ORIENTATION DEVICE FOR A CORE SAMPLE

摘要

Core orientator (10) for a core drill (24) includes a face orientator (28) and a bottom orientator (30) supported by a shaft (50) which extends into a shroud (86). A tubular extension (90) is coupled to the shroud (86) and is slidably coupled to a main body (12). The main body (12) includes first and second latches (16) and (18). The first latches (16) releasably lock the device (10) to a core lifter case assembly (20) disposed within the core drill (24), to selectively prevent the device (10) from advancing in an uphole direction within the core drill (24). The latching system (18) operates to prevent the device (10) from falling out of the core drill (24). Face orientator (28) includes a plurality of pins (32) which can move axially to provide a plurality of profile reference points to a facing surface of a hole to be drilled. The bottom orientator (30) includes a plurality of balls (60) disposed within said respective braces (62). In initial operation, the device (10) is loaded into the core lifter case assembly (20) with the latches (16) abutting a forward most end of the assembly (20). Pins (32) are extended to the maximum extent out of shroud (86) and the balls (60) are able to rotate freely within the races (62). When the core drill (24) is brought into contact with the facing surface of the hole, the pins (32) are pushed backward to provide a profile of the facing surface until the shroud (86) contacts the facing surface. Then the shroud (86) is pushed in the uphole direction causing the tubular extension (90) to slide into the body (12). This releases a spring (132) causing the shaft (50) to clamp the races (62) to hold the ball (60) in a particular position commensurate with the bottom of a hole being drilled. The latches (114) are also released by the sliding motion of the extension (90) allowing the assembly (10) to be pushed into the core tube assembly (20) and associated core tube (22). The device (10) can be withdrawn with the core in a conventional manner to provide an indication of the orientation of the core.