Bit breaker
AssigneePrecision Drilling Corporation
InventorHAROLD GRIFFIN
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bit breaker for loosening or tightening a drill bit on a drill string incorporating a mud motor permits rotation of the drill bit while the bit box is held stationary. The bit breaker has a lower body which is held stationary on the rig floor and an upper body which houses the drill bit and which is connected to the lower body through a rotational connection. An actuator connected between the upper and lower bodies causes the upper body to rotate relative to lower body for co-rotating the drill bit. The bit box of the mud motor is held stationary using the lower tong of a conventional make-and-break unit.
Claims27
A bit breaker for use in threading a drill bit to or from a mud motor having a lower, normally rotatable bit box, the bit breaker comprising:
- a rotatable bit breaker body for housing the drill bit for co-rotation therewith;
- and
- an actuator connected between the bit breaker body and a stationary member,
- wherein,
- when the mud motor's bit box is held stationary, the actuator is actuable to co-rotate the bit breaker body and drill bit housed therein relative to the stationary member about an axis common to the drill bit, the bit breaker and the mud motor, the body being rotated
- in a first direction for loosening a threaded connection between the drill bit and the mud motor's bit box;
- and
- in a second direction for tightening the threaded connection between the drill bit and the mud motor's bit box.
A system for applying torque to a drill bit on a mud motor with a lower, normally rotatable bit box, the system comprising:
- a bit breaker having
- a rotatable bit breaker body for housing the drill bit for co-rotation therewith;
- and
- an actuator connected between the bit breaker body and a stationary member, the actuator causing the body to rotate relative to the stationary member;
- and
- a tong for holding the bit box stationary,
- wherein,
- when the tong is actuated to hold the mud motor's bit box stationary, the actuator is actuable to co-rotate the bit breaker body and drill bit housed therein relative to the stationary member about a common axis, the body being rotated
- in a first direction for loosening a threaded connection between the drill bit and the mud motor's bit box;
- and
- in a second direction for tightening the threaded connection between the drill bit and the mud motor's bit box.
A method for applying torque to a drill bit on a mud motor with a lower, normally rotatable bit box for loosening or tightening a threaded connection between the drill bit and the bit box, the method comprising:
- providing a bit breaker having
- a rotatable bit breaker body having an enclosure for housing the drill bit therein for co-rotation therewith;
- and
- an actuator connected between the bit breaker body and a stationary member, the actuator being actuable to cause the body to rotate relative to the stationary member about an axis common to the drill bit and the bit box;
- inserting the drill bit threaded to the bit box into the enclosure of the bit breaker body;
- engaging the bit box for holding the bit box stationary;
- actuating the actuator to co-rotate the bit breaker body and the drill bit housed therein
- in a first direction for loosening a threaded connection between the drill bit and the mud motor's bit box;
- or
- in a second direction for tightening the threaded connection between the drill bit and the mud motor's bit box.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.