Drilling apparatus

Claim 2

Apparatus for locating in a drill string to transmit rotation and drilling weight from the drill string to a drill bit in engagement with the bottom of a well bore, comprising a driving member for connecting to a drill string, a driven member for connecting to a drill bit, means connecting the driving member and the driven member for limited relative axial movement, resilient means for resisting such axial movement in one direction to transmit drilling weight imposed by the drill string on the driving member to the driven member and a drill bit attached thereto while allowing relative axial movement of the members produced by any axial vibrations of the driven member due to rotation of a drill bit in engagement with the bottom of a well bore, and means for transmitting the rotation of the driving member by the drill string to the driven member and a drill bit attached thereto and to convert the vertical vibrations of the driven member to rotational movement relative to the driving member to cause the member and a drill bit attached thereto to rotate faster than the driving member.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 in which the driving member comprises a tubular housing and the driven member comprises a mandrel having a portion thereof extending into the housing.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 in which the rotation transmitting means comprises first and second drive collars mounted on the driving member for rotation relative to said member in the direction oF desired rotation of the driven member, surfaces on each collar in engagement with surfaces on the driven member to transmit rotation of the driving member to the driven member, one of said engaging surfaces on one of the collars or the driven member being inclined to the longitudinal axis of the members so that relative movement of the members in one axial direction due to bit vibration will cause the driven member to rotate relative to the driving member in the direction of rotation of the bit and one of said engaging surfaces on the other collar and member being inclined in the opposite direction to the other inclined surface to cause relative rotation of the driven member to the driving member in the desired direction of rotation of the bit when the driven member moves axially in the opposite direction due to vibration of a drill bit.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1 in which the rotation transmitting means comprises first and second drive collars mounted on the driven member for rotation relative to said member in the opposite direction from the desired rotation of the driven member, surfaces on each collar in engagement with surfaces on the driving member to transmit rotation of the driving member to the driven member, one of said engaging surfaces on one of the collars or the driven member being inclined to the longitudinal axis of the members so that relative movement of the members in one axial direction due to bit vibration will cause the driven member to rotate relative to the driving member in the direction of rotation of the bit and one of said engaging surfaces on the other collar and member being inclined in the opposite direction to the other inclined surface to cause relative rotation of the driven member to the driving member in the desired direction of rotation of the bit when the driven member moves axially in the opposite direction due to vibration of a drill bit.

Claim 6

Apparatus for driving a drill bit comprising a housing, a mandrel having a portion extending into the housing and a portion extending out of the housing for connecting to a drill bit to rotate the bit with the mandrel and to transmit a downward force imposed on the mandrel to the bit, resilient means located in the housing to transmit any downward force on the housing to the mandrel while allowing the mandrel to reciprocate axially relative to the housing due to vibrations produced by a bit as it is urged against the bottom of a well bore by a downward force, and means carried by the housing and the mandrel to transmit the rotation of the housing to the mandrel and to cause relative rotation of the mandrel and the housing in the direction the mandrel is rotated by the housing as the mandrel reciprocates axially in the housing due to vibration of the bit to increase the speed of rotation of the bit relative to the housing.

Claim 7

Apparatus for driving a drill bit comprising a housing, a mandrel having a portion extending into the housing and a portion extending out of the housing for connecting to a drill bit to rotate the bit with the mandrel and to transmit a downward force imposed on the mandrel to the bit, resilient means located in the housing to transmit any downward force on the housing to the mandrel while allowing the mandrel to reciprocate axially relative to the housing due to vibrations produced by a bit as it is urged against the bottom of a well bore by a downward force, and means carried by the housing and the mandrel to transmit the rotation of the housing to the mandrel and to cause relative rotation of the mandrel and the housing in the direction the mandrel is rotated by the housing as the mandrel reciprocates axially in the housing due to vibration of the bit to increase the speed of rotation of the bit relative to the housing.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 5 in which the means for transmitting the rotation of the housing to the mandrel and for causing such relative rotation to increase the speed of rotation comprises first and second drive collars mounted in the housing and encircling the mandrel, means mounting the collars for rotation relative to the housing in the desired direction of rotation of the mandrel and a bit connected thereto and to hold the collars from rotating relative to the housing in the opposite direction, each collar having a tooth or a groove to engage a tooth or a groove on the mandrel with the groove associated with one collar being inclined from the longitudinal axis of the mandrel in one direction to cause relative rotation of the mandrel and the collar in the direction of rotation of the bit when the mandrel moves axially relative to the housing in one direction and with the groove associated with the other collar being inclined in the opposite direction to cause relative rotation of the mandrel and the housing in the direction of rotation of the bit when the mandrel moves axially in the other direction.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 5 in which the means for transmittinG the rotation of the housing to the mandrel and for causing such relative rotation to increase the speed of rotation comprises first and second drive collars mounted on the mandrel and encircling the mandrel, means mounting the collars for rotation relative to the mandrel in the opposite direction of rotation of the mandrel and a bit connected thereto and to hold the collars from rotating relative to the housing in the opposite direction, each collar having a tooth or a groove to engage a tooth or a groove on the mandrel with the groove associated with one collar being inclined from the longitudinal axis of the mandrel in one direction to cause relative rotation of the mandrel and the collar in the direction of rotation of the bit when the mandrel moves axially relative to the housing in one direction and with the groove associated with the other collar being inclined in the opposite direction to cause relative rotation of the mandrel and the housing in the direction of rotation of the bit when the mandrel moves axially in the other direction.