traversing assembly of the drill rod handler assembly in a first position;

[0015] FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the drill rig shown in FIG. 1 with a drill rod traversing assembly of the drill rod handler assembly in a second position.

[0016] FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the drill rig shown in FIG. 1 with the drill rod traversing assembly in a third position.

[0017] FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the drill rig shown in FIG. 1 with the drill rod traversing assembly in a fourth position.

[0018] FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the drill rig shown in FIG 6. 1 with the drill rod traversing assembly returned to the second position.

[0019] FIG. 6 is an isometric view of an example drill rig with which an embodiment of a drill rod handler assembly in accordance with the present disclosure may be used.

[0020] FIG. 7 is an isometric view of the drill rod holder assembly of the drill rod traversing assembly of the drill rig of FIGs. 1 and 6.

[0021] FIG. 8 is a bottom isometric view of the drill rod spinner assembly of the drill rig of FIGs. 1 and 6.

[0022] FIG. 9 is a top isometric view of the drill rod spinner assembly of the drill rig of FIGs. 1 and 6.

[0023] FIG. 10 is a side isometric view of the drill rod spinner assembly of the drill rig of FIGs. 1 and 6.

[0024] FIG. 11 is an isometric view of a drill rod traversing assembly of and alternate embodiment of a drill rig.

[0025] FIG. 12 is an isometric view of the drill rod holder assembly and the drill rod spinner assembly of an alternate embodiment of a drill rig.

[0026] FIG. 13 is a bottom view of the drill rod holder assembly and the drill rod spinner assembly shown in FIG. 12.

[0027] FIG. 14 is a side view of the drill rod holder assembly and the drill rod spinner assembly shown in FIG. 13.

[0028] FIG. 15 is a bottom view of the drill rod spinner assembly shown in FIG. 14.

[0029] FIG. 16 is a side view of the drill rod spinner assembly shown in FIG. 14.

[0030] FIG. 17 is a block diagram of a computing system including a computing device as disclosed herein for controlling the drill rod handler assembly.

[0031] FIG. 18 is an isometric view of an example drill rig with which an embodiment of a drill rod handler assembly in accordance with the present disclosure may be used.

[0032] FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary roller having a braking assembly.

[0033] FIG. 20 is a top view of the drill rod holder assembly in an open position.

[0034] FIG. 21 is a top view of the drill rod holder assembly in a closed position.

[0035] FIG. 22 is a top view of the drill rod spinner assembly in an open position.

[0036] FIG. 23 is a top view of the drill rod spinner assembly in a closed position.

[0037] FIG. 24 is an isometric view of an example drill rig with which an embodiment of a drill rod handler assembly in accordance with the present disclosure may be used.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, this invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. It is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the particularmethodology and protocols described, as such may vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0039] Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing description and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

[0040] All technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs unless clearly indicated otherwise.

[0041] As used herein, the terms “optional” or “optionally” mean that the subsequently described event or circumstance may or may not occur, and that the description includes instances where said event or circumstance occurs and instances where it does not.

[0042] As used herein, the term “at least one of’ is intended to be synonymous with “one or more of.” For example, “at least one of A, B and C” explicitly includes only A, only B, only C, and combinations of each.

[0043] Ranges can be expressed herein as from “about” one particular value, and / or to “about” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another aspect includes from the one particular value and / or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent “about,” it will be understood that the particular value forms another aspect. It will be further understood that the endpoints of each of the ranges are significant both in relation to the other endpoint, and independently of the other endpoint. Optionally, in some aspects, when values are approximated by use of the antecedent “about,” it is contemplated that values within up to 15%, up to 10%, up to 5%, or up to 1% (above or below) of the particularly stated value can be included within the scope of those aspects. Similarly, use of “substantially” (e.g., “substantially parallel”) or “generally” (e.g., “generally planar”) should be understood to include embodiments in which angles are within ten degrees, or within five degrees, or within one degree.

[0044] It is to be understood that unless otherwise expressly stated, it is in no way intended that any method set forth herein be construed as requiring that its steps be performed in a specific order. Accordingly, where a method claim does not actually recite an order to be followed by its steps or it is not otherwise specifically stated in the claims or descriptions that the steps are to be limited to a specific order, it is in no way intended that an order be inferred, in any respect. This holds for any possible non-express basis for interpretation, including: matters of logic with respect to arrangement of steps or operational flow; plain meaning derived from grammatical organization or punctuation; and the number or type of aspects described in the specification.

[0045] The following description supplies specific details in order to provide a thorough understanding. Nevertheless, the skilled artisan would understand that the apparatus, system, and associated methods of using the apparatus can be implemented and used without employing these specific details. Indeed, the apparatus, system, and associated methods can be placed into practice by modifying the illustrated apparatus, system, and associated methods and can be used in conjunction with any other apparatus and techniques conventionally used in the industry.

[0046] Disclosed herein, in various aspects and with reference to FIG. 18, is an exemplary drill rig 20 that can use the disclosed drill rod and core tube handler assembly as further disclosed herein. Optionally, in exemplary applications, the drill rig 20 can be used in underground drilling operations, and in particular examples, with underground drill rigs having chuck drive rotation heads. However, it is contemplated that the disclosed drill rod and core tube handler assembly can be incorporated into rigs that are used in surface drilling operations. An exemplary drill rig configuration is described below; however, it is contemplated that any conventional drill rig configuration can be used. In exemplary aspects, the drill rig 20 can comprise a feedframe 22 and a first head assembly 24 that is movable on the feedframe 22. The first head assembly 24 can be configured to grip drill rod sections 104 and casings. The first head assembly 22 can comprise a conventional chuck drive rotation unit, as is known in the art. One drill rod section 104 can be threadedly coupled to additional drill rod sections 104 to create a drill string 102. In turn, the drill string 102 can be coupled to a drill bit 107 or other in-hole tool configured to interface with the material to be drilled, such as a formation 40 (e.g., an underground formation, such as a rock formation). A core tube assembly 30 (i.e., an inner tubeor core barrel assembly) can be disposed at a distal end of the drill string 102 to receive the material to be drilled (e.g., a core sample).

[0047] The feedframe 22 can be oriented such that the drill string 102 is generally horizontal, or oriented upwardly relative to the horizontal, or oriented downwardly relative to the horizontal. The drill rig 100 can thus have a longitudinal drilling axis 122 extending between a front portion 21 and a rear portion 23 of the drill rig 100. Further, the first head assembly 24 is configured to rotate the drill string 102 during a drilling process. In particular, the first head assembly 24 may vary the speed at which the drill string 102 rotates as well as the direction of rotation. The rotational rate of the drill head and / or the torque the first head assembly 24 transmits to the drill string 102 may be selected as desired according to the drilling process. At the front portion 21, the drill rig can comprise a rod holder 40, or foot clamp, that is configured to grip the drill string 102. The drill rig 20 can further comprise a wireline winch that can be used to retract a wireline cable in a conventional manner. Optionally, in use, the wireline cable can be coupled to an overshot to permit retrieval of the overshot. According to at least one aspect, the overshot can be pumped down to engage the core tube assembly 30, and the wireline winch 34 can retract the overshot with the core tube assembly 30 attached thereto. In this way, the drilling system can be used to retrieve core samples.

[0048] FIGs. 1 and 6 show an embodiment of a drill rig system 100, in this example, for core or rock drilling (e.g., using drill bits such as diamond-impregnated drill bits), including, for example, either surface or underground drilling operations. The drill rig system 100 may include a mast 110 configured to support other components of the drill rig system 100. The mast 110 may have different steel structure designs than the one shown in FIG. 1. The mast 110 can include a feedframe 22 as disclosed herein. The mast 110 may support a rotary drill head 120 configured to drill a bore hole to obtain geological samples. A drill string 102 comprising one or more drill rod sections 104 (e.g., a plurality of drill rods coupled end-to-end) may be drilled into the ground via the rotary drill head 120. The drill string 102 may transmit the rotational torque and weight from a power source (e.g., the drill head 120) to a drill bit (not shown) to drill into the ground / formation below (or otherwise spaced outwardly from) the drill rig system 100. The mast 110 may also support a wireline apparatus 130 that may be mounted in front of, behind, or on top of the mast 110, as shown. The wireline apparatus 130 may include a winch (not shown) and a cable 134 configured to lift and lower a core tube (also referred to as an “inner tube”)through the drill string 102 and into the bore hole 16. The wireline apparatus 130 can comprise a mast extension 132 (FIG. 24) that permits handling of a core tube with a wireline (e.g., an overshot) attached. That is, the mast extension 132 can permit lifting of the core tube so that the distal end is outside of the drill string. The core tube 30 (FIG. 18) may be advanced within and retracted out of the drill string 102 and bore hole to collect a core or rock sample from the formation. The drill rig system 100 preferably includes a drill rod and core tube handler assembly having both a drill rod traversing assembly 140 and a drill rod spinning assembly 180 that are operable independently of each other, as discussed in greater detail below.

[0049] In the example illustrated in Figure 1, a drill rod, core tube, and / or barrel handler assembly is coupled to or integrated with the drill rig 100. As shown, the drill rig system 100 preferably includes a mast 110 having an upper end 112 and a lower end 116, a rotary drill head 120 that is slidably mounted along a portion of the mast 110, a wire line apparatus 130 mounted to the upper end 112 of the mast 110, and a drill rod and core tube handler assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Preferably, the drill rod, core tube, and / or barrel handler assembly, referred to from hereon as a “drill rod handler assembly,” preferably includes a drill rod traversing assembly 140 and a drill rod spinner assembly 180 that are operable independently of each other. As shown, the drill head 120 includes a carriage 121 that is slidably mounted to the mast 110 so that the drill head 120 may be moved axially along the mast 110 during drilling operations. The drill head 120 defines a bore 124 that is configured to receive the drill string 102 therein. The longitudinal center axis of the bore 124 defines the drilling axis 122 of the drill rig 100.

[0050] Referring additionally to FIGs. 6 and 7, the drill rod traversing assembly 140 includes a carriage 141 that is slidably mounted to a pair of elongate rails 142. The elongate rails 142 are mounted to the mast 110 so that the longitudinal center axes of the rails 142 are parallel to, and spaced from, the drilling axis 122. As shown, the elongate rails 142 extend approximately the full length of the mast 110 so that the carriage 141 may move from the lower end 116 of the mast 110 to the upper end 112 of the mast 110 as discussed in greater detail below. A pivot arm assembly 144 is movably mounted to the carriage 141 of the traversing assembly 140 about a pivot axis 146. The pivot axis 146 is parallel to both the longitudinal center axes of the elongate rails 142 and the drilling axis 122. The arm assembly 144 includes a pivot arm 148 having a proximal end that is mounted to the carriage 141 and pivotable about axis 146, and the distal endthat receives the drill rod holder assembly 150 thereon. The drill rod holder assembly 150 includes a body portion 151 that is pivotably mounted to the distal end of the arm 148 about a pivot axis 153. As shown, the pivot axis 153 of the drill rod holder assembly 150 is perpendicular to the pivot axis 146 of the pivot arm 148. This configuration allows both drill rod sections and core tubes being handled by the drill rod holder assembly 150 to be moved from a first position that is substantially horizontal, such as when in a storage area, to a second position that is parallel to the drilling axis 122, such as when being added to the drill string 102 (in the case of drill rod sections), or when being deposited within the drill string (in the case of core tubes).

[0051] As shown, two pairs of opposed rollers 152 are rotatably mounted on the body portion 151 of the drill rod holder assembly 150. As best seen in FIG. 7, each roller 152 is rotatable about a longitudinal center axis 155 that is parallel to the pivot axis 153 of the body portion 151 of the drill rod holder assembly 150. As shown each roller 152 of the drill rod handler assembly 150 includes a circumferential groove 154 defined by its outer circumferential surface that is predominately concave (e.g., hyperbolic or semi-circular in a cross-section taken in a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal center axis 155 thereof). In some aspects, the cross-sectional shape is of a similar diameter as the elongate rod sections and tubes that are handled by the rollers 152, thereby maximizing the contact area between the rollers 152 and the rods / tubes / barrels and minimizing the contact pressure on the rods / tubes / barrels to avoid crushing or roll forming. As such, when the pairs of rollers 152 of the drill rod holder assembly 150 are moved inwardly, they are able to grasp elements having a substantially cylindrical outer surface shape. In some aspects, the diameter of the cross sectional surface of the roller 152 can be selected for use with a diameter of an inner tube. Accordingly, the relatively soft, breakable inner tube can be handled by a large contact area. Drill rods, being more rigid, can be gripped without need for an exact corresponding shape. For example, outward of a portion of the roller having a circular cross sectional profile, the roller can be generally V-shaped to grip a variety of larger roller sizes, approximately with points of contact. Accordingly, further contemplated that the profile of the disclosed rollers 152 can be compatible with a variety of different rod sizes.Note also that the circumferential groove 154 may have a different cross-sectional shape, such as being V-shaped, as shown in the alternate embodiment of FIGs. 12 through 14. In the alternate embodiment, both the drill rod holder assembly 150 and the spinner assembly 180 are disposedon the traversing assembly 140. In further aspects, the circumferential groove 154 can be hyperbolic in cross-section to permit receipt of different diameters of components.

[0052] Optionally, the rollers 152 of the drill and rod holder assembly 150 can be able to grasp elongate rods and / or barrels that have axially elongated flat sections formed in their outer surfaces. For example, the pairs of rollers 152 may grasp rods having both outer surfaces formed by a series of elongated flat portions and rods including outer surfaces formed by alternating flat and curved surfaces. As best seen in FIG. 13, for both disclosed embodiments, a longitudinal center axis 156 defined between the pairs of opposed rollers 152 coincides with the drilling axis 122 of the drill rig 100 when the drill rod handler system has positioned a drill rod section in alignment with a drill string 102, as discussed in greater detail below. At least one of the rollers 152 is powered by a motor 149 so that the rollers 152 of the drill rod holder assembly 150 can move a drill rod section 104 axially along its longitudinal center axis 156 as desired. Further, the pair of rollers 152 can be coupled to the body portion 151 by a linkage 157 that is actuatable by an actuator 159 (e.g., a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder). The linkage can permit symmetric movement of the pair of rollers 152 toward and away from the longitudinal center axis 156 for gripping and releasing drill rod sections.

[0053] As best seen in FIGs. 6 and 7, a pair of rod guides 158 are disposed, each on opposing ends, of the body portion 151 of the drill rod holder assembly 150. As such, the two pairs of opposed rollers 152 are disposed between the two drill guides 158. The drill guides 158 help to support the drill rod sections 104 and core tubes when they are being handled by the drill rod holder assembly 150. As well, the drill guides 158 facilitate alignment of drill rod sections 104 when adding the drill rod sections 104 to a drill string 102 (FIG. 4), as well as the alignment of core tubes when inserting core tubes into a drill string 102. As best seen in FIG. 3, each rod guide 158 includes a semi-circular recess that is configured to abut a portion of the cylindrical outer surface of a drill string 102 that is being gripped by a drill head 120. As such, the rod guides 158 facilitate alignment with the drill string 102 when the traversing assembly, pivot arm assembly 144 is used to add a drill rod section or core tube to the drill string 102. The drill guides 158 can have a first end configured for when handling an outer tube and a second end for use when handling an inner tube. In this way, the drill guides 158 can be flipped depending on the application for properly aligning the component being positioned by the drill rod holder assembly 150. Optionally, referring also to FIG. 24, when manually loading the rod holderassembly 150, the component can be placed within the drill guides 158. Optionally, the drill rig 100 can comprise a rear rod support 160. The rear rod support 160 can support a component with the rear drill guide 158 when space does not permit placement and balancing of the component between both front and rear drill guides 158 (e.g., in underground drilling, where angle of the borehole positions the drill rig 100 too close to a wall). The longitudinal center axis 156 can be spaced from the drill guides so that closing of the rollers lifts the drill rod or inner tube from the drill guides 158.

[0054] Referring additionally of FIGs. 8 through 10, the drill rod spinner assembly 180 includes a carriage 182 that is mounted to the upper end 112 of the mast 110 (e.g., to a feed frame of the mast structure). As best seen in FIG. 10, the carriage 182 of the spinner assembly 180 is mounted to the mast 110 (e.g., to the feed frame of the mast) on a pair of rails 184 so that the spinner assembly 180 is limitedly movable in the axial direction along the rails 184. Specifically, during the addition and removal of a drill rod section 104 from the drill string 102, engagement and disengagement of the correspondingly threaded joints causes the drill rod section 104 to move with respect to the drill string 102. By mounting the carriage 182 on rails 184, the carriage is allowed to “float” axially so that the rod section may move axially as desired. As best seen in FIG. 10, a pair of hydraulically powered float cylinders 183 traverse the rails 184 as needed when threading and de-threading drill rod sections. In an alternate embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16, rather than using hydraulic float cylinders, the carriage of the drill rod spinner assembly 180 is supported on the mast not only by the pair of rails 184, but also by a spring 190. As such, during the threading and de-threading operations in which the drill rod section 104 to which the spinner assembly rollers 186 are engaged moves, the spinner assembly 180 is also free to move either downwardly against the spring force or upwardly with the spring force.

[0055] Mounting the drill rod spinner assembly on the mast 110 independently of the rod holder assembly allows for increased safety as the rollers 186 of the drill rod spinner assembly 180 can grip and hold a drill rod section as the drill head 120 re-chucks over a portion of the drill rod. Additionally, when a barrel is being added or removed and is not engaged by the rod clamp (not shown) that is commonly used to hold a drill string when a drill head 120 is not engaged (such as during re-chucking), the rod spinner assembly 180 may hold the barrel in a fail safe manner. Specifically, the drill rod spinner assembly 180 includes load holding valves and an accumulator that remains engaged if power is lost to the drill rig. In contrast, typical drill headchucks only remain engaged so long as power is maintained to the drill rig. As noted above, as shown in FIGs. 6-11, in alternative embodiments the drill rod holder assembly 150 and the drill rod spinning assembly 180 may both be mounted on the pivot arm of the drill rod traversing assembly 180. Even in such an embodiment, the drill rod holder assembly 150 and the drill rod spinner assembly 180 are still operable independently of each other.

[0056] Further, referring to FIG. 19, one or more of the rollers can comprise brakes 200 that inhibit rotation. The brakes 200 can comprise springs 202 that bias serrated discs toward each other. The serrated discs can be retracted from each other while the motor(s) 149 are rotating the rollers. When the motors cease operation, the system release the retraction of the serrated discs, thereby engaging the brakes. It is contemplated that operation of the motors and the brakes 200 can be provided on the same hydraulic circuit. In this way, undesired movement of the rollers can be inhibited, even upon power failure.

[0057] As best seen in FIGs. 9 and 10, the drill rod spinner assembly 180 preferably includes at least four rollers 186 that are rotably mounted to the carriage 182 so that their longitudinal center axes 188 are perpendicular to the drilling axis 122 of the drill rig 100 (FIG. 14). In some embodiments, such as that shown in FIG. 15, the pairs of opposed rollers 186 pivot inwardly toward each other rather than moving directly inwardly toward each other. In such embodiments, when in the outward, disengaged position, the opposed pairs of rollers 186 of the spinner assembly 180 have a longitudinal center axis 181 that is parallel to, yet slightly displaced from, the drilling axis 122 of the drill rig 100. However, as the opposed pairs of rollers 186 of the spinner assembly 180 are move inwardly toward each other to grasp a corresponding drill rod section 104, they also move inwardly slightly toward the carriage 182. As such, when the outer circumferential surfaces 187 of the rollers 186 of the spinner assembly 180 engage the outer surface of a drill rod section 104, the longitudinal center axis 181 defined between the pairs of rollers 186 is aligned with the drilling axis 122 of the drill rig 100. Note, however, regardless of embodiments in which the rollers 186 may have differing starting positions, when the rollers 186 of the spinner assembly 180 are engaged with a drill rod section, the longitudinal center axis 181 defined between the pairs of rollers 186 will be aligned with the drilling axis 122 of the drill rig 100, as shown in FIGs. 4 and 5. This is important because the drill rod spinner assembly 180 is used to both thread and de-thread drill rod sections 104 from the drill string 102 during the addition and the removal of drill rod sections 140, respectively, and thread alignment should bemaintained. Note, in the preferred embodiment shown in FIGs. 8 through 10, the pairs of rollers 186 move directly inwardly toward each other so that the longitudinal center axis 181 is collinear with the drilling axis 122 whether or not the rollers 186 are engaged or disengaged from the corresponding drill rod section. In some aspects, the cylindrical surfaces 187 of the rollers 186 can comprise a coating (e.g., laser cladding) for enhancing grip.

[0058] Referring again to FIG. 1, the operation of the drill rod handler assembly during the addition of a drill rod section 104 to the drill string 102 is discussed. As shown in FIG. 1, a drill rod section 104 is first placed between the pairs of opposed rollers 152 of the rod holder assembly 150 by one or more workers. The pairs of rollers 152 are moved inwardly by any form of drive, such as, but not limited to hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical, mechanical or like power sources. With the rollers 152 of the rod holder assembly 150 engaged with the outer surface of the drill rod section 104, the drill traversing assembly 140 may now move the drill rod section 104 axially along its longitudinal center axis as needed.

[0059] Referring now to FIG. 2, the rod holder assembly 150 is used to rotate the drill rod section 104 about the pivot axis 153 (FIG. 7) of the drill rod holder assembly 150 to bring the drill rod section 104 parallel with the drilling axis 122 of the drill rig 100. As the drill rod holder assembly 150 is rotated about the pivot axis 153, the carriage 141 of the drill rod traversing assembly moves upwardly along the elongated rails 142. Rotation of the drill rod holder assembly 150 during the upward motion of carriage 141 along the rails 142 continues until the bottom end of the drill rod section 104 is disposed above the uppermost end of the drill string 102, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0060] After the lower end of the additional drill rod section 104 is clear of the uppermost portion of the drill string 102, the drill rod traversing assembly 140 pivots the arm assembly 144 inwardly toward the mast 110 about the pivot axis 146. Pivoting motion toward the mast 110 continues until the bottom guide 158 of the drill rod holder assembly 150 engages the outer surface of the uppermost portion of the drill string. As shown in FIG. 4, when the bottom guide 158 is engaged with the outer surface of the drill string 102, the longitudinal center axis 156 defined between the pairs of rollers 152 of the drill rod holder assembly 150 is collinear with the drilling axis 122 of the drill rig 100, meaning the additional drill rod section 104 is now collinear with the drill string 102.

[0061] While the rollers 152 of the drill rod holder assembly 150 are still engaged with the outer surface of the additional drill rod section 104, the rollers 186 of the drill rod spinner assembly 180 are moved inwardly until their outer circumferential surfaces 187 engage the outer surface of the upper portion of the additional drill rod section 104. With the additional drill rod section 104 now secured in position along the longitudinal center axis 122 of the drill rig 100, the rollers 152 of the drill rod holder assembly 150 are disengaged from the drill rod section 104 and the pivot arm assembly 144 is pivoted away from the mast 110, as shown in FIG. 5. Next, the rollers 186 of the spinner assembly 180, at least one of which is driven by a motor 179, are powered up to rotate the drill rod section 104 about its longitudinal center axis, thereby causing the threaded portion at the bottom end of the drill rod section 104 to engage the correspondingly threaded upper portion of the drill string 102. As such, the drill rod section 104 has now been attached to the drill string 102 so that drilling operations may continue. The drill head 120 may now be slidably moved toward the upper portion of the mast 110, where it reengages the upper portion of the newly added drill rod section 104. With the drill string once again supported by the drill head 120, the rollers 186 of the drill rod spinner assembly 180 may now be retracted as the drill head 120 continues drilling operations.

[0062] Note, in short, removal of a drill rod section 104 for a drill string 102 may be performed by reversing the above described actions. As well, core tube insertion into, and removal from, a drill string 102 may similarly be performed, but without the need to utilize the drill rod spinner assembly 180 as the core tubes are not connected to the drill string 102. Rather, they are raised and lowered via cable 134.

[0063] Attachment of the drill rod spinner assembly 180 to the upper end of the mast 110 allows for a drill rod sections 104 to be grasped simultaneously by both the drill head 120 and the rollers 186 of the drill rod spinner assembly 180, thereby increasing operational safety during various drilling operations. For example, many existing drill rigs include “power to close” drill heads that grasp and hold a drill rod section when powered. In the case of a loss of power to the drill head, release and subsequent drop of a drill rod section has been known to lead to serious injury to workers and damage to machinery. However, embodiments of the present disclosure allow a drill rod section 104 to be retained by both the drill head 120 and the rollers 186 of the spinner assembly 180 so that the drill rod section remains secured by the spinner assembly 180 should power be interrupted to the drill head 120.

[0064] The drilling system and the drill rod handler assembly may include at least one computing device for controlling operation of the system. For example, one or more computing devices can control a plurality of operations, including: activating the rollers of both the drill rod handler and spinner assemblies, moving the carriage to the drill rod traversing assembly axially along the elongate rods, pivotably moving the arm assembly, etc. In some aspects, the system can comprise a plurality of computing devices that operate in coordination. For example, a first computing device (e.g., a controller) can control movement of the rod holder rollers 152 and body portion 151 of the drill rod hold assembly 150, and a second computing device can control movement of the rollers 186 of the spinner assembly 180. Still another computing device can provide an operator with an interface (e.g., at a human machine interface) for permitting an operator to control aspects of the system. Each of said computing devices can optionally be embodied in accordance with the computing device 1001 as further disclosed herein.

[0065] Further, the drill rod handler assembly can comprise a plurality of sensors in communication with the one or more computing devices. For example, the drill rod handler assembly can comprise a drill rod sensor positioned outwardly of each end of the pairs of rollers. The drill rod sensors can be used to determine longitudinal ends of the drill rod or inner tube. IN this way, the sensors can determine the position of the end of the drill rod being threaded to the drill string, as well as ensure that the rollers do not extend the component too far in one longitudinal direction, thereby releasing the component. Further, the drill rod handler assembly can comprise a proximity sensor for detecting proximity of the mast of the drill rig. In this way, feedback from the proximity sensor can prevent crashing of the drill rod handler assembly into the mast. The drill rod handler assembly can further comprise at least one tilt sensor (e.g., comprising one or more accelerometers) for providing feedback as to pivotal position of the drill rod handler assembly.

[0066] FIG. 17 shows an exemplary computing system 1000 including an exemplary configuration of a computing device 1001 for use with the system disclosed herein. The computing device 1001 may comprise one or more processors 1003, a system memory 1012, and a bus 1013 that couples various components of the computing device 1001 including the one or more processors 1003 to the system memory 1012. In the case of multiple processors 1003, the computing device 1001 may utilize parallel computing.

[0067] The bus 1013 may comprise one or more of several possible types of bus structures, such as a memory bus, memory controller, a peripheral bus, an accelerated graphics port, and a processor or local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures.

[0068] The computing device 1001 may operate on and / or comprise a variety of computer readable media (e.g., non-transitory). Computer readable media may be any available media that is accessible by the computing device 1001 and comprises, non-transitory, volatile and / or non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media. The system memory 1012 has computer readable media in the form of volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM), and / or non-volatile memory, such as read only memory (ROM). The system memory 1012 may store data such as traversing assembly position and orientation data 1007 and / or program modules such as operating system 1005 and position control software 1006 (e.g., software for controlling the position of the kickout tray) that are accessible to and / or are operated on by the one or more processors 1003.

[0069] The computing device 1001 may also comprise other removable / non-removable, volatile / non-volatile computer storage media. The mass storage device 1004 may provide nonvolatile storage of computer code, computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, and other data for the computing device 1001. The mass storage device 1004 may be a hard disk, a removable magnetic disk, a removable optical disk, magnetic cassettes or other magnetic storage devices, flash memory cards, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical storage, random access memories (RAM), read only memories (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), and the like.

[0070] Any number of program modules may be stored on the mass storage device 1004. An operating system 1005 and drilling software 1006 may be stored on the mass storage device 1004. One or more of the operating system 1005 and drilling software 1006 (or some combination thereof) may comprise program modules and the drilling software 1006. The position data 1007 may also be stored on the mass storage device 1004. The position data 1007 may be stored in any of one or more databases known in the art. The databases may be centralized or distributed across multiple locations within the network 1015.

[0071] A user may enter commands and information into the computing device 1001 using an input device. Such input devices comprise, but are not limited to, a joystick, a touchscreen display, a keyboard, a pointing device (e.g., a computer mouse, remote control), amicrophone, a scanner, tactile input devices such as gloves, and other body coverings, motion sensor, speech recognition, and the like. These and other input devices may be connected to the one or more processors 1003 using a human machine interface 1002 that is coupled to the bus 1013, but may be connected by other interface and bus structures, such as a parallel port, game port, an IEEE 1394 Port (also known as a Firewire port), a serial port, network adapter 1008, and / or a universal serial bus (USB).

[0072] A display device 1011 may also be connected to the bus 1013 using an interface, such as a display adapter 1009. It is contemplated that the computing device 1001 may have more than one display adapter 1009 and the computing device 1001 may have more than one display device 1011. A display device 1011 may be a monitor, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), light emitting diode (LED) display, television, smart lens, smart glass, and / or a projector. In addition to the display device 1011, other output peripheral devices may comprise components such as speakers (not shown) and a printer (not shown) which may be connected to the computing device 1001 using Input / Output Interface 1010. Any step and / or result of the methods may be output (or caused to be output) in any form to an output device. Such output may be any form of visual representation, including, but not limited to, textual, graphical, animation, audio, tactile, and the like. The display 1011 and computing device 1001 may be part of one device, or separate devices.

[0073] The computing device 1001 may operate in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more remote computing devices 1014a, b,c. A remote computing device 1014a, b,c may be a personal computer, computing station (e.g., workstation), portable computer (e.g., laptop, mobile phone, tablet device), smart device (e.g., smartphone, smart watch, activity tracker, smart apparel, smart accessory), security and / or monitoring device, a server, a router, a network computer, a peer device, edge device or other common network node, and so on. The remote computing devices 1014a, b,c, can perform respective operations of the system 10. For example, one remote computing device 1014a can be a controller of a first pivotable structure 22. One remote computing device 1014b can control a second pivotable structure 24. Logical connections between the computing device 1001 and a remote computing device 1014a, b,c may be made using a network 1015, such as a local area network (LAN) and / or a general wide area network (WAN) , or a Cloud-based network. Such network connections may be through a network adapter 1008. A network adapter 1008 may be implemented in both wiredand wireless environments. Such networking environments are conventional and commonplace in dwellings, offices, enterprise-wide computer networks, intranets, and the Internet. It is contemplated that the remote computing devices 1014a,b,c can optionally have some or all of the components disclosed as being part of computing device 1001. In various further aspects, it is contemplated that some or all aspects of data processing described herein can be performed via cloud computing on one or more servers or other remote computing devices. Accordingly, at least a portion of the system 1000 can be configured with internet connectivity.Advantages of the Disclosed System

[0074] The disclosed systems and methods can reduce physical operator interaction with heavy core tubes, thereby improving safety during core tube handling.

[0075] The disclosed system reduces the amount of manual manipulation required of workers when adding / removing drill rod sections to a drill string.

[0076] The disclosed system can be used to install barrels having flattened outer surface sections in the drill string.

[0077] The disclosed system can be adapted for use on existing drill rigs.

[0078] The disclosed system can be used with different core tube diameters and lengths.

[0079] The disclosed system can be configured for mounting to either side of a mast.

[0080] The disclosed system can be used with differing thread pitches.

[0081] The disclosed system can be compactly stowed against the mast for transportation.

[0082] The disclosed system allows the rod spinning wheels to float during threading operations.EXEMPLARY ASPECTS

[0083] In view of the described products, systems, and methods and variations thereof, herein below are described certain more particularly described aspects of the invention. These particularly recited aspects should not however be interpreted to have any limiting effect on any different claims containing different or more general teachings described herein, or that the “particular” aspects are somehow limited in some way other than the inherent meanings of the language literally used therein.

[0084] Aspect 1 : A drill rod and core tube handler assembly for use with a drill rig including an elongate mast, a drill head slidably mounted thereon, and a drill string, comprising: a drill rod traversing assembly comprising: at least one elongate rail mounted to the mast of the drill rig so that a longitudinal axis of the at least one elongate rail is parallel to the drilling axis of the drill rig; a carriage slidably secured to the at least one elongate rail; a pivot arm having a proximal end pivotably secured to the carriage about a first pivot axis; and a drill rod holder assembly pivotably secured to a distal end of the pivot arm about a second pivot axis, the rod holder assembly comprising: a body portion; and at least one pair of opposed rollers, each roller of the at least one pair of opposed rollers being rotatably mounted to the body portion about a roller axis, the at least one pair of opposed rollers being configured to both grip a drill rod section therebetween and move the drill rod section from a first axial position to a second axial position with respect to a longitudinal center axis of the drill rod section.

[0085] Aspect 2: The handler assembly of aspect 1, wherein the roller axes of the rollers of the at least one pair of opposed rollers are perpendicular to the second pivot axis of the drill rod holder assembly.

[0086] Aspect 3 : The handler assembly of aspect 1 or aspect 2, wherein the pivot arm is configured to pivotably move the drill rod section from a first position in which the longitudinal center axis of the drill rod section is spaced from the drilling axis to a second position in which the longitudinal axis of the drill rod section is collinear with the drilling axis.

[0087] Aspect 4: The handler assembly of aspect 3, wherein the drill rod traversing assembly is configured to pivotably move the drill rod section from a first position in which the longitudinal center axis of the drill rod section is transverse to the drilling axis to a second position in which the longitudinal center axis of the drill rod section is parallel to the drilling axis.

[0088] Aspect 5: The handler assembly of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein the at least one pair of opposed rollers of the drill rod holder assembly comprises two pairs of opposed rollers.

[0089] Aspect 6: The handler assembly of aspect 5, wherein each roller of the two pairs of opposed roller includes a first end, a second end, and a circumferential side wall extending therebetween which is configured to rotatably engage an outer surface of the drill rod section.

[0090] Aspect 7: The handler assembly of any one of the preceding aspects, further comprising a drill rod spinner assembly secured to the mast of the drill rig, wherein the drill rod spinner assembly is configured to rotate the drill rod section about its longitudinal center axis with respect to the drill string.

[0091] Aspect 8: The handler assembly of aspect 7, the drill rod spinner assembly comprising: at least one elongate rail mounted to the mast of the drill rig; a carriage slidably mounted to the at least one elongate rail of the drill rod spinner assembly; and at least one roller rotatably secured to the carriage of the spinner assembly about a roller axis that is parallel to the drilling axis, wherein the at least one roller of the spinner assembly is configured to engage an outer surface of the drill rod section.

[0092] Aspect 9: The handler assembly of aspect 8, wherein the at least one roller of the spinner assembly further comprises two opposed pairs of rollers that are configured to receive and engage the drill rod section therebetween, wherein at least one of the rollers of the spinner assembly is selectively driven by a motor.

[0093] Aspect 10: The handler assembly of aspect 8 or aspect 9, wherein the carriage of the spinner assembly is free to move axially while the drill rod section is being rotated by the at least one roller of the spinner assembly.

[0094] Aspect 11 : The handler assembly of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein the first pivot axis of the pivot arm is perpendicular to the second pivot axis of the rod holder assembly.

[0095] Aspect 12: A drill rod and core tube handler assembly for use with a drill rig including an elongate mast, a drill head slidably mounted thereon, and a drill string, comprising:a drill rod traversing assembly comprising: an elongate rail mounted to the mast of the drill rig so that a longitudinal axis of the elongate rail is parallel to the drilling axis of the drill rig; a carriage slidably secured to the elongate rail; a pivot arm having a proximal end pivotably secured to the carriage about a first pivot axis; and a drill rod holder assembly pivotably secured to a distal end of the pivot arm about a second pivot axis, the rod holder assembly being configured to selectively grasp a drill rod section, and a drill rod spinner assembly secured to the mast of the drill rig, wherein the pivot arm of the drill rod traversing assembly is configured to move the drill rod section from a first position in which the longitudinal center axis of the drill rod section is both parallel to and spaced from the drilling axis to a second position in which the longitudinal center axis of the drill rod section is collinear with the drilling axis, and wherein the drill rod spinner assembly is configured to rotate the drill rod section about a longitudinal center axis of the drill rod section with respect to the drill string.

[0096] Aspect 13: The handler assembly of aspect 12, wherein the rod holder assembly further comprises: a body portion; and at least one pair of opposed rollers, each roller of the at least one pair of opposed rollers being rotatably mounted to the body portion about a roller axis, the at least one pair of opposed rollers being configured to both grip a drill rod section therebetween and move the drill rod section from a first axial position to a second axial position with respect to a longitudinal center axis of the drill rod section.

[0097] Aspect 14: The handler assembly of aspect 13, wherein the roller axes of the rollers of the drill rod handler assembly are perpendicular to the second pivot axis of the drill rod holder assembly.

[0098] Aspect 15: The handler assembly of aspect 13 or aspect 14, wherein the drill rod holder assembly is configured to pivotably move the drill rod section from a first position in which the longitudinal center axis of the drill rod section is transverse to the drilling axis to asecond position in which the longitudinal center axis of the drill rod section is parallel to the drilling axis.

[0099] Aspect 16: The handler assembly of any one of aspects 13-15, wherein the at least one pair of opposed rollers of the drill rod holder assembly comprises two pairs of opposed rollers.

[0100] Aspect 17: The handler assembly of aspect 16, wherein each roller of the two pairs of opposed roller includes a first end, a second end, and a circumferential side wall extending therebetween which is configured to rotatably engage an outer surface of the drill rod section.

[0101] Aspect 18: The handler assembly of any one of aspects 12-17, the drill rod spinner assembly comprising: at least one elongate rail mounted to the mast of the drill rig; a carriage slidably mounted to the at least one elongate rail of the drill rod spinner assembly; and at least one roller rotatably secured to the carriage of the spinner assembly about a roller axis that is parallel to the drilling axis, wherein the at least one roller of the spinner assembly is configured to engage an outer surface of the drill rod section.

[0102] Aspect 19: The handler assembly of aspect 18, wherein the at least one roller of the spinner assembly further comprises two opposed pair of rollers that are configured to receive and engage the drill rod section therebetween, and at least one of the rollers of the spinner assembly is selectively driven by a motor.

[0103] Aspect 20: The handler assembly of aspect 18 or aspect 19, wherein the carriage of the spinner assembly is free to move axially while the drill rod section is being rotated by the at least one roller of the spinner assembly.

[0104] Aspect 21 : The handler assembly of any one of aspects 12-20, wherein the first pivot axis of the pivot arm is perpendicular to the second pivot axis of the rod holder assembly.

[0105] Aspect 22: A drilling system for drilling bores with a drill string, comprising: an elongate mast, a drill head slidably mounted to the elongate mast, the drill head being configured to selectively grip and rotate the drill string;a drill rod traversing assembly comprising: an elongate rail mounted to the mast of the drill rig so that a longitudinal axis of the elongate rail is parallel to the drilling axis of the drill rig; a carriage slidably secured to the elongate rail;’ a pivot arm having a proximal end pivotably secured to the carriage about a fist pivot axis; a drill rod holder assembly pivotably secured to the distal end of the pivot arm about a second pivot axis, the rod holder assembly being configured to selectively grasp a drill rod section, and a drill rod spinner assembly secured to the mast of the drill rig. wherein the pivot arm of the drill rod traversing assembly is configured to move the drill rod section from the first position in which the longitudinal center axis of the drill rod section is both parallel to and spaced from the drilling axis to a second position in which the longitudinal center axis of the drill rod section is collinear with the drilling axis, and wherein the drill rod spinner assembly is configured to rotate the drill rod section about a longitudinal center axis of the drill rod section with respect to the drill string.

[0106] Aspect 23: The system of aspect 22, wherein the rod holder assembly further comprises: a body portion; and at least one pair of opposed rollers, each roller of the at least one pair of opposed rollers being rotatably mounted to the body portion about a roller axis, the at least one pair of opposed rollers being configured to both grip a drill rod section therebetween and move the drill rod section from a first axial position to a second axial position with respect to a longitudinal center axis of the drill rod section.

[0107] Aspect 24: The system of aspect 23, wherein the drill rod holder assembly is configured to pivotably move the drill rod section from a first position in which the longitudinal center axis of the drill rod section is transverse to the drilling axis to a second position in which the longitudinal center axis of the drill rod section is parallel to the drilling axis.

[0108] Aspect 25: The system of aspect 22, the drill rod spinner assembly comprising: at least one elongate rail mounted to the mast;a carriage slidably mounted to the at least one elongate rail of the drill rod spinner assembly; and at least one roller rotatably secured to the carriage of the spinner assembly about a roller axis that is parallel to the drilling axis, wherein the at least one roller of the spinner assembly is configured to engage an outer surface of the drill rod section.

[0109] Aspect 26: The system of aspect 25, wherein the at least one roller of the spinner assembly further comprises two opposed pair of rollers that are configured to receive and engage the drill rod section therebetween, and at least one of the rollers of the spinner assembly is selectively driving by a motor.

[0110] Aspect 27: The system of aspect 25, wherein the carriage of the spinner assembly is free to move axially while the drill rod section is being rotated by the at least one roller of the spinner assembly.

[0111] Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, certain changes and modifications may be practiced within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A drill rod and core tube handler assembly for use with a drill rig including an elongate mast, a drill head slidably mounted thereon, and a drill string, comprising: a drill rod traversing assembly comprising: at least one elongate rail mounted to the mast of the drill rig so that a longitudinal axis of the at least one elongate rail is parallel to the drilling axis of the drill rig; a carriage slidably secured to the at least one elongate rail; a pivot arm having a proximal end pivotably secured to the carriage about a first pivot axis; and a drill rod holder assembly pivotably secured to a distal end of the pivot arm about a second pivot axis, the rod holder assembly comprising: a body portion; and at least one pair of opposed rollers, each roller of the at least one pair of opposed rollers being rotatably mounted to the body portion about a roller axis, the at least one pair of opposed rollers being configured to both grip a drill rod section therebetween and move the drill rod section from a first axial position to a second axial position with respect to a longitudinal center axis of the drill rod section.

2. The handler assembly of claim 1, wherein the roller axes of the rollers of the at least one pair of opposed rollers are perpendicular to the second pivot axis of the drill rod holder assembly.

3. The handler assembly of claim 1, wherein the pivot arm is configured to pivotably move the drill rod section from a first position in which the longitudinal center axis of the drill rodsection is spaced from the drilling axis to a second position in which the longitudinal axis of the drill rod section is collinear with the drilling axis.

4. The handler assembly of claim 3, wherein the drill rod traversing assembly is configured to pivotably move the drill rod section from a first position in which the longitudinal center axis of the drill rod section is transverse to the drilling axis to a second position in which the longitudinal center axis of the drill rod section is parallel to the drilling axis.

5. The handler assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one pair of opposed rollers of the drill rod holder assembly comprises two pairs of opposed rollers.

6. The handler assembly of claim 5, wherein each roller of the two pairs of opposed roller includes a first end, a second end, and a circumferential side wall extending therebetween which is configured to rotatably engage an outer surface of the drill rod section.

7. The handler assembly of claim 1, further comprising a drill rod spinner assembly secured to the mast of the drill rig, wherein the drill rod spinner assembly is configured to rotate the drill rod section about its longitudinal center axis with respect to the drill string.

8. The handler assembly of claim 7, the drill rod spinner assembly comprising: at least one elongate rail mounted to the mast of the drill rig; a carriage slidably mounted to the at least one elongate rail of the drill rod spinner assembly; and at least one roller rotatably secured to the carriage of the spinner assembly about a roller axis that is parallel to the drilling axis, wherein the at least one roller of the spinner assembly is configured to engage an outer surface of the drill rod section.

9. The handler assembly of claim 8, wherein the at least one roller of the spinner assembly further comprises two opposed pairs of rollers that are configured to receive and engage the drill rod section therebetween, wherein at least one of the rollers of the spinner assembly is selectively driven by a motor.

10. The handler assembly of claim 8, wherein the carriage of the spinner assembly is free to move axially while the drill rod section is being rotated by the at least one roller of the spinner assembly.

11. The handler assembly of claim 1, wherein the first pivot axis of the pivot arm is perpendicular to the second pivot axis of the rod holder assembly.

12. A drill rod and core tube handler assembly for use with a drill rig including an elongate mast, a drill head slidably mounted thereon, and a drill string, comprising: a drill rod traversing assembly comprising: an elongate rail mounted to the mast of the drill rig so that a longitudinal axis of the elongate rail is parallel to the drilling axis of the drill rig; a carriage slidably secured to the elongate rail; a pivot arm having a proximal end pivotably secured to the carriage about a first pivot axis; and a drill rod holder assembly pivotably secured to a distal end of the pivot arm about a second pivot axis, the rod holder assembly being configured to selectively grasp a drill rod section, and a drill rod spinner assembly secured to the mast of the drill rig, wherein the pivot arm of the drill rod traversing assembly is configured to move the drill rod section from a first position in which the longitudinal center axis of the drillrod section is both parallel to and spaced from the drilling axis to a second position in which the longitudinal center axis of the drill rod section is collinear with the drilling axis, and wherein the drill rod spinner assembly is configured to rotate the drill rod section about a longitudinal center axis of the drill rod section with respect to the drill string.

13. The handler assembly of claim 12, wherein the rod holder assembly further comprises: a body portion; and at least one pair of opposed rollers, each roller of the at least one pair of opposed rollers being rotatably mounted to the body portion about a roller axis, the at least one pair of opposed rollers being configured to both grip a drill rod section therebetween and move the drill rod section from a first axial position to a second axial position with respect to a longitudinal center axis of the drill rod section.

14. The handler assembly of claim 13, wherein the roller axes of the rollers of the drill rod handler assembly are perpendicular to the second pivot axis of the drill rod holder assembly.

15. The handler assembly of claim 13, wherein the drill rod holder assembly is configured to pivotably move the drill rod section from a first position in which the longitudinal center axis of the drill rod section is transverse to the drilling axis to a second position in which the longitudinal center axis of the drill rod section is parallel to the drilling axis.

16. The handler assembly of claim 13, wherein the at least one pair of opposed rollers of the drill rod holder assembly comprises two pairs of opposed rollers.

17. The handler assembly of claim 16, wherein each roller of the two pairs of opposed roller includes a first end, a second end, and a circumferential side wall extending therebetween which is configured to rotatably engage an outer surface of the drill rod section.

18. The handler assembly of claim 12, the drill rod spinner assembly comprising: at least one elongate rail mounted to the mast of the drill rig; a carriage slidably mounted to the at least one elongate rail of the drill rod spinner assembly; and at least one roller rotatably secured to the carriage of the spinner assembly about a roller axis that is parallel to the drilling axis, wherein the at least one roller of the spinner assembly is configured to engage an outer surface of the drill rod section.

19. The handler assembly of claim 18, wherein the at least one roller of the spinner assembly further comprises two opposed pair of rollers that are configured to receive and engage the drill rod section therebetween, and at least one of the rollers of the spinner assembly is selectively driven by a motor.

20. The handler assembly of claim 18, wherein the carriage of the spinner assembly is free to move axially while the drill rod section is being rotated by the at least one roller of the spinner assembly.

21. The handler assembly of claim 12, wherein the first pivot axis of the pivot arm is perpendicular to the second pivot axis of the rod holder assembly.

22. A drilling system for drilling bores with a drill string, comprising: an elongate mast, a drill head slidably mounted to the elongate mast, the drill head being configured to selectively grip and rotate the drill string; a drill rod traversing assembly comprising:an elongate rail mounted to the mast of the drill rig so that a longitudinal axis of the elongate rail is parallel to the drilling axis of the drill rig; a carriage slidably secured to the elongate rail;’ a pivot arm having a proximal end pivotably secured to the carriage about a fist pivot axis; a drill rod holder assembly pivotably secured to the distal end of the pivot arm about a second pivot axis, the rod holder assembly being configured to selectively grasp a drill rod section, and a drill rod spinner assembly secured to the mast of the drill rig. wherein the pivot arm of the drill rod traversing assembly is configured to move the drill rod section from the first position in which the longitudinal center axis of the drill rod section is both parallel to and spaced from the drilling axis to a second position in which the longitudinal center axis of the drill rod section is collinear with the drilling axis, and wherein the drill rod spinner assembly is configured to rotate the drill rod section about a longitudinal center axis of the drill rod section with respect to the drill string.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the rod holder assembly further comprises: a body portion; and at least one pair of opposed rollers, each roller of the at least one pair of opposed rollers being rotatably mounted to the body portion about a roller axis, the at least one pair of opposed rollers being configured to both grip a drill rod section therebetween and move the drill rod section from a first axial position to a second axial position with respect to a longitudinal center axis of the drill rod section.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the drill rod holder assembly is configured to pivotably move the drill rod section from a first position in which the longitudinal center axis of the drill rod section is transverse to the drilling axis to a second position in which the longitudinal center axis of the drill rod section is parallel to the drilling axis.

25. The system of claim 22, the drill rod spinner assembly comprising: at least one elongate rail mounted to the mast; a carriage slidably mounted to the at least one elongate rail of the drill rod spinner assembly; and at least one roller rotatably secured to the carriage of the spinner assembly about a roller axis that is parallel to the drilling axis, wherein the at least one roller of the spinner assembly is configured to engage an outer surface of the drill rod section.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one roller of the spinner assembly further comprises two opposed pair of rollers that are configured to receive and engage the drill rod section therebetween, and at least one of the rollers of the spinner assembly is selectively driving by a motor.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the carriage of the spinner assembly is free to move axially while the drill rod section is being rotated by the at least one roller of the spinner assembly.

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