Drill rod loader for drilling machines

Abstract

A loader for drilling machines includes a loader arm and a gripping unit for handling a drill rod. The loader arm is hinged to the frame of the drilling machine and rotates around a first rotation axis and is provided with a parallelogram structure, on which the gripping unit is mounted, so that said loader arm can move the gripping unit with a rotary motion around the first rotation axis and with a translation motion along a direction orthogonal to the second rotation axis.

Description

[0001] The present patent concerns drilling machines and more specifically it concerns a new drill rod loader comprising a loader / handling arm and a rod storage compartment.

[0002] Drilling machines are known which are equipped with a mast on which the drill head, that is, the member that provides for rotating and translating the drill rods, slides.

[0003] Drilling machines are known which are equipped with a drill rod storage compartment from which the rods are taken as they need to be driven into the ground through the drill head and where the rods are repositioned after extraction, once the drilling step has been completed.

[0004] Several technologies are used to move a single rod from the storage compartment to the drill head.

[0005] The rods are usually arranged neatly inside the storage compartment, that is, stacked parallel to one another in several columns or rows positioned side by side.

[0006] The storage compartment is positioned substantially lateral to the mast so that the rods are all oriented longitudinally with respect to the machine.

[0007] A handling device, that is, a mechanical arm capable of performing a single movement, meaning a rotary movement around a horizontal axis that is orthogonal to the direction of the rods, between a picking position, in which the gripping unit of the arm is substantially horizontal and can pick up a rod from a given picking position within the storage compartment, and a loading position, in which it is vertical or in any case at the side of and parallel to the mast and at the same distance from the axis of the mast as when it is in the picking position.

[0008] The rod storage compartments of the known type must therefore comprise moving members suited to handle the rods inside the storage compartment and bring them one at a time to the position from which they can be picked up by the handling device and / or systems that move the entire rod storage compartment transversely to allow the rods to be picked up at a well-defined point.

[0009] Such storage compartments are structurally complex and can be cumbersome. In these known systems, in order to be coupled with the rod in the loading position, the head must then translate horizontally until it is aligned with the rod being gripped by the handling device, above the top end of the rod itself. In this position, the head can be coupled with the rod and must then translate again so as to become aligned with the mast and proceed with the drilling operations. In this type of machines, therefore, the head must translate on special guides mounted on the head carriage, which must be strong enough to withstand the stresses produced both by drilling and by the loading / unloading of the rods.

[0010] Said man oeuvres also involve an increase in loading / unloading times compared to the systems that move the drill rod so that it is directly aligned with the drilling axis.

[0011] Document EP 2029853A1 of the same applicant is known, which describes a loader comprising a rod storage compartment equipped with movable sliders capable of sequentially moving the rods to a picking position inside the storage compartment, from which one rod at a time can be gripped by an arm equipped with gripping jaws and tiltable between a position in which it is parallel to the mast and a position in which it is tilted on the loader. In this type of loader, therefore, the arm can pick up the rod from a single position in the storage compartment, where the rods are handled by members present in the storage compartment itself.

[0012] Document WO 98 / 55728A1 is known, which concerns a loader comprising an arm constrained with two hinges in a position parallel to the mast and suited to be rotated around an eccentric axis with respect to the mast, between a position in which it is aligned with the drill head and a position in which it is close to a rod storage compartment. The arm is also equipped with a tilting projection with gripping jaws that, when the arm is in a position close to the storage compartment, tilts to grip a rod from a specific position in the storage compartment and then move it to a position parallel to the arm and subsequently aligned with the drill head. Also in this case, therefore, the arm can pick up the rod from a single position inside the storage compartment.

[0013] US document 2014 / 209382A1 is known, which describes a loader provided with an arm hinged so that it rotates between a first horizontal picking position, in which it can pick up a rod from a precise position inside the storage compartment, and a second vertical position in which it is parallel to the mast. From the vertical position, the arm can rotate around an eccentric axis so as to arrange the rod on axis with the drill head.

[0014] Finally, US document 2005 / 269133A1 is known, which describes a loader having an arm with a parallelogram structure mounted on a base that in turn can be translated along a horizontal guide. The parallelogram structure is configured in such a way that the arm can be tilted in a vertical plane, so that the arm can place a rod in a vertical, horizontal or tilted position. To move the rod between the mast and the storage compartment, instead, the arm translates on said horizontal guides.

[0015] In order to overcome all the drawbacks mentioned above, a new drill rod loader has been designed and manufactured, which is constituted by a loader / handling arm and a rod storage compartment.

[0016] Said loader arm is articulated and comprises a parallelogram structure, which allows the loader arm to be completely moved transversely from the gripping position to the drilling axis and vice versa. The expression “drilling axis” means the axis along which the rod will be translated during the drilling operations, and therefore coincides with the axis of the drill head.

[0017] The main object of the present invention is to provide a loader that can perform all the movements required to load a rod, while the drill head can remain aligned with the mast, and no movements of the rods inside the storage compartment and / or movements of the storage compartment itself are required.

[0018] Another object of the invention is to provide a new loader that can pick up the rods from any position inside the storage compartment, but also outside the rod storage compartment, that is, outside the drilling machine.

[0019] The new loader for drilling machines comprises a loader / handling arm and a rod storage compartment.

[0020] Said loader / handling arm in turn comprises:

[0021] a support or main arm, hinged to a fixed point and rotating with respect to said fixed point around a first horizontal axis, oriented in a first direction;

[0022] means suited to set said main arm rotating, wherein said means can comprise, for example, at least one jack;

[0023] a gripping unit suited to grip a drill rod, comprising, for example, a rocker arm with at least one gripping device;

[0024] a parallelogram structure mounted between said main arm and said gripping unit, suited to translate said gripping unit with respect to said main arm while maintaining its direction of orientation unchanged, that is, without rotating it. In turn, said parallelogram structure suited to move said gripping unit preferably comprises:

[0025] a positioning arm extending substantially longitudinally;

[0026] a first fixed plate, mounted so that it is integral with said main arm, and wherein said positioning arm has a first end hinged to said fixed plate so that it can rotate with respect to said first fixed plate around a second rotation axis, oriented according to a second direction, orthogonal to said first rotation direction of said main arm;

[0027] a second plate, hereinafter referred to as nodal plate, to which said gripping unit is hinged, and wherein said positioning arm has its second end hinged to said nodal plate so that it can rotate with respect to said nodal plate around a third rotation axis, parallel to said second rotation axis;

[0028] a tie rod, also hinged between said fixed plate and said nodal plate and arranged parallel to said positioning arm;

[0029] means suited to set said positioning arm rotating, wherein said means comprise, for example, at least one jack, hinged between said fixed plate and said positioning arm.

[0030] The clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of the positioning arm causes the corresponding rotation of the tie rod, while the nodal plate translates, without rotating, in a direction orthogonal to said second and third rotation axes, thus also translating said gripping unit.

[0031] Overall, therefore, the loader can perform both a main rotary movement around said first rotation axis, to tilt the gripping unit from and towards the rods to be loaded / unloaded, and a secondary rotary movement of the parallelogram, to translate the gripping unit laterally from the gripping / unloading position until it is aligned with the drilling axis and vice versa.

[0032] In particular, said main rotary movement makes it possible to tilt said gripping unit between a picking position, in which it can pick up a drill rod, for example from the inside of a storage compartment, and a loading position, in which said gripping unit is positioned so that the rod is parallel to the drilling axis, whatever the inclination of the latter with respect to the ground.

[0033] Assuming, for the sake of simplicity, that the rod storage compartment is positioned so that the rods are oriented horizontally, while the mast of the drilling machine is in a vertical position, said gripping unit is rotated to a horizontal position, parallel to the rods in said picking position, grasps a rod and is then rotated to a vertical position, that is, parallel to the axial direction of the head, in said loading position.

[0034] Said secondary motion of the parallelogram, on the other hand, makes it possible to translate the gripping unit without rotating it.

[0035] More specifically, when said gripping unit is, for example, in a vertical position or in any case parallel to the drilling axis, the parallelogram structure can rotate, causing the translation of the gripping unit along a direction orthogonal to the rods. In this way, the gripping unit is translated with respect to the rod storage compartment, so that it can be selectively positioned at the level of any rod present in the storage compartment.

[0036] By further translating the gripping unit, it is also possible to move it even out of the storage compartment, in order to be able to subsequently pick up rods from, for example, an additional container positioned next to the rod storage compartment.

[0037] Once correctly positioned at the level of the rod to be picked up, the loader can rotate the gripping unit to a horizontal picking position and then back to a raised position parallel to the drilling axis.

[0038] Subsequently, it will be sufficient to move the parallelogram structure again to translate the gripping unit so that it is aligned with the head, in the loading position.

[0039] According to the invention, the position of the rod storage compartment can also be adjustable, in order to allow the loading / unloading position of the arm to be adapted according to the longitudinal position of the mast of the drilling machine.

[0040] The characteristics of the new loader and of the new drilling machine are better clarified in the following description, making reference to the drawings, which are attached hereto by way of non-limiting example.

[0041] FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional view of a drilling machine (100) in which the new loader is installed.

[0042] The drilling machine (100) comprises a mast (110) on which a drill head (120) suited to rotate and translate a drill rod (A) slides.

[0043] The drilling machine (100) comprises a storage compartment (130) in which a plurality of rods (A′) are stacked, all oriented according to a direction (Y), for example horizontal and parallel to the main direction of extension of the machine (100).

[0044] The drilling machine comprises a loader arm (200), intended to pick up a rod (A) from a given position inside or outside the storage compartment, and to arrange it so that it is coaxial to the drilling axis (120x), that is, aligned with the drill head (120).

[0045] FIG. 1 shows how the loader arm (200) has positioned a rod (A) vertically, coaxial with the drill head (120).

[0046] FIGS. 2 and 3 show two views of the loader arm (200) only, respectively a side view on plane YZ is shown in FIG. 2 and a side view on plane ZX is shown in FIG. 3.

[0047] In FIG. 2, the loader arm (200) is positioned in such a way that the rod (A) is oriented, for example, vertically, while FIG. 3 shows that the loader arm (200) is rotated to the left, keeping the rod (A) oriented vertically.

[0048] FIG. 4 shows a three-dimensional view of the machine (100) in a position identical to that of FIG. 1, with the loader (200) rotated towards the head (120) so that the rod (A) is aligned with the head (120) itself.

[0049] FIGS. 4a, 4b and 4c respectively show two side views, on plane YZ (FIG. 4a) and on plane XZ (FIG. 4b), and a top view, that is, on plane XY (FIG. 4c), of the machine (100) of FIG. 4.

[0050] FIG. 5 shows a three-dimensional view of the machine (100) with the loader arm (200) rotated on the storage compartment (130), so that the gripping unit (500) is oriented parallel to a rod (A) to be gripped.

[0051] FIGS. 5a, 5b and 5c respectively show two side views, on plane YZ (FIG. 5a) and on plane XZ (FIG. 5b), and a top view, that is, on plane XY (FIG. 5c), of the machine (100) of FIG. 5.

[0052] FIG. 6 shows a three-dimensional view of the machine (100) with the loader arm (200) rotated to a lateral position outside of the storage compartment (130), so that the gripping unit (500) is oriented parallel to a rod (A) to be gripped, positioned laterally outside of the storage compartment (130).

[0053] FIGS. 6a, 6b and 6c respectively show two side views, on plane YZ (FIG. 6a) and on plane XZ (FIG. 6b), and a top view, that is, on plane XY (FIG. 6c), of the machine (100) of FIG. 6.

[0054] FIG. 7 shows how, according to the invention, the loader arm (200) can position the rod (A) so that its axis (XA) is parallel to the drilling axis (120x), whatever the inclination of the latter with respect to the ground. In the example shown in the figure, the mast (110) is tilted so that the drilling axis (120x) is tilted by 45° with respect to the ground. In this situation, the loader arm (200) positions the rod (A) taken from the storage compartment (130) with the same 45° inclination, so that it can be aligned with the drill head (120).

[0055] FIG. 8 shows the transverse movement of the loader arm (200), which is obtained thanks to the movement of a parallelogram structure (400).

[0056] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the loader arm (200) comprises a support or main arm (300), hinged to a fixed point (301) on the machine (100) and rotating with respect to said fixed point (301) around a first horizontal axis (X1), oriented according to a first direction.

[0057] Said main arm (300) is rotated, for example, by means of at least one jack (310), in turn hinged between a fixed point (311) and a point (312) located on said main arm (300).

[0058] The loader arm (200) comprises also a gripping unit (500), in turn comprising a rocker arm (510) and one or more gripping devices (520) or gripping members designed to grip a rod (A).

[0059] Said one or more gripping devices (520) of said gripping unit (500) are mounted on said rocker arm (510) by means of cushioned supports (521) arranged and configured to absorb stresses at least in the direction parallel to the axis (XA) of said rod (A) and particularly useful when the latter is gripped by said gripping devices (520) and during connection / disconnection to / from the drill head (120).

[0060] Said gripping unit (500) is constrained to said main arm (300) by means of a parallelogram structure (400) suited to translate said gripping unit (500) with respect to said main arm (300) while maintaining its direction of orientation unchanged, that is, without rotating it.

[0061] The direction (W) of translation of said gripping unit (500), shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, is, for example and preferably, parallel to said first rotation axis (X1) of the main arm (300), that is, to the right and to the left with respect to the main arm (300) itself.

[0062] More specifically, said parallelogram structure (400) comprises a positioning arm (410) having a substantially longitudinal extension and hinged to a first fixed element or plate (420), in turn integral with said main arm (300).

[0063] Said positioning arm (410) has a first end (411) hinged to said fixed plate (420) and can rotate with respect to the latter around a second axis (Y2), oriented according to a second direction orthogonal to said first rotation direction (X1) of said main arm (300).

[0064] In the solution exemplified in FIGS. 2 and 3, said second rotation axis (Y2) is horizontal, since the parallelogram structure (400) is substantially oriented vertically.

[0065] The parallelogram structure (400) also comprises a second nodal element or plate (430) to which the second end (412) of said positioning arm (410) is hinged. The latter can thus rotate with respect to the nodal plate (430) around a third axis (Y3) parallel to said second axis (Y2).

[0066] The parallelogram structure (400) furthermore comprises at least one tie rod (440), also hinged between said fixed plate (420) and said nodal plate (430) and arranged parallel to said positioning arm (410), and means suited to set said positioning arm (410) rotating around said second axis (Y2).

[0067] Said means comprise, for example, at least one jack (450) hinged between said fixed plate (420) and said positioning arm (410), and preferably also a control system intended to control said at least one jack (450) that moves said parallelogram structure (400), for example by means of an integrated and / or external linear transducer.

[0068] The clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of the positioning arm (410) around said second axis (Y2) causes the corresponding rotation of the tie rod (440), while the nodal plate (430) translates, without rotating, in said direction of translation (W), orthogonal to said second (Y2) and third (Y3) rotation axes, thus also translating the gripping unit (500).

[0069] Said rocker arm (510) of said gripping unit (500) is preferably hinged (511) to said parallelogram structure (400) and tilts around a fourth horizontal rotation axis (X4), parallel to said first rotation axis (X1) of said main arm (300). Said tilting motion is controlled, for example, by at least one compensation cylinder or jack (530), hinged between said parallelogram structure (400) and said rocker arm (510) of the gripping unit (500).

[0070] Said compensation jack (530) is preferably fed by a hydraulic circuit at constant pressure and has the function of orienting said gripping unit (500), when a rod (A) is loaded and unloaded, by controlling its rotation around said hinge (511), and also has the function of keeping the rocker arm (510) aligned with the drilling axis (120x) when the rod (A) must be loaded on the drill head (120). The use of hydraulic devices instead of mechanical spring or gas systems ensures more reliable and prolonged operation.

[0071] Overall, therefore, the loader arm (200) can perform both a primary rotary movement around said first rotation axis (X1), to tilt the gripping unit (500) as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, and a secondary rotary movement of the parallelogram structure (400), to translate the gripping unit (500) laterally, as shown in FIGS. 4, 6 and 8.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 5, said main rotary movement of the loader arm (200) makes it possible to tilt said gripping unit (500) to a picking position (P), in which said gripping unit (500) is arranged parallel to the rod (A) to be gripped which, for example, is located inside the storage compartment (130), or laterally to the latter, as shown in FIG. 6.

[0073] To reach this position, said main arm (300) rotates around said first rotation axis (X1).

[0074] The parallelogram structure (400) can also rotate to the right or to the left to bring the gripping unit (500) to a position corresponding to any rod (A) positioned inside or outside the storage compartment (130). Once lowered to the picking position, the gripping unit (500) can thus grip a rod (A).

[0075] FIG. 8 clearly shows that the parallelogram structure (400) of the loader arm (200) can move the gripping unit (500) to any position (1, 2, 3, 4) inside the storage compartment (130), but also to one or more positions outside of the storage compartment (120), such as the one indicated by a broken line on the right in FIG. 8.

[0076] Once the rod (A) has been grasped, the loader arm (200) is rotated again to a loading position (C), for example shown in FIGS. 1, 4 and 8, in which said gripping unit (500) is positioned in such a way that the rod (A) is oriented with its axis (XA) coincident with the drilling axis (120x), that is, the axis of the drill head (120).

[0077] The loader arm (200) can thus move crosswise with respect to the storage compartment (130) to pick up any rod (A′) and align said rod with the drill head (120) with no need for further devices as in the known loading systems, or for any handling of the rods within the storage compartment.

[0078] According to the invention, the storage compartment (130) can have an adjustable position, for example it can be adjusted along direction Y, in order to adapt the loading position, that is, the picking position, and the unloading position according to the position of the mast.

[0079] As shown in FIGS. 9, 10 and 11, 12, when the mast (110) is at a given first height (H) from the ground, the storage compartment (130) is positioned at a given horizontal distance (D) from the mast (110), so that the rod (A) can be correctly positioned in the storage compartment (130) by the loader (100).

[0080] When, instead, the mast (110) is lowered to a second height (H′) shorter than said first height (H), also the storage compartment (130) can be translated horizontally, bringing it closer to the mast at a second distance (D′).

[0081] In this way, without varying the movement of the loader (100), but only the horizontal position of the storage compartment (130), it will be possible to correctly position each rod according to the position of the mast (110).

[0082] This solution makes it possible to limit the length of the mast, thus optimizing the loading positions at any height (H).

[0083] Therefore, with reference to the above description and the attached drawings, the following claims are made.

Claims

1. A loader for a drilling machine (100), comprising:a storage compartment (130) having a plurality of rods (A′), all oriented in a same direction (Y), stacked therein; anda loader arm (200) configured to handle a drill rod (A) and move the drill rod from at least one picking position (P) to a loading position (C), in which the drill rod is coupled with the a drill head (120) of the drilling machine,wherein said loader arm (200) comprises a gripping unit (500) configured to grip the drill rod (A),wherein said loader arm (200) is configured to be hinged to a frame of said drilling machine (100) and rotates around a first rotation axis (X1) orthogonal to said same direction (Y), according to which said rods (A′) are oriented in the storage compartment (130), andwherein said loader arm (200) comprises a parallelogram structure (400), on which said gripping unit (500) is mounted and which comprises at least one arm, or positioning arm (410), rotating around a second rotation axis (Y2) orthogonal to said first rotation axis (X1);so that said loader arm (200) moves said gripping unit (500):with a rotary motion around said first rotation axis (X1), through a rotation of said loader arm (200) around said first rotation axis (X1), between said at least one picking position (P), in which said gripping unit (500) can pick up the drill rod (A) from an inside of said storage compartment (130), and a loading position, in which said gripping unit (500) is positioned in such a way that the drill rod (A) is parallel to a drilling axis (120x), aligned with the drill head (120) of the drilling machine, whatever an inclination of said drilling axis (120x) with respect to a ground;with a translation motion along a direction (W) that is orthogonal to said second rotation axis (Y2) and transverse to said direction (Y) according to which said rods (A′) are oriented in the storage compartment (130), through the rotation of said positioning arm(410) of the parallelogram structure (400); oraround said second rotation axis (Y2), so that said gripping unit (500) can selectively pick up any drill rod (A) placed in the storage compartment (130) and bring said drill rod (A) to a position in which said drill rod is aligned with said drilling axis (120x).

2. The loader according to claim 1, wherein said loader arm (200) comprises:a support or main arm (300) hinged to a fixed point (301) on the frame of the drilling machine (100) and configured to rotate with respect to said fixed point (301) around said first rotation axis (X1), oriented according to a first direction;means for setting said main arm (300) rotating around said first rotation axis (X1); andsaid gripping unit (500) for gripping the drill rod (A), said gripping unit comprising one or more gripping devices (520),wherein said parallelogram structure (400) is mounted between said support or main arm (300) and said gripping unit (500) and is configured to translate said gripping unit (500) with respect to said main arm (300) while maintaining its orientation unchanged.

3. The loader according to claim 2, wherein said parallelogram structure (400) comprises:a positioning arm (410) extending in a substantially longitudinal direction;a fixed plate (420) integral with said main arm (300), wherein said positioning arm (410) has a first end (411) hinged to said fixed plate (420) and can rotate with respect to said fixed plate and to said main arm (300) around a second axis (Y2) oriented according to a second direction orthogonal to said first rotation direction (X1) of said main arm (300);a second nodal plate (430), to which said gripping unit (500) is constrained and to which a second end (412) of said positioning arm (410) is hinged, wherein said positioning arm (410) can rotate with respect to the nodal plate (430) around a third axis (Y3) that is parallel to said second axis (Y2);a tie rod (440), hinged between said fixed plate (420) and said nodal plate (430) and arranged parallel to said positioning arm (410);means for setting said positioning arm (410) rotating around said second axis (Y2),wherein a clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of said positioning arm(410) results in a corresponding translation of said gripping unit (500) in the direction (W) orthogonal to said second rotation axis (Y2).

4. The loader according to claim 3, wherein the loader is sized in such a way that the loader can translate said gripping unit (500) to a lateral and external position with respect to said storage compartment (130), so that said gripping unit can pick up rods (A) placed outside said storage compartment (130).

5. The loader according to claim 1, wherein said storage compartment (130) can be translated parallel to the ground, at least in said direction (Y) according to which said drill rods (A) are arranged in said storage compartment (130).

6. The loader according to claim 3, wherein said means for setting said positioning arm (410) rotating around said second rotation axis (Y2) comprise at least one jack (450) hinged between said fixed plate (420) and said positioning arm (410), and a control system for controlling said at least one jack (450) moving said parallelogram structure (400).

7. The loader according to claim 2, further comprising a rocker arm (510) of said gripping unit (500) that is constrained to said parallelogram structure (400) with a hinge (511) and moves around a fourth horizontal rotation axis (X4) parallel to said first rotation axis (X1) of said main arm (300), and wherein said gripping unit (500) further comprises at least one compensation cylinder or jack (530), hinged between said parallelogram structure (400) and said rocker arm (510) of the gripping unit (500), at least one compensation cylinder or jack (530) being configured to control a position of said rocker arm (510).

8. The loader according to claim 7, wherein said one or more gripping devices (520) of said gripping unit (500) are mounted on said rocker arm (510) by cushioned supports (521) arranged and configured to absorb stresses at least in a direction parallel to an axis (XA) of said drill rod (A) when the drill rod is held by said gripping devices (520) and during connection to / disconnection from the drill head (120).

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