Drill Adaptor

Abstract

A drill adaptor that offers a simple solution for drilling large diameter holes in the earth with a small to mid-sized excavator. The drill adaptor allows drilling to occur on un-level ground as it can move side to side, front to back, and vertically up and down. The drill adaptor is comprised of a slide tube that moves the drill attachment up and down, side to side, and front to back. The drill adaptor uses pins to secure the inner, outer, and lower pivot housings. The inner and outer pivot housing allows the slide tubews front to back and side to side motion as the lower pivot housing connects to the drill attachment and or drill rotator. The drill adaptor uses a cable and winch system that can also be exchanged for a rack and pinion system to complete the vertically up and down movements of the drill attachment. This drill adaptor allows for an efficient and compact means of drilling large diameter holes in un-level drilling surface within the earth.

Claims

1. A drill adapter, comprising: A slide tube that is generally made from metal and its length may vary depending on the intended use; an outer pivot housing typically made from either built up plate steel, casting, or machined from a block of steel; an inner pivot housing typically made from either built up plate steel, casting, or machined from a block of steel; a lower pivot housing typically made from either built up plate steel, casting, or machined from a block of steel; a cable winch that is typically hydraulically powered, but can be powered by other means; a cable that is usually steel cable; pins to secure the outer pivot housing to the boom, the inner pivot housing to the outer pivot housing, and to pin the lower pivot housing onto either the drill attachment or rotator; and two pulleys used to help raise the slide tube vertically up and down with the winch and cable.

2. A method for drilling large diameters holes in the earth with the use of an adapter to connect large drilling attachments too small to mid-sized excavators. Said adapter allows drilling to occur on un-level drilling surfaces as said adapter can pivot front to back, side to side, and raise or lower the drilling attachment via winch and cable system.

3. A drill adapter that instead of using a winch and cable system stated in claim 2 can be raised and lowered via rack and pinion. The hydraulic winch would be exchanged for a hydraulic motor and the slide tube would have a rack gear connected to it.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will become fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

[0016] FIG. 1 is a side view of a drill adaptor pinned to a small to mid-sized excavator, a rotator, and a drill attachment according to the present invention.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a side view of a drill adaptor according to the present invention.

[0018] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a drill adaptor taken along section A-A FIG. 4 is a side view of a drill adaptor pinned to a small to mid-sized excavator, a rotator, and a drill attachment according to the present invention.

[0019] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the drill adaptor inner and outer pivot housing taken along section B-B.

[0020] FIG. 6 is a front view of a drill adaptor pinned to a small to mid-sized excavator showing the drill adaptor inner and outer pivot housing keeping the drill attachment perfectly vertical on an un-even drilling surface.

[0021] FIG. 7 is a side view of a drill adaptor pinned to a small to mid-sized excavator showing the drill adaptor inner and outer pivot housing keeping the drill attachment perfectly vertical on an un-even drilling surface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A. Overview

[0022] Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements through the several figures. FIGS. 1 through 7 illustrate a small to mid-sized excavator 13 pinned to a drill adaptor 1 that is comprised of a slide tube 2, pins 3, an inner pivot housing 4, an outer pivot housing 5, a lower pivot housing 6, a cable winch 7, cable 8, and two pulleys 9 that allow a rotator 10 and or drill attachment 12 to drill in any type of un-even ground 14. FIG. 1 illustrates the drill adaptor 1 assembled onto a small to mid-sized excavator 13 that would be used to drill a hole in the ground 14 with the rotator 10 and drill attachment 12.

B. Drill Adaptor

[0023] The drill adaptor 1 is comprised of a slide tube 2, pins 3, an inner pivot housing 4, an outer pivot housing 5, a lower pivot housing 6, a cable winch 7, cables 8, and two pulleys 9 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The drill adaptor 1 is intended to be pinned to a small to mid-sized excavator 13 with pins 3a as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. This allows the drill attachment 12 to swing front to back with the outside pivot housing 5 as shown in FIGS. 3, 5, and 7. The inner pivot housing 4 is pinned to the outer pivot housing 5 with pins 3b as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. This allows the drill attachment 12 to swing side to side with the inner pivot housing 4 as shown in FIGS. 3, 5, and 6. The vertical movement of the drilling attachment 12 is controlled with the cable winch 7, cable 8, pulleys 9, and slide tube 2 as shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4. When the cable winch 7 is engaged, the cable 8, with the assist from the pulleys 9, slide the slide tube 2 through the inner pivot housing 4 either up or down as shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4. The lower pivot housing 6 is pinned with pin 3c to the rotator 10 and or drill attachment 12 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

C. In Use

[0024] In use, the drill adaptor 1 is used to drill large diameter holes in the earth's ground 14 with a small to mid-sized excavator 13. Once the drill adaptor 1 is pinned onto the small to mid-sized excavator 13 via pins 3a and the drill adaptor 1 is pinned onto the rotator 10 and or drill attachment 12 as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 1, the excavator operator can move the excavator 13 into position on any drilling surface (i.e. flat, front slopping, side slopping, etc.) as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. As the operator moves to the drilling position, the inner pivot housing 4 and outer pivot housing 5 keep the drilling attachment 12 completely vertical through pins 3a and 3b as shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7. As the operator drills into the ground 14, they can lower the drill attachment 12 further into the ground 14 via slide tube 2, cable winch 7, cables 8, and pulleys 9 on the drill adaptor 1 as shown in FIGS. 2, 4, 6, and 7. Once the desired depth in the ground 14 is reached, the operator can raise the drill attachment 12 from the ground 14 via slide tube 2, cable winch 7, cables 8, and pulleys 9 on the drill adaptor 1 as shown in FIGS. 2, 4, 6, and 7.

[0025] What has been described and illustrated herein is a preferred embodiment of the invention along with some of its variations for the invention's possible circuitry on a drill adaptor 1. The terms, descriptions and figures used herein are set forth by way of illustration only and are not meant as limitations. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many variations are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention, which is intended to be defined by the following claims (and their equivalents) in which all terms are meant in their broadest reasonable sense unless otherwise indicated. Any headings utilized within the description are for convenience only and have no legal or limiting effect.