SPLIT SLEEVES FOR ROLLING CUTTERS

• US 20140360792A1
• Filed: 12/27/2012
• Published: 12/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Smith International Incorporated (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Smith International Incorporated (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Azar, Michael George, Shi, Jibin, Zhang, Youhe
• Application Number:
  US14/369,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20140360792A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 175/432
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/43 characterised by the arrangement of teeth or other cutting elements
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/5735 Interface between the substrate and the cutting element
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/62 characterised by parts, e.g. cutting elements, which are detachable or adjustable E21B10/64 takes precedence; for roller bits E21B10/20; for augers E21B10/44

Abstract

A cutter assembly may include a multi-piece split sleeve, an inner cutting element having a groove or protrusion formed in a side surface thereof and disposed in the multi-piece split sleeve, and at least one component interfacing at least a portion of the groove or the protrusion to limit axial movement of the inner cutting element with respect to the multi-piece split sleeve, in which the multiple pieces of the split sleeve are joined together at an overlapping joint.

Claims

1. A cutter assembly, comprising:

a multi-piece split sleeve;

an inner cutting element having a groove or protrusion formed in a side surface thereof and disposed in the multi-piece split sleeve; and

at least one component interfacing at least a portion of the groove or the protrusion to limit axial movement of the inner cutting element with respect to the multi-piece split sleeve,

wherein the multiple pieces of the split sleeve are joined together at an overlapping joint.

2. The cutter assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner cutting element is rotatable within the multi-piece split sleeve.

3. The cutter assembly of claim 1, wherein the sleeve split comprises at least two inner surface radii, a first sleeve radius being smaller than a second sleeve radius, wherein the inner cutting element comprises a side surface having at least two radii, a first cutting element radius being smaller than a second cutting element radius and axially positioned between a cutting face and the second cutting element radius, and wherein the sleeve is adjacent to at least a portion of the inner cutting element side surface, such that the first sleeve radius mates with the first cutting element radius and the second sleeve radius mates with the second cutting element radius.

4. The cutter assembly of claim 1, wherein a groove or protrusion extend circumferentially around at least a portion of the inner cutting element.

6. The cutter assembly of claim 1, wherein the interfacing component is the sleeve.

7. The cutter assembly of claim 1, wherein the interfacing component is a separate component from the sleeve.

8. The cutter assembly of claim 1, wherein the multi-piece split sleeve extends around only a portion of the circumference of the inner cutting element.

9. The cutter assembly of claim 1, wherein the multi-piece split sleeve extends around greater than 180 degrees of the inner cutting element and up to the entire circumference of the inner cutting element.

11. The cutter assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner cutting element comprises a smooth and curved transition between neighboring surfaces defining different inner cutting element radii.

13. The cutter assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner cutting element consists of diamond.

14. The cutter assembly of claim 1, wherein a bottom surface of the inner cutting element has curvature.

15. A cutting tool, comprising:

a tool body;

a plurality of blades extending from the tool body;

at least one cutter pocket formed in the plurality of blades;

at least one cutter assembly of claim 1 disposed in the at least one cutter pocket.

27. The cutting tool of claim 15, wherein the overlapping joint is sufficient to resist capillary flow of braze therethrough.

30. The cutting tool of claim 15, wherein at least one piece of the multi-piece sleeve is cast into the blade.

31. The cutting tool of claim 15, wherein at least one piece of the multi-piece sleeve is brazed into the cutter pocket.

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32. A cutting tool, comprising:

a tool body;

a plurality of blades extending from the tool body;

at least one rotatable cutting element disposed on at least one blade, wherein the rotatable cutting element has a groove formed in a side surface thereof; and

at least one retention element interfacing the rotatable cutting element at the groove and limiting axial movement of the rotatable cutting element,

wherein the rotatable cutting element comprises a smooth and curved transition between the groove and the neighboring side surface.

33. The cutting tool of claim 32, wherein the rotatable cutting element comprises a smooth and curved transition between the side surface and a bottom surface of the rotatable cutting element.

34. The cutting tool of claim 32, wherein the rotatable cutting element is disposed in a sleeve, where the sleeve is brazed in a cutter pocket formed in the at least one blade.

35. The cutting tool of claim 34, wherein the sleeve is a multi-piece sleeve.

36. The cutting tool of claim 35, wherein the multiple pieces of the split sleeve are joined together at an overlapping joint.

37. The cutting tool of claim 35, wherein the multi-piece sleeve comprises a sleeve component and the cutter pocket.

38. The cutting tool of claim 32, wherein the rotatable cutting element is disposed in a cutter pocket.

44. The cutting tool of claim 38, wherein the at least one retention mechanism comprises a sleeve and a portion of the cutter pocket.

39. A cutting tool, comprising:

a tool body;

a plurality of blades extending from the tool body;

at least one rotatable cutting element disposed in a cutter pocket on at least one blade, wherein the rotatable cutting element has a groove formed in a side surface thereof; and

at least one retention element interfacing the rotatable cutting element;

wherein the at least one retention element extends greater than 180 degrees and less than 360 degrees around the rotatable cutting element.

40. The cutting tool of claim 39, wherein the at least one retention element comprises a protrusion that mates with the groove and limits axial movement of the rotatable cutting element.

41. The cutting tool of claim 39, wherein the at least one retention element comprises a multi-piece sleeve.

42. The cutting tool of claim 41, wherein at least one piece of the multi-piece sleeve is cast into the blade.

43. The cutting tool of claim 39, wherein at least one piece of the multi-piece sleeve is brazed into the blade.