Fast drop inner tube head assembly and system
AssigneeEpiroc Canada Inc.
InventorsPatrick SALVADOR, Ian D. WILSON
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An inner tube head assembly for a core barrel assembly having a latch casing coupled to a latch body, a landing shoulder coupled to the latch body and a spindle, and an inner tube cap assembly coupled between the spindle and an inner tube cap adapter. The landing shoulder and the inner tube cap adapter are a first size. The latch casing, the latch body, the spindle, and the inner tube cap assembly are a second size. The inner tube head assembly includes latches configured to work with the inner tube head assembly of the first size and the drill string of the second size. The first size is larger than the second size. The inner tube head assembly engages a drill string sized to cooperate with the first size. A core drilling system is also described.
Claims27
A core drilling system comprising:
- a drill string having a predetermined standardized size;
- and
- a core barrel assembly located within the drill string, the core barrel assembly comprising:
- an inner tube head assembly having a latch casing coupled to a latch body;
- latches housing within the latch body;
- a landing shoulder coupled to the latch body and a spindle;
- and
- an inner tube cap assembly coupled between the spindle and an inner tube cap adapter,
- wherein the landing shoulder and the inner tube cap adapter are a first standardized size configured to engage the predetermined standardized size of the drill string,
- wherein the latch casing, the spindle, and the inner tube cap assembly are a second size, the second size being different from the first standardized size,
- wherein the latches are configured to cooperate with a latch body of the second size and the drill string of the predetermined standardized size, and
- wherein the first standardized size is larger than the second size.
An inner tube head assembly for a core barrel assembly, the inner tube head assembly comprising:
- a latch casing coupled to a latch body;
- a landing shoulder coupled to the latch body and a spindle;
- and
- an inner tube cap assembly coupled between the spindle and an inner tube cap adapter,
- wherein the landing shoulder and the inner tube cap adapter are a first size and the latch casing, the latch body, the spindle, and the inner tube cap assembly are a second size, and
- wherein the first size is larger than the second size.
A core drilling system comprising:
- a drill string having a predetermined size;
- and
- a core barrel assembly located within the drill string, the core barrel assembly comprising:
- an inner tube head assembly having a latch casing coupled to a latch body;
- latches housing within the latch body;
- a landing shoulder coupled to the latch body and a spindle;
- and
- an inner tube cap assembly coupled between the spindle and an inner tube cap adapter,
- wherein the inner tube head assembly is configured to create a first clearance gap and a second clearance gap, wherein each of the first clearance gap and the second clearance gap are located between an outer surface of the inner tube head assembly and an inner surface of the drill string,
- wherein an outer surface of the latch casing, the spindle, and the inner tube cap assembly and the inner surface of the drill string are a first size and create the first clearance gap, and
- wherein the first size is selected to maximize the first clearance gap to maximize fluid flow around an outer surface of the inner tube head assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.