Boring machine

Abstract

To accurately drill a ground regardless of an operator's skill or experience.SOLUTION: A boring machine 10 comprises a drill head 12 that grips the rearmost rod among a plurality of rods and applies a rotational force to rotate the plurality of rods and the tip rod, a feeding device 24 for moving the drill head 12 in a direction parallel to the drilling direction and applying a feeding force to the plurality of rods and the tip rod, a rod handling device 30 for splicing and severing each of the rods 80, a water pump 50 for supplying drilling water, a plurality of sensors 52 for grasping the behavior of the entire machine 10, and a control unit 56 that controls the operation of the entire machine 10 in consideration of detection results from the plurality of sensors 52. This allows the operation of the entire machine 10 to be controlled by the control unit 56 without the need for direct operator intervention, and the ground can be drilled with high accuracy regardless of the operator's skill and experience.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a boring machine. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, when drilling holes in the ground using a boring machine, the operator would visually check the drilling status and adjust the rod rotation pressure, feed pressure, and drilling water flow rate based on the values of each gauge. Patent Document 1 discloses a boring machine in which the water pressure adjustment valve that adjusts the drilling water pressure can be operated from a single location. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-72991 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] For the reasons mentioned above, drilling holes in the ground using conventional boring machines requires high skill and extensive experience from the operator, and it is difficult to perform the work accurately unless the operator is an experienced operator. The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to drill holes in the ground with high precision regardless of the skill or experience of the operator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] (Aspects of the invention) The following embodiments of the present invention are examples of the configuration of the present invention, and are described in terms to facilitate understanding of the various configurations of the present invention. Each term does not limit the technical scope of the present invention, and while taking into consideration the best mode for carrying out the invention, some of the components of each term may be replaced or deleted, or other components may be added, and these may also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0006] (1) A boring machine that drills the ground by sequentially connecting multiple cylindrical rods between a cylindrical front rod with a bit attached to the front end and a cylindrical rear rod to which drilling water is supplied from the rear end, comprising: a drill head that holds the rearmost rod of the multiple rods and applies a rotational force to it, causing the multiple rods and the front rod to rotate about their axis; a feeding device that moves the drill head in a direction parallel to the drilling direction and applies a feeding force to the multiple rods and the front rod; a rod handling device that connects and disconnects each of the multiple rods; and a water pump that supplies the drilling water. The relevant boring Taking into account the detection results of multiple sensors to grasp the behavior of the entire machine, The relevant boring A control unit that controls the operation of the entire machine. hmm.

[0007] The boring machine described in this section includes a drill head, a feeding device, a rod handling device, a water pump, multiple sensors, and a control unit. The drill head grips the rearmost rod (the rod connected to the rearmost rod) of the multiple rods and applies a rotational force to it, thereby rotating the multiple rods and the tip rod connected to its tip end. This also rotates the bit attached to the tip rod, applying the rotational force required for drilling. The feeding device moves (forward and backward) the drill head, which grips the rearmost rod of the multiple rods, in a direction parallel to the drilling direction, thereby applying a feeding force to the multiple rods and the tip rod connected to their tip end. As a result, while being rotated by the drill head, the multiple rods, the tip rod, and the bit receive the feeding force from the feeding device and advance while drilling the ground.

[0008] The rod handling device extends and disconnects the rearmost rod of the multiple rods connected between the front rod and the rear rod, thereby extending or disconnecting the multiple rods one by one from the rear end. The water supply pump supplies drilling water to the rear end of the rear rod, and the drilling water supplied from the water supply pump to the rear rod passes through the inside of the cylindrical rear rod, the inside of each of the multiple cylindrical rods, and the inside of the cylindrical front rod, before being supplied to the bit and flowing out from the bit to the drilling site. The multiple sensors are installed throughout the boring machine to monitor the behavior of the entire boring machine, including the operating status of each of the above-mentioned parts.

[0009] The control unit controls the operation of the entire boring machine while taking into account the detection results from these multiple sensors. That is, the operation of the entire boring machine, such as the application of rotational force by the drill head, the application of feeding force by the feeding device, the extension and detachment of rods by the rod handling device, and the supply of drilling water by the water supply pump, is controlled by the control unit without the need for direct intervention by an operator. This allows the boring machine described in this section to drill holes in the ground with precision, regardless of the operator's skill or experience. Furthermore, this reduces the mental burden on the operator, who must constantly pay attention to the operating status of the boring machine, and also reduces the heavy labor of handling the rods.

[0010] (2) In the above item (1), the plurality of sensors include a gripping force by the drill head, a rotation pressure of the rotation by the drill head, a rotation speed of the rotation by the drill head, a feeding speed by the feeding device, a feeding pressure by the feeding device, a position of the drill head by the feeding device, The relevant boring Machine vibration, the amount of drilling water delivered, and the pressure of the drilling water each A boring machine (claim) including a sensor for measuring 1 ). The boring machine described in this section is equipped with the following sensors to grasp the behavior of the entire machine: each The drilling machine includes sensors that measure the gripping force of the rod by the drill head, the rotational pressure applied by the drill head, the rotational speed applied by the drill head, the feed speed applied by the feed device, the feed pressure applied by the feed device, the position of the drill head moved by the feed device, the vibration of the boring machine, the amount of drilling water fed from the water pump, and the water pressure of the drilling water fed from the water pump.The behavior of the drill head, feed device, water pump, etc. can be determined from these measurement results, and the control unit controls their operations based on such behavior, resulting in accurate drilling of the ground.

[0011] (3) top Note( 2), the boring machine further includes a base portion supporting a main portion including the drill head, the feeding device, and the rod handling device, a direction switching portion for integrally changing the attitude of the main portion relative to the base portion to switch the drilling direction, and an attitude sensor for measuring the attitude of the main portion. 2 ). The boring machine described in this section further includes a base unit, a direction switching unit, and a position sensor. The base unit supports the main parts of the boring machine, including the drill head, the feeding device, and the rod handling device. The direction switching unit changes the position of the main parts of the machine relative to the base unit, and changes the orientation of the rod held by the drill head or the like, thereby switching the drilling direction. The position sensor measures the position of the main parts as they change. This configuration allows for drilling in various directions while improving the drilling accuracy through operation control by the control unit.

[0012] (4) In the above paragraph (3), the direction switching unit is a boring machine (claim 1) including a rotating unit that rotates the main unit about a rotation axis parallel to the horizontal direction when the base unit is installed horizontally, and an erecting unit that rotates the main unit and the rotating unit about a rotation axis that is perpendicular to the rotation axis and parallel to the horizontal direction. 3 ). In the boring machine described in this section, the direction switching unit includes a rotating unit that rotates the main unit relative to the base unit and an elevating unit that tilts the main unit together with the rotating unit relative to the base unit. That is, with the base unit installed horizontally, the rotating unit rotates the main unit on a rotation axis parallel to the horizontal direction, thereby changing the drilling direction in all directions perpendicular to the rotation axis. Furthermore, the elevating unit rotates the main unit and rotating unit on a pivot axis perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotating unit and parallel to the horizontal direction, thereby changing the drilling direction to a range not covered by the rotation of the rotating unit. This allows the main unit to be supported in a variety of excavation positions, making it possible to drill in a wider range of directions, and also to drill in narrow spaces such as tunnels.

[0013] (5) The above ( 2 ) to (4), the drill head includes a motor that generates a rotational force, a spindle gear that transmits the rotational force to the rod at the rearmost end, a high-speed gear that engages with the spindle gear, and a low-speed gear that engages with the high-speed gear, and the input destination of the rotational force from the motor can be switched between the high-speed gear and the low-speed gear. 4 ). In the boring machine described in this section, the drill head includes a motor that generates rotational force and three gears: a spindle gear, a high-speed gear, and a low-speed gear. The spindle gear transmits rotational force to the rod at the rearmost end held by the drill head, and the high-speed gear engages with the spindle gear, and the low-speed gear engages with the high-speed gear. In other words, the high-speed gear is interposed between the spindle gear and the low-speed gear.

[0014] The input of rotational force from the motor can be switched between the high-speed gear and the low-speed gear. When rotational force is input to the high-speed gear, it is transmitted directly to the spindle gear, and when rotational force is input to the low-speed gear, it is transmitted to the spindle gear via the high-speed gear. Therefore, by adjusting the gear ratio of the three gears, rotation in two rotational speed ranges can be achieved: a high-speed range when rotational force is input from the high-speed gear, and a low-speed range when rotational force is input from the low-speed gear. This makes it possible to rotate the rod at various speeds without the need to disassemble the drill head and rearrange the gears, shortening the time required for such work.

[0015] (6) The above ( 2 ) to (5), the boring machine further includes a construction recording device that records at least one of the following depending on the drilling situation: drilling depth, drilling time, drilling speed, rotation torque of the drill head, load on the bit, amount of water supplied to the drilling water, and water supply pressure of the drilling water. 5 ). The boring machine described in this section further includes a construction recording device, which records at least one of the following depending on the drilling situation: drilling depth, drilling time, drilling speed, rotational torque of the drill head, load on the bit, amount of drilling water supplied, and water supply pressure of the drilling water. These values are obtained from each part such as the drill head and water supply pump, obtained from multiple sensors, or calculated by the control unit.

[0016] As a result, the recording work, which was previously performed by operators on paper media and was prone to recording omissions and mistakes, and was time-consuming, can now be performed by the construction recording device without any recording omissions or mistakes. Furthermore, the records can be reused for daily work reports, etc., further reducing work time. In addition, by accumulating drilling data corresponding to the ground condition, index values corresponding to the ground condition can be set, and drilling efficiency can be improved. In addition, by referring to the accumulated drilling data, changes in the drilling data in response to cracks, etc. occurring in the ground can be read, and the occurrence of cracks, etc. can be determined from the drilling data being recorded.

[0017] (7) The above ( 2 In the above-mentioned claims 1 to 6, the control unit controls the feeding device in consideration of the weights of the plurality of rods currently connected so that the load on the bit is constant. 6 ). In the boring machine described in this section, the control unit controls the feeding device to maintain a constant load on the bit during drilling, taking into account the weight of the multiple rods currently connected. That is, the control unit controlling the rod handling device keeps track of the number of rods currently connected, calculates the total weight of all rods from that, and adjusts the feeding force applied to the rods by the feeding device so that the load on the bit remains constant. The load on the bit can be calculated, for example, from the pressure difference between the rod side and the piston side of the cylinder that applies the feeding force in the feeding device. Furthermore, because the load on the bit is controlled to remain constant, changes in the load on the bit due to other factors are also taken into account. This prevents excessive load from being applied to the bit, ensuring stable drilling. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] Because the present invention has the above-described configuration, it is possible to drill holes in the ground with high precision regardless of the skill or experience of the operator. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a boring machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the boring machine of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the boring machine of FIG. 1 from an angle different from that of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional image diagram illustrating the structure of a drill head of the boring machine of FIG. 1. [Figure 5] 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the attitude of the main part of the boring machine of FIG. 1 and the attitude of the rod handling device are changed. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a cross-sectional image diagram illustrating the configuration of a rod used in a boring machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the boring machine of FIG. 1 when mainly boring upward. [Figure 8] 2 is a screen image diagram showing an example of a display displayed by the control unit of the boring machine of FIG. 1. [Figure 9] 1 is a flow chart showing an example of the procedure of a method for boring holes in the ground using a boring machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] Continuing from FIG. 9, this is a flow chart showing an example of the procedure of the method for drilling holes in the ground. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing an example of a procedure for excavating the depth of one rod using the boring machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing an example of a procedure for adding a rod using a boring machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for adding a rod, following FIG. 12. [Figure 14] FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing an example of a procedure for extracting one rod using a boring machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15]FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing an example of a procedure for separating a rod using a boring machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] 15 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for separating a rod. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Here, detailed descriptions of parts that are the same as or corresponding to those in the prior art will be omitted, and the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings to indicate the same or corresponding parts. Fig. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a boring machine 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 show an example of the external shape of the boring machine 10. Note that the configuration and external shape of the boring machine 10 are not limited to those shown in Figs. 1 to 3, and for example, depending on the construction environment and situation, the boring machine 10 may have a configuration in which some of the components shown in Figs. 1 to 3 are deleted, changed, or appropriately added, or may have a different external shape.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , a boring machine 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention drills a hole in the ground using a cylindrical front rod (not shown) with a bit attached to its front end, multiple cylindrical rods 80, and a cylindrical rear rod 84 with a water swivel 88 attached to its rear end. More specifically, multiple rods 80 are sequentially connected to the rear end of the front rod, and a rear rod 84 is connected to the rear end of the most rearmost rod 80 of the multiple rods 80. Drilling water is supplied from the water swivel 88 through the rear rod 84, the multiple rods 80, and the front rod, while drilling the ground. Hereinafter, the central axis of the rear rod 84 and the multiple rods 80 connected thereto will be referred to as the “rod axis S.” Specifically, the boring machine 10 includes a drill head 12, a feeder 24, a rod handling device 30, a water pump 50, multiple sensors 52, a control unit 56, a base unit 58, a direction switching unit 60, and a construction recording device 68. 2 and 3, the water pump 50, the plurality of sensors 52, the control unit 56, and the construction recording device 68 are not shown.

[0022] The drill head 12 grips the rearmost rod 80 of the multiple rods 80 and applies a rotational force around the rod axis S, enabling forward and reverse axial rotation. The drill head 12 also functions as a rod drive unit 32, gripping and rotating the rod 80 and the rearmost rod 84 when extending or detaching the rod 80, as described in detail below. As shown in FIG. 4 , the drill head 12 includes a chuck cylinder 13, a motor 14, a spindle gear 15, a spindle 16, a high-speed gear 17, a low-speed gear 18, a chuck piece 19, and a chuck bearing 20. The chuck cylinder 13 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , and the motor 14 is also shown in FIG. 2 . The chuck cylinder 13 operates the chuck piece 19 to grip the rod 80 (rear end rod 84 ), and the chuck bearing 20 rotates the chuck piece 19 together with the spindle 16 .

[0023] A spindle gear 15 is attached to the upper side of the spindle 16 in the figure so as to rotate together with the spindle gear 15. A high-speed gear 17 is engaged with the spindle gear 15, and a low-speed gear 18 is engaged with the high-speed gear 17. The motor 14 generates rotational force and is configured as an oil motor in this embodiment. The motor 14 can be attached to both the high-speed gear 17 and the low-speed gear 18 so that rotational force can be input from either the high-speed gear 17 or the low-speed gear 18. Therefore, when the motor 14 is attached to the high-speed gear 17, the rotational force of the motor 14 is transmitted directly from the high-speed gear 17 to the spindle gear 15, causing the spindle 16 to rotate in a high-speed rotation range. On the other hand, when the motor 14 is attached to the low-speed gear 18, the rotational force of the motor 14 is transmitted from the low-speed gear 18 to the spindle gear 15 via the high-speed gear 17, causing the spindle 16 to rotate in a low-speed rotation range. In FIG. 4, the motor 14 attached to the low-speed gear 18 is shown by a solid line, and the motor 14 attached to the high-speed gear 17 is shown by a dashed line.

[0024] 1 to 3 , the feeding device 24 applies a feeding force by moving the drill head 12, which holds the rod 80 and the rear end rod 84, in a direction parallel to the extension direction of the rod 80 and the rear end rod 84, as described above. The feeding device 24 includes a guide frame 25, a slide table 26, and a feed cylinder 27. The slide table 26 supports the drill head 12 and slides along the guide frame 25 by a driving force applied from the feed cylinder 27, which in this embodiment uses hydraulic pressure. Hereinafter, moving the rod 80, the rear end rod 84, and the drill head 12 in the hole-drilling direction (downward in FIGS. 2 and 3 ) by the feeding device 24 will be referred to as “advancement,” and moving them in the opposite direction will be referred to as “retraction.” The feeding device 24 has a rapid-forward movement function and a rapid-forward movement function, which allow the feeding device 24 to move at a speed faster than normal, not for drilling but for repositioning the feeding device 24, for example. As will be described in more detail later, like the drill head 12, this feeding device 24 also serves as a rod drive unit 32, moving the rod 80 and the rear end rod 84 when the rod 80 is extended or detached.

[0025] The rod handling device 30 is configured to connect and disconnect each of a plurality of rods 80 and includes a rod driving unit 32, a rod moving unit 34, a rod fixing unit 42, a plurality of sensors 44, and a rod control unit 48. The rod driving unit 32 grips the rear end rod 84 or the target rod 80T to be connected or disconnected and moves and axially rotates the rear end rod 84 or the target rod 80T in a direction parallel to the direction of extension thereof; as described above, the drill head 12 and the feeding device 24 are utilized as the rod driving unit 32. The rod moving unit 34 is an arm-shaped unit that grips the target rod 80T to be connected or disconnected and moves the target rod 80T to a connecting position where the target rod 80T is connected to or disconnected from another rod 80 or the rear end rod 84, and a retracted position where the target rod 80T is supplied to the rod moving unit 34 or the disconnected target rod 80T is retrieved. 2 and 3, the connection position is a position where the central axis of the target rod 80T is positioned on the rod axis S, and the retracted position is a position away from the rod axis S, as shown in the state where the rod moving part 34 is laid down in Fig. 5. Note that Fig. 5 illustrates the rod moving part 34 in the connection position holding the target rod 80T, and the rod moving part 34 in the retracted position not holding the target rod 80T.

[0026] More specifically, the rod moving unit 34 includes a rod chuck 35 that grips the target rod 80T, a hydraulic chuck cylinder 36 that generates a gripping force for the rod chuck 35, a rotation mechanism 37 that rotates the entire rod moving unit 34, and an elevation mechanism 39 that raises and lowers the rod chuck 35, the chuck cylinder 36, etc. The rotation mechanism 37 rotates the entire rod moving unit 34 about the rod axis S as a rotation axis via a swing bearing 38. The elevation mechanism 39 pivots and moves the rod chuck 35, the chuck cylinder 36, etc. about a pivot axis perpendicular to the rod axis S via a swing bearing 40, and in this embodiment, moves them within a range that includes a connected position shown on the left side of FIGS. 2, 3, and 5 and a retracted position shown on the right side of FIG. 5.

[0027] The rod fixing portion 42 grips and fixes the rod 80 (such as the rod 80 to which the target rod 80T is connected) inserted into the rod fixing portion 42, and in this embodiment is a hydraulic clamp holder. When the rod 80 is fixed by the rod fixing portion 42, all of the rods 80 and the tip rods connected to that rod 80 are held by the rod fixing portion 42. The multiple sensors 44 are used to grasp the overall behavior of the rod handling device 30, and although detailed installation locations are not shown in the drawings, they are installed in positions where the operation of each part of the rod handling device 30 can be measured. These multiple sensors 44 include sensors that measure, for example, the gripping force of the rod 80 by the rod driving unit 32 (drill head 12), the rotational pressure applied by the rod driving unit 32 (drill head 12), the number of rotations by the rod driving unit 32 (drill head 12), the moving speed by the rod driving unit 32 (feeding device 24), the moving position by the rod driving unit 32 (feeding device 24), the gripping force of the target rod 80T by the rod moving unit 34, the moving position by the rod moving unit 34, and the gripping force of the rod 80 by the rod fixing unit 42. Note that the configuration of the multiple sensors 44 is not limited to the sensors described above.

[0028] The rod control unit 48 controls the operation of the entire rod handling device 30 while taking into account the measurement results from the above-mentioned multiple sensors 44, and in this embodiment, is mounted as part of the control unit 56 of the boring machine 10. That is, as will be described in detail later, the rod control unit 48 controls the rotation and feeding by the rod drive unit 32 (the drill head 12 and the feeding device 24), the movement of the target rod 80T by the rod moving unit 34, and the fixation of the rod 80 by the rod fixation unit 42 in order to extend or separate the rod 80. In this embodiment, the control for extending or separating the rod 80 via the rod control unit 48 is performed electrically. The rod control unit 48 may be configured by any hardware or software.

[0029] FIG. 6 illustrates a connection structure between a rod 80 and a rear end rod 84, which is used in the boring machine 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention and which is connected or disconnected by the rod handling device 30 described above. FIG. 6( a ) illustrates a state in which the rods are disconnected, and FIG. 6( b ) illustrates a state in which the rods are connected. As illustrated, multiple rods 80 are connected to each other using a threaded structure that requires axial rotation and insertion. This threaded structure is also used between the front end rods (not shown) and the rods 80. In contrast, the connection between the rear end rod 84 and the rod 80 is made only by insertion. Specifically, the rear end rod 84 has an inner pipe 90 that protrudes toward the tip side opposite the water swivel 88, and a gasket 92 is attached near the tip of the inner pipe 90. Therefore, when the rear end rod 84 and the rod 80 are connected, the inner pipe 90 is inserted into the rear end of the rod 80, and the gasket 92 seals off water between the inner pipe 90 and the rod 80. The connection structure of the rod 80 and the rear end rod 84 used in the boring machine 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the configuration shown in Figure 6, and the rear end rod 84 and the rod 80 may be connected by a screw structure.

[0030] The water pump 50 shown in FIG. 1 supplies drilling water to the water swivel 88 attached to the rear end rod 84, and any suitable pump can be used. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the base 58 supports the main components 54 of the boring machine 10, including the drill head 12, the feeder 24, and the rod handling device 30. In this embodiment, the base 58 supports the main components 54 via a direction changer 60. Extension legs and outriggers can be attached to the base 58 to improve stability. Although not described in detail, a valve unit 74 is provided on the base 58 to control each hydraulic component. This valve unit 74 can be manually operated in the event of an electrical system failure.

[0031] The direction switching unit 60 changes the attitude of the main unit 54 of the boring machine 10 as described above relative to the base unit 58, and includes a rotation unit 61, an elevation unit 63, and a slide unit 65. The rotation unit 61 rotates the main unit 54 about a rotation axis parallel to the horizontal direction when the base unit 58 is installed horizontally, and is provided with a swing bearing 62 for this purpose. Figures 2 and 3 show the initial position of rotation by the rotation unit 61, in which the rod axis S is directed straight down (in a direction perpendicular to the installation surface of the base unit 58), and Figure 5 shows the state in which the main unit 54 has been rotated by the rotation unit 61 so that the rod axis S is tilted approximately 45 degrees.

[0032] The raising / lowering unit 63 raises or lowers the main unit 54 and the rotating unit 61 on a rotation axis that is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotating unit 61 and parallel to the horizontal direction when the base unit 58 is installed horizontally, and is provided with a hydraulic raising / lowering cylinder 64 for this purpose. The rotation range of the main unit 54 by the raising / lowering unit 63 ranges from a position where the rotation by the rotating unit 61 points directly downward in the initial position to a position where the rotation by the rotating unit 61 remains in the initial position and the rod axis S is parallel to the installation surface of the base unit 58, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, for example. The sliding unit 65 slides the main unit 54 relative to the rotating unit 61 in a direction parallel to the rod axis S, and is provided with a hydraulic sliding cylinder 65 for this purpose.

[0033] In addition to the change in posture caused by the direction switching unit 60, the boring machine 10 of this embodiment can also accommodate a drilling posture in which the drilling direction is upward, as shown in FIG. 7 . That is, compared to the boring machine 10 of FIGS. 2 and 3 , the boring machine 10 of FIG. 7 has the drill head 12 moved downward by the feeding device 24, and the rear end rod 84 is held upside down by the drill head 12 so that the water swivel 88 is at the lower end. Furthermore, the rod fixing unit 42 is relocated from the bottom to the top of the guide frame 25, and the rod 80 is fixed upside down by the rod fixing unit 42. An extension rod 78 is attached to the rod moving unit 34, and a target rod 80T is supplied upside down between the rear end rod 84 held by the drill head 12 and the rod 80 held by the fixing unit 42. Additionally, an upper foot 76 designed specifically for the upward direction is attached above the guide frame 25. In this upward posture, the boring machine 10 may also change posture using the direction switching unit 60 as described above.

[0034] The multiple sensors 52 shown in FIG. 1 are used to grasp the behavior of the boring machine 10 as a whole. While detailed installation locations are not shown, the sensors are installed at positions that allow measurement of the operation of each component of the boring machine 10. The multiple sensors 52 include sensors that measure, for example, the gripping force of the rod 80 by the drill head 12, the rotational pressure applied by the drill head 12, the rotational speed of the drill head 12, the feed speed of the feeder 24, the feed pressure of the feeder 24, the position of the drill head 12 and the rod 80 moved by the feeder 24, the vibration of the boring machine 10, the amount of drilling water fed from the water pump 50, and the feed pressure of the drilling water from the water pump 50. The boring machine 10 may further include sensors that detect the orientation (rotation, tilting, sliding) of the main component 54 of the boring machine 10 changed by the direction switch 60, the rotational torque of the drill head 12, the drilling depth, the stroke end of the feeder 24, and the like. The configuration of the multiple sensors 52 is not limited to the sensors described above. Furthermore, if the multiple sensors 52 include a sensor whose function overlaps with that of the sensor 44 of the rod handling device 30, it is sufficient to provide only one of the overlapping sensors.

[0035] The control unit 56 controls the overall operation of the boring machine 10 while taking into account the measurement results from the multiple sensors 52 described above, and as described above, in this embodiment, includes the rod control unit 48 of the rod handling device 30. That is, as will be described in detail later, the control unit 56 not only controls the operation of the rod control unit 48 to extend or separate the rod 80, but also controls the rotation of the rod 80 by the drill head 12, the advancement of the rod 80 by the feeder device 24, the supply of drilling water by the water pump 50, and the change in posture of the main unit 54 by the direction switch unit 60, in order to drill a hole in the ground. For this reason, the control unit 56 may display, for example, a display such as that shown in FIG. 8 on the screen of any display device. The control unit 56 is configured using any hardware and software.

[0036] Referring to FIG. 8 , the left side of the screen displays various information indicating the control status and drilling status of the boring machine 10, and the operating status of the boring machine 10 is illustrated near the center of the screen. In this way, the drilling status is visualized. Various control buttons for controlling the operation of the boring machine 10 are displayed on the right side of the screen, and below that is a message display area W where messages are displayed. The control buttons include a drilling start button B1, a withdrawal start button B2, a rod extension button B3, a rod release button B4, a confirmation button B5, a pause / cancel button B6, and an all stop button B7. The pause / cancel button B6 is used to pause or cancel the operation of the boring machine 10, and the all stop button B7 is used to stop all operation of the boring machine 10. The uses of the other control buttons will be described later. The various numerical values on the left side of the screen may be displayed using, for example, a bar graph meter.

[0037] 1 records the drilling status of the boring machine 10, and records the drilling depth, drilling time, drilling speed, rotational torque of the drill head 12, load on the bit, amount of drilling water supplied, water supply pressure of drilling water, etc. according to the drilling status. The recorded data may be distributed to relevant parties via any communication means. 2 and 3 show a sub-leader 70 and an electric hoist 72, which assist in pulling out multiple rods 80 connected over a long distance. Although not shown, the boring machine 10 also includes a power unit equipped with an electric motor, oil tank, oil pump, etc., which provides various types of power. Furthermore, the boring machine 10 is designed to be disassembled into multiple parts for transport, taking into consideration work in mountainous areas and narrow tunnels.

[0038] Next, specific procedures and control flows for each operation, such as drilling a hole in the ground and connecting and disconnecting the rod 80, performed by the boring machine 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in Figures 9 to 16 in order. For the configuration of the boring machine 10, please refer to Figures 1 to 8 as appropriate. Note that the flowcharts shown in Figures 9 to 16 show one example of a procedure for explaining specific procedures and controls. Therefore, the procedures for each operation are not limited to these flowcharts, and for example, some of the steps shown in Figures 9 to 16 may be deleted, changed, or added as appropriate depending on the configuration and situation of the boring machine 10.

[0039] First, with reference to Figures 9 and 10, a method for automatically boring the ground to a design depth while performing various controls using the control unit 56 will be described. The flow chart in Figure 9 and the flow chart in Figure 10 are connected at points A to D. S10 (Preparation for drilling): The operator, workers, etc. make various preparations for drilling the ground according to the design contents and the situation on site. For example, they set the front rod with the bit attached, set the rear rod 84 with the water swivel 88 attached, prepare the rod 80, and set the attitude of the main part 54 of the boring machine 10. S20 (rotation / advance): The control unit 56 controls the drill head 12 and the feeding device 24 to apply rotational force and feeding force to the rearmost rod 80 of the multiple rods 80, thereby rotating and advancing the entire rod connected to the tip side of the rearmost rod 80.

[0040] S30 (Determine Bottom Contact): The control unit 56 determines whether the bit on the tip rod has reached the ground to be drilled, or, if drilling has already started, whether it has reached a depth where drilling has not yet been completed. This determination can be made, for example, based on the depth measured by the sensor 52 or the load on the bit, and the load on the bit can be determined from the pressure difference between the rod side and the piston side of the feed cylinder 27 of the feed device 24. If the determination determines that the bit has reached the bottom (YES), the process proceeds to S50, and if the determination determines that the bit has not reached the bottom (NO), the process proceeds to S40. S40 (adding rod): Since the entire length of the currently connected rods is not enough to reach the bottom, one rod 80 is added between the rear end rod 84 and the rearmost rod 80 of the multiple rods 80, and the process returns to S30 above. That is, rods 80 are added one by one until it is determined in S30 that the rods have reached the bottom. The detailed method for adding rods 80 will be explained in detail in another flow chart.

[0041] S50 (start drilling): Start drilling. That is, while drilling water is being supplied from the water supply pump 50, the drill head 12 and the feed device 24 apply rotational force and feed force to the rearmost rod 80 to drill the hole. At this time, the control unit 56 controls the feed device 24 taking into account the weight of the multiple rods 80 currently connected so that the load on the bit is constant. Other detailed methods for drilling will be explained in detail in another flow chart. S60 (Monitoring and Recording): For example, while checking a screen such as that shown in FIG. 8, an observer or the like monitors the drilling status and the operation of the boring machine 10, and the control unit 56 also monitors the drilling status and the operation of the boring machine 10. Furthermore, the construction recording device 68 records various parameters during drilling. These monitoring and recording operations are performed at all times while the ground is being drilled. It is also possible to construct a system that centrally manages multiple boring machines 10 used at different construction sites.

[0042] S70 (Determine hole-drilling state): The control unit 56 determines whether the hole-drilling state is normal. Here, it determines whether there are any signs of jamming or whether there is any vibration of the rod 80 based on the measurement results of the multiple sensors 52. If it is determined that the hole-drilling state is normal (YES), the process proceeds to S120, and if it is determined that the hole-drilling state is not normal (NO), the process proceeds to S80. S80 (Response process): The control unit 56 performs response process to eliminate the cause of the determination that the hole drilling state is not normal. S90 (excavation condition change determination): As part of the response processing in S80 above, it is determined whether the currently used excavation conditions need to be changed. If it is determined that a change is necessary (YES), the process proceeds to S100, and if it is determined that a change is not necessary (NO), the process proceeds to S110.

[0043] S100 (excavation condition change process): Changes the currently used excavation conditions. Specifically, parameters such as the rotation speed and rotation torque applied by the drill head 12, the set value of the load on the bit, the amount and pressure of drilling water supplied from the water supply pump 50, the set values of the excavation speed and excavation force, and the allowable vibration values of the machine 10 and rod 80 are adjusted. S110 (Resume determination): The control unit 56 removes the factors that determined in S70 that the drilling state was not normal and determines whether the drilling work can be resumed. If it is determined that the drilling work can be resumed (YES), the process proceeds to S120, and if it is determined that the drilling work cannot be resumed (NO), the process proceeds to S180.

[0044] S120 (parameter abnormality determination): The control unit 56 determines whether there is an abnormality in the monitored parameters. Examples of such parameter abnormalities include an extreme drop in the drilling rate, an extreme drop in rotation speed such as an inability to rotate, exceeding the torque limit, overloading the electric motor, exceeding the hydraulic oil temperature, exceeding the drilling water supply pressure, and an extreme drop in the amount of drilling water supplied. These parameters are determined by measurements using multiple sensors 52. If it is determined that there is an abnormality in the parameter (YES), the process proceeds to S180, and if it is determined that there is no abnormality in the parameter (NO), the process proceeds to S130. S130 (Determine whether the excavation rate has decreased): The control unit 56 determines whether the excavation rate has decreased, although not extremely. If it is determined that the excavation rate has decreased (YES), the process proceeds to S140, and if it is determined that the excavation rate is steady (NO), the process proceeds to S150.

[0045] S140 (excavation condition change processing): Since this is the same as S100 above, detailed explanation will be omitted. S150 (Geological change determination): The control unit 56 determines whether the geology of the ground being excavated has changed. The change in geology may be determined based on, for example, the excavation speed. As a result, if it is determined that the geology has changed (YES), the process proceeds to S160, and if it is determined that the geology has not changed (NO), the process proceeds to S170. S160 (excavation condition change processing): Since this is the same as S100 above, detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0046] S170 (bit wear determination): The control unit 56 determines whether the bit attached to the tip rod has worn beyond an allowable value. Bit wear can be determined, for example, based on the excavation speed. If it is determined that the bit has worn (YES), the process proceeds to S180. If it is determined that the bit has not worn (NO), the process proceeds to S200. S180 (Stop drilling): The control unit 56 stops all operations related to drilling at each location, and stops drilling of the ground. S190 (display abnormality details): The control unit 56 displays the cause of the hole-drilling stop (abnormal hole-drilling state, abnormal parameter, bit wear, etc.) in, for example, the message display unit W in Fig. 8. Then, in the case of this route, the hole-drilling ends in this abnormal stop state.

[0047] S200 (Drilling depth determination): The control unit 56 determines whether or not the hole has been drilled to the design depth. If it is determined that the hole has been drilled to the design depth (YES), the process proceeds to S230. If it is determined that the hole has not yet been drilled to the design depth (NO), the process proceeds to S210. S210 (stroke determination): The control unit 56 determines whether drilling for the stroke of the currently connected rod 80 has been completed based on the measurement results of the multiple sensors 52, etc. If it is determined that it has been completed (YES), the process proceeds to S220, and if it is determined that it has not been completed (NO), the process returns to S60 above. In other words, the processes from S60 above are repeated until it is determined in S200 above that the design depth has been reached, or until it is determined in this step that drilling for the stroke of the currently connected rod 80 has been completed.

[0048] S220 (adding rod): Since the total length of the currently connected rods is not enough to reach the design depth, one rod 80 is added between the rear end rod 84 and the rearmost rod 80 of the multiple rods 80, and the process returns to S20. That is, rods 80 are added one by one until it is determined in S200 that the design depth has been reached. The detailed method for adding rods 80 will be explained in detail in another flow chart. S230 (stop drilling): The control unit 56 stops all operations related to drilling at each location, and stops drilling of the ground. S240 (Display completion): The control unit 56 displays, for example, on the message display unit W in FIG. 8, that drilling to the designed depth has been completed, and the drilling is completed.

[0049] Next, with reference to FIG. 11, the hole drilling operation when drilling a hole for one rod 80 will be described. S300 (press start drilling button): An operator or the like presses the start drilling button B1 as shown in Figure 8. If automatic drilling to the design depth is set, the process may proceed to the next step S310 following the rod 80 extension operation (Figures 12 and 13) described below, without first pressing the start drilling button B1 in this step. S310 (operate water pump): Operation of the water pump 50 is started under the control of the control unit 56, and drilling water is supplied to the bit via the water swivel 88, the rear end rod 84, the multiple rods 80, and the front end rod.

[0050] S320 (Determine water supply rate): The control unit 56 determines whether the rate of water supply of drilling water from the water supply pump 50 is equal to or greater than a preset value. The rate of water supply of drilling water is measured by the sensor 52 or the like. If it is determined that the rate of water supply is equal to or greater than the set value (YES), the process proceeds to S330, and if it is determined that the rate of water supply is less than the set value (NO), the process waits in this step until the rate of water supply reaches the set value. S330 (forward rotation / advance): Under the control of the control unit 56, the drill head 12 grips the rearmost rod 80 and rotates it forward, and the feeder 24 advances the drill head 12 in the drilling direction, rotating the rods 80 forward and advancing them forward. The rotation pressure and feed pressure at this time may be set manually. In this way, drilling of the ground begins.

[0051] S340 (determine whether the up / down repeat button is pressed): The control unit 56 determines whether the up / down repeat button (not shown) is pressed. If it is determined that the up / down repeat button is pressed (YES), the process proceeds to S350 to perform the up / down repeat operation. If it is determined that the up / down repeat button is not pressed (NO), the process proceeds to S370. The up / down repeat button may be displayed on a screen such as that shown in FIG. 8. S350 (feed retraction): Under the control of the control unit 56, the drill head 12 gripping the rearmost rod 80 is retracted by the feed device 24 in the direction opposite to the drilling direction.

[0052] S360 (retract by set amount and advance again): When the control unit 56 determines that the drill head 12 and rod 80 have retracted by a preset amount, the control unit 56 controls the feeder 24 to advance the drill head 12, which is holding the rearmost rod 80, again in the hole-drilling direction. The positions of the drill head 12 and rod 80 are determined by measurements using the sensor 52, etc. Note that the forward rotation of the rod 80 by the drill head 12 continues during S350 and this step. S370 (Determine water pressure): The control unit 56 determines whether the water pressure of the drilling water from the water pump 50 exceeds a preset value in order to determine whether the bit is clogged. The water pressure of the drilling water is measured by the sensor 52 or the like. If it is determined that the water pressure exceeds the set value (YES), the process proceeds to S380 to avoid bit clogging, and if it is determined that the water pressure does not exceed the set value (NO), the process proceeds to S400.

[0053] S380 (stop advance): Under the control of the control unit 56, the advancement of the drill head 12 and the rod 80 by the feeder 24 is stopped. S390 (Determine water pressure): The control unit 56 determines whether the water pressure of the drilling water from the water pump 50 has fallen below a preset value. If it is determined that the water pressure has fallen below the set value (YES), the process proceeds to S400, and if it is determined that the water pressure has not yet fallen below the set value (NO), the process returns to S350. S400 (stroke end determination): The control unit 56 determines whether the feeding device 24 has reached the forward stroke end and whether it has not yet reached the hole drilling length of one rod 80 since the start of drilling in S330 above. The position of the feeding device 24 and the hole drilling depth can be determined by measurement or calculation using multiple sensors 52. If it is determined that the above conditions are met (YES), the process proceeds to S410 to re-grasp the rod 80, and if it is determined that the above conditions are not met (NO), the process proceeds to S470.

[0054] S410 (stop forward movement and stop rotation): Under the control of the control unit 56, the rotation of the rod 80 by the drill head 12 and the movement of the drill head 12 by the feeder device 24 are stopped. S420 (close holder): The control unit 56 controls the rod fixing unit 42 of the rod handling device 30 to close the clamp holder that constitutes the rod fixing unit 42, and grasps and fixes the rod 80 at the position where it is currently inserted into the rod fixing unit 42. S430 (chuck open): Under the control of the control unit 56, the chuck piece 19 of the drill head 12 is opened, and the drill head 12 releases the grip of the rearmost rod 80. As a result, all of the rods are supported by the rod fixing unit 42.

[0055] S440 (rapid backward movement): Under the control of the control unit 56, the drill head 12 is rapidly moved backward by the feeder 24 until it reaches the stroke end on the backward side of the feeder 24 and then stopped. S450 (Close chuck): Under the control of the control unit 56, the chuck piece 19 of the drill head 12 is closed, and the drill head 12 grips the rod 80 at the rearmost end. S460 (Open holder): Under the control of the control unit 56, the clamp holder constituting the rod fixing unit 42 is opened, and the rod 80 is released from the grip of the rod fixing unit 42. This allows the multiple rods 80 and the tip rod to be rotated and fed again by the drill head 12 and the feeding device 24. Then, the process returns to S330.

[0056] S470 (hole drilling depth determination): The control unit 56 determines whether or not the hole has been drilled to the length of one rod 80 since the start of drilling in S330 above. If it is determined that the hole has been drilled (YES), the process proceeds to S480, but if it is determined that the hole has not been drilled (NO), it is determined that the feeding device 24 has not reached the forward stroke end, in addition to the determination result in S400 above, and the process returns to S330 above. S480 (stop forward movement and stop rotation): Under the control of the control unit 56, the rotation of the rod 80 by the drill head 12 and the movement of the drill head 12 by the feeder device 24 are stopped. S490 (Stop water supply pump): The supply of drilling water from the water supply pump 50 is stopped under the control of the control unit 56. Through the procedures up to this point, drilling of one rod 80 is completed.

[0057] Next, the operation of adding one rod 80 will be described with reference to Figures 12 and 13. The flow chart of Figure 12 and the flow chart of Figure 13 are connected at point E. S500 (Press rod extension button): The operator or the like presses the rod extension button B3 as shown in Figure 8. From this step onwards, the following steps S510 to S550, which disconnect the rear end rod 84, and the following steps S560 to S600, which supply the rod 80T to be added, are carried out in parallel. Note that if automatic drilling to the design depth is set, the process may proceed to the next steps S510 and S560 following the drilling operation of one rod 80 shown in Figure 11, without first pressing the rod extension button B3 in this step.

[0058] S510 (Close holder): The rod control unit 48 controls the rod fixing unit 42 to close the clamp holder that constitutes the rod fixing unit 42, and grasps and fixes the rearmost rod 80 of the multiple rods 80 currently connected. S520 (retraction starts): Under the control of the rod control unit 48, the drill head 12 (rod drive unit 32) grips the rear end rod 84, and the drill head 12 is retracted by the feeding device 24 (rod drive unit 32). The retraction speed at this time may be set manually. In this way, the rear end rod 84, which is connected by insertion, starts to be separated from the rearmost rod 80 fixed by the rod fixing unit 42.

[0059] S530 (retract until detachment is complete): The rod control unit 48 controls the feeding device 24 to retract the drill head 12 until it determines that the rearmost rod 80 has been detached from the rearmost rod 84. The detachment can be determined by measuring the position of the drill head 12 using the multiple sensors 44, etc. S540 (start rapid retreat): Once separation is complete, under the control of the rod control unit 48, the drill head 12 is further rapidly retreated by the feeding device 24 while the rear end rod 84 is being gripped by the drill head 12. S550 (Stop at rear stroke end): Under the control of the rod control unit 48, the drill head 12 is moved to the rear stroke end of the feeder device 24 and then stopped. This ensures a space between the rearmost rod 80 fixed by the rod fixing unit 42 and the rear end rod 84 gripped by the drill head 12 for moving the target rod 80T to be added. Then, after completion of S600, the process proceeds to S610.

[0060] S560 (Confirm handling arm reclining position): The operator or the like checks whether the rod moving unit 34 of the rod handling device 30 is in the retracted position (a position similar to the rod moving unit 34 on the right side of Figure 5) and whether there are any problems with the supply of the target rod 80T. If the position of the rod moving unit 34 needs to be adjusted, the position is adjusted using the rotation mechanism 37 or the raising / lowering mechanism 39. S570 (rod clamp open): The rod chuck 35 of the rod moving part 34 is opened by an operation by an operator or the like. S580 (rod supply): The operator or the like supplies the rod 80T to be added to the open rod chuck 35.

[0061] S590 (Confirmation button pressed determination): The rod control unit 48 determines whether or not the confirmation button B5 shown in Fig. 8 has been pressed. If it is determined that the confirmation button B5 has been pressed by an operator or the like (YES), the process proceeds to S600, and if it is determined that the confirmation button B5 has not yet been pressed (NO), the process waits in this step until the confirmation button B5 is pressed. S600 (rod clamp close): Under the control of the rod control unit 48, the rod chuck 35 of the rod moving unit 34 is closed, and the target rod 80T is placed in a state where it is gripped by the rod chuck 35. Then, after completion of S550, the process proceeds to S610. S610 (Confirmation button press determination): The rod control unit 48 determines whether the confirmation button B5 has been pressed. If it is determined that the confirmation button B5 has been pressed by an operator or the like (YES), the process proceeds to S620, and if it is determined that the confirmation button B5 has not yet been pressed (NO), the process waits in this step until the confirmation button B5 is pressed.

[0062] S620 (handling arm activation operation): Under the control of the rod control unit 48, the raising / lowering mechanism 39 raises the rod moving unit 34 from the retracted position. S630 (Stop at drilling center): When the rod control unit 48 determines that the target rod 80T held by the rod moving unit 34 has been moved to a position (drilling center) on the rod axis S, the rod control unit 48 controls the rod moving unit 34 to stop its operation. This stop position is the connection position of the rod moving unit 34 (the position shown in Figures 2 and 3). The positions of the rod moving unit 34 and the target rod 80T may be determined by measurements by multiple sensors 44, etc.

[0063] S640 (Advance): Under the control of the rod control unit 48, the drill head 12 holding the rear end rod 84 is advanced by the feeding device 24. The advance speed at this time may be set manually. In this manner, the rear end rod 84 starts to be connected to the target rod 80T held by the rod moving unit 34 by insertion. S650 (upper connection determination): The rod control unit 48 determines whether or not the connection between the rear end rod 84 and the target rod 80T has been completed. The completion of the connection may be determined by measuring the position of the drill head 12 using the multiple sensors 44. If it is determined that the connection has been completed (YES), the process proceeds to S700, and if it is determined that the connection has not yet been completed (NO), the process proceeds to S660.

[0064] S660 (Determine upper connection state): The rod control unit 48 determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the connection between the rear end rod 84 and the target rod 80T. Such an abnormality may be, for example, a timeout due to a misalignment of the insertion position. If it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the connection (YES), the process proceeds to S670, and if it is determined that no abnormality has occurred in the connection (NO), the process returns to S640 and continues the connection work. S670 (temporarily stop and display warning): Under the control of the rod control unit 48, the connection work such as the advancement of the feeding device 24 is temporarily stopped, and a warning message indicating the cause of the temporary stop is displayed, for example, on the message display unit W in FIG. 8. S680 (Response processing): An operator or the like performs response processing to remove the cause of the temporary suspension.

[0065] S690 (Determine whether the pause / release button is pressed): The rod control unit 48 determines whether the pause / release button B6 shown in Fig. 8 has been pressed by an operator or the like. If it is determined that the button has been pressed (YES), the process returns to S640 and the connection work is resumed. If it is determined that the button has not been pressed (NO), the process waits in this step until the pause / release button B6 is pressed. S700 (chuck re-gripping): Under the control of the rod control unit 48, the drill head 12 releases its grip on the rear end rod 84, and the feed device 24 moves the drill head 12 forward, causing the drill head 12 to grip the vicinity of the rear end of the target rod 80T connected to the rear end rod 84. S710 (rod clamp open): Under the control of the rod control unit 48, the rod chuck 35 of the rod moving unit 34 is opened, and the grip of the target rod 80T by the rod moving unit 34 is released.

[0066] S720 (Confirmation button pressed determination): The rod control unit 48 determines whether or not the confirmation button B5 shown in Fig. 8 has been pressed. If it is determined that the confirmation button B5 has been pressed by an operator or the like (YES), the process proceeds to S730, and if it is determined that the confirmation button B5 has not yet been pressed (NO), the process waits in this step until the confirmation button B5 is pressed. S730 (handling arm reclining operation): Under the control of the rod control unit 48, the raising / lowering mechanism 39 moves the rod moving unit 34 from the connected position to the retracted position. S740 (check handling arm position): The operator or the like checks whether the rod moving unit 34 is in the retracted position and whether there are any problems with the supply of the next target rod 80T. If the position of the rod moving unit 34 needs to be adjusted, the position is adjusted using the rotation mechanism 37 or the raising / lowering mechanism 39.

[0067] S750 (normal rotation / advance): Under the control of the rod control unit 48, the target rod 80T is rotated in the normal direction by the drill head 12, and the drill head 12 is advanced by the feeding device 24. The rotational torque and advance speed at this time may be set manually. In this way, the operation of threading the target rod 80T to the rearmost rod 80 fixed by the rod fixing unit 42 begins. S760 (Lower Connection Determination): The rod control unit 48 determines whether the threaded connection between the rearmost rod 80 and the target rod 80T is complete. The completion of the connection may be determined by measuring the position of the drill head 12 using the multiple sensors 44, for example. If it is determined that the connection is complete (YES), the process proceeds to S810, and if it is determined that the connection is not yet complete (NO), the process proceeds to S770. Note that when the connection here is completed, the connected target rod 80T becomes the rearmost rod 80 of the multiple rods 80.

[0068] S770 (Determine lower connection state): The rod control unit 48 determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the connection between the rearmost rod 80 and the target rod 80T. Such abnormalities include, for example, a timeout due to a misalignment in the screw-in position, or an increase in torque and a decrease in feed speed due to thread jamming. If it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the connection (YES), the process proceeds to S780. If it is determined that no abnormality has occurred in the connection (NO), the process returns to S750 and the connection work continues. S780 (pause / warning display): Under the control of the rod control unit 48, the connection work such as the rotation of the drill head 12 and the advancement of the feeding device 24 is temporarily stopped, and a warning message indicating the cause of the temporary stop is displayed, for example, on the message display unit W in FIG. 8. S790 (Response processing): An operator or the like performs response processing to remove the cause of the temporary suspension.

[0069] S800 (Determine whether the pause / release button is pressed): The rod control unit 48 determines whether the pause / release button B6 shown in Fig. 8 has been pressed by an operator or the like. If it is determined that the button has been pressed (YES), the process returns to S750 and the connection work is resumed. If it is determined that the button has not been pressed (NO), the process waits in this step until the pause / release button B6 is pressed. S810 (Open holder): Under the control of the rod control unit 48, the rod fixing unit 42 is opened to release the grip of the rod 80 by the rod fixing unit 42. This allows the multiple rods 80 and the tip rod to be rotated and fed by the drill head 12 and the feeding device 24. The procedure up to this point completes the extension of one rod 80.

[0070] Next, with reference to FIG. 14, the operation when pulling out one rod 80 will be described. S900 (Pressing pull-out start button): An operator or the like presses the pull-out start button B2 as shown in Fig. 8. If automatic pull-out to a depth of 0 is set, the process may proceed to the next step S910 following the release operation of the rod 80 (Figs. 15 and 16) described later, without first pressing the pull-out start button B2 in this step. S910 (Holder state determination): The control unit 56 determines whether or not the rod fixing unit 42 of the rod handling device 30 is closed. If it is determined that it is closed (YES), the process proceeds to S920, and if it is determined that it is not closed (NO), the process proceeds to S930. S920 (holder open): Under the control of the control unit 56, the rod fixing unit 42 is opened to release the grip of the rod 80 by the rod fixing unit 42.

[0071] S930 (forward rotation / retraction): Under the control of the control unit 56, the drill head 12 grips the rearmost rod 80 and rotates it forward, while the feeder 24 retracts the drill head 12 in the direction opposite to the drilling direction, thereby rotating and retracting the multiple rods 80 and the front rod. The rotation pressure and feed pressure at this time may be set manually. In this way, the extraction of the rod 80 begins. S940 (stroke end determination): The control unit 56 determines whether the feeding device 24 has reached the stroke end on the retreating side and whether the length of one rod 80 has been pulled out since the start of pulling out in S930. The position of the feeding device 24 and the pulling length can be determined by measurement or calculation using the multiple sensors 52. If it is determined that the above conditions are met (YES), the process proceeds to S950 to re-grasp the rod 80, and if it is determined that the above conditions are not met (NO), the process proceeds to S1010.

[0072] S950 (Stop retreat / stop rotation): Under the control of the control unit 56, the rotation of the rod 80 by the drill head 12 and the movement of the drill head 12 by the feed device 24 are stopped. S960 (close holder): The control unit 56 controls the rod fixing unit 42 of the rod handling device 30 to close the clamp holder that constitutes the rod fixing unit 42, and grasps and fixes the rod 80 at the position where it is currently inserted into the rod fixing unit 42. S970 (chuck open): Under the control of the control unit 56, the chuck piece 19 of the drill head 12 is opened, and the drill head 12 releases the grip of the rearmost rod 80. As a result, all of the rods are supported by the rod fixing unit 42.

[0073] S980 (rapid forward movement): Under the control of the control unit 56, the drill head 12 is rapidly moved forward by the feeding device 24 until it reaches the stroke end on the forward movement side of the feeding device 24 and then stopped. S990 (close chuck): Under the control of the control unit 56, the chuck piece 19 of the drill head 12 is closed at the current position, and the rod 80 is gripped by the drill head 12. S1000 (open holder): Under the control of the control unit 56, the clamp holder constituting the rod fixing unit 42 is opened, and the rod 80 is released from the rod fixing unit 42. This allows the multiple rods 80 and the distal end rod to be rotated and moved again by the drill head 12 and the feeding device 24. Then, the process returns to S930.

[0074] S1010 (Determining withdrawal depth): The control unit 56 determines whether the rod 80 has been withdrawn from the start of withdrawal in S930 to the length of one rod 80 or to a depth of 0. As a result, if it is determined that the rod 80 has been withdrawn (YES), the process proceeds to S1020. If it is determined that the rod 80 has not been withdrawn (NO), it is determined that the feeding device 24 has not reached the stroke end on the retreating side, based on the determination result in S940, and the process returns to S930. S1020 (stop retreat / stop rotation): Under the control of the control unit 56, the rotation of the rod 80 by the drill head 12 and the movement of the drill head 12 by the feed device 24 are stopped. The procedures up to this point complete the withdrawal of one length of the rod 80.

[0075] Next, the operation of detaching one rod 80 will be described with reference to Figures 15 and 16. The flow chart of Figure 15 and the flow chart of Figure 16 are connected at point F. S1100 (Press rod detach button): An operator or the like presses the rod detach button B4 as shown in Fig. 8. From this step, the following steps S1110 to S1210 for detaching the target rod 80T from the rod 80 to which it is connected, and the following steps S1220 to S1230 for preparing to retrieve the target rod 80T, are performed in parallel. Note that if automatic withdrawal to a depth of 0 is set, the process may proceed to the next steps S1110 and S1220 following the operation of withdrawing one rod 80 shown in Fig. 14, without pressing the rod detach button B4 in this step.

[0076] S1110 (close holder): The rod control unit 48 controls the rod fixing unit 42 to close the clamp holder that constitutes the rod fixing unit 42, and grasps and fixes the rod 80 to which the target rod 80T to be disconnected is connected among the multiple rods 80 currently connected. S1120 (chuck open): Under the control of the rod control unit 48, the chuck piece 19 of the drill head 12 is opened, making the drill head 12 movable relative to the target rod 80T. As a result, all of the rods are supported by the rod fixing unit 42. S1130 (adjust drill head position): The drill head 12 is moved forward or backward under the control of the rod control unit 48 to an appropriate position for gripping the rod 80T to be cut off. The position to which the drill head 12 is moved is set in advance.

[0077] S1140 (close chuck): Under the control of the rod control unit 48, the chuck piece 19 of the drill head 12 is closed at the position adjusted in S1130, and the drill head 12 grips the target rod 80T. S1150 (reverse rotation / retraction): Under the control of the rod control unit 48, the target rod 80T is reversed by the drill head 12, and the drill head 12 is retracted by the feeding device 24. In this way, the threaded connection between the rod 80 fixed by the rod fixing unit 42 and the target rod 80T is loosened.

[0078] S1160 (forward rotation / forward movement): Under the control of the rod control unit 48, the drill head 12 rotates the target rod 80T slightly forward with low torque, and the feed device 24 moves the drill head 12 slightly forward in the hole-drilling direction. In this way, the target rod 80T is lightly screwed and connected to the rod 80 fixed by the rod fixing unit 42. S1170 (chuck open): Under the control of the rod control unit 48, the chuck piece 19 of the drill head 12 is opened, making the drill head 12 movable again relative to the target rod 80T. S1180 (rapid retreat): Under the control of the rod control unit 48, the drill head 12 is rapidly retreated by the feeding device 24 until the vicinity of the rear end of the target rod 80T is moved to a position where it can be grasped by the drill head 12, and then stopped.

[0079] S1190 (close chuck): Under the control of the rod control unit 48, the chuck piece 19 of the drill head 12 is closed at the position to which it was moved in S1180, and the drill head 12 grips the target rod 80T. S1200 (reverse / retract): Under the control of the rod control unit 48, the target rod 80T is reversed by the drill head 12, and the drill head 12 is retracted by the feeding device 24. In this way, the threaded connection of the target rod 80T is released and separated from the rod 80 fixed by the rod fixing unit 42. S1210 (stop when lower side connection / disconnection is complete): When the disconnection in S1200 is complete, stop the rotation by the drill head 12 and the retreat by the feeder device 24. Then, wait for the completion of S1230 and proceed to S1240.

[0080] S1220 (Confirm handling arm lying position): The operator or the like confirms that the rod moving part 34 of the rod handling device 30 is in the retracted position and is not gripping the rod 80. S1230 (rod clamp open): The rod chuck 35 of the rod moving part 34 is opened by an operation by an operator or the like. S1240 (determine whether confirmation button B5 has been pressed): The rod control unit 48 determines whether or not the confirmation button B5 as shown in Fig. 8 has been pressed. If it is determined that the confirmation button B5 has been pressed by an operator or the like (YES), the process proceeds to S1250, and if it is determined that the confirmation button B5 has not yet been pressed (NO), the process waits in this step until the confirmation button B5 is pressed.

[0081] S1250 (handling arm activation operation): Under the control of the rod control unit 48, the raising / lowering mechanism 39 raises the rod moving unit 34 from the retracted position. Then, when it is determined that the rod moving unit 34 has been moved to a position (drilling center) where the target rod 80T is inserted into the rod chuck 35 of the rod moving unit 34, the activation operation of the rod moving unit 34 is stopped. This stop position is the connection position of the rod moving unit 34. S1260 (close rod clamp): Under the control of the rod control unit 48, the rod chuck 35 of the rod moving unit 34 is closed, and the rod moving unit 34 grips the target rod 80T.

[0082] S1270 (chuck re-gripping and retraction): Under the control of the rod control unit 48, the drill head 12 releases its grip on the target rod 80T, and the drill head 12 is retracted by the feeding device 24, causing the rear end rod 84 to be gripped by the drill head 12. Then, in this state, the drill head 12 is retracted, and separation of the rear end rod 84 from the target rod 80T gripped by the rod moving unit 34 begins. S1280 (stop when upper connection / disconnection is completed): When the disconnection started in S1270 is completed, the backward movement by the feeding device 24 is stopped. S1290 (Confirmation button press determination): The rod control unit 48 determines whether the confirmation button B5 has been pressed. If it is determined that the confirmation button B5 has been pressed by an operator or the like (YES), the process proceeds to S1300, and if it is determined that the confirmation button B5 has not yet been pressed (NO), the process waits in this step until the confirmation button B5 is pressed.

[0083] S1300 (handling arm reclining operation): Under the control of the rod control unit 48, the raising / lowering mechanism 39 moves the rod moving unit 34 from the connected position to the retracted position. S1310 (determine whether the confirmation button B5 has been pressed): The rod control unit 48 determines whether the confirmation button B5 has been pressed. If it is determined that the confirmation button B5 has been pressed by an operator or the like (YES), the process proceeds to S1320, and if it is determined that the confirmation button B5 has not yet been pressed (NO), the process waits in this step until the confirmation button B5 is pressed. S1320 (rod clamp open): Under the control of the rod control unit 48, the rod chuck 35 of the rod moving unit 34 is opened, and the grip of the target rod 80T by the rod moving unit 34 is released.

[0084] S1330 (recovering rod): The detached target rod 80T is recovered from the rod moving part 34 by an operator or the like. S1340 (Determine next rod): The rod control unit 48 determines whether there is a rod 80 to be extracted next, based on the number of currently connected rods 80, etc. As a result, if it is determined that there is a rod 80 to be extracted (YES), the process proceeds to S1350, and if it is determined that there is no rod 80 to be extracted (NO), the process of disconnecting the rod 80 ends. S1350 (rapid advance): Under the control of the rod control unit 48, the drill head 12 is rapidly advanced by the feeding device 24, and the rear end rod 84 is rapidly advanced.

[0085] S1360 (reaches next rod connection position): The rod control unit 48 rapidly advances the rear end rod 84 until it is determined that the tip of the rear end rod 84 has reached the vicinity of the next rod 80 to be pulled out. The position of the rear end rod 84 may be determined from measurements by the multiple sensors 44, etc. S1370 (advance): Under the control of the rod control unit 48, the drill head 12 is advanced by the feeding device 24, and the tip of the rear end rod 84 held by the drill head 12 is inserted into the rear end of the rod 80 to be extracted next, which is fixed by the rod fixing unit 42. This connects the rear end rod 84 to the rod 80 to be extracted next. The above steps complete the detachment of one rod 80.

[0086] The embodiment of the present invention configured as described above can achieve the following effects. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , the boring machine 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a drill head 12, a feeding device 24, a rod handling device 30, a water pump 50, multiple sensors 52, and a control unit 56. The drill head 12 grips the rearmost rod 80 (the rod 80 connected to the rear end rod 84) of the multiple rods 80 and applies a rotational force to the rods 80, thereby axially rotating the rods 80 and the front end rod connected to the front end of the rods 80. This also rotates the bit attached to the front end rod, applying the rotational force required for drilling. The feeding device 24 applies a feeding force to the rods 80 and the front end rod connected to the front end of the rods 80 by moving the drill head 12, which grips the rearmost rod 80 of the multiple rods 80, in a direction parallel to the drilling direction (forward and backward). As a result, while being rotated by the drill head 12, the multiple rods 80, the tip rod, and the bit receive a feeding force from the feeding device 24 and move forward while drilling the ground.

[0087] The rod handling device 30 connects and disconnects the rearmost rod 80 of the multiple rods 80 connected between the front rod and the rear rod 84, thereby connecting and disconnecting the multiple rods 80 one by one from the rear end. The water supply pump 50 supplies drilling water to a water swivel 88 attached to the rear rod 84. The drilling water supplied from the water supply pump 50 to the rear rod 84 passes through the interior of the cylindrical rear rod 84, the interior of each of the multiple cylindrical rods 80, and the interior of the cylindrical front rod, before being supplied to the bit and flowing out from the bit to the drilling site. The multiple sensors 52 are installed throughout the boring machine 10 to monitor the overall behavior of the boring machine 10, including the operating status of each of the above-mentioned components.

[0088] The control unit 56 controls the overall operation of the boring machine 10 while taking into account the detection results from the multiple sensors 52. That is, the overall operation of the boring machine 10, such as the application of rotational force by the drill head 12, the application of feeding force by the feeding device 24, the extension and disconnection of the rod 80 by the rod handling device 30, and the supply of drilling water by the water pump 50, can be controlled by the control unit 56 without the need for direct intervention by an operator. This enables the boring machine 10 to accurately drill a hole in the ground, regardless of the operator's skill or experience, by following the procedures shown in Figures 9 to 16, for example. Furthermore, this reduces the mental burden on the operator, who would otherwise have to constantly pay attention to the operating status of the boring machine 10, and also reduces the heavy labor involved in handling the rod 80.

[0089] Furthermore, the boring machine 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of sensors 52 for determining the behavior of the entire machine 10, each of which measures at least one of the following: the gripping force of the rod 80 by the drill head 12, the rotational pressure applied by the drill head 12, the rotational speed applied by the drill head 12, the feed rate applied by the feed device 24, the feed pressure applied by the feed device 24, the position of the drill head 12 moved by the feed device 24, the vibration of the boring machine 10, the amount of drilling water fed from the water pump 50, and the feed pressure of the drilling water from the water pump 50. From these measurement results, the behavior of the drill head 12, the feed device 24, the water pump 50, etc. can be determined, and the control unit 56 can control their operations based on such behavior, thereby enabling accurate drilling of the ground.

[0090] The boring machine 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention further includes a base unit 58, a direction switching unit 60, and a position sensor as part of the plurality of sensors 52. The base unit 58 supports a main unit 54 of the boring machine 10, including the drill head 12, the feeder 24, and the rod handling device 30. As shown in FIG. 5 , the direction switching unit 60 changes the position of the main unit 54 integrally with the base unit 58, thereby changing the orientation of the rod 80 held by the drill head 12 or the like, thereby switching the drilling direction. The position sensor measures the position of the main unit 54 as it changes. This configuration enables drilling in various directions while improving drilling accuracy through operation control by the control unit 56.

[0091] Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 5, the boring machine 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a direction switching unit 60 that includes a rotation unit 61 that rotates the main unit 54 relative to the base unit 58 and an elevation unit 63 that raises and lowers the main unit 54 together with the rotation unit 61 relative to the base unit 58. That is, when the base unit 58 is installed horizontally, the rotation unit 61 rotates the main unit 54 about a rotation axis parallel to the horizontal direction (e.g., as shown in FIG. 5), thereby changing the drilling direction in all directions perpendicular to the rotation axis. Furthermore, the elevation unit 63 rotates the main unit 54 and the rotation unit 61 about a pivot axis perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotation unit 61 and parallel to the horizontal direction, thereby changing the drilling direction in a range not covered by the rotation of the rotation unit 61. This allows the main unit 54 to be supported in a variety of excavation positions, enabling drilling in a wider range of directions and enabling drilling in narrow spaces such as tunnels. Furthermore, by combining the upside-down reversal shown in FIG. 7 with the attitude control by the direction switching unit 60, it is possible to perform well-balanced drilling in all directions.

[0092] As shown in FIG. 4 , the boring machine 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention has a drill head 12 that includes a motor 14 that generates a rotational force, and three gears: a spindle gear 15, a high-speed gear 17, and a low-speed gear 18. The spindle gear 15 transmits the rotational force to a rod 80 at the rear end that is gripped by the drill head 12, and the high-speed gear 17 engages with the spindle gear 15, and the low-speed gear 18 engages with the high-speed gear 17. In other words, the high-speed gear 17 is interposed between the spindle gear 15 and the low-speed gear 18. The input destination of the rotational force from the motor 14 can be switched between the high-speed gear 17 and the low-speed gear 18. When rotational force is input to the high-speed gear 17, it is transmitted directly to the spindle gear 15, and when rotational force is input to the low-speed gear 18, it is transmitted to the spindle gear 15 via the high-speed gear 17. Therefore, by adjusting the gear ratios of the three gears, it is possible to achieve rotation in two rotational speed ranges: a high-speed rotation range when rotational force is input from the high-speed gear 17, and a low-speed rotation range when rotational force is input from the low-speed gear 18. This eliminates the need to disassemble the drill head 12 and rearrange the gears, shortening the time required for such work, while also making it possible to rotate the rod 80 at various speeds. Furthermore, by using an oil motor as the motor 14 and hydraulically controlling the rotation of the drill head 12, it is possible to adjust the torque and fine-tune the rotational speed.

[0093] In addition, as shown in FIG. 1 , the boring machine 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention further includes a construction recording device 68. This construction recording device 68 records at least one of the following data according to the drilling status: drilling depth, drilling time, drilling speed, rotational torque of the drill head 12, load on the bit, drilling water supply rate, and drilling water supply pressure. These values are obtained from various components, such as the drill head 12 and the water supply pump 50, from multiple sensors 52, or calculated by the control unit 56. This eliminates the need for recording data, which was previously performed by operators on paper, resulting in recording errors and forgetting to record, and is therefore time-consuming. Furthermore, by utilizing these records for daily work reports, work time can be further reduced. Furthermore, by accumulating drilling data corresponding to ground conditions, indicator values corresponding to ground conditions can be set, improving drilling efficiency. In addition, by referring to the accumulated drilling data and reading how the drilling data changes in response to cracks or other issues that have occurred in the ground, it is possible to determine the occurrence of cracks or other issues from the recorded drilling data.

[0094] Furthermore, in the boring machine 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 56 controls the feeding device 24 to maintain a constant load on the bit during drilling, taking into account the weight of the multiple rods 80 currently connected. That is, the control unit 56, which controls the rod handling device 30, keeps track of the number of rods 80 currently connected, calculates the total weight of all rods from that, and adjusts the feeding force applied to the rods 80 by the feeding device 24 so that the load on the bit remains constant. Furthermore, since the control is performed to maintain a constant load on the bit, changes in the load on the bit due to other factors can also be taken into account at the same time. This allows for stable drilling while preventing excessive load from being applied to the bit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 10: boring machine, 12: drill head, 14: motor, 15: spindle gear, 17: high-speed gear, 18: low-speed gear, 24: feeding device, 30: rod handling device, 50: water pump, 52: multiple sensors, 54: main part, 56: control part, 58: base part, 60: direction switching part, 61: rotation part, 63: raising and lowering part, 68: construction recording device, 80: multiple rods, 84: rear end rod

Claims

1. A boring machine that drills the ground by sequentially adding multiple cylindrical rods between a cylindrical front rod with a bit attached to the front end and a cylindrical rear rod to which drilling water is supplied from the rear end, a drill head that grips a rearmost rod among the plurality of rods and applies a rotational force to the rods to rotate the rods and the tip rod around their axes; a feeding device that moves the drill head in a direction parallel to the drilling direction to apply a feeding force to the plurality of rods and the tip rod; a rod handling device for connecting and disconnecting each of the plurality of rods; a water pump for supplying the drilling water; A plurality of sensors for grasping the behavior of the entire boring machine; a control unit that controls the operation of the entire boring machine while taking into account the detection results from the plurality of sensors, A boring machine characterized in that the multiple sensors include sensors that measure each of the gripping force of the drill head, the rotational pressure of the rotation of the drill head, the rotation speed of the rotation of the drill head, the feeding speed of the feeding device, the feeding pressure of the feeding device, the position of the drill head by the feeding device, the vibration of the boring machine, the amount of water supplied by the drilling water, and the water supply pressure of the drilling water.

2. a base portion supporting a main portion including the drill head, the feeding device, and the rod handling device; a direction switching unit for integrally changing the posture of the main unit relative to the base unit to switch the drilling direction; 2. The boring machine according to claim 1, further comprising: a posture sensor for measuring the posture of said main part.

3. The boring machine described in claim 2, characterized in that the direction switching unit includes a rotating unit that rotates the main unit about a rotation axis parallel to the horizontal direction when the base unit is installed horizontally, and an elevation unit that rotates the main unit and the rotating unit about a rotation axis perpendicular to the rotation axis and parallel to the horizontal direction.

4. 4. A boring machine according to claim 1, wherein the drill head includes a motor that generates a rotational force, a spindle gear that transmits the rotational force to the rearmost rod, a high-speed gear that engages with the spindle gear, and a low-speed gear that engages with the high-speed gear, and the input destination of the rotational force from the motor can be switched between the high-speed gear and the low-speed gear.

5. A boring machine as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it further includes a construction recording device that records at least one of the following depending on the drilling conditions: drilling depth, drilling time, drilling speed, rotational torque of the drill head, load on the bit, amount of drilling water supplied, and water supply pressure of the drilling water.

6. A boring machine as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the control unit controls the feeding device taking into account the weight of the multiple rods currently connected so that the load on the bit is constant.

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