Safety Plug with Spirals and Expanders for Stuck Drill Rods
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In underground mining, drill rods often become stuck or bogged in boreholes, posing a safety risk if they fall, and existing solutions like drilling additional holes or filling bores with grout/cement are disruptive and insufficient in preventing rod escape.
Innovation Solution
A safety plug with external spirals to anchor within the borehole and expander elements that absorb load by expanding laterally to resist movement, allowing for easy installation with existing drilling equipment and providing two stages of load absorption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If drill rods are left in the bore after becoming stuck, then the mining operation can continue without interruption, but there is a safety risk that the rods may fall out and strike personnel or equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The safety plug acts as an intermediary device installed in the bore to physically block and contain the stuck drill rods, preventing them from falling out while allowing the mining operation to continue. The plug with its expander elements creates a secure barrier between the hazardous rods and the surrounding environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety plug is designed as a disposable device that remains in the bore to contain the drill rods. Rather than attempting to retrieve the stuck rods or implement complex retrieval systems, the invention uses a relatively simple, inexpensive plug that can be left in place to provide ongoing safety protection.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If additional holes are drilled around the bore opening to insert rock bolts and support a rock plate, then the bore opening is secured to prevent rod escape, but the process disrupts mining activity and requires alternative machinery
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the safety function from the complex rock bolting and plating process, isolating it into a separate, standalone safety plug device. This plug can be installed independently without requiring the removal of drilling machinery or the implementation of extensive support structures around the bore opening.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety plug serves multiple functions: it anchors securely in the bore using expander elements, contains the stuck drill rods, and can be installed using the existing drilling machinery. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for alternative machinery and additional support structures required by traditional methods.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If grout or cement is used to fill the bore to prevent rod escape, then the bore is secured, but the process requires alternative grouting machinery and causes significant disruption to mining operations
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the chemical grouting or cement filling process with a mechanical expander element system. The expander elements mechanically anchor the safety plug in the bore through physical expansion and engagement with the bore wall, eliminating the need for chemical materials and grouting machinery.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety plug provides a simple, inexpensive mechanical solution compared to the costly and time-consuming grouting process. The plug can be installed quickly using existing equipment and provides reliable rod containment without requiring alternative machinery or extensive operational disruption.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If a safety plug with expander elements is installed to arrest falling rods, then rod escape is prevented, but the device complexity increases compared to simple bore closure methods
Solution Approach 1:
The safety plug is segmented into distinct functional components: the body portion and multiple expander elements. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall simplicity. The expander elements can be independently designed and manufactured, facilitating easier production and installation.
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
The safety plug effectively arrests falling drill rods with minimal disruption to mining operations, using existing drilling machinery for installation and requiring fewer expander elements due to the clogging effect of rubber materials, thus enhancing safety and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
load applied to the leading end of the one or more expander elements beyond the predetermined load causes the expander elements to transition to the active condition in which the one or more expander elements expand laterally to engage the internal wall of the bore
Implementation Method 2
a base part, the base part having leading and trailing ends and a generally cylindrical outer surface between the leading and trailing ends on which one or more external spirals are formed, the external spirals being provided to engage the internal wall of a bore within which the safety plug is inserted to anchor the base part within the bore
Data Source
AI summary
A safety plug for use in rock drilling operations. The safety plug includes a base part and one or more expander elements. The base part has a leading end and a trailing end and a generally cylindrical outer surface between the leading and trailing ends, on which one or more external spirals are formed. The external spirals are provided to engage the internal wall of a bore within which the safety plug is inserted to anchor the base part within the bore. The one or more expander elements have an inactive non-expanded condition and an active, laterally expanded condition. The safety plug is operable to absorb load applied to its leading end in two stages, whereby: in a first stage, load applied to the leading end of the one or more expander elements up to a predetermined load is transferred to the base part and the base part is operable to react the load by engagement of the spirals with the internal wall of the bore. In a second stage, load applied to the same leading end beyond the predetermined load causes the one or more expander elements to transition to the active condition in which the expander elements expand laterally to engage the internal wall of the bore to resist shifting movement of the safety plug within the bore in the direction of the applied load.