# US 10,370,754 B2 · Coating system for tubular gripping components > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,370,754 B2 - Document ID: US10370754B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/482,151 - Filed: 2017-04-07 - Published: 2017-07-27 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-05-30 - Assignees: Frank's International, LLC - Applicants: Frank's International, LLC - Inventors: Brennan S. Domec; Jeremy Richard Angelle - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10370754B2 ## CPC - C23C 8/34: more than one element being applied in more than one step - C23C 8/02: Pretreatment of the material to be coated (C23C8/04 takes precedence) - C23C 8/36: using ionised gases, e.g. ionitriding - C23C 8/38: Treatment of ferrous surfaces - C23C 8/80: After-treatment - C23C 28/042: {including a refractory ceramic layer, e.g. refractory metal oxides, ZrO2, rare earth oxides} - C23C 28/044: {coatings specially adapted for cutting tools or wear applications} - C23C 28/36: {including layers graded in composition or physical properties} - E21B 19/07: Slip-type elevators - E21B 19/10: Slips; Spiders {; Catching devices (rotary tables with master bushing or kelly bushing E21B3/04)} - Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A gripping tool includes a gripping element and at least one gripping surface formed on the gripping element. The at least one gripping surface includes a plurality of teeth extending from the gripping element an outer layer. A method to surface process a gripping surface of a gripping tool includes providing the gripping surface in an environment comprising a source of additive material and heating the gripping surface at a temperature and a time to diffuse the additive material a depth into the gripping surface to form a diffusion layer. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A gripping tool comprising: a gripping element; at least one gripping surface formed on the gripping element wherein the at least one gripping surface comprises: a plurality of teeth extending from the gripping element; an outermost layer extending a depth from an outer surface of the gripping element, wherein the outermost layer is created by the diffusion or deposition of elements selected from the group consisting of chromium, carbon, nitrogen, boron, cobalt, tungsten, molybdenum, nickel, copper, aluminum, silicon, titanium, or vanadium, alone or in combinations thereof; an intermediate layer extending a depth from the inner surface of the outermost layer of the gripping element, wherein the intermediate layer is created by the diffusion of elements selected from the group consisting of boron, chromium, carbon, nitrogen, cobalt, tungsten, molybdenum, nickel, copper, aluminum, silicon, titanium, or vanadium, alone or in combinations thereof; an innermost layer extending a depth from the inner surface of the intermediate layer of the gripping element to a substrate material of the gripping surface, wherein the innermost layer is created by the diffusion of elements selected from the group consisting of carbon, chromium, nitrogen, boron, cobalt, tungsten, molybdenum, nickel, copper, aluminum, silicon, titanium, or vanadium, alone or in combinations thereof. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The gripping tool of claim 1, wherein the hardness of the innermost layer is greater than the hardness of the substrate material, the hardness of the intermediate layer is greater than the hardness of the innermost layer, and the hardness of the outermost layer is greater than the hardness of the intermediate layer. ### Claim 3 A gripping tool comprising: a gripping element; at least one gripping surface formed on the gripping element wherein the at least one gripping surfaces comprises: a plurality of teeth extending from the gripping element; an outermost layer extending a depth from an outer surface of the gripping element, wherein the outermost layer is created by a chromizing process; an intermediate layer extending a depth from the inner surface of the outer layer of the gripping element, wherein the intermediate layer is created by a boriding process; an innermost layer extending a depth from the inner surface of the intermediate layer of the gripping element to a substrate material of the gripping surface, wherein the innermost layer is created by the diffusion of carbon. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The gripping tool of claim 3, wherein the substrate material of the gripping surface is a low carbon content material selected from the group consisting of plain carbon steel, mild steel, resulfurized steel, low carbon steel, medium carbon steel, low alloy steel, chromium alloy steel, chromium-molybdenum alloy steel, chromium-nickel-molybdenum alloy steel, nickel chromium alloys, and nickel molybdenum alloys. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The gripping tool of claim 3, wherein the substrate material of the gripping surface is carburizing steel. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The gripping tool of claim 3, wherein the innermost layer has a diffusion-type carbon gradient. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The gripping tool of claim 3, wherein the innermost layer has a hardness from 50 HRC to 65 HRC. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The gripping tool of claim 3, wherein the intermediate layer includes iron borides. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The gripping tool of claim 3, wherein the intermediate layer has a hardness from 900 HV to 2200 HV. ### Claim 10 A method of manufacturing a gripping tool, comprising: forming an innermost layer on a gripping surface of a gripping element by the diffusion of elements selected from the group consisting of carbon, chromium, nitrogen, boron, cobalt, tungsten, molybdenum, nickel, copper, aluminum, silicon, titanium, or vanadium, alone or in combinations thereof; forming an intermediate layer on the innermost layer by the diffusion of elements selected from the group consisting of carbon, chromium, nitrogen, boron, cobalt, tungsten, molybdenum, nickel, copper, aluminum, silicon, titanium, or vanadium, alone or in combinations thereof; forming an outermost layer on the intermediate layer by the diffusion or deposition of elements selected from the group consisting of carbon, chromium, nitrogen, boron, cobalt, tungsten, molybdenum, nickel, copper, aluminum, silicon, titanium, or vanadium, alone or in combinations thereof. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein one or more of forming the innermost layer, forming the intermediate layer, or forming the outermost layer comprises contacting the gripping surface with a diffusion material, wherein the diffusion material is selected from the group consisting of carbon, chromium, nitrogen, boron, cobalt, tungsten, molybdenum, nickel, copper, aluminum, silicon, titanium, or vanadium, alone or in combinations thereof, and heating the gripping surface at a temperature and a time to diffuse the diffusion material a depth into the gripping surface to form a diffusion layer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein one or more of forming the innermost layer, forming the intermediate layer, or forming the outermost layer further comprises quenching the gripping surface. ### Claim 13 A method of manufacturing a gripping tool, comprising: forming an innermost layer on a gripping surface of a gripping element by the diffusion of carbon; forming an intermediate borided layer on the innermost layer; forming an outermost chromized layer on the intermediate layer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein forming the innermost layer comprises heating the gripping surface in a carbon rich environment to a carburizing temperature, to allow the carbon to diffuse into a base material, for a time period that is proportional to a thickness of the innermost layer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the carbon rich environment has a vacuum applied thereto. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein forming the intermediate layer comprises heating the gripping surface in the presence of a boron source such that boron diffuses into the gripping surface. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the boron source is selected from the group consisting of a powder pack, a paste, a salt, and a gas, alone or in combinations thereof. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the gripping surface is heated to a temperature between 1300 degrees Fahrenheit and 1830 degrees Fahrenheit. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein forming the intermediate layer comprises boronizing the innermost layer and quenching the gripping surface.