Separator for cuttings

Claim 2

A separator for drill bit cuttings for attachment atop a well pipe including, a Container a peripheral side wall, an enclosing bottom wall and a top opening, mounting means connecting said container to the top of the well pipe, said mounting means including a vertically disposed sleeve extending through said bottom wall and engaging said well pipe, the top of said sleeve disposed above the plane of the top of the side wall, an apertured slide bridging the top opening of said container, said slide including a plurality of spaced elongated elements inclined downwardly from the top of said sleeve to said side wall, each adjacent pair of said elements defining an elongated opening therebetween, and said slide being disposed in a plane no higher than the point from which drilling fluid containing cuttings issues from said well pipe sleeve, whereby, said drilling fluid passes between said elongated elements and is collected in said container while said cuttings of a dimension greater than the width of said openings pass over said elongated elements and fall beyond said container side wall.

Claim 3

A separator for drill bit cuttings for attachment atop a well pipe including, a container, mounting means connecting said container to the top of the well pipe, said container including a peripheral side wall and an enclosing bottom wall and a top opening, said mounting means including a vertically disposed sleeve extending through said bottom wall and engaging said well pipe, an apertured slide bridging the top opening of said container, said slide including a plurality of elongated elements each adjacent pair of which defines an elongated opening therebetween, the inner distal portions of said slide elements attached to the upper end of said sleeve and the outer distal portions of said slide elements attached to the top of said side wall, said slide disposed in a plane no higher than the point from which drilling fluid containing cuttings issues from said well pipe, whereby, said drilling fluid passes between said elongated elements and is collected in said container while said cuttings of a dimension greater than the width of said openings pass over said elongated elements and fall beyond said container side wall.

Claim 4

A separator for drill bit cuttings for attachment atop a well pipe including, a container, mounting means connecting said container to the top of the well pipe, said container including a peripheral side wall and an enclosing bottom wall and a top opening, said mounting means including a vertically disposed sleeve extending through said bottom wall and engaging said well pipe, an apertured slide bridging the top opening of said container, said slide including a plurality of elongated elements each adjacent pair of which defines an elongated opening therebetween, the inner distal portions of said slide elements attached to the upper end of said sleeve and the outer distal portions of said slide elements attached to the top of said side wall, said slide disposed in a plane no higher than the point from which drilling fluid containing cuttings issues from said well pipe, whereby, said drilling fluid passes between said elongated elements and is collected in said container while said cuttings of a dimension greater than the width of said openings pass over said elongated elements and fall beyond said container side wall.

Claim 5

A separator for drill bit cuttings according to claim 2 wherein, said container side wall is circular and concentrically mounted relative said well pipe.

Claim 6

A separator for drill bit cuttings according to claim 2 wherein, said container includes an outlet adjacent said bottom wall for carrying away drilling fluid collected by said container.

Claim 7

A separator for drill bit cuttings according to claim 2 wherein, said slide elements extend radially across the top of said container whereby, said openings therebetween are of an ever-increasing width from the center of said container to said side wall.

Claim 8

A separator for drill bit cuttings according to claim 2 wherein, said slide elements are inclined downwardly from the center of said container to said side wall.

Claim 9

A separator for drill bit cuttings according to claim 6 wherein, the downward inclination of said slide elements is between 20* - 35* below the horizontal.

Claim 10

A separator for drill bit cuttings according to claim 2 including, a catch tank below said container for collecting said cuttings falling beyond said side wall.

Claim 11

A separator for drill bit cuttings according to claim 2 wherein, said sleeve extends downwardly to telescopically engage said well pipe.

Claim 12

A separator for drill bit cuttings according to claim 9 including, a second inner sleeve having its lower end in engagement with the top of said well pipe.

Claim 13

A separator for drill bit cuttings for attachment atop a well pipe including, a container, mounting means connecting said container to the top of the well pipe, said container including a peripheral side wall and an enclosing bottom wall and a top opening, said mounting means including a vertically disposed sleeve extending through said bottom wall and engaging said well pipe, said sleeve extending downwardly to telescopically engage said well pipe, a second inner sleeve having its lower end in engagement with the top of said well pipe, an apertured slide bridging the top opening of said container, said slide including a plurality of elongated elements each adjacent pair of which defines an elongated opening therebetween, and said slide is disposed in a plane no higher than the point from which drilling fluid containing cuttings issues from said well pipe sleeve, whereby, said drilling fluid passes between said elongated elements and is collected in said container while said cuttings of a dimension greater than the width of said openings pass over said elongated elements and fall beyond said container side wall.

Claim 14

A separator for drill bit cuttings for attachment atop a well pipe including, a container, mounting means connecting said container to the top of the well pipe, said container including a peripheral side wall and an enclosing bottom wall and a top opening, said mounting means including a vertically disposed sleeve extending through said bottom wall and engaging said well pipe, said sleeve extending downwardly to telescopically engage said well pipe, a second inner sleeve having its lower end in engagement with the top of said well pipe, an apertured slide bridging the top opening of said container, said slide including a plurality of elongated elements each adjacent pair of which defines an elongated opening therebetween, and said slide is disposed in a plane no higher than the point from which drilling fluid containing cuttings issues from said well pipe sleeve, whereby, said drilling fluid passes between said elongated elements and is collected in said container while said cuttings of a dimension greater than the width of said openings pass over said elongated elements and fall beyond said container side wall.