Rock bits and inserts therefor
AssigneeSmith International, Inc.
InventorsWilliam J. Salesky, Bruce L. Campbell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is a rock bit insert including a polycrystalline diamond surface on an insert body having a head portion made from a material with elasticity and thermal expansion properties advantageously tailored for use in three types of rock bits, as well as the three types of rock bits made with such inserts. The three types of bits are a roller cone rock bit adapted to be used with mud as the drilling fluid, a roller cone rock bit adapted to be used with air as the drilling fluid, and a percussion rock bit.
Claims60
An insert for a roller cone rock bit adapted to drill with mud comprising:
- an insert body having a shaft portion for insertion into a roller cone and a head portion for protruding from the roller cone;
- and
- a layer of polycrystalline diamond material directly bonded to the head portion;
- wherein the head portion comprises a material having a Young's modulus of elasticity between about 80 and about 89.times.10.sup.6 p.s.i, and a coefficient of thermal expansion of between about 2.9 and 3.4.times.10-6 /.degree.C.
A roller cone rock bit adapted to drill with mud comprising:
- a steel body:
- means at one end of the body for connecting the bit to a drill string:
- means at the opposite end of the body for mounting at least one roller cone on the body for rotation around an axis transverse to the axis of the bit:
- at least one roller cone so mounted on the body for rolling on the bottom of a bore hole being drilled:
- a plurality of inserts in said cone for crushing rock at the bottom of such a bore hole, at least a portion of said inserts comprising
- an insert body having a shaft portion for insertion into a rock bit and a head portion for protruding from the rock bit;
- and
- a layer of polycrystalline diamond material directly bonded to the head portion;
- wherein the head portion comprises a material having a Young's modulus of elasticity between about 80 and about 89.times.10.sup.6 p.s.i, and a coefficient of thermal expansion of between about 2.9 and 3.4.times.10.sup.-6 /.degree.C.
An insert for a roller cone rock bit adapted to drill with air comprising:
- an insert body having a shaft portion for insertion into a roller cone and a head portion for protruding from the roller cone;
- and
- a layer of polycrystalline diamond material directly bonded to the head portion;
- wherein the head portion comprises a material having a Young's modulus of elasticity between about 90 and about 102.times.10.sup.6 p.s.i, and a coefficient of thermal expansion of between about 2.5 and about 3.0.times.10.sup.-6 /.degree.C.
A roller cone rock bit adapted to drill with air comprising:
- a steel body;
- means at one end of the body for connecting the bit to a drill string:
- means at the opposite end of the body for mounting at least one roller cone on the body for rotation around an axis transverse to the axis of the bit:
- at least one roller cone so mounted on the body for rolling on the bottom of a bore hole being drilled:
- a plurality of inserts in said cone for crushing rock at the bottom of such a bore hole, at least a portion of said inserts comprising:
- an insert body having a shaft portion for insertion into a rock bit and a head portion for protruding from the rock bit:
- and
- a layer of polycrystalline diamond material directly bonded to the head portion;
- wherein the head portion comprises a material having a Young's modulus of elasticity between about 90 and about 102.times.10.sup.6 p.s.i, and a coefficient of thermal expansion of between about 2.5 and 3.0.times.10.sup.6 /.degree.C.
An insert for a percussion rock bit comprising:
- an insert body having a shaft portion for insertion into the percussion rock bit and a head portion for protruding from the roller cone:
- and
- a layer of polycrystalline diamond material directly bonded to the head portion:
- wherein the head portion comprises a material having a Young's modulus of elasticity between about 90 and about 102.times.10.sup.6 p.s.i and a coefficient of thermal expansion of between about 2.5 and about 3.0.times.10.sup.-6 /.degree.C.
A percussion rock bit comprising:
- a steel body:
- means at one end of the steel body for connecting the bit to a drill string:
- a plurality of inserts embedded within the other end of the steel body, at least a portion of the inserts comprising
- an insert body having a shaft portion for insertion into the steel body and a head portion for protruding from the steel body;
- and
- a layer of polycrystalline diamond material directly bonded to the head portion;
- wherein the head portion comprises a material having a Young's modulus of elasticity between about 90 and about 102.times.10.sup.6 p.s.i, and a coefficient of thermal expansion of between about 2.5 and 3.0.times.10.sup.-6 /.degree.C.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.