Lockable motor drive
AssigneeBaker Hughes Incorporated
InventorsRobert A. Estes, Jon B. Kahn
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention provides a motor drive assembly for rotatably positioning and locking a drive shaft suitable for use with a measurement-while-drilling (MWD) downhole assembly for use in drilling boreholes which utilizes gyroscopes, magnetometers and accelerometers for determining the borehole inclination and azimuth during the drilling of the borehole. The motor drive assembly can rotate the gyroscope and other sensors on the tool to one of a plurality of preselected positions and optionally lock the sensors.
Claims20
A device for rotatably positioning and locking a drive shaft comprising:
- (a) a reversible motor driving said drive shaft through a slip clutch;
- (b) a lead screw adapted to rotate when said motor is operated;
- and,
- (c) a locking mechanism actuated by said lead screw, said locking mechanism having a locked position wherein it engages said drive shaft and an unlocked position wherein it is operatively disengaged from said drive shaft.
A method for rotatably positioning and locking a drive shaft comprising:
- (a) using a reversible motor for driving said drive shaft through a slip clutch;
- (b) rotating a lead screw by using said motor;
- and,
- (c) operating a locking mechanism actuated by said lead screw, said locking mechanism being operated between a locked position wherein it engages said drive shaft and an unlocked position wherein it is operatively disengaged from said drive shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.