TITLE: DRILL CORE TRAYS AND ACCESSORIES FOR USE THEREWITH

[0001] This invention relates to drill core trays and to accessories for use therewith.

[0002] The invention is concerned with a core tray of the kind described in South

African Patent specification No. 1987/05619 (and equivalent United States Patent specification No 4,927,022). Such a drill core tray comprises a sheet metal base plate shaped to provide a number of elongated recesses, each of which, in section, comprises a base with inclined lower sides leading from its edges that form substantially triangular parts between the recesses. Drill cores are placed into the recesses for storage purposes resting on the lower sides of the recesses in such manner that their horizontal diameters are located above the apices of the triangular parts.

[0003] Although these drill core trays are widely used and in most ways are extremely satisfactory, an inconvenience has been encountered in use in that it is often difficult to remove drill cores from the tray for inspection etc. This is because a workman cannot insert his fingers between adjacent drill core and the upper side parts and must therefore lift the drill cores by engaging their ends. Although this may be adequate for many purposes, it is normally not very satisfactory. In addition adjacent cores may butt against each other still further aggravating the problem of removing the cores from the core tray. Furthermore we have also found that workmen lifting drill cores in this manner often tend to lose track of the location of the drill cores in a recess and return them to the wrong position. This is particularly so where the drill cores are relatively short as compared to the length of the recesses so that in each recess there are a number of drill cores.

[0004] According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a drill core tray comprising a sheet metal base plate shaped to provide a number of elongated recesses, each of which, in section, comprises a base with inclined lower sides leading from its edges wherein the lower sides continue into upper side walls with the upper side walls of adjacent recesses converging slightly to form a divider having an apex which is located above the horizontal diameter of a core received in the recess. This will serve to separate the cores and will have further advantages as will be described below.

[0005] The ends of the tray are normally closed by end walls. Side and end stop surfaces are conveniently provided outside the corners of the end walls to define a space within which an identical tray can be received to be stacked on the lower tray. In each end wall there are preferably provided a pair of horizontal slots through which the ends of a flat fabric handle can pass so that stop members at their ends can hold the handles to the end walls. The stop means conveniently comprise a bent over end section of the handle forming upwardly open "U"-shaped portions, which can engage the material of the side walls when lifted, the thickness of the slots being such that the "U"-shaped portions can pass therethrough to attach the handle to the core tray.

[0006] According to another aspect of the invention there is provided an accessory for use with a drill core tray comprising an elongated sheet metal member bent to form arms constituting a hemi-cylindrical body terminating in an open mouth with extensions to the ends of the arms which extend parallel and approximately tangentially to the parts of the body to which they are connected and further comprising handle means on the accessory to facilitate holding the accessory, the arrangement being such that the accessory can pass over a core in the core tray and then be rotated about the axis of the body to lift the drill core out of its recess. The member preferably has a

length of about the same length as the recesses in the drill core tray although it could be about the length of a drill core sample in the recess, i.e. slightly less than one quarter of this length.

[0007] The accessory preferably has a protruding channel formed therein directly opposite to the mouth. Where the accessory is used with a drill core tray of the invention the channel can pivot about the apex of a divider to lift a core received in the body out of a recess. The handle means preferably projects from the side of the body, the preferably being two spaced handles for this purpose.

[0008] An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0009] In the drawings: -

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a core tray of the invention;

Figures 2 and 3 are respectively sections on lines 2.2 and 3.3 of Figure 1

Figure 4 is a perspective view through a lifter with a drill core therein in an inverted position, and

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail of the section illustrated in Figure 2 showing the loading of the lifter and Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 showing how the lifter pivots.

[00010] Referring now to Figure 1 there is shown a drill core tray 100 in which geological drill cores 102 are in use located as will be described. The base plate 104 of the tray 100 is formed from bent thin sheet metal having longitudinal side walls 106 with inwardly directed upper flanges 108 terminating in short dependant rims 110. Four

equispaced longitudinal dividers 112 divide the tray 100 into a number of central recesses 114 defined by the dividers 112 and two outer recesses 116 between the outer dividers 112.1 and the adjacent side walls 106. Each divider 112 comprises a pair of lower side walls 120 inclined at about 45° to the horizontal and leading into upper side walls 122. The upper walls 122 are nearly vertical but converge to meet at an apex 124 which is located above the horizonal diameter of a core 102 received within the recess 114. The lower ends of the lower side walls 120 merge into a horizontal part 126 which forms the base of a recess 114 or 116. The cores are of various dimensions and the recess 114 and 116 are correspondingly dimensioned.

) [00011] An end closure wall 128 is spot welded to the ends of the base plate 104.

Each end closure wall 128 has a lower flange 130 which underlies the base plate 104 and an upper flange 132 which rests on the flanges 108. It also has a short sides 134 (see Figure 1) which lies outside and is welded to the side walls 106. The end wall 128 has an outwardly splayed upper end wall 136. Similarly the short side 134 has an outwardly spayed outer part 138. The end wall 128 and outer parts 138 serve as guides to guide an upper core tray to rest correctly upon a lower core tray for stacking purposes. In so doing the upper core tray rests on the upper flanges 132 of the end closure walls 128.

[0012] Water drainage holes 142 are provided in the end wall 128 at each recess 114 and 116.

[0013] Each end wall 128 has a pair of aligned slots 144 therein. A handle 146

(see Figure 3) is provided at each slot 144. The handle 146 comprises a flat fabric member 148 having its ends 150 bent over to form as it were a "U" shaped end part 152

with the sides stapled together but with the end portion 154 free. A rubber tube 156 surrounds the centre portion of the fabric member 148 to facilitate gripping of the handle. The thickness of the slots 144 are such that the end part 152 can pass easily therethrough. When the handles 146 are used to lift the tray 100, the material of the end wall above the slot 144 engages in the end part 152 to form a secure connection between the handle 146 and the end wall 128.

[00014] An accessory of the invention comprises a lifter 200 (see Figures 4, 5,

6) formed of bent sheet metal of an axial length slightly less than the length of the tray 100 i.e. normally about one metre. The lifter 200 has a drill core-holding part 202 consisting of two inclined arms 204 leading to a part 206 which is a portion of a hemicylinder with an open mouth 208. Near the join of the arms 204 is a narrow convex rectangular channel portion 210 which projects from the centre of the lifter 200. The base 212 of the channel portion 210 is apertured at 213. Welded to one arm 204 are a pair of handle 214 to facilitate gripping and manipulating the lifter 200. The parts 206 at the mouth 208 have a short extensions 218 which project beyond the transverse diameter of the drill core 102 with their ends 220 sharpened inwardly. The radius of the hemi-cylindrical part 206 is a millimetre or so greater than the radius of the drill core 102.

[0015] In use, the lifter 200 is placed vertically over the drill core with the channel portion 128 at the highest point of the tab lifter 200 as shown in Figure 5. Continued downward pressure on the lifter 200 will press the lifter 200 so that the arms 218 would be prised between the dividers 112 and the drill core 102 so that the drill core 102 would be received within the hemi-cylindrical part 206 of the lifter 200. The lifter 200 is now rotated with one arm 218 moving under the core 106 as shown in

Figure 6. The rotation causes the channel portion 210 engage the apex 124 of the adjacent divider 112. Further rotational movement of the handle 214 will cause the lifter 200 to pivot about this apex 124 which serves as a fulcrum therefor. This further rotational movement will cause lifting the remainder of the lifter 200 as well as the drill core 102 therein into a raised position above the recess 114. The drill core lifter 200 can then be inverted so that the core 102 is within the part 206 and the mouth is uppermost. The lifter can now be transported to any suitable location for inspection of the drill core 102 or treatment thereof. The drill core 102 is returned to the recess in the opposite manner to that described above i.e. the lifter 200 is placed partially in the recess 114 with the channel 210 on the apex 124 of an adjacent divider 112 and on pivoting the lifter 200 into the appropriate vertical position the drill core 102 will fall out of the mouth 208 of the lifter 200 and into the recess 114. The lifter 200 can now be removed.

[0016] The cores in the outer recesses 116 are similarly handled.

[0017] It will be seen that in this way the drill cores can be easily removed from the recesses 114 of a tray 100 for inspection or treatment and easily returned thereafter and the integrity of the core is preserved. The cores or core parts will be retained in the lifter so that the location is not varied. By providing the sharpened ends 220 to the extensions 218 it will be easier for the extensions 218 to be moved between the core 102 and the adjacent dividers 124. Yet again, the strip of plastic wrap is placed over the core and the lifter is conveniently used to wrap the plastic film around the core. The system thus is an efficient sustem for removing cores from a drill tray or replacing the cores therein whilst preseving the integrity of the cores.

[0018] Where the cores are drilled from the oxidized zone it is often required to protect the surfaces of the cores and retain the dampness of the cores. This will preserve the mass of the rock. Protection can be provided by a plastic wrap, a wax coating or a heat shrunk cover. Also or alternatively a cover 230 may be provided over the cores in the tray. The cover will be pushed around the core during removal.

[0019] It will be appreciated that the lifter 200 can be used as the core carrier described in our co-pending patent application being filed to-day (agent's ref 94848. 1).

[0020] The invention is not limited to the precise constructional details hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings. For example instead of the end walls being welded to the base plate, it may be pop-rivetted thereto. The tube 156 may comprise a plastic member.