Drilling Feed Cable Equalizer Bar Tension Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In drilling machines, the feed cable system often results in uneven tension between pull-up cables, causing the rotary head to tilt and not remain level, which affects the drilling process.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a feed cable system that includes a slack take-up device coupled with an equalizer bar, which adjusts and maintains equal tension in the pull-up cables by using a pulley system and tension adjusting devices to ensure the rotary head remains level during operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the two pull up cables are separately coupled to the tower, then the tension in the cables can be different, but the rotary head tilts and is not held level
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the two separately coupled pull-up cables into a single common coupling point on the tower. This combining approach ensures that both cables share the same attachment location, which naturally equalizes the tension distribution and prevents the rotary head from tilting, thereby maintaining levelness while still allowing operational flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates an equipotential condition for the cable system by using a common coupling point that equalizes the potential energy and tension forces in both pull-up cables. This ensures that the rotary head experiences balanced forces from both sides, preventing tilting and maintaining stable level operation during drilling.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the tension in the two pull up cables is made equal, then the rotary head is held level, but the system complexity increases with equalizer bar and tension adjusting devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex equalizer bar mechanism and separate tension adjusting devices from the feed cable system. By using a simple common coupling point approach, the invention achieves equal cable tension and rotary head levelness without requiring additional complexity-maintaining components, thereby simplifying the overall system structure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution ensures that the rotary head is held level, improving the drilling process by maintaining equal tension in the pull-up cables, thereby preventing tilting and enhancing operational stability and accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
using a pulley system and tension adjusting devices to ensure the rotary head remains level during operation
Data Source
AI summary
A drilling machine includes a feed cable system which operatively couples a rotary head to a tower. The feed cable system includes first and second pull up cables and an equalizer bar, wherein the equalizer bar is coupled to the first and second pull up cables. The equalizer bar drives the rotary head to be held in a level position so that it is restricted from tilting. The drilling machine includes a slack take up device which couples the equalizer bar to the tower. The slack take up device is repeatably moveable between extended and retracted conditions.