Drill tool

Claim 2

A hollow reamer for rotary and/or percussion drilling, said reamer including cutter means and having an internal surface defining a longitudinal axis, said reamer adapted to be mounted on an intermediate portion of a drill string such that the latter is rotatable relative to the former by less than 360 degrees, said reamer being driveable by a generally radially projecting tongue of the intermediate portion which is selectively engageable with a pair of shoulder surfaces on said inner surface, each of said shoulder surfaces having a longitudinal first end terminating proximate and short of a lowermost first end of said reamer, each of said shoulder surfaces having a longitudinal second end terminating proximate and short of a longitudinal second end of said reamer.

Claim 3

The reamer according to claim 1 wherein a longitudinal dimension between said first and second ends is at least one half the longitudinal dimension of said reamer.

Claim 4

A hollow reamer for rotary and/or percussion drilling, said reamer including cutter means and having an internal surface defining a longitudinal axis, said reamer adapted to be mounted on an intermediate portion of a drill string such that the latter is rotatable relative to the former by less than 360 degrees, said reamer being driveable by a pair of shoulder surfaces of said intermediate portion which are selectively engageable with a generally radially inwardly projecting tongue on said inner surface, said tongue having a longitudinal first end terminating proximate and short of a longitudinal first end of said reamer, said tongue having a longitudinal second end terminating proximate and short of a longitudinal second end of said reamer.

Claim 5

A hollow reamer for rotary and/or percussion drilling, said reamer including cutter means and having an internal surface defining a longitudinal axis, said reamer adapted to be mounted on an intermediate portion of a drill string such that the latter is rotatable relative to the former by less than 360 degrees, said reamer being driveable by a pair of shoulder surfaces of said intermediate portion which are selectively engageable with a generally radially inwardly projecting tongue on said inner surface, said tongue having a longitudinal first end terminating proximate and short of a longitudinal first end of said reamer, said tongue having a longitudinal second end terminating proximate and short of a longitudinal second end of said reamer.

Claim 6

The reamer according to claim 3 wherein a longitudinal dimension between said first and second ends is at least one half the longitudinal dimension of said reamer.

Claim 7

A drill tool for rotary and/or percussion drilling, comprising a drill string rotatable about a longitudinal axis; and a cutting apparatus connected to a lower longitudinal end of said drill string, said cutting apparatus including: a guide portion for guiding said cutting apparatus within a casing tube which surrounds the drill string during a drilling operation, a pilot bit disposed at a lower longitudinal end of said cutting apparatus, an intermediate portion disposed between said guide portion and said pilot bit and being of smaller cross section than said guide portion, said intermediate portion being rotatable with said drill string and including an outer surface, a hollow reamer mounted eccentrically on said intermediate portion for rotation relative thereto about a longitudinal axis, said reamer including an inner surface facing said outer surface, and means for driving said reamer comprising a generally radially outwardly projecting tongue on said outer surface and a pair of circumferentially spaced shoulder surfaces disposed on said inner surface in the path of rotation of said tongue so as to be selectively engaged by said tongue in response to rotation of said drill string in opposite directions relative to said reamer; said tongue being engageable with each of said shoulder surfaces along an area of contact having an upper longitudinal end which terminates below an uppermost end of said reamer, and a lower longitudinal end which terminates above a lowermost end of said reamer.

Claim 8

A drill tool for rotary and/or percussion drilling, comprising a drill string rotatable about a longitudinal axis; and a cutting apparatus connected to a lower longitudinal end of said drill string, said cutting apparatus including: a guide portion for guiding said cutting apparatus within a casing tube which surrounds the drill string during a drilling operation, a pilot bit disposed at a lower longitudinal end of said cutting apparatus, an intermediate portion disposed between said guide portion and said pilot bit and being of smaller cross section than said guide portion, said intermediate portion being rotatable with said drill string and including an outer surface, a hollow reamer mounted eccentrically on said intermediate portion for rotation relative thereto about a longitudinal axis, said reamer including an inner surface facing said outer surface, and means for driving said reamer comprising a generally radially outwardly projecting tongue on said outer surface and a pair of circumferentially spaced shoulder surfaces disposed on said inner surface in the path of rotation of said tongue so as to be selectively engaged by said tongue in response to rotation of said drill string in opposite directions relative to said reamer; said tongue being engageable with each of said shoulder surfaces along an area of contact having an upper longitudinal end which terminates below an uppermost end of said reamer, and a lower longitudinal end which terminates above a lowermost end of said reamer.

Claim 9

The drill tool according to claim 5 wherein said contact area is disposed parallel to said longitudinal axis.

Claim 10

The drill tool according to claim 5 wherein said shoulder surfaces define circumferential ends of a recess in said reamer.

Claim 11

The drill according to claim 7 wherein said recess extends circumferentially for at least 180 degrees.

Claim 12

The drill according to claim 5 wherein said pilot bit is threadedly connected to said intermediate portion.

Claim 13

A drill tool for rotary and/or percussion drilling, comprising a drill string rotatable about a longitudinal axis; and a cutting apparatus connected to a lower longitudinal end of said drill string, said cutting apparatus including: a guide portion for guiding said cutting apparatus within a casing tube which surrounds the drill string during a drilling operation, a pilot bit disposed at lower longitudinal end of said cutting apparatus, an intermediate portion disposed between said guide portion and said pilot bit and being of smaller cross section than said guide portion, said intermediate portion being rotatable with said drill string and including an outer surface; a hollow reamer mounted eccentrically on said intermediate portion for rotation relative thereto about a longitudinal axis, said reamer including an inner surface facing said outer surface, and means for driving said reamer comprising a generally radially inwardly projecting tongue on said inner surface and a pair of circumferentially spaced shoulder surfaces arranged on said outer surface such that said tongue lies in a path of rotation of said shoulder surfaces and is engaged by said shoulder surfaces in response to rotation of said drill string in opposite directions relative to said reamer; each of said shoulder surfaces being engageable with said tongue along an area of contact having an upper longitudinal end which terminates below an uppermost end of said reamer, and a lower longitudinal end which terminates above a lowermost end of said reamer.

Claim 14

A drill tool for rotary and/or percussion drilling, comprising a drill string rotatable about a longitudinal axis; and a cutting apparatus connected to a lower longitudinal end of said drill string, said cutting apparatus including: a guide portion for guiding said cutting apparatus within a casing tube which surrounds the drill string during a drilling operation, a pilot bit disposed at lower longitudinal end of said cutting apparatus, an intermediate portion disposed between said guide portion and said pilot bit and being of smaller cross section than said guide portion, said intermediate portion being rotatable with said drill string and including an outer surface; a hollow reamer mounted eccentrically on said intermediate portion for rotation relative thereto about a longitudinal axis, said reamer including an inner surface facing said outer surface, and means for driving said reamer comprising a generally radially inwardly projecting tongue on said inner surface and a pair of circumferentially spaced shoulder surfaces arranged on said outer surface such that said tongue lies in a path of rotation of said shoulder surfaces and is engaged by said shoulder surfaces in response to rotation of said drill string in opposite directions relative to said reamer; each of said shoulder surfaces being engageable with said tongue along an area of contact having an upper longitudinal end which terminates below an uppermost end of said reamer, and a lower longitudinal end which terminates above a lowermost end of said reamer.

Claim 15

The drill tool according to claim 10 wherein said contact area is disposed parallel to said longitudinal axis.

Claim 16

The drill tool according to claim 10 wherein said shoulder surfaces define circumferential ends of a recess in said intermediate portion.

Claim 17

The drill according to claim 12 wherein said recess extends circumferentially for at least 180 degrees.

Claim 18

The drill according to claim 10 wherein said pilot bit is threadedly connected to said intermediate portion.