Smith International, Inc.

Cary A Roth

Madapusi K Keshavan

Lance D Underwood

Russell J Steel

Thomas W Oldham

Naresh J Kar

Nareshchandra J Kar

Brian J Armstrong

Scott M Packer

Shelton W Alsup

Mingdong Cai

Dennis D Bond

Peter M Davies

Hubert W Penka, Jr

Cutting elements and hardfacing materials are in the form of a milled tooth having an uppermost first surface or crest and remaining surfaces such as flank surfaces and end surfaces extending downwardly away from crest. The crest has a hardfaced layer disposed thereon formed from a premium hardfacing material, and one or more of the remaining cutting element surfaces has a hardfaced layer formed from a hardfacing material different than the premium hardfacing material, wherein the hardfaced layer on the crest has a wear resistance at least 10% greater than that of the remaining cutting element hardfaced surfaces. The hardfaced layer on the crest may extend along a partial portion of one or more of the adjacent remaining cutting element surfaces.

Cutting elements with wear resistant surfaces

A method to manufacture a drill bit including constructing a bit head portion of the drill bit, constructing a bit shank portion of the drill bit, aligning the bit head portion with the bit shank portion, and electron beam welding a butted joint between the bit head portion and the bit shank portion.

Apparatus and methods to manufacture PDC bits

A roller cone drill bit includes a bit body, at least one leg extending downward from the bit body, a journal on each leg, and a roller cone mounted on each journal. A ball race is configured between each journal and roller cone, and a plurality of retention balls is disposed within each ball race. A ball hole extends from the back face of each leg to the ball race, and a ball hole plug fits within the ball hole. The ball hole plug is secured to the leg by a friction stir weld.

Ball hole welding using the friction stir welding (FSW) process

A method for applying a wear reducing material to a tool used in a wellbore operation that includes welding a hardfacing alloy to a surface of the tool, wherein the welding comprises friction stirring the alloy into the tool's surface is disclosed. Methods of welding a preformed sleeve or width of wear reducing material using friction stirring are also disclosed.

Methods of hardbanding joints of pipe using friction stir welding

A method is disclosed for forming a drill bit structure to which a cutting element is to be affixed. The method includes applying a layer of hardfacing material to a basic bit structure, removing the layer of hardfacing material in a location to which the cutting element is to be affixed, and forming an attachment structure at the location. In one embodiment, the removing is performed by electrode discharge machining. In one embodiment, the basic bit structure is a roller cone, and the cutting element is an insert adapted to be interference fit within a socket in the roller cone.

Hardfaced drill bit structures and method for making such structures

A hard facing for teeth on a milled tooth rock bit comprises at least 65% by weight of a mixture of tungsten carbide particles and a balance of steel bonding the carbide particles together and to the cutter cone of the rock bit. The tungsten carbide particle mixture comprises from 35% to 80%, and preferably from 65% to 80%, by weight 20 to 30 mesh cemented tungsten carbide, and from 20% to 65%, and preferably from 20% to 35% by weight 40 to 80 mesh single crystal monotungsten carbide.

Hard facing for milled tooth rock bits

A hard facing for teeth on a milled tooth rock bit comprises at least 65% by weight of a mixture of tungsten carbide particles and a balance of steel bonding the carbide particles together and to the cutter cone of the rock bit. The tungsten carbide particle mixture comprises from 35% to 80%, and preferably from 65% to 80%, by weight 20 to 30 mesh cemented tungsten carbide, and from 20% to 65%, and preferably from 20% to 35% by weight 40 to 89 mesh single crystal monotungsten carbide.

A belleville seal for a sealed bearing rotary cone rock bit. The inner static ring portion of the annular belleville seal is metal and is interference fitted over the base of a journal bearing. The separation joint formed between the inner diameter of the static ring portion of the belleville seal and the outside diameter of the journal bearing is circumferentially welded using a high-energy beam source to form a hermetically sealed metallurgical bond therebetween.

Hermetically welded belleville seal for rock bits

This invention relates to a belleville seal for a sealed bearing rotary cone rock bit. The inner static ring portion of the annular belleville seal is metal and is interference fitted over the base of a journal bearing. The separation joint formed between the inner diameter of the static ring portion of the belleville seal and the outside diameter of the journal bearing is circumferentially welded using a high-energy beam source to form a hermetically sealed metallurgical bond therebetween.

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Spring, TX, United States of America

Cary A Roth