Method and apparatus for transferring drilling energy to a cutting member
OwnerJack W. Romanoinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A continuous congruent length stranded flexible Drilling Energy Transfer Member (DETM) constructed to transfer and balance action/reaction forces between an energy source and a working tip such that torque, tensile, compression and self supporting forces are constrained while the DETM operates in multiple positions of tight curvature and straight run and while translating into and out of such extremes, the balance being maintained between the extensor/torque outer configuration and an inner tensile/compressor configuration.
Claims47
A flexible drilling energy transfer member comprising;
- an inner core load cell comprising a first plurality of strands sized and laid at helical angles sufficient for transmitting predetermined tensile and compression loads under rotary drilling pressure, and
- an outer wrap load cell comprising a second plurality of strands sized and laid at helical angles sufficient for transmitting predetermined torque loads under rotary drilling pressure,
- the force fields and mass distribution of said load cells being balanced in function such that said first load cell structurally supports said second load cell against destruction by axially directed forces and said second load cell structurally supports said first load cell against destruction by rotationally directed torque forces and maintains longitudinal support therefor.
A multi strand flexible drilling energy transfer member for tight radius rotary drilling comprising;
- a core construction composed of a first plurality of strands comprising a first load cell for transmitting tensile and compression loads while under rotary drilling pressure,
- said first plurality of strands being generally axially directed and laid at flat helical angles,
- an outer wrap construction surrounding said core and composed of a second plurality of strands comprising a second load cell for transmitting rotational torque loads while under rotary drilling pressure,
- said second plurality of strands being generally circumferentially directed and laid at steep helical angles,
- the force fields and mass distribution of said first and second load cells being balanced in fuction such that said first load cell structurally supports said second load cell against destruction by axially directed forces and said second load cell structurally supports said first load cell against destruction by rotationally directed torque forces and maintains longitudinal support therefor.
A flexible drilling energy transfer member comprising;
- a core load cell for transmitting axial tensile and compression loads during drilling pressure, and an outer wrap torque transmitting load cell,
- said core load cell including a single strand mandrel, a first six strand right hand laid wrap and a second twelve strand left hand laid wrap,
- said outer wrap load cell including a first five strand outer wrap laid on said twelve strand wrap in a right hand direction and a second seven strand outer wrap laid on said five strand wrap in a left hand direction.
A rigid construction connecting a cutter head to the terminal end of a flexible rotary shaft having a given diameter, said shaft including a core load cell and a separate outer load cell for transmitting axial and torque loads respectively, said structure comprising;
- a hollow cylindrical stem on said cutter head,
- said hollow stem having an internal diameter sized to snugly receive a portion of the terminal end of said shaft;
- and
- at least one fused weld extending through the body of said stem into the center area of said shaft,
- whereby the relationship and stability between said load cells is maintained during rotation thereof.
A rigid construction connecting a cutter head to the terminal end of a flexible rotary shaft having a given diameter comprising;
- a hollow cylindrical stem on said cutter head,
- said hollow stem having an internal diameter sized to snugly receive a portion of the terminal end of said shaft;
- and
- a plurality of radially directed fused areas spaced circumferentially about the wall of said stem,
- said fused areas extending from the outer surface of the stem to the center of said shaft.
A rigid construction for connecting a cutter head to the end of a flexible rotary shaft having a given diameter comprising;
- a hollow cylindrical stem on said cutter head,
- said stem having an internal diameter sized to snugly receive a portion of the terminal end of said shaft,
- a shoulder on said cutter head located immediately adjacent the bottom of said hollow stem, and
- at least one fused weld extending obliquely through said shoulder into the center area of said shaft.
A rigid construction for connecting a cutter head to the terminal end of a flexible rotary shaft having a given diameter comprising;
- a stem on said cutter head having a diameter equal to the diameter of said shaft and adapted to abuttingly engage the terminal end thereof,
- a hollow cylindrical sleeve having an internal diameter sized to receive said shaft and said stem thereon with a snug fit, and
- at least one fused weld extending through the body of said sleeve into the center area of the abutting end faces of said stem and said shaft.
A flexible rotary shaft for transferring energy to a working member comprising in combination;
- an inner load cell,
- an outer load cell concentric with said inner load cell,
- said inner load cell comprising substantially longitudinally laid load bearing units for carrying longitudinally directed loads and resisting longitudinal deformation, and
- said outer load cell comprising helically laid load bearing units for transferring rotary shear torque energy.
A flexible drilling energy transfer member comprising in combination:
- an inner load cell comprising a core with substantially longitudinally laid load bearing units being wrapped substantially linearly for carrying longitudinally directed loads and resisting longitudinal deformation, and
- an outer load cell concentric with said inner load cell and comprising helically wrapped torque load bearing cell units for transferring rotary shear torque drilling energy.
A multi-strand flexible drilling energy transfer member having two primary functionally balanced load cells comprising;
- an inner load cell having an inner cross sectional area and an outer load cell having an outer cross sectional area, said inner cross sectional area being approximately 25% with respect to the total cross sectional area and approximately 66.7% less than the outer cross sectional area,
- the volume of said inner load cell being approximately 25% with respect to the total volume and approximately 66.7% less than the volume of the outer load cell,
- the mass of said inner load cell being approximately 41.6% with respect to the total mass and approximately 20.7% less than the mass of the outer load cell,
- the strands of said inner and outer load cells being laid with predetermined helical slopes wherein the net slope vectors of the inner load cell is 204% with respect to the net slope vectors of the outer load cell, whereby the total combined net sloping force is balanced to function,
- said inner and outer load cells each having a work priority wherein the inner load cell primarily functions in balance with the outer load cell to withstand and resist linear deformation and the outer load cell primarily functions to transfer and constrain drilling energy in helical torque and shear.
A multi-strand flexible drilling energy transfer member comprising;
- inner and outer helically laid concentric load cells,
- said load cells being functionally balanced with respect to net vector slope, net mass, net volume, net cross sectional area and net load cell center of mass leverage values, such that the inner load cell resists linear elongation and deformation and the outer load cell provides the balance of transfer of torque forces.
A drilling energy transfer member for transferring drilling energy between an energy source and a working tip comprising;
- an inner tensile load cell comprising substantially longitudinally laid load bearing units for carrying longitudinally directed loads and resisting longitudinal deformation, and
- an outer cross linked pair of stranded load cells,
- the outer cross linked load cells being stranded and laid for transmission of rotary torque shear forces between the energy source and the working tip,
- the net slope vector forces of the cross linked load cells being balanced in function and equilibrium to provide counter opposing interlocking constraint.
Curved bore drilling apparatus comprising in combination;
- a rotary drive means;
- a cutter tip;
- a drill shaft adapted for connection to said rotary drive means, said drill shaft means having a distal flexible drilling energy transfer member with said cutter tip attached thereto,
- mounting means supporting said drill shaft for movement in a rectilinear path, and
- guide means to guide said flexible drilling energy transfer member and said cutter tip from said rectilinear path along a curved path to form said curved bore,
- said flexible drilling energy transfer member comprising an inner load cell and a concentric outer load cell,
- said inner load cell comprising substantially longitudinally laid load bearing units for transmitting tensile forces, and
- said outer load cell comprising helically laid load bearing units for transferring rotary torque drilling energy,
- the force fields and mass distribution of said load cells being balanced in function such that the inner load cell structurally supports said outer load cell against destruction by axially directed forces and said outer load cell structurally supports said inner load cell against destruction by rotationally directed torque forces and maintains longitudinal support therefor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.