EP-4739879-A1 - BREAKOUT SYSTEM FOR A DRILL

Abstract

A breakout system for a drill includes a first wrench, a second wrench, and an actuator for applying a torque to rotate the second wrench relative to the first wrench. The first wrench includes a first clamp member for engaging a portion of a drill string. The first wrench further includes an open side and is supported on a mast of the drill in an orientation to permit viewing the first clamp member from an operator cab of the drill. The second wrench is supported for movement relative to the first wrench. The second wrench includes a second clamp member for engaging another portion of the drill string, includes an open side, and is supported on the mast in an orientation to permit viewing the second clamp member from the operator cab. The first and second clamp members may be configured to pivot outward relative to at least one wrench.

Inventors

• FOUST, Zachary
• REGGIATORE, Aaron
• OFTEDAHL, Kristofor
• WALGREN, TIMOTHY PAUL

Assignees

• Joy Global Surface Mining Inc

Dates

Publication Date

20260513

Application Date

20240705

Claims (20)

1. 1. A breakout system for an industrial drill including a mast, the industrial drill having a drill string with a drill pipe, the breakout system comprising: a first wrench designed to be coupled to the mast, the first wrench including, an opening configured to receive the drill string therethrough, a first clamp member designed to engage at least a portion of the drill string, and an open side; a second wrench coupled to the first wrench; and an actuator for applying a torque to rotate the second wrench relative to the first wrench, the first wrench permits viewing of the first clamp member from an operator cab through the open side.
2. 2. The breakout system of claim 1, wherein the second wrench further includes a second open side, and the second wrench is supported on or coupled to the mast in an orientation to permit viewing a second clamp member of the second wrench from the operator cab.
3. 3. The breakout system of claim 2, wherein the second wrench is configured to rotate relative to the first wrench between approximately 10 degrees and approximately 20 degrees about an axis that is substantially parallel to the drill string, and wherein the second open side of the second wrench is configured to move in a direction toward the operator cab as the second wrench is rotated.
4. 4. The breakout system of claim 1, wherein the first clamp member includes a first tool and a second tool, wherein, during a clamping operation of the first wrench, the first tool is at a first orthogonal distance to a longitudinal plane of the mast and the second tool is at a second orthogonal distance to the longitudinal plane of the mast, and wherein the first orthogonal distance is greater than the second orthogonal distance.
5. 5. The breakout system of claim 1 , wherein the first clamp member includes a first tool and a second tool, wherein, during a clamping operation of the first wrench, a first tool location, a second tool location, and a view point in an operator window of the operator cab are arranged in a triangular configuration such that a first angle at the view point is between about 5 degrees and about 45 degrees.
6. 6. The breakout system of claim 1, wherein the first clamp member includes a first tool and a second tool, wherein, during a clamping operation of the first wrench, a first tool location and a second tool location are located a third distance apart and in a first vertical plane, and a view point in an operator window is located in a second vertical plane transverse to a longitudinal axis of the industrial drill, wherein, during the clamping operation, a view area of the second vertical plane is defined by a fourth distance, wherein the fourth distance is defined between a first intersection of a first orthogonal line from the first tool location to the second vertical plane and a second intersection of a second orthogonal line from the second tool location to the second vertical plane, and wherein the fourth distance is at least 10 percent of the third distance.
7. 7. The breakout system of claim 1, wherein the first clamp member includes a first tool with a first axis and a second tool with a second axis, wherein, during a clamping operation of the first wrench, the first axis is parallel to the second axis, and wherein, during the clamping operation of the first wrench, the first axis and the second axis both extend away from a longitudinal plane of the mast and a transverse plane within which an operator viewpoint of the operator cab is disposed.
8. 8. A breakout system for an industrial drill including a mast and a drill string having a drill pipe, the breakout system comprising: a first wrench configured to be coupled to the mast, the first wrench including a wrench body having a first opening configured to receive the drill string therethrough, the wrench body having an upper portion and a first side wall, the first side wall is pivotably coupled to the upper portion; a second wrench including a second opening configured to receive the drill string therethrough; a wrench actuator for applying a torque to rotate one of the first wrench and the second wrench relative to the other of the first wrench and the second wrench; at least one clamp including a first clamp and a second clamp, wherein at least one of the first clamp and the second clamp is supported on the first side wall of the first wrench for movement relative to the wrench body; and a clamp actuator for driving the first clamp and the second clamp to engage at least a portion of the drill string passing through the first opening and the second opening.
9. 9. The breakout system of claim 8, wherein the clamp actuator is supported on the first side wall of the first wrench, and wherein the first side wall is designed to pivot outward from the wrench body of the first wrench to provide access to an interior of the wrench body of the first wrench.
10. 10. The breakout system of claim 9, wherein the at least one clamp is accessible for service when the first side wall is pivoted outward from the wrench body of the first wrench.
11. 11. The breakout system of claim 8, wherein the second wrench has a second wrench body having a lower portion and a second side wall that is pivotably coupled to the lower portion, and the second side wall has a first surface designed to support the second clamp and the second side wall has an opposing second surface designed to support a second clamp actuator.
12. 12. The breakout system of claim 11, wherein the first side wall is releasably securable to the upper portion and wherein the second side wall is releasably securable to the lower portion.
13. 13. The breakout system of claim 11, wherein the first side wall is designed to pivot outward in a first direction away from the wrench body of the first wrench and towards the mast, and wherein the second side wall is designed to pivot outward in a second direction opposite the first direction such that the second side wall is designed to pivot away from the wrench body of the first wrench and away from the mast.
14. 14. The breakout system of claim 11, wherein the first side wall is designed to pivot outward in a first direction away from the wrench body of the first wrench and towards the mast, and wherein the second side wall is designed to pivot outward in the first direction.
15. 15. A surface-type drill comprising: a chassis supporting an operator cab; a mast supported on the chassis and configured to support a drill string having a plurality of drill pipe sections; and a breakout system configured to be positioned adjacent the drill string, the breakout system including, a first wrench supported on the mast in an orientation to permit viewing a first clamp member from the operator cab, a second wrench supported for movement relative to the first wrench, and a wrench actuator for applying a torque to move the second wrench relative to the first wrench.
16. 16. The surface-type drill of claim 15, wherein the second wrench has a second clamp member, and the second wrench is supported in an orientation to permit viewing the second clamp member from the operator cab.
17. 17. The surface-type drill of claim 16, wherein the first wrench is secured against movement relative to the mast, and the second wrench is configured to rotate relative to the first wrench by at least 10 degrees about an axis that is substantially parallel to the drill string, the first clamp member and the second clamp member remain in an orientation to permit viewing when the second wrench is in a rotated position.
18. 18. The surface-type drill of claim 15, wherein the first clamp member includes a first tool with a first axis and a second tool with a second axis, wherein the first axis is parallel to the second axis during a clamping operation of the first wrench.
19. 19. The surface-type drill of claim 15, wherein the breakout system further includes a clamp actuator designed to actuate the first clamp member to engage at least a portion of the drill string, wherein the clamp actuator is in an orientation to permit viewing from the operator cab.
20. 20. The surface-type drill of claim 19, wherein the clamp actuator and the first clamp member are designed to pivot outward to provide access to an interior of at least one of the first wrench and the second wrench.

Description

BREAKOUT SYSTEM FOR A DRILL CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001 ] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/512,561, filed July 7, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD [0002] The present disclosure relates to industrial drills, and more particularly to a breakout system on a surface-type mining drill. BACKGROUND |0003] Industrial drills (e.g., mining drills, oil field drills, drills for exploration, etc.) may be used to drill through rock. A surface-type mining drill typically includes a base, a boom, a drill tower or mast, and an operator cab. This construction is typically configured to support a drill string to extend from the mast into the ground surface to form a borehole. The drill string is typically assembled in the drill by connectable sections to increase the length of the drill string as it penetrates further into the ground. When the hole has been drilled to the desired depth, the sections of the drill string may be raised, disassembled, and removed from the drill. SUMMARY [0004] A breakout wrench is typically configured to separate the sections of the drill string. During operation, the breakout wrench applies sufficient torque to adjacent sections of the drill string to break apart the sections. The breakout wrench or breakout table may be coupled to the base or the mast at a location in front of the operator cab. An operator may need to monitor the operation of the breakout wrench, and a technician may need to maintain the breakout wrench, in particular when replacing wear parts of the breakout wrench. Many known breakout wrenches are fully enclosed such that clamps and other wearable parts are not easily accessible or visible to a technician or operator. In some cases, the breakout wrench is located on the drill such that an operator in an operator cab does not have a desirable view of the breakout wrench from the cab. [0005] The breakout wrench herein may provide improved visibility to an operator and may provide improved access to interior components for servicing. [0006] In one independent aspect, a breakout system is provided for an industrial drill including a mast. The industrial drill may have a drill string having a drill pipe. The breakout system includes a first wrench, a second wrench, and a wrench actuator for applying a torque to rotate the second wrench relative to the first wrench. The first wrench is designed to be coupled to the mast. The first wrench has a wrench body having a first opening configured to receive the drill string therethrough. The wrench body has an upper portion and a first side wall. The first side wall is pivotably coupled to the upper portion, the second wrench includes a second opening configured to receive the drill string therethrough. The wrench actuator is designed to apply a torque to rotate one of the first wrench and the second wrench relative to the other of the first wrench and the second wrench. The breakout system further includes at least one clamp including a first clamp and a second clamp, wherein at least one of the first clamp and the second clamp is supported on the first side wall of the first wrench for movement relative to the wrench body. The breakout system also includes a clamp actuator for driving the first clamp and the second clamp to engage at least a portion of the drill string passing through the first opening and the second opening. [0007] In some aspects, the at least one clamp member is designed for engaging a portion or section of the drill string. The first wrench further includes an open side. The first wrench is supported on or coupled to the mast in an orientation that permits viewing of the first clamp member from an operator cab through the open side. [0008] In some aspects, the second wrench is supported or coupled to the mast to enable movement relative to the first wrench. The second wrench can also be coupled to the first wrench. The second wrench includes a second opening configured to receive the drill string therethrough and a second clamp member for engaging another portion or section of the drill string. The second wrench further includes a second open side, and the second wrench is supported on or coupled to the mast in an orientation to permit viewing the second clamp member from the operator cab. [0009] In some aspects, the second wrench is configured to rotate relative to the first wrench between approximately 10 degrees and approximately 20 degrees about an axis that is substantially parallel to the drill string. The second open side of the second wrench is configured to move in a direction toward the operator cab as the second wrench is rotated. (0010] In some aspects, the second wrench is configured to rotate relative to the first wrench by at least 10 degrees about an axis that is substantially parallel to the drill string. |0011| In some aspects, the first wrench is secured against movement re