Adjustable nozzle

Claim 2

A nozzle adapted for connection within a cavity of a member to discharge a jet of fluid, said nozzle comprising: a nozzle body formed of a hard material and including: an outer flange, a jet opening arranged to discharge fluid and to be reoriented in response to rotation of said nozzle body about a longitudinal axis thereof, first tool receiving means for receiving a tool to manually rotate said nozzle body about said axis, and a sleeve retained longitudinally upon said nozzle body and being rotatable relative to said nozzle body, said sleeve including: coupling means located inwardly behind said flange for coupling said nozzle to the cavity of the member in response to rotation of said sleeve, and second tool receiving means, such that the tool is engageable with said second tool receiving means for rotating said sleeve to install said nozzle, and is engageable with said first tool receiving means and disengaged from said second tool receiving means for rotating said nozzle body relative to said sleeve to reorient said jet opening.

Claim 3

A nozzle according to claim 1, wherein said first and second tool receiving means each comprise a set of tool-receiving apertures.

Claim 4

A nozzle according to claim 1, wherein said nozzle body and sleeve are each rotatable about said longitudinal axis of said nozzle, said nozzle body including longitudinally spaced stops for longitudinally retaining said sleeve.

Claim 5

A nozzle according to claim 1, wherein said coupling means comprises a helical thread, said outer flange extending radially outwardly substantially as far as said thread.

Claim 6

A nozzle according to claim 1, wherein said jet opening is non-aligned relative to said longitudinal axis.

Claim 7

A nozzle according to claim 1, wherein said jet opening is of non-circular cross-section and aligned with said longitudinal axis.

Claim 8

A nozzle according to claim 1, wherein said sleeve is of a split construction to be able to be snapped onto said nozzle body.

Claim 9

A nozzle according to claim 1, wherein said nozzle body is formed of tungsten carbide and said sleeve is formed of steel.

Claim 10

A nozzle according to claim 1, wherein said second tool receiving means is alignable with said first tool receiving means at an inner end of the latter such that the tool engages said first tool receiving means whenever it engages said second tool receiving means, the tool being movable outwardly to become disengaged from said second tool receiving means while maintaining engagement with said first tool receiving means.

Claim 11

A nozzle adapted for connection in a bore of a rotary drill bit to discharge a jet of drilling fluid from the drill bit, said nozzle comprising: a nozzle body formed of tungsten carbide and including: an outer flange, a jet opening arranged to discharge fluid and to be reoriented in response to rotation of said nozzle body about a longitudinal axis thereof, a first set of tool-receiving apertures for receiving a tool to manually rotate said nozzle body about said axis, longitudinally spaced stop means defining a groove, and a sleeve formed of a softer material than said nozzle body and retained longitudinally in said groove of said nozzle body and rotatable therein relative to said nozzle body about said longitudinal axis, said sleeve including: threads for threadedly connecting said nozzle to the threaded bore, said threads being located inwardly behind said outer flange so as to be shielded thereby, and a second set of tool-receiving apertures alignable with said first set of tool-receiving apertures at an inner end of the latter, such that the tool is engageable simultaneously with said first and second sets of tool-receiving apertures for rotating both said sleeve and nozzle body to install said nozzle, and is engageable with only said first set of tool-engaging apertures for rotating said nozzle body relative to said sleeve to reorient said jet opening.

Claim 12

A nozzle adapted for connection in a bore of a rotary drill bit to discharge a jet of drilling fluid from the drill bit, said nozzle comprising: a nozzle body formed of tungsten carbide and including: an outer flange, a jet opening arranged to discharge fluid and to be reoriented in response to rotation of said nozzle body about a longitudinal axis thereof, a first set of tool-receiving apertures for receiving a tool to manually rotate said nozzle body about said axis, longitudinally spaced stop means defining a groove, and a sleeve formed of a softer material than said nozzle body and retained longitudinally in said groove of said nozzle body and rotatable therein relative to said nozzle body about said longitudinal axis, said sleeve including: threads for threadedly connecting said nozzle to the threaded bore, said threads being located inwardly behind said outer flange so as to be shielded thereby, and a second set of tool-receiving apertures alignable with said first set of tool-receiving apertures at an inner end of the latter, such that the tool is engageable simultaneously with said first and second sets of tool-receiving apertures for rotating both said sleeve and nozzle body to install said nozzle, and is engageable with only said first set of tool-engaging apertures for rotating said nozzle body relative to said sleeve to reorient said jet opening.

Claim 13

A nozzle according to claim 10, wherein said jet opening is non-aligned relative to said longitudinal axis.

Claim 14

A nozzle according to claim 10, wherein said jet opening is of non-circular cross-section and aligned with said longitudinal axis.

Claim 15

A nozzle according to claim 10, wherein said sleeve is of a split construction to be able to be snapped onto said nozzle body.

Claim 16

A nozzle according to claim 10, wherein said nozzle body is formed of tungsten carbide and said sleeve is formed of steel.

Claim 17

The combination of a rotary drill bit and a nozzle mounted in a cavity thereof for discharging a jet of fluid, said nozzle comprising: a nozzle body formed of a hard material and including: an outer flange, a jet opening arranged to discharge fluid and to be reoriented in response to rotation of said nozzle body about a longitudinal axis thereof, and first tool receiving means for receiving a tool to manually rotate said nozzle body about said axis, a sleeve retained longitudinally upon said nozzle body and being rotatable relative to said nozzle body, said sleeve including: coupling means located inwardly behind said flange for coupling said nozzle to the cavity of the drill stem in response to rotation of said sleeve, and second tool receiving means, such that the tool is engageable with said second tool receiving means for rotating said sleeve to install said nozzle, and is engageable with said first tool receiving means and disengaged from said second tool receiving means for rotating said nozzle body relative to said sleeve to reorient said jet opening, and a resilient element for frictionally resisting rotation of said nozzle body.

Claim 18

The combination of a rotary drill bit and a nozzle mounted in a cavity thereof for discharging a jet of fluid, said nozzle comprising: a nozzle body formed of a hard material and including: an outer flange, a jet opening arranged to discharge fluid and to be reoriented in response to rotation of said nozzle body about a longitudinal axis thereof, and first tool receiving means for receiving a tool to manually rotate said nozzle body about said axis, a sleeve retained longitudinally upon said nozzle body and being rotatable relative to said nozzle body, said sleeve including: coupling means located inwardly behind said flange for coupling said nozzle to the cavity of the drill stem in response to rotation of said sleeve, and second tool receiving means, such that the tool is engageable with said second tool receiving means for rotating said sleeve to install said nozzle, and is engageable with said first tool receiving means and disengaged from said second tool receiving means for rotating said nozzle body relative to said sleeve to reorient said jet opening, and a resilient element for frictionally resisting rotation of said nozzle body.

Claim 19

A nozzle according to claim 15, wherein said second tool receiving means is alignable with said first tool receiving means at an inner end of the latter such that the tool engages said first tool receiving means whenever it engages said second tool receiving means, the tool being movable outwardly to become disengaged from said second tool receiving means while maintaining engagement with said first tool receiving means.

Claim 20

The combination of a rotary drill bit and a nozzle mounted in an internally threaded bore in said drill bit, said drill bit having a passage for conducting drilling fluid to said bore, said nozzle comprising: a nozzle body formed of tungsten carbide and including: an outer flange, a jet opening communicating with said passage to discharge drilling fluid from said drill bit, said opening being arranged to be reoriented in response to relation of said nozzle body about a longitudinal axis thereof, a first set of apertures for receiving a turning tool for manually turning said nozzle body to reorient said jet opening, and an annular groove located inwardly behind said flange, and an externally threaded, split sleeve formed of steel and threadedly received in said bore, said sleeve being mounted in said groove of said nozzle body for rotation relative to said nozzle body about said longitudinal axis and retained against longitudinal movement relative to said nozzle body within said groove, said sleeve including: a second set of apertures arranged to be aligned with said first set of apertures adjacent an inner end of the latter, such that the turning tool may be engaged simultaneously with said first and second sets of apertures for rotating said nozzle body and sleeve into said bore wherein said nozzle body abuts a stop of said bore, said tool being engageable with only said first set of apertures for rotating said nozzle body relative to said sleeve to reorient said jet opening, one of said drill bit and said nozzle body carrying a resilient O-ring which bears against the other of said drill bit and nozzle body to resist rotation of said nozzle body.

Claim 21

The combination of a rotary drill bit and a nozzle mounted in an internally threaded bore in said drill bit, said drill bit having a passage for conducting drilling fluid to said bore, said nozzle comprising: a nozzle body formed of tungsten carbide and including: an outer flange, a jet opening communicating with said passage to discharge drilling fluid from said drill bit, said opening being arranged to be reoriented in response to relation of said nozzle body about a longitudinal axis thereof, a first set of apertures for receiving a turning tool for manually turning said nozzle body to reorient said jet opening, and an annular groove located inwardly behind said flange, and an externally threaded, split sleeve formed of steel and threadedly received in said bore, said sleeve being mounted in said groove of said nozzle body for rotation relative to said nozzle body about said longitudinal axis and retained against longitudinal movement relative to said nozzle body within said groove, said sleeve including: a second set of apertures arranged to be aligned with said first set of apertures adjacent an inner end of the latter, such that the turning tool may be engaged simultaneously with said first and second sets of apertures for rotating said nozzle body and sleeve into said bore wherein said nozzle body abuts a stop of said bore, said tool being engageable with only said first set of apertures for rotating said nozzle body relative to said sleeve to reorient said jet opening, one of said drill bit and said nozzle body carrying a resilient O-ring which bears against the other of said drill bit and nozzle body to resist rotation of said nozzle body.