Well drilling bit lubrication and seal

Claim 2

In a well drilling bit having a body with at least one roller cutter and leg combination including, a journal of right cylinder form projecting on an axis from the leg and having an uninterrupted semi-circular load bearing lower side and having lubrication containment means formed therein as a recess in and extending circumferentially substantially throughout the upper non-bearing side thereof, and a roller cutter having a cavity opening in opposition to the leg and with an uninterrupted circular bearing complementary to and rotatably engaged upon the said journal, retaining means rotatably coupling the roller cutter upon the journal, and a sealing means slideably engaged between the roller cutter and journal at the opening in opposition to the leg.

Claim 3

The roller cutter and leg combination for a well drilling bit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the journal is comprised of axially spaced right cylinder forms and each having an uninterrupted semicircular load bearing lower side and each having lubrication containment means formed therein as recesses in and extending circumferentially substantially throughout the upper non-bearing side thereof, and wherein the roller cutter has axially spaced uninterrupted circular bearings complementary to and rotatably engaged upon said axially spaced right cylinder forms respectively.

Claim 4

The roller cutter and leg combination for a well drilling bit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the circumferential recess in the upper side of the journal has at least one marginal portion of the journal remaining circumferentially intact.

Claim 5

The roller cutter and leg combination for a well drilling bit as set forth in claim 1, wherin the circumferential recess in the upper side of the journal has a full semicircular configuration with at least one marginal portion of the journal remaining circumferentially intact.

Claim 6

The roller cutter and leg combination for a well drilling bit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the circumferential recess in the upper side of the journal is of full semicircular configuration and of concaved arcuate cross section extending between circumferentially intact marginal portions of the journal.

Claim 7

The roller cutter and leg combination for a well drilling bit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the circumferential recess in the upper side of the journal occupies a major portion of the upper semicircular portion of the journal.

Claim 8

The roller cutter and leg combination for a well drilling bit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the circumferential recess in the upper side of the journal 70% to 90% of the upper semicircular portion of the journal.

Claim 9

The roller cutter and leg combination for a well drilling bit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the uninterrupted semicircular load bearing lower side of the journal is of hard faced material, and wherein the circumferential recess in the upper side of the journal is disposed between opposite uninterrupted marginal portions of the journal. 9 The roller cutter And leg combination for a well drilling bit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the uninterrupted semicircular load bearing lower side of the journal and the uninterrupted circular bearing of the roller cutter are of hard faced material.

Claim 10

The roller cutter and leg combination for a well drilling bit as set forth in claim 1, wherein liquid lubrication comprised of Molybdenum Disulfied is charged into and contained within the circumferential recess to flood the bearing interfaces of the load bearing lower side of the journal with the circular bearing of the roller cutter.

Claim 11

The roller cutter and leg combination for a well drilling bit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the uninterrupted semicircular load bearing lower side of the journal and the uninterrupted circular bearing of the roller cutter are of hard faced steel, and wherein liquid lubrication comprised of Molybdenum Disulfied is charged into and contained within the circumferential recess to flood the bearing interfaces of the load bearing lower side of the journal with the circular bearing of the roller cutter.

Claim 12

In a well drilling bit having a body with at least one roller cutter and leg combination including, a bearing trunion of right cylinder form projecting on an axis from the leg and having lubrication containment means formed herein as a recess establishing a chamber, a roller cutter having a cavity opening in opposition to the leg and received over the bearing trunion, bearing means rotatably journaling and retaining means rotatably coupling the roller cutter upon said bearing trunion, and a sealing means comprised of spaced inner and outer annular seals at said opening and between the roller cutter and the combined opposite leg and bearing trunion, the inner seal being exposed to the roller cutter cavity and lubricant from the said recess chamber in the bearing trunion, and the outer seal being exposed to the fluid surrounding the roller cutter and leg combination.

Claim 13

In a well drilling bit having a body with at least one roller cutter and leg combination including, a bearing trunion of right cylinder form projecting on an axis from the leg and having lubrication containment means formed herein as a recess establishing a chamber, a roller cutter having a cavity opening in opposition to the leg and received over the bearing trunion, bearing means rotatably journaling and retaining means rotatably coupling the roller cutter upon said bearing trunion, and a sealing means comprised of spaced inner and outer annular seals at said opening and between the roller cutter and the combined opposite leg and bearing trunion, the inner seal being exposed to the roller cutter cavity and lubricant from the said recess chamber in the bearing trunion, and the outer seal being exposed to the fluid surrounding the roller cutter and leg combination.

Claim 14

The roller cutter and leg combination for a well drilling bit as set forth in claim 12, wherein the inner and outer seals are axially spaced.

Claim 15

The roller cutter and leg combination for a well drilling bit as set forth in claim 12, wherein the inner and outer seals are radially spaced.

Claim 16

The roller cutter and leg combination for a well drilling bit as set forth in claim 12, wherein the seals are axially and radially spaced.

Claim 17

The roller cutter and leg combination for a well drilling bit as set forth in claim 12, wherein the leg has a face normal to said axis and from which the bearing trunion projects, and wherein at least one of the spaced seals is engageable with said face.

Claim 18

The roller cutter and leg combination for a well drilling bit as set forth in claim 12, wherein the roller cutter cavity has a concentric bore, and wherein at least one of the spaced seals is engageable with said bore.

Claim 19

The roller cutter and leg combination for a well drilling bit as set forth in claim 12, wherein the leg has a face normal to said axis and from which the bearing trunion projects and one of the spaced seals is engageable therewith, and wherein the roller cavity has a concentric bore and the other of said spaced seals is engageable therewith.

Claim 20

The roller cutter and leg combination for a well drilling bit as set forth in claim 12, wherein the leg has a face normal to said axis and from which the bearing trunion projects, and wherein the roller cutter has a base plane in which there is an annular groove receiving and holding one of the spaced seals engaged with said face.

Claim 21

The roller cutter and leg combination for a well drilling bit as set forth in claim 12, wherein the roller cutter cavity has a concentric bore and wherein the bearing trunion has an annular groove receiving and holding one of the spaced seals engaged with said bore.

Claim 22

The roller cutter and leg combination for a well drilling bit as set forth in claim 12, wherein the leg has a face normal to said axis and from which the bearing trunion projects and the roller cutter has a base plane in which there is an annular groove receiving and holding one of the spaced seals engaged with said face, and wherein the roller cutter cavity has a concentric bore and the bearing trunion has an annular groove receiving and holding the other of the spaced seals engaged with said bore.

Claim 23

In a well drilling bit having a body with at least one roller cutter and leg combination including, a bearing trunion of right cylinder form projecting on an axis from the leg, a roller cutter having a cavity opening in opposition to the leg and received over the bearing trunion, there being complementary inner and outer annular channels formed in the bearing trunion and roller cutter cavity respectively, and a resiliently expansible ring constrictable into one of said channels during assembly and thereafter expansible partially into the other of said channels upon alignment therewith.

Claim 24

In a well drilling bit having a body with at least one roller cutter and leg combination including, a bearing trunion of right cylinder form projecting on an axis from the leg, a roller cutter having a cavity opening in opposition to the leg and received over the bearing trunion, there being complementary inner and outer annular channels formed in the bearing trunion and roller cutter cavity respectively, and a resiliently expansible ring constrictable into one of said channels during assembly and thereafter expansible partially into the other of said channels upon alignment therewith.

Claim 25

The roller cutter and leg combination for a well drilling bit as set forth in claim 22, wherein the resiliently expansible ring is a split ring and is thereby circumferentially collapsible.

Claim 26

The roller cutter and leg combination for a well drilling bit as set forth in claim 22, wherein the resiliently collapsible ring is constrictable into the inner channel in the bearing trunion and thereafter expansible partially into the other of said channels in the roller cutter cavity.

Claim 27

The roller cutter and leg combination for a well drilling bit as set forth in claim 22, wherein the complementary inner and outer channels have alignably opposed sides, and wherein the resiliently expansible ring has opposed faces slidably engageable with the said channel sides.

Claim 28

The roller cutter and leg combination for a well drilling bit as set forth in claim 22, wherein the resiliently collapsible ring is constrictable into the inner channel in the bearing trunion and thereafter expansible into respective engagement with a bottom of the other of said channels in the roller cutter cavity.