US1638337A

US1638337A - Rotary well drill

Info

Publication number: US1638337A
Application number: US32691A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edward S Hutton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1925-05-25
Filing date: 1925-05-25
Publication date: 1927-08-09
Anticipated expiration: 1944-08-09

Description

i Patented v".ug. 9, 1927.

"UNITED STATES PATENT o '1,638,337 FFICE.

Itozriamr4 WELL DRILL.

Applicationvledl'llay 25,1925.; `Serial No, 32,691.v

This invention is for the purpose -of the rapid rotary drilling of wells, chieiiy oil wells of relatively large diameter. i

This is a rotary drill and the invention e consists in the combination with a Iish tail or other bit for piloting the drilling apparatus, of improved means which follows the fish tail bit for enlarging the bore of the hole made by the sh tail bit. This enlarglo ing means, therefore, is in the nature of a reamer.

The reamer is such that after it has been introduced into the well pipe and passes the lower end thereof, it will expand and drill M the hole larger below the pipe, like a reamer.

act on the cutter lholder' to .push it outward into the expanded position. The cutter holder is mounted in a vertical recess and 1s substantially vertically movable with shoulders which limit `thedownward movement thereof so that thecons'truction is relatively simple and easy to make and mount and the cutter holders extendlrelatively far in their seats or recesses, whichmakes them stronge, and they and Asaid'recesses are free from the 30. central water'passage in the drilling appa-V ratus, so that the water would not interfere with the operation of the cutter "holders,

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings andthe following description and claims:

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through the welldrilling apparatus, the upper portion being broken away: j and the lower portion shown in side elevation, and with the central part of the fish 'tail bit broken away and one cutter holder shown in elevation. Fig. 2 isa similar view showing the drilling apparatus lbelow the lower end of the -well pipe in drilling condition but with the fish tail bit largely brokf en away and one cutter holder shown .in elevation. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the broken dotted' line 4 4 of .F-ig. l. Fig.'5 is the perspective view of a cutter holder centrally broken away.

Thereis shown herein an oil well pipe 10 and within it there is a tubular drilling operation. The lower end of the stem is -of the cutter holder.

stein 11 which is rotated during the drilling internally;tl-ireadedto receive the upper end of the reamer orwell drill'in apparatus consists of a central 2(body portion 12 having a central upwardly eXtendin reduced portion 13 externally tlireade to'l screw into the lower end of the stem l1. Immediately below said reduced portion 13 tlie body portion 12 is'enlarged and externally threaded to receive a vcap 14 which screws thereon. Below the said last mentioned threaded'por'tionthe body 12 is enlarged so as to provide annular and downwardly sloping shoulders 15. At said shoulders the diameter of said Ibody 12 is almostv the same as the internal diameter of the well tube, see Fig. 3.' Below the shoulder portion said bod its lowerendv proviy ed with an internally threaded bore 16 into which the upper end as shown. L y

In diametrically opposite sidesiV of the of the iish tail bit 17 screws and is secured,

shouldered portion l5 of the body 12 there `are vertical -grooves or recesses 2O open at 12 is reduce'd and at tool. This l the top and' bottom, and each side wall of said recesses 20 vhas a vertical rib 21 as seen in Fig. 3, the two ribs projecting toward each otherso as toreduce the ywidth of the outer portion or opening of the recessesl 20- above a horizontal'shoulder 22 in each wall as seen in F ig.' 4. lIn other words the vertical recesses 20 are transversely enlarged above the shoulders 22 by the sidewalls being cut out somewhat so as to leave said ribs 21 and shoulders 22.

The cutter holders 30 have in their lower ends round rotatable beveled cutters 31. The upper portion of eachcutter holder 30 is widened to form lateralshoulders 32, as seen in Figs. 3 and.4.` The cutter holder is insertable in said recess from above and the widened portions 32 thereof fit in the 4widened portions of the upper part of'said recess,so that the shoulders 32 on the cutter holders and the shoulders 22 in the .walls of t-he recess prevent the downward escape'of the cutter holders, and the ribs 21 in the walls of the recess co-operates with the shoulders 32 to prevent the outward escape The depth of the upper portion of the recess 20 is greater than the thickness of the upper portion of the cutter holder so that the lower end of the cutter holder can be moved out-ward further from the center of the device, as shown in Fig. 2, to expand the cuttersfor enlarging 4ers are expanded, a

lbody or reaming the hole cut 'by the fish taily When `the cutter holder is'in its ,outtingfo'rf inclined position, as seen in Fig. 2, the outer faces of the shoulders 32 thereofv engage the ribs 21. The side of the cutter holder is shown-in Fig. pand shoulders 32 are beveled downward and. inward. When the cutter holders are in their contracted osition, as shown in' Fig. 1, the inner sur ace thereof However, the body 12 of the device is providedwith small lateral water passages `41 opening into the lower parts of the recesses 2O for cooling the cutters. `The ring 34 is held in true position with reference to the recesses 2O by 'a pin 42, as shown in Fig. 4. I

'By pivotally mounted ismeant herein is almost vertical, ybut when the cutter holdv s" shown in Fig. 2,. the in! ner. surface is at quite' an inclination orv` thel angle to the body 12 of the-deviceand their the forward faces of the-shoulders `32 are vertical and engage the 'vertical ribs 21,v and thereby the cutter holdersareheld firmly-in lace.` A'

The cutter holders 30 are connected with o1-from the position shown in 1 to that that the upper end of the cutter holder is mounted so the lower end may moveoutward Ashown in Fig. 2, or the reverse, the upper ,end ,thereofy being held by means substantially in the nature of a pivot so as to allow a ring 34 b y a contractile spring 35. 4 The ring ,34 has a seat 36 the upper end of the therein by a pin 37. The upper end' of each cutter holder has a vertical recess 39 for receiving the lower end of the spring 35 and it is'securedtherewi'th by-a'pin 38. The ring 34 is held down on the shoulders 15 0f the cut out for receiving s in Fig. 1 the springs 35 hold them upward with the beveled surfaces 39 of the cutter holders bearing against the inclined surface 34 and this action ofthe springs 35 tends to force outwardly the lower ends of the cutter holders, so that when the cutter holders pass well tube 10, they will be forced out as shown in Fig. 2, intotheir expanded or cutting position, and so that they will engage the wall-of the well drilled bythe fish tail or in which the tube 10 extends, and when the drill is rotated'will cut the wall of the well and enlarge the well.

spring and iti-is, held 12 by the cap 14, and the lower sur` down below the bottom of thev It is thus seen that the cutter holders are strongly held in their mounting and are yet capable of assuming their contracted and expanded great strain and when the well drill is elevated in the tube, the cutter holderswill automatically be moved by the lower end of the well tube into their substantially vertical contracted position shown in Fig.v 1.

Also it is to be noted that the mounting of the cutter holders is remote from the water passage 40 down through the center of the drill so that nothing can pass therefrom into the recesses in which the cutter holders are mounted and no dirt or mud ass from the latter to the water passage and) choke it.

positions. They will withstand such pivotal action of the cutter holder.

The invention claimed is: 'l

1. Rotary well drilling apparatus having a rotary` body portion adapted to be' introduced through a well pipe. and having the y .upper end thereof reduced and threaded and S below said reduced portion having upwardly and-inwardly inclined' shoulders and oppositely locatedvertical recesses, a rind surrounding the contractedtportion and fitting down on said shoulders, a cutter holder loosely mounted', in each recess and having' the upper end beveled .to engage the inlclined surface ofthe ring, said ring and cutter holder havin spring seats therein, a contractile spring" ounted in 'said seats yand secured at each end tothe ring and cutter holder respectively, .and a cutter mounted in the lower end ofthe cutter holder.

2. Rotary well drilling apparatus duced through a well pipe and having the upper'end thereof reduced and threaded and below said reduced portion having upwardly and inwardly inclined shoulders and 0ppositely located vertical l recesses, a ringvr y ir surrounding the contracted portion and iittinfr down on said shoulders, a cutter holder l loosely mounted in each recess and having the upper end beveled to engage the inclined surface of the ring. said ring and cutter holder'having spring seats therein, a con-v tractile spring mounted in said seats land,` secured at each end to the ring and cutter holder respectively; a cutter mounted inV the` lower end of the cutter holder, and a screw cap on the upper reduced end of the body portion for holding-said ring in place.l

3. Rotary well drilling apparatus having a rotary body portion adapted tobe introduced through a well pipe land having'diam'etrically opposite vertical recesses with the upper portion of each recess venlarged at its sides so as to leave shoulders at the lower 1 part thereof and a pair of vertical ribs at the outer portion thereof, a cutter holder in each recess with the upper end thereof provided with lateral extensions for fitting in the enlarged upper end of the yrecess and providing shoulders'for engaging the shoulders and ribs in the walls of the recess to prevent vthe escape of the cutter holder and having a rotary body portion adapted -to be intro-` 2 Vice yet permit it to rock 'so' that the lower end may move outwardly, a cutter on the lower end of the cutter holder, a contractile spring secured to the upper end of each lcutter holder and also secured in'said body portion tending to withdraw the cutter holderupward, the upper ends of the cutter holder and the adjacent wall of the body beingbeyeled so that they will cause the lower end of -the cutter holder to move outward as the cut- 10 ter holder is drawn upward, substantially as 4set forth.

lj/EDWARD s. HUT'roN.