US3343611A

US3343611A - Electromagnetic hammer drill

Info

Publication number: US3343611A
Application number: US434203A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr Grover Stephen Jones
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-02-23
Filing date: 1965-02-23
Publication date: 1967-09-26
Anticipated expiration: 1984-09-26

Description

Sept. 26, 1967 G. s. JONES, JR

ELECTROMAGNETI C HAMMER DRILL 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 23, 1965 INVENTOR GROVER S. JONES JR.

k/ vr/f BY Mu j, /IML/b ATTORNEY Sept. 26, 1967 G. s. JONES, JR

ELECTROMAGNETIC HAMMER DRILL 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Feb. 23, 1965 FIG. 4.

FIG. 3

GROVER S. JONES JR.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,343,611 ELECTRGMAGNETIC HAMMER DRILL Grover Stephen Jones, Jr., 251 Fallsbrook Road, Timonium, Md. 21093 Filed Feb. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 434,203 9 Claims. (Cl. 173-117) This invention relates to hammer drills and it is more particularly concerned with electromagnetic drills that utilize an external source of energy in the form of electrical energy to furnish a substantial part of the work input.

An object of the invention is the provision of improvements in electromagnetic drills that render them highly etlicient in actual use as compared to conventional drills.

Another object is the provision `of improvements which result in a sturdy as well as an efcient drilling tool.

A still further object is the provision of improvements which render the tool capable of being operated in different ways to meet particular conditions encountered in practice.

These objects and still further objects will be apparent from the following description as explained hereinafter in conjunction with a detailed description of an embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a conventional drilling rig, partly broken away, in combination with a drill comprising an embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 2a and 2b together comprise a general longitudinal sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 on a larger scale as it would appear in actual operation inside an earth well being drilled.

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views of the embodiment in different cyclic positions to illustrate the operation thereof.

Referring with more particularity to the drawing, there is shown in FIG. 1 a conventional drilling rig 11 mounted on an ordinary truck 12. The rig 11 comprises a powered Winch 13 about which one end of a hoisting cable 14 is wound. The cable passes from the winch 13 over a stationary sheave 15, then under a sheave 16 mounted at the end of an oscillating beam 17, and thence to the top of a derrick 18 where it passes over a sheave 19 and then vertically downward to the drill device 20. The drill device conventionally operates in casing sections 21, these sections being connected together serially and lowered into the ground vas the drilling progresses.

The embodiment comprises an upper cylindrical header section 22 to which the free end of the hoisting cable 14 is attached by conventional means.

The header section 22 has an axial bore 23 therethrough which is enlarged at the lower end to provide a counterbore 24 adapted to receive and retain an electrical switch 25 having an actuator pin 26 normally spring biased downwardly into the counterbore.

The lower end of the header section 22 has an eX- ten'or annular recess 27 adapted to fit inside the upper end of a tubular section 28 and secured thereto by shrink fitting or any other suitable means.

Within the tubular section 28 there is disposed a solenoid comprising a longitudinal hollow electromagnetic coil 29, the upper end of which is in abutting engagement with the bottom of the header section 22 and the lower end in abutting engagement with a shoulder 30 formed by a restricted portion 31 at the bottom of tubular section 28.

The solenoid also comprises a solid cylindrical armature 32 adapted to reciprocate longitudinally within this coil 29. The upper end of the armature 32 is adapted "ice to strike the switch pin 26 on its upward movement and retract it against its spring force that normally urges it to a protracted position. The armature 32 comprises the upper section of a hammer member 33 that has a central enlarged portion 34 and a lower recessed portion 35. The central portion is slidably mounted in a tubular section 36, the upper end of which is connected by shrink fitting or otherwise to a reduced section 37 of the tubular section 28. The lower portion 35 has a slightly enlarged bottom tip 38 which slidably engages a cylindrical bushing 39 press tted inside the tubular section 36 and supported against the end of the upper nipple 40 of a connector 41.

The electromagnetic coil 29 is electrically connected to the switch 25 by electrical wires 42 in a passageway 43 therebetween in the header section 22. The switch is connected to a conventional source of variable direct electrical energy (not shown) by lead wires 44 passing through the bore 23.

The coil spring 45 is disposed about the section.32 between the central portion 34 and the bottom of the tubular section 28. A second counteracting coil spring 46 is disposed about the lower portion 35 between the bottom of the central portion 34 and the top of the bushing 39. Suitable

end pressure rings

47, 48, and 49, 50 are provided for these springs, as shown in the drawing.

The lower nipple 51 of the connector 41 is attached to the upper end of a tubular section S2 by shrink fitting or otherwise. A transmission bar 53 is axially disposed in the section 52, an enlarged lower portion 54 being slidably engaged with an end wall opening 55 and the upper end having an enlarged head 56 in slidable contact with the connector 41. The bottom 57 of the lower nipple 51 is restricted in slidable contact with the transmission bar 53 and forming an annular neck 58. The upper end of an accordion seal 59 of rubber, nylon, other suitable exible water impervious material, is secured to the neck 58 by a collar clamp 60 and the lower end is secured to a waist section 61 of the bar 54 by means of a clamping ring 62.

At the bottom of the drill, is the drill bit 63. It has a shank 64 slidably disposed at the bottom of a tubular section 65. The upper end of the tubular section 65 has a restricted portion 66 forming a downwardly facing annular shoulder 67. The shank 64 has an upper restricted portion 68 which forms an upwardly facing annular shoulder 69. Between the shoulders 67 and 69 there is disposed a coil spring 70 about the shank portion 68. Pressure rings 71 and 72 are disposed at the respective ends of the spring. The upper end of the shank portion 68 extends upwardly through and above an aperture 73 of the restricted portion 66. The upper end of the shank portion 68 is capped by an anvil head 74. The head 74 is reciprocably mounted in a tubular section 75, the lower end of which is connected to the recessed upper end 76 of the bottom tubular section and the upper end to the bottom of the tubular section 52.

The device is placed in a vertical position with the cutting edge of the bit in contact with the surface 77 of the medium to be drilled. This may be done by means of the cable 14 from the rig 11 or of any conventional churn drilling apparatus.

The lowermost spring should be of such strength within its elastic limit that when the weight of the drill or of a prescribed portion thereof is allowed to push downward against the bit 63, the tubular sections connected together as a unit balance in the position indicated in FIGURE 4 with the upper end of the armature 32 applying an upward push against the linger 26. When the pin 26 is urged upwardly by the upper end of the armature 32, an electrical circuit is completed to pass direct electric current through the electromagnetic coil 29, thereby creating a magnetic ux upwardly of sutiicient strength to urge the hammer member 33 upwardly into the position depicted in FIGURE 5. When the pin 26 is pushed upwardly beyond a prescribed distance, such as illustrated in FIGURE 5, current ceases to pass through the coil 29, magnetic flux ceases to exist, and the hammer 33 descends rapidly under the action of its supporting springs to impact with the anvil head 74 (position shown in FIGURE 4). The release of pressure on the finger 26 subsequently triggers the flow of current through the coil 29 and a magnetic ilux is set up for relifting the hammer 33 to the position indicated in FIGURE 5. Thus, a rhythmic series of impacts is delivered to the bit anvil 74 and the result is a highly effective drilling action.

. The weight of the co-joined tubular sections should exceed that of the hammer 32 sufliciently so that the hammer performs most of the motion under the action of the magnetic ux. Allowance, however, may be made for the upper shoulder 78 of the anvil head chamber to impact with the anvil head 74 at the instant when the hammer 33 is in its uppermost position under the action of the magnetic flux.

In order to assure turning of the bit the drill as a whole is lifted periodically for repositioning by the rig, the cable being initially twisted to provide this effect. A conventional ratchet device (not shown) may also be utilized between the bit assembly and the casing assembly to assure more controlled rotation.

By varying the strength and distribution of direct curdelivery of the current so as to produce a very rapid series of relatively weak impacts against the bit anvil. Whereas, when drilling softer material it would be desirable to provide a slower series of stronger impacts against the bit anvil.

I claim:

1. An electromagnetic tool comprising an elongated tubular body, a tool element carried at one end of the body for longitudinal reciprocation relative thereto, said tool element having an anvil head, a solenoid comprising a reciprocable armature disposed within the tubular body in longitudinal spaced relation to the said anvil head, a separate transmission bar slidably disposed between said spaced armature and tool element, said bar receiving and transmitting impact forces from said armature to said tool element, resiliently yieldable means between the body and armature urging the armature in opposite directions longitudinally, said solenoid also comprising an electromagnetic coil within and secured to the tubular body surrounding said armature, an electric switch secured to the body and connected electrically to said coil, means lying in the path of movement of the armature for opening and closing said switch, and force transmission means between said armature and tool element.

2. An electromagnetic tool as defined by claim 1 in which the anvil head projects upwardly within the tubular body and the tubular body has a shoulder for impacting against the anvil head in a direction opposite to the forcek the body urging the bit outwardly relative to the body.

6. An electromagnetic tool as defined by claim 1, and a coil spring between the tool element and body urging the bit outwardly relative to the body, the maximum force of said spring within its elastic limit being substantially equal to the resultant forces acting downwardly on the tubular body when the body is in a static position resting on the tool element.

7. An electromagnetic tool as defined by claim 1 in which the body member is of a diameter adapting it for disposition vertically in a well opening and the tool element is a drill bit of a diameter not less than the diameter of the body member.

8. An electromagnetic tool as dened by claim 7 in which the body member is of relatively large weight and the drill bit is of relatively small weight, and means for resiliently supporting the weight of the body member on the drill bit.

9. An electromagnetic tool as dened by claim 8 and means for attaching the body member to a drilling rig.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 508,262 11/1893 Williams 173-117 X 545,149 8/1895 Carpenter 173-117 637,809 11/1899 Meissner 173-117 X 1,083,200 12/1913 Diehl 173-117 X 1,341,944 6/ 1920 Study 173-1 17 2,017,470 10/1935 Miller 173-118 2,402,920 6/ 1946 Seibold 173-117 2,827,263 3/1958 Scott et al. 173-117 3,054,464 9/1962 Ondeck 173-117 FRED C. MATTERN, JR., Primary Examiner.

HALL C. COE, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. AN ELECTROMAGNETIC TOOL COMPRISING AN ELONGATED TUBULAR BODY, A TOOL ELEMENT CARRIED AT ONE END OF THE BODY FOR LONGITUDINAL RECIPROCATION RELATIVE THERETO, SAID TOOL ELEMENT HAVING AN ANVIL HEAD, A SOLENOID COMPRISING A RECIPROCABLE ARMATURE DISPOSED WITHIN THE TUBULAR BODY IN LONGITUDINAL SPACED RELATION TO THE SAID ANVIL HEAD, A SEPARATE TRANSMISSION BAR SLIDABLY DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID SPACED ARMATURE AND TOOL ELEMENT, SAID BAR RECEIVING AND TRANSMITTING IMPACT FORCES FROM SAID ARMATURE TO SAID TOOL ELEMENT, RESILIENTLY YIELDABLE MEANS BETWEEN TO BODY AND ARMATURE URGING THE ARMATURE IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS LONGITUDINALLY, SAID SOLENOID ALSO COMPRISING AN ELECTROMAGNETIC COIL WITHIN AND SECURED TO THE TUBULAR BODY SURROUNDING SAID ARMATURE, AN ELECTRIC SWITCH SECURED TO THE BODY AND CONNECTED ELECTRICALLY TO SAID COIL, MEANS LYING IN THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF THE ARMATURE FOR OPENING AND CLOSING SAID SWITCH, AND FORCE TRANSMISSION MEANS BETWEEN SAID ARMATURE AND TOOL ELEMENT.