Smith International, Inc.

Other

Dennis D Bond

Peter M Davies

Cary A Roth

Hubert W Penka, Jr

A fire hose grappling assembly for loading fire hose onto a fire truck includes a fire truck that has a hose bed. A fire hose is positionable on the hose bed for storing the fire hose. A grapple is provided and the grapple is gripped by a user for loading the fire hose onto the hose bed. The grapple is laterally extendable across the hose bed to releasably engage the fire hose. Moreover, the grapple is urgeable across the hose bed when the grapple releasably engages the fire hose thereby facilitating the user to urge the fire hose across the hose bed. In this way the user can load the fire hose onto the fire truck without requiring the user to mount the fire truck.

Fire hose grappling assembly

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 method of manufacturing a rock bit leg from a rough bit leg forging is disclosed whereby multiple machining operations are performed by a six-axis CNC machining center. Three dimensional datum surfaces are initially formed on a rough leg forging. The rough leg forging is then mounted in a holding fixture. The fixture, including the leg forging, is secured to the six-axis CNC machining center. A three dimensional datum reference from the leg forging is set into the NC function of the six-axis machining center. The rough leg forging includes a pair of extended flanges coincident with the 120.degree. leg surfaces. The leg flanges mount to complimentary surfaces formed on the leg holding fixture, thus securing the leg within the fixture without interference of any of the machining processes. The CNC machining center performs a majority of the material removal operations to prepare the leg for subsequent assembly through manipulation of the six interactive axes of the CNC machining center. The machining center positions the rough forging of the rock bit leg in any and all attitudes necessary to accomplish each of the separate material removal operations thereby maintaining extremely close tolerances since the leg forging remains indexed to and secured within the fixture throughout all of the machining processes.

Growing community of inventors

Ponca City, OK, United States of America

Dennis D Bond