Centrifugal water-air separation in earth drilling bits

Claim 2

A rock bit for air drilling, with an improved filtering system to provide filtered air to the bit bearings, said bit comprising: a bit body having a drill cutter end and a hollow shank end for connection to a rotatable drill pipe; a rock cutter secured rotatably to the drill cutter end; bearing means between the cutter and bit body; a bearing coolant passage communicating with the hollow shank end of the bit body and the bearing means; a nozzle passage between the hollow shank end and the cutter end of the bit body; a support ring adapted to fit within the hollow shank end of the bit body above the nozzle passage; a plurality of radially oriented vane means extending into engagement without use of a diffuser inwardly from the support ring, each pair of vane means separated by a space to permit maximum air flow through each space, and each vane means having a generally uniform thickness and a pitch angle to minimize pressure drop in the air flowing across the separator; a tube extending from the bearing coolant passages to a central location beneath the vanes.

Claim 3

A rock bit for air drilling, with an improved filter system to provide filtered air to the bit bearings, said bit comprising: a bit body having a drill cutter end and a hollow shank end for connection to a rotatable drill pipe; a rock cutter secured rotatably to the drill cutter end; bearing means between the cutter and bit body; a bearing coolant passage communicating with the hollow shank end of the bit body and the bearing means; a nozzle passage between the hollow shank end and the cutter end of the bit body; a support ring adapted to fit within the hollow shank end of the bit body above the nozzle passage; a plurality of transverse vane means extending inwardly from the support ring, each pair of vane means separated by a space to permit airflow therebetween, and each vane means have planar surfaces and a pitch angle to minimize pressure drop in the air flowing across the separator and to generate a vortex sufficient to throw liquid particles outwardly; a center support means to secure the inner ends of the radial vanes; tube means extending from the bearing coolant passage, with an opening located generally centrally beneath said vanes.

Claim 4

A rock bit for air drilling, with an improved filter system to provide filtered air to the bit bearings, said bit comprising: a bit body having a drill cutter end and a hollow shank end for connection to a rotatable drill pipe; a rock cutter secured rotatably to the drill cutter end; bearing means between the cutter and bit body; a bearing coolant passage communicating with the hollow shank end of the bit body and the bearing means; a nozzle passage between the hollow shank end and the cutter end of the bit body; a support ring adapted to fit within the hollow shank end of the bit body above the nozzle passage; a plurality of transverse vane means extending inwardly from the support ring, each pair of vane means separated by a space to permit airflow therebetween, and each vane means have planar surfaces and a pitch angle to minimize pressure drop in the air flowing across the separator and to generate a vortex sufficient to throw liquid particles outwardly; a center support means to secure the inner ends of the radial vanes; tube means extending from the bearing coolant passage, with an opening located generally centrally beneath said vanes.

Claim 5

A rock bit for air drilling, with an improved filter system to provide filtered air to the bit bearings, said bit comprising: a bit body having a drill cutter end and a hollow shank end for connection to a rotatable drill pipe; a rock cutter secured rotatably to the drill cutter end; bearing means between the cutter and bit body; a bearing coolant passage communicating with the hollow shank end of the bit body and the bearing means; a nozzle passage between the hollow shank end and the cutter end of the bit body; support means adapted to fit within the hollow shank end of the bit body above the nozzle passage; a plurality of transverse vanes extending inwardly from the support ring, each pair of vanes separated by a space to permit airflow therebetween, and each vane means having a pitch angle between 30 and 40 degrees; a center support means to secure the inner ends of the radial vane means; tube means extending from the bearing coolant passage with an opening located generally centrally beneath said vane means.

Claim 6

A rock bit for air drilling, with an improved filter system to provide filtered air to the bit bearings, said bit comprising: a bit body having a drill cutter end and a hollow shank end for connection to a rotatable drill pipe; a rock cutter secured rotatably to the drill cutter end; bearing means between the cutter and bit body; a bearing coolant passage communicating with the hollow shank end of the bit body and the bearing means; a nozzle passage between the hollow shank end and the cutter end of the bit body; support means adapted to fit within the hollow shank end of the bit body above the nozzle passage; a plurality of transverse vanes extending inwardly from the support ring, each pair of vanes separated by a space to permit airflow therebetween, and each vane means having a pitch angle between 30 and 40 degrees; a center support means to secure the inner ends of the radial vane means; tube means extending from the bearing coolant passage with an opening located generally centrally beneath said vane means.

Claim 7

For use with the rock bit for air drilling, having a bit body with a drill cutter end and a hollow shank end for connection to a rotatably drill pipe, a rock cutter sesecured rotatably to the drill cutter end, bearing means between the cutter and bit body, a bearing coolant passage communicating with the hollow shank end of the bit body and the bearing means, a nozzle passage between the hollow shank end and the cutter end of the bit body, the improvement comprising: a support ring adapted to fit within the hollow shank end of the bit body above the nozzle passage; a plurality of radially oriented vane means extending into engagement without use of a diffuser inwardly from the support ring, each pair of vane means separated by a space to permit air flow through each space, and each vane means having a generally uniform thickness and a pitch angle to minimize pressure drop in the air flowing across the separator; a connector means to secure the inner ends of the radial vanes; the outermost end of each vane means having a selected pitch and the inner end of each vane means having a greater pitch; tube means extending from the bearing coolant passage, with an opening located generally centrally beneath said vane means.

Claim 8

For use with the rock bit for air drilling, having a bit body with a drill cutter end and a hollow shank end for connection to a rotatably drill pipe, a rock cutter sesecured rotatably to the drill cutter end, bearing means between the cutter and bit body, a bearing coolant passage communicating with the hollow shank end of the bit body and the bearing means, a nozzle passage between the hollow shank end and the cutter end of the bit body, the improvement comprising: a support ring adapted to fit within the hollow shank end of the bit body above the nozzle passage; a plurality of radially oriented vane means extending into engagement without use of a diffuser inwardly from the support ring, each pair of vane means separated by a space to permit air flow through each space, and each vane means having a generally uniform thickness and a pitch angle to minimize pressure drop in the air flowing across the separator; a connector means to secure the inner ends of the radial vanes; the outermost end of each vane means having a selected pitch and the inner end of each vane means having a greater pitch; tube means extending from the bearing coolant passage, with an opening located generally centrally beneath said vane means.

Claim 9

For use with rock bit for air drilling, having a bit body with a drill cutter end and a hollow shank end for connection to a rotatable drill pipe, a rock cutter secured rotatably to the drill cutter end, bearing means between the cutter and bit body, a bearing coolant passage communicating with the hollow shank end of the bit body and the bearing means, a nozzle passage between the hollow shank end and the cutter end of the bit body, the improvement comprising: a receptacle within the hollow shank end of the bit body above the nozzle passage; a plurality of transverse vane means extending inwardly from the support ring, each pair of vane means separated by a space to permit airflow therebetween, and each vane means have planar surfaces and a pitch angle to minimize pressure drop in the air flowing across the separator and to generage a vortex sufficient to throw liquid particles outwardly; connector means to secure the generally radial vane means, without use of a diffuser means, at least one tube extending from the bearing coolant passage, with an opening generally centrally beneath said vane means.

Claim 10

For use with rock bit for air drilling, having a bit body with a drill cutter end and a hollow shank end for connection to a rotatable drill pipe, a rock cutter secured rotatably to the drill cutter end, bearing means between the cutter and bit body, a bearing coolant passage communicating with the hollow shank end of the bit body and the bearing means, a nozzle passage between the hollow shank end and the cutter end of the bit body, the improvement comprising: a receptacle within the hollow shank end of the bit body above the nozzle passage; a plurality of transverse vane means extending inwardly from the support ring, each pair of vane means separated by a space to permit airflow therebetween, and each vane means have planar surfaces and a pitch angle to minimize pressure drop in the air flowing across the separator and to generage a vortex sufficient to throw liquid particles outwardly; connector means to secure the generally radial vane means, without use of a diffuser means, at least one tube extending from the bearing coolant passage, with an opening generally centrally beneath said vane means.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the inner ends of said vanes reside at one angle and the outer ends reside at another angle.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 6 and the angle of the inner ends is about 30 degrees relative to a plane perpendicular to the separator central axis and the outer end is at an angle of about 40 degrees.