Abstract: A compressed-gas-operated reciprocating-piston device, e.g. a concrete breaker, rock drill or chipping hammer, has a cylinder component of composite construction, comprising a rigid inner metal tube in which the piston reciprocates and a moulded outer sleeve of rubber or plastics material, e.g. polyurethane, which surrounds the tube over the majority of its length and is bonded thereto. The sleeve has three integral moulded longitudinal ribs in which are moulded longitudinal passages for transmission of compressed air to the cylinder interior. An outer tubular muffler of rubber or plastics material surrounds the composite cylinder component and defines a sound-reducing path for exhaust gas from the cylinder to thge atmosphere. The exhaust gas is discharged into spaces defined between adjacent ribs of the sleeve within the muffler, these spaces forming part of an expansion chamber in the muffler.

Abstract: A method of draining oil from a transmission housing, of an oil-injected screw compressor comprising a compressor housing containing rotor means and a transmission housing. A shaft of the compressor extends into the transmission housing from the compressor housing and the transmission housing is underslung relative to the compression housing. The first portion of the compressor intake stroke, or rotation, is prevented from being filled with intake gas such that a depression is created. Said depression is applied via a bore to a sump portion of the transmission housing, so that the absolute pressure differential between the sump and the suction portion of the rotor means draws oil out of the sump and into the rotor spaces. A compressor employing this method of draining oil is also described.

Abstract: A reciprocating hydraulic motor, for example for a rotary percussive drilling head, includes a piston and cylinder having a piston face exposed to the pressure in a compression chamber which is connected through ports controlled by the piston to a supply pressure at one end portion of its stroke, and to exhaust at an opposite end portion of the stroke, while between these end portions of the stroke is a compression/expansion travel during which the compression chamber is closed and the liquid in it alternately expands over a higher range of pressure and is compressed over a lower range of pressure.For returning the piston, in the direction in which liquid is compressed, one of two opposed faces of the piston is exposed to the pressure in a biasing chamber which communicates permanently with a constant pressure supply while the other communicates with the compression chamber.

Abstract: A down-the-hole pneumatic drill in which the reciprocating hammer-piston slides over a ported tubular structure mounted centrally in the cylinder of the drill body and providing two longitudinal passages through which passes all the pressure air required below the piston. The tubular structure comprises an outer tube having a close-fitting inner tube within it, the inner tube being formed in its wall with a longitudinal indentation closed at the lower end, one of the passages being defined by the indentation and the wall of the outer tube and the other passage being defined by the interior of the inner tube. The tubular structure is provided with ports controlled by the sliding hammer-piston, certain of these ports being formed by registering holes in portions of the walls of the inner and outer tubes which lie in contact with one another.

Abstract: A drilling machine has a drill carriage pivotally mounted on the upper end of a jib whose lower end is pivoted to a support structure. To maintain the drill carriage in parallelism as the jib pivots, two hydraulically interconnected hydraulic jacks are provided, namely a slave jack pivotally connected between the jib and support structure to form a first triangle with its corners at the pivot point of the jib and the two pivot connections of the jack; and a follower jack pivotally connected between the jib and the drill carriage to form a second triangle with corners at the drill carriage pivot point and the two pivot connections of the follower jack. These two triangles are similar triangles.