Abstract: A drill bit for removing subterranean formation material in a borehole comprises a bit body comprising a longitudinal axis, a plurality of blades extending radially outward from the longitudinal axis along a face region of the bit body and extending axially along a gauge region of the bit body, and an insert coupled to at least one blade in the gauge region. The insert comprises an elongated body having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a longitudinal axis extending centrally therethrough and intersecting the upper and lower surfaces. The upper surface comprises a bearing surface for supporting for the drill bit and providing a surface on which the subterranean formation being drilled rubs against the insert without exceeding the compressive strength of the selected formation. The insert is coupled to the blade such that the upper surface thereof extends radially beyond an outer surface of the blade and the lower surface thereof extends radially below the outer surface of the blade.

Abstract: A drill bit for removing subterranean formation material in a borehole comprises a bit body comprising a longitudinal axis, a plurality of blades extending radially outward from the longitudinal axis along a face region of the bit body and extending axially along a gauge region of the bit body, and an insert coupled to at least one blade in the gauge region. The insert comprises an elongated body having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a longitudinal axis extending centrally therethrough and intersecting the upper and lower surfaces. The upper surface comprises a bearing surface for supporting for the drill bit and providing a surface on which the subterranean formation being drilled rubs against the insert without exceeding the compressive strength of the selected formation. The insert is coupled to the blade such that the upper surface thereof extends radially beyond an outer surface of the blade and the lower surface thereof extends radially below the outer surface of the blade.

Abstract: Earth-boring rotary drill bits include heel portions exhibiting reduced aggressiveness. Earth-boring rotary drill bits may comprise a bit body and a plurality of roller cones coupled to the bit body. Each roller cone comprises a plurality of rows of cutting elements, and a continuous disk heel located further from an axis of rotation of the roller cone than the at least one row of cutting elements, the continuous disk heel exhibiting a reduced amount of aggressiveness compared to the at least one row of cutting elements.

Abstract: Earth-boring rotary drill bits include heel portions exhibiting reduced aggressiveness. Earth-boring rotary drill bits may comprise a bit body and a plurality of roller cones coupled to the bit body. Each roller cone comprises a plurality of rows of cutting elements, and a continuous disk heel located further from an axis of rotation of the roller cone than the at least one row of cutting elements, the continuous disk heel exhibiting a reduced amount of aggressiveness compared to the at least one row of cutting elements.

Abstract: An earth-boring bit has a body with a threaded pin on the upper end for connecting to a drill string. Bit legs are formed symmetrically on the exterior of the body and extend downward. The lower portion of each bit leg is inclined and offset circumferentially from the upper portion. A cutter is mounted to the lower portion of each bit leg for rotation about a cutter axis. Nozzle bosses are located between each bit leg. A flow channel exists on both sides of each nozzle boss. The nozzle boss is inclined in a similar direction to the bit leg.

Abstract: An earth-boring bit has a rotating cutter of a hybrid design. The bit has a bit body and a bearing shaft which is cantilevered downwardly and inwardly from the bit body. The cutter is mounted for rotation on the bearing shaft and has a plurality of cutting elements arranged in circumferential rows on the cutter. These rows include inner rows and a heel row. The cutting elements in the inner row are formed of a hard metal such as tungsten carbide and are pressed interferingly into apertures in the cutter. The heel row is made up of steel teeth formed on the cutter.

Abstract: A bit body has at least one cantilevered bearing shaft depending inwardly and downwardly from the bit body. A cutter is mounted for rotation on the bearing shaft and includes a plurality of cutting elements arranged in generally circumferential rows on the cutter, the rows including a heel row. The cutting elements in the heel row include at least one chisel-shaped cutting element having a crest oriented transversely to the axis of rotation of the cutter. The remainder of the cutting elements in the heel row have a configuration different from the chisel-shaped elements. All of the cutting elements have approximately the same projection from the surface of the cutter.

Abstract: An earth-boring bit has a bit body and at least one cutter rotatably secured to the bit body. The cutter has a cutter shell surface including a gage surface and a heel surface. A plurality of cutting elements inserts are arranged in generally circumferential rows on the cutter. At least one chisel-shaped cutting element is secured to the gage surface. The chisel-shaped cutting element has a pair of surfaces converging to define a circumferential crest and is tilted toward the heel surface such that a line drawn through the center of the cutting element and its crest defines an acute angle of between about 15 and 75 degrees with the gage surface of the cutter.

Abstract: An earth-boring bit has a bit body and at least one cutter rotatably secured to the bit body. The cutter has a cutter shell surface including a gage surface intersecting a heel surface. A plurality of hard metal inserts are arranged in generally circumferential rows on the cutter and include a heel row of heel inserts on the heel surface of the cutter and a gage row of gage inserts on the gage surface of the cutter. At least one scraper insert, formed of material more wear-resistant than that of the cutter shell surface, is secured to the cutter shell surface generally at the intersection of the gage and heel surfaces. The scraper insert includes a gage and a heel insert surface. The gage and heel surfaces of the scraper insert converge to define a cutting edge for engagement with the sidewall of the borehole, the heel insert surface defining a positive rake angle with respect to the sidewall of the borehole of between 0 and 15 degrees.

Abstract: An earth-boring bit of the fixed cutter variety is provided with hard gage inserts that protrude from the gage surface of the cutter to engage the side of the borehole for holding gage. The gage insert has a substantially flat, polygonal face defining at least a pair of sharp cutting edges and at least a pair of cutting surfaces that define a negative rake angle with respect to the sidewall of the borehole that is being sheared by the gage insert. The face, cutting edge, and cutting surface of the gage insert are formed of a super-hard and abrasion-resistant material such as polycrystalline diamond or cubic boron nitride. The body of the insert is formed of a hard, fracture-tough material such as cemented tungsten carbide. The improved gage inserts provide an actively cutting gage surface that engages the sidewall of the borehole to promote shearing removal of the sidewall material.

Abstract: An earth-boring bit has a bit body and at least one cutter rotatably secured to the bit body. The cutter has a cutter shell surface including a gage surface intersecting a heel surface. A plurality of hard metal inserts are arranged in generally circumferential rows on the cutter and include a heel row of heel inserts on the heel surface of the cutter and a gage row of gage inserts on the gage surface of the cutter. At least one scraper insert, formed of material more wear-resistant than that of the cutter shell surface, is secured to the cutter shell surface generally at the intersection of the gage and heel surfaces. The scraper insert includes a gage and a heel insert surface. The gage and heel surfaces of the scraper insert converge to define a cutting edge for engagement with the sidewall of the borehole, the insert surface defining a positive rake angle with respect to the sidewall of the borehole of between 0 and 15 degrees.

Abstract: An earth-boring bit is provided with three cutters, at least one of the three cutters are provided with a heel cutting structure defined by a plurality of heel inserts having crests thereon, the heel inserts being disposed in at least one substantially circumferential heel row and the crests of the heel inserts being generally aligned traversely to the rotational axis of the cutter. At least another of the cutters is provided with a substantially circumferential row of axial inserts having crests thereon disposed proximally to the base of the cutter, the crests of the axial inserts being generally aligned with the axis of rotation of the cutter.

Abstract: A cutter of an earth-boring bit is provided with hard gage inserts that protrude from the gage surface of the cutter to engage the side of the borehole for holding gage. The gage insert has a substantially flat face with sharp cutting edges formed thereon and has cutting surfaces that define a negative rake angle with respect to the sidewall of the borehole that is being sheared by the gage insert. The face, cutting edge, and cutting surface of the gage insert are formed of a super-hard and abrasion-resistant material such as polycrystalline diamond or cubic boron nitride. The body of the insert is formed of a hard, fracture-tough material such as cemented tungsten carbide. The improved gage inserts are secured into sockets in the gage surface of the rolling cone cutter by interference fit. The improved gage inserts provide an actively cutting gage surface that engages the sidewall of the borehole to promote shearing removal of the sidewall material.

Abstract: A signal classifier performs measurements on an IF signal and determines from these measurements the nature of the modulation, if any, appearing on a received high frequency communications signal. The classifier distinguishes between double sideband AM, single sideband suppressed carrier voice AM, ASK, FSK, multi-channel FSK, unmodulated carrier and noise. The measurements include AM variation, the zero crossing rate in detected AM, the percentage of time the detected AM signal level exceeds a given amplitude, and wide and narrow band detected FM.