Hardfaced drill bit structures and method for making such structures
AssigneeSmith International, Inc.
InventorsPeter M. Davies, Dennis Bond, Hubert W. Penka, Jr., Cary Roth
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method is disclosed for forming a drill bit structure to which a cutting element is to be affixed. The method includes applying a layer of hardfacing material to a basic bit structure, removing the layer of hardfacing material in a location to which the cutting element is to be affixed, and forming an attachment structure at the location. In one embodiment, the removing is performed by electrode discharge machining. In one embodiment, the basic bit structure is a roller cone, and the cutting element is an insert adapted to be interference fit within a socket in the roller cone.
Claims16
A method for forming a basic drill bit structure to which a cutting element is to be affixed, comprising:
- applying a layer of a superhard material to the basic bit structure to form a hardfacing layer;
- removing the hardfacing layer in a location to which the cutting element is to be affixed;
- and
- forming an attachment structure at the location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.