Earth-boring tool geometry and associated apparatus and methods
OwnerRobert E. Grimes, Nathan S. Lockwoodinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An earth-boring tool may include a tool body, at least one blade, and a roller cone pocket defined in the tool body adjacent the at least one blade. A surface of the roller cone pocket may define at least one protruding ridge. The earth-boring tool may further include a roller cone assembly disposed in the pocket. The roller cone assembly may include a plurality of inserts or teeth extending from a surface of the roller cone assembly. The at least one protruding ridge is located between longitudinally adjacent inserts or teeth.
Claims18
An earth-boring tool comprising:
- a body;
- at least one blade;
- a roller cone pocket defined in the body adjacent the at least one blade, a surface of the roller cone pocket defining at least two fixed protruding ridges;
- and
- a roller cone assembly disposed in the roller cone pocket, the roller cone assembly including a plurality of inserts or teeth protruding from a surface of the roller cone assembly and arranged in at least three rings extending circumferentially around the surface of the roller cone assembly at least substantially about a same axis of rotation of the roller cone assembly and extending from a surface of the roller cone assembly,
- wherein each of the at least two protruding ridges extend toward the surface of the roller cone assembly between and into a plane of two of the at least three rings of the plurality of inserts or teeth without contacting the plurality of inserts or teeth.
A method of forming an earth-boring tool comprising:
- forming a tool body comprising at least one blade and a pocket defined in the tool body adjacent to the at least one blade, a surface of the pocket defining at least two fixed ridges;
- and
- disposing a roller cone assembly into the pocket, wherein each of the at least two ridges is positioned between and within a plane of at least two of at least three longitudinally adjacent inserts or teeth extending from the roller cone assembly.
An earth-boring tool comprising:
- a roller cone assembly configured to rotate relative to a tool body of the earth-boring tool about a longitudinal axis of the roller cone assembly;
- and
- two or more fixed ridges extending from the tool body toward a surface of the roller cone assembly, each ridge of the two or more ridges extending between and into a plane of at least two of at least three longitudinally adjacent inserts or teeth extending from the roller cone assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.