# US 10,119,335 B2 · Bearings for downhole tools, downhole tools incorporating such bearings, and related methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,119,335 B2 - Document ID: US10119335B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/047,338 - Filed: 2016-02-18 - Published: 2017-08-24 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-02-18 - Assignees: Baker Hughes Incorporated - Applicants: Baker Hughes Incorporated - Inventors: John Abhishek Raj Bomidi; Jon David Schroder - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10119335B2 ## CPC - E21B 10/22: characterised by bearing, lubrication or sealing details - E21B 10/28: with non-expansible roller cutters - F16C 17/04: for axial load only - F16C 19/30: for axial load mainly - F16C 21/00: Combinations of sliding-contact bearings with ball or roller bearings, for exclusively rotary movement (F16C17/24, F16C19/52 take precedence) - F16C 33/043: {Sliding surface consisting mainly of ceramics, cermets or hard carbon, e.g. diamond like carbon [DLC]} - F16C 33/366: {Tapered rollers, i.e. rollers generally shaped as truncated cones} - E21B 10/24: characterised by lubricating details (E21B10/23 takes precedence) - F16C 17/02: for radial load only - F16C 2352/00: Apparatus for drilling - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS - F16C: SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS ## Abstract A bearing system configured for use on a downhole tool including a rolling cutter member having a plurality of cutting structures thereon comprises a first plurality of bearings disposed between a head washer and an at least substantially planar shaft washer, and a second plurality of bearings disposed between the at least substantially planar shaft washer and a rolling cutter washer. A downhole tool, such as an earth-boring rotary rolling cutter drill bit includes such a bearing system between a rolling cutter and a head of a bit body. Methods of forming such a downhole tool include the assembly of such a bearing system between a rolling cutter and a head of a bit body. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A bearing system configured for use on a downhole tool including a rolling cutter member, the rolling cutter member including a plurality of cutting structures, comprising: a head washer; an at least substantially planar shaft washer; a first plurality of bearings disposed between the head washer and the at least substantially planar shaft washer; a rolling cutter washer; and a second plurality of bearings disposed between the at least substantially planar shaft washer and the rolling cutter washer; wherein the at least substantially planar shaft washer is directly interposed between, and in contact with, the first plurality of bearings and the second plurality of bearings. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The bearing system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first plurality of bearings and the second plurality of bearings comprises rolling bearing elements. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The bearing system of claim 2, wherein the rolling bearing elements comprise tapered rolling bearing elements. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The bearing system of claim 2, wherein the rolling bearing elements comprise cylindrical rolling bearing elements. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The bearing system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first plurality of bearings and the second plurality of bearings comprises opposing sets of non-rolling bearing elements each including a volume of polycrystalline diamond material, the polycrystalline diamond material of a first set of the opposing sets configured to abut against and slide relative to the polycrystalline diamond material of a set of the opposing sets during operation of the bearing system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The bearing system of claim 1, wherein the head washer is integrally formed with, and comprises an integral portion of a head. ### Claim 7 An earth-boring tool configured for use in a subterranean formation, comprising at least the following components: a tool body including at least one head; and a rolling cutter mounted on the at least one head; and a bearing system disposed between the at least one head and the rolling cutter mounted on the at least one head, the bearing system including: a head washer disposed on the at least one head; an at least substantially planar shaft washer retained within the rolling cutter and disposed around the at least one head; a first plurality of bearings disposed between the head washer and the at least substantially planar shaft washer; a rolling cutter washer retained within the rolling cutter; and a second plurality of bearings disposed between the at least substantially planar shaft washer and the rolling cutter washer; wherein the at least substantially planar shaft washer is directly interposed between, and in contact with, the first plurality of bearings and the second plurality of bearings. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The earth-boring tool of claim 7, wherein the bearing system comprises a thrust bearing system, and wherein at least one of the components of the thrust bearing system is capable of sliding in a radial direction relative to at least one other of the components of the thrust bearing system so as to provide a selected degree of radial play between the rolling cutter and the at least one head. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The earth-boring tool of claim 7, wherein the earth-boring tool comprises a rolling cutter earth-boring rotary drill bit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The earth-boring tool of claim 7, wherein the earth-boring tool comprises an earth-boring rotary hybrid drill bit. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The earth-boring tool of claim 7, wherein the earth-boring tool comprises a reamer configured to enlarge a diameter of a previously drilled wellbore. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The earth-boring tool of claim 7, wherein the at least substantially planar shaft washer is configured to slide in the radial direction relative to the first plurality of bearings and the second plurality of bearings. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The earth-boring tool of claim 7, wherein at least one of the first plurality of bearings and the second plurality of bearings comprises rolling bearing elements. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The earth-boring tool of claim 13, wherein the rolling bearing elements comprise tapered rolling bearing elements. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The earth-boring tool of claim 13, wherein the rolling bearing elements comprise cylindrical rolling bearing elements. ### Claim 16 (depends on 7) The earth-boring tool of claim 7, wherein at least one of the first plurality of bearings and the second plurality of bearings comprises opposing sets of non-rolling bearing elements each including a volume of polycrystalline diamond material, the polycrystalline diamond material of a first set of the opposing sets configured to abut against and slide relative to the polycrystalline diamond material of a set of the opposing sets during operation of the bearing system. ### Claim 17 (depends on 7) The earth-boring tool of claim 7, wherein the head washer is integrally formed with, and comprises an integral portion of the at least one head. ### Claim 18 A method of forming an earth-boring tool configured for use in a subterranean formation, comprising: inserting a tensioner bolt into a rolling cutter; inserting a rolling cutter washer into the rolling cutter; providing a plurality of bearings on the rolling cutter washer within the rolling cutter; inserting a substantially planar shaft washer into the rolling cutter such that the bearings of the plurality of bearings are disposed between the rolling cutter washer and the at least substantially planar shaft washer; providing a retaining member within the rolling cutter to retain the at least substantially planar shaft washer, the plurality of bearings, the rolling cutter washer, and the tensioner bolt within the rolling cutter; positioning a head washer over and around a head of a tool body of the earth-boring tool; providing an additional plurality of bearings on the head washer, such that the at least substantially planar shaft washer is directly interposed between, and in contact with, the bearings on the rolling cutter washer and the additional plurality of bearings on the head washer; positioning the rolling cutter on the head such that the tensioner bolt extends through the head, and the plurality of bearings on the rolling cutter washer is disposed between the head washer and the at least substantially planar shaft washer retained within the rolling cutter; and securing the tensioner bolt to the head to secure the rolling cutter to the head and tensioning the tensioner bolt to compress the additional plurality of bearings between the head washer and the at least substantially planar shaft washer, and to compress the plurality of bearings between the at least substantially planar shaft washer and the rolling cutter washer. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising selecting at least one of the plurality of bearings and the additional plurality of bearings to comprise rolling bearing elements. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising selecting the rolling bearing elements to comprise tapered rolling bearing elements. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising selecting the rolling bearing elements to comprise cylindrical rolling bearing elements.