US2664322A

US2664322A - Roller bit

Info

Publication number: US2664322A
Application number: US189264A
Authority: US
Inventors: Elvin G Boice
Original assignee: Reed Roller Bit Co
Current assignee: Reed Roller Bit Co
Priority date: 1950-10-09
Filing date: 1950-10-09
Publication date: 1953-12-29
Anticipated expiration: 1970-12-29

Description

Dec. 29, 1953 E. G. BOICE 2,664,322

ROLLER BIT Filed Oct. 9, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l f/vm 6. Bo/ce INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY-S Dec. 29, 1953 E. G. BOICE ,322

ROLLER BIT Filed Oct. 9, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ely/n 6. Bo/ce INVENTOR.

Patented Dec. 29, 1953 ROLLER BIT Elvin G. Boice, Houston, Tex., assignor to Reed Roller Bit Company, Houston, Tex., a corporation of Texas Application October 9, 1950, Serial No. 189,264

Claims.

This invention relates generally to roller bits for deep well drilling, and particularly to a roller bit having a new and improved bearing for the roller cuttersthereof. Conventional roller bits for the drilling of oil wells include a bit head in which are mounted roller cutters provided with teeth to penetrate the formation when the head is rotated by the usual drill stem. During drilling operations, the bearing of the roller cutters are subjected to very great shocks and strains ineluding destructive end thrusts. The bearings are also subjected to the abrasive action of mud-1aden fluid which is pumped downwardly through the drill stem and bit and rises upwardly in the space between the drill stem and the wall of the well to keep the cutters cool, to remove the cuttings, and to perform other functions well-known to those skilled in the art.

This invention has for one of its objects to provide a rollerbit with new and improved end thrust bearings, the parts of which may be quickly and easily assembled.

Otherobjects will hereinafter appear.

The preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a fragmentary partly sectional view of a cross roller bit illustrating the use of one embodiment of the invention in the side roller cutter thereof; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional view (on a reduced scale) on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is another embodiment of the invention in the side roller cutter of the cross roller bit; and

Fig. 4 is a section (on a reduced scale) on the line 44 of Fi 3.

Referring to Fig. l, the lower portion of the cross roller bit head is indicated at I, the cross roller cutter at 2 and the side roller cutter at 3.

The head I is provided with a downwardly and inwardly inclined shaft 4 having a bore 5 for the reception of the pin 5 of the bridge 5, which pin is welded in place as indicated at t-a. Between the shaft 4 and the side roller cutter 3 are load hearing rollers I and 8. The numeral 9 indicates my new and improved end thrust bearing rollers which in this embodiment are tapered substantially from end to end to bear against the inward- 1y tapered side walls Id of the raceway of the shaft 4 and against the inwardly tapered side walls I I of the raceway of the cutter 3, as shown by Fig. l; and against each other as shown by 2. Within the shaft raceway defined by the tapered side walls It are a plurality of spring rings I2 which serve to yieldably urge the end thrust bearing rollers 9 outwardly into their operative positions. The bearing rollers 3 are insertable into the raceways of the cutter 3 and shaft 4, defined by the walls II and It, through an opening I 4 against the resistance of the spring rings I2 which are normally of a-diameter greater than that shown by Figs. 1 and 2 and which are compressed to a smaller diameter when the end thrust rollers 9 are thus inserted. After each roller 9 is inserted through the opening It in the cutter against the resistance of the spring rings t, it may be moved laterally in the raceways to make room for the roller to be inserted next. When all of the rollers 9 have been inserted the parts are in the relativepositions shown by Figs. 1 and 2. The opening I4 may be then closed by a plug it welded in place as indicated at It.

In Figs. 3 and 4, the numerals I through 3 indicate parts similar to those shown by Figs. 1 and 2., In the embodiment shown by Figs. 3 and 4 however, the end thrust rollers Il instead of being tapered substantially from end to end are provided with an inner tapered portion Ii-a and an outer substantially cylindrical portion Ii-b, and the side walls I8 of the shaft 4 are inwardly tapered and the side walls 19 of the cutter 3 are substantially parallel so that the bearing rollers I! bear against the said side walls I8 and It as shown by Fig. 3 and against each other as shown by Fig. 4. The opening in the cutter 3 through which the bearing rollers I1 are insertable is indicated at 20 and the plug to close this opening at El welded as indicated at 22. The opening 20 is provided with a shoulder 20-0; and the plug 2i with a reduced extension 2 I-a to fit the same. The numeral 23 indicates spring rings corresponding with the spring rings I2 shown by Figs. 1 and 2.

It will be apparent from Figs. 1 and 2 that the end thrust bearing rollers 9 may be inserted through the opening it of the cutter into the raceways so that they will be in a position to rotate on axes substantially radial to the axis of rotation of the cutter 3.

It will also be apparent that when the rollers 9 are inserted through the openings It they will compress the spring rings l2 so that during the operation of the bit the spring rings l2 will yield ably urge the end thrust bearing rollers 9 outwardly into their operative positions.

It will also be apparent that the tapered end thrust bearing rollers 9 will roll upon the tapered side walls It of the shaft i and the tapered side walls II of the cutter 3, and that said tapered rollers 9 will roll'upon each other and that this will provide a good bearing between the rollers and between the rollers and the walls of the raceways, to efficiently sustain the end thrust on the cutter 3.

The invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments herein disclosed. Various changes within the scope of the following claims will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A bit having a shaft; a roller cutter rotatable on said shaft; said shaft having a raceway with inwardly tapered side walls, said cutter having a raceway with inwardly tapered side walls, thrust bearing rollers in said raceways, rotatable on axes substantially radial to the axis of rotation of said cutter, and being tapered substantially from end to end to bear against each other and against the tapered side walls of said shaft raceway and said cutter raceway; a plurality of spring rings in said shaft raceway to urge said rollers outwardly into their operative positions; said cutter having an opening through which said rollers may be inserted to compress said rings and to occupysaid raceways; means to close said opening after said bearing rollers are in place; and load sustaining bearings on each side of said thrust bearing rollers.

2. A bit having a shaft; a roller cutter rotatable on said shaft; said shaft having a raceway with inwardly tapered side walls, said cutter having a raceway with inwardly tapered side walls, thrust bearing rollers in said raceways, rotatable on axes substantially radial to the axis of rotation of said cutter, and being tapered substantially from end to end to bear against each other and against the tapered side walls of said shaft raceway and said cutter raceway; a plurality of spring rings in said shaft raceway to urge said rollers outwardly into their operative positions; said cutter having an opening through which said rollers may be inserted to compress said rings and to occupy said raceways; and means to close said opening after said bearing rollers are in place.

3. A bit having a shaft; a roller cutter rotatable on said shaft; said shaft having a raceway with inwardly tapered side walls, said cutter having a raceway with inwardly tapered side Walls, thrust bearing rollers in said raceways, rotatable on axes substantially radial to the axis of rotation of said cutter, and being tapered to bear against each other and against the tapered side walls of said shaft raceway and said cutter raceway; yieldable means in said shaft raceway to urge said rollers outwardly into their operative positions; said cutter having an opening through which said rollers may be inserted against the resistance of said yieldable means and to occupy said raceways; and means to close said opening after said bearing rollers are in place.

4. A bit having a shaft; a roller cutter rotatable on said shaft; said shaft having a raceway with inwardly tapered side walls, said cutter having a raceway with inwardly tapered side walls, thrust bearing rollers in said raceways, rotatable on axes substantially radial to the axis of rotation of said cutter, and being tapered to bear against each other and against the tapered side walls of said shaft raceway and said cutter raceway, said outter having an opening through which said thrust rollers may be inserted, and a plug to close said opening, said plug having a shoulder to position said plug in register with said cutter raceway.

5. A bit having a shaft, a roller cutter rotatable on said shaft, raceways in said shaft and cutter, thrust bearing rollers in said raceways and rotatable on axes substantially radial to the axis of said cutter, and means to yieldably urge said rollers into their operative positions in said raceways, said cutter having an opening, and said rollers being insertable through said opening into said raceways against the resistance of said yieldable means, and means to close said opening.

ELVIN G. BOICE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,760,317 Pickin May 27, .1930 2,065,740 Reed Dec. 29, 1936 2,126,041 Reed Aug. 9, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 8,31 i Great Britain 1902