US2587638A - Automatic feed for cable tool drill - Google Patents

Description

March 4, 1952 MEIER 2,587,638

AUTOMATIC FEED FOR CABLE TOOL' DRILL Filed Sept. 27, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q I W l fly 4- F Mam M M 4 INVENTOR.

ATI'OKNEF March 4, 1952 MEIER 2,587,638

AUTOMATIC FEED FOR CABLE TOOL DRILL Filed Sept. 27, 1 945 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 '5 MIWHFunnunnnmquulmmmm 3 a 33 iiillmnnnmmnumlmmulum'mk i 54 I G O J8 69 ums /(a e/r INVENTOR.

March 4, 1952 J. H. MEIER ,6

AUTOMATIC FEED FOR CABLE TOOL DRILL Filed Sept. 27, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 855W Zane 61km INVENTOR. -BY fi w I 7 Anon/m.

Patented.Mar. 4, 1952 AUTOMATIC FEED FOR CABLE TOOL DRILL Johann H. Meier, South Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Bucyrus-Erie Company, South Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Application September 27, 1945, Serial No. 618,843

1 My invention relates to new and useful improvements in automatic feeds for cable-tool drills.

. Such drills, per se, are well known.

In such drills a rope passes, from a winch drum the rope are sometimes employed.

As the hole grows deeper, it is necessary that the winch .drum shall unwind to pay out more rope. In the past, this paying-out has been effected in one of the following three ways: (1) Time control, in which the winch steadily or intermittently unwinds with the mere elapse of time. (2) Non-automatic, the operator voluntarily running the winch whenever more rope was needed. (3) Shock control, a brake being set on the winch to yield at a certain predetermined torque, so that the shock of the tools falling and not striking bottom would jerk out a trifle more of rope.

Method 1 was wholly unsatisfactory, except in very uniform steady drilling. Method 2 required too much careful attention by the operator. Method 3 required too precise an adjustment of the brake, the proper adjustment depending too much on various variable conditions, such as atmosphere, lubrication, etc., and furthermore requires that that precise adjustment be exactly maintained.

Accordingly it is the principal object of my invention to devise a feed which shall pay out additional rope, when and as needed, without being open to any of the above objections.

My invention involves a wholly new principle, which I call depth control. This new principle somewhat resembles the shock control mentioned above, in that the paying-out of rope, is effected by the tension of the rope, but in my invention it is effected indirectly through compression of the resilient support, rather than directly by jerking on the winch. In my invention, the

' winch is softly, smoothly and positively unwound, whenever this is necessary, rather than yankedaround against the resistance of a partially-set brake. Under the shock control of the prior art, the winch did not pay out as often 12 Claims. (Cl. 255-15) at is ought, in order to maintain substantially uniform percussion; and each time that it did pay out, it would pay out too much, and an unpredetermined amount.

It is to be noted that, in different types of resilient support, the control may be effected by tension and/onpure travel of the rope. In addition to my principal object, above stated, I have worked out a number of novel and useful details, which will be readily evident as the description progresses.

My invention consists in the novel parts and in the combination and arrangement thereof, which are defined in the appended claims, and of which one embodiment is exemplified in the accompanying drawings, which are hereinafter particularly described and explained.

Throughout the description, the same reference number is applied to the same member or to similar members.

' Figure 1 is a side elevation of a drill embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan View, partly in section, of the main machinery of my drill.

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation of said machinery, takenalong the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the mast head of my drill, showing the travel-responsive contactor of my invention.

Figure 5 is an electric wiring diagram of my invention, with certain of the associated mechanical parts shown conventionally, in order that this one figure shall show all the elements of the complete invention as claimed.

Figure 6 shows the details of that part of my invention whereby, after each initial impulse, further paying out of cable is stopped after a certain amount of cable has been payed out.

Turning now to Figures 1 to 3, we see that H is the main frame of a drill, supported by creeping traction l2. The frame ll supports a mast it (called derrick in the art), a motor IS, a winch IS, a drive shaft 61, a spudding pinion 68, a spudding gear l1, and associated driving connections, not numbered.

From the winch l6, a rope It runs around a heel sheave l9, thence under a spudding-sheave 2U, thence over a sheave 2i at the top of the derrick l4, thence down to the tools 25.

The spudding pinion 68, which drives the spudding gear I1, is clutched to and unclutched from .drive shaft 61 by means of a clutch TI. This clutch may be of any convenient sort, adapted to perform its recited function, and may be actuated 3 at will in any convenient manner, all of which is well known in the art, and need not be detailed here, inasmuch as the control of the spudding means has nothing to do with the winch and hence constitutes no part of the present invention.

There is also a spudding-beam 22, which in turn is pivoted on horizontal pivots 23 on the frame II.

The spudding-beam 22 is rocked up and down by the rotation of the spudding gear ll, acting through pitman 24. The foregoing detailed description of my spudding means has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitation should be understood therefrom.

The winch I6 is controlled by means which.

will hereinafter be described."

The operation of all these conventional parts will be readily understood.

Turning now to Figure 4, we see that head sheave 2 I, at the top of the derrick l4, is mounted in a housing 26, which is arranged in any convenient mannerto slide up and down with respect to the derrick Hi. This housing 26 rests upon a pile 21 of alternatesteel and rubber discs, which thus furnish a resilient support, for the head sheave 2|. See U. S. Patent No. 1,750,826, granted March 18, 1930, to George R. Watson. Any alternative form of support would be satisfactory for the purposes of my present invention, provided it compresses with each stroke, and then expands again. sheave l, housing 25, and pile 21, are thus seen collectively to constitute a yieldable member, supporting line I8.

The derrick l4 carries a normally open contactor 28, which is a Well-known commercial article, and hence will not be shown in detail. The housing 26 carries a cooperating actuator 3i, the positionof which is adjustable by setscrew 33, or in any other convenient manner. This actuator 3| is to be so adjusted that it will actuate the button 29 of the contactor 28, whenever the dropping of tools 25 compresses resilient support 21 to a predetermined extent, i. e., more than the optimum for percussion drilling. This is apt to occur whenever, due to the drilling, the bottom of the hole recedes sufficiently so that the bit no longer makes proper impact against the bottom of the hole.

Any travel of the bit which compresses the resilient support to the predetermined extent above mentioned, will (for want of a better term) be called excessive, regardless whether it be thought that this degree of compressing is due to the mere distance of travel of the bit, or is due to the increased tension in the rope.

Let us now consider the succession of instrumentalities which are actuated by the brief closing of contactor 28; and how when those instrumentalities have operated to pay out a predetermined quantity of rope, their actuation is automatically caused to cease.

Turning to Figures 2 and 3, we see main frame ll, motor l5, winch-drum i6, spudding gear ll, rope I8, heel sheave l9, spudding sheave 20, spudding beam 22 pivoted at 23, and pitman 24, all as already described hereinabove.

Sun-gear 32 is keyed to shaft 33. Internal ring-gear 34 floats on said shaft 33. Planet gears 5 are carried by winch-drum l6, which in turn floats on said shaft 33.

Winch-drum l6 can be rotated in either of the following two manners.

First, drum 16 can be rotated continuously to wind up or pay out rope i8, by means of holding ring-gear 34 (in a manner as described inthe next paragraph) and rotating sun-gear 32 in one direction or the other by main motor l5, acting through intermediate gearing which need not be detailed, except to state that gear 32 can be clutched to shaft 33 by clutch 63. When shaft 33 is not thus being rotated, it can (and normally would) be braked by brake 64.

Secondly, drum [6 can be rotated intermittently to pay out rope l8, by means of holding sun-gear 32 (in the manner as described above) and running small motor 36 which operates through intermediate gearing to rotate worm 31, and hence worm gear 38, which is integral with internal ring-gear '34. Integral gears 34 and 38 are journaled for free rotation about shaft 33. The rotation of ring-gear 34 is normally braked by brake 39. This brake is highly advisable, not only because, in a machine so subjected to jarring as a drill, even a self-locking worm is almost certain to slip, but also so as to prevent the motor 36 from overrunning and thus destroying the fine predetermination of the amount of 'each pay-out.

Due to the fact that drum Hi can be selectively driven by driving either sun-gear 32 or ring-gear 34, the other being held, the combination 'of these two gears with planet-gears 35 (which are journaled on pins 69, projecting from the end of drum IE) will readily be seen to constitute a differential gearing. Inasmuch as it is not essential that this particular 'sort of differential gearing be employed, the foregoing detailed description of my differential gearing has been given for clearness of understanding only, and

no unnecessary limitation should be understood therefrom.

Let us turn now to Figure the essence of my invention. Here we find winch-drum I6, small motor 36, and brake 39, conventionalized and symbolically represented. All other elements in this figure are likewise conventionalized and symbolically represented, inasmuch as all except one of them are well-known commercial articles, and the one exception (comprising elements 46, '52, 57, 58, and 10, in Figure 5) is collectively designated as 41 in Figure 6, where it is considerably detailed.

To facilitate an understanding of Figure 5, the elements there shown will be enumerated as'the operation is described. I Wires 40 lead to a source of power, 4| being the main switch of the system which is about to be described. It is advisable that switch 4| be attached to the main switch employed for drilling or to the control-lever of the spudding-gear clutch, so that this feeding system will be shut oif whenever the drill is not running.

The closing of normally open contactor 28 by actuator 3! (both of which have already been described in connection with Figure 4) energizes magnet 42 during the brief time that contactor 28 is held closed, thus closing normally open switch 43 for the same brief period.

This brief closing of switch 43 energizes magnet 44, thus closing normally open switch 45. Once this switch 45 has been closed, the current which passes through it, passes through normally closed contactor switch 45, and thence through magnet 4-4, thus holding switch 45 closed.

Magnet 42 and its switch 43 might well be omitted, and the current from contactor 28 be led direct to magnet 44; but I consider the inter- 5, which illustrates position of magnet 42 and switch 43 (together constitutinga fast-closing slow-release relay) to be advisable, due to the fact that the brief impulse given by contactor 28 might not be of suflicient duration to close switch 45. This brief impulse may be as short as A of a second, whereas some 1% of a second (afforded by the relay) is necessary to be certain to close switch-45, which is to be equipped with heavy-duty power contactors.

65 is a duration-of-current responsive safety cut-out which will be hereinafter described.

The current passing through switch 45 also branches, bypassing contactor 46, to perform the following three functions: First, it rotates motor 36. Secondly, it actuates solenoid 12, thus releasing normally set brake 39, thus permitting motor 36 to rotate winch-drum l6. And, thirdly,

it sets a clutch to be hereinafter mentioned, thus starting the operation of the apparatus which will now be described, which apparatus, as already stated, is collectively designated as 41.

Turning to Figure 6, we see that 48 are magnets energized by the current just mentioned. Pinion 49 is rotated by shaft 50, driven by motor 36 of Figure 5. Pinion 49 rotates gear which is freely rotatable and slidable on shaft 52. Integral with gear 5| is the female member 53 of a cone-clutch, the male member 54 of which is rigidly attached to shaft 52. The energizing of magnets 48 attracts gear 5|, thus setting coneclutch 5354, and thus causing shaft 52 to rotate.

Thi entire magnetic clutch mechanism (comprising elements 48, 49, 5|, 53, and 54, and parts of shafts 56, and 52) is symbolically represented in Figure 5 by a square, numbered collectively 16. The two wires shown in Figure 5 as leading to this symbolic square, are the same as the two wires shown in Figure 6 as leading to magnets 48.

Shaft 52 carries cam 51. When this cam has rotated from its initial setting the predetermined distance to nearly its major radius, this cam touches the control-arm 58 of normally closed contactor 46 (already mentioned in connection with Figure 5), thus opening this switch. This opening deenergizes magnet 64, thus permitting switch to open, thus stopping motor 36, permitting brake 39 to set, and deenergizing magnets 46 of clutch 41. tates shaft 52 and cam 57 back to their initial angular position. It is to be noted that contactor 46 remains open until this chain of events, which its opening has initiated, begins the counterrotation of cam 51'. Accordingly, by the time that contactor 46 has thus closed again, the circuit through it is open at switch 45.

The operator, by selectively setting hand wheel 55 and locking the wheel in position by tightening set screw '56, determines the position of the stop 5|] which is carried by hand wheel 55. The position of the stop determines the are through which shaft 52 and cam 57 are to rotate during each feeding operation, for at the cessation of each feeding operation, shaft 52 and cam 51 are returned by spring 59 which counter-rotates the elements until finger 6| carried by the shaft 52 rests against the stop 66. The elements then occupy their original relative position.

The whole system has now reverted to status quo, and is ready to start the whole feeding operation over again when the next momentary impulse is received from contactor 28.

But, during this feeding operation, motor 36 (see now Figures 2 and 3) has rotated winch Spring 56 thereupon counter-rodrum l6 slightly, to pay out a small amount of rope l8.

Thus whenever, due to the increase in the depth of the hole which is being drilled, the resilient support 21 compresses more than normally, the resulting contact of element 3| with button 29 of contactor 28 at the derrick head (see Figure 4) results in the paying out of a predetermined amount of rope, thus restoring the opportunity for optimum impact between tools 25 and the bottom of the hole.

Sometimes when the drill is not drilling, and the tools have been raised somewhat, their mere weight on the rope might close switch 28 constantly for a considerable period. This would, of course, cause motor 36 to operate intermittently to pay out line, until the tools become grounded at the bottom of the hole. But meanwhile the constant current through coil 42 might burn it out. So I provide means such as a heatresponsive or time-responsive cut-out in the line between switch 28 and-coil 42. A cam-operated normally-closed switch, similar to switch 46, to be opened whenever shaft 52 departs from its rest position, would be an acceptable alternative.

It is obvious that my invention, with merely minor modifications, could be used to wind-in the rope, rather than pay it out, when the machine is being used to exert an upward, rather than a downward, impact, as (for instance) in pulling piles.

Having now described and illustrated one form of my invention, I wish it to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown.

I claim:

1.- In an automatic feed for acable-tool drill, which drill include a main frame, a percussion bit, a line operatively supporting the bit, a yieldable member on the main frame supporting the line, a winch-drum on the main frame operatively connected to the line whereby to wind up and pay out said line, and spudding means on the main frame operatively connected to the line whereby to actuate said line to raise and drop the bit; the combination, supportable on the main frame, of: a motor; such .driveconnection between the motor and the winch-drum as to cause the motor, whenever running, to drive the winch-drum slowly to pay out line; at least one power-source; a normally-open switch; electrically-actuable means for closing said switch; an operative connection between the yieldable memher and the normally-open switch, actuable by and during the yielding of said member beyond a predetermined amount to close said switch; a normally-closed switch; a shiftable member, operatively associated with the normally-closed switch in such manner as to open said normallyclosed switch as soon as said member has shifted a predetermined amount; an electrically actuable clutch to operatively connect the motor to the shiftable member, to shift said member; an electric circuit from an electric power source through the normally-closed switch and the normallyopen switch in series relation, to the electric closing means for said normally-open switch, whereby when this circuit has been closed by the closing of the normally-opened switch, the electric closing means will maintain it closed until the normally-closed switch opens; an electric circuit from an electric power-sourcathrough the normally-open switch, to the motor; an elecfurther characterized by having, in the lastmentioned .circuit, :an electric relay interposed between the contactor and the electric closing means for the normally-openswitch.

4. An automatic .feed according to claim "1, further characterized by the fact that the operative connection between the yieldable member and the normally-open switch comprises: an electrical contactor; a cooperating contact carried by the yieldable member; .a heat-responsive safety cut-out; and anelectric circuit from an electric power source, through the contactor and the cut-out in series relation, to the electric closing means for the normally-open switch.

5. An automatic feed according .to claim 1,

further characterized by the fact that the operative connection between the yieldable member and the normally-open switch comprises: an electrical contactor; a cooperating contact carried by the yieldable member; a duration-ofcurrent responsive safety cut-out; and an electric circuit from an electric power source, through the contactor and the cut-out in series relation, to the electric closing means for the normallyopen switch. I

6. An automatic feed according to claim 1; further characterized by having: a normally-set brake for the motor; electrically-actuable means for releasing said'brake; and an electric circuit from an electric power means, through the normally-open switch, to the releasing means.

7. An automatic feed according to claim 1,

further characterized by the fact that the shiftable member is rotatable; that the normallyclosed switch is a closed contactor; that there is a cooperating contact rotatably carried by the shiftable member, to open said contactor by contact therewith; that there is an adjustable stop, and a contact for said top, one being carried by the shiftable member and the other being fixed with respect to the rotation of the shift-able member; and that the means to restore the shiftable member to its original position is a spring so attached to the shiftable member as to bias said member to reversely rotate until the stop and its contact abut each other.

8. In the winch of a cable-tool drill, the combination of: a winch-drum; a planetary drive therefor, comprising planet gears and three coaxial rotating elements, namely, two non-planet gears and a spider on which the planet gears are journaled; a constant drive-connection between one of the three coaxial rotating elements and the winch drum; means to drive a second one of said three elements at will; means alternatively to brake said second element at will; an electric motor coupled to the third one of said three elements to drive said third element slowly, and in the direction to cause the winch-drum to pay out; and control-means for the electric motor, said control-means comprising: a normally- :determined amount; clutch to operativelyconnect the motor to the shiftable member, to shift said member; anelecopen switch; electrically-actuable means :for

holding said switch closed; a normally-closed switch; anelectric circuit fromanqelectric powersource, through the normally-closed switch and the normally-open switch in series relation, to

:the electrically-actuable means, .whereby when this ,circuithas beenclosed by the closing of'the normally-open switch, thi .electrically-actuable means will maintain it closed until .the normallyclosed switch opens; a shiftable member, operatively associated with the normally-closed switch in suchmanner as to open said normally-closed switch assoon as said member hasshifted ,a-prean electrically-:actuable trio circuit from an electric power-source. through the normally-open switch, to the motor;

an electric circuit from an electric power-source,

through the normally-open-switch, to the clutch; and means to restore the shiftable-memberto its original position whenever and as soon as the clutch is released.

able member on the mainframe supporting the line, a winch-drum on the main frame operatively connected to the line whereby to wind upand pay out said line, and spudding means on the main frame operatively connected to the line whereby to actuate said line to raise and drop the bit; the combination, supportable on the main frame-oi: a driver to drive the winch-drum slowly to pay out line; a control operatively connecting the yieldable memberand the driver, and actuable by the yielding of the yieldable member beyond a predetermined amount to start the driver; and a drive-limiting device, actuable by the driver having driven a predetermined amount, to stop the driving and to reset the control into the .condition it was in before it was actuated by the yielding of the yieldable member.

10. An automatic feed according to claim .9,

further characterized by the fact that the drill includes amast; and that the yieldable member comprises a sheave for the drill line, and a ,resilient support for the sheave on the mast.

11. An instrumentality for maintaining a onceclosed electric motor circuit until the motor has rotated a predetermined amount, and for thereupon resetting the entire instrumerrtality into a condition to repeat the cycle whenever and as soon as the circuit is again closed, which instrumentality comprises: the electric motor; a normally-open switch; electrically aetuable means for holding said switch closed; a normally-closed switch; an electric circuit from an electric powersource, through the norn1ally-closed switch and the normally-open switch in series relation, to the electrically actuable means, whereby when this circuit has been closed by the closing of the normally-open switch, this electrically-actuable means will maintain it closed until the normallyclosed switch opens; a shiftable member, operatively associated with the normally-closed switch in such manner as to open said normally-closed switch as soon as said member has shifted a predetermined amount; an electrioally-actuable clutch to operatively connect the motor to the shiftable member, to shift said member; an electric circuit from an electric power-source,

through the normally-open switch, to the motor;

and means to restore the shiftable member to its original position whenever and as soon as the clutch is released. a

12. A winch according to claim 8, further characterized by having: a normally-set brake to brake the third coaxial rotating element; electrically-actuable means for unsetting this brake;

and an electric circuit from an electric powersource, through the normally-open switch, to this electrically-actuable means, whereby, so long as m the normally-open switch is open, the brake will remain set, and whenet' 'er the normally-open switch is closed, the brake will be unset.

JOHANN HANS MEIER.

l0 REFERENCES one! following references are of record in the filot this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1308,1222 Hild June 2, 1931 $233,413 Mellon Mar. 5, 1935 $136,356 Hild Nov. 8, 1938 2,157,951 Buschman May 9, 1939 2,252,741 Thornburg Aug. 19, 1941 King Jan. 5, 1943

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