Abstract: A roller cutter for a rotary drill bit comprising a conical roller cutter body of metal, and a plurality of cutting elements secured to the outer surface of the roller cutter body primarily by welding and being substantially free of mechanical interconnection to the roller cutter body. Each cutting element is an elongate member having a base portion at one end thereof engageable with the roller cutter body and a tip portion at the other end thereof engageable with the formation to be drilled for drilling the formation.

Abstract: A rotary drill bit for drilling a well bore comprising a bit body adapted to be detachably secured to a drill string and receive drilling fluid under pressure therefrom and having a plurality of depending legs and a nozzle system for exit of drilling fluid from the bit body. The drill bit further comprises a plurality of roller cutters, each cutter having a generally conical roller cutter body rotatably mounted on one of the legs and a plurality of cutting elements on the cutter body.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for the rapid and efficient drilling of oil well and other types of bore holes through tough abrasive underground formations, which methods and apparatus utilize high drag intermittent contact and cooling techniques to provide good rates of penetration with low wear and heat deterioration on the drilling tools.

Abstract: A rolling cutter drill bit is disclosed which utilizes a plurality of rolling cutters each rotatably mounted on a lug member having a downwardly extending bearing journal. Each bearing journal has a ball bearing race formed therein for receiving a series of ball bearings which also seat in a mating ball bearing race formed in the rotatably mounted cutter. The ball bearings are arranged to share the axial loading placed on the rolling cutter and primarily lock the cutter on the journal shaft. Each journal is further provided with a unique large thrust surface across the downward end of the bearing shaft and generally perpendicular to the radial bearing surface. The large flat perpendicular thrust surface eliminates the need for a standard pilot pin structure normally found in rolling cutter bits.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for applying to rotating well drilling parts such as tool joints a multiple layer of hardbanding materials to provide extended wear service for the well tools without incurring any of the accompanying spalling normally associated with heavy layers of hardbanding.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for the rapid and efficient drilling of oil well and other types of bore holes through tough abrasive underground formations, which methods and apparatus utilize high drag intermittent contact and cooling techniques to provide good rates of penetration with low wear and heat deterioration on the drilling tools.

Abstract: A protruding insert for use in an oil well drill bit is disclosed which insert is made of a hard metal substance and utilizes a tangential spherical surface having opposed flattened sides.

Abstract: Drilling bits are disclosed which are particularly efficient drilling devices when used in soft plastic underground formations which normally are difficult or impossible to drill with conventional drilling bits. The bits of this invention are characterized by having relief openings formed in the individual cutting elements to provide extrusion of the soft formation face into removable chips.

Abstract: A rolling cutter drill bit is disclosed which utilizes a main body having a threaded end for connection in a drill string, and a plurality of rolling cutter assemblies joined to the bottom of the bit body by means such as electron beam welding.

Abstract: A single acting pump has a piston with an elastomeric and synthetic fabric seal ring and is provided with means to supply fluid to the piston and passages in the piston for circulating fluid to cool and clean the piston on both the pressure stroke and the back stroke. The passages in the piston include a check valve preventing flow of fluid to the back side of the piston during the pressure stroke and permitting fluid flow to the seal ring during the back stroke.

Abstract: An improved method for testing fracture toughness of tungsten carbide, and more particularly sintered tungsten carbide, consists of preparing a specimen from a short rod of sample material by cutting thin longitudinal slots forming a V within the slotted portion of the sample. An initial crack is started at the tip of the V formed by the slots. After the initial crack is started, the specimen is loaded with a force perpendicular to the slot plane and the peak force required in advancing the crack is recorded. The peak force is linearly related to the critical stress intensity factor (fracture toughness) of the specimen material.

Abstract: A rotary drill bit having a plurality of journal-mounted rotating cutters and jet passageways through which drilling fluid is discharged between the cutters is provided with removable nozzles for air or other drilling fluid. The nozzles are provided with a peripheral groove and secured in place in said passageways by the divided ends of a bifurcated retaining pin.

Abstract: An improved method for testing fracture toughness of tungsten carbide, and more particularly sintered tungsten carbide, consists of preparing a specimen from a short rod of sample material by cutting thin longitudinal slots forming a V within the slotted portion of the sample. An initial crack is started at the tip of the V formed by the slots. After the initial crack is started, the specimen is loaded with a force perpendicular to the slot plane and the peak force required in advancing the crack is recorded. The peak force is linearly related to the critical stress intensity factor (fracture toughness) of the specimen material.

Abstract: A roller cutter drill bit comprises a body having a journal, a roller cutter, bearing means for rotatively mounting a roller cutter on the journal and a part of said bearing means including a hard, tough metal bushing with a lubricant metal coated thereon, and positioned between the sleeve and the journal and between the sleeve and the roller cutter to prevent galling.

Abstract: A rotary drill bit for producing a raise bore about a pilot hole comprises a drill head having an upper surface for mounting cutter assemblies and lower surface spaced from said upper surface. The upper and lower surfaces are secured to and connected by a body sub. A drive stem is removably secured in the drive sub. The drive sub and stem have mating tapered portions for a press fit. Either the sub or the stem is provided with a spiral groove through which oil is injected under high pressure to expand the sub while the stem is rammed into place under high pressure. The stem can be removed by application of oil pressure and a ram force in the opposite direction.

Abstract: A roller cutter type earth boring drill having a ball bearing race filled with ball bearings through an external passage has the passage filled with a bearing retaining plug having a symmetrically cut end portion fitting the curvature of the bearing race.

Abstract: An impact drilling tool for rotary drilling which includes a reciprocating hammer inside a casing for striking the top of an anvil. A drilling bit is connected to the opposite end of the anvil for cutting into the earth's formations. The casing is connected in a string of drilling pipe through which a high pressure fluid flows for operating the hammer and removing cuttings. A feeder means extends through the hammer for alternately directing the high pressure fluid above and below the hammer which high pressure fluid causes the reciprocating motion of the hammer. A shuttle valve located around the feeder maintains communication of the high pressure fluid above the hammer for increased effective stroke to insure a harder driving action of the hammer against the anvil. Also the shuttle valve insures a more complete exhaust above the hammer which reduces the force needed to raise the hammer. In alternative embodiments, the shuttle may control only one of the exhaust or pressurization functions.

Abstract: A wear resistant hard metal composition or alloy, comprises 1 - 20 micron particles of tungsten carbide or tungsten carbide and up to about ten percent cobalt or nickel embedded uniformly throughout a steel matrix of high tungsten content. The method of making the alloy composition comprises depositing tungsten carbide particles of less than 325 mesh into a fused steel matrix.

Abstract: A wear resistant tubular well tool, such as a tool joint, comprises a hollow cylindrical body having a hard metal, such as a coarse-grained sintered tungsten carbide, deposited on a portion of the exterior of the body and a fine-grained hard metal, such as a cast tungsten carbide, deposit covering substantially all of the external surface of said coarse-grained hard metal deposit. The method of making the well tool comprises depositing the coarse-grained hard metal by welding and then casting or fusing the finegrained hard metal over the coarse-grained hard metal layer.

Abstract: An earth boring drill employing roller cutters is provided with a seal in a peripheral groove to inhibit ingress of detritus into the cutter bearing area and egress of lubricant therefrom. The shape of the seal is such that its cross section is not overly compressed or displaced when in operating position, thus preventing undue compression set, wear and heating of the seal. A preferred seal has a greater radial dimension than axial dimension by a ratio of at least one-and-one-half to one to conserve bearing space and to provide the necessary flexibility to accommodate the various movements of the cutter relative to the shaft upon which it is rotatably mounted. The roller cutter has a counterbore fitting over a short cylindrical boss from which the shaft extends on which the cutter is mounted. This provides a tortuous passage restricting ingress of detritus and substantially improved life of the drill bit.