Tilt mechanism for truck-mounted drilling machines

Abstract

 The instant invention concerns a swing support platform for drilling machines installed on trucks, which rests on the chassis of the truck and is anchored to the chassis by means of three articulated heads, of which one is fixed and the other two are mobile, positioned at the top of two hydraulic jacks, anchored to the lower part of the chassis by means of two articulated heads, since there is a stabilizer bar hinged at its ends, by means of two heads, to the support platform above and to the truck chassis underneath.

Description

[0001] This patent application for an industrial invention concerns a swing support platform for drilling machines installed on trucks, which al­lows the drill to assume a perfectly vertical position, regardless of the gradient of the ground on which the truck is stationary.

[0002] In the case of drills mounted on trucks, the first problem which em­erges, is that of having to adjust the inclination of the drilling axis of the drill, in such a way as to always be able to make holes vertically, even when the ground to be worked on is steep or uneven, or in conditions which do not provide the tracks or wheels of the truck with surfaces to rest on which are perfectly level.

[0003] The technical solution used up to the present to solve this problem was essentially to install the drilling machine on top of a swing support platform, which is hinged at a horizontal axis, on one of its sides to the chassis of the truck, there being hydraulic jacks, positioned at the side opposite the one which is hinged, which allow the aforementioned support platform to tilt at whichever angle is necessary for it to assume a horizontal position, regardless of the gradient of the ground below.

[0004] Since the drilling machine is mounted on the said platform in such a way as to always affect drilling at an axis orthogonal to the platform itself, it is clear that once the platform itself is put in a perfectly level position, then the subsequent drilling operation is guaranteed to be perfectly vertical.

[0005] This technical solution can be considered satisfactory in the case of regular slopes, namely slopes with only one grade of inclination, in the sense that they can be theoretically represented as one inclined plane.

[0006] In this case, it is clear that by positioning the stationary truck in such a way that the hinge axis of the said support platform assumes a horizontal direction, it is then possible to place the platform in a perfectly level position, by simply tilting it upwards at an angle equal to the slope angle of the inclined plane below.

[0007] In these cases, the above technical solution effectively allows the problem in question to be completely solved, while the same cannot be said in the case of land with a double gradient ( namely in two diff­erent directions), when it becomes impossible for the platform to assume a perfectly horizontal position, given the fact that tilting of the platform, can only occur with respect to one hinge axis and not two, which would be necessary in this particular case.

[0008] The aim of the instant invention is to create a new support platform for a drilling machine, which is hinged to the chassis of the truck in such a way that it can be placed in a perfectly level position regardless of the gradient of the land being worked on.

[0009] The idea, according to the invention, consists of there being provided three hinge points for the platform, and the same number of articulated heads is used : one positioned in the centre of the rear transversal side of the platform and two positioned, symetrically to each other, at the ends of the front transversal side of the platform, there being two hydraulic jacks at the same point as this last pair of articul­ated heads, on a vertical axis, anchored at the base to the chassis of the truck, by means of another articulated head.

[0010] It is obvious that when one or both the hydraulic jacks are activated, the platform can be tilted in any direction, in as much as it no longer possesses only one hinge axis, as in the previous technical solution, but one anchoring point , consisting of the spherical articulation of the articulated head positioned at the centre of the rear trans­ versal side, as already indicated.

[0011] The balance of the two hydraulic jacks and therefore also of the plat­form, is somewhat unstable, since they are anchored at the top and at the base by two articulated heads.

[0012] To avoid the collapse of the uncontrolled side of the jacks and con­sequently also of the platform, the latter is also connected to the chassis of the truck, not only at the three articulated points des­cribed above, but also by a transversal bar, which depending on the external loads, can act either as a drawrod or as a sprag, since it is hinged at its ends by means of articulated heads, to the platform itself and to the chassis of the truck, respectively.

[0013] This connecting and stabilizing bar is positioned transversally beneath the platform near its front side, close to the two couplings of the aforementioned hydraulic jacks, designed to regulate the inclination of the platform in question.

[0014] For further clarity of explanation, the description of the invention continues with reference to the attached drawings, reproduced for illustrative and not restrictive purposes, in which

- Fig.1, is the schematic front view of a drilling machine installed on a tracked truck and supported by the swing platform according to the invention, which, in this particular drawing, is completely hor­izontal, parallel to the land.

- Fig.2 is a view identical to Fig. 1, the only variation being that the swing platform is in a different position in comparision to the chassis.

- Fig.3, is a schematic lateral view of a drilling machine installed on a tracked truck and supported by the swing platform according to the invention, the dotted line representing the position assumed by the drilling machine following the tilting of the platform.

- Fig.4, is a schematic drawing of the platform according to the in­vention, seen from the front, in order to emphasise all the articu­lated points at which it is anchored to the chassis of the truck.

[0015] With reference to the abovementioned figures, the platform (1) on top of which the actual drilling machine (2) is installed, rests on three articulated heads, of which one (3) is positioned at the centre of its rear transversal side and two (4) are positioned, symetrically to each other, at the two ends of its front transversal side.

[0016] The rear articulated head (3) is an anchoring point between the plat­form (1) and one of the connecting cross members (5) underneath be­tween the two side members (6), which together with said cross members (5), make up the bearing chassis of the tracked truck.

[0017] At the front, the two articulated heads (4) are anchoring points bet­ween the platform (1) and the shaft of the two vertical hydraulic jacks (7) which, in their turn are fixed at the bottom to the chassis of the truck, by means of other articulated heads (7a) which create anchoring points between the jacks (7) and two respective bearing brackets (8), which are positioned longitudinally between the two cross members (5).

[0018] Moreover, the platform (1) is connected to the chassis of the tracked truck by means of a transversal bar (9), positioned near the two front articulated heads (4), this bar being fixed at its two ends by means of articulated heads 9a and 9b), respectively to the platform above (1) and to one of the cross members (5) underneath connecting the two side members (6).

[0019] In the light of the above description which refers to the attached drawings, it is now much clearer to observe how the platform (1), according to the invention, can be made to swing freely as required, simply by acting on the hydraulic jacks (7) in such a way as to ensure that the position of the platform is always horizontal, regard­less of the gradient and unevenness of the ground on which drilling is to be carried out.

Claims

1) Swing support platform for drilling machines installed on trucks characterised by the fact that it has three supporting and anchoring points, obtained by the use of three articulated heads : one articul­ated head (3) being positioned at the centre of the rear transversal side of the platform (1), and the other two articulated heads (4) positioned symetrically to each other, at the ends of the front tra­nsversal side of the platform (1); the rear articulated head (3) serves to anchor the platform (1) directly to the chassis of the truck, while the pair of front articulated heads (4) anchor it to the chassis of the truck indirectly, by means of the two hydraulic jacks (7) on a vertical axis, these jacks being fixed at the bottom, to the chassis of the truck, by means of another two articulated heads (7a); there also being a stabilizer bar (9) positioned transversally under the platform (1) near the front articulated heads (4) which by means of the articulated heads (9a and 9b) at its two ends, is hinged to the platform (1) above and to the chassis of the truck below, respectively.

Drawing