US Patent Issued to Center Rock on Sept. 1 for "Down-the-hole drill hammer having a piston follower valve" (Virginia Inventor)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 1 -- United States Patent no. 12,723,469, issued on Sept. 1, was assigned to Center Rock Inc. (Berlin, Pa.).

"Down-the-hole drill hammer having a piston follower valve" was invented by Leland H. Lyon (Roanoke, Va.).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A down-the-hole drill hammer including a drill bit about a distal end of the hammer and a piston for percussively contacting the drill bit. The drill hammer further includes a valve assembly for supplying and exhausting drive fluid to and from the piston, the valve assembly having a valve housing in fluid communication with drive fluid supply ports, drive ports and exhaust ports, and a control valve movable within the valve housi...