EP0114146A2 - Universal drilling apparatus equipped with means for rapid raising of the drill string - Google Patents

Abstract

1. Universal drilling machine, for operations of drilling, soil-sampling or test-boring, comprising : a telescopic derrick constituted by a fixed external mast (7) and a movable mast (8) mounted with a capability of sliding at the interior of the mast (7), a raising and lowering ram (10) coupling the lower part of the external mast (7) and the upper part of the internal mast (8), a drilling head (19-20-21-27) movable and guided along the external mast (7) and transmission members (18) coupling the upper part of the internal mast (8) and said drilling head the ascending or descending movements of which result from the lifting or lowering respectively of said movable internal mast (8), under the action of said ram (10), characterized in that it comprises means (15) for instantaneous coupling and uncoupling of the transmission members (18) providing the coupling of the drilling head (19, 20, 21, 27) and the movable internal mast (8) of the telescopic derrick, the upper end of which is provided with one or more pulleys (14a, 14b) about which there can run a lifting cable (31) coupled to an attachment device (30) carried by a fixed element (1) of the machine.

Description

• - dans les domaines de la recherche d'eau, de la recherche minière par prélèvement de sédiments (sondages économiques), de la géothermie et de la sismologie ;
• - que dans le domaine de la recherche de minerai avec une grande précision d'interprétation nécessitant un carottage continu ou partiel des zones géologiques à identifier en vue de leur exploitation future.

The present invention relates to a multipurpose drilling machine provided with means for rapidly raising the drill string and which can be used as well:

• - in the fields of water research, mining research using sediment sampling (economic surveys), geothermal energy and seismology;
• - only in the field of mineral research with a high level of interpretation requiring continuous or partial coring of the geological zones to be identified with a view to their future exploitation.

• - dans le premier cas, il était nécessaire de disposer d'une machine équipée d'une tête de forage travaillant de 0 à 100 tours/minute avec un couple de 1.000 à 1.500 m/kg, de telles machines devant être dotées d'une puissance de relevage de 15 à 45 tonnes, nécessaire pour remonter le train de tiges dont le poids peut atteindre de 10 à 30 tonnes pour oeuvrer à des profondeurs allant jusqu'à 1.500 mètres ; une telle puissance étant absolument indispensable pour relever ledit train de tiges et avoir la marge de sécurité souhaitable pour passer les zones de coincement possible ;
• - par contre, pour la seconde catégorie de travaux, la tête de forage doit pouvoir atteindre une vitesse de rotation de 500 à 1.000' t/mn avec. un couple de 100 à 120 m/kg, et il est essentiel que l'on puisse procéder à des remontées rapides et très puissantes des trains de tiges lorsqu'on effectue des carottages lors desquels il est parfois nécessaire de remonter l'outil (diamant ou autre) pour cause de détérioration, celui-ci se trouvant quelquefois à des profondeurs très importantes allant de 200 à 1.500 mètres.

Until now, it was essential to use two very different machines from one another, to operate in the two categories of work above. Indeed :

• - in the first case, it was necessary to have a machine equipped with a drilling head working from 0 to 100 revolutions / minute with a torque of 1,000 to 1,500 m / kg, such machines having to be provided with a lifting power of 15 to 45 tonnes, necessary to raise the drill string, the weight of which can reach 10 to 30 tonnes to work at depths up to 1,500 meters; such power being absolutely essential to raise said drill string and have the desirable safety margin to pass the possible jamming zones;
• - on the other hand, for the second category of work, the drilling head must be able to reach a rotation speed of 500 to 1,000 rpm with. a torque of 100 to 120 m / kg, and it is essential that rapid and very powerful ascent of the drill string can be carried out when coring is carried out during which it is sometimes necessary to wind the tool (diamond or other) due to deterioration, it sometimes being at very great depths ranging from 200 to 1,500 meters.

For the execution of the two categories of work mentioned above, it is known to use two different machines having a common basic structure comprising: a telescopic boom constituted by a fixed external mast and a movable mast mounted with a sliding ability to inside of the latter, a powerful jack connecting the lower part of the outer mast to the upper part of the inner mast, a movable and guided rotation head along the outer mast and means of traction of said rotation head whose upward movements or descendants result from the elongation or the retraction, respectively, of the movable interior mast (German patent N ° 1,159,880), under the effect of said jack.

These machines allow the ascent of the drill string, but at a rate too slow under current operating conditions, so that we are led to install large auxiliary tripods equipped with winches to accelerate the ascent of the stems, especially when coring. On the other hand, the means of traction of the rotation head along the telescopic boom consist of chains or cables, which, in the field of core drilling work, does not allow said head to be driven with the precision of approach essential, particular to these works, taking into account the relaxation of the tension of said cables or chains.

The present invention relates to a versatile drilling machine capable of being used for the two above-mentioned categories of drilling and coring work and allowing rapid and very powerful ascent of the drill string.

The drilling machine according to the invention comprises means for instantaneous coupling and disassembly of the transmission members ensuring the connection of the drilling head and the movable inner mast, the top of which is equipped with one or more pulleys on which can be s winding a cable fixed to a fixed element of said machine, so that after lateral erasure of said drilling head and release of said transmission members, said movable inner mast uncoupled can be used as a lifting arm allowing the rapid lifting of the drill string, using said cable.

According to another characteristic, the transmission members connecting the drilling head and the upper part of the movable inner mast of the telescopic boom, comprise two lateral jacking and lifting arms mounted with a sliding capacity along the outer mast and fixed, by their opposite ends, on the one hand to said carriage of said drilling head and, on the other hand, to said upper part of the movable mast.

According to another characteristic, the means allowing the coupling and uncoupling of the carriage carrying the rotation head and the upper part of the movable inner mast, comprise two double-acting cylinders carried by said upper part and whose movable rods are capable of occupy two positions, a first emerging coupling position in which they are engaged in holes provided in the upper part of the driving and lifting arms, and a second retracted uncoupling position in which they are removed from said holes.

• - pourvue d'une tête de forage hydraulique adéquate, elle permet d'effectuer deux sortes de travaux qui, jusqu'à présent, nécessitaient deux appareils totalement différents l'un de l'autre et, dans le cas des opérations de carottage, l'utilisation d'un matériel auxiliaire de remontée du train de tiges ;
• - elle est simple, puissante, peu onéreuse, polyvalente et peut être utilisée par une main d'oeuvre relativement peu spécialisée ;
• - elle peut être instantanément convertie en appareil de levage permettant une remontée rapide et très puissante du train de tiges ;
• - l'entratnement de la tête de rotation, aussi bien lors du fonçage que du relevage, s'effectue en relation directe avec le vérin principal, ce qui confère à ces mouvements, la souplesse d'approche indispensable que nécessitent les travaux de carottage ;
• - sa relative légèreté autorise son installation sur des véhicules tous terrains légers et de gabarit réduit.

The machine with the above characteristics has many advantages:.

• - provided with an adequate hydraulic drilling head, it makes it possible to carry out two kinds of work which, until now, required two completely different devices from one another and, in the case of coring operations, the 'use of auxiliary equipment for lifting the drill string;
• - it is simple, powerful, inexpensive, versatile and can be used by relatively unskilled labor;
• - it can be instantly converted into a lifting device allowing rapid and very powerful lifting of the drill string;
• - The drive of the rotation head, both during driving and lifting, is carried out in direct relation with the main cylinder, which gives these movements, the flexibility of approach essential that require core drilling work;
• - its relative lightness allows its installation on light all-terrain vehicles and of reduced size.

• La figure 1 est une vue de face simplifiée de la machine polyvalente selon l'invention illustrée en situation de forage (sans le train de tiges) et dont la flèche est représentée dans son état rétracté suivant lequel la tête de rotation occupe une position basse.
• La figure 2 est une vue de côté de la figure 1, la machine de forage étant représentée montée sur un camion automobile dont seule la partie arrière porteuse équipée de vérins de stabilisation est illustrée.
• La figure 3 est une vue de face, à échelle plus réduite, de ladite machine dont la flèche est représentée en position d'allongement maximum.
• La figure 4 est une vue de côté de la figure 3.
• La figure 5 est une vue analogue à la figure 3 et représentant la machine en position de remontée du train de tiges, la tête de rotation étant en position "effacée".
• La figure 6 est une vue de côté de la figure 5.
• La figure 7 est une vue de face et en coupe axiale de la partie supérieure de la flèche de la machine représentée en position rétractée et en situation de forage.
• La figure 8 est une vue en plan et en coupe suivant la ligne 8 - 8 de la figure 7.
• La figure 9 est une vue de côté, avec coupe partielle, de la partie inférieure de la machine, la tête de forage se trouvant en position basse.
• La figure 10 est une vue en plan et en coupe, à plus grande échelle, suivant la ligne 10 - 10 de la figure 9, le tracé en traits interrompus illustrant la position "effacée" du bâti portant la tête de rotation.

These aims, characteristics and advantages, and others still, will emerge more clearly from the description which follows and from the appended drawings in which:

• Figure 1 is a simplified front view of the versatile machine according to the invention illustrated in a drilling situation (without the drill string) and whose arrow is shown in its retracted state in which the rotation head occupies a low position.
• Figure 2 is a side view of Figure 1, the drilling machine being shown mounted on a motor truck of which only the rear carrying part equipped with stabilizing jacks is illustrated.
• Figure 3 is a front view, on a smaller scale, of said machine whose arrow is shown in the maximum elongation position.
• Figure 4 is a side view of Figure 3.
• Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 and showing the machine in the ascent position of the drill string, the rotation head being in the "cleared" position.
• Figure 6 is a side view of Figure 5.
• Figure 7 is a front view and in axial section of the upper part of the boom of the machine shown in the retracted position and in the drilling situation.
• FIG. 8 is a plan view and in section along line 8 - 8 in FIG. 7.
• Figure 9 is a side view, partly in section, of the lower part of the machine, the drilling head being in the low position.
• Figure 10 is a plan view and section, on a larger scale, along line 10-10 of Figure 9, the line drawn in broken lines illustrating the "erased" position of the frame carrying the rotation head.

Reference is made to said drawings to describe an advantageous embodiment of the multipurpose drilling machine according to the invention.

This machine is more particularly intended for the execution of drillings, soundings or cores which can reach great depths,

that is to say to work in a vertical direction. For this reason, are used, in the rest of this presentation, expressions such as "lower part", "upper part", "base", "sonmet", "mast",: etc ... It is however obvious that 'These are not limiting expressions, the machine according to the invention can, if necessary, work in inclined or even horizontal directions, as will be readily understood.

The claimed machine comprises a support upright 1 advantageously constituted by a robust tubular metal beam, of: quadrilateral section, for example rectangular.

The base of this support upright is provided with a jack 2 forming a foot allowing the support of the machine on the ground.

As indicated above, the latter can be mounted on an automobile truck 3 and, in this case, the support upright is articulated, using all appropriate means, on the one hand, in its lower part, on flanges 3a rigidly integral with the chassis of the truck and, on the other hand, in its upper part, at the outer end of the rod of two positioning jacks 4 themselves articulated by the rear end of their body, on said chassis. These jacks allow the machine to be placed in a vertical working position, or in an inclined transport or garage position. In the vicinity of its base, the support upright 1 is rigidly secured to the rotation table 5 which commonly comprises an orifice for the passage and the centering of the drill pipe or the drill string. On the other hand, said support upright carries, at its top, a plate

6 for holding and guiding, rigidly fixed by welding or otherwise on the latter.

The machine comprises a telescopic boom comprising a fixed external mast 7 and a movable mast 8 mounted with a sliding ability inside said external mast.

The exterior 7 and interior 8 mats are, advantageously, constituted by tubular metal beams, of quadrilateral section, preferably rectangular, and having the necessary robustness.

The outer mast 7 is rigidly secured, in the vicinity of its base, of the rotation table 5 which has, for example, an opening for the passage of the lower end of said outer mast, the upper part of which passes through an opening made in the retaining and guide plate 6 secured to the support upright 1.

In the lower end of the outer mast 7, is fixed, by means of a pin 9 or otherwise, the rear end of the body 10b of a high-power hydraulic cylinder 10, housed inside the inner mast 8 ( Figure 9) and-whose rod 10a is secured, by means of an axis 11 or otherwise, to the upper part of the latter, said axis resting, for example, in pads 12 which is provided internally, said upper part (figure 7).

The inner mast 8 has a length barely less than that of the outer mast 7 and the length of the jacking and lifting cylinder 10 connecting the base: of said outer mast to the upper part of said inner mast is such that the latter emerges at the part upper mast, over a height of about twenty centimeters, when said cylinder is in the retracted position (Figures 1, 2 and 7). On the other hand, the height or length of the outer 7 and inner 8 masts can be determined according to the nature of the work for which the machine is intended and the length of the sounding rod elements that it is desired to use.

On the top of the inner mast 8 is rigidly fixed, for example by welding, a support plate 13 on which two pulleys 14a - 14b are installed.

This support plate is advantageously made in two parts, that is to say a peripheral element 13a constituted by a very thick plate and surrounding the top of the inner mast on which it is welded, and a central element 13b of lesser thickness resting on said top and fixed to said peripheral element, for example by means of screws (FIG. 7). The upper part of the movable inner mast carries two coupling cylinders 15 arranged in alignment, in an opposite manner. These jacks are placed transversely, their axis being perpendicular to the axis of the main jack 10 ensuring your movements of elongation and retraction of the boom of the machine. The bodies 15a of said jacks are fixed, for example by means of screws, on the sides of the end upper of the inner mast which have openings for the passage of said cylinder bodies which are, moreover, housed in support parts 16a, 16b rigidly fixed inside said upper end. The coupling cylinders 15 are double-acting hydraulic cylinders, and they operate in a perfectly synchronized manner, thanks to an appropriate distribution system of which only the telescopic vertical supply lines 17a - 17b have only been shown (which are shown). are arranged on either side of the jack 10. The fixed outer tube 17c of said pipes. is, for example, welded to the body of said jack, while the movable inner tube 17d connected to the jacks 15 follows the movements of the movable member of the telescopic boom.

In the elongated position, the rod 15b of each coupling cylinder is engaged in a circular opening 18a which has the upper end of a traction and driving arm 18 (Figures 7 and 8) fixed by its end opposite, to the carriage 19 carrying the rotation head 21 and the hydraulic motor 20 for driving the latter (FIG. 9). When the jack 10 is in the retraction position (FIGS. 1, 2 and 7), the rods 15b of the coupling jacks 15 are placed above the upper end of the outer mast 7.

The arms 18 are arranged longitudinally on each side of the outer mast 7 and they are mounted with a sliding ability along said mast. They are guided and held in lateral openings 6a of complementary shape with which the plate 6 is provided, these openings being dimensioned so that said arms can slide easily, with minimum clearance.

The axes or centers of the arms 18, the outer (7) and inner (8) masts of the telescopic boom, and of the jack 10,. are arranged in the same P-P plane, as shown in Figure 8.

In order to prevent the rods 15b of the coupling cylinders 15 from being subjected to excessive torsional forces, in the drive position of the arms 18, they are also engaged in vertical traction plates 22 arranged on the side outside of said arms and which have an opening 22a for the passage of said rod. These traction plates have, for example, a T-shape and are secured each by their upper part, an angle 23 resting on the peripheral element 13a of the support plate 13 on which it is fixed by welding or otherwise. Said traction plates pass through lateral openings 13c formed in said support plate, and are arranged in vertical planes passing outside the vertical planes in which the arms 18 are included.

For the purpose of perfect adjustment, the arms 18 can be executed in two portions rigidly assembled by screwing or otherwise, that is to say a first high portion 18b of great length constituted by a robust metal beam of rectangular section, going from the upper end to near the carriage 19 supporting the rotation head 21, and a second low portion 18c of short length constituted by a metal bar secured, by its lower end, to said carriage (Figure 9).

The traction and driving arms 18 are fixed, for example by means of screws 24, on the lateral faces of the carriage 19. The latter is conventionally equipped with rollers 25 and 26 favoring its sliding along the outer mast 7 of the telescopic boom.

The frame 27 carrying the rotation head 21 and its hydraulic drive motor 20, is fixed, in known manner, by means of a hinge 28, on one of the sides of the carriage 19, so as to allow erasure side of the drill head assembly. On the other hand, the carriage 19 and the frame 27 are provided with complementary means allowing the immobilization of the latter in the drilling position, for example by means of a locking pin 29.

At its upper part, the support upright 1 is equipped with a fastening device 30 which may advantageously be of a kind allowing the winding and unwinding of a lifting cable 31 fixed, in an adjustable manner, by the 'one of its ends, to said device, and the free end of which can be permanently or removably provided with a joining device 32 known per se and allowing rapid assembly and disassembly to the elements or extensions of the train rods 33. The attachment device 30 can be constituted by a winch or by a telescopic jack.

It is well understood the operation of the drilling machine which has just been described.

In the drilling position, the rods 15b of the coupling cylinders 15 are taken out and engaged in the openings 18a and 22a of the arms 18 and of the traction plates 22, respectively.

Under these conditions, it is understood that the extension of the jack 10 ensures the upward translation of the inner mast 8 and, correspondingly, the elevation of the drilling head 19-20-21-27 hoisted by the arms 18, the long. from the outer mast 7 the carriage 19 of said drilling head stopping below the plate 6 for holding and guiding, when said jack is in the position of maximum elongation (FIGS. 3 and 4).

Conversely, the retraction of the rod of the jack 10 lowers the inner mast and the descent of the drilling head, the carriage of which is immobilized above the rotation table 5 when the rod of the said jack is at the end of its travel. "back to school".

To convert the drilling machine into a lifting device capable of ensuring rapid and powerful lifting of the drill string, it suffices: - to unlock the drilling head 20-21-27 and pivot it to the side

• - de dérouler le câble de levage 31 et de le faire passer sur les poulies 14a - 14b.

in the erase position; - To return the rods 15b of the cylinders 15, which has the effect of separating the inner mast 8 and the arms 18;

• - unwind the lifting cable 31 and pass it over the pulleys 14a - 14b.

The telescopic boom being in the retracted position, it is possible to secure the free end of the cable 31 to the upper end of the drill string emerging from the ground, for example by means of the joining device 32 fitted to said end of the cable.

It is understood that the extension of the jack 10 causes the elevation of the inner mast 8 of the boom, which causes the ascent of the drill string (or other object fixed to the end of the cable 31 at a speed twice that of the interior mast.

The complete deployment of the boom (Figures 5 and 6) makes it possible to raise a length of the drill string 33 twice as much as that which is used during drilling operations and which is a function of the length of the external mast of said boom .

We have not described, nor shown, in order not to unnecessarily load the present description and the attached drawings, certain devices which usually supplement drilling or boring machines, such as feeder, dust vacuum cleaner, auxiliary jack used for the uncoupling of the rods from the drill string, etc., these devices being well known to those skilled in the art.

In the same spirit, it was not considered useful to describe and illustrate the sources of production of pressurized fluids grouped on the chassis of the carrier vehicle and necessary for the operation of the various jacks, the rotation head and the drilling tool, neither the various controls of these members, nor the distribution pipes, which are produced in a conventional manner.

Claims (10)

1. - Multipurpose drilling machine for drilling, drilling or coring, comprising: a telescopic boom constituted by a fixed external mast: (7) and a movable mast (8) mounted with a sliding capacity inside the latter a jacking and jacking cylinder (10) connecting the lower part of the outer mast and the upper part of the inner mast, a drilling head (19-20-21-27) movable and guided along the outer mast and transmission members (18) connecting the upper part of the inner mast and said drilling head, the upward or downward movements of which result from the elevation or lowering, respectively, of said movable inner mast, under the effect of said jack , characterized in that it comprises means (15) for instantaneous coupling and uncoupling of the transmission members (18) ensuring the connection of the drilling head and the movable inner mast of the telescopic boom whose top is equipped with '' one or more po ulies (14a, 14b) on which or which can be wound a lifting cable (31) subject to a fastening device (30) carried by a fixed element (1) of the machine. 2. -Multipurpose drilling machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmission members connecting the drilling head (19-20-21-27) and the upper part of the movable inner mast (8) comprise two lateral arms of driving and lifting (18) mounted with a sliding ability along the fixed outer mast (7). 3. - Multipurpose drilling machine according to claim 2, characterized in that the lateral jacking and lifting arms (18) are permanently fixed, by their lower end, on the sides of the carriage (19) carrying the head rotation, while their opposite end is arranged to cooperate with the instant coupling and uncoupling means (15). 4. - Multipurpose drilling machine according to claim 3, characterized in that the coupling means and uncoupling of Jacking and lifting arms (18) comprise two double-acting cylinders (15) carried by the upper part of the movable inner mast (8) and whose rods (15b) are capable of occupying two positions, namely: a first position emerging in which they are engaged in holes (18a) formed in the upper part of said driving and lifting arms, or a second retracted position in which they are removed from said holes. 5. Multipurpose drilling machine according to claim 4, characterized in that the upper part of the movable inner mast (8) carries side plates (22) arranged on the outside of the jacking and lifting arms, said plates comprising openings (22a) arranged opposite the holes (18a) and the rods (15b) of the coupling cylinders (15) which, in the "out" position, pass through said holes (18a) of said arms and are engaged in said openings. 6. - Multipurpose drilling machine according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that it comprises means (6 6a) for guiding and holding the driving and lifting arms. 7. - Multipurpose drilling machine according to claim 6, characterized in that the means for guiding and holding the jacking and lifting arms, are constituted by a plate (6) integral with the upper part of a fixed support upright (1) and serving as an upper spacer connecting said support upright and the fixed external mast (7) of the telescopic boom ,. said plate having openings (6a) dimensioned to allow sliding of said arms, with minimum clearance. 8. - Multipurpose drilling machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the lifting cable is subject to a device (30) allowing its winding and unwinding, as well as an adjustment of its length. 9. - multipurpose drilling machine according to claim 4, characterized in that the device for feeding the coupling cylinders (15) comprises two telescopic rods (17a, 17b) housed inside the movable mast (8), the outer tube (17c) of these supply rods being fixed, while the inner tube (17d) follows the movements of raising and lowering of said inner mast. 10. - drilling machine according to any one of claims 2 to 9, characterized in that the axes or center of the jacking and jacking cylinder (10), the external (7) and internal (8) masts of the boom telescopic, and transmission arms (18) are arranged in the same plane (PP).

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