US3678883A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Worn bearing indicator
Assignee: Smith International Inc
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Filing: 1970-03-25
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Granted: 1972-07-25
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Expires: 1990-03-25
Abstract
Abstract An earthboring drill or the like having cutters mounted on bearings including a plurality of bearing segments is described. An insert is provided within at least a portion of the segments with a clearance from the original bearing surface of an amount just equal to acceptable wear of the segment, so that when the segment wears down the insert has substantial contact with adjacent bearing surfaces to provide a remotely sensible signal indicative of bearing wear. In one embodiment, the insert is formed of tungsten carbide or other similar hard material that causes the bearing to jam or lock, thereby increasing torque on the drill bit, which is sensed by the driller. In another embodiment, a mobile marker, such as a liquid radioactive material or dye, enclosed in a frangible container employed as the insert, and the release of dye or radioactive material when the insert contacts a bearing wall provides an indication of bearing wear.
Inventors
- 👤 John F Fischer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 18:59
CPC Classifications
B; B23; B23Q; B23Q17/00; B23Q17/09; E; E21; E21B; E21B10/00; E21B10/08; E21B10/22; E21B12/00; E21B12/02; F; F16; F16C; F16C17/00; F16C17/02; F16C17/03; F16C33/00; F16C33/02; F16C33/04; F16C33/26; F16C2322/00; F16C2322/39; F16C2352/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
122 words
A segment for a segment bearing comprising: a segment of bearing material having a first bearing face and a second bearing face in spaced relation to the first bearing face, the first and second bearing faces for engagement with adjacent bearing surfaces on a set of relatively movable members, and an aperture extending between the first and second bearing faces; an insert within the aperture for providing a remotely sensible signal indicative of bearing wear; and sufficient clearance between the insert and a bearing face on the segment to prevent substantial contact of the insert and an adjacent bearing surface when the segment is satisfactory for use and insufficient to prevent substantial contact when the segment is worn by an unacceptable extent.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
122 words
A segment for a segment bearing comprising: a segment of bearing material having a first bearing face and a second bearing face in spaced relation to the first bearing face, the first and second bearing faces for engagement with adjacent bearing surfaces on a set of relatively movable members, and an aperture extending between the first and second bearing faces; an insert within the aperture for providing a remotely sensible signal indicative of bearing wear; and sufficient clearance between the insert and a bearing face on the segment to prevent substantial contact of the insert and an adjacent bearing surface when the segment is satisfactory for use and insufficient to prevent substantial contact when the segment is worn by an unacceptable extent.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
A segment as defined in claim 1 wherein the insert comprises means for locking the otherwise relatively movable parts against relative movement upon contact of the insert with the load bearing surface of one of the movable parts.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
A segment as defined in claim 2 wherein the insert comprises a cylinder of material substantially harder than the material of the segment.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
A segment as defined in claim 1 wherein the insert comprises a frangible container and a mobile marker material in the frangible container.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
14 words
A bearing as defined in claim 4 wherein the mobile marker comprises a dye.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
A bearing as defined in claim 4 wherein the marker material comprises a radioactive substance.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
145 words
In a segment bearing between relatively rotatable parts having load bearing surfaces, and a plurality of separate segments of bearing material between the load bearing surfaces, each of the segments having a first bearing surface and a second bearing surface, the improvement comprising: an insert in a segment for interacting with the load bearing surfaces of the relatively rotatable parts for producing a remotely sensible signal indicative of a selected degree of wear of the segment; and a clearance between an end of the insert and a bearing surface of the segment sufficient to prevent substantial contact of the insert with a load bearing surface of one of the rotatable parts when the segment is satisfactory for use and insufficient to prevent substantial contact of the insert and the load bearing surface of a rotatable part when the segment is worn by an unacceptable extent.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
145 words
In a segment bearing between relatively rotatable parts having load bearing surfaces, and a plurality of separate segments of bearing material between the load bearing surfaces, each of the segments having a first bearing surface and a second bearing surface, the improvement comprising: an insert in a segment for interacting with the load bearing surfaces of the relatively rotatable parts for producing a remotely sensible signal indicative of a selected degree of wear of the segment; and a clearance between an end of the insert and a bearing surface of the segment sufficient to prevent substantial contact of the insert with a load bearing surface of one of the rotatable parts when the segment is satisfactory for use and insufficient to prevent substantial contact of the insert and the load bearing surface of a rotatable part when the segment is worn by an unacceptable extent.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
40 words
In an improved bearing as defined in claim 7 an insert that comprises means for locking the otherwise relatively rotatable parts against relative rotation upon contact of the insert with the load bearing surface of one of the rotatable parts.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
33 words
In an improved bearing as defined in claim 8 an insert that comprises a cylinder of material substantially harder than the material of the segment and the material of the load bearing surface.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
In an improved bearing as defined in claim 7 an insert that comprises a frangible container and a mobile marker material in the frangible container.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
16 words
In an improved bearing as defined in claim 10 a mobile marker that comprises a dye.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
17 words
In an improved bearing as defined in claim 10 a marker material that comprises a radioactive substance.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
82 words
A method for detecting wear of a segment bearing in an earthboring drill during use in a bore hole comprising the steps of: inserting a signal producing means in a segment of the bearing; leaving a sufficient clearance between the signal producing means and a bearing surface of the segment for accommodaTing acceptable segment wear; producing a remotely sensible signal when the insert contacts a bearing surface adjacent the segment; and sensing the signal produced at a location remote from the bearing.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
82 words
A method for detecting wear of a segment bearing in an earthboring drill during use in a bore hole comprising the steps of: inserting a signal producing means in a segment of the bearing; leaving a sufficient clearance between the signal producing means and a bearing surface of the segment for accommodaTing acceptable segment wear; producing a remotely sensible signal when the insert contacts a bearing surface adjacent the segment; and sensing the signal produced at a location remote from the bearing.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method as defined in claim 13 wherein the step of producing a signal comprises locking the bearing for effecting a substantial change in torque of the earthboring drill.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as defined in claim 13 wherein the step of producing a signal comprises releasing a mobile marker into a drilling fluid when the insert contacts a bearing surface.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
148 words
An earthboring drill bit assembly comprising: a journal having an annular bearing surface thereabout; a cutter having a bearing race concentric with the bearing surface of the journal; a bearing of unconnected and separately movable segments of bearing material lying about and between the journal bearing surface and the race, and having a first bearing face in engagement with the journal bearing surface, a second bearing face in engagement with the race, and an aperture extending between the first and second bearing faces; an insert within the aperture for providing a remotely sensible signal indicative of bearing wear; and a clearance between the insert and the bearing face on the segment sufficient to prevent substantial contact of the insert and an adjacent bearing surface or race when the segment is satisfactory for use and insufficient to prevent substantial contact when the segment is worn by an unacceptable extent.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
148 words
An earthboring drill bit assembly comprising: a journal having an annular bearing surface thereabout; a cutter having a bearing race concentric with the bearing surface of the journal; a bearing of unconnected and separately movable segments of bearing material lying about and between the journal bearing surface and the race, and having a first bearing face in engagement with the journal bearing surface, a second bearing face in engagement with the race, and an aperture extending between the first and second bearing faces; an insert within the aperture for providing a remotely sensible signal indicative of bearing wear; and a clearance between the insert and the bearing face on the segment sufficient to prevent substantial contact of the insert and an adjacent bearing surface or race when the segment is satisfactory for use and insufficient to prevent substantial contact when the segment is worn by an unacceptable extent.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
38 words
A bearing as defined in claim 16 wherein the insert comprises means for locking the otherwise relatively rotatable parts against relative rotation upon contact of the insert with the load bearing surface of one of the rotatable parts.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
31 words
A bearing as defined in claim 17 wherein the insert comprises a cylinder of material substantially harder than the material of the segment and the material of the load bearing surface.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
23 words
A bearing as defined in claim 16 wherein the insert comprises a frangible container and a mobile marker material in the frangible container.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
138 words
A bearing comprising: a bearing journal; a bearing race opposed to the bearing journal; a plurality of separate segments of bearing material between the bearing journal and the bearing race, each of the segments having a first bearing surface in contact with the bearing journal and a second bearing surface in contact with the bearing race; an insert in a segment for interacting with the bearing journal and bearing race for producing a remotely sensible signal indicative of a selected degree of wear of the segment; and a clearance between an end of the insert and a bearing surface of the segment sufficient to prevent substantial contact of the insert with the journal and the race when the segment is satisfactory for use and insufficient to prevent substantial contact when the segment is worn by an unacceptable extent.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
138 words
A bearing comprising: a bearing journal; a bearing race opposed to the bearing journal; a plurality of separate segments of bearing material between the bearing journal and the bearing race, each of the segments having a first bearing surface in contact with the bearing journal and a second bearing surface in contact with the bearing race; an insert in a segment for interacting with the bearing journal and bearing race for producing a remotely sensible signal indicative of a selected degree of wear of the segment; and a clearance between an end of the insert and a bearing surface of the segment sufficient to prevent substantial contact of the insert with the journal and the race when the segment is satisfactory for use and insufficient to prevent substantial contact when the segment is worn by an unacceptable extent.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-07-25 | 1976-01-24 | 1976-07-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-07-25 | 1980-01-24 | 1980-07-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-07-25 | 1984-01-24 | 1984-07-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |