A bidirectional cluster hammer reamer (BCHR) for use in a horizontal direction drilling system comprises a plurality of percussive hammers and bits arranged around a central drive rod. The central drive rod is translatable between a forward most position and a rear most position. The central drive rod is translated to the forward most position when the BCHR is being pulled through a previously drilled pilot channel. The central drive rod is translated to the rear most position when a reverse feed force is applied to the BCHR. When in the rear most position, the central drive rod cooperates with an air distribution assembly at the rear of the BCHR to expel a portion of a pressurized fluid to the exterior of the BCHR for clearing accreted debris.

A down the hole rock drilling machine and a method of drilling rock. The drilling machine includes a reciprocating piston, which has a sleeve-like configuration. Inside a central opening of the piston is arranged one or more fluid passages for conveying pressurized fluid during the work cycle of an impact device of the drill machine.

A manually operated pneumatic rock drill positioner for mining shaft wall boring, said positioner comprising: an articulated boom having one end for releasable coupling to a mobile ground platform and another end opposite said one end thereof; a rigid elongated drill turret defining a main body with an exposed outer wall, an inner wall opposite said outer wall, and first side edge wall and second side edge wall opposite said first side edge wall, and first end and second end opposite said first end, a lengthwise rail member integrally mounted to said turret outer wall; a carriage slidingly engaging said rail member, said carriage for slidingly carrying a pneumatic drill head over said turret exposed outer wall for reciprocating motion thereof between said first end and second end thereof; drive means for power actuating said carriage sliding motion along said rail member; a cradle member releasably anchored to said boom another end and defining a well sized and shaped for releasable engagement by an intermediate section of said turret inner wall and said first side edge wall thereof; anchoring means for anchoring said turret to said cradle member; first coupling means for pivotally connecting said turret to said cradle member for relative pivotal movement of said turret about said cradle member along a first axis; second coupling means for pivotally connecting said turret to said cradle member for relative tilting movement of said turret about said cradle member along a second axis transverse to said first axis; all in such a way that the intersection of said first axis and second axis coincides with the center of gravity of said turret positioner and is located within said turret main body, providing a balanced load-free manual operation of the positioner.

Disclosed is a hammer reamer comprising cutting wheels, a product-pulling feature, and a hammer component operable to deliver a percussive cycle of an internal piston component. Notably, an internal impact surface within the head of the hammer reamer is positioned relative to the piston component in the hammer consistent with a sweet spot position of a drill bit used in a pilot boring configuration. Unlike a slidably engaged drill bit, however, the internal impact surface in the hammer reamer is fixed in place so that the impact surface remains in the sweet spot of the piston stroke range. In this way, even though the hammer reamer is being pulled back through a bore while the drill string is being retracted, the hammer component may continue to deliver percussive blows to the hammer reamer head to introduce a vibratory force that contributes to the efficiency of the reaming process.

A system for removing debris from a drill hole, the system comprising: a drill system comprising: a drill rod comprising a proximal end, a distal end a first lumen extending between the proximal end and the distal end, and a second lumen extending parallel to the first lumen, the first lumen being fluidically-isolated from the second lumen; a drill bit, the drill bit comprising: a proximal end for mounting to the distal end of the drill rod; a distal end configured to drill into a material so as to form the drill hole; at least one air channel extending between the proximal end of the drill bit and the distal end of the drill bit, the at least one air channel being configured to be fluidically connected to the first lumen of the drill rod when the dual channel drill bit is mounted to the drill rod; at least one vacuum channel extending between the proximal end of the drill bit and the distal end of the drill bit, the at least one vacuum channel being configured to be fluidically connected to the second lumen of the drill rod when the drill bit is mounted to the drill rod; a container fluidically connected to the second lumen of the drill rod; a compressor, the compressor being fluidically connected to the first lumen of the drill rod and fluidically connected to the container; wherein the compressor (i) pumps pressurized air through the first lumen of the drill rod such that the pressurized air passes through the at least one air channel of the drill bit and exits the distal end of the drill bit into the drill hole, and (ii) pumps air out of the container so as to generate a vacuum within the container, which vacuum is fluidically connected to the second lumen of the drill rod and hence to the at least one vacuum channel of the drill bit, such that pressurized air exiting the at least one air channel into the hole and debris in the hole enters the at least one vacuum channel, passes through the second lumen of the drill rod and into the container, such that the debris is collected in the container.

A drill rod comprises a body comprising one or more fluid supply channels, a fluid return channel and one or more compartments.

A drill rod comprises a body comprising one or more fluid supply channels, a fluid return channel and one or more compartments.

A damper apparatus for use in pneumatic percussion drilling comprises a body having one or more damper apparatus supporting a measuring instrument. Each damper apparatus dampens shock/vibration from the pneumatic percussion drilling that is experienced by the measuring instrument.

A damper apparatus for use in pneumatic percussion drilling comprises a body having one or more damper apparatus supporting a measuring instrument. Each damper apparatus dampens shock/vibration from the pneumatic percussion drilling that is experienced by the measuring instrument.

A bidirectional cluster hammer reamer (BCHR) for use in a horizontal direction drilling system comprises a plurality of percussive hammers and bits arranged around a central drive rod. The central drive rod is translatable between a forward most position and a rear most position. The central drive rod is translated to the forward most position when the BCHR is being pulled through a previously drilled pilot channel. The central drive rod is translated to the rear most position when a reverse feed force is applied to the BCHR. When in the rear most position, the central drive rod cooperates with an air distribution assembly at the rear of the BCHR to expel a portion of a pressurized fluid to the exterior of the BCHR for clearing accreted debris.