US Patent 7523793 Drilling head with protective screen

A drill head for drilling machines having a protective screen for conveying the drilling slurry discharged from the drivers drill rods and related sleeves. A screen constructed according to the principles of the present invention reduces the slurry fallout area in the vicinity of the drilling zone. The screen panel has a generically U-shaped cross section, or in any case such a cross section as to cover wholly or partly at least three sides around the area where the slurry is discharged from the drivers of the drill rod (A) and related sleeve. In one embodiment, the screen panel is coupled to the structure of the drill head by connection supports and translation devices, so to translate the screen panel parallel to the rod and the sleeve.