HANDLING DEVICE FOR HANDLING EXPENDABLES FOR A DRILL RIG

Abstract

A handling system for handling expendables for a drill rig arranged for automated handling of the expendables is provided. The handling system includes a pickup mechanism configured to move an expendable back and forth between a magazine of the drill rig for expendables and a loading position within the drill rig, a first outer guide device configured to receive and guide the expendable, optionally grip and hold the trailing portion of the expendable when the expendable is in an outer extreme position, and a second outer guide device provided adjacent the first outer guide device between the first outer guide device and an inner guide device.

Claims

1. A handling system for handling expendables for an underground mining extension drilling drill rig, wherein the handling system comprises: a pickup mechanism configured to move an expendable back and forth between a magazine of the drill rig for expendables and a loading position within the drill rig, wherein the expendable in the loading position is aligned with a longitudinal drilling axis of the drill rig such that a drill head of the drill rig is arranged to engage a trailing portion of the expendable to thereby move the expendable along the longitudinal drilling axis towards an outer extreme outer position of the expendable; a first outer guide device positioned further outwards along the longitudinal drilling axis wherein the first outer guide device is configured to receive and guide the expendable in a plane transverse to the longitudinal drilling axis upon said expendable being fed outwards by the drill head, and configured to optionally grip and hold the trailing portion of the expendable when the expendable is in its outer extreme position; and a second outer guide device provided adjacent the first outer guide device between the first outer guide device and an inner guide device, wherein the second outer guide device is configured to guide the expendable in a plane transverse to the longitudinal drilling axis, to be laterally disengageable from the expendable, and to be rotatable or otherwise movable out of the way of the drill head once the second outer guide device is disengaged from the expendable.

2. The handling system according to claim 1, further comprising an inner guide device positioned to receive a front portion of an expendable in the loading position and configured to optionally hold the expendable such that the expendable is guided in a plane transverse to the longitudinal drilling axis whilst the expendable is allowed to move along the longitudinal drilling axis upon being driven by the drill head.

3. The handling system according to claim 1, wherein the first outer guide device includes a first guide screen configured to guide a front portion of the expendable into the first outer guide device as the front portion of the expendable approaches the first outer guide device.

4. The handling system according to claim 3, wherein the first guide screen is frustoconical.

5. The handling system according to claim 1, wherein each one of the first and second outer guide devices includes a respective through recess for receiving an expendable, wherein each through recess is laterally open with respect to the longitudinal drilling axis such that an expendable is movable into and out of the through recess through the lateral opening.

6. The handling system according to claim 5, wherein the first outer guide device and the second outer guide device includes a respective guide member laterally movable into and out of the through recess, and an actuator for controlling the position of the guide member.

7. The handling system according to claim 1, wherein the second outer guide device includes a second guide screen configured to guide a front portion of the expendable into the second outer guide device as the front portion of the expendable approaches the second outer guide device.

8. The handling system according to claim 7, wherein the second guide screen is frustoconical and provided with a lateral opening.

9. A drill rig system comprising: a drill rig; and a handling system according to claim 1.

10. A drilling vehicle, such as a cutting machine provided with a bolter, a mobile bolter, a bolter car, a bolter miner or a roadheader, comprising a drill rig system according to claim 9.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a drill rig system comprising a drill rig and a handling system for expendables for the drill rig.

[0023] FIG. 2 shows an upper portion of the drill rig system also shown in FIG. 1 with an enlarged portion showing two drill rods about to be connected.

TABLE-US-00001 1 expendable 11 through recess of second outer guide device 2 drill rig 12 lateral opening of first outer guide device 3 magazine 13 lateral opening of second outer guide device 4 pickup mechanism 14 second guide screen 5 drill head 15 guide member 6 inner guide device 16 actuator 7 first outer guide device P1 outer extreme position of exapandable 8 first guide screen A longitudinal drilling axis 9 second outer guide device A1 pivot axis 10 through recess of first outer guide device

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] A first embodiment of a handling system for handling expendables 1 for a drill rig 2 will hereinafter be described with reference to the appended drawings. FIGS. 1-2 show the handling system mounted to a drill rig 2 provided with a magazine 3 for expendables. The handling system may be sold as a retrofit solution for mounting to existing drill rigs or it may be sold as a drill rig system comprising both the drill rig 2 and the expendable handling system. Further, the technology may be provided in the form of a mining vehicle comprising the drill rig system. The description below focuses on describing the expendable handling system as such and not on the drill rig 2 or carrying vehicle.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 1-2, the handling system comprises a pickup mechanism 4 configured to move an expendable 1 back and forth between a magazine 3 for expendables and a loading position within the drill rig 2. The expendable 1 is in the loading position aligned with a longitudinal drilling axis A of the drill rig 2 such that a drill head 5 of the drill rig 2 is able to engage a trailing portion of the expendable 1 to thereby move the expendable 1 along the longitudinal drilling axis A towards an outer extreme outer position P1 of the expendable 1, shown in FIG. 2. The handling system further comprises a first outer guide device 7 positioned further outwards along the longitudinal drilling axis A. The first outer guide device 7 is configured to receive and guide the expendable 1 in a plane transverse to the longitudinal drilling axis A upon said expendable 1 being fed outwards by the drill head 5, and configured to optionally grip and hold the trailing portion of the expendable 1 when the expendable 1 is in its outer extreme position P1. Also, the first outer guide device 7 comprises a first guide screen 8 configured to guide a front portion of the expendable 1 into the first outer guide device 7 as the front portion of the expendable 1 approaches the first outer guide device 7.

[0026] The handling system comprises an inner guide device 6 positioned to receive a front portion of an expendable 1 in the loading position and configured to optionally hold the expendable 1 such that the expendable 1 is guided in a plane transverse to the longitudinal drilling axis A whilst the expendable 1 is allowed to move along the longitudinal drilling axis upon being driven by the drill head 5. In other embodiments, the inner guide device 6 may alternatively be omitted, or it may already be provided as part of the drill rig 2.

[0027] The first guide screen 8 is frustoconical but may in other embodiments alternatively have any other suitable shape, such as a generally outwardly expanding shape with planar or curved segments.

[0028] The handling system further comprises a second outer guide device 9 provided adjacent the first outer guide device 7 between the first outer guide device 7 and the inner guide device 6, wherein the second outer guide device 9 is configured to guide the expendable 1 in a plane transverse to the longitudinal drilling axis A, to be laterally disengageable from the expendable 1, and to be rotatable or otherwise movable out of the way of the drill head 5 once the drill head 5 is disengaged from the expendable 1.

[0029] Also, each one of the first 7 and second 9 outer guide devices comprises a respective through recess 10, 11 for receiving an expendable 1, wherein each through recess 10, 11 is laterally open with respect to the longitudinal drilling axis A such that an expendable 1 is movable into and out of the through recess 10, 11 through the lateral opening 12, 13.

[0030] The first outer guide device 7 and the second outer guide device 9 each comprise a respective guide member 15 laterally movable into and out of the through recess 10, 11 to adapt to the size of the expandable, and a respective actuator not visible in figures for controlling the position of the respective guide member 15.

[0031] Each one of the first 7 and the second 8 guide devices is rotatable about a pivot axis A1 and the rotation is controlled by a respective rotation actuator 16 as shown in FIG. 1.

[0032] The second outer guide device 9 comprises a second guide screen 14 configured to guide a front portion of the expendable 1 into the second outer guide device 9 as the front portion of the expendable 1 approaches the second outer guide device 9. In other embodiments, the second guide screen 14 may alternatively be omitted.

[0033] The second guide screen 14 is frustoconical and provided with a lateral opening but may in other embodiments alternatively have some other suitable shape.