The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 17, 2001
Filed:
Oct. 18, 1999
Donald M. Sawyer, Montgomery, TX (US);
Other;
Abstract
An apparatus for orienting a drilling assembly. In one embodiment the apparatus include a first driveshaft coupled to the drilling assembly, a second driveshaft flexibly coupled at one end to the first driveshaft, and an orientation collar disposed outside the first and second driveshafts so that the first and second driveshafts are freely rotatable within the collar. The is collar substantially coaxial with the first driveshaft and is adapted to maintain a substantially fixed rotary position. The apparatus includes a sensor for measuring the substantially fixed rotary orientation of the collar and an adjuster for selecting a center of rotation of the second driveshaft with respect to the axis of the collar in response to measurements made by the sensor, whereby an axis of rotation of the second driveshaft is selectable by changing the center of rotation