JP7520359B2 - Rod Handling Equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a rod handling device used to supply and retrieve drilling rods to an excavator, and in particular to a rod handling device capable of supplying drilling rods to an excavator in a variety of excavation positions.

The conventional rod handling device described in Patent Document 1 is structured so that the rod gripping member grips the horizontal boring rod, and then supplies the boring rod in an upright position to the drill head of the excavator. The rod handling device described in Patent Document 2 is structured so that the rod container rotates with the boring rod in an upright position, and the rod gripping member takes out the boring rod from the rod container and supplies it to the excavator.

Patent No. 6641129 Patent No. 6501811

Conventional rod handling devices are designed to supply boring rods to an excavator in an upright position, which makes it difficult to supply boring rods to an oblique or horizontal excavation position. For this reason, there is a need to develop a rod handling device that can supply boring rods to a variety of excavation positions.

In addition, when connecting a boring rod, the rod needs to be centered when screwing it in, so a centering mechanism is also built into conventional rod supply devices. However, accurate centering has been difficult in the past, and if there is a misalignment, the worker has to manually center it, which has the problem of poor workability. Furthermore, the threads of the boring rod are easily damaged when screwing in and out of the boring rod, so there is a need to prevent damage to the threads.

The present invention was made in consideration of these problems, and aims to provide a rod handling device that can supply boring rods in accordance with the various excavation positions of the drilling machine, can accurately center the boring rods when supplying them, eliminating the need for centering by the operator, and can handle the rods in a way that minimizes damage to the threads.

The rod handling device of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a rod chuck for detachably holding a boring rod; a set plate provided with a drilling center for positioning the boring rod during boring; a first rotating mechanism for rotating the rod chuck around the drilling center; a second rotating mechanism for rotating the rod chuck in a raising or lowering direction relative to the drilling center while being supported by the first rotating mechanism; a deviation correction mechanism attached to the second rotating mechanism so as to rotate around a direction perpendicular to the center line of the drilling center, and correcting the positional deviation of the center line of the rod chuck relative to the center line of the drilling center by the rotation; and a gap adjustment mechanism for elastically supporting the rod chuck so as to move in the direction of the drilling center and adjusting the gap between the drilling center and the rod chuck.

In the present invention, the misalignment correction mechanism is characterized by being formed of a correction pin that can rotate in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the second rotating mechanism, a spherical bearing that supports the correction pin, and a correction spring that elastically supports the position adjustment mechanism.

The gap adjustment mechanism is also characterized by having a guide rod to which the rod chuck is attached so that it can move axially.

The spacing adjustment mechanism is also characterized in that it has at least two stages of spring members arranged along the axial direction of the guide rod, and the guide rod is elastically supported by the spring members.

The second rotation mechanism is also equipped with a rotation actuator, the misalignment correction mechanism is attached to the actuator, and the rod chuck can be rotated within a range of 360°.

According to the present invention, a first rotating mechanism for rotating the rod chuck around the drilling center and a second rotating mechanism for rotating the rod chuck in the raising and lowering direction are provided, so that the degree of freedom in changing the position of the boring rod held by the rod chuck is increased, and it becomes possible to supply the boring rod corresponding to various drilling positions.
In addition, by providing a misalignment correction mechanism, the center line of the rod chuck that holds the boring rod can be aligned with the center line of the drilling center, allowing accurate centering when the boring rod is screwed in, eliminating the need for centering work by the operator.
In addition, since a spacing adjustment mechanism is provided, it is possible to prevent the threads of the boring rod from becoming jammed when the boring rod is screwed in or out, thereby preventing damage to the threads.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a rod handling device of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the rod handling device from below. FIG. 2 is a side view of the rod handling device. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the rod handling device. FIG. 2 is a front view of the rod handling device. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 3. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 5. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the rod handling device assembled to an excavator. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a rod handling device according to another embodiment of the invention mounted on an excavator. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a rod handling device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view from below, Fig. 3 is a side view, Fig. 4 is a plan view, Fig. 5 is a front view, Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C in Fig. 3, Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in Fig. 3, Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Fig. 5, Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the device assembled to an excavator 2, and Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the rod handling device 1 in an oblique position.

The rod handling device 1 includes a drilling center 4 for the boring rod 3, a rod chuck 5 for detachably holding the boring rod 3, a first rotating mechanism 6, a second rotating mechanism 7, a misalignment correction mechanism 8, and a spacing adjustment mechanism 9.

The drilling center 4 positions the boring rod 3 relative to the ground when boring is performed by the excavator 2, and is provided integrally with the set plate 10 (Figs. 1 and 5). The set plate 10 is positioned on the first swivel mechanism 6 so as to face the ground, and the boring rod 3 passes through the drilling center 4 of the set plate 10. The rod chuck 5 is a member that holds the boring rod 3, and the first swivel mechanism 6, second swivel mechanism 7, misalignment correction mechanism 8, and interval adjustment mechanism 9 move the rod chuck 5 relative to the drilling center 4.

As shown in Fig. 6, the rod chuck 5 is equipped with a chuck cylinder 13 and a chuck piece 14 attached to the piston tip of the chuck cylinder 13. The rod chuck 5 has a chuck rod 15 (Figs. 1 and 2) into which the boring rod 3 is inserted, and the chuck piece 14 advances into the chuck rod 15 to grip the boring rod 3 together with the chuck rod 15. The chuck piece 14 also retracts from the chuck rod 15 to release the grip of the boring rod 3. The entire rod chuck 5 is attached to a guide rod 16 provided in the gap adjustment mechanism 9 described later, and is movable along the axial direction of the guide rod 16 (Figs. 2, 7, and 8).

The first turning mechanism 6 is capable of turning in a direction parallel to the plate thickness direction of the set plate 10. This turning is performed by a first turning actuator 11 provided below the set plate 10. As shown by an arrow M in Fig. 4, the first turning mechanism 6 turns the rod chuck 5 around the drilling center 4, and the turning is performed with the drilling center 4 as the center. The first turning mechanism 6 can turn the rod chuck 5 within a range of 360° (preferably 270°).
Instead of the first rotation actuator 11 of the first rotation mechanism 6, a combination of a bearing and a cylinder, or a combination of a rotation gear and a motor can be used.

The second rotating mechanism 7 is supported in an upright position at the end of the first rotating mechanism 6. The second rotating mechanism 7 is equipped with a second rotating actuator 12 (FIG. 7), and the rod chuck 5 is rotated so as to rise and fall relative to the drilling center 4 as shown by the arrow N (FIG. 5) by driving the second rotating actuator 12. The rotation is performed within a range of 360°, but as shown in FIG. 5, the rod chuck can be raised and fallen relative to the drilling center 4 by rotating at an angle of at least 180°. When the second rotating mechanism 7 rises from the first rotating mechanism 6, the rod chuck 5 moves onto the axis of the drilling center 4.
A rotation shaft 17 is attached to the second rotation actuator 12 of the second rotation mechanism 7 , a misalignment correction mechanism 8 is attached to this rotation shaft 17 , and a gap adjustment mechanism 9 is attached to the misalignment correction mechanism 8 .
In addition, instead of the second rotation actuator 12 of the second rotation mechanism 7, a hydraulic motor, a hydraulic cylinder, an electric motor, etc. may be used.

By providing a structure in this way with a first rotating mechanism 6 that rotates the rod chuck 5 around the drilling center 4 and a second rotating mechanism 7 that rotates the rod chuck 5 in the upright direction, the degree of freedom in changing the position of the boring rod 3 held by the rod chuck 5 is increased, making it possible to supply boring rods 3 that correspond to a variety of drilling positions.

The misalignment correction mechanism 8 is formed by a correction pin 18 attached to the swivel shaft 17, a spherical bearing 19 that supports the correction pin 18, and a correction spring 20 that elastically supports the correction pin 18 (swivel shaft 17) by sandwiching it from both sides (Figs. 7 and 4). The correction pin 18 is rotatably provided in a direction perpendicular to the swivel shaft 17 of the second swivel mechanism 7, and the spherical bearing 19 supports the correction pin 18 by sandwiching it between the pins. The correction spring 20 elastically supports the gap adjustment mechanism 9 while attached to the swivel shaft 17, and thus the correction spring 20 elastically supports the rod chuck 5 attached to the gap adjustment mechanism 9.

The correction pin 18 gives the rod chuck 5 the freedom to move in the direction of the arrow S in Fig. 1, and the spherical bearing 19 gives the rod chuck 5 the freedom to move in the direction of the arrow T. The correction spring 20 moves the rod chuck 5 several degrees in the front-rear and left-right directions (the directions of the arrows P in Figs. 7 and 8), and this movement corrects the positional deviation of the center line 22 of the rod chuck 5 relative to the center line 21 of the drilling center 4 (Fig. 7). After the positional deviation has been corrected, the elastic force of the correction spring 20 returns the rod chuck 5 to its original position.
In the deviation correction mechanism 8, a universal joint may be used in place of the spherical bearing 19. As the correction spring 20, a rubber spring, a coil spring or a hydraulic cylinder may be used.

In a structure equipped with such a misalignment correction mechanism 8, the center line 22 of the rod chuck 5 that holds the boring rod can be aligned with the center line 21 of the drilling center 4, making it possible to reliably center the boring rod when it is connected.

The gap adjustment mechanism 9 includes a support shaft 25 attached to the swivel shaft 17 of the second swivel mechanism 7, a guide rod 16 attached to the support shaft 25, and spring members 23 arranged in two stages along the axial direction of the guide rod 16 (Figs. 1 and 8). The rod chuck 5 is attached so as to be movable in the axial direction of the guide rod 16. Two shaft bodies 24 connected to the guide rod 16 are provided on both the left and right sides of the guide rod 16, and spring members 23 are attached in two stages to each of the shaft bodies 24 (Fig. 8). That is, in this embodiment, two stages of spring members 23 are provided on the left and right sides of the guide rod 16.

The gap adjustment mechanism 9 having such a structure can secure the axial position of the rod chuck 5 relative to the drilling center 4 (the position in the direction of the arrow Q in Figs. 7 and 8) by the guide rod 16 and the two-stage spring member 23. That is, the rod chuck 5 moves in the axial direction of the guide rod 16 while being supported in a neutral position by the two-stage spring member 23. When the boring rod 3 held by the rod chuck 5 is pulled axially upward, the upper spring member 23 is compressed, and when the boring rod 3 is pulled downward, the lower spring member 23 is compressed. This makes it possible to prevent the thread of the boring rod 3 from being caught when the boring rod 3 is screwed or unscrewed, and thus prevents damage to the thread. In the gap adjustment mechanism 9, when the rod chuck 5 releases the grip of the boring rod 3, the rod chuck 5 returns to the neutral position by the elastic force of the spring member 23.
The spring member 23 may be a rubber spring, a coil spring, or a hydraulic cylinder.

Figure 9 shows the rod handling device 1 of this embodiment installed in an excavator 2. The excavator 2 has a main body 31 equipped with a power unit, and a sub-leader 32 that is attached to the main body 31 in an upright manner. A guide cell 34 is connected to the sub-leader 32, and excavation is performed by moving a drill head 33 along the guide cell 34. The rod handling device 1 is installed in the excavator 2 so that the drilling center 4 is positioned corresponding to the drill head 33.

10 shows a rod handling device 1A according to another embodiment of the present invention, which is mounted on an excavator 2. In the rod handling device 1A, a rotation actuator 40 is disposed between the second turning mechanism 7 and the deviation correction mechanism 8. The rotation actuator 40 supports the deviation correction mechanism 8 while being attached to the second turning mechanism 7. The rod chuck 5 that grips the boring rod 3 is attached to the rotation actuator 40 via the deviation correction mechanism 8 and the gap adjustment mechanism 9.
The rotary actuator 40 is an actuator that rotates in a range of 360° as indicated by an arrow W, and the rotation of the rotary actuator 40 rotates the rod chuck 5 in a range of 360° to change its posture. This allows the posture of the boring rod 3 held by the rod chuck 5 to be changed. This also allows the boring rod 3 to be replenished by the rod chuck 5.

11 shows a rod handling device 1B according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. A rod chuck 5 is movably attached to the guide rod 16 of the gap adjustment mechanism 9, and in this embodiment, the rod chuck 5 is provided with two chuck cylinders (a first chuck cylinder 42 and a second chuck cylinder 43). Chuck pieces 44, 45 are attached to the chuck cylinders 42, 43, respectively, and the boring rod is gripped by the chuck pieces 44, 45.
By providing two chuck cylinders 42 and 43, even if the boring rod is a double tube consisting of an outer rod and an inner rod, one chuck cylinder 42 can grip the outer rod and the other chuck cylinder can grip the inner rod. This has the advantage of being able to handle cases where the boring rod is a double tube.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 1A 1B Rod handling device 2 Drilling machine 3 Boring rod 4 Drilling center 5 Rod chuck 6 First swivel mechanism 7 Second swivel mechanism 8 Misalignment correction mechanism 9 Spacing adjustment mechanism 10 Set plate 11 First swivel actuator 12 Second swivel actuator 13 Chuck cylinder 14 Chuck piece 15 Chuck rod 16 Guide rod 17 Swivel shaft 18 Correction pin 19 Spherical bearing 20 Correction spring 21 Center line of drilling center 22 Center line of rod chuck 23 Spring member 24 Shaft body 25 Support shaft 40 Movable actuator

Claims (3)

A rod chuck that detachably holds a boring rod;
A set plate provided with a drilling center for positioning a boring rod during boring;
a first rotating mechanism for rotating the rod chuck around the drilling center;
a second turning mechanism that turns the rod chuck in a raising or lowering direction relative to the drilling center while being supported by the first turning mechanism;
a deviation correction mechanism that is attached to the second rotating mechanism so as to rotate about a rotation center in a direction perpendicular to the center line of the drilling center, and corrects a position deviation of a center line of the rod chuck with respect to the center line of the drilling center by the rotation;
a guide rod to which the rod chuck is attached so as to be axially movable; and a gap adjustment mechanism comprising: a spring member provided in two stages along the axial direction of the guide rod for elastically supporting the guide rod, and which elastically supports the axial position of the rod chuck relative to the drilling center . The rod handling device according to claim 1, characterized in that the misalignment correction mechanism is formed by a correction pin that can rotate in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the second rotation mechanism, a spherical bearing that supports the correction pin, and a correction spring that elastically supports the gap adjustment mechanism . 2. The rod handling device according to claim 1, wherein a rotation actuator is attached to the second rotation mechanism, the deviation correction mechanism is attached to the actuator, and the rod chuck is capable of rotating within a range of 360 degrees.

Images