Apparatus for coupling multi-conduit drill pipes

In a well drilling pipe having a bore therethrough for carrying fluids, the combination comprising:

• a fluid conduit for carrying a fluid and independent of said bore, said fluid conduit having sidewalls formed integral with the sidewalls of said bore;
• an electrical conduit in said pipe independent of said bore and of said fluid conduit, said electrical conduit having sidewalls formed integral with the sidewalls of said fluid conduit and integral with the sidewalls of said bore;
• an electrical conductor disposed in said electrical conduit;
• an electrical connector disposed at each end of said electrical conduit providing a termination for said conductor;
• means for circumferentially sealing each end of said electrical conduit so that said electrical conduit remains sealed from said fluid conduit and so that said connectors and said conductor are also sealed from the fluids carried in said pipe;
• and
• index means on each end of said drill pipe for preventing rotational movement of said drill pipe about a torsional axis with respect to other similar drill pipes to be connected therewith, whereby the electrical conduit is matable only with electrical conduits of other similar drill pipes.

A connection between a first and second multi-conduited drill pipe of a drill string having electrical wires in one conduit of each said pipe, said one conduit defining an electrical conduit, comprising:

• electrical connector means terminating the end of each said wire and fixed in an end of the electrical conduit of each said first and second drill pipe;
• seal means disposed between said end of said first and second drill pipe for sealing each conduit of said first drill pipe to corresponding conduits of said second drill pipe;
• intermediate connector means fixed in said seal means and partially insertable into the electrical conduit opening of said first and second drill pipe for mating with said electrical connector means and for rotationally aligning said first drill pipe to said second drill pipe;
• and
• means for coupling said first drill pipe to said second drill pipe with said seal means therebetween and without rotational movement of said first drill pipe with respect to said second drill pipe.

A drill pipe for use in well drilling operations and adapted for carrying fluids and electrical signals, comprising:

• a drill pipe having opposing ends with a concentric inner and outer side wall, said inner side wall defining a central conduit through which fluids are carried;
• a plurality of individual elongate conduits extending axially through said drill pipe substantially from one end to the other end of said drill pipe, each said conduit being located between said inner and outer sidewalls and equidistantly spaced around said central conduit;
• an electrical connector with an electrical contact fixed in each end of one conduit of said plurality, said one conduit defining an electrical conduit;
• en electrical wire connecting the contact of one said connector to the contact of the other said connector;
• a drive lug, and an index lug different from said drive lug, each integral with said drill pipe and extending axially beyond one said end;
• a drive recess, and an index recess different from said drive recess, each recessed inwardly in the other end of said drill pipe;
• a set of external threads around each end of said drill pipe, one set thereof having a different number of threads per inch than the other said set;
• and
• an internally threaded collar rotatable and disposed on one end of said drill pipe, said collar having a first set of internal threads engagable with said one set of pipe external threads, and a second set of internal threads corresponding to said other set of external threads of said drill pipe.

A coupler adapted for use with a multi-conduit drill pipe for removably coupling an end of a first and second said drill pipe to form a drill string, comprising:

• a first set of uniform diameter external threads at the end of said first drill pipe;
• a second set of uniform diameter external threads at the end of said second drill pipe, the diameter and pitch of said second set of external threads being larger than said first set of threads;
• a cylindrical coupling collar having at one end thereof a first set of uniform diameter internal threads matable with the external threads of said first drill pipe, and a second set of uniform diameter threads matable with the external threads of said second drill pipe;
• and
• interengaging means located on the end of said first and second said drill pipes for keying said pipes together in a predetermined angular alignment and to prevent respective rotational movement of said first drill pipe with respect to said second drill pipe;
• whereby when said pipes are butted together and interengagingly keyed, said collar may be rotated from said pipe having the smaller diameter threads onto the pipe and having the larger diameter threads and thereby clamp said pipes together through differential thread action.

A drill pipe for use in well drilling operations and adapted for carrying fluids and electrical signals, comprising:

• a drill pipe having opposing ends with a concentric inner and outer side wall, said inner side wall defining a central conduit through which fluids are carried;
• a plurality of individual elongate conduits extending axially through said drill pipe substantially from one end to the other end of said drill pipe, each said conduit being located between said inner and outer sidewalls and equidistantly spaced around said central conduit;
• an electrical connector with an electrical contact fixed in each end of one conduit of said plurality, said one conduit defining an electrical conduit;
• an electrical wire connecting the contact of one said connector to the contact of the other said connector;
• a drive lug, and an index lug different from said drive lug, each integral with said drill pipe and extending axially beyond one said end;
• a drive recess, and an index recess different from said drive recess, each recessed inwardly in the other end of said drill pipe;
• a set of external threads around each end of said drill pipe, one set thereof having a different number of threads per inch than the other said set;
• an internally threaded collar rotatable and disposed on one end of said drill pipe, said collar having a first set of internal threads engagable with said one set of pipe external threads, and a second set of internal threads corresponding to said other set of external threads of said drill pipe;
• a rigid planar plate having a cross-sectional shape substantially the same as the cross-sectional shape of that part of said drill pipe which peripherally surrounds said plurality of conduits and said central conduit, a groove in each face surface of said plate surrounding voids therein corresponding to openings of said conduits;
• and
• an elastomeric gasket shaped to fit into each said groove, whereby when said drill pipe and said other similar drill pipe are compressively coupled together the pressure integrity of said plurality of conduits and said central conduit is maintained between said drill pipes.