System for directional boring including a drilling head with overrunning clutch and method of boring
AssigneeVermeer Manufacturing Company
InventorRene′ Marcel Albert
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drilling system including a drill head configured to couple to a drill string. The drill head including an offset adapter, a one-way clutch, and a drill bit. The drill head being configured to provide straight drilling along a first axis, and deviated drilling along a second axis. The drilling system further including a gearbox configured to provide selective rotational operation corresponding to the straight drilling and the deviated drilling. The drilling system also including control systems to control the selected rotational operation of the gearbox.
Claims20
A drilling arrangement for drilling a borehole in the earth, the arrangement comprising:
- a) a drill string defining a first axis of rotation;
- and
- b) a boring head attached to an end of the drill string, the boring head including:
- i) a transmitter for measuring the relative position of the boring head to the drill string;
- ii) an offset coupling interconnected to the transmitter, wherein the offset coupling includes a first end having an axis of rotation that is aligned with the first axis of rotation and a second end configured to define a second axis of rotation that is offset from the first axis of rotation at a predetermined angle;
- iii) a bit drive element having an axis of rotation that is aligned with the second axis of rotation, the bit drive element including a one-way clutch;
- and
- iv) a drill bit interconnected to the bit drive element;
- wherein the one-way clutch is located between the bit and the offset coupling.
A drilling arrangement for drilling a borehole in the earth, the arrangement comprising:
- a) a drill string defining a first axis of rotation:
- and
- b) a boring head attached to an end of the drill string, the boring head including:
- i) a transmitter for measuring the relative position of the boring head to the drill string:
- ii) an offset coupling interconnected to the transmitter, wherein the offset coupling includes a first end having an axis of rotation that is aligned with the first axis of rotation and a second end configured to define a second axis of rotation that is offset from the first axis of rotation at a predetermined angle;
- iii) a bit drive element having an axis of rotation that is aligned with the second axis of rotation, the bit drive element including a one-way clutch;
- and
- iv) a drill bit interconnected to the bit drive element:
- wherein the first end of the offset coupling is adapted to interconnect concentrically with the first axis of rotation of the drill string, the second end of the offset coupling is adapted to define the offset axis of rotation about which the bit drive element rotates.
A boring head attachable to a drill string for drilling a borehole in the earth, the boring head comprising:
- a) a bit drive element including:
- i) a first bit drive component defining an interior bore, the first bit drive component being configured to be rotated by a drill string;
- ii) a second bit drive component having a drive shaft, the second bit drive component being configured to be rotated by the first bit drive component;
- and
- iii) a clutch disposed around a portion of the drive shaft of the second bit drive component, wherein a portion of the clutch and a portion of the drive shaft of the second bit drive component are positioned within the interior bore of the first bit drive component, wherein the clutch is arranged to permit the first bit drive component to rotate independently of the second bit drive component;
- b) a drill bit coupled to the second bit drive component;
- c) an offset coupling having a first end and a second end, the first end defining a first axis of rotation and the second end defining a second axis of rotation, the second axis of rotation being offset from the first axis of rotation;
- wherein the clutch is located between the drill bit and the offset coupling.
A method of using a boring head attached to a drill string for drilling a borehole in the earth, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) mounting the boring head to a drill string, the boring head including a bit drive element interconnected to a drill bit;
- b) rotating the drill string and the bit drive element and the drill bit of the boring head in a first direction;
- c) rotating the drill string and the bit drive element of the boring head in a second opposite direction, the drill bit remaining stationary during rotation of the bit drive element in the second direction;
- wherein rotating the drill string in the first direction maintains a drill direction whereas rotating the drill string in the two directions sequentially alters the drill direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.