Ratchet and hydraulic seal assembly for rotating hollow shafts

Claim 1

A ratchet and hydraulic seal assembly for transferring power from a rotating drive shaft to a drill pipe and for directing drilling fluid into the drill pipe comprising: (a) a power transfer pipe, having at its upper end a ratchet member with circumferentially spaced teeth, a pawl for engaging said teeth, a rotatable cap carrying said pawl, means for rotating said cap to rotate through said pawl said power transfer pipe, a shank integrally joined to said ratchet member, said shank having a port and a hollow interior communicating with said port, and a tubular lower threaded end for receiving a drill pipe thereon, said hollow interior communicating with said drill pipe through said lower end; (b) an elastomeric hydraulic seal assembly having a sleeve providing a chamber surrounding said shank, a collar communicating with said sleeve for introducing drilling fluid into said chamber for passage through said port and said hollow interior; (c) said shank being provided with a pair of spaced circumferential grooves; (d) said sleeve including seals on opposite ends of said chamber, surrounding said shank and received respectively in said grooves; (e) said seal assembly being composed of an elastomer and a lubricant incorporated into said elastomer; (f) said seals being in tension in said grooves; (g) said sleeve including second seals surrounding said shank and inwardly of said first mentioned seals; (h) said second seals protruding inwardly and seating with pressure of said drilling fluid against said shank; and (i) said ratchet member including a ring having a bore for receiving the end of said drive shaft and a shear pin securing said pipe to said drive shaft.