Thin film treated drilling bit cones
OwnerGerald W. Whiteinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A thin film treatment of rock formation drilling bits mounting a plurality of toothed rotatably mounted cones with cones having hard surface films deposited on the outer surface by a high particulate energy level ion plating process on the cone carrier material including the cone teeth. Bearing surfaces within the cones and, in most instances, the bearing surfaces of bearing journals of the bit arm journal and bearing roller and ball components as well are given a dry lubricant thin film plating deposited by a high particulate energy level ion plating process.
Claims22
A material working tool comprised of a plurality of successively overlying material films comprising a first material film overlying a tool core material and including an outer-surface-defining material film;
- each said film being deposited by a vacuum ion plating process, with material film atoms driven into the atomic lattice of the material which it overlies in a phase zone between that film and the material which it overlies comprised of atoms of that film and those of the material which it overlies;
- said first and successive overlying films comprising one of a group of materials consisting of pure metals, metal oxides, metal nitrides and metal carbides, each of said films comprised of a material, the hardness of which is greater than that of the material which it overlies.
In a bearing support structure for a rotatably mounted device, bearing surfaces comprising a plurality of successively overlying material films including a first material film overlying a bearing surface core material and including an outer bearing surface one of said films;
- each said film being deposited by a vacuum ion plating process, with material film atoms of each of said films driven into the atomic lattice of the material which it overlies in a phase zone of intermingled atoms of that film and the material which it overlies;
- said first material film and successive overlying films comprising one of a group of materials consisting of pure metals, metal oxides, metal nitrides and metal carbides, with each one of said films, exclusive of said outer bearing surface one thereof, comprised of a material having a hardness greater than that of the material which it overlies;
- and said outer bearing surface film comprising a dry lubricant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.