Dual mode rotary cutting tool

• US 5,385,205 A
• Filed: 10/04/1993
• Issued: 01/31/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Charles D. Hailey
• Original Assignee: Charles D. Hailey
• Inventors: Hailey, Charles D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Hoang C.
• Application Number:
  US08/131,472
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 166/55.8, 175/267, 175/269, 175/268
• US Class Current: 166/55.8
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/322 cutter shifted by fluid pressure E21B10/345 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/60 characterised by conduits or nozzles for drilling fluids for roller bits E21B10/18; for percussion drill bits E21B10/38

Abstract

A downhole rotary cutting tool having an elongated cylindrical body with radially expanded cutting blades that are controlled by application of selected fluid as controlled from a surface source. The cutting blades have a combined abrading/jetting capability as hardened cutting surfaces are disposed at critical points of each blade and each cutting blade is ported to provide lateral jet emissions for entry into the surrounding earth medium.

Claims

1. A downhole rotary cutting tool, comprising:

an elongate body member having upper and lower ends and including a slot defined laterally therethrough;

a source of high pressure fluid applied to the elongate body member upper end;

a cutting assembly pivotally retained within said body member slot, said cutting assembly including a top edge and internal port communicating between the top edge and a generally laterally directed jet orifice; and

first piston means having an axial port and being disposed above said cutting assembly and actuatable to contact said top edge and force said cutting assembly radially outward into operative position while directing high pressure fluid down through said axial port and into the cutting assembly internal port to energize said jet orifice in a lateral direction.

2. A rotary cutting tool as set forth in claim 1 which is further characterized to include:

second piston means disposed below said cutting assembly and actuatable simultaneously with said first piston means actuation to reinforce said cutting assembly radially outward to the operative position.

3. A rotary cutting tool as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cutting assembly comprises:

first and second cutter blades each having a top edge and an internal port and being aligned in side by side disposition for opposite pivotal movement, the first blade having a first abrading foot pad and an adjacent jet orifice, the second blade having a second abrading foot pad and an adjacent jet orifice.

4. A rotary cutting tool as set forth in claim 3 wherein each of said first and second cutter blades includes:

a pivot hole disposed centrally toward the upper extremity and having an uppermost angle edge that is disposed perpendicular to the elongate body vertical axis when in the operative position with said respective foot pad secured at the bottom in a plane perpendicular to said elongate body vertical axis; and

hardened cutting material embedded in said foot pad.

5. A rotary cutting tool as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said internal port is a bore extending from the top edge of said cutting assembly downward to said lateral jet orifice.

6. A rotary cutting tool as set forth in claim 4 which is further characterized to include:

second piston means disposed below said cutting assembly and actuatable simultaneously with said first piston means actuation to reinforce said cutting assembly radially outward to the operative position.

7. A downhole rotary cutting tool with dual cutting capability comprising:

an elongated body member having a slot defined laterally therethrough and further including an elongated cavity having upper and lower ends communicating centrally with said slot;

a source of drilling fluid under pressure input to said body member;

first and second cutting members each having an upper angle edge and lower edges and being pivotally mounted in opposed orientation in said slot, each of said cutting members having a respective first and second port extending from the respective upper angle edge to the lower edge;

first and second laterally oriented jet orifices disposed at lower edges of said first and second cutting members in communication with the respective first and second ports; and

first piston means disposed in said elongated cavity adjacent said angle edges of the first and second cutting members, said piston means having an axial bore formed therethrough;

whereby the applying of fluid under pressure at body member upper end depresses the first piston means against the upper angle edges to force the opposed cutting members laterally into operative position while also applying drilling fluid under pressure down through said axial bore and first and second vertical ports to the first and second jet orifices to produce lateral fluid jets.

8. A downhole rotary cutting tool as set forth in claim 7 which further includes:

a second piston means disposed in said cavity lower end and including an upwardly oriented rod end for contact with the lower edges of the first and second cutting members;

by-pass port means conducting the fluid under pressure from the body member upper end down to cavity lower end to increase fluid pressure and force the second piston means rod end upward against the first and second cutting members thereby to reinforce the radial extension in operative position.

9. A downhole rotary cutting tool as set forth in claim 8 which is further characterized to include:

spring means normally urging said second piston means away from said first and second cutting members,

10. A downhole rotary cutting tool as set forth in claim 7 wherein said first and second cutting members each comprise:

a planar body having an upper angled edge for contacting the first piston means, an outer edge and inner edge extending to a foot pad that is secured generally parallel to said upper angled edge;

hardened cutting material embedded in said foot pad; and

a pivot hole through said planar body proximate the upper angled edge.

11. In a rotary tubing tool of the type having opposed pairs of pivotally affixed cutting blades that are radially expandable into the Operative position, a pair of cutting blades wherein each blade comprises:

a planar body having an upper angle edge which extends on one side into an outer edge and on the remaining side into a lower edge with a foot pad secured on the bottom between the outer edge and lower edge;

a pivot hole through said planar body at a point generally central and about one-fourth of the distance down from said upper angle edge;

a hardened abrading surface embedded in said foot pad; and

a port extending from the upper angle edge down through said planar body to a jet orifice adjacent said foot pad for conducting fluid laterally under pressure when the planar body is radially expanded to the operational position.