US2329393A - Means for supplying abrasive material to drills - Google Patents

Description

F. F. DAVIS Sept. 14, 1943.

MEANS FOR SUPPLYING ABRASIVE MATERIAL TO DRILLS Filed Jan. 22, 1942 0 f M 2 M M 5 e ugh I point.

Patented Sept. 14, 1943 MEANS FOR SUPPLYING ABRASIVE MATERIAL T DRILLS Francis F. Davis, Houston, Tex. Application January 22, 1942, Serial No. 427,686

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to means for supplying a drilling medium to a drill.

In drilling bores in the earth, there are oftentimes encountered very hard materials which ordinary bits or drills will not penetrate. It has been common practice for a number of years to use some type of drill and feed an abrasive material from the top of the well, and shot is cornmonly used which is dropped from the surface of the well and must travel down the entire length of the drill stem which may be four or five thousand feet, or shorter, or longer. There is no way of determining when the shot reaches the bit and there also is no way of feeding said shot at regular intervals so that it will be fed constantly to the bit, as the shot must fall down through the drilling mud and often becomes lodged in the coupling, or will still be in the process of falling down to the bit when the drill string is being pulled out of the well.

Therefore, it is an important object of this invention to provide new and improved means for supplying drilling or abrasive material to a drill bit so that said abrasive material 'coacts with the drill in drilling.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new. and improved means supplying an abrasive material to a drill by centrifugal force controlling the feeding of said abrasive material.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved means for supplying an abrasive material to a drill bit, and said supplying means capable of being placed at any desirable A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which an example of the invention is shown, and

wherein:

Figure l is a vertical view, partly in section and partly in elevation, showing one means for carrying out this invention,

Figure 2 is a vertical view, partly in section and partly in elevation, showing another means for carrying out this invention,

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in section, showing the feeding means, constructed in accordance with the invention, in its closed position, and

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, showing the feeding means in its opened position.

In the drawing, the numeral ill designates a drill pipe. Suspended on the lower end of the drill pipe i0 is a shot feeding mechanism ii, and

suspended on the lower end of said shot feed is a core drill l2. The core drill I2 is one that is commonly used where the shot is fed from the surface of the well. As may be seen in the drawing, the drill is provided with an enlarged drilling-head I! which has an inwardly and downwardly directed slanting shoulder ll provided on its inner surface.

A plurality of longitudinal grooves I are also provided on the inner circumference of the head l3 so as to allow the shot to travel down past the core and prevent the shot from becoming lodged between the core and drilling head. However, it is pointed out that said shot is free to pass between the core and the inner'circumference of the head. The grooves ll also are provided so that the drilling fluid or mud may pass down through the drilling head and around the core. Provided in the lower portion of said drilling head are a plurality of slots L5 (as shown in Figure 2), or what are commonly termed shot heels," which allow circulation, and also allow the shot or abrasive material to get under said bit. The upper end of the core driller is connected to a collar i8 which is provided with an axial bore I'I extending therethrough.

An upstanding collar i8 is shown mounted on top of the collar l6, and this collar ll may or may not be employed; the principle being that the shot which escapes from the bottom of the drilling head will be carried up the well bore by the drilling fluid. and after it passes the upper end of the collar ii, the mud will lose some of its velocity and the shot will fall out and fall into the collar II. This is common practice and has been used for some time; but, as pointed out, this collar l8 may be employed or left off. It is further pointed out that any type.of bit may be suspended from the collar i6 and is not necessarily limited to a core drill.

The upper end of the axial bore of the collar I6 is internally screw-threaded and receives a pipe i9, said pipe being connected to the lower end of the shot feed or the feedfor the abrasive material. The shot feed includes a hollow cylin- -pipe II. As may be seen in the drawing, said 30 within the housing 20 and surrounding the pipe 25. As may be seen from the drawing, the fluid or drilling mud from the drilling pipe II is free to flow through the housing 20, the pipe I! and the collar I8, to the bit l2.

On the upper end of the head 24 there is provided a screw-threaded opening and plug 3| so that the chamber 30 may be filled with a suitable abrasive material, such as chilled shot. An opening I! is provided in the flange II at a point adjacent the pipe 2! so that the abrasive ma'-- terial which has been placed in the chamber 3! may flow through said opening. -.To close theopenin there is provided ordinary flap valve necessary, the plug "of the housing 20 removed and more shot poured into the chamber 30, and the device again run into the well. This operation is repeated until the desired orienting is completed.

In Figure 2, there is shown another means for ca y ng out this method. In this form the core drill I 2 is identical to that shown in Figure 1, except that it is connected to an internal collar instead of to the collar i8. Connected to the upper end oi the collar II is an elongated bell 38 which is connected to a collar 31 having an axial bore 38 therethrough, To. the upper end of the collar 31, thedrill pipe" is suitably con nected. g l

The lower portion of the axial bore 30 of the collar 81 receives a hollow pipe 39, which extends downwardly into the bell It and has aflh'ousin 40 connected to .the lower end thereof. The housing 40 is provided with conical-shaped ends 4| and 42 which may be of any desired length.

- The end 4| is suitably connected to the lower end of the pi 38, and said pipe is provided with slots 43 so that drilling fluid ,or gravel, such as II which has a weighted arm I4 connected there -p to. The weight 34 will hold the flap valve-l8 in the position shown in Figure l whenthepipe'or the housing is not rotated; but, upon'rot'atiom' the weight It will swing outwardly awaygfrom,

the central axis of the housingythei'ebyimoving the valve it away from the opening}! and the shot or abrasive material to dron-throuh the opening 32. When.the rotationfoffthepipe,

or housing is stopped, the weight jl'w'ill again swing the valve ll back againstthe flange, as

shown in Figure andno moreabrasive i iue rm y iiow therefrom. *Therefore, a maybe seen from the drawings, the shot or abrasive-mm terial is at. a point in close proximity to thei drill,v bit and the shot is fed'continuoualyand atan.

even rate of flow while the pipe or housing is rotated, but the flow of the abrasiveimaterial is shut oil immediately upon rotation of the housing 20.

the stopping ofthe H described in Figure 1, may flow down through the pipe ill and pipe 3!, and out through the slots- Thus, the housing 40 does not interfere with the normal flow of drilling fluidor the use 7 oi' gravel when desired. As may be seen from the The chamber It may be made any desirable and suitable length so as to hold as much abrasive material as desired by. the user. Further, the chamber ill and the housing 20 maybeplaced at any suitable point and is not limited to being placed in close proximity .to the drill bit.

In the use of the device shown in Figure l, the drill pipe is made up with the core drill i2 and the shot feed or abrasive feeding device i I suspended on the lowerend thereof, while it is being run into the bore. has been filled through the plug 3i before it is inserted into the bore and when the bottom-has been reached, the pipe is rotated. This rotation will open the valve 33 and allow the shot or abrasive material to commence feeding to the, drill It.

Naturally, the chamber Ill drawing, there is no strain placed upon the shot or abrasive feeder, and therefore it may be made of a lighter'metal than that shown in Figure l.

. The lower end 42 of the housing is provided with an opening 44 which is closed by a flap valve ll constructedsimilarly to the flap valve shown in Figure 1. Also provided on the end 42 is a screw-threaded opening and plug 48 through which the chamber within the housing 40 is filled with a suitable abrasive material.

In the operation, this form functions similarly to the form shown in Figure 1, that is, when thetdevice is in the bore and rotation is started, the flap valve I will open, allowing the abrasive material to feed out through the opening It, and'down to the core drill, and the drilling fluid may flow out through the slots 43, down to the core drill. In removing the core, gravel may also flow through ,the slots l3 and lodge upon the inclined shoulder, thereby holding the core so that it may be removed from the What I claim and desire to secure by Letters .Patent is:'

1. An abrasive feeding device for a rotary drilling mechanism having a drill member at its When it is desired to retrieve the core cut, the

ordinary procedure is to drop gravel or a similar substance down through the drill pipe ill which will travel down through the pipe 25, the pipe [9 and the collar [8, to the bit, and will lodge upon the inclined shoulder ll, the core in the core drill. Thus, bypulling upwardly, the core is broken oil and is held within the core drill by the gravel or similar substance until it has.reached the surface. At that time the core drill is unscrewed from the collar l6 and the core removed from the core drill and then the core drill replaced on the collar I 6 and, ii

thereby wedging passage communicating with the member including, a reservoir disposed within the drilling mechanism above said member for receiving an abrasive material, the reservoir having centrifugally-aotuated closure means for normally preventing the'escape of the abrasive material therefrom, whereby the closure means is opened to feed said abrasive material from said reservoir to the drill member upon rotation of said drilling mechanism and is closed upon cessation'of rotation of the mechanism.

2. An abrasive feeding device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the closure means of the reservoir is pivotally supported.

8. An abrasive feeding device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the closure means of the reservoir includes a closure portion and a weight portion adapted to be actuated by centrifugal action, whereby the weight portion will be swung outwardly upon rotation of the drilling mechportion away from abrasive anism to move the closure said reservoir to permit feeding of the material to the drill member.

4. An abrasive feeding device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the closure means of the reservoir includes a pivotally-mounted member with a weight depending therefrom adapted to be actuated by centrifugal action.

5. An abrasive feeding device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the reservoir ha a discharge opening in its lower portion, the closure means including an angular pivotally-mounted memher having a flap valve for normally closing the discharge opening of said reservoir and a weighted arm for normally holding the flap valve in its closed position, the weighted arm being actuated by centrifugal action to swing said flap- FRANCIS F. DAVIS;

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