Smith International, Inc.

Jackson M Kellner

William R Garrett

Robert L Dixon

Malcolm D Maxsted

George A Alther

Vincent Hugo Vetter

Pipe comprising intermediate tube radially spaced between outer and inner tubes, a support adjacent one end of inner tube fixedly mounting intermediate tube to outer and inner tubes and a shock mount adjacent the other end of intermediate tube fixedly attached to the intermediate tube positioning intermediate tube between inner and outer tubes and including a resilient part providing for limited relative axial and rotational movement between intermediate tube and outer tube at said second support, said resilient part having lower modulus of elasticity than said first support and being elastomeric to damp out relative rotational vibrations of said tubes through its internal friction, threaded portions on ends of outer tube for making mechanical connection with correlative threaded portions on ends of outer tube of similar pipe, telescopic portions on ends of intermediate tube for making fluid conducting connection with correlative portions on ends of intermediate tube of similar pipe, pin and socket on ends of inner tube for making electrical connection with correlative socket and pin on ends of inner tube of similar pipe, and electric conduit within inner tube connecting said pin and socket, said threaded portions including shoulders limiting make up with correlative shoulders on ends of outer tube of similar pipe, said telescopic portions and pin and socket providing for limited axial motion of inner and intermediate tubes of the pipe with respect to those of similar pipes when said threaded portions are fully made up with correlative threaded portions on similar pipe.

Multiple conduit drill pipe

A raise bit is disclosed for enlarging a pilot hole into a larger diameter hole by disintegrating the earth formations surrounding the pilot hole. The raise bit includes a removable drive stem for enabling the raise bit to be transported through small drifts. The drive stem is attached to a thrust bearing plate which, in turn, is interconnected to a main bit body. The bit body extends around the drive stem and includes a plurality of rolling cutters for contacting and disintegrating the earth formations surrounding the pilot hole. The interconnection between the thrust bearing plate and the bit body is accomplished by means of a flexible shock absorbing member which is bonded to the plate and bit body. This flexible interconnection functions to absorb the bending and impact type loads acting on the bit body. A safety mechanism is provided to limit the amount of relative axial movement of the flexibly interconnected members should the bonded interconnections separate. The safety mechanism includes a lug connected to and extending downwardly from the main bit body. The lug extends around the thrust bearing plate with a small clearance therebetween in order to retain the interconnected members should the flexible bonded connection break. The safety mechanism further includes a stop located on the thrust bearing plate adjacent the lug. Should the bonded interconnections break, the stop is adapted to engage the lug as the thrust plate rotates to impart a torque force through the lug in order to drivingly rotate the bit body.

Safety mechanism for a raise drill

A drill fluid powered hydraulic system used for driving a shaft connected to a drill bit is disclosed. The apparatus includes a hydraulic fluid powered motor actuated and controlled by hydraulic fluid. The hydraulic fluid is supplied to the hydraulic fluid powered motor through an intermediate drive system actuated by drill fluid. The intermediate drive system is provided with two rotary valves and two double sided accumulators. One of the rotary valves routes the hydraulic fluid to and from the accumulators and respectively from and to the hydraulic fluid powered motor. The other valve routes the drill fluid to the accumulators from the drill fluid supply and from the accumulators to the drill bit. The rotary valves are indexed by a gear system and Geneva drive connected to the motor or drill shaft. A heat exchanger is provided to cool the hydraulic fluid. The heat exchanger has one side of the exchange piped between the drill fluid inlet and the drill fluid rotary valve and the other side of the exchange piped between the hydraulic fluid side of the accumulators and the hydraulic fluid rotary valve.

Drill fluid powered hydraulic system

A raise bit is disclosed for enlarging a pilot hole into a large diameter hole by disintegrating the earth formations surrounding the pilot hole. The raise bit includes a removable drive stem for enabling the raise bit to be transported through small drifts. The drive stem is attached to a thrust bearing plate which, in turn, is interconnected to a main bit body. The bit body extends around the drive stem and includes a plurality of rolling cutters for contacting and disintegrating the earth formations surrounding the pilot hole. The interconnection between the thrust bearing plate and the bit body is accomplished by means of an annular shock absorbing ring made of polyurethane. Means are also provided to transport fluid from the interior of the drive stem to contact the rolling cutters on the bit body. These means comprise a fluid passage way extending through the interior of the drive stem. An additional passageway is provided in the drive stem to discharge the fluid radially out of the bottom end of the drive stem. Conduits are provided for communicating with the radial passageway of the drive stem. The conduits further extend through the annular ring, the bit body and through the cutter mountings to direct the fluid against the surfaces of the cutters.

Raise drill having water passages directed toward the roller cutters

A raise drill is disclosed for enlarging a pilot hole into a large diameter hole by disintegrating the earth formations surrounding the pilot hole. The raise drill includes a bit body having a plurality of roller cutters mounted thereon. The bit body is detachable secured to a drive stem to permit removal and replacement of the stem. A shock absorbing element is interconnected between the drive stem and the bit body to enable the bit body to be flexibly mounted on the drive stem. A central yoke is provided to extend around the drive stem and interconnect the saddles of the two innermost cutters. The central yoke functions to distribute the loading of the inboard cutters. The central yoke can also function as a housing for a packing element.

Raise drill inner yoke bridge

The eccentric journals of a tandem roller stabilizer are azimuthally positioned relative to each other by a single thread on the mandrel onto which the journals of the successive roller assemblies are screwed, the journal of each roller assembly having a like thread and together with its end plates having a length adapted to encompass a portion of the mandrel thread having a length of (n)(360) + x degrees where n is an integer and x is the desired azimuthal displacement of each roller assembly journal from the adjacent journals. Preferably x is equal to (360)/(r) degrees where r is the number of roller assemblies on the stabilizer, so that the points of stabilizer contact with the bore hole are spaced uniformly all around the stabilizer axis. The bearings supporting the rollers on the journals may be bushed only on the loaded side and be unsealed, being cooled with air bled from the stabilizer mandrel and exhausted through the bearings. Other forms of bearings can be used, e.g. a sealed antifriction bearing employing rollers for radial load and balls for axial thrust, with O rings sealing between the rollers and end plates secured to the journals. In another embodiment, full sleeve bushings take both radial load and end thrust.

Tandem eccentric roller stabilizer for earth boring apparatus

The eccentric journals of a tandem roller stabilizer are azimuthally positioned relative to each other by cylindrical pins removably disposed in cylindrical holes extending off-axially parallel to the stabilizer axis, the holes being formed by semi-circular cross-section grooves in the outer periphery of the mandrel and correlative semi-circular cross-section grooves in the inner peripheries of the journals.

Tandem roller stabilizer for earth boring apparatus

The eccentric journals of a tandem roller stabilizer are azimuthally positioned relative to each other by the heads of end plate assembly bolts of each roller assembly extending into sockets in the end plates of the adjacent roller assembly.

Stabilizer

Dual flow passage drill stem has a tube radially supported within a drill pipe by a plurality of metal ribs welded to the middle portion of the tube and by elastomer O-rings mounted in spiders disposed around the tube connectors and seated against outwardly facing shoulders in the pipe tool joints. Axial loads are taken by elastomer rings around the tube connectors clamped between outwardly facing annular rabbets at the inner periphery of each spider and an integral flange on the pin tube connector and a threaded flange screwed onto box tube connector. The tube is preloaded in tension and the pipe and elastomer rings are preloaded in compression. The axial support elastomer rings preferably have hour-glass cross sections to increase their damping effect; in addition, the axial support elastomer rings, as well as the radial support O-rings, are preferably made of neoprene, which has a relatively flat curve of force transmission versus frequency. Desirably the elastomer mounted tube has a resonant frequency different from that of the expected cyclic loading of the pipe, e.g., when employed with a vibratory or hammer drill motor.

Dual flow passage drill stem

The casing of a drill motor axis is provided with a deflection barrel free to turn to position the barrel relative to the motor to apply lateral force to the side of the motor directed along any desired radius. A gravity actuated mercury potentiometer connected to the barrel provides a barrel orientation responsive electric transmitter for remote indication of the barrel orientation in the hole being drilled. A hydraulic stepping motor and meshing teeth are used to position the barrel azimuthally about the motor axis with the use of vertical alignment means.

Drill director

The housing of an in-hole drill motor is provided with a deflection barrel to apply lateral force to the side of the housing directed along any desired radius. The barrel is fixedly attached to a pipe string and the motor is fixedly attached to the barrel inside the barrel. The barrel is oriented and axial force is applied to the motor housing through the pipe string from without the hole, using orientation and other signals transmitted from within the hole adjacent the motor. The signals are transmitted through an electrical conduit housed within a hydraulic conduit used to supply fluid to expand the deflection barrel shoes. The hydraulic and electric conduits are supported within the pipe string by shock mounts fixedly attached to the hydraulic conduit. The annulus between the hydraulic conduit and the pipe string provides means to transmit fluid for driving the motor and removing the detritus formed by a drill bit driven by the motor. The out-of-hole connections to the pipe string annulus and the hydraulic and electric conduits are made through a hydro-electric triple swivel. A rate of direction change limiting mechanism mounted between the bit and the barrel for rotation with the bit prevents the deflection barrel from changing hole direction too rapidly. Instruments out of the hole can be used to indicate the hole characteristics detected in the hole.

Drilling apparatus

The casing of a drill motor is provided with a deflection barrel free to turn thereon to position the barrel relative to the motor to apply lateral force to the side of the motor directed along any desired radius. A gravity actuated mercury potentiometer connected to the barrel provides a barrel orientation responsive electric transmitter for remote indication of the barrel orientation in the hole being drilled. An annular piston drives a key longitudinally between a straight keyway carried by the barrel and a helical keyway carried by the motor to position the barrel azimuthally about the motor axis. A manifold connected to the motor provides means for making connection to fluid and electric conduits for operating the motor, the piston, and the transmitter.

Growing community of inventors

Midland, TX, United States of America

Jackson M Kellner