Patent US4697654A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4697654A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Rotary drill bits
Assignee: NL Petroleum Products Ltd
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Filing: 1985-07-12
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Granted: 1987-10-06
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Expires: 2005-07-12
Abstract
Abstract A rotary drill bit for use in drilling deep holes in subsurface formations comprises a bit body having a leading face and a gauge region, a plurality of cutting elements mounted at the surface of the leading face of the bit body, a passage in the bit body for supplying drilling fluid to a plurality of openings in the leading face of the bit body, and one or more junk slots in the gauge region of the bit body, whereby drilling fluid emerging from the openings flow over the leading face of the bit body and past the cutting elements thereon, so as to cool and clean the cutting elements before exiting through the junk slot. At least one of the openings is located in an area of the leading face adjacent the gauge region, and is angularly spaced from the nearest associated junk slot, the flow path between the opening and the junk slot being such that, in normal use of the bit, drilling fluid flowing from the opening to that junk slot flows substantially peripherally along an outer peripheral region of the leading face of the bit, adjacent the gauge region, so as to flow past cutting elements in that peripheral region.
Inventors
- 👤 John D. Barr
- 👤 Malcolm R. Taylor
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 13:21
CPC Classifications
E; E21; E21B; E21B10/00; E21B10/60; E21B10/602
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim
314 words
A rotary drill bit for use in drilling holes in subsurface formations comprising a bit body having a leading face and a gauge region, cutting elements mounted at the surface of the leading face of the bit body, a passage in the bit body for supplying drilling fluid to a plurality of openings in the leading face of the bit body, and at least one junk slot in the gauge region of the bit body associated with each such opening in that the leading face of the bit body provides at least one flow path from said opening to the associated junk slot, whereby drilling fluid emerging from said openings flows over the leading face of the bit body and past cutting elements thereon, so as to cool and clean the cutting elements before exiting through said junk slot, at least one of said openings being a peripheral opening located in an area of the leading face adjacent the gauge region, said peripheral opening being angularly spaced from the nearest associated junk slot, and the shortest distance between said opening and the gauge region, measured over the leading surface of the bit being less than 1/2 of the shortest distance between said opening and said nearest associated junk slot, whereby said one flow path between said peripheral opening and said nearest associated junk slot extends mainly peripherally along the outer peripheral region of the leading face of the bit, adjacent the gauge region, said one flow path offering less resistance to fluid flow than any path extending mainly radially outwardly from said peripheral opening to the gauge region, and wherein a plurality of said cutting elements are disposed generally in said one flow path from said peripheral opening to said nearest associated junk slot so that fluid in said one flow path flows peripherally past said plurality of cutting elements in said peripheral region.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
314 words
A rotary drill bit for use in drilling holes in subsurface formations comprising a bit body having a leading face and a gauge region, cutting elements mounted at the surface of the leading face of the bit body, a passage in the bit body for supplying drilling fluid to a plurality of openings in the leading face of the bit body, and at least one junk slot in the gauge region of the bit body associated with each such opening in that the leading face of the bit body provides at least one flow path from said opening to the associated junk slot, whereby drilling fluid emerging from said openings flows over the leading face of the bit body and past cutting elements thereon, so as to cool and clean the cutting elements before exiting through said junk slot, at least one of said openings being a peripheral opening located in an area of the leading face adjacent the gauge region, said peripheral opening being angularly spaced from the nearest associated junk slot, and the shortest distance between said opening and the gauge region, measured over the leading surface of the bit being less than 1/2 of the shortest distance between said opening and said nearest associated junk slot, whereby said one flow path between said peripheral opening and said nearest associated junk slot extends mainly peripherally along the outer peripheral region of the leading face of the bit, adjacent the gauge region, said one flow path offering less resistance to fluid flow than any path extending mainly radially outwardly from said peripheral opening to the gauge region, and wherein a plurality of said cutting elements are disposed generally in said one flow path from said peripheral opening to said nearest associated junk slot so that fluid in said one flow path flows peripherally past said plurality of cutting elements in said peripheral region.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
45 words
A drill bit according to claim 1, wherein such openings located in an area of the leading face adjacent the gauge region provide not less than half of the total flow area provided by all the openings in the leading face of the bit body.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
A drill bit according to claim 1, wherein each cutting element comprises a preform having a thin hard facing layer of superhard material bonded to a less hard backing layer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
A drill bit according to claim 1, wherein each cutting element comprises a preformed unitary layer of thermally stable polycrystalline diamond material.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
A drill bit according to claim 4, wherein each thermally stable cutting element is cast into a matrix bit body.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
A drill bit according to claim 1, wherein the angular separation of said peripheral opening from said nearest associated junk slot is not less than 40°.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
42 words
A drill bit according to claim 1, wherein the shortest distance between the peripheral opening and the gauge region, measured over the leading surface of the bit, is less than 1/6 of the diameter of the bit body at the gauge region.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
42 words
A drill bit according to claim 7, wherein the shortest distance between the peripheral opening and the gauge region, measured over the leading surface of the bit, is less than 1/8 of the diameter of the bit body at the gauge region.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
42 words
A drill bit according to claim 8, wherein the shortest distance between the peripheral opening and the gauge region, measured over the leading surface of the bit, is less than 1/10 of the diameter of the bit body at the gauge region.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
45 words
A drill bit according to claim 1, wherein the shortest distance between the peripheral opening and the gauge region, measured over the leading surface of the bit, is less than 1/3 of the shortest distance between the peripheral opening and said nearest associated junk slot.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
45 words
A drill bit according to claim 1, wherein the shortest distance between the peripheral opening and the gauge region, measured over the leading surface of the bit, is less than 1/4 of the shortest distance between the peripheral opening and said nearest associated junk slot.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
75 words
A drill bit according to claim 1, wherein there is provided a plurality of such peripheral openings spaced apart substantially symmetrically around an outer peripheral area of the leading face of the bit body, and a plurality of junk slots spaced apart substantially symmetrically around the gauge region, said leading face of said bit body providing a respective such flow path from each of said peripheral openings to at least one of said junk slots.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
42 words
A drill bit according to claim 12, wherein each of said peripheral openings is located substantially equi-distantly between two junk slots, said leading face of said bit body providing two said flow paths from said opening to said two junk slots respectively.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
31 words
A drill bit according to claim 13, wherein there are provided two substantially diametrically opposed peripheral openings and two substantially diametrically opposed junk slots arranged symmetrically with respect to the openings.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
30 words
A drill bit according to claim 12, wherein there are provided three peripheral openings angularly spaced apart by substantially 120°, and three junk slots also spaced apart by substantially 120°.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
31 words
A drill bit according to claim 1, wherein there is provided at least one opening spaced radially inwardly of said outer peripheral area of the leading face of the bit body.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
41 words
A drill bit according to claim 1, wherein there is provided on the surface of the bit body a plurality of blades extending outwardly with respect to the axis of rotation of the bit, cutting elements being mounted on said blades.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
47 words
A drill bit according to claim 17, wherein the outer extremities of at least certain of the blades extend across the path of flow from a peripheral opening to its nearest junk slot, whereby, in use, drilling fluid flows transversely across said outer extremities of the blades.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
118 words
A drill bit according to claim 1 wherein the shortest distance between said peripheral opening and the gauge region, measured over the leading surface of the bit, is less than 1/6 of the diameter of the bit body at the gauge region, and the opening being angularly spaced by not less than 40° from the nearest associated junk slot, whereby the flow path between said opening and junk slot is such that, in normal use of the bit, drilling fluid flowing from the opening to that junk slot flows substantially peripherally along an outer peripheral region of the leading face of the bit, adjacent the gauge region, so as to flow past cutting elements in said peripheral region.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
57 words
A drill bit according to claim 1 wherein said one flow path between said peripheral opening and said nearest associated junk slot is a main flow path offering less resistance to fluid flow than any other path from said peripheral opening along said leading face to said nearest associated junk slot or to any other exit passage.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
38 words
A drill bit according to claim 20 wherein at least some of said plurality of cutting elements in said one flow path from said peripheral opening to said nearest associated junk slot are angularly spaced from each other.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
19 words
A drill bit according to claim 21 wherein each cutting element comprises a preformed layer of polycrystalline diamond material.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
278 words
A rotary drill bit for use in drilling holes in subsurface formations comprising a bit body having a leading face and a gauge region, a plurality of cutting elements mounted at the surface of the leading face of the bit body, a passage in the bit body for supplying drilling fluid to a plurality of openings in the leading face of the bit body, and at least one junk slot in the gauge region of the bit body, whereby drilling fluid emerging from said openings flows over the leading face of the bit body and past the cutting elements thereon, so as to cool and clean the cutting elements before exiting through said junk slot, at least one of said openings being a peripheral opening located in an area of the leading face adjacent the gauge region, said peripheral opening being angularly spaced from the nearest associated junk slot, and the shortest distance between said opening and the gauge region, measured over the leading surface of the bit, being less than 1/2 of the shortest distance between said opening and said nearest associated junk slot, whereby the flow path between said peripheral opening and junk slot is such that, in normal use of the bit, drilling fluid flowing from the opening to that junk slot flows substantially peripherally along the outer peripheral region of the leading face of the bit, adjacent the gauge region so as to flow past cutting elements in said peripheral region, wherein substantially all of the openings in the leading face of the bit body lie on the opposite side of a diameter of the bit body to substantially all of the junk slots.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
278 words
A rotary drill bit for use in drilling holes in subsurface formations comprising a bit body having a leading face and a gauge region, a plurality of cutting elements mounted at the surface of the leading face of the bit body, a passage in the bit body for supplying drilling fluid to a plurality of openings in the leading face of the bit body, and at least one junk slot in the gauge region of the bit body, whereby drilling fluid emerging from said openings flows over the leading face of the bit body and past the cutting elements thereon, so as to cool and clean the cutting elements before exiting through said junk slot, at least one of said openings being a peripheral opening located in an area of the leading face adjacent the gauge region, said peripheral opening being angularly spaced from the nearest associated junk slot, and the shortest distance between said opening and the gauge region, measured over the leading surface of the bit, being less than 1/2 of the shortest distance between said opening and said nearest associated junk slot, whereby the flow path between said peripheral opening and junk slot is such that, in normal use of the bit, drilling fluid flowing from the opening to that junk slot flows substantially peripherally along the outer peripheral region of the leading face of the bit, adjacent the gauge region so as to flow past cutting elements in said peripheral region, wherein substantially all of the openings in the leading face of the bit body lie on the opposite side of a diameter of the bit body to substantially all of the junk slots.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
25 words
A drill bit according to claim 23, wherein there is provided a plurality of junk slots arranged side-by-side around a portion of the gauge region.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
29 words
A drill bit according to claim 24, wherein substantially all the openings are located in an area of the leading face of the bit body adjacent the gauge region.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
45 words
A drill bit according to claim 23, wherein means are provided to define flow channels in the leading face of the bit body extending from each opening at one side of the bit to an associated junk slot at the opposite side of the bit.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
21 words
A drill bit according to claim 26, wherein said channels are defined by blades on which the cutting elements are mounted.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
25 words
A drill bit according to claim 26, wherein said channels are defined by fences extending across the surface of the leading face of the bit.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
16 words
A drill bit according to claim 28, wherein the cutting elements are mounted in said channels.
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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) | 1990-10-05 | 1991-04-06 | 1991-10-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1994-10-05 | 1995-04-06 | 1995-10-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1998-10-05 | 1999-04-06 | 1999-10-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |