Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 40
Claim 1
Independent Claim
157 words
A method manufacturing nonmagnetic heavy duty drilling string components for exploratory and directional bores for crude oil and natural gas deposits, comprising the steps of: melting and allowing to solidify an alloy consisting essentially of, each in percent by weight: carbon in a maximum of about 0.15; silicon in a maximum of about 1.0; manganese about 11.0 to about 25.0; chromium about 10.0 to about 20.0; molybdenum about 0.1 to about 1.0; nickel about 0.1 to about 6.0; nitrogen about 0.05 to about 0.5; the remainder being iron and other impurities resulting from manufacturing conditions; subjecting the alloy to a hot-working operation; solution heat-treating the alloy at temperatures of about 1,020° C. to about 1,070° C.; subsequently quenching the alloy; subjecting the quenched alloy to a cold-working operation at a temperature in the range of above 350° C. to below about 750° C.; and said step of cold-working said alloy entails cold-working to at least 5% deformation.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
157 words
A method manufacturing nonmagnetic heavy duty drilling string components for exploratory and directional bores for crude oil and natural gas deposits, comprising the steps of: melting and allowing to solidify an alloy consisting essentially of, each in percent by weight: carbon in a maximum of about 0.15; silicon in a maximum of about 1.0; manganese about 11.0 to about 25.0; chromium about 10.0 to about 20.0; molybdenum about 0.1 to about 1.0; nickel about 0.1 to about 6.0; nitrogen about 0.05 to about 0.5; the remainder being iron and other impurities resulting from manufacturing conditions; subjecting the alloy to a hot-working operation; solution heat-treating the alloy at temperatures of about 1,020° C. to about 1,070° C.; subsequently quenching the alloy; subjecting the quenched alloy to a cold-working operation at a temperature in the range of above 350° C. to below about 750° C.; and said step of cold-working said alloy entails cold-working to at least 5% deformation.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
74 words
The method as defined in claim 1, further including the step of: selecting as said alloy, an alloy consisting essentially of, each in percent by weight: carbon in a maximum of 0.08; manganese about 12.0 to about 20.0; chromium about 11.0 to about 16.0; molybdenum about 0.2 to about 0.8; nickel about 1.0 to about 2.5; nitrogen about 0.1 to about 0.35, and the remainder being iron and other impurities resulting from manufacturing coniditions.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method as defined in claim 1, wherein: said step of hot-working said alloy entails a hot-working operation resulting in a 2:1 area reduction.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method as defined in claim 1, wherein: said step of hot-working said alloy entails a hot-working operation resulting in a 4-6:1 area reduction.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method as defined in claim 1, further including the step of: cooling said alloy after said hot-working operation and prior to said solution heat treatment.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method as defined in claim 1, wherein: said step of quenching said alloy entails quenching the alloy in water.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method as defined in claim 1, wherein: said step of cold-working is performed at a maxium temperature below the Curie point of iron.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method as defined in claim 1, wherein: said step of cold-working said alloy entails cold-working at a temperature below 550° C.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method as defined in claim 1, wherein: said step of cold-working is performed at a temperature which is above the upper limit of the martensite formation temperature.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method as defined in claim 1, wherein: said step of cold-working said alloy entails cold forging.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method as defined in claim 10, wherein: said cold forging entails stretch forging.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method as defined in claim 1, wherein: said step of cold-working said alloy entails cold-working to at least 12% deformation.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process as defined in claim 1, further including the step of: mechanically processing said alloy following the cold-working operation.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method as defined in claim 13, wherein: said step of mechanically processing said alloy entails machining said alloy.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method as defined in claim 1, further including the steps of: locally cold-working said alloy in marginal regions close to the surface of said alloy at a temperature in the range of above 350° C. to below about 750° C. in order to thereby produce inherent compressive stresses.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method as defined in claim 15, wherein: said step of locally cold-working said alloy entails ball-blasting.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method as defined in claim 16, wherein: said step of locally cold-working said alloy entails cold-working below the Curie point of iron.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method as defined in claim 15, wherein: said step of locally cold-working said alloy entails cold-working at a temperature below 550° C.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method as defined in claim 15, wherein: said step of locally cold-working said alloy entails cold-working at a temperature which is above the upper limit of the martensite formation temperature.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
164 words
A method of manufacturing nonmagnetic heavy duty drilling string components for exploratory and directional bores for crude oil and natural gas deposits, comprising the steps of: melting and allowing to solidify an alloy consisting essentially of, each in percent by weight: carbon in a maximum of about 0.15; silicon in a maximum of about 1.0; manganese about 11.0 to about 25.0; chromium about 10.0 to about 20.0; molybdenum about 0.1 to about 1.0; nickel about 0.1 to about 6.0; niobium/tantalum above 0.1 to about 2.0 nitrogen about 0.5 to about 0.5; the remainder being iron and other impurites resulting from manufacturing conditions; subjecting the alloy to a hot-working operation; solution heat-treating the alloy at temperatures of about 1,020° C. to about 1,070° C.; subsequently quenching the alloy; subjecting the quenched alloy to a cold-working operation at a temperature in the range of about 300° C. to below about 750° C.; and said step of cold-working said alloy entails cold-working to at least 5% deformation.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
164 words
A method of manufacturing nonmagnetic heavy duty drilling string components for exploratory and directional bores for crude oil and natural gas deposits, comprising the steps of: melting and allowing to solidify an alloy consisting essentially of, each in percent by weight: carbon in a maximum of about 0.15; silicon in a maximum of about 1.0; manganese about 11.0 to about 25.0; chromium about 10.0 to about 20.0; molybdenum about 0.1 to about 1.0; nickel about 0.1 to about 6.0; niobium/tantalum above 0.1 to about 2.0 nitrogen about 0.5 to about 0.5; the remainder being iron and other impurites resulting from manufacturing conditions; subjecting the alloy to a hot-working operation; solution heat-treating the alloy at temperatures of about 1,020° C. to about 1,070° C.; subsequently quenching the alloy; subjecting the quenched alloy to a cold-working operation at a temperature in the range of about 300° C. to below about 750° C.; and said step of cold-working said alloy entails cold-working to at least 5% deformation.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
74 words
The method as defined in claim 20, further including the step of: selecting as said alloy, an alloy consisting essentially of, each in percent by weight: carbon in a maximum of 0.8; manganese about 12.0 to about 20.0; chromium about 11.0 to about 16.0; molybdenum about 0.2 to about 0.8; nickel about 1.0 to about 2.5; nitrogen about 0.1 to about 0.35, and the remainder being iron and other impurities resulting from manufacturing conditions.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method as defined in claim 20, wherein: said step of cold-working entails cold-working at a temperature in the range of about 300° C. to 400° C.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method as defined in claim 20, wherein: said alloy containing niobium/tantalum in an amount of about 0.4 to 0.8 percent by weight.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method as defined in claim 20, wherein: said step of hot-working said alloy entails a hot-working operation resulting in a 2:1 area reduction.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method as defined in claim 20, wherein: said step of hot-working said alloy entails a hot-working operation resulting in a 4-6:1 area reduction.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method as defined in claim 20, further including the step of: cooling said alloy after said hot-working operation and prior to said solution heat treatment.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method as defined in claim 20, wherein: said step of quenching said alloy entails quenching the alloy in water.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method as defined in claim 20, wherein: said step of cold-working is performed at a maximum temperature below the Curie point of iron.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method as defined in claim 20, wherein: said step of cold-working said alloy entails cold forging.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method as defined in claim 29, wherein: said cold forging entails stretch forging.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method as defined in claim 20, wherein: said step of cold-working said alloy entails cold-working to at least 12% deformation.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process as defined in claim 20, further including the step of: mechanically processing said alloy following the cold-working operation.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method as defined in claim 32, wherein: said step of mechanically processing said alloy entails machining said alloy.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method as defined in claim 20, further including the steps of: locally cold-working said alloy in marginal regions close to the surface of said alloy at a temperature in the range of about 300° C. to below about 750° C. in order to thereby produce inherent compressive stresses.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method as defined in claim 34, wherein: said step of locally cold-working said alloy entails ball-blasting.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method as defined in claim 35, wherein: said step of locally cold-working said alloy entails cold-working below the Curie point of iron.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method as defined in claim 34, wherein: said step of locally cold-working said alloy entails cold-working at a temperature below 550° C.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method as defined in claim 34, wherein: said step of locally cold-working said alloy entails cold-working at a temperature which is at least equal to the upper limit of the martensite formation temperature.