Drive head assembly for drilling machine

Claim 2

A drive head assembly for a down drilling machine comprising: a drive head body having a cavity; a collet in said drive head body cavity, said collet having a cavity, an integral external bearing surface, and an interior surface; and a removable collet insert in said collet cavity, said collet insert having a drill string opening to fixedly secure a drill string, said removable collet insert having an exterior surface that is substantially entirely supported by said interior surface of said collet, said removable collet insert being substantially entirely received within said collet to isolate said collet insert from said drive head body.

Claim 3

The drive head assembly of claim 1, further comprising: spline means coupling said drive head body and said collet for joint rotation with relative pivotal movement of said collet with respect to said drive head body.

Claim 4

The drive head assembly of claim 1, further comprising a bolt means in said drive head body cavity.

Claim 5

The drive head assembly of claim 3, further comprising seal means between said collet and said bolt means and between said collet insert and said collet.

Claim 6

The drive head assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a retainer adjacent said collet insert; and spring means biased between said retainer and said drive head body.

Claim 7

The drive head assembly of claim 1, wherein said collet is a tubular member having a broadened upper portion and a narrowed lower portion angled with respect to said upper portion to form a seat, said collet insert is a tubular member contoured to fit said seat of said collet, and said collet and said collet insert have meshing splines.

Claim 8

A drive head assembly for a down drilling machine comprising: a drive head body having a cavity with a lower portion; a collet in said lower portion of said drive head body cavity, said collet having a cavity, an integral external bearing surface, and an interior surface; a retainer adjacent said collet; spring means biased between said retainer and said drive head body; and a removable collet insert in said collet cavity, said collet insert having a drill string opening to fixedly secure a drill string, said removable collet insert having an exterior surface that is substantially entirely supported by said interior surface of said collet, said removable collet insert being substantially entirely received within said collet to isolate said collet insert from said drive head body.

Claim 9

A drive head assembly for a down drilling machine comprising: a drive head body having a cavity with a lower portion; a collet in said lower portion of said drive head body cavity, said collet having a cavity, an integral external bearing surface, and an interior surface; a retainer adjacent said collet; spring means biased between said retainer and said drive head body; and a removable collet insert in said collet cavity, said collet insert having a drill string opening to fixedly secure a drill string, said removable collet insert having an exterior surface that is substantially entirely supported by said interior surface of said collet, said removable collet insert being substantially entirely received within said collet to isolate said collet insert from said drive head body.

Claim 10

The drive head assembly of claim 7, further comprising: spline means coupling said drive head body and said collet for joint rotation with relative pivotal movement of said collet with respect to said drive head body.

Claim 11

The drive head assembly of claim 7, further comprising seal means between said collet insert and said collet.

Claim 12

The drive head assembly of claim 7, wherein said collet is a tubular member having a broadened upper portion and a narrowed lower portion angled with respect to said upper portion to form a seat, said collet insert is a tubular member contoured to fit said seat of said collet, and said collet and said collet insert having meshing splines.

Claim 13

A drive head assembly for a down drilling machine, comprising: a drive head body having a cavity with an upper portion and a lower portion; bolt means in said upper portion of said drive head body cavity; a collet in said lower portion of said drive head body cavity, said collet having a cavity, an integral external bearing surface, and an interior surface; spline means coupling said drive head body and said collet for joint rotation with relative pivotal movement of said collet with respect to said drive head body; and a collet insert in said collet cavity, said collet insert having a drill string opening to fixedly secure a drill string, said removable collet insert having an exterior surface that is substantially entirely supported by said interior surface of said collet, said removable collet insert being substantially entirely received within said collet to isolate said collet insert from said drive head body; seal means between said collet and said bolt means and between said collet insert and said collet; spline means between said collet and said collet insert; a retainer adjacent said collet insert; and spring means biased between said retainer and said drive head body.

Claim 14

A drive head assembly for a down drilling machine, comprising: a drive head body having a cavity with an upper portion and a lower portion; bolt means in said upper portion of said drive head body cavity; a collet in said lower portion of said drive head body cavity, said collet having a cavity, an integral external bearing surface, and an interior surface; spline means coupling said drive head body and said collet for joint rotation with relative pivotal movement of said collet with respect to said drive head body; and a collet insert in said collet cavity, said collet insert having a drill string opening to fixedly secure a drill string, said removable collet insert having an exterior surface that is substantially entirely supported by said interior surface of said collet, said removable collet insert being substantially entirely received within said collet to isolate said collet insert from said drive head body; seal means between said collet and said bolt means and between said collet insert and said collet; spline means between said collet and said collet insert; a retainer adjacent said collet insert; and spring means biased between said retainer and said drive head body.

Claim 15

A collet insert assembly for a down drilling drive head assembly including a drive head body having a cavity and a collet in the drive head body cavity, the collet having a cavity, an integral external bearing surface and an interior surface, said collet insert assembly comprising: a removable collet insert in the collet cavity, said collet insert having a drill string opening to fixedly secure a drill string, said removable collet insert having an exterior surface that is substantially entirely supported by the interior surface of the collet, said removable collet insert being substantially entirely received within said collet to isolate said collet insert from said drive head body.

Claim 16

A collet insert assembly for a down drilling drive head assembly including a drive head body having a cavity and a collet in the drive head body cavity, the collet having a cavity, an integral external bearing surface and an interior surface, said collet insert assembly comprising: a removable collet insert in the collet cavity, said collet insert having a drill string opening to fixedly secure a drill string, said removable collet insert having an exterior surface that is substantially entirely supported by the interior surface of the collet, said removable collet insert being substantially entirely received within said collet to isolate said collet insert from said drive head body.

Claim 17

The collet insert assembly of claim 12 further comprising: a retainer adjacent said collet insert; and spring means biased between said retainer and the drive head body.

Claim 18

The collet insert assembly of claim 12, wherein the drive head assembly also includes a bolt in the drive head body cavity, said collet insert assembly further comprising seal means between said collet and the bolt and between said collet insert and said collet.

Claim 19

The collet insert assembly of claim 12, wherein the collet of the drive head body is a tubular member having a broadened upper portion and a narrowed lower portion angled with respect to the broadened upper portion to form a seat, said collet insert of said collet insert assembly is a tubular member contoured to fit the seat of the collet, and said collet and said collet insert having meshing splines.

Claim 20

Down drilling apparatus comprising: a drive head assembly comprising a drive head body having a cavity, a collet in said drive head body cavity, said collet having a cavity, an integral external bearing surface, and an interior surface and a removable collet insert in said collet cavity, said collet insert having a drill string opening to fixedly secure a drill string, said removable collet insert having an exterior surface that is substantially entirely supported by said interior surface of said collet, said removable collet insert being substantially entirely received within said collet; a rotary output shaft attached to said drive head assembly; and a traveling support frame mounted for rectilinear movement along a drill hole line, said traveling support frame carrying said drive head assembly and said rotary output shaft.

Claim 21

Down drilling apparatus comprising: a drive head assembly comprising a drive head body having a cavity, a collet in said drive head body cavity, said collet having a cavity, an integral external bearing surface, and an interior surface and a removable collet insert in said collet cavity, said collet insert having a drill string opening to fixedly secure a drill string, said removable collet insert having an exterior surface that is substantially entirely supported by said interior surface of said collet, said removable collet insert being substantially entirely received within said collet; a rotary output shaft attached to said drive head assembly; and a traveling support frame mounted for rectilinear movement along a drill hole line, said traveling support frame carrying said drive head assembly and said rotary output shaft.

Claim 22

The drilling apparatus of claim 16, wherein said drive head assembly further comprises: spline means coupling said drive head body and said collet for joint rotation with relative axial movement of said drive head body and said collet.

Claim 23

The drilling apparatus of claim 16, wherein said drive head assembly further comprises a bolt means in said drive head body cavity.

Claim 24

The drilling apparatus of claim 18, wherein said drive head assembly further comprises seal means between said collet and said bolt means and between said collet insert and said collet.

Claim 25

The drilling apparatus of claim 16 further comprising: a retainer adjacent said collet insert; and spring means biased between said retainer and said drive head body.

Claim 26

The drilling apparatus of claim 16, wherein said collet of said drive head assembly is a tubular member with a broadened upper portion and a narrowed lower portion angled with respect to said broadened upper portion to form a seat, said collet insert is a tubular member contoured to fit said seat of said collet, and said collet and said collet insert have meshing splines.