Wear resistant drill pipe collar and method of making same
AssigneeReynolds Metals Company
InventorElvin G. Boice
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wear-resistant drill pipe collar and method of making same are provided wherein such collar has at least one annular groove defined therein and such groove has cooperating surfaces which hold a plurality of easily installed and removed wear-resistant inserts which protect the collar and its associated pipe structure against excessive wear during rotation and axial movement thereof in an abrasive environment.
Claims27
A wear-resistant drill pipe collar comprising, a main body having a substantially annular groove and an access opening for said groove defined therein with said groove extending around said main body from opposite locations of said access opening, said main body having an outside surface, said groove being defined by a bottom surface having opposed end edges defining a particular width for said bottom surface and a pair of opposed side surfaces adjoining said end edges, said side surfaces having outer edges spaced apart a distance less than said width to thereby define said groove having a constricted substantially annular opening, a plurality of inserts made of a wear-resistant material disposed within said groove, each of said inserts being confined by said bottom surface and said side surfaces and having an outer portion extending between said constricted opening, each outer portion having a wear-resistant exposed surface which conforms to the configuration of said outside surface, each of said inserts being adapted to be inserted in and removed from said groove through said access opening, and a plug fixed to said main body within said access opening to prevent movement of said inserts within said annular groove and egress of said inserts from said access opening.
A wear-resistant drill pipe component comprising, a main body having a plurality of substantially annular grooves and a corresponding plurality of access openings defined therein with each groove extending around said main body from opposite locations of an associated access opening, said main body having an outside surface, each of said grooves being defined by a bottom surface having opposed end edges defining a particular width for the bottom surface and a pair of opposed side surfaces adjoining associated opposed end edges, said side surfaces of each groove having outer edges spaced apart a distance less than said width of its bottom surface to define each groove having a constricted substantially annular opening, a plurality of inserts made of a wear-resistant material disposed within each of said grooves, each of said inserts being confined by an associated bottom surface and side surfaces and having an outer portion extending between an associated constricted opening, each outer portion of each insert having a wear-resistant exposed surface which conforms to the configuration of said outside surface, each of said inserts being adapted to be inserted in and removed from its groove through an associated access opening, and a plurality of plugs each being disposed within an associated access opening and fixed to said main body, each plug preventing movement of associated inserts within an associated annular groove and egress of the associated inserts from an associated access opening.
A method of making a wear-resistant drill pipe collar comprising the steps of, forming a substantially annular groove and an access opening for said groove in the main body of said collar radially inwardly from a cylindrical outside surface thereof and with said groove extending around said main body from opposite locations of said access opening, said groove being defined by a bottom surface having opposed end edges defining a particular width for said bottom surface and a pair of opposed side surfaces adjoining said end edges, said side surfaces having outer edges spaced apart a distance less than said width to thereby define said groove having a constricted substantially annular opening, providing a plurality of inserts made of a wear-resistant material, disposing said inserts within said groove, each of said inserts being confined by said bottom surface and said side surfaces and having an outer portion extending between said constricted opening, each outer portion having a wear-resistant exposed surface which conforms to the configuration of said outside surface, each of said inserts being adapted to be inserted in and removed from said groove through said access opening, and fixing a plug to said main body within said access opening to prevent movement of said inserts within said annular groove and egress of said inserts from said access opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.