In-hole motor drill with locking bit clutch

Claim 2

An in-hole motor assembly adapted for connection with a rotatable pipe string and a bit, said assembly comprising: a motor stator including a housing structure connectable at one end to a pipe string; a rotor in said stator connected at one end to a shaft for rotation therewith and extending at the other end of said shaft from said housing for connection to a drill bit; thrust bearing between said shaft and said housing structure to transmit thrust from said housing to said shaft; a clutch engageable between said shaft and said housing to couple said housing structure and shaft for mutual rotation and a lock holding said clutch against disengagement on application of thrust between said housing and said shaft.

Claim 3

An in-hole motor as defined in claim 1, including a lock for holding said clutch engaged, said lock comprising a resiliently expansible ring carried by said shaft, a retainer removably disposed in said ring to prevent expansion of said ring, said clutch including a clutch member carried by said housing structure and a clutch member carried by said shaft, said clutch member carried by said housing structure having a portion engageable with said retainer to remove said retainer upon longitudinal movement of said housing structure relative to said shaft in a direction to engage said clutch, and a shoulder on said clutch member carried by said housing structure engageable with said ring upon removal of said retainer to prevent reverse longitudinal movement of said housing structure relative to said shaft.

Claim 4

An in-hole motor as defined in claim 1; releasable thrust transmitting connection between said housing structure and the thrust bearings disconnectable upon the application of a predetermined thrust load on said shaft in the direction of said one end, said thrust bearing including springs for cushioning opposite relative longitudinal movement of said housing structure and said shaft, and thrust transfer means engageable to transmit thrust from said releasable thrust transmitting connection to said shaft.

Claim 5

An in-hole motor adapted for connection with a rotatable pipe string and a bit, said assembly comprising: a motor stator including a housing structure connectable at one end to a pipe string; a rotor in said stator connected at one end to said rotor for rotation therewith and extending at its other end from the other end of said housing structure to drive a drill bit thrust bearings between said shaft and said housing structure to transmit thrust from said housing to said shaft in the direction of said other end and to transmit thrust from said housing structure to said shaft in the direction of said one end; yieldable thrust transmitting connection between said housing structure and shaft, said yieldable thrust transmitting connection including a frangible section, shearable on application of sufficient thrust; a clutch engageable between said shaft and said housing structure to couple said housing structure and shaft for mutual rotation upon movement of said housing relative to said shaft in the direction of said one end; including a lock for holding said clutch engaged.

Claim 6

An in-hole motor adapted for connection with a rotatable pipe string and a bit, said assembly comprising: a motor stator including a housing structure connectable at one end to a pipe string; a rotor in said stator connected at one end to said rotor for rotation therewith and extending at its other end from the other end of said housing structure to drive a drill bit thrust bearings between said shaft and said housing structure to transmit thrust from said housing to said shaft in the direction of said other end and to transmit thrust from said housing structure to said shaft in the direction of said one end; yieldable thrust transmitting connection between said housing structure and shaft, said yieldable thrust transmitting connection including a frangible section, shearable on application of sufficient thrust; a clutch engageable between said shaft and said housing structure to couple said housing structure and shaft for mutual rotation upon movement of said housing relative to said shaft in the direction of said one end; including a lock for holding said clutch engaged.

Claim 7

An in-hole motor as defined in claim 4; said lock being automatically engageable upon engagement of said clutch.

Claim 8

An in-hole motor as defined in claim 4; said clutch including a clutch member rotatable with said shaft and in thrust transmitting relation with said shaft towards said one end; a clutch member in said housing structure rotatable therewith and in thrust transmitting relation with said shaft towards said other end; said clutch members having opposing thrust transmitting portions engageable upon engagement of said clutch to transmit thrust from said housing structure to said shaft towards said one end.

Claim 9

An in-hole motor as defined in claim 4; said lock comprising a spring ring carried by one of said shaft and said clutch and resiliently shiftable circumferentially, and a groove in the other of said shaft and said clutch to receive a periphery of said ring when said clutch is engaged.

Claim 10

An in-hole motor as defined in claim 4; releasable thrust transmitting connection between said housing structure and the thrust bearings disconnectable upon the application of a predetermined thrust load on said shaft in the direction of said one end, said thrust bearing including springs for cushioning opposite relative longitudinal movement of said housing structure and said shaft, and thrust transfer means engageable to transmit thrust from said releasable thrust transmitting connection to said shaft.

Claim 13

The method of claim 9, including locking said housing and said shaft together, relaxing said upward pull, and rotating said drill string.

Claim 14

An in-hole motor assembly adapted for connection with a rotatable pipe string and a bit, an assembly comprising a motor stator including a housing connectable to one end of a pipe string; a rotor in said stator, a shaft connected at one end of said shaft for rotation with said rotor, said shaft extending at the other end of said shaft from said housing for connection to a drill bit, thrust bearing between said housing and said shaft; a clutch engageable between said shaft and housing for mutual rotation on movement of said housing relative to said shaft; a yieldable thrust transmitting connection between said housing and shaft limiting the relative longitudinal movement of said shaft and housing on application of a limitied thrust and yielding to permit of a further longitudinal movement on application of additional thrust to engage the clutch; and a lock holding said clutch against disengagement on application of a thrust between said housing and said shaft.

Claim 15

An in-hole motor assembly adapted for connection with a rotatable pipe string and a bit, an assembly comprising a motor stator including a housing connectable to one end of a pipe string; a rotor in said stator, a shaft connected at one end of said shaft for rotation with said rotor, said shaft extending at the other end of said shaft from said housing for connection to a drill bit, thrust bearing between said housing and said shaft; a clutch engageable between said shaft and housing for mutual rotation on movement of said housing relative to said shaft; a yieldable thrust transmitting connection between said housing and shaft limiting the relative longitudinal movement of said shaft and housing on application of a limitied thrust and yielding to permit of a further longitudinal movement on application of additional thrust to engage the clutch; and a lock holding said clutch against disengagement on application of a thrust between said housing and said shaft.

Claim 16

An in-hole motor as defined in claim 1 or 11; said lock including means automatically engageable upon engagement of said clutch.

Claim 17

An in-hole motor as defined in claim 1 or 11; said clutch including a clutch member rotatable with said shaft and in thrust transmitting relation with said shaft towards said one end; a clutch member in said housing structure rotatable therewith and in thrust transmitting relation with said shaft towards said other end; said clutch members having opposing thrust transmitting portions engageable upon engagement of said clutch to transmit thrust from said housing to said shaft towards said one end.

Claim 18

An in-hole motor as defined in claim 7 or 11 including a lock automatically engageable upon engagement of said clutch members enabling thrust transmission from said housing structure to said shaft towards said other end.

Claim 19

An in-hole motor as defined in claim 1 or 11; said lock comprising a spring ring carried by one of said shaft and said clutch and resiliently shiftable circumferentially, and a groove in the other of said shaft and said clutch to receive a periphery of said ring when said clutch is engaged.

Claim 20

An in-hole motor as defined in claim 11; releasable thrust transmitting connection between said housing structure and the thrust bearings disconnectable upon the application of a predetermined thrust load on said shaft in the direction of said one end, said thrust bearing including springs for cushioning opposite relative longitudinal movement of said housing structure and said shaft, and thrust transfer means engageable to transmit thrust from said releasable thrust transmitting connection to said shaft.