Drill bits embodying impregnated segments

Claim 2

A rotary bit for drilling bore holes in earth formations, comprising a body, a hard metal matrix secured to said body and providing a face adapted to confront the bottom portion of the bore hole, said matrix being fabricated at a temperature above about 2000° F., said matrix having preformed cavities therein opening through said face and produced during fabrication of said matrix, preformed diamond impregnated cutters in said cavities and projecting from said face to drill the bottom portion of the hole upon rotation of the bit, said cutters being fabricated at a temperature below about 1900° F., and means securing said preformed cutters to the walls of said preformed cavities.

Claim 3

A drill bit as defined in claim 1; the diamonds in said cutters being synthetic.

Claim 4

A drill bit as defined in claim 1; said securing means comprising brazing material affixing said cutters to the cavity walls.

Claim 5

A drill bit as defined in claim 3, each of said cutters comprising a mixture of diamonds and a hard metal bonded together.

Claim 6

A drill bit as defined in claims 3 or 4; said brazing material having a melting temperature not exceeding about 1400° F.

Claim 7

A drill bit as defined in claim 5, the diamonds in said cutters being synthetic.

Claim 8

A drill bit as defined in claim 1; and hard metal supports extending outwardly beyond said face in thrust transmitting relation to the trailing sides of said cutters.

Claim 9

A drill bit as defined in claim 7; said supports forming integral parts of said hard metal matrix.

Claim 10

A drill bit as defined in claim 7; said supports each being a separate member secured to said matrix.

Claim 11

A rotary drill bit for drilling bore holes in earth formations, comprising a body, a hard metal matrix secured to said body and providing a face adapted to confront the bottom portion of the bore hole, said matrix being fabricated at a temperature above about 2000° F., said matrix having generally radial preformed grooves therein opening through said face and extending to an outer gage portion of said matrix, preformed diamond impregnated cutter segments in said grooves extending to said outer gage portion and projecting from said face and its grooves to drill the bottom portion of the hole upon rotation of the bit, said segments being spaced from each other to provide lateral passageways between said segments opening at the inner ends of said segments and the outer ends of said segments, said cutter segments being fabricated at a temperature below about 1900° F., and means securing said cutter segments to the walls of said preformed grooves.

Claim 12

A rotary drill bit for drilling bore holes in earth formations, comprising a body, a hard metal matrix secured to said body and providing a face adapted to confront the bottom portion of the bore hole, said matrix being fabricated at a temperature above about 2000° F., said matrix having generally radial preformed grooves therein opening through said face and extending to an outer gage portion of said matrix, preformed diamond impregnated cutter segments in said grooves extending to said outer gage portion and projecting from said face and its grooves to drill the bottom portion of the hole upon rotation of the bit, said segments being spaced from each other to provide lateral passageways between said segments opening at the inner ends of said segments and the outer ends of said segments, said cutter segments being fabricated at a temperature below about 1900° F., and means securing said cutter segments to the walls of said preformed grooves.

Claim 13

A drill bit as defined in claim 10; the diamonds in said cutter segments being synthetic.

Claim 14

A drill bit as defined in claim 10; and surface set diamonds in said outer gage portion of said matrix.

Claim 15

A drill bit as defined in claim 12; and surface set diamonds in said matrix adjacent to the axis of said bit.

Claim 16

A rotary drill bit as defined in claim 10; said securing means comprising brazing material affixing said cutter segments to the groove walls.

Claim 17

A drill bit as defined in claim 14; each of said cutter segments comprising a mixture of diamonds and a hard metal bonded together.

Claim 18

A drill bit as defined in claim 14 or 15; said brazing material having a melting temperature not exceeding about 1400° F.

Claim 19

A drill bit as defined in claim 16; the diamonds in said cutter segments being synthetic.

Claim 20

A rotary drill bit for drilling bore holes in earth formations, comprising a body, a hard metal matrix secured to said body and providing a face adapted to confront the bottom portion of the bore hole, said matrix being fabricated at a temperature above about 2000° F., said matrix having generally radial preformed grooves therein opening through said face and extending to an outer gage portion of said matrix, preformed diamond impregnated cutter segments in said grooves extending to said outer gage portion and projecting from said face to drill the bottom portion of the hole upon rotation of the bit, said cutter segments being fabricated at a temperature below about 1900° F., means securing said cutter segments to the walls of said preformed grooves, said segments being spaced from each other to provide fluid courses therebetween extending to said outer gage portion, said body having passage means therein, and means for conducting fluid from said passage means to said fluid courses to remove cuttings formed by said segments from the bottom region of the bore hole.

Claim 21

A rotary drill bit for drilling bore holes in earth formations, comprising a body, a hard metal matrix secured to said body and providing a face adapted to confront the bottom portion of the bore hole, said matrix being fabricated at a temperature above about 2000° F., said matrix having generally radial preformed grooves therein opening through said face and extending to an outer gage portion of said matrix, preformed diamond impregnated cutter segments in said grooves extending to said outer gage portion and projecting from said face to drill the bottom portion of the hole upon rotation of the bit, said cutter segments being fabricated at a temperature below about 1900° F., means securing said cutter segments to the walls of said preformed grooves, said segments being spaced from each other to provide fluid courses therebetween extending to said outer gage portion, said body having passage means therein, and means for conducting fluid from said passage means to said fluid courses to remove cuttings formed by said segments from the bottom region of the bore hole.

Claim 22

A rotary drill bit for drilling bore holes in earth formations, comprising a body, a hard metal matrix secured to said body and providing a face adapted to confront the bottom portion of the bore hole, said matrix being fabricated at a temperature above about 2000° F., said matrix having generally radial preformed grooves therein opening through said face and extending to an outer gage portion of said matrix, preformed diamond impregnated cutter segments in said grooves extending to said outer gage portion and projecting from said face to drill the bottom portion of the hole upon rotation of the bit, said cutter segments being fabricated at a temperature below about 1900° F., means securing said cutter segments to the walls of said preformed grooves, one or more preformed diamond impregnated rings at the central portion of said matrix, said matrix having one or more preformed surfaces against which said one or more rings bear, and means securing said one or more rings to said one or more surfaces.

Claim 23

A rotary drill bit for drilling bore holes in earth formations, comprising a body, a hard metal matrix secured to said body and providing a face adapted to confront the bottom portion of the bore hole, said matrix being fabricated at a temperature above about 2000° F., said matrix having generally radial preformed grooves therein opening through said face and extending to an outer gage portion of said matrix, preformed diamond impregnated cutter segments in said grooves extending to said outer gage portion and projecting from said face to drill the bottom portion of the hole upon rotation of the bit, said cutter segments being fabricated at a temperature below about 1900° F., means securing said cutter segments to the walls of said preformed grooves, one or more preformed diamond impregnated rings at the central portion of said matrix, said matrix having one or more preformed surfaces against which said one or more rings bear, and means securing said one or more rings to said one or more surfaces.

Claim 24

A rotary drill bit for drilling bore holes in earth formations, comprising a body, a hard metal matrix secured to said body and providing a face adapted to confront the bottom portion of the bore hole, said matrix being fabricated at a temperature above about 2000° F., said matrix having generally radial preformed grooves therein opening through said face and extending to an outer gage portion of said matrix, preformed diamond impregnated cutter segments in said grooves extending to said outer gage portion and projecting from said face and its grooves to drill the bottom portion of the hole upon rotation of the bit, means securing said cutter segments to the walls of said preformed grooves, said preformed grooves extending to an inner gage portion of said matrix, the inner portions of said segments terminating at said inner gage portion, surface set diamonds in said inner gage portion, said segments being spaced from each other to provide lateral passageways between said segments opening at the inner ends of said segments and the outer ends of said segments.

Claim 25

A rotary drill bit for drilling bore holes in earth formations, comprising a body, a hard metal matrix secured to said body and providing a face adapted to confront the bottom portion of the bore hole, said matrix being fabricated at a temperature above about 2000° F., said matrix having generally radial preformed grooves therein opening through said face and extending to an outer gage portion of said matrix, preformed diamond impregnated cutter segments in said grooves extending to said outer gage portion and projecting from said face and its grooves to drill the bottom portion of the hole upon rotation of the bit, means securing said cutter segments to the walls of said preformed grooves, said preformed grooves extending to an inner gage portion of said matrix, the inner portions of said segments terminating at said inner gage portion, surface set diamonds in said inner gage portion, said segments being spaced from each other to provide lateral passageways between said segments opening at the inner ends of said segments and the outer ends of said segments.

Claim 26

A drill bit as defined in claims 20; and surface set diamonds in said outer gage portion of said matrix.

Claim 27

A rotary drill bit for drilling bore holes in earth formations, comprising a body, a hard metal matrix secured to said body and providing a face adapted to confront the bottom portion of the bore hole, said matrix having generally radial preformed grooves therein opening through said face and extending to an outer gage portion of said matrix, preformed diamond impregnated cutter segments in said grooves extending to said outer gage portion and projecting from said face to drill the bottom portion of the hole upon rotation of the bit, and means securing said cutter segments to the walls of said preformed grooves, said segments being spaced from each other to provide fluid courses therebetween extending to said outer gage portions, said body having passage means therein, and means for conducting fluid from said passage means to said fluid courses to remove cuttings formed by said segments from the bottom region of the bore hole, said preformed grooves extending to an inner gage portion of said matrix, the inner portions of said segments terminating at said inner gage portions, said conducting means including fluid passages in said inner gage portion leading to said fluid courses.

Claim 28

A rotary drill bit for drilling bore holes in earth formations, comprising a body, a hard metal matrix secured to said body and providing a face adapted to confront the bottom portion of the bore hole, said matrix having generally radial preformed grooves therein opening through said face and extending to an outer gage portion of said matrix, preformed diamond impregnated cutter segments in said grooves extending to said outer gage portion and projecting from said face to drill the bottom portion of the hole upon rotation of the bit, and means securing said cutter segments to the walls of said preformed grooves, said segments being spaced from each other to provide fluid courses therebetween extending to said outer gage portions, said body having passage means therein, and means for conducting fluid from said passage means to said fluid courses to remove cuttings formed by said segments from the bottom region of the bore hole, said preformed grooves extending to an inner gage portion of said matrix, the inner portions of said segments terminating at said inner gage portions, said conducting means including fluid passages in said inner gage portion leading to said fluid courses.

Claim 29

A drill bit as defined in claim 22; and surface set diamonds in said inner gage portion.

Claim 30

A rotary bit for drilling bore holes in earth formations, comprising a body, a hard metal matrix secured to said body and providing a face adapted to confront the bottom portion of the bore hole, said matrix having preformed cavities therein opening through said face, preformed diamond impregnated cutters in said cavities and projecting from said face to drill the bottom portion of the hole upon rotation of the bit, and means securing said preformed cutters to the walls of said preformed cavities, and hard metal supports extending outwardly beyond said face in thrust transmitting relation to the trailing sides of said cutters , said matrix having supplementary cavities continuing from said other cavities, said supports being separate members disposed in said supplementary cavities in thrust transmitting relation to the trailing sides of said cutters.

Claim 31

A rotary bit for drilling bore holes in earth formations, comprising a body, a hard metal matrix secured to said body and providing a face adapted to confront the bottom portion of the bore hole, said matrix having preformed cavities therein opening through said face, preformed diamond impregnated cutters in said cavities and projecting from said face to drill the bottom portion of the hole upon rotation of the bit, and means securing said preformed cutters to the walls of said preformed cavities, and hard metal supports extending outwardly beyond said face in thrust transmitting relation to the trailing sides of said cutters , said matrix having supplementary cavities continuing from said other cavities, said supports being separate members disposed in said supplementary cavities in thrust transmitting relation to the trailing sides of said cutters.

Claim 32

A drill bit as defined in claim 24; said securing means comprising brazing material affixing said cutters to the walls of said cavities and to said supports, and brazing material securing said supports to said matrix.