Reed Rock Bit Company

Reed Tool Company

Paul E Pastusek

John S Childers

Jeffery Edward Daly

Percy W Schumacher

John D Deane

Kenneth W Jones

Henry W Murdoch

A triple cone drill bit (10, 10A) comprising a plurality of conical roller cutters (16, 16A) having hard metal cutting elements thereon and being so positioned relative to each other that their rotational axes are offset from the rotational axis of the drill bit (10, 10A), and a drilling fluid nozzle system for directing a pressurized fluid stream (76, 76A) across certain of the cutting elements and thereafter against the formation generally at the bottom of the well bore so that when the drill bit (10, 10A) is used in its most advantageous areas, such as the soft, medium-soft and plastic formations, the nozzle system prevents 'balling up' of the cutters and greatly increases the drilling efficiency of the bit. In one embodiment (FIGS. 15-20) the drill bit body (12A) has vertically extending recessed portions (21A) formed at the junctures (19A) of the lugs (15A) to provide flow passageways for the upward flow of drilling fluid and entrained cuttings.

Drill bit having offset roller cutters and improved nozzles

A tri-cone drill bit (10, 10A) comprising a plurality of conical roller cutters (16, 16A) having hard metal cutting elements thereon and being so positioned relative to each other that their rotational axes are offset from the rotational axis of the drill bit (10, 10A), and a drilling fluid nozzle system for directing a pressurized fluid stream (76, 76A) across certain of the cutting elements and thereafter against the formation generally at the bottom of the well bore so that when the drill bit (10, 10A) is used in its most advantageous areas, such as the soft, medium-soft and plastic formations, the nozzle system prevents 'balling up' of the cutters and greatly increases the drilling efficiency of the bit. In one embodiment (FIGS. 15-20) the drill bit body (12A) has vertically extending recessed portions (21A) formed at the junctures (19A) of the lugs (15A) to provide flow passageways for the upward flow of drilling fluid and entrained cuttings.

A drill bit comprising a bit body detachably secured to a drill string having a chamber therein to receive drilling fluid at a first pressure from the drill string, a nozzle for exit of the drilling fluid to the space between the bit body and the well bore at a second pressure lower than the first, and a depending leg; a roller cutter; a bearing assembly for rotatably mounting the roller cutter on the leg; a lubrication system in the bit body comprising a reservoir of lubricant, passaging for flow of lubricant from the reservoir to the bearing assembly, a seal member for blocking flow of lubricant out of the bit, an expansible chamber for pressurizing the lubricant to a third pressure greater than the second but less than the first, and a biased diaphragm for pressure compensation secured in a recess in the bit body in fluid communication at one side thereof with the lubricant and at the other side thereof with the drilling fluid in the space between the bit body and the well bore; and a sensor for sensing a decrease in the pressure of the lubricant below a predetermined level and operating to cause a signal indicating the decrease in lubricant pressure to be generated at the drill rig, whereby upon loss of the lubricant in the lubricant system a signal indicating such loss will be provided at the drill rig.

Drill bit having a failure indicator

This invention discloses a rolling cone drilling bit comprising a plurality of conical roller cutters having hard metal cutting elements thereon and being so positioned relative to each other that their rotational axes are offset from the rotational axis of the drill bit, and a drilling fluid nozzle system for directing a pressurized fluid stream across certain of the cutting elements and thereafter against the formation generally at the bottom of the well bore so that when the drill bit is used in its most advantageous areas, such as the soft, medium-soft and plastic formations, the nozzle system prevents 'balling up' of the cutters and greatly increases the drilling efficiency of the bit.

A rotary drill bit comprising a bit body adapted to be secured to a drill string and to receive drilling fluid under pressure therefrom, the body having a plurality of nozzles for exit of the drilling fluid, and a plurality of depending legs at its lower end. The bit further includes a plurality of roller cutters, one for each leg, each cutter comprising a generally conical cutter body rotatably mounted on the respective leg, and a plurality of cutting elements thereon. The cutter body at its conical surface is formed of a material resistant to erosion by high drilling fluid which may impinge it. Each nozzle directs the drilling fluid to flow in a stream generally toward the cutter body of an adjacent roller cutter, with the stream impinging at least one cutting element on the cutter body and thereafter impinging a portion of the bottom of the well bore forward of the bottom of the adjacent roller cutter, whereby the drilling fluid sequentially impinges and cleans first cutting elements and then portions of the well bore bottom immediately prior to their engagement for enhanced drill bit cutting action.

Drill bit having angled nozzles

A rotary drill bit for drilling a well bore comprising a bit body adapted to be detachably secured to a drill string and receive drilling fluid under pressure therefrom and having a plurality of depending legs and a nozzle system for exit of drilling fluid from the bit body. The drill bit further comprises a plurality of roller cutters, each cutter having a generally conical roller cutter body rotatably mounted on one of the legs and a plurality of cutting elements on the cutter body. The nozzle system directs a plurality of streams of drilling fluid from the bit body, each stream being so directed as to flow generally toward the cutter body of a roller cutter, with the stream impinging at least one cutting element on the roller cutter body, and thereafter impinging the well bore bottom at least in part at a generally pie shaped portion of the bottom which is within the vertical projection of the roller cutter on the well bore bottom and forward, with respect to the direction of rotation of the drill bit, of the points of engagement of the cutting elements of this latter roller cutter with the well bore bottom for improved cleaning action.

Drill bit having angled nozzles for improved bit and well bore cleaning

A rotary drill bit comprising a bit body having a chamber therein adapted to receive drilling fluid under pressure, a plurality of nozzles in communication with the chamber for exit of the drilling fluid, and a plurality of depending legs at its lower end, each having a bearing journal. The bit further includes a plurality of roller cutters, one for each leg, each cutter comprising a generally conical cutter body rotatably mounted on the bearing journal of the respective leg, and a plurality of cutting elements thereon. Each nozzle has an orifice in a position below the top of an adjacent roller cutter but above the central axis of the respective bearing journal at its inner end with respect to the bit body. In addition, each nozzle directs the fluid to flow in the direction opposite the direction of rotation of the bit, with the flow being generally tangent to the cutter body of the adjacent roller cutter, and thereafter impinging portions of the bottom of the well bore immediately forward of the adjacent roller cutter, whereby the drilling fluid cleans these portions of the well bore bottom and the cutting elements immediately prior to their engagement for enhanced drill bit cutting action.

A rotary drill bit comprising a bit body having at least one depending leg at its lower end and at least one roller cutter rotatably mounted on the leg. The roller cutter comprises a frustoconical roller cutter body and a plurality of cutting elements projecting from the cutter body to tips adapted to bear on the bottom of the well bore, with the tips defining, upon rotation of the bit, a first cutting surface of the bit extending over substantially the entire area of the bottom of the well bore. At least one drag cutter extends down from the bit body and comprises a support and a plurality of drag cutting elements on the support, each having a lower cutting edge. The cutting edges of these elements are so arranged relative to the tips of the hard metal cutting elements as to define, upon rotation of the bit, a second cutting surface of generally the same configuration as the first but spaced above it, whereby upon drilling a relatively brittle formation only the hard metal cutting elements bear on the formation for cutting the formation by fracturing it thereby protecting the drag cutting elements, and upon drilling a relatively plastically deformable material which the hard metal cutting elements penetrate to a relatively deep depth without causing substantial fracturing of the formation, the drag cutting elements also engage the formation for improved drill bit cutting action and increased rates of drilling penetration.

Combination drag and roller cutter drill bit

A lubrication system is disclosed for a rolling cutter drill bit, which system utilizes solid or semi-solid sticks of lubricants located in internal channels and continuously biased against rotating surfaces in the bit.

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Paul E Pastusek