Directional drill stem rod loader and method
A directional drill stem loader and associated methods are shown. In one example, the drill stem loader operates in a linear motion. In one example, a drill stem gripper is configured to move the completely to one side of a drill stem during a retraction operation.
1. A directional drill stem loader, comprising:
a drill stem magazine;
a linear actuator;
a drill stem vice including jaws to grip a drill stem by applying pressure to sides of the drill stem, the jaws defining a loading/unloading passageway; and
a drill stem gripper coupled to the linear actuator, wherein the drill stem gripper is adapted to hold the drill stem within a linear range of motion and wherein the drill stem gripper includes a single hydraulic cylinder coupled to a linkage that actuates opposable drill stem gripper jaws concurrently;
wherein a first end of the linear range of motion is directly beneath a dispensing port of the drill stem magazine, and a second end of the linear range of motion is within the gripping jaws of the drill stem vice, and wherein the linear range of motion passes through the loading/unloading passageway in the drill stem vice.
2. The directional drill stem loader of claim 1 , wherein the linear actuator includes a hydraulic cylinder.
3. The directional drill stem loader of claim 1 , wherein the linear range of motion is substantially vertical.
4. The directional drill stem loader of claim 1 , wherein the drill stem gripper is adapted to support the drill stem from underneath the drill stem.
5. The directional drill stem loader of claim 1 , wherein the the linkage is configured to move the drill stem gripper completely to one side of the drill stem during a retraction operation.
6. The directional drill stem loader of claim 1 , wherein the loader includes a pair of linear actuators and drill stem grippers.
7. The directional drill stem loader of claim 1 , wherein the linear actuator includes two hydraulic cylinders with one of the two hydraulic cylinders on each opposing end of a common rod.
8. The directional drill stem loader of claim 7 , wherein a first cylinder of the two hydraulic cylinders on either end of the common rod is configured to drop the drill stem segment by a distance equal to a diameter of the drill stem segment, and a second of the two hydraulic cylinders is configured to move the drill stem segment within gripping jaws of the drill stem vice.
9. A directional drill, comprising:
a drill head mounted to a carriage frame;
a power supply coupled to the drill head;
a directional drill stem loader, including:
a drill stem magazine;
a linear actuator;
a drill stem vice including jaws to grip a drill stem by applying pressure to sides of the drill stem, the jaws defining a loading/unloading passageway; and
a drill stem gripper coupled to the linear actuator, wherein the drill stem gripper is adapted to hold the drill stem within a linear range of motion and wherein the drill stem gripper includes a single hydraulic cylinder coupled to a linkage that actuates opposable drill stem gripper jaws concurrently;
wherein a first end of the linear range of motion is directly beneath a dispensing port of the drill stem magazine, and a second end of the linear range of motion is within the gripping jaws of the drill stem vice, and wherein the linear range of motion passes through the loading/unloading passageway in the drill stem vice.
10. The directional drill of claim 9 , further including a track system to move and position the directional drill.
11. The directional drill of claim 9 , further including a drill fluid supply system.
12. The directional drill of claim 9 , wherein the dispensing port of the drill stem magazine is located over a center of the directional drill.
13. A method of drill stem loading, comprising:
actuating a gripping device to grip a drill stem at a dispensing port of a drill stem magazine, wherein actuating the gripping device includes actuating a single hydraulic cylinder coupled to a linkage that actuates opposable drill stem gripper jaws concurrently;
moving the drill stem along a single linear range of motion directly from the dispensing port through a loading/unloading passageway into gripping jaws of a drill stem vice;
gripping the drill stem by applying pressure to the drill stem with the drill stem vice; and
releasing the gripping device from the drill stem, and retracting the gripping device to the dispensing port of the drill stem magazine.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein actuating the gripping device includes gripping the drill stem from beneath, and wherein releasing the gripping device includes moving the gripping device away from beneath the drill stem to a side of the drill stem before retracting the gripping device to the dispensing port.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the single linear range of motion is a single vertical range of motion.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein only two actuation sequences are used during the method of drill stem loading.