Abstract: A system for transmitting information between downhole components has a first downhole component with a first mating surface and a second downhole component having a second mating surface configured to substantially mate with the first mating surface. The system also has a first transmission element with a first communicating surface and is mounted within a recess in the first mating surface. The first transmission element also has an angled surface. The recess has a side with multiple slopes for interacting with the angled surface, each slope exerting a different spring force on the first transmission element. A second transmission element has a second communicating surface mounted proximate the second mating surface and adapted to communicate with the first communicating surface.

Abstract: A rolling cutter drill bit comprises a body and three legs, each leg having a cantilevered bearing spindle, a roll cutter rotatably mounted on the bearing spindle, a lubricating system within the spindle, and a tubular bearing element located radially between the spindle and the rolling cutter. The tubular bearing element is formed of a wrought alloy material consisting primarily of chromium carbide and cobalt and having a yield strength of less than 120,000 psi and a ductility greater than 4%, both at room temperature, and is of low wall thickness.

Abstract: A drillout bi-center bit includes first and second axes of rotation separated by a distance D, a first region of radius D centered on one of the axes of rotation, a second region of radius D centered on the other of the axes of rotation, and a third region defined by the overlap between the first and second regions, wherein the cutters provided within the third region are designed to withstand cutting in opposing cutting directions. This may be achieved by providing each cutter with two cutting faces, or by providing two groups of cutters, one group arranged to cut in one direction, the other group being designed to cut upon rotation in the other direction, one of the groups protruding from the bit body of the bit to a greater depth than the other group.

Abstract: A densified sintered product, such as a rolling cutter adapted for use in a steel tooth rolling cutter earth boring bit, has a layer of a metal powder applied to the external surface of the unsintered compact, the metal powder being melted to form a thin glaze of the melted metal powder on the external surface of the sintered compact, and the sintered compact may then be pneumatically isostatically forged.

Abstract: The present invention is a self adjusting, volume balanced, single energizer rigid face seal for rolling cutter drill bits with floating journal bearings. Volume balancing is accomplished by utilizing a floating static seal between the rigid face seal ring and the bearing shaft. This floating static seal ring is moved axially within a annular groove by the volume pulses caused by the axial play of the cutter when in operation. At one end of the annular groove the geometry of the rigid seal ring and bearing shaft are set such that the seal assembly achieves volume balance when the bearing is running on its OD. If the bearing is running on its OD, the floating static seal will move from where ever it is in the annular groove by the volume pulses until it reaches the balance volume position.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for loading lubricant into a bit chamber of an earth boring bit measures and controls the pressure of pressurized lubricant at the bit chamber while the lubricant is being loaded into the bit.

Abstract: A densified sintered product, such as a rolling cutter adapted for use in a steel tooth rolling cutter earth boring bit, has a layer of a metal powder applied to the external surface of the unsintered compact, the metal powder being melted to form a thin glaze of the melted metal powder on the external surface of the sintered compact, and the sintered compact may then be pneumatically isostatically forged.

Abstract: A rolling cutter drill bit comprises a main body and three depending legs, each leg having a cantilevered bearing spindle on which a rolling cutter is rotatably mounted. Bearings located between the cutter and spindle include a radial bearing, and a thrust bearing configured to carry onward thrust loads from the cutter onto the spindle. A bearing seal defines an enclosed region between the cutter and the spindle in which the bearings are located, and a pressure balanced lubricant delivery system within the spindle delivers lubricant to the bearings. The lubricant delivery system includes a non-return valve to allow lubricant to flow into the area of the enclosed region containing the thrust bearing and the area is bounded by a tortuous flow path which allows a more restricted flow of lubricant out of the thrust bearing area and into another area of the enclosed region, without pressurizing the bearing seal.

Abstract: A rolling cutter drill bit has at least one roller cutter mounted on a cantilevered bearing shaft with a sealed bearing and lubrication system, lubricant pressure balancing means, lubricant pressure relief means, and a volume compensating rigid face seal assembly axially movable through an operating range. The face seal assembly comprises two cooperating face seal rings, one ring mounted on the bearing shaft and the other ring mounted in the cutter; a first energizer for the seal ring mounted on the bearing shaft, having a stiffness K1; and a second energizer for the seal ring mounted in the cutter, having a stiffness K2. In order to minimize the variation in the sealing face force as the assembly moves through its operating range, the stiffness K2 is less than half, and preferably less than 0.2, of the stiffness K1.

Abstract: A rolling cutter drill bit comprises a main body and three depending legs, each leg having a cantilevered bearing spindle on which a rolling cutter is rotatably mounted. Bearings located between the cutter and spindle include a radial bearing, and a thrust bearing configured to carry onward thrust loads from the cutter onto the spindle. A bearing seal defines an enclosed region between the cutter and the spindle in which the bearings are located, and a pressure balanced lubricant delivery system within the spindle delivers lubricant to the bearings. The lubricant delivery system includes a non-return valve to allow lubricant to flow into the area of the enclosed region containing the thrust bearing and the area is bounded by a tortuous flow path which allows a more restricted flow of lubricant out of the thrust bearing area and into another area of the enclosed region, without pressurizing the bearing seal.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a rolling cutter drill bit of the kind where each cutter is rotatably mounted on a bearing spindle on the bit body and is retained on the spindle by a threaded retention ring in screw-threaded engagement with the cutter. The retention ring is provided with an aperture to expose a portion of the screw-thread on the cutter and an implement is passed along a registering passage in the spindle and through the aperture in the retaining ring to deform or otherwise alter the exposed screw-thread in a manner to prevent subsequent relative rotation between the screw-threads, thereby locking the retention ring to the cutter. Instead of deforming the screw-thread it may be formed with a recess which is engaged by a pinning element secured in the aperture in the retaining ring.

Abstract: A drag type rotary drill bit (10) having mounted on its lower face (22) a rigid integral holder (30) for a plurality of polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutting elements (42) secured to a planar face (60) of the holder (30). An upper projecting tapered end portion (71) of the holder (30) defines tapered surfaces (72, 73) with the lower tapered surface (72) extending at a relatively large clearance angle (B) to provide a relatively small wear flat surface on the holder (30).

Abstract: A drill bit comprising a bit body detachably secured to a drill string having a chamber therein to receive drilling fluid at a first pressure from the drill string, a nozzle for exit of the drilling fluid to the space between the bit body and the well bore at a second pressure lower than the first, and a depending leg; a roller cutter; a bearing assembly for rotatably mounting the roller cutter on the leg; a lubrication system in the bit body comprising a reservoir of lubricant, passaging for flow of lubricant from the reservoir to the bearing assembly, a seal member for blocking flow of lubricant out of the bit, an expansible chamber for pressurizing the lubricant to a third pressure greater than the second but less than the first, and a biased diaphragm for pressure compensation secured in a recess in the bit body in fluid communication at one side thereof with the lubricant and at the other side thereof with the drilling fluid in the space between the bit body and the well bore; and a sensor for sensing a

Abstract: A drag type rotary drill bit (10) having mounted on its lower face (22) a rigid integral holder (30) for a plurality of polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutting elements (42) secured to a planar face (60) of the holder (30). An upper projecting tapered end portion (71) of the holder (30) defines tapered surfaces (72, 73) with the lower tapered surface (72) extending at a relatively large clearance angle (B) to provide a relatively small wear flat surface on the holder (30).

Abstract: A rotary drill bit comprising a bit body having at least one depending leg at its lower end having a generally cylindrical bearing journal, a roller cutter of generally conical shape having a recess therein receiving the journal a bearing system for rotatably mounting the roller cutter on the journal, and a lubrication system for providing lubricant to the bearing system comprising a reservoir of lubricant, passaging in the bit body for fluid communication between the reservoir and the bearing system, and a seal member between the roller cutter and the journal blocking flow of lubricant out of the bit body. The seal member is of annular shape and is held in a seal cavity between the roller cutter or the journal, with an annular engagement face thereof in sealing, sliding frictional engagement with one of the bearing members.

Abstract: A drill bit comprising a bit body detachably secured to a drill string having a chamber therein to receive drilling fluid at a first pressure from the drill string, a nozzle for exit of the drilling fluid to the space between the bit body and the well bore at a second pressure lower than the first, and a depending leg; a roller cutter; a bearing assembly for rotatably mounting the roller cutter on the leg; a lubrication system in the bit body comprising a reservoir of lubricant, passaging for flow of lubricant from the reservoir to the bearing assembly, a seal member for blocking flow of lubricant out of the bit, an expansible chamber for pressurizing the lubricant to a third pressure greater than the second but less than the first, and a biased diaphragm for pressure compensation secured in a recess in the bit body in fluid communication at one side thereof with the lubricant and at the other side thereof with the drilling fluid in the space between the bit body and the well bore; and a sensor for sensing a

Abstract: A drill bit comprising a bit body detachably secured to a drill string having a chamber therein to receive drilling fluid at a first pressure from the drill string, a nozzle for exit of the drilling fluid to the space between the bit body and the well bore at a second pressure lower than the first, and a depending leg; a roller cutter; a bearing assembly for rotatably mounting the roller cutter on the leg; a lubrication system in the bit body comprising a reservoir of lubricant, passaging for flow of lubricant from the reservoir to the bearing assembly, a seal member for blocking flow of lubricant out of the bit, an expansible chamber for pressurizing the lubricant to a third pressure greater than the second but less than the first, and a biased diaphragm for pressure compensation secured in a recess in the bit body in fluid communication at one side thereof with the lubricant and at the other side thereof with the drilling fluid in the space between the bit body and the well bore; and a sensor for sensing a

Abstract: A friction bearing assembly for a roller cutter drill bit, comprising a first bearing member of cylindrical configuration and a second bearing member having an opening of generally circular section therein receiving the first member for enabling relative rotation of the members. A bushing is fitted between the bearing members, the bushing being of annular configuration and having an inner and an outer diameter so related to the diameter of the first bearing member and the diameter of the opening in the second bearing member as to enable the bushing to rotate relative to both members. The bushing is of width substantially greater than its thickness, and comprises a plurality of relatively thin, narrow elongate metal members, each metal member being of generally circular configuration and constituting a ring.

Abstract: A valve system is disclosed for use in the lubrication passages of a rolling cutter drill bit, which valve assembly utilizes one or more reed valves to maintain flow of lubricant in a desirable direction.

Abstract: A rolling cutter rock drilling bit is disclosed which features an internal lubricant pump utilizing an internal elastomeric member moving across a grooved rigid surface to circulate lubricant in the bit bearings as a result of the shear forces on the lubricant created when the elastomer moves across the grooves.