Smith International, Inc.

Bela A Geczy

John E Tschirky

Robert G Toth

James N McPherson

Frank DeLucia

A downhole drive shaft and bearing structure having a unitary, generally cylindrical housing with a radial bearing surface affixed to its interior; a drive shaft having a radial bearing surface affixed to its exterior and thrust bearing inserts mounted at the bit end thereof; and a drive shaft cap affixed to the drive shaft and carrying thrust bearing inserts, the thrust bearing inserts of the cap and drive shaft interfacing with oppositely disposed inserts mounted in the housing.

Downhole motor bearing assembly

A unitary sleeve mounts both thrust and radial bearings, the radial bearing being fabricated of macro-crystalline tungsten carbide powder and cemented tungsten carbide cobalt chips in a recessed area on an elongated extension and the thrust bearing comprising a ring carrying diamond inserts residing in through holes, the ring and inserts being brazed on a hub at the thrust head end of the extension.

Bearing structure for downhole motors

A blend of tungsten carbide powder and cemented tungsten carbide cobalt chips is loaded into a cavity surrounding a steel bearing blank and infiltrated with a copper base infiltrant to create a chip matrix bearing surface.

Tungsten carbide chips-matrix bearing

A unitary sleeve mounts both thrust and radial bearings, the radial bearing being fabricated in a recessed area on an elongated extension and the thrust bearing being mounted in a thrust head at one end of the extension.

Bearing assembly

A system and method for controlled directional drilling utilizes a system approach to design the hardware for drilling according to the well plan. The bend angle of a bent housing, connected between the bit and a down-hole motor, the diameter of a plurality of stabilizers and placement of the stabilizers with respect to the drill bit are selected and predetermined on the basis of the desired well plan. With the use of an MWD, the direction of the progressing borehole is tracked from the surface. Direction changes as required are controlled from the surface simply by controlling rotation of the drillstring. For curved path drilling, only the downhole motor is rotated, causing the borehole to travel along the curve determined by the bend angle in the bent housing and the diameter and location of the concentric stabilizers. When straight hole drilling is required, both the down-hole motor and the entire drill string are rotated, effectively nullifying the effect of the bend angle in the bent housing.

System and method for controlled directional drilling

A bearing structure including first and second tapered bearing surfaces for accommodating on-bottom and off-bottom thrust and radial forces on a drive shaft in a down hole drilling environment and further including a radial bearing mounted between the first and second tapered bearings for restricting bending of the drive shaft.

Tapered friction bearing assembly

An in-hole fluid motor has a clutch engageable between the motor housing and the motor shaft to connect the housing and shaft for mutual rotation upon rotation of a running-in pipe string, and a circulation valve is installed above the motor to be opened to allow circulation from the pipe string into the bore hole annulus. Circulation is maintained through the bore hole annulus during efforts to release a stuck drill bit.

In-hole motor with bit clutch and circulation sub

A bidirectional thrust bearing assembly is used between a downhole fluid motor and a rock bit for drilling oil wells. The bearing assembly has a stationary housing with radial journal bearing sleeves and a rotatable drive shaft also having radial bearing sleeves. A pair of oppositely facing thrust bearing rings are mounted in the housing. A second pair of thrust bearing rings are mounted on the shaft so as to have faces opposing the bearing faces on the first pair of rings. Belleville springs resiliently bias a pair of the thrust bearing rings apart and carry the thrust load between such rings. Each ring has a plurality of inserts of hard material, preferably polycrystalline diamond, at the bearing surface. Means are provided for circulating drilling fluid from the motor through the thrust bearing faces for forming hydrodynamic fluid bearing films in the bearing interfaces.

Thrust bearing assembly for a downhole drill motor

A combined radial and thrust bearing assembly is set forth for a down-hole drilling assembly to journal a shaft, mounting the drill bit, in a housing. The bearing assembly is used between a down-hole fluid powered motor and a drill bit for drilling oil wells, for example. The bearing assembly includes cooperative pairs of upper and lower inner races located on the shaft for mutual rotation. Each of the inner races includes a pair of interchangeable toroidal tracks. Cooperative pairs of upper and lower outer races are fixed against rotation in the housing. Each outer race has a pair of interchangeable toroidal tracks to selectively cooperate with the tracks of the inner races to define a toroidal channel to receive a number of bearing balls. Spring means are disposed between the upper and lower pairs of outer races and the housing and between the upper and lower pairs of outer races to provide a compliant coupling for the even distribution of radial and upwardly and downwardly directed thrust loads between the races and balls and eventual transfer to the housing. Drilling fluid is circulated through the bearing assembly for cooling and lubrication.

Thrust and radial bearing assembly

A locking fastener assembly has a fastener with a generally cylindrical body with external threads for assembly with a hollow outer member. Crenellations are provided at a first end of the body for engaging an inner member in the hollow member for preventing rotation of the inner member relative to the locking fastener. At the other end of the body there is a radially extending flange carrying an interrupted annular rim which defines an annular channel between the body and the rim. A locking ring can fit substantially entirely into the annular channel. The ring has a plurality of projections which fit into a plurality of radial slots in the rim for preventing relative rotation between the locking ring and fastener. A snap ring or the like can be used for releasably spacing the locking ring away from the bottom of the annular channel so that the projections on the ring can engage projections on the outer member and prevent relative rotation between the outer member and the split ring.

Locking fastener assembly

An in hole fluid motor for driving a drill bit utilizing the circulation of drilling fluid to drive the motor, having a sealed bearing assembly. The bearing assembly has a hollow, rotary drive shaft disposed within a tubular relatively stationary housing with radial bearings and thrust bearings disposed between the drive shaft and housing. Sealing structures are provided between the drive shaft and housing in axially spaced relation with the bearings disposed in a chamber between the sealing structures and lubricated by a lubricant confined by the sealing structures and pressurized through a diaphragm by the pressure of fluid externally of the housing in the drill hole. One of the sealing structures has a pair of clean fluid reservoirs separating the bearing lubricant from the drilling fluid in the housing by a pair of sealing devices, one between the bearing lubricant and a first of the clean fluid reservoirs and the other between the first and the second clean fluid reservoirs. In the two forms shown, drilling fluid in the housing pressurizes the second reservoir. In one of these forms, drilling fluid in the housing also pressurizes the first reservoir, and in the other form, lubricant in the bearing chamber pressurizes the first reservoir. The pressure difference between motor fluid upstream of the bit and in the drill hole is sealed by a high pressure seal operating in the clean fluid provided in the reservoirs, and the total volume of the drilling fluid circulates through the bit nozzles.

Sealed bearing means for in hole motors

An in-hole motor drill assembly has the rotor of the motor connected to the drill bit, and normally disengaged torque transmitting members are engageable, if desired, without changing the load on the bit, to lock the bit and motor housing together for rotation of the bit by rotation of the motor housing.

In-hole motor drill with bit clutch

An in-hole fluid motor assembly has a clutch engageable between the bearing housing and the drive shaft which is rotatable in the bearing housing, to connect the housing to the shaft and enable rotation of the bit by the housing. The clutch is engaged without increasing the load imposed on the bit. Drilling fluid in or flowing through the assembly and into the drive shaft is employed to hold the clutch disengaged while the circulating pump is running, and a spring normally acts to engage the clutch when the circulation of fluid is diminished by stopping the pump. In one form, the clutch may be automatically engaged if circulation is blocked and the pump continues to apply pressure to the fluid.

In-hole motor with bit clutch

An in-hole motor drill assembly has the rotor of the motor which may be connected to the drill bit through a shaft connected to the rotor, and a housing which may be connected to the running string, and normally disengaged torque transmitting members between said housing and said shaft. Means are provided for engaging said shaft and said housing for mutual rotation by exerting a negative force on said housing, if the bit is stuck. The shaft can be rotated by rotation of the housing in either direction when mounted in a well and the housing connected to a drill string and the shaft connected to a bit. In normal operation, during drilling, the housing is disengaged to permit the shaft to rotate relative to the housing.

In-hole motor drill with locking bit clutch

This invention relates to flow restrictors in fluid motors.

Growing community of inventors

Glendale, CA, United States of America

Bela A Geczy