Mud diverter and inside blowout preventer drilling tool

Claim 3

The structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein said circulation channel communicates between said inner bore and the annulus of a well bore and wherein the drilling fluid is permitted to circulate through said circulation channel from said inner bore into the annulus.

Claim 4

The structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first movable member includes: a. a movable member having channels therethrough and adapted to be positioned in a transverse position wherein said channels are transverse with said inner bore and an aligned position with said inner bore wherein said channels are aligned with said inner bore of said tubular member; and b. piston means positioned in said inner bore and mounted with said tubular member said piston means being connected to said movable member for moving said first movable member from said transverse position for permitting the flow of drilling fluid through said circulation channel to said aligned position for permitting the flow of drilling fluid flow to the drill bit through said inner bore and said aligned channels in said first movable member.

Claim 5

The structure as set forth in claim 3, wherein said tubular member includes a circulation bypass channel therein for allowing circulation of drilling fluid around said first movable member and through said circulation channel into the annuLus when said channels in said movable member are not aligned with said inner bore and wherein an increase in circulation pressure above said movable member moves said piston member and thus prevents communication between said circulation bypass channel and said circulation channel and moves said movable member to align said channels in said movable member with said inner bore thus permitting circulation through said bore and out the drill bit.

Claim 6

The structure as set forth in claim 4 including means for permitting drilling fluid to enter the drilling string from the annulus through said circulation channel and said circulation bypass channel in said tubular member to fill the drill string when lowering the drill string in the well bore.

Claim 7

The structure as set forth in claim 4 wherein said second movable member includes a sleeve movable between a closed position and an open position for blocking flow through said circulation bypass channel in said closed position and permitting flow through said circulation bypass channel in said open position and wherein said first movable member in said transverse position and said movable sleeve in said closed position block all flow of fluid through said tubular member.

Claim 8

The structure as set forth in claim 6 wherein said second movable member further includes: a. biasing means for continuously urging said sleeve to said closed position; b. means for urging said sleeve to said closed position in response to the annulus pressure adjacent said tubular member; c. means for urging said sleeve to said open position in response to said inner bore pressure; and d. means for regulating said means for urging said sleeve to said closed position and said means for urging said sleeve to an open position wherein said regulating means produces an annular pressure greater or substantially equal to the pressure in said inner bore to provide substantially equal pressures on said sleeve by each of said means for urging wherein said biasing means urges said sleeve to said closed position and wherein said sleeve is urged to said open position by greater pressure in said inner bore thereby forcing said means for urging said sleeve to said open position to overcome the forces of said biasing means and said means for urging said sleeve to a closed position.

Claim 9

The structure as set forth in claim 7, wherein: a. said sleeve includes a raised outer portion having a first shoulder effective surface and a second shoulder effective surface; b. said first shoulder effective surface communicating with the annulus for urging movement of said sleeve to said closed position in response to the annulus pressure; c. said second shoulder effective surface communicating with said inner bore for urging movement of said sleeve to said open position in response to said inner bore pressure; d. said biasing means includes a spring; and e. said means for regulating said means for urging said sleeve to open and closed positions includes the ratio of the area of said first shoulder effective surface for closing to the area of said second shoulder effective surface for opening wherein an annulus pressure greater or substantially equal to the pressure in said inner bore effectively balances the pressure on said sleeve from said first shoulder and said second shoulder wherein said biasing spring urges said sleeve to said closed position and wherein said sleeve is urged to said open position by greater pressure in said inner bore thereby forcing said means for urging said sleeve to the open position to overcome the pressure forces caused by said first shoulder and said spring.

Claim 10

The structure as set forth in claim 4, including a means for continuously urging said piston means upwardly and wherein an increase in circulation pressure above said piston member overcomes said means for urging, to move said piston means downwardly to prevent communication between said circulation channel and said circulation bypass channel, and to move saId first movable member such that said channels in said movable member are aligned with the inner bore of said tubular member.

Claim 11

The structure as set forth in claim 9 wherein said first movable member includes a rotatable ball having a plurality of channels extending therethrough in one direction.

Claim 12

The structure as set forth in claim 10, wherein said channels have restricted openings to maintain the cuttings or other particles on the surface of the rotatable ball where they may be removed and flushed into the annulus.

Claim 13

The structure as set forth in claim 10, including a pair of pins mounted with said tubular member, said piston means and said rotatable ball, said rotatable ball rotating about said pins as said piston means is moved downwardly by increased circulation pressure or upwardly by said means for urging as the circulation pressure decreases.

Claim 14

The structure as set forth in claim 10, including a wiper member for wiping at least some of the exposed openings of said channels to remove clogged particles therefrom as said movable member is moved to a position where said channels are not aligned with said inner bore.

Claim 15

The structure as set forth in claim 10 wherein said channels in said rotatable ball are smaller than the openings in the drill bit nozzles to thus prevent cuttings or other particles in the drilling fluid from passing through said channels and clogging the drill bit nozzles.

Claim 16

The structure as set forth in claim 14, wherein: a. said sleeve includes a raised outer portion having a first shoulder effective surface and a second shoulder effective surface; b. said first shoulder effective surface communicating with the annulus for urging movement of said sleeve to said closed position in response to the annulus pressure; c. said second shoulder effective surface communicating with said tubular member inner bore for urging movement of said sleeve to said open position in response to said inner bore pressure; d. said biasing means includes a spring; and e. said means for regulating the urging on the sleeve includes the ratio of the area of said first shoulder effective surface for closing and the area of said second shoulder effective surface for opening wherein an annulus pressure greater or substantially equal to the pressure in said tubular member to provide said sleeve with substantially equal urging from said first shoulder and said second shoulder wherein said biasing spring urges said sleeve to said closed position and where said sleeve is urged to the open position by a greater pressure in the inner bore causing said second shoulder urging to overcome the urging of said first shoulder and said spring.

Claim 17

The structure as set forth in claim 15 wherein increasing the circulation pressure within said inner bore first urges said sleeve to the open position permitting the drilling fluid to circulate through said circulation bypass channel and out said circulation channel into the annulus to remove unwanted particles and cuttings in the drilling fluid within drilling string until the pressure is increased sufficiently to overcome said means for urging rotating the ball valve to permit flow through the drill bit.

Claim 18

The structure as set forth in claim 15 wherein clogging of said channels in said rotatable ball or said jetting nozzles in the drill bit, is indicated by an increase in pressure at the surface of the well bore wherein the pressure is reduced sufficiently to permit the means for urging to move said piston means upwardly to rotate said ball such that said channels are not aligned with said inner bore and maintain said sleeve urged open wherein circulation of the drilling fluid occurs through said circulation bypass channel around said rotatable ball and out through said circulation channel into the annulus.

Claim 19

The structure as set forth in claim 15, wherein pressure in the annulus substantially equal to or greater than pressure in said inner bore permits the urging means to rotate the ball valve to said transverse position blocking flow through the drill bit and permits the pressure on said first shoulder to substantially equal the pressure on said second shoulder wherein said biasing spring urges said sleeve to said closed position thereby blocking all flow through said tubular member.

Claim 20

The structure as set forth in claim 15, including a wiper member mounted adjacent said circulation bypass channel and positioned such that rotation of said rotatable ball to the position where said channels in said ball are not aligned with said inner bore wipes the exposed surface area of at least some of said channels to thus scrape and wipe off clogged particles positioned in said channels.

Claim 21

The structure as set forth in claim 19, including a spring loaded ball valve mounted with said rotatable ball, said ball having a channel opening therein blocked by said spring loaded ball, said spring loaded ball being positioned in said rotatable ball to insure that said rotatable ball and piston will be moved upwardly and seated by said means for urging to thus maintain said circulation bypass channel open by permitting drilling fluid to flow from above said rotatable ball and through said spring loaded ball into the lower portion of the tubular member when there is a pressure differential between said inner bore of the tubular member above said rotatable ball and below said rotatable ball which thus equalizes the pressure in said inner bore above and below said rotatable ball to fully seat said rotatable ball.

Claim 22

The structure as set forth in claim 15, including means for permitting drilling fluid to enter the drilling string from the annulus through said circulation channel and said circulation bypass channel in said tubular member to fill the drill string when lowering the drill string in the well bore.

Claim 23

The structure as set forth in claim 21, wherein said means for permitting drilling fluid to enter the drilling string comprises a means or keeping the sleeve in an open position when lowering the drill string.