US4596296A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Rotary drill bits
Assignee: NL Industries Inc
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Filing: 1984-10-26
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Granted: 1986-06-24
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Expires: 2004-10-26
Abstract
Abstract A rotary drill bit, for use in subsurface formations, comprises a bit body, a passageway for drilling fluid within the body, communicating with nozzles in the external surface of the body, preform cutting elements mounted on the body for cutting or abrading the formation, and a number of elongate fences upstanding from the external surface of the body to control the flow of fluid from the nozzles and past cutting elements. Each fence is resiliently deformable, for example being in the form of a brush having metal bristles, so that, in use, the free elongate edge of the fence is urged resiliently into contact with the surface of the formation being cut or abraded by the cutting elements. Since each fence is resiliently deformable it will at all times firmly engage the formation to provide an effective seal, regardless of variations in depth of cut of the cutting elements.
Inventors
- 👤 Terry R. Matthias
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 23:47
CPC Classifications
E; E21; E21B; E21B10/00; E21B10/60; E21B10/602; E21B10/46; E21B10/56; E21B10/567
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
129 words
A rotary drill bit, for drilling wells in subsurface formations, comprising a bit body, a passageway for drilling fluids within the body, communicating with a number of openings in an external surface of the body, cutting elements mounted on the body for cutting or abrading the formation, and a number of elongate fences upstanding from the external surface of the body and positioned to control the flow of fluid from said openings and past said cutting elements, each fence comprising a plurality of resiliently deformable elements disposed adjacent one another in a direction across the width of the fence such that, in use, the free elongate edge of said fence is urged resiliently into contact with the surface of the formation being cut or abraded by the cutting elements.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
129 words
A rotary drill bit, for drilling wells in subsurface formations, comprising a bit body, a passageway for drilling fluids within the body, communicating with a number of openings in an external surface of the body, cutting elements mounted on the body for cutting or abrading the formation, and a number of elongate fences upstanding from the external surface of the body and positioned to control the flow of fluid from said openings and past said cutting elements, each fence comprising a plurality of resiliently deformable elements disposed adjacent one another in a direction across the width of the fence such that, in use, the free elongate edge of said fence is urged resiliently into contact with the surface of the formation being cut or abraded by the cutting elements.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
A rotary drill bit according to claim 1, wherein each fence is separately formed from the bit body and is secured thereto.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
A rotary drill bit according to claim 2, wherein each fence is secured within an elongate channel in the surface of the bit body.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
A rotary drill bit according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of the resiliently deformable elements in each of said fences are disposed adjacent one another in a direction along the length of the fence.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
A rotary drill bit according to claim 4 wherein the lengths of said fences extend generally radially, and the widths of said fences extend generally circumferentially with respect to said bit body.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
A rotary drill bit according to claim 4, wherein each fence is in the form of an elongate brush having resilient bristles extending away from the surface of the bit body.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
15 words
A rotary drill bit according to claim 6, wherein the bristles are formed from metal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
A rotary drill bit according to claim 7, wherein the bristles are formed from stainless steel.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
A rotary drill bit according to claim 6, wherein the bristles are locked at one end thereof in an elongate channel-sectioned retaining element which is then secured within an elongate channel in the surface of the bit body.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
42 words
A rotary drill bit according to claim 9, wherein the bristles are generally U-shaped and are wrapped around an elongate element extending along the interior of the channel-sectioned retaining element, the side walls of the element being crimped on to the bristles.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
63 words
A rotary drill bit according to claim 1, wherein the bit body is formed with a number of rows of said cutting elements extending outwardly away from the central axis of the bit body, a resiliently deformable fence extending generally along each row and being spaced rearwardly of the cutting elements with respect to the normal direction of rotation of the drill bit.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
A rotary drill bit according to claim 11, wherein two spaced, generally parallel resiliently deformable fences are disposed rearwardly of each row of cutting elements.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
58 words
A rotary drill bit according to claim 1, wherein there are provided, at the surface of the bit body, a plurality of channels extending outwardly away from the central axis of the bit body, for controlling the flow of drilling fluid past the cutting elements, said resiliently deformable fences being located generally along the sides of said channels.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
32 words
A rotary drill bit according to claim 1, wherein each cutting element includes a thin, hard facing layer and a thicker, less hard, backing layer so that the cutting element is self-sharpening.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
75 words
A rotary drill bit, for drilling wells in subsurface formations, comprising a bit body, a passageway for drilling fluid within the body, communicating with a number of openings in an external surface of the body, cutting elements mounted on the body for cutting or abrading the formation, and a number of resilient rubbing pads each extending over an area of the body and comprising resilient bristles extending away from the surface of the bit body.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
75 words
A rotary drill bit, for drilling wells in subsurface formations, comprising a bit body, a passageway for drilling fluid within the body, communicating with a number of openings in an external surface of the body, cutting elements mounted on the body for cutting or abrading the formation, and a number of resilient rubbing pads each extending over an area of the body and comprising resilient bristles extending away from the surface of the bit body.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1989-06-23 | 1989-12-23 | 1990-06-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1993-06-23 | 1993-12-23 | 1994-06-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1997-06-23 | 1997-12-23 | 1998-06-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |