Earth displacement drill

• US 6,082,472 A
• Filed: 01/16/1998
• Issued: 07/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fundex
• Original Assignee: Fundex
• Inventors: Verstraeten, Alexander Julien
• Primary Examiner(s): Lillis, Eileen Dunn
• Assistant Examiner(s): KRECK, JOHN J
• Application Number:
  US09/008,116
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 175/323, 175/394, D15/139
• US Class Current: 175/323
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 5/38 making by use of mould-pipes or other moulds
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/44 Bits with helical conveying portion, e.g. screw type bits; Augers with leading portion or with detachable parts E21B10/42 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/201 with helical conveying means

Abstract

An earth displacement drill is provided including a drill tube which can be driven for rotary movement and a boring tip connected thereto, wherein the boring tip has a cylindrical part which adjoins the drill tube and has at least two helical strips uniformly distributed around the circumference, which climb upwardly at a shallow angle, with the flat side of the strips preferably extending substantially parallel to the radius at the relevant position and in particular only over a fraction of the circumference of the cylindrical part. The boring tip also has a tapering part located beneath the cylindrical part and having at least two arched surfaces which are uniformly distributed around the tapering part. These arched surfaces expediently extend approximately parallel to the vertical and preferably more steeply than the helical strips. Moreover, they preferably extend only over a fraction of the periphery of the tapered part and terminate radially outwardly at least in the vicinity of the start of an associated helical strip. Such an earth displacement drill is improved in that the arched surfaces have lower edges which adjoin flat helical surfaces in a substantially step-free manner. The flat helical surfaces extend continuously to the lower edge of the cylindrical part and to the upper edge of the following arched surface as viewed opposite to the direction of rotation. The flat helical surfaces in each case form a step with the following arched surface as viewed opposite to the direction of rotation.

Claims

1. Earth displacement drill comprising a drill tube which can be driven to execute a rotary movement and a boring tip connected thereto for rotation therewith, wherein the boring tip has a cylindrical part with a circumference thereof and which adjoins the drill tube and has at least two helical strips which are arranged at the circumference and which climb upwardly at an angle, and wherein the boring tip also has a tapering part having a periphery thereof and located beneath the cylindrical part and having at least two arched surfaces which extend towards the periphery, wherein substantially flat helical surfaces including the helical strips are provided and the arched surfaces have lower edges which adjoin the flat helical surfaces in a substantially step-free manner, the cylindrical part including a lower edge thereof with the helical surfaces extending continuously to the lower edge of cylindrical part and to the upper edge of adjacent arched surfaces with each of the flat helical surfaces forming a step with the adjacent arched surface, as viewed opposite to the direction of rotation.

2. Earth displacement drill in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the arched surfaces are curved about an axis extending substantially parallel to the vertical central axis, with the convex side of each surface facing in the direction of rotation.

3. Earth displacement drill in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the arched surfaces start radially inwardly and generally at the bottom with an approximately radial course and make an angle of between approximately 5°

and approximately 70°

with the radius where the arched surfaces intersect the cylindrical part.

4. Earth displacement drill in accordance with claim 3 wherein the angle with the radius is between approximately 20°

and approximately 40°

.

5. Earth displacement drill in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the height of the arched surface increases continually from the center of the drill towards the periphery of the drill.

6. Earth displacement drill in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that at least a portion of the lower edge of the arched surfaces adjoins at least a portion of the helical strips.

7. Earth displacement drill in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the helix angle of the helical strip relative to the horizontal is in the range of between approximately 2°

to approximately 30°

.

8. Earth displacement drill in accordance with claim 7 wherein the helix angle is between approximately 5°

and approximately 20°

.

9. Earth displacement drill in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the helix angle of the arched surfaces is greater at the periphery of the drill than at the center of the drill and the angle at the periphery is in the range of approximately 10°

to approximately 40°

, and the angle at the center is in the range of approximately 0°

to approximately 15°

.

10. Earth displacement drill in accordance with claim 1, characterised in that at least one of the lower edge of the arched surfaces and the upper edge of the arched surfaces which coincides with the step have a continuous course.

11. Earth displacement drill in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the tapering part has a boring bit centrally at the bottom which has fluid outlet openings through which fluids can be brought into contact with the surrounding earth.

12. Earth displacement drill in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the height of the arched surfaces in the radially outer region is approximately 2 to 6 times as large as in the radially inner region.

13. Earth displacement drill in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the arched surfaces, when viewed from the top of the drill, do not overlap and do not extend over an arc of 120°

relative to the central axis.

14. Earth displacement drill in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the helical strips which follow one another in a circumferential direction about the central axis overlap when viewed from the top of the drill.

15. Earth displacement drill in accordance with claim 13, characterized in that each of the helical strips extend over an angle in the range of approximately 12°

to approximately 180°

about the cylindrical part.

16. Earth displacement drill in accordance will claim 1, characterized in that the drill tip is hollow and each arched surface and helical surface has inner and outer surfaces.

17. Earth displacement drill in accordance with claim 16 characterized in that the arched surfaces and helical surfaces are formed of sheet-steel parts which are welded together.

18. Earth displacement drill in accordance with claim 16, characterised in that the radially outer regions of the inner arched surface are formed as a abutment for drivers at the lower end of the drill tube.

19. Earth displacement drill in accordance with claim 18, characterised in that reinforcing blocks for the action of the drivers are provided at the radially outer regions of the inner arched surfaces.

20. Earth displacement drill in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cylindrical part has helical edges corresponding to the helical surfaces and vertical edges corresponding to the arched surfaces.