Abstract: A downhole drilling motor located near the end of a rotary drill string is operated by the drilling mud for driving a rotary drill bit to drill an oil or gas well or the like. Fluid lubricated bearings are employed and a portion of the drilling fluid is diverted through the bearings of the downhole motor with the balance of the drilling fluid being discharged through ports of the drill bit. The diverted portion of the drilling fluid is transmitted along a flow path that results in an abrupt change of direction of flow. The flow path will purge a portion of the drilling fluid of unwant ed solids by diverting the solid along with the main portion of the drilling fluid through the motor and through and out of the drill bit. The entry of large contaminating solids or high-density and abrasive solids to the bearings is restricted. This prevents plugging of flow through the bearings and reduces wear in the bearings by reducing the volume of abrasive solids.

Abstract: A raise head having a multiplicity of cutters for enlarging a pilot hole into a larger diameter hole by disintegrating the earth formations that surround the pilot hole is provided that will require lower cutter loads to penetrate the formations being bored by directing the rock fracture planes toward the pilot hole forcing the rock to yield with less input energy. The cutters are positioned on the raise head to provide an earth formation contact profile with a major portion of said earth formation contact profile extending outward and upward from said pilot hole. The included angle between the major portion of the earth formation contact profile and the axis of the pilot hole is less than 90.degree..

Abstract: A sealing system acts as a barrier to the drilling fluid, pulverized cuttings and other materials in the borehole preventing the materials from entering the bearing area of an earth boring bit and retains lubricant inside the bearing area. At least one bearing pin extends from the body of an earth boring bit and a rolling cone cutter is mounted on the bearing pin. A seal assembly is located in the mouth of the cutter between the cutter and the bearing pin. The seal assembly includes an annular rigid ring, an elastomeric ring and a deformable ring means mounted to rotate with said rolling cone cutter. The elastomeric ring is attached to the annular rigid ring. The elastomeric ring has a lip with a wiping surface that contacts the bearing pin. The deformable ring means is connected to the lip and maintains contact between the wiping surface and the bearing pin.

Abstract: A drill string reamer-stabilizer includes a main body adapted to be connected as an element of a rotary drill string. Individual bearing shafts are mounted axially along the exterior of the main body to support roller cutters that engage the wall of the borehole. Seal units are positioned around each bearing shaft between each roller cutter and bearing shaft to define a lubricant space. The seal units retain lubricant in the lubricant space and prevent contaminating fluid and materials in the borehole from entering the lubricant space. At least one seal unit comprises an annular cup-shaped elastomer seal member mounted in an annular seal gland in the roller cutter. The seal gland has an inner side adjacent the lubricant space and an outer side exposed to the fluid and materials in the borehole.

Abstract: A sealing system acts as a barrier to the drilling fluid, pulverized cuttings and other materials in the borehole preventing the materials from entering the bearing area of a rotary rock bit and retains lubricant inside the bearing area of the bit. At least one bearing pin extends from the body of the bit and a rolling cutter is mounted on the bearing pin. A seal assembly is located in the mouth of the cutter between the cutter and the bearing pin. The seal assembly includes a non-rotating element affixed to the bearing pin and a rotating element affixed to the rolling cutter. The rotating and non-rotating elements have intermeshing labyrinthine projections that may be constructed of heat resistant materials.

Abstract: An improved assembly seal acts as a barrier to the drilling fluid, pulverized cuttings and other materials in a borehole preventing the materials from entering the bearing area of a rolling cone cutter earth boring bit and retaining lubricant within the bearing area. The rolling cone cutter is rotatably mounted on a cantilevered bearing pin extending from the body of the bit. A symmetrical seal assembly is positioned between the cutter and bearing pin. The seal assembly is the same on both ends and can rotate against either the rotating cutter or stationary bearing pin. The seal assembly provides a metal-to-metal seal which is resistant to entry of abrasives and also provides a rubber-to-metal seal that provides an initial positive seal for filling and testing. The seal assembly includes a first annular rigid ring and a matching second annular rigid ring positioned between said bearing pin and said rolling cone cutter.

Abstract: A rolling cone cutter earth boring bit as provided with an improved bearing system including a hardmetal bearing surface and a space for lubricant. At least one cantilevered bearing pin extends from the arm of the bit. A rolling cone cutter is rotatably mounted on the bearing pin. The primary bearing surface of the bearing pin is provided by forming a groove in the lower bearing surface of the bearing pin and filling a portion of the groove with bearing material to form the load carrying portion of the bearing pin. The groove is eccentric to the bearing pin central axis. Bearing material is applied in the groove and is machined to coincide with the bearing pin surface on the load side. Part of the groove is left unfilled. The unfilled portion of groove serves as a lubricant reservoir in close proximity to the load side of the bearing pin.

Abstract: A rolling cone cutter earth boring bit is provided with a floating seal for sealing the bearings of the bit from the abrasive materials in the borehole and retaining lubricant within the bearing area. At least one cantilevered bearing pin extends from the arm of the bit. A cutter receiving surface is located on the arm. A first shallow annular groove is located in said cutter receiving surface. A rolling cone cutter is adapted to be rotatably mounted on the bearing pin with said rolling cone cutter having a cone mouth. A second shallow annular groove is located within said cone mouth. Bearing and cutter retaining means are located between the bearing pin and the cone cutter. A first seal unit is positioned around the bearing pin between the cutter receiving surface and the rolling cone cutter.

Abstract: A rolling cutter earth boring bit is provided with load bearing surfaces that provide small lubricant reservoirs between the bearing interfaces. At least one of the bearing surfaces between the cutter and bearing pin is first ground, machined, etched or otherwise smoothed to an initial surface roughness of less than 20 R.sub.a. The surface is then roughened by shot peening or other surface roughening techniques, such as electric discharge machining, chemical etching or other standard methods of roughening a surface. The desired roughness should have a value higher than about 20 R.sub.a and less than about 80 R.sub.a. The roughening procedure is limited, generally with less than 50% of the surface area containing indentations. The indentations provide reservoirs for lubricant and a receptacle for debris in the bearing area. The smooth portions of the bearing promote rotation of the cutter on the bearing pin.

Abstract: A centrifugal microstrainer includes a closed cylindrical vessel with a cylindrical screen within, both rotating about a hollow shaft forming a common central axis. Liquid-solid admixture introduced through the shaft is flowed radially outward subjected to centrifugal acceleration, and forced back through the screen under pressure with particles too large to pass the screen remaining on its outboard side. The centrifugal force applied by the rotation of the vessel acts on these larger particles pushing them away from the screen thus preventing clogging and permitting substantially continuous operation. The device may be operated as a classifier by providing a plurality of concentric screens of decreasing mesh size spaced outwardly from one another in conjunction with properly sized chokes.

Abstract: A rolling cone cutter earth boring bit is provided with an improved lubrication system including an eccentric bearing surface and spaces for lubricant. At least one cantilevered bearing pin extends from the arm of the bit. A rolling cone cutter is rotatably mounted on the bearing pin. The outer bearing surface of the bearing pin is provided with a pair of grooves. The unloaded side surface of the outer bearing surface is formed by eccentric machining. Reduced clearance is provided between the rolling cone cutter and the load side surface and increased clearance is provided between the rolling cone cutter and the unloaded side surface. The pair of grooves and the increased clearance serve as a lubricant reservoir in close proximity to the load side of the bearing pin.

Abstract: A rolling cone cutter earth boring bit is provided with a load carrying bearing surface that can be renewed during the earth boring operation. A canister bearing element is positioned between the bearing pin and the rolling cone cutter. The rolling cone cutter rotates about the canister bearing element in a first direction during normal drilling operations. The canister bearing element has directional stops on its inside surface. These directional stops engage directional stops on the bearing pin and prevent rotation of the canister bearing element during normal drilling operations. The bearing surface can be renewed by reversing the direction of cutter rotation thereby disengaging the canister bearing element from the directional stops and allowing it to rotate in the opposite direction until a new bearing surface is in the load area.

Abstract: A rolling cone cutter earth boring bit is provided with a bearing surface having a substantial amount of anti-galling material throughout the load area of the bearing. A rough machined bearing surface is provided with either a male or female gridded surface through the use of a fine-toothed knurling tool. Anti-galling material is applied to the gridded surface. The bearing is heat treated by conventional quench and temper procedures to provide strength to the ferrous alloy; however, special heat treating and/or carburizing is not required. Excess anti-galling material is removed by machining and/or grinding the bearing surface until a network or grid of the ferrous material is clearly discernible. The bearing provides adequate support for applied loads and substantial amounts of anti-galling material for boundary layer lubrication situations in close proximity to the load bearing area.

Abstract: An improved lubrication connector for roller conveyors of the type which includes a pair of idlers positioned end-to-end, each idler being rotatably mounted on a hollow shaft through bearing assemblies. The shafts communicate with associated bearing assemblies which are lubricated by forcing lubricant through the hollow shafts. A flexible tube connects adjacent portions of the hollow idler shafts for transporting lubricant from one shaft to the other. The improvement includes one end of the tube being resiliently held in place relative to one of the hollow shafts so that the interior of the tube will communicate with the interior of said hollow shaft, the other end of the tube being sized and shaped slightly smaller than the interior of the other hollow shaft for allowing the tube to be inserted in the shaft yet large enough to prevent lubricant under pressure from leaking between the tube and shaft.

Abstract: A rotary rock bit is formed from at least two individual segments. The individual segments are positioned together and aligned in the proper position for the final assembled bit. The seams between the individual segments are in the form of square-butt type joints and the adjoining segments have surface areas that are in abutting relationship to each other. A beam of energy such as an electron beam or a laser beam is directed into the seams. Relative movement between the beam and segments of the bit causes the beam to traverse the seams and join said individual segments together throughout substantially all of said abutting surface areas.

Abstract: A rolling cone cutter earth boring bit is provided with an improved bearing system including reduced clearance bearing surfaces and a space for lubricant. At least one cantilevered bearing pin extends from the arm of the bit. A rolling cone cutter is rotatably mounted on the bearing pin. The outer bearing surface of the bearing pin is provided by forming a recess in the load surface of the bearing pin and filling the recess with bearing material. The unloaded surface of the bearing pin is formed by eccentric machining. Reduced clearance is provided between the rolling cone cutter and the load surface of the bearing pin and increased clearance is provided between the rolling cone cutter and the unloaded surface. The clearance on the unloaded surface serves as a lubricant reservoir in close proximity to the load surface of the bearing pin.

Abstract: A hydraulic jarring tool includes a system for externally adjusting the orifice size of the sleeve valve flow passage. The jarring tool includes an outer member and an inner member telescopically arranged. Spline means between said outer member and said inner member transmit torque. A hammer and anvil system provides a jarring effect upon actuation of the tool. An upper seal and lower seal provide a fluid seal between said outer member and said inner member. A working fluid is maintained in a working fluid chamber between the upper and lower seals. A detent means provides a tripping action to produce the jarring effect. The detent means includes an orifice plate that is rotatable to change the fluid restriction. An exterior port allows a wrench or tool to be inserted to rotate the orifice plate to provide selectable orifice passages that produce the detent action by the slow metering of hydraulic working fluid.

Abstract: A hydraulic jarring tool is provided that vents pressure slowly from the tool's internal operating fluid chamber to allow maximum filling of the tool prior to the tool's entering a well and to provide for operating fluid expansion with temperature increases. The jarring tool includes an outer member and an inner member telescopically arranged. Spline means between said outer member and said inner member transmit torque. A hammer and anvil system provide a jarring effect upon actuation of the tool. An operating fluid is maintained in an operating fluid chamber between the outer and inner members. Seal means between the outer and inner members provides a fluid seal to contain the operating fluid. The seal means includes a seal and thermal relief valve assembly mounted for axial travel between said inner member and said outer member with a passage extending therethrough. A thermal relief valve means in the passage provides pressure equalization.

Abstract: A sealing system for a rotary rock bit retains lubricant inside the bit and acts as a barrier to the pulverized cuttings and other materials in the borehole to prevent the materials from entering the bearing area through the cone mouth opening of the rolling cone cutter. A protecting washer is positioned outside of an O-ring seal element in the gap between the base of the rolling cone cutter and the body of the earth boring bit. This protects the O-ring seal element from the hostile drilling environment and increases seal life. During assembly of the bit, a gauging station is established to measure the size of the gap that will exist when the rolling cone cutter is installed on the bit body. Protecting washers are provided in numerous thicknesses. Upon determining the size of the gap, a washer is selected that will allow the gap to be narrowed to a size that will restrict passage of most of the abrasive particles found in the drilling fluid.