Sealed bearing means for in hole motors

In a sealed and lubricated bearing assembly for use with a fluid motor having a stator housing, and a motor fluid driven rotor said rotor rotated by motor fluid passing through said stator:

• an elongated tubular housing structure;
• a drive shaft having a flow passage therethrough and rotatable in said housing structure and having means at one end connectible with the motor rotor, the other end of said drive shaft projecting from said housing structure;
• a pair of axially spaced sealing structures between said housing structure and said drive shaft adjacent the ends thereof and defining therewith a bearing chamber adapted to contain a liquid lubricant;
• means responsive to fluid pressure externally of said housing structure for pressurizing said liquid lubricant between said sealing structures;
• axial and radial bearing means in said chamber engaged between said housing structure and said drive shaft for transmitting axial and radial loads between said housing structure and said drive shaft;
• one of said sealing structures being adjacent said one end of said drive shaft and reservoir means adapted to contain a clean fluid and said last named sealing structure including seal means separating said chamber from said reservoir and exposed only to fluid in said chamber and said reservoir and means including pressure transfer means for isolating clean fluid in said reservoir from and pressurizing said clean fluid responsive to the pressure of fluid in either said chamber or the motor fluid discharging from said stator in said housing structure externally of said chamber;
• said drive shaft having a port opening between said flow passage and said housing structure externally of said chamber for the flow of motor fluid through said drive shaft;
• said one of said sealing structures having additional reservoir means for a clean fluid between said seal means and said housing structure externally of said chamber, and means subjecting the clean fluid in said additional reservoir means to the pressure of motor fluid in said housing structure externally of said chamber.

In a sealed and lubricated bearing assembly for use with a fluid motor having a stator housing, and a motor fluid driven rotor said rotor rotated by motor fluid passing through said stator:

• an elongated tubular housing structure;
• a drive shaft having a flow passage therethrough and rotatable in said housing structure and having means at one end connectible with the motor rotor, the other end of said drive shaft projecting from said housing structure;
• a pair of axially spaced sealing structures between said housing structure and said drive shaft adjacent the ends thereof and defining therewith a bearing chamber adapted to contain a liquid lubricant;
• means responsive to fluid pressure externally of said housing structure for pressurizing said liquid lubricant between said sealing structures;
• axial and radial bearing means in said chamber engaged between said housing structure and said drive shaft for transmitting axial and radial loads between said housing structure and said drive shaft;
• one of said sealing structures being adjacent said one end of said drive shaft and reservoir means adapted to contain a clean fluid and said last named sealing structure including seal means separating said chamber from said reservoir and exposed only to fluid in said chamber and said reservoir and means including pressure transfer means for isolating clean fluid in said reservoir from and pressurizing said clean fluid responsive to the pressure of fluid in either said chamber or the motor fluid discharging from said stator in said housing structure externally of said chamber;
• said drive shaft having a port opening between said flow passage and said housing structure externally of said chamber for the flow of motor fluid through said drive shaft;
• said one of said sealing structures including an additional reservoir means for a clean fluid, and means subjecting the clean fluid in said additional reservoir means to the pressure of motor fluid in said housing structure externally of said chamber.

In a sealed and lubricated bearing assembly for use with a fluid motor having a stator housing, and a motor fluid driven rotor said rotor rotated by motor fluid passing through said stator:

• an elongated tubular housing structure;
• a drive shaft having a flow passage therethrough and rotatable in said housing structure and having means at one end connectible with the motor rotor, the other end of said drive shaft projecting from said housing structure;
• a pair of axially spaced sealing structures between said housing structure and said drive shaft adjacent the ends thereof and defining therewith a bearing chamber adapted to contain a liquid lubricant;
• means responsive to fluid pressure externally of said housing structure for pressurizing said liquid lubricant between said sealing structures;
• axial and radial bearing means in said chamber engaged between said housing structure and said drive shaft for transmitting axial and radial loads between said housing structure and said drive shaft;
• one of said sealing structures being adjacent said one end of said drive shaft and reservoir means adapted to contain a clean fluid and said last named sealing structure including seal means separating said chamber from said reservoir and exposed only to fluid in said chamber and said reservoir and means including pressure transfer means for isolating clean fluid in said reservoir from and pressurizing said clean fluid responsive to the pressure of the lubricant in the chamber;
• said drive shaft having a port opening between said flow passage and said housing structure externally of said chamber for the flow of motor fluid through said drive shaft;
• said one of said sealing structures defining an additional reservoir means for a clean fluid, and means subjecting the clean fluid in said additional reservoir means to the pressure of motor fluid in said housing structure externally of said chamber.

In a sealed and lubricated bearing assembly for use with a fluid motor having a stator housing, and a motor fluid driven rotor said rotor rotated by motor fluid passing through said stator:

• an elongated tubular housing structure;
• a drive shaft having a flow passage therethrough and rotatable in said housing structure and having means at one end connectible with the motor rotor, the other end of said drive shaft projecting from said housing structure;
• a pair of axially spaced sealing structures between said housing structure and said drive shaft adjacent the ends thereof and defining therewith a bearing chamber adapted to contain a liquid lubricant;
• means responsive to fluid pressure externally of said housing structure for pressurizing said liquid lubricant between said sealing structures;
• axial and radial bearing means in said chamber engaged between said housing structure and said drive shaft for transmitting axial and radial loads between said housing structure and said drive shaft;
• one of said sealing structures being adjacent said one end of said drive shaft and reservoir means adapted to contain a clean fluid and said last named sealing structure including seal means separating said chamber from said reservoir and exposed only to fluid in said chamber and said reservoir and means including pressure transfer means for isolating clean fluid in said reservoir from and pressurizing said clean fluid responsive to the pressure of the motor fluid discharging from said stator in said housing structure externally of said chamber;
• said drive shaft having a port opening between said flow passage and said housing structure externally of said chamber for the flow of motor fluid through said drive shaft;
• said one of said sealing structures defining an additional reservoir means for a clean fluid, and means subjecting the clean fluid in said additional reservoir means to the pressure of motor fluid in said housing structure externally of said chamber.

In a sealed and lubricated bearing assembly for use with a fluid motor having a stator housing, and a motor fluid driven rotor said rotor rotated by motor fluid passing through said stator:

• an elongated tubular housing structure;
• a drive shaft having a flow passage therethrough and rotatable in said housing structure and having means at one end connectible with the motor rotor, the other end of said drive shaft projecting from said housing structure;
• a pair of axially spaced sealing structures between said housing structure and said drive shaft adjacent the ends thereof and defining therewith a bearing chamber adapted to contain a liquid lubricant;
• means responsive to fluid pressure externally of said housing structure for pressurizing said liquid lubricant between said sealing structures;
• axial and radial bearing means in said chamber engaged between said housing structure and said drive shaft for transmitting axial and radial loads between said housing structure and said drive shaft;
• one of said sealing structures being adjacent said one end of said drive shaft and reservoir means adapted to contain a clean fluid and said last named sealing structure including seal means separating said chamber from said reservoir and exposed only to fluid in said chamber and said reservior and means including pressure transfer means for isolating clean fluid in said reservoir from and pressurizing said clean fluid responsive to the pressure of fluid in either said chamber or the motor fluid discharging from said stator in said housing structure externally of said chamber;
• said drive shaft having a port opening between said flow passage and said housing structure externally of said chamber for the flow of motor fluid through said drive shaft;
• said one of said sealing structures having additional reservoir means for a clean fluid between said seal means and said housing structure externally of said chamber, and means subjecting the clean fluid in said additional reservoir means to the pressure of motor fluid in said housing structure externally of said chamber, including a restricted passage between said additional reservoir means and said housing structure externally of said chamber.

In a sealed and lubricated bearing assembly for use with a fluid motor having a stator housing, and a motor fluid driven rotor said rotor rotated by motor fluid passing through said stator:

• an elongated tubular housing structure;
• a drive shaft having a flow passage therethrough and rotatable in said housing structure and having means at one end connectible with the motor rotor, the other end of said drive shaft projecting from said housing structure;
• a pair of axially spaced sealing structures between said housing structure and said drive shaft adjacent the ends thereof and defining therewith a bearing chamber adapted to contain a liquid lubricant;
• means responsive to fluid pressure externally of said housing structure for pressurizing said liquid lubricant between said sealing structures;
• axial and radial bearing means in said chamber engaged between said housing structure and said drive shaft for transmitting axial and radial loads between said housing structure and said drive shaft;
• one of said sealing structures being adjacent said one end of said drive shaft and reservoir means adapted to contain a clean fluid and said last named sealing structure including seal means separating said chamber from said reservoir and exposed only to fluid in said chamber and said reservoir and means including pressure transfer means for isolating clean fluid in said reservoir from and pressurizing said clean fluid responsive to the pressure of fluid in either said chamber or the motor fluid discharging from said stator in said housing structure externally of said chamber;
• said drive shaft having a port opening between said flow passage and said housing structure externally of said chamber for the flow of motor fluid through said drive shaft;
• said one of said sealing structures having additional reservoir means for a clean fluid between said seal means and said housing structure externally of said chamber, and means subjecting the clean fluid in said additional reservoir means to the pressure of motor fluid in said housing structure externally of said chamber, including a restricted passage between said additional reservoir means and said housing structure externally of said chamber, the other of said sealing structures being exposed to the pressure of fluid in said chamber and the pressure of fluid externally of said housing structure.

A sealed bearing assembly for use with a fluid driven in hole motor connectible in a fluid conducting pipe string to drive a rotary bit, comprising:

• a tubular bearing housing;
• a tubular drive shaft in said housing defining an annular space therebetween;
• bearing means between said housing and said drive shaft;
• first and second sealing structures sealing said annular space at opposite sides of said bearing means and defining with said housing and said drive shaft a bearing chamber adapted to contain a bearing lubricant;
• said housing having means for isolating said lubricant from external fluid and responsive to external fluid pressure for pressurizing said lubricant and equalizing pressure across said first sealing structure;
• said second sealing structure having high pressure sealing means and low pressure sealing means therein defining first and second reservoirs for containing a clean fluid interposed between said bearing chamber and said annular space externally of said bearing chamber;
• means for pressurizing the fluid in one of said reservoirs by the pressure of fluid in one of said bearing chamber and said annular space externally of said bearing chamber;
• and means for pressurizing the other of said reservoirs by the pressure of fluid from said annular space externally of said bearing chamber;
• said high pressure sealing means sealing against the pressure difference between fluid in said annular space externally of said bearing chamber and fluid in said bearing chamber;
• said low pressure sealing means sealing the substantially equalized pressure of the fluid in said one of said reservoirs and the fluid in one of said chamber and said annular space externally of said bearing chamber.

In a fluid motor drill adapted to be installed in a drilling pipe string to be operated by drilling fluid circulated through the drilling string and returning through the drilled hole annulus outside of the drilling string:

• a motor including a stator having means connectable with the drill string;
• a rotor in said stator rotatable by the flow of drilling fluid through said stator;
• a tubular bearing housing connected with said stator;
• a tubular drive shaft extending through said bearing housing and connected with said rotor at one end;
• the other end of said drive shaft extending from said bearing housing;
• bearing means engaged between said housing and said drive shaft supporting said drive shaft for rotation and for axial loading of said drive shaft;
• first seal means between said housing and said other end of said drive shaft;
• second seal means between said one end of said drive shaft and said housing and spaced from said first seal means;
• means between the seal means defining a space for a clean fluid, pressure transfer means for isolating said space between said seal means from and responsive to the pressure of fluid externally of said housing for pressurizing said clean fluid when positioned in the space between said seal means;
• said second seal means including means defining another space for another clean fluid and sealing elements between said drive shaft and said housing separating said clean fluid spaces and exposed only to the fluid in said clean fluid spaces;
• means separating said another clean fluid in said another space from the fluid in said housing externally of said second sealing means, said drive shaft having a port leading from said housing to said tubular drive shaft for the flow of motor fluid from said stator and housing into said drive shaft.

For use with a fluid motor drill adapted to be installed in a drilling pipe string to be operated by drilling fluid circulated through the drilling string and returning through the drilled hole annulus outside of the drilling string:

• a motor including a stator having means connectible with the drill string;
• a rotor in said stator rotatable by the flow of drilling fluid through said stator;
• a tubular bearing housing connected with said stator;
• a shaft extending through said bearing housing and connected with said rotor at one end of said shaft;
• the other end of said shaft extending from said bearing housing for connection with a bit;
• first seal means between said housing and said other end of said shaft;
• second seal means between said one end of said shaft and said housing spaced from said first seal mean, the space between said seal means adapted to contain a lubricant;
• bearings engaged between said housing and said shaft between said first and second seal means and engaged with said shaft and said housing supporting said shaft for rotation and axial loading of said shaft;
• pressure transfer means responsive to the pressure of fluid externally of said housing for pressurizing the lubricant in said housing between said seal means;
• means defining a chamber for clean fluid;
• sealing elements between said drive shaft and said housing sealingly engaged between said lubricant and said clean fluid chamber and exposed only to the lubricant and the fluid in said clean fluid chamber;
• pressure transfer means for pressurizing the clean fluid in said chamber in response to the pressure of fluid in said housing externally of said second sealing means;
• said drive shaft having a port for the flow of motor fluid from said stator and housing through said drive shaft.

For use with a fluid motor drill adapted to be installed in a drilling pipe string to be operated by drilling fluid circulated through the drilling string and returning through the drilled hole annulus outside of the drilling string:

• a motor including a stator having means connectible with the drill string;
• a rotor in said stator rotatable by the flow of drilling fluid through said stator;
• a tubular bearing housing connected with said stator;
• a shaft extending through said bearing housing and connected with said rotor at one end of said shaft;
• the other end of said shaft extending from said bearing housing for connection with a bit;
• first seal means between said housing and said other end of said shaft;
• second seal means between said one end of said shaft spaced from said first seal means, the space between said seal means and said housing adapted to contain a lubricant;
• bearings engaged between said housing and said shaft between said first and second seal means and engaged with said shaft and said bearing supporting said shaft for rotation and axial loading of said shaft;
• pressure transfer means responsive to the pressure of fluid externally of said housing for pressurizing the lubricant in said housing between said seal means;
• a chamber for clean fluid;
• sealing elements between said drive shaft and said housing sealingly engaged and between said lubricant and said clean fluid chamber and exposed only to the lubricant in said housing and the fluid in said clean fluid chamber;
• pressure transfer means for pressurizing the clean fluid in said chamber in response to the pressure of fluid externally of said housing;
• said drive shaft having a port for the flow of motor fluid from said stator and housing through said drive shaft.

In a fluid motor drill adapted to be installed in a drilling pipe string to be operated by drilling fluid circulated through the drilling string and returning through the drilled hole annulus outside of the drilling string;

• a motor including a stator having means connectable with the drilling string;
• a rotor in said stator rotatable by the flow of drilling fluid through said stator;
• a tubular bearing housing connected with said stator to receive drilling fluid discharged from said stator;
• a tubular drive shaft extending through said bearing housing and connected with said rotor at one end;
• the other end of said drive shaft extending from said bearing housing;
• said drive shaft having an opening for the flow of drilling fluid from said housing through said drive shaft and through a bit at said other end of said drive shaft;
• first seal means between said other end of said drive shaft and said housing;
• second seal means between said one end of said drive shaft and said housing;
• bearing means between said first and second seal means in thrust and radial load transfer relation between said shaft and said housing;
• a reservoir for a first clean fluid;
• pressure transfer means responsive to the pressure of fluid externally of said housing for pressurizing said first clean fluid;
• said second seal means defining a second reservoir for a second clean fluid and having seal elements between said drive shaft and said housing and separating said first and second clean fluid reservoirs and exposed only to the fluid in said reservoirs;
• and pressure transfer means responsive to the pressure of said high pressure drilling fluid in said housing to pressurize said second reservoir.

In a fluid motor adapted to be installed in a drilling pipe string to be operated by drilling fluid circulated through the drilling string and returning through the drilled hole annulus outside of the drilling string:

• a motor including a stator having means connectable with the drilling string;
• a rotor in said stator rotatable by the flow of drilling fluid through said stator;
• a tubular bearing housing connected with said stator to receive drilling fluid discharged from said stator;
• a tubular drive shaft extending through said bearing housing and connected with said rotor at one end;
• the other end of said drive shaft extending from said bearing housing;
• said drive shaft having an opening for the flow of drilling fluid from said housing through said drive shaft;
• a first seal between said housing and the end of said drive shaft extending from said housing;
• a second seal between said one end of said drive shaft and said housing;
• bearing means between said first and second seals in thrust and radial load transfer relation between said shaft and said housing;
• a reservoir for a first clean fluid;
• pressure transfer means responsive to the pressure of fluid externally of said housing for pressurizing said first clean fluid in said reservoir;
• said second seal separating said first clean fluid reservoir from high pressure drilling fluid in said housing;
• a second reservoir for a second clean fluid;
• said second seal also including a seal element between said drive shaft and said housing and separating said first and second clean fluid reservoirs and exposed only to the fluid in said reservoirs;
• and pressure transfer means responsive to the pressure exerted by said high pressure drilling fluid in said housing to pressurize said second reservoir.