Abstract: High-pressure high-temperature presses are commonly employed to create superhard materials used in such fields as road milling, mining and trenching, to breakup tough materials such as asphalt, concrete and rock. Many such presses comprise a plurality of piston assemblies that may act in concert to pressurize a cell. Such a cell may comprise a body with at least three canisters disposed therein, each comprising an axis passing through a center of the body. Such a configuration may allow for maximum planes of symmetry within the cell.

Abstract: In one aspect of the present invention, a downhole fixed bladed bit comprises a working surface comprising a plurality of blades converging at a center of the working surface and diverging towards a gauge of the bit, at least on blade comprising a cutting element comprising a superhard material bonded to a cemented metal carbide substrate at a non-planer interface, the cutting element being positioned at a positive rake angle, and the superhard material comprising a substantially conical geometry with an apex comprising a curvature.

Abstract: High-pressure high-temperature presses are commonly employed to create superhard materials used in such fields as road milling, mining and trenching, to breakup tough materials such as asphalt, concrete and rock. Many such presses comprise a plurality of piston assemblies that may act in concert to pressurize a cell. Such a cell may comprise a body with at least three canisters disposed therein, each comprising an axis passing through a center of the body. Such a configuration may allow for maximum planes of symmetry within the cell.

Abstract: High-pressure high-temperature presses are commonly employed to create superhard materials used in such fields as road milling, mining and trenching, to breakup tough materials such as asphalt, concrete and rock. Many such presses comprise a plurality of piston assemblies that may act in concert to pressurize a cell. Such a cell may comprise a body with a plurality of canisters disposed therein and at least one unique heater element adjacent each of the canisters. Heat may be generated within such a press by forming an electrical circuit with the unique heater element and anvils surrounding the cell.

Abstract: In such fields as road milling, mining and trenching it is often desirable to engage and degrade tough materials such as asphalt, concrete and rock. To do so, degradation picks comprising hardened distal tips may be secured to an exterior of a movable support such as a rotatable drum or continuous chain so as to be repeatedly brought into contact with a material to be degraded. To secure such degradation picks to the movable support, a block comprising a body with a base surface rigidly attachable to a movable support is disclosed. A first receptacle with a first central axis may be disposed on an external surface of the body and formed to receive a first removable degradation pick. A second receptacle with a second central axis may also be disposed on the external surface and formed to receive a second removable degradation pick where the first and second central axes are nonparallel.

Abstract: In such fields as road milling, mining and trenching it is often desirable to engage and degrade tough materials such as asphalt, concrete and rock. To do so, degradation picks comprising hardened tips may be secured to an exterior of a rotatable drum so as to be repeatedly brought into contact with a surface of a material to be degraded. To secure such degradation picks to the rotatable drum, a toroidal body comprising an interior surface rigidly attachable to the rotatable body and an exterior surface comprising a plurality of bore holes disposed there around may receive a plurality of degradation picks secured within the bore holes.

Abstract: In one aspect of the present invention, a drill string has a drill bit with a body intermediate a shank and a working face. The working face has a plurality of blades converging at a center of the working surface and diverging towards a gauge of the working face. At least one blade has a cutting element with a carbide substrate bonded to a diamond working end with a pointed geometry. The diamond working end also has a central axis which intersects an apex of the pointed geometry. The axis is oriented between a 25 and 85 degree positive rake angle.

Abstract: In one aspect of the present invention, a drill string has a drill bit with a body intermediate a shank and a working face. The working face has a plurality of blades converging at a center of the working surface and diverging towards a gauge of the working face. At least one blade has a cutting element with a carbide substrate bonded to a diamond working end with a pointed geometry. The diamond working end also has a central axis which intersects an apex of the pointed geometry. The axis is oriented between a 25 and 85 degree positive rake angle.

Abstract: A downhole cutting tool may include a tool body; a plurality of blades extending from the tool body; a first blade comprising at least one pointed cutting element thereon, the at least one pointed cutting element comprising a first polycrystalline diamond material on a first carbide substrate, the first polycrystalline diamond material extending away from the first carbide substrate to terminate in a substantially pointed geometry opposite the first carbide substrate; a second blade comprising at least one shear cutting element, the at least one shear cutting element comprising a second polycrystalline diamond material on a second carbide substrate, the second polycrystalline diamond material forming a planar cutting surface opposite the substrate; wherein, when the first blade and the second blade are superimposed on each other, a central axis of the at least one pointed cutting element is offset from a central axis of the at least one shear cutting element.

Abstract: A high impact resistant tool having a sintered body of diamond or diamond-like particles in a metal matrix bonded to a cemented metal carbide substrate at a non-planar interface, interface having at least two circumferentially adjacent faces, outwardly angled from a central axis of the substrate. The sintered body has a thickness of 0.100 to 0.500 inches proximate each face. The sintered body also has a flat working surface, wherein the tool has an angle of 30 to 60 degrees between the flat working surface and each face.

Abstract: A downhole cutting tool may include a tool body; a plurality of blades extending from the tool body; a first blade comprising at least one pointed cutting element thereon, the at least one pointed cutting element comprising a first polycrystalline diamond material on a first carbide substrate, the first polycrystalline diamond material extending away from the first carbide substrate to terminate in a substantially pointed geometry opposite the first carbide substrate; a second blade comprising at least one shear cutting element, the at least one shear cutting element comprising a second polycrystalline diamond material on a second carbide substrate, the second polycrystalline diamond material forming a planar cutting surface opposite the substrate; wherein, when the first blade and the second blade are superimposed on each other, a central axis of the at least one pointed cutting element is offset from a central axis of the at least one shear cutting element.

Abstract: A cutting element may include a substrate including a plurality of metal carbide particles and a first metal binder having a first metal binder content; an outer layer of polycrystalline diamond material at an end of the cutting element, the polycrystalline diamond material including a plurality of interconnected diamond particles; and a plurality of interstitial regions disposed among the interconnected diamond particles, the plurality of interstitial regions containing a second metal binder having a second metal binder content. The cutting element also includes at least one transition zone between the substrate and the outer layer, the at least one transition zone including a plurality of refractory metal carbide particles and a third metal binder having a third metal binder content, the third metal binder content being less than the first metal binder content and the second metal binder content.

Abstract: In one aspect of the present invention, a high impact resistant tool comprises a sintered polycrystalline diamond body bonded to a cemented metal carbide substrate at an interface, the body comprising a substantially pointed geometry with an apex, the apex comprising a curved surface that joins a leading side and a trailing side of the body at a first and second transitions respectively, an apex width between the first and second transitions is less than a third of a width of the substrate, and the body also comprises a body thickness from the apex to the interface greater than a third of the width of the substrate.

Abstract: In one aspect of the present invention, a tool has a wear-resistant steel base comprising a shank suitable for attachment to a driving mechanism. A planar end of a cemented metal carbide segment brazed to an interfacial surface of the base axially opposed to the shank. At least one interruption is formed in the interfacial surface.

Abstract: In one aspect of the present invention, a high impact resistant tool comprises a sintered polycrystalline diamond body bonded to a cemented metal carbide substrate at an interface, the body comprising a substantially pointed geometry with an apex, the apex comprising a curved surface that joins a leading side and a trailing side of the body at a first and second transitions respectively, an apex width between the first and second transitions is less than a third of a width of the substrate, and the body also comprises a body thickness from the apex to the interface greater than a third of the width of the substrate.

Abstract: A fixed bladed drill bit has a working face that includes a plurality of blades converging at a center of the working face and diverging towards a gauge of the bit, each blade having a leading face and a trailing face, and at least one row of cutting elements disposed on at least one of the plurality of blades proximate to the leading face of the blade, where the row of cutting elements includes at least one pointed cutting element having a cutting end with a rounded apex and at least one shearing cutter. The at least one shearing cutter includes a first shearing cutter positioned proximate to a periphery of the working face.

Abstract: An article of jewelry for wearing on the body may comprise a sintered polycrystalline diamond compact with substantially no metal catalyst. As many of the metal catalysts commonly used in the art are known to cause skin irritation, such a sintered compact with substantially no metal catalyst may be more biocompatible than previously known. A method for forming such a biocompatible sintered polycrystalline diamond compact comprises mixing diamond powder and metal catalyst powder into a mixture and sintering the mixture under elevated temperature and pressure conditions to form a sintered compact. The sintered compact may then be leached in an acid or other solution to substantially remove the metal catalyst from the sintered compact.

Abstract: In one aspect of the invention, a fixed bladed drill bit comprises a working surface comprising a plurality of blades converging at a center of the working surface and diverging towards a gauge of the bit. Each blade comprises a plurality of pointed cutting elements and another plurality of shearing cutters. The plurality of shearing cutters comprises a first shearing cutter. The first shearing cutter on each blade tracks the first shearing cutter on other blades along a common circular cutting path.

Abstract: A downhole cutting tool may include a tool body; a plurality of blades extending from the tool body; a first blade comprising at least one pointed cutting element thereon, the at least one pointed cutting element comprising a first polycrystalline diamond material on a first carbide substrate, the first polycrystalline diamond material extending away from the first carbide substrate to terminate in a substantially pointed geometry opposite the first carbide substrate; a second blade comprising at least one shear cutting element, the at least one shear cutting element comprising a second polycrystalline diamond material on a second carbide substrate, the second polycrystalline diamond material forming a planar cutting surface opposite the substrate; wherein, when the first blade and the second blade are superimposed on each other, a central axis of the at least one pointed cutting element is offset from a central axis of the at least one shear cutting element.

Abstract: In one aspect of the invention, a method of forming polycrystalline diamond comprises providing a can assembly comprising a preform of diamond powder with a first catalyst, the preform being adjacent a solid substrate with a second catalyst. The pressure and/or temperature on the can assembly increases until the first catalyst and carbon from the diamond powder begin to form a melting composition within the preform. The pressure and temperature may be held substantially constant on the can assembly until the melting composition has catalyzed crystalline growth in at least a portion of the preform. The pressure and/or temperature are then increased on the assembly until the second catalyst within the substrate is released into the preform.