Directional drilling apparatus
OwnerWilliam N Schoefflerinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The apparatus has a housing which is secured to the lower end of a drilling motor body and carries an arbor that is secured to the output shaft of the motor. The arbor has three segments serially connected by gimbals. The upper segment is axially fixed by the bearings of the motor and has a lower end that extends when actuated to push the center segment downward. Axial movement of the center segment actuates a cam to move it laterally. The lower segment extends from the housing as an output shaft. It is arranged to tilt relative to the housing and its upper end is moved laterally by the gimbal connected center segment. The resulting tilt of the rotating axis of the output shaft causes an attached drill head to drill a deflected well bore.
Claims8
A drilling motor deviation control apparatus for use as a length element of a fluid conducting drill string for use in wells, the apparatus comprising:
- a) a down hole drilling motor having a rotor bearingly supported in a body;
- b) an elongated, generally cylindrical, housing with means for fluid tight attachment to the body of said motor;
- c) a flexible arbor carried in said housing, with means at a first end for fluid tight attachment to said rotor, and means at the second end for fluid tight attachment to a downwardly continuing drill string element below said housing, said arbor having a rigid length extending from said housing at said second end and having means for hinged attachment to said housing to accept angular change between straight drilling and directional drilling configurations;
- d) a fluid flow channel in said arbor arranged to receive drilling fluid from said rotor and conduct said fluid to said second end for delivery to said element;
- e) a selector valve in said housing situated to variably resist said fluid flow in said channel, responsive to signals from the surface, to change between an open state and a closed state;
- f) a piston in said housing, responsive to said resistance in said channel, arranged to move between first and second positions in response to said changes of state;
- g) lateral force producing means in said housing, responsive to movement of said piston between said first and said second positions, to move said rigid length between said straight drilling and directional configurations.
Apparatus for attachment to down hole well drilling motors, that have a power output rotor carried by a motor body, to extend the motor and serve as a length of downwardly continuing drill string, the apparatus comprising:
- a) an elongated generally cylindrical housing with means at a top end for fluid tight attachment to said body;
- b) a torque conducting arbor situated in said housing with means at the top end for fluid tight attachment to said rotor and to extend from the bottom end of said housing to provide a length of rigid drive shaft for a downwardly extending drill string element, said arbor having a channel to receive drilling fluid from said rotor and deliver said fluid to said downwardly continuing drill string element;
- c) a selector valve in said housing situated to move between opened and closed state, in response to signals from the surface, to variably resist flow of fluid in said channel to change the pressure drop across said valve;
- d) a fluid power cylinder situated in said housing and responsive to said change in pressure drop to move between first and a second positions;
- e) hinge means in said housing to axially and radially attach said rigid length thereto, arranged to permit said rigid length to pivot to change between straight drilling and directional drilling configuration;
- f) deflection control means in said housing, responsive to the change of said cylinder between said first and second positions to move said hinge means to change said configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.