Boring or penetrating the earth – Bit or bit element – Rolling cutter bit or rolling cutter bit element
Patent
1987-08-24
1989-05-02
Massie, Jerome W.
Boring or penetrating the earth
Bit or bit element
Rolling cutter bit or rolling cutter bit element
175359, 384 94, 384 95, 384470, 384572, E21B 1022, F16C 1900
Patent
active
048259640
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
STATEMENT OF THE PRIOR ART
Where a rotatable member rotates about a stationary member with seal means therebetween the seal means is subject to damage. As the speed of the rotational member is increased, the deterioration rate of the seal means also rapidly increases and either wears or is burned out so it must be replaced. In operations which are conducted so that replacement of the seal presents no great problem, the rotatable member can be removed from the stationary member and the seal replaced. However, where the environment or operation is such that access to disassemble the members cannot be readily accomplished without substantial expense and effort, the problem of replacing the seal is greatly increased.
The foregoing is quite prevalennt in earth boring operations where a cutter or cutter arrangement is mounted for rotation about a spindle on a shank and which cutter arrangement is employed in a borehole located at a remote location relative to the earth's surface. Not only is the borehole operation conducted in what may be a hostile environment, but it is desirable to conduct the borehole operations, whether it is enlarging the borehole, underreaming the borehole or drilling or coring the borehole, as quickly as possible. It is generally accepted that this may be accomplished by a combination of factors including the proper application of weight to the member on which the cutter arrangement is secured as well as the rate of rotation of the cutter on the member on which it is secured.
In an attempt to overcome some of the above problems various types of lubricant arrangements have been provided to attempt to reduce the heat transmitted to the seal during the relative rotation between the cutter and stationary member on which it is provided, and to in turn reduce the damage thereto. If the life of the cutter arrangement including the seals can be lengthened, the necessity of "tripping" the cutter arrangement (removing and replacing the cutter arrangement in the borehole) at frequent intervals is reduced, which can greatly decrease the cost of conducting various types of drilling and rotary operations in a well bore.
While seal arrangements have provided some solution, such seal arrangements may not enable a positive lubricant pressure to be maintained adjacent the seal and structural components of the cutter arrangement under all conditions to attain the desired affects. Also, some problems may be encountered in assuring that as lubricant is gradually lost by leakage around the seal means, additional lubricant is supplied to assure that lubricant is continuously present adjacent the field and the cutter components to reduce damage thereto.
Applicant is not aware of any arrangement for overcoming the above problems even though the concept of a plantary gear arrangement is quite old as indicated by Machinery's Handbook, 22nd Edition, published by Industrial Press, Inc., New York, New York at page 842-843. However, so far as known to applicant, employing additional structure with such concept to reduce substantially the effective rate of rotation of a rotatable member such as a cutter, or drill bit cone to seal means that seals between the rotatable and stationary member such as a spindle on which the rotatable member is mounted to inhibit damage to the seal means therebetween and thereby prolong the life of the seal means has never been employed. Also using such concept to form a lubricant chamber that receives a cage assembly and propelling means to effect a substantial decrease in the relative motion between the rotating member and seal means has apparently not been employed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an arrangement for reducing the damage to a sealing relationship between a rotatable and stationary member wherein seal means are provided to form the sealing relationship between the rotatable and stationary member, the arrangement including means to substantially reduce the effective rotational speed of the rotatable member adjacent the sealing relationship between
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Hayden Jack W.
Massie Jerome W.
Melius Terry Lee
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