Well drilling tool with diamond thrust bearings

A bearing pack for a down hole well drilling tool comprising

• a bearing housing adapted to be connected to the housing of a well-drilling, fluid-actuated down-hole motor,
• a rotary bearing shaft positioned in said bearing housing having one end adapted to support a drill bit and another end adapted to be driven with a rotary shaft of a well drilling fluid actuated down hole motor when assemble thereon,
• bearing means in said bearing housing supporting said bearing shaft,
• lubricating means for said bearing means, in which
• said bearing means comprises a radial bearing having one bearing member supported on said housing and another bearing member supported on and rotatable with said rotary shaft means,
• a thrust bearing for vertical or longitudinal thrust loads comprising a first bearing member supported on said housing and a second bearing member supported on and rotatable with said rotary shaft means,
• said first thrust bearing member comprising a first annular supporting plate,
• a plurality of insert members equally spaced around said first annular plate, extending longitudinally of said tool and having flat co-planar continuous polycrystalline diamond bearing surfaces extending above the surface of said first annular plate,
• said second thrust bearing member comprising a second annular supporting plate, and
• a plurality of insert members equally spaced around said first annular plate, extending longitudinally of said tool toward said first annular plate and having flat co-planar continuous polycrystalline diamond bearing surfaces extending below the surface of said second annular plate and engaging said first named insert bearing members along a common plane for bearing movement thereagainst.

A rotary thrust bearing structure comprising

• a tubular outer member,
• an inner member supported in said outer member for relative movement of said members,
• bearing means in said outer member supporting said inner member,
• said bearing means comprising a thrust bearing for vertical or longitudinal thrust loads comprising a first bearing member supported on said outer member and a second bearing member supported on said inner member permitting relative rotational movement therebetween,
• said first thrust bearing member comprising a first annular supporting plate,
• a plurality of insert members equally spaced around said first annular plate, extending longitudinally of said tool and having flat co-planar continuous polycrystalline diamond bearing surfaces extending above the surface of said first annular plate,
• said second thrust bearing member comprising a second annular supporting plate, and
• a plurality of insert members equally spaced around said first annular plate, extending longitudinally of said tool toward said first annular plate and having flat co-planar continuous polycrystalline diamond bearing surfaces extending below the surface of said second annular plate and engaging said first named insert bearing members along a common plane for bearing movement thereagainst.