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US 4,480,703 AGranted
Drilling head
AssigneeSmith International, Inc.
InventorWilliam R. Garrett
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drilling head comprises a tubular body adapted for connection above a well head and having a removable side outlet with a replaceable wear bushing. An assembly removably secured in the head includes a stator and rotor with bearing means and rotating seal means therebetween. A replaceable tubular, kelly seal boot or stripper carried by the rotor includes an enlarged upper end which diverts drilling mud away from the rotating seal and toward the side outlet. Lubricating means is provided for the rotating seal.
Claims4
Drilling head comprising:
- a tubular body having a bottom opening and a top opening and a side opening,
- connector means at the bottom opening for connecting the body to the top of the next lower member of a drilling control stack,
- top closure means for closing off the annulus between a portion of the body above said side opening and a drive tube when such a tube is extending through the body,
- said top closure means including a stator releasably connected to the body, a rotor rotatably supported by the stator and having a stripper engageable with such drive tube and rotary seal means between said stator and rotor,
- said rotary seal means comprising engaging cylindrical sliding surfaces provided by coaxial inner and outer annular portions,
- said outer portion being affixed to said stator and said inner portion being affixed to said rotor,
- one of said portions being a metal sleeve and the other of said portions being provided with axially separated compliant, non-metallic seal rings,
- said drilling head further including lubricant passage means for conveying lubricant to said rotary seal means,
- said lubricant passage means including:
- a first portion in said body adapted for connection to a lubricator and
- entirely in the stator a second portion which opens directly into the area between said inner and outer portions of the rotary seal means in between said axially separated compliant seal rings.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.