Patents by Inventor Nicholas J. Lyons

Nicholas J. Lyons has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9074435
    Abstract: Cutting elements include a volume of superabrasive material. The volume of superabrasive material comprises a front-cutting surface, an end-cutting surface, a cutting edge, and lateral side surfaces extending between and intersecting each of the front-cutting surface and the end-cutting surface. An earth-boring tool may comprise a bit body and at least one cutting element attached to the bit body. Methods of forming cutting elements comprise forming a volume of superabrasive material comprising forming a front-cutting surface, an end-cutting surface, a cutting edge, and lateral side surfaces extending between and intersecting each of the front-cutting surface and the end-cutting surface. Methods of forming earth-boring tools comprise forming a cutting element and attaching the cutting element to an earth-boring tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Danny E. Scott, Nicholas J. Lyons, Juan Miguel Bilen, Oliver Matthews, Rudolf Carl Pessier
  • Publication number: 20150184464
    Abstract: A cutting element for use in a drill bit for drilling subterranean formations includes a cutting body having a substrate, and a superabrasive layer overlying an upper surface of the substrate. The cutting element further includes a sleeve including another superabrasive layer and surrounding the peripheral side surface of the cutting body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Publication date: July 2, 2015
    Inventors: Chaitanya K. Vempati, Suresh G. Patel, Jack T. Oldham, Danielle M. Fuselier, Jim R. Powers, Nicholas J. Lyons
  • Publication number: 20150121768
    Abstract: Cutting elements for use with earth-boring tools include a cutting table having a base surface and a substrate having a support surface. An intermediate structure and an adhesion layer extend between the base surface of the cutting table and the support surface of the substrate. Earth-boring tools include such cutting elements. Methods for fabricating cutting elements for use with earth-boring tools include forming an intermediate structure on and extending from a support surface of a substrate and adhering a cutting table comprising a superabrasive material to the support surface of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2015
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Inventor: Nicholas J. Lyons
  • Patent number: 9022149
    Abstract: A cutting element for an earth-boring tool. The cutting element comprises a substrate base, and a volume of polycrystalline diamond material on an end of the substrate base. The volume of polycrystalline diamond material comprises a generally conical surface, an apex centered about a longitudinal axis extending through a center of the substrate base, a flat cutting surface extending from a first point at least substantially proximate the apex to a second point on the cutting element more proximate a lateral side surface of the substrate base. Another cutting element is disclosed, as are a method of manufacturing and a method of using such cutting elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventor: Nicholas J. Lyons
  • Patent number: 8978788
    Abstract: A cutting element for use in a drill bit for drilling subterranean formations includes a cutting body having a substrate including a rear surface, an upper surface, and a peripheral side surface extending between the rear surface and the upper surface, and a superabrasive layer overlying the upper surface of the substrate. The cutting element further includes a sleeve surrounding the peripheral side surface of the cutting body and comprising a superabrasive layer bonded to an external surface of the sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Chaitanya K. Vempati, Suresh G. Patel, Jack Thomas Oldham, Danielle M. Fuselier, Jim Powers, Nicholas J. Lyons
  • Publication number: 20150060152
    Abstract: Cutting elements, earth-boring drill bits having such cutting elements and related methods are described herein. In some embodiments, a cutting element for an earth-boring tool may include a diamond table having an indentation in a cutting face thereof and a shaped feature in a substrate at the interface between the diamond table and the substrate, the shaped feature corresponding to the indentation in the cutting face of the diamond table. In further embodiments, a cutting element for an earth-boring tool may include a sacrificial structure positioned within an indentation in a diamond table. In additional embodiments, a method of forming a cutting element may include positioning a sacrificial structure in a mold, positioning a powdered precursor material over the sacrificial structure, and pressing and sintering the powdered precursor material to form a diamond table having an indentation in a cutting face formed by the sacrificial structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Inventors: Anthony A. DiGiovanni, Nicholas J. Lyons, Matthew S. Hale, John H. Liversage
  • Publication number: 20150053486
    Abstract: Cutting elements for earth-boring tools may include a polycrystalline table attached to a portion of a first substrate on which the polycrystalline table was formed. The portion of the first substrate may exhibit a thickness less than a thickness of the first substrate before a remainder of the first substrate was removed to form the portion of the first substrate. Another substrate may be attached to the portion of the first substrate, the portion of the first substrate being interposed between the polycrystalline table and the other substrate. Earth-boring tools may include such cutting elements secured to bodies of the earth-boring tools. Bearings for earth-boring tools may include a polycrystalline table attached to a portion of a first substrate on which the polycrystalline table was formed, the polycrystalline table defining a contact surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventors: Anthony A. DiGiovanni, Nicholas J. Lyons, Derek L. Nelms, Danny E. Scott
  • Publication number: 20150034394
    Abstract: Earth-boring drill bits may include a bit body including blades extending radially over a face of the earth-boring drill bit and cutting elements attached to each blade. Only cutting elements including planar cutting faces may be attached to at least one of the blades. Only cutting elements including nonplanar cutting faces may be attached to at least another of the blades. Only cutting elements including planar cutting faces or only cutting elements including nonplanar cutting faces may be attached to each of the blades. Only cutting elements including nonplanar cutting faces may be attached to a number of the blades that may be unequal to a number of the blades to which only cutting elements comprising planar cutting faces may be attached.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2014
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Inventors: David Gavia, Nicholas J. Lyons, Juan Miguel Bilen, Danny E. Scott, Rudolf Carl Pessier
  • Patent number: 8936116
    Abstract: Cutting elements for use with earth-boring tools include a cutting table having a base surface and a substrate having a support surface. An intermediate structure and an adhesion layer extend between the base surface of the cutting table and the support surface of the substrate. Earth-boring tools include such cutting elements. Methods for fabricating cutting elements for use with earth-boring tools include forming an intermediate structure on and extending from a support surface of a substrate and adhering a cutting table comprising a superabrasive material to the support surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventor: Nicholas J. Lyons
  • Patent number: 8919462
    Abstract: Cutting elements, earth-boring drill bits having such cutting elements and related methods are described herein. In some embodiments, a cutting element for an earth-boring tool may include a diamond table having an indentation in a cutting face thereof and a shaped feature in a substrate at the interface between the diamond table and the substrate, the shaped feature corresponding to the indentation in the cutting face of the diamond table. In further embodiments, a cutting element for an earth-boring tool may include a sacrificial structure positioned within an indentation in a diamond table. In additional embodiments, a method of forming a cutting element may include positioning a sacrificial structure in a mold, positioning a powdered precursor material over the sacrificial structure, and pressing and sintering the powdered precursor material to form a diamond table having an indentation in a cutting face formed by the sacrificial structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignees: Baker Hughes Incorporated, Element Six Ltd
    Inventors: Anthony A. DiGiovanni, Nicholas J. Lyons, Matthew S. Hale, John H. Liversage
  • Patent number: 8882869
    Abstract: Methods of forming a polycrystalline element comprise forming a polycrystalline table on a first substrate. Catalyst material may be removed from at least a portion of the polycrystalline table. The polycrystalline table and a portion of a first substrate attached to the polycrystalline table may be removed from a remainder of the first substrate. The portion of the first substrate may be attached to another substrate. Polycrystalline elements comprise a polycrystalline table attached to a portion of a first substrate on which the polycrystalline table was formed another substrate attached to the portion of the first substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Anthony A. DiGiovanni, Nicholas J. Lyons, Derek L. Nelms, Danny E. Scott
  • Publication number: 20140318024
    Abstract: Partially formed earth-boring rotary drill bits comprise a first less than fully sintered particle-matrix component having at least one recess, and at least a second less than fully sintered particle-matrix component disposed at least partially within the at least one recess. Each less than fully sintered particle-matrix component comprises a green or brown structure including compacted hard particles, particles comprising a metal alloy matrix material, and an organic binder material. The at least a second less than fully sintered particle-matrix component is configured to shrink at a slower rate than the first less than fully sintered particle-matrix component due to removal of organic binder material from the less than fully sintered particle-matrix components in a sintering process to be used to sinterbond the first less than fully sintered particle-matrix component to the first less than fully sintered particle-matrix component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Inventors: Redd H. Smith, Nicholas J. Lyons
  • Patent number: 8858662
    Abstract: Methods of forming a polycrystalline table comprise disposing a plurality of particles comprising a superabrasive material, a substrate comprising a hard material, and a catalyst material in a mold. The plurality of particles is partially sintered in the presence of the catalyst material to form a brown polycrystalline table having a first permeability attached to an end of the substrate. The substrate is removed from the brown polycrystalline table and catalyst material is removed from the brown polycrystalline table. The brown polycrystalline table is then fully sintered to form a polycrystalline table having a reduced, second permeability. Intermediate structures formed during a process of attaching a polycrystalline table to a substrate comprise a substantially fully leached brown polycrystalline table. The substantially fully leached brown polycrystalline table comprises a plurality of interbonded grains of a superabrasive material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Anthony A. DiGiovanni, Nicholas J. Lyons, Derek L. Nelms, Danny E. Scott
  • Publication number: 20140299387
    Abstract: A cutting element for use in a drilling bit and/or a milling bit having a cutter body made of a substrate having an upper surface, and a superabrasive layer overlying the upper surface of the substrate. The cutting element further includes a sleeve extending around a portion of a side surface of the superabrasive layer and a side surface of the substrate, wherein the sleeve exerts a radially compressive force on the superabrasive layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2014
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Inventors: Anthony A. DiGiovanni, Nicholas J. Lyons, Matthew S. Hale, Konstantin E. Morozov, John H. Liversage, Danny E. Scott, L. Allen Sinor
  • Patent number: 8851207
    Abstract: Earth-boring drill bits comprise a bit body having a plurality of radially extending blades and a plurality of cutting elements attached to the plurality of radially extending blades. Only gouging cutting elements are attached to at least one blade of the plurality of radially extending blades. Only shearing cutting elements are attached to at least another blade of the plurality of radially extending blades. Only shearing cutting elements are attached to a number of blades of the plurality of radially extending blades that is different from a number of blades of the plurality of radially extending blades to which only gouging cutting elements are attached. Methods of forming an earth-boring drill bit comprise forming a bit body including a plurality of radially extending blades. Only shearing cutting elements are attached to a number of blades different from a number of blades to which only gouging cutting elements are attached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: David Gavia, Nicholas J. Lyons, Juan Miguel Bilen, Danny E. Scott, Rudolf Carl Pessier
  • Publication number: 20140246251
    Abstract: Earth-boring tools may comprise a body comprising a first region and a second region. The first region may be located closer to a rotational axis of the body than the second region. A first cutting element may be located in the first region and a second cutting element may be located in the second region. A first polycrystalline table of the first cutting element may be substantially free of catalyst material to a first depth and a second polycrystalline table of the second cutting element may be substantially free of catalyst material to a second, greater depth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Inventors: Danny E. Scott, Anthony A. DiGiovanni, Nicholas J. Lyons, Derek L. Nelms
  • Publication number: 20140245667
    Abstract: A hardfacing material includes a metal matrix material and particles of crushed polycrystalline diamond material embedded within the metal matrix material. An earth-boring tool includes a body comprising particles of fragmented polycrystalline diamond material embedded within a metal matrix material. The particles of fragmented polycrystalline diamond material include a plurality of inter-bonded diamond grains. A method includes forming an earth-boring tool including a metal matrix material and particles of crushed polycrystalline diamond material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2014
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Nicholas J. Lyons, Danny E. Scott
  • Patent number: 8794356
    Abstract: Earth-boring tools include a body, one or more blades projecting outwardly from the body, and cutting elements carried by the blade. The cutting elements include at least one shearing cutting element and at least one gouging cutting element. Methods of forming an earth-boring tool include mounting a shearing cutting element comprising an at least substantially planar cutting face to a body of an earth-boring tool, and mounting a gouging cutting element comprising a non-planar cutting face to the body of the earth-boring tool. The gouging cutting element may be positioned on the body of the earth-boring tool such that the gouging cutting element will gouge formation material within a kerf cut in the formation material by the shearing cutting element, or between kerfs cut in the formation material by a plurality of shearing cutting elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Nicholas J. Lyons, Rudolf Carl Pessier, Danny E. Scott, David Gavia, Juan Miguel Bilen, Anthony A. DiGiovanni
  • Patent number: 8770324
    Abstract: Partially formed earth-boring rotary drill bits comprise a first less than fully sintered particle-matrix component having at least one recess, and at least a second less than fully sintered particle-matrix component disposed at least partially within the at least one recess. Each less than fully sintered particle-matrix component comprises a green or brown structure including compacted hard particles, particles comprising a metal alloy matrix material, and an organic binder material. The at least a second less than fully sintered particle-matrix component is configured to shrink at a slower rate than the first less than fully sintered particle-matrix component due to removal of organic binder material from the less than fully sintered particle-matrix components in a sintering process to be used to sinterbond the first less than fully sintered particle-matrix component to the first less than fully sintered particle-matrix component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Redd H. Smith, Nicholas J. Lyons
  • Patent number: 8757299
    Abstract: A cutting element for use in a drilling bit and/or milling bit having a cutter body made of a substrate having an upper surface, and a superabrasive layer overlying the upper surface of the substrate. The cutting element further including a sleeve extending around a portion of a side surface of the superabrasive layer and a side surface of the substrate, wherein the sleeve exerts a radially compressive force on the superabrasive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignees: Baker Hughes Incorporated, Element Six (Production) (Pty) Ltd., Element Six Limited
    Inventors: Anthony A. DiGiovanni, Nicholas J. Lyons, Matthew S. Hale, Konstantin E. Morozov, John H. Liversage, Danny E. Scott, Allen Sinor