Claims
- 1. In drilling apparatus for earth boring operations wherein a drill string is provided with a source of fluid under pressure and rotary drive means, the improvement comprising:
at least one cutter blade having a plurality of fluid discharge passages therein; a blade support body connected to said drill string provided with at least one fluid delivery bore in communication with a fluid delivery passage in said drill string; and pivotal mounting means for pivotally connecting one end of said cutter blade(s) to said body whereby to establish communication between said fluid bore(s) in said body and said fluid discharge passages in said blade(s).
- 2. In a drilling apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a pair of said cutter blades are pivotal between an axially extending position at rest and a cutting position substantially perpendicular to the length of said drill string.
- 3. In a drilling apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each said fluid delivery bore includes an axially extending main bore section, an axially extending outer bore section radially offset from said main bore section, an angular bore section extending between said main bore section and said outer bore section, and a radially extending bore in communication with said fluid delivery passages.
- 4. In a drilling apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said outer bore section extends the substantial length of said blade support body.
- 5. In a drilling apparatus according to claim 4 wherein a plurality of blade support bodies are connected in end-to-end relation to one another and having respective of said outer bore sections in communications with one another.
- 6. In a drilling apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said bore sections are straight and include plug members closing one end of each of said bore sections.
- 7. In a drilling apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said bore sections extend through an external surface of said blade support body.
- 8. In a drilling apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said body is of hollow generally cylindrical configuration and includes bifurcated mounting portions, and a pair of said cutter blades are pivotally connected between said bifurcated mounting portions.
- 9. In a drilling apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said pivotal mounting means includes ball joints in opposed facing relation to one another in said mounting portions, and said radially extending bores extend through said ball joints.
- 10. In a drilling apparatus according to claim 9 wherein each of said cutter blades includes a fluid bore section extending radially between said fluid discharge passages and said radially extending bore section.
- 11. In a drill bit assembly adapted to be mounted on a drill string for earth boring operations wherein a sub is connected to a lower end of said drill string, a pair of elongated cutter blades are pivotally secured to a lower end of said sub, said lower end being bifurcated and including cutting elements thereon, each of said blades being of generally semi-circular cross-sectional configuration and having flat surface portions in confronting relation to one another, the improvement comprising:
ball joints interposed between said cutter blades and said lower end for pivotal movement of said cutter blades between a common axial direction and opposite perpendicular directions to one another; and fluid delivery means consisting entire of fluid delivery bores extending between said drill string and fluid delivery passages in each of said cutter blades.
- 12. In a drill bit assembly according to claim 11 wherein a disk is interpositioned between confronting surfaces of said cutter blades on a pivotal axis extending through said cutter blades for independent pivotal movement of said cutter blades with respect to one another.
- 13. In a drill bit assembly according to claim 11 wherein said fluid delivery passages include a plurality of fluid discharge nozzles along leading edges of said cutter blades, and cutting elements disposed between said fluid discharge nozzles.
- 14. In a drill bit assembly according to claim 13 wherein said cutting elements are of increased diameter in an outward radial direction along each of said blades.
- 15. In a drill bit assembly according to claim 11 wherein each of said blades includes a plurality of radially spaced cutting elements along leading and trailing edges thereof.
- 16. In a drill bit assembly according to claim 15 wherein a pair of said fluid discharge nozzles are mounted in fore and aft relation to one another.
- 17. In a tool for enlarging an earth bore in a subsurface formation wherein rotational drive means is lowered through the earth bore to a point at which it is desired to enlarge the bore, the improvement comprising:
a plurality of elongated cutter blades, each of said blades having a plurality of fluid discharge passages therein; a blade support body connected to said drive means and provided with at least one fluid delivery bore communicating with a fluid delivery passage in said drive means; and pivotal mounting means for pivotally connecting said cutter blades to said body whereby to establish communication between said fluid bore in said body and said fluid discharge passage in said blade.
- 18. In a tool according to claim 17 wherein said mounting means includes a first pivot member between said blades and second pivot members between said blades and said body, said first and second pivot members being disposed on a common pivotal axis.
- 19. In a tool according to claim 18 wherein said second pivot members are defined by ball joints.
- 20. In a tool according to claim 19 wherein said fluid bore in said body extends through one of said ball joints into communication with said fluid discharge passage.
- 21. In a tool according to claim 17 wherein said body is of hollow generally cylindrical configuration and terminates in lower bifurcated end portions, and a pair of said cutter blades are pivotally connected between said bifurcated end portions.
- 22. In a tool according to claim 17 wherein said pivotal mounting means includes ball joints in opposed facing relation to one another in said end portions, and said radially extending bores extend through said ball joints.
- 23. In a tool according to claim 17 wherein said body is of hollow generally cylindrical configuration having intermediate bifurcated mounting portions, and a pair of said cutter blades are pivotally connected between said bifurcated mounting portions.
- 24. In a tool according to claim 23 wherein said bifurcated mounting portions are disposed intermediately between opposite ends of said body, and said fluid delivery bore includes a bore section extending the substantial length of said body.
- 25. In a tool according to claim 24 wherein said body has opposed connecting ends and said fluid delivery bore extends between said opposite ends of said body.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of patent applications Ser. Nos. 09/962,363 for METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENLARGING WELL BORES, filed 25 Sep. 2001 and 09/962,365 for DRILL BIT ASSEMBLY HAVING PIVOTAL CUTTER BLADES, filed 25 Sep. 2001, respectively, by Alan L. Nackerud, both of which are incorporated by reference herein, said aforesaid applications both being continuations-in-part of U.S. Pat. No. 6,454,024 for REPLACEABLE DRILL BIT ASSEMBLY, also incorporated by reference herein.
Continuation in Parts (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09962363 |
Sep 2001 |
US |
Child |
10428495 |
May 2003 |
US |
Parent |
09699172 |
Oct 2000 |
US |
Child |
09962363 |
Sep 2001 |
US |