Abstract: A drill bit can include a bit body having an upper portion, a central bore, and an adjustable inner gauge. The central bore can define a bore surface, and the bit body can include a plurality of fixed cutters formed on the upper portion. The adjustable inner gauge may be movably positioned within the bit body central bore to increase or decrease an exposed area of the bore surface for adjusting stability or steerability of the drill bit while forming the wellbore.

Abstract: A housing mount assembly for a TBM disc cutter assembly having a shaft and cutter wheel assembly includes a housing half with a body and opposite edge portions extending away from the body. A removable seat block is fixed to the housing half in a space between the edge portions, and is configured to transmit forces received from the cutter shaft to the housing half in shear. A first face of the seat block is pressed against a face of one of the edge portions, and second face is pressed against the housing half body. The seat block may be preloaded against the housing half with first and second pluralities of bolts arranged perpendicularly. The seat block is configured to be removable in the field without removing the housing half from the TBM. The seat block may be hardened to a Rockwell C hardness in the range of Rc 58 to 60.

Abstract: A rotary cutter for a tunnel boring machine or similar machine has a cutter ring mounted to a hub. The hub is mounted on a shaft. A sleeve bearing system is positioned between the hub and the shaft for supporting the hub on the shaft and allowing relative rotation. A duo-cone seal assembly is positioned between the hub and the shaft to seal out contaminants from the sleeve bearing system. An oil gallery with lubricating oil for lubricating the sleeve bearing system is provided in the shaft.

Abstract: A raise boring head includes a roller cutter body and a saddle intended for rotary drilling in earth and rock formations. The roller cutter body is rotatably journalled on a shaft that is provided with two shaft spigots at its opposite ends. Each spigot has a second support surface provided for cooperation with a first support surface of the saddle to hold the roller cutter to the saddle. Each shaft spigot is provided with a hole for receiving a fastener that also passes through the second support surface in order to connect the shaft spigot to the saddle. The first support surface and the second support surface are curved. The first support surface and the second support surface connect directly or indirectly to stop shoulders for counteracting rotation of the shaft. The fastener is eccentric to the shaft axis and arranged to press the stop surfaces together.

Abstract: A rotary cutter mount for an earth-boring cutter includes a bearing journal adapted to be coupled to a cutter body. A first mounting end of the bearing journal is shaped to enable rotationally fixed positioning in a corresponding yoke. The yoke is operatively coupled to the body of the cutter. A ball race is formed in an exterior surface of the journal. A ball loading passage is formed in the journal. The ball loading passage has an exit hole on the race. The hole is positioned so that it is disposed in a rotary orientation which is at a selected angular displacement from the maximum radial loading on the journal. The first mounting end and the corresponding yoke are adapted to enable a plurality of rotary orientations. Each of the rotary orientations is such that the hole is oriented other than in the direction of maximum radial loading.

Abstract: A raise boring head includes a roller cutter body and a saddle intended for rotary drilling in earth and rock formations. The roller cutter body is rotatably journalled on a shaft that is provided with two shaft spigots at its opposite ends. Each spigot has a second support surface provided for cooperation with a first support surface of the saddle to hold the roller cutter to the saddle. Each shaft spigot is provided with a hole for receiving a fastener that also passes through the second support surface in order to connect the shaft spigot to the saddle. The first support surface and the second support surface are curved. The first support surface and the second support surface connect directly or indirectly to stop shoulders for counteracting rotation of the shaft. The fastener is eccentric to the shaft axis and arranged to press the stop surfaces together.

Abstract: A rotary cutter mount for an earth-boring cutter includes a bearing journal adapted to be coupled to a cutter body. A first mounting end of the bearing journal is shaped to enable rotationally fixed positioning in a corresponding yoke. The yoke is operatively coupled to the body of the cutter. A ball race is formed in an exterior surface of the journal. A ball loading passage is formed in the journal. The ball loading passage has an exit hole on the race. The hole is positioned so that it is disposed in a rotary orientation which is at a selected angular displacement from the maximum radial loading on the journal. The first mounting end and the corresponding yoke are adapted to enable a plurality of rotary orientations. Each of the rotary orientations is such that the hole is oriented other than in the direction of maximum radial loading.

Abstract: A roller cutter assembly for use in hard rock tunneling machines comprises a rectangular saddle having a rectangular recess with V-shaped mounting surfaces. Support plates are secured against these mounting surfaces, and the support plates have a shaft extending between them with a non-rotatable head in one plate, and the circular nut in the other plate. The shaft mounts a pair of inner races for tapered roller bearings which run directly on the roller cutter inner surface which forms the outer race for the bearing assembly. Rotation of the circular nut in the recess and on the shaft sets the preload for these bearings. Between the nut and its recess on the adjacent support plate is an annular groove formed in both the support plate and the nut, and an elastomeric diaphragm fits across this groove.

Abstract: A bit body with a mount having a leg that extends along the rotational axis of the bit, a journal with a wedge shaped end secured to a wedge shape opening in the leg. A wedge on the journal has a fastener hole to register coaxially with a fastener hole in the leg and receives a fastener to secure the wedge on the journal in the wedge shape in the leg. One side of the wedge shape is generally perpendicular to the bit axis, and the adjacent side of the wedge forms an acute angle with said perpendicular side. The acute angle is in a range of about thirty to sixty degrees, ideally about 35 degrees.

Abstract: The cutter head of a tunnelling machine is mounted for rotation about the axis of the tunnel and has a face extending on a plane perpendicular to that axis. The cutter head serves as a mount for a plurality of roller cutters, each of which is mounted in a box like saddle member fixed to the cutter head. Each roller cutter includes a frame having a shaft on which the roller cutter is journalled and a pair of end members which fit in recesses on the inside of the saddle member. These recesses open toward the rear of the cutter head to allow removal and replacement of cutters and cutter frames from the rear face of the cutter head. Each cutter frame is held in place by a wedge member on each side of the saddle and wedge members, one on each side, engage mating wedge surfaces on the saddle and the adjacent end member of the cutter frame so that movement of each wedge member by a jack screw in a direction transverse to the axis of the roller forces each end member forwardly in its recess.

Abstract: A drill bit has a plurality of roller cutters mounted on a front face of the drill bit. The roller cutters are mounted in pairs which are equidistantly spaced from an axis of rotation of the drill bit. Each roller cutter is rotatably mounted in a saddle affixed on the front face. The roller cutters are reversibly mounted in their saddles. Each roller cutter includes a plurality of circumferentially extending cutting structures spaced apart along an axis of rotation of the roller cutter. The cutting structures are arranged non-symmetrically relative to a center plane through the roller cutter so that when a roller cutter is reversed, the location of kerfs cut by the roller cutter change.

Abstract: A cutter assembly for rotary boring of earth. The assembly comprises a rotating cutter having a shaft protruding from the ends of the cutter; and a mounting member for the rotating cutter. The mounting member comprises two legs the ends of which are provided with counter surfaces for the ends portions of the shaft. The assembly further comprises fastening elements provided with a counter surface, the fastening elements being fitted at the ends of the legs for fastening the shaft to the mounting member. In order to provide a self-adjusting and reliable assembly which prevents the turning movement of the shaft, the curvature of the middle portion of the counter surface of the fastening element is so formed that a gap narrowing in the direction of the periphery of the shaft is defined between the shaft and the middle portion of the counter surface of the fastening element. A clutching part extending in the radial direction is arranged at the end of the shaft.

Abstract: A roller cutter assembly for rotary boring of the face of earth formations comprising a boring head (16) and a plurality of roller cutters (14) mounted in mounting members (15). The bearing shafts (25) of the roller cutters (14) are secured to the mounting members (15) by members of clamping bolts (30). For purposes of eliminating the risk for failure of the clamping bolts (30) to occur the mounting members (15) are provided with a cap portion (31).

Abstract: Roller cutters are mounted onto a cutterhead from the rear side of the cutterhead. A load transfer block is insertable between a stator portion of each cutter and a generally forwardly directed load-carrying surface on the cutter-head frame. Loads imposed on the roller cutter during boring are transmitted rearwardly from the stator to the load transfer block, and from the load transfer block to the cutterhead frame.

Abstract: A removable shirttail of an earth boring tool, such as a hole opener, protects the seals and bearings of an associated cutter. In one embodiment, the shirttail attaches to a journal or mounting shaft of the cutter by threaded fasteners. In an alternate embodiment, different threaded fasteners that attach the journal to an associated leg of the tool cooperate with the cutter and the leg to clamp the shirttail between the journal and the leg. A wedge-shaped boss of the shirttail faces the wall of the bore being opened. A V-shaped saddle in the boss receives a complementary lug of the journal. The lug of the journal also mates with a complementary notch of the leg to prevent journal rotation. The removal of the theaded fasteners that attach the journal to the leg allows spacers or shims to be withdrawn, which in turn permits the cutter, journal, and shirttail to be moved along the journal axis to clear a nose of the journal from a bore in a central body of the tool.

Abstract: A mounting structure for rolling cutter assemblies, especially gauge cutters, is disclosed wherein a saddle on a support structure is provided with a first sloping wall, a base portion joining said sloping wall and an abutment region facing the sloping wall. A wedge block is seated on the base portion of the saddle and has a second sloping wall facing and converging with the first sloping wall. The ends of the rolling cutter shaft have side walls that also converge and these side walls abuttingly engage the first and second sloping walls. Means are provided for holding and urging said shaft on to said saddle. The rolling cutter and shaft assembly may be easily removed by removal of the fastener means and wedge block. The disclosed saddle seat arrangement provides for an easy method of replacement of the rolling cutter assembly while the cutter head is still in the bore hole formation.

Abstract: A cutter assembly for a rotary head of a drilling machine comprises a yoke having a base for attachment to the rotary head, a pair of legs depending from the base, and an asymmetrical mounting hole through each leg, the hole being aligned with each other. A load pin extends between the legs of the yoke with the load pin being disposed within the holes. To prevent wear of the yoke during drilling, a replaceable wear pad is provided for each end of the load pin. Each pad is disposed between the load pin and the portion of the periphery of a mounting hole closest to the base. Thus, each wear pad is positioned at the loaded portion of the periphery of a mounting hole. Each wear pad extends around from about 1/3 to about 1/2 the circumference of the load pin.

Abstract: The rolling cutter or stabilizer member of a rotary drill string unit is effectively locked in place by a locking device. The device allows the cutter or stabilizer member to carry radial, tangential and axial loads. A support member includes a surface positioned perpendicular to the resultant of the expected radial load and tangential load. A support shaft includes a slabbed-off surface positioned perpendicular to the resultant of said resultant loads and said axial load.

Abstract: This earth boring drill apparatus has a cutter mounting leg extending from one side of a drive stem and a removable cutter assembly, including a fixed shaft and cutter journaled for rotation on the shaft supported between the drive stem and the mounting leg. The stem has a bore for slidably receiving the inner end of the shaft. The cutter mounting leg terminates in an end surface extending parallel to the axis of rotation of the bore and shaft. A shaft supporting lug projecting from the outer end of the shaft has a surface which is parallel to the end surface on the leg. The opposed surfaces respectively have a V-shaped projection and mating groove which provide lateral alignment and prevent shaft rotation while permitting the shaft to be movable in an axial direction by an amount sufficient to permit the shaft to be withdrawn from the bore.

Abstract: A raise drill having a central drive stem to which a surrounding cutter mounting frame is attached, the cutter mounting frame supporting a plurality of rotary cutter units. One or more inboard cutter units each include a shaft and a rotary cutter journaled for rotation on the shaft. One end of the shaft is inserted in a bore extending into the side of the stem. A yoke member receives the outer end of the shaft. The yoke member is supported by a mounting block secured to the frame. The mounting block has first and second intersecting planar surfaces, the first surface extending substantially parallel to the axis of the bore and the second surface extending in an obtuse angle to the first surface facing the stem. The yoke member has a first surface which slidably engages the first surface of the mounting member, and a second surface spaced from the second surface of the mounting member, allowing axial movement of the cutter shaft into and out of the bore.

Abstract: A raise type of earth boring drill in which the cutter assembly is detachably secured to the drive stem to permit replacement of the stem. The stem slidably engages a central opening in the cutter assembly, the cutter assembly engaging a shoulder on the stem which carries axial loads in the drill. The cutter assembly is detachably anchored by a plurality of bolts to a torque plate attached to the end of the stem for transmitting torque load to the cutter assembly, the bolts clamping the cutter assembly against the shoulder.

Abstract: In the saddle structure of the improved drill bit cutter assembly of the invention both spaced-apart legs are provided with bores each extending through the leg to receive a clamping bolt. These bores extend in directions including between them an angle of up to 90.degree.. The shaft-receiving recess, between the legs, has a polygonal shape complementing that of the end portion of the shaft.

Abstract: A drill bit has a plurality of roller cutters mounted on a front face of the drill bit. The roller cutters are mounted in pairs which are equidistantly spaced from an axis of rotation of the drill bit. Each roller cutter is rotatably mounted in a saddle affixed on the front face. The roller cutters are reversibly mounted in their saddles. Each roller cutter includes a plurality of circumferentially extending cutting structures spaced apart along an axis of rotation of the roller cutter. The cutting structures are arranged non-symmetrically relative to a center plane through the roller cutter so that when a roller cutter is reversed, the location of kerfs cut by the roller cutter change.