Applicant: HUSQVARNA AB, S-561 82 HUSKVARNA, Sweden Case P1708 PCT

A SUPPORT FOR A DRILL RIG. AN ASSEMBLY FOR DRILLING HOLES AND A METHOD FOR DRILLING

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to drilling in the ground, for example in concrete or similar materials, and more specifically to a drill rig and an assembly that includes a drill rig and a support on which the drill rig can be mounted during the drilling operation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Drill rigs for drilling in concrete and similar materials are known from the prior art. For example, a drill rig for supporting and driving a core drill bit is known from US patent No. 5,794,724. A drill rig carries and supports a drill when the drill is used to make a hole in the ground, for example ground covered by concrete or asphalt. To keep the drill rig in its position during the drilling operation, various solutions have been proposed. For example, in US patent No. 5,794,724, it is suggested that the base of the drill rig be provided with a vacuum system which is to assist in the secure mounting of the base to the surface of the material that is being drilled. The applicant in the present invention is also aware of a method where a drill jig is first secured by screws or similar elements to the ground before drilling is started.

It is an objective of the present invention to provide a new way of securing a drill jig such that it is firmly and reliably supported during drilling. It is also an objective to make it possible to secure the drill jig as quickly as possible while minimising unnecessary damage to the ground in which drilling is performed.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to support for a drill rig. The inventive support comprises a base piece, the base piece having a lower side adapted to cooperate with an essentially flat floor or ground, and a side with two raised sections spaced apart from each other and substantially parallel to the lower side of the base piece. In this way, a vehicle wheel can roll over one of the raised sections and reach a position where two different points along the circumference of the wheel each contacts one of the raised sections and a part of the wheel is located between the raised sections. The support further comprises an arm having a first end that is mounted on the support at an end of the base piece and on the same side

as the two raised sections. The arm extends beyond the base piece and is arranged on the base piece such that, in a plane parallel with the lower side of the base piece, it can be moved from one position to another and thereby change its angle relative to a straight line parallel with the raised sections. The arm further has a second end adapted to fit a part of a drilling rig. The support can also have a reinforcement structure that forms an acute angle with the base piece and extends between the base piece and that end of the arm that is mounted on the base piece in such a way that bending of the arm in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the lower side is counteracted.

In some embodiments of the invention, the arm can be moved continuously between different angular positions in relation to a straight line parallel with the raised portions. However, embodiments are possible where the arm can only be moved between different discrete positions, i.e. a limited number of distinct positions.

In advantageous embodiments of the invention, the support may further comprise a locking device that can lock the arm in a given angular position. The locking device will then be designed such that it can be unlocked by an operator who can then move/turn the arm to a new position.

The second end of the arm may have either a circular cylindrical pin or a circular cylindrical opening or through-hole. Such a design will allow the arm to cooperate with a drill rig in such a way that a drill rig mounted at the second end of the arm can be rotated about a substantially vertical axis.

The invention also relates to an assembly for drilling holes in the ground. The assembly comprising a drill rig having a mast, a carriage movable along the mast, a means, e.g. a motor for driving the carriage along the mast and a drill mounted on the carriage. The assembly further comprises a support as described above. The drill rig and the support are then designed to be able to cooperate with each other in such a way that the drill rig can be mounted on the second end of the arm on the support. Instead of a motor for driving the carriage along the mast, the assembly may have a manually operated device such as a rotating lever.

The invention also relates to a method of drilling. According to the method, a support is provided that has a base piece with a lower side adapted to cooperate with an essentially flat floor or ground. The support is placed on the ground in such a way that the lower side of the base piece is in contact with the ground. A vehicle is then driven onto the base piece such that a vehicle wheel comes to rest on the base piece and thereby hold the support

firmly pressed against the ground. The support can then be used to hold a drilling rig on which a drill is mounted while the drill is used to make a hole in the ground.

While the method can be practised with a support that does not have any raised sections, it should be understood that the base piece should preferably have a side with two raised sections as previously described. In this way, parts of the wheel may be in direct contact with the raised sections while a part of the vehicle wheel is located between the raised sections. In this way, the raised sections may cooperate with the vehicle wheel to hold it in its position.

The drilling rig may be mounted on the support before the vehicle is driven onto the support. However, it is preferred that the vehicle is first driven onto the support and that the drilling rig is subsequently connected to the support.

While the invention could be performed with a support that does not have a movable or turnable arm, it is preferred that the method be practised with an arm that can be turned as described previously. After the support has been placed on the ground, the arm can then be turned in a plane parallel with the flat side of the base piece such that the second end of the arm is in a position where it can support the drill rig in an area where the drill shall operate.

In embodiments of the invention, the second end of the arm engages the drill rig end in a way that allows the drill rig to turn about an axis while the arm remains stationary. The position of the drill rig may then be adjusted by turning of the drill rig about a vertical axis at the second end of the arm where the arm engages the drill rig.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 shows the inventive support during use when it is connected to a drill jig that is used to support a drill which is used by an operator.

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing different components of the inventive support.

Figure 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1 but where the different parts have been assembled to form a unit.

Figure 4 is a side view of the same support as in Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of one of the details of Fig. 4.

Figure 6 is a front view of the inventive support connected to a drill jig carrying a drill.

Figure 7 is a side view showing how a vehicle wheel is held in place between two raised sections of the inventive support.

Figure 8 is a view from above corresponding to Fig. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The inventive support for a drill jig shall now be explained in greater detail with reference to Figs. 2 - 5. As indicated in Fig. 2, the support 1 for a drilling rig 2 comprises a base piece 3 that has a first end 4 and a second end 5. The base piece 3 has a lower side 6 which is adapted to be placed on the ground, for example on a concrete floor. The lower side 6 can be flat or partly flat. The support 3 also has a side 7 which is intended to be the top side when the support is in use. The top side 7 has two raised sections 8, 9 spaced apart from each other and preferably extending parallel to each other and parallel to the lower side 6 of the base piece 3. In this way, a vehicle wheel 25 can roll over one of the raised sections 8, 9 and reach a position where two different points Pl, P2 along the circumference of the wheel 25 each contacts one of the raised sections 8, 9 and a part of the wheel 25 is located between the raised sections 8, 9 (see Fig. ). As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, a number of spars 16, 17 extend between the raised portions 8, 9 and connect the raised portions 8, 9 to each other. The material used may be, for example, a steel material and the spars 16, 17 may be, for example, welded to the raised sections 8, 9. Alternative means for connecting the raised sections 8, 9 to the spars 16, 17 may include screws or rivets). In the figures, the raised sections 8, 9 are shown as triangular pieces. However, it should be understood that other shapes are also possible. For example, the raised sections 8, 9 could have a rectangular or round shape. It should also be understood that, instead of separate pieces welded together, the base section could be manufactured in one single piece, for example by casting. Instead of spars 16, 17 that are spaced apart from each other, the bottom of the base piece 3 could be formed by one continuous sheet. At the first end 4 of the base piece 3, a slightly thicker or more massive spar 17 may be used. The end spar 17 may have a through-hole 18 for a pivot pin 10 for purposes that will be explained in the following. The exact dimensions of the support may of course vary from case to case. However, as an

example of realistic embodiments, the length of the support (along the raised sections 8, 9) may be on the order of about 0,4m - 0,6 m while the width may be on the order of 0,3 m - 0,4 m. It should be understood that these dimensions are only mentioned by way of example and that other dimensions are perfectly possible. For reasons that will be explained later, the exact dimensions may be dependent on the expected size of a vehicle wheel.

The support 1 further comprises an arm 26 that has a first end 27 that is mounted on the support 1. The end 27 may suitably be shaped as a cylindrical end part 39 with a through- hole 36. The arm 26 is mounted at an end 5 of the base piece 3 and on the same side 7 as the two raised sections 8, 9. The arm 26 extends beyond the base piece 3 and it is arranged on the base piece 3 such that, in a plane parallel with the flat side of the base piece 3, it can be moved from one position to an other and thereby change its angle relative to a straight line parallel with the raised sections 8, 9. More simply put, it is possible to turn the arm from one position to another.

Preferably, the arm 26 can be moved continuously between different angular positions in relation to a straight line parallel with the raised portions 8, 9 but other solutions are also possible. As indicated in Fig. 3 a pivot pin or tap 10 can be mounted in the in the support 3 and extend through the hole 18 in the spar 17 and cooperate with the hole 36 in the arm 26 such that the arm 26 can pivot or turn about the pivot pin 10.

The support 1 may also comprise a locking device 21 that can lock the arm 26 in a given angular position. As indicated in Figs. 2 - 5, the locking device 21 may be a screw that can be inserted through a screw-hole 37 in the end part 39 of the arm 26. By tightening the screw 21, the arm 26 can be locked in a desired position. By loosening the screw 21, it is then possible for an operator to release the arm 26 such that the arm 26 can be moved to a new position. Of course, the screw 21 is only an example of a possible locking device and other ways of locking the arm 26 in a given position are of course possible. For example, the pivot pin 10 and the hole 36 have a round cross-section in preferred embodiments of the invention. However, they could also have a polygonal (rectangular, triangular, hexagonal etc.) cross-section allowing only a limited number of different positions and also locking the arm 26 in its position.

Suitably, the arm 26 further has a second end 28 adapted to fit a part 31 of a drilling rig 2. As indicated in Fig. 4, the second end 28 of the arm 26 may have a circular cylindrical pin 30 that can cooperate with a drill rig 2 in such a way that a drill rig 2 mounted at the second end 28 of the arm 26 can be rotated about a substantially vertical axis A2.

Alternatively, the second end 28 of the arm 26 may have circular cylindrical opening cooperating with a pin extending from the jig 2. With reference to Fig. 6, the circular cylindrical pin 30 may fit into a corresponding hole in a lower part 31 of the drill rig 2. In this way, the drill rig 2 can pivot on the pin 30.

As seen in Figs. 2 - 4 and in Fig. 8, he support 1 also has a reinforcement structure. This is preferable but also other designs can provide sufficient stability to the arm 26. The reinforcement structure shown in the figures comprises a pair of legs 11, 12. The pair of legs 11, 12 forms an acute angle with the base piece 3 and extends between the base piece 3 and that end 27 of the arm 26 that is mounted on the base piece 3. In this way, that bending of the arm 26 in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the flat side 6 can be counteracted. The reinforcement structure may comprise a collar 14 that connects the legs 11, 12 and is adapted to be connected to the arm 26. The collar has a hole 15 which may be a through-hole 15. A screw 19 and a disc or spacer 20 may extend through the hole 15 and be used to engage the pivot pin 10 such that the pivot pin 10, the arm 26 and the collar 14 are locked to each other.

The invention also relates to an assembly for drilling holes in the ground. The assembly can be seen best in Fig. 1, Fig. 6 and Fig. 8. The assembly comprises a drill rig 2 having a mast 32 and a carriage 40 that is movable along the mast 32. As indicated in Fig. 6, the mast 32 may be provided with a rack 33 that can cooperate with a pinion gear (not shown) and a motor 34 may be provided for driving the carriage along the mast 32. A rotatable lever 38 (see Fig. 6) may also be used to adjust the position of the carriage along the mast 32. The assembly also includes a drill 35 mounted on the carriage 40. The assembly further comprises a support 1 as described above with reference to Fig. 2 - Fig. 5. It should be understood that the drill rig 2 and the support are designed to be able to cooperate with each other in such a way that the drill rig 2 can be mounted on the second end 28 of the arm 26 on the support.

The inventive method is performed in the following way. A support 1 with a base piece 3 having a flat side is placed on the ground in such a way that the lower side of the base piece 3 is in contact with the ground. The support 1 is preferably designed as previously described with reference to Figs. 2 - 5 but variants are possible. With reference to Fig. 8, a vehicle is driven in the direction of arrow D onto the base piece 3 such that a vehicle wheel 25 comes to rest on the base piece. Thereby, the support 1 will be firmly pressed against the ground. The weight of the vehicle will hold the support 1. The support 1 can then be used to hold a drilling rig on which a drill 35 is mounted. When the drill jig is held on the support 1, the drill 35 can be used to make a hole in the ground. If the support 1 is designed

in the way that has been previously described (i.e. such that the base piece 3 has two raised sections 8, 9), the vehicle 24 can be driven onto the support in such a way that two different points Pl, P2 along the circumference of the vehicle wheel 25 each contacts one of the raised sections while a part of the vehicle wheel 25 is located between the raised sections 8, 9. In this way, the raised sections 8, 9 can cooperate with the vehicle wheel 25 to hold it in its position. This is best seen in Fig. 7.

It is possible to practise the method in such a way that the vehicle 24 is first driven onto the support and the drilling rig 2 is subsequently connected to the support. However, it is also possible to connect the jig 2 to the support and then drive the vehicle onto the support 1.

Assuming the support 1 is designed in the way described above with reference to Fig. 2 - Fig. 5, the procedure can follow a sequence where the vehicle is first driven onto the support, the jig is mounted on the jig and the arm 26 is turned such that the second end 28 of the arm 26 reaches a position where it can support the drill rig 2 in an area where the drill 35 shall operate. If the second end 28 of the arm 26 engages the lower part 31 of drill rig 2 in a pivotable/turnable fashion, the position of the drill rig 2 can also be adjusted by turning the drill rig 2 about a vertical axis A2 (see Fig. 8) at the second end of the arm 26 where the arm 26 engages the drill rig 2. As seen in Fig. 8, the entire arm 26 can turn/pivot about the axis Al while the jig 2 that is mounted at the end 28 of the arm 26 can pivot about the axis A2. Pivoting about both the axes Al, A2 makes it possible for an operator to place the rig 2 in many different positions. By pivoting the arm and the rig, it is also possible to minimise the distance from the drill 35 to the point where the vehicle wheel holds the support. This means that the torque arm can be minimised.

Another aspect of the invention shall now be explained with reference to Fig. 4 and Fig. 6. When the drill is being used for drilling, this will generate an upwardly directed force on the arm 27. This force is symbolically indicated by the arrow F in Fig. 4. As a result, the arm 26 will tend to bend as indicated by arrow B in Fig. 6. However, this bending is counteracted by the reinforcement structure 11, 12. The structure formed by the legs 11, 12 and the collar 14 and that that extends at an acute angle from the bottom of the base piece to engage the arm 26 makes it possible for the arm 26 to withstand greater bending forces. It is preferable that the legs 11, 12 are symmetrically arranged but other designs are also possible. The legs 11, 12 may be welded to the collar 14 and the raised sections 8, 9 (or to the collar 14 and a spar 16). Possibly, a single bar could be used instead of a pair of legs 11, 12.

The invention entails, inter alia, the advantage that the drill rig can be held very reliably even when no special holes have been made in the ground to hold the rig. Since no extra holes have to be made in the ground, unnecessary damage can be avoided. The support can quickly and easily be moved from one place to another.