Latching rod box

摘要

A drilling machine includes a chassis and a primary rod box mounted on the chassis, which includes a rod box interface mechanism positioned adjacent a top of the primary rod box for facilitating interfacing the primary rod box with a supplemental rod box. A rod box interface mechanism automatically secures the rod box to the drilling machine as the rod box is lowered in place on the drilling machine. The rod box interface mechanism can be used to secure a supplemental rod box to a top of a primary rod box that is attached to a chassis of the drilling machine and can be used to secure a rod box directly to the chassis of the drilling machine. Self-aligning features can be used to guide the rod box into place on the drilling machine as the rod box is lowered onto the drilling machine.

主权项

1. An attachment arrangement for attaching a rod box to another structure, the attachment arrangement comprising:
first and second spaced-apart flanges, the first flange defining a first opening and the second flange defining a second flange opening; a first guide pin that is received in the first opening of the first flange; a second guide pin that is received in the second opening of the second flange, the second guide pin being configured such that interference between the second flange and a portion of the second guide pin prevents the second guide pin from being removed from the second opening when the rod box is attached to the structure; a latching arm that latches the first flange when the rod box is attached to the structure to prevent the first guide pin from being removed from the first opening; and a latch dog pivotally connected to the latching arm, the latch dog being movable between a first position and a second position and wherein the latch dog is biased toward the first position.