Earth-boring tools including movable formation-engaging structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10570666-B2
Application number	US-201916408087-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2019
Priority date	May 13, 2013
Publication date	Feb 25, 2020
Grant date	Feb 25, 2020

Abstract

Earth-boring tools may have a body, a cutting element attached to the body at a first location, and a formation-engaging structure attached to the body at a second location. The formation-engaging structure may be movable during a drilling operation between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the formation-engaging structure may be located rotationally behind the cutting element at a first radial distance from a longitudinal axis of the body at which the cutting element will at least initially shield the formation-engaging structure from engaging a formation. In the second position, the formation-engaging structure may be located at a different second radial distance from the longitudinal axis of the body at which the formation-engaging structure will engage a formation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An earth-boring tool, comprising:
a body comprising a plurality of blades;
a cutting element attached to one of the plurality of blades of the body; and
a formation-engaging structure attached to the one of the plurality of blades of the body, a height of the cutting element above the one of the plurality of blades being greater than an exposure of the formation-engaging structure, the formation-engaging structure being movable during a drilling operation between a first position and a second position, wherein:
the formation-engaging structure is at least partially within a cutting path traversed by the cutting element mounted on the same blade of the plurality of blades as the formation-engaging structure when the formation-engaging structure is in the first position; and
the formation-engaging structure is at least partially exposed beyond the cutting path traversed by the cutting element mounted on the same blade of the plurality of blades as the formation-engaging structure when the formation-engaging structure is in the second position.

2. The earth-boring tool of claim 1 , wherein the formation-engaging structure is located on the one of the plurality of blades at a first radial distance from a longitudinal axis of the body in the first position and at a second radial distance, different than the first radial distance, from the longitudinal axis of the body in the second position.

3. The earth-boring tool of claim 1 , wherein the formation-engaging structure is located at least partially behind the cutting element such that the formation-engaging structure is at least partially shielded from engaging a formation in the first position and the formation-engaging structure is located to engage the formation in the second position.

4. The earth-boring tool of claim 1 , further comprising an actuation device located within a recess in the body, the actuation device being configured to move the formation-engaging structure from the first position to the second position.

5. The earth-boring tool of claim 4 , wherein the actuation device comprises a housing secured to surfaces defining the recess in the body and a support member located at least partially within the housing.

6. The earth-boring tool of claim 5 , wherein the formation-engaging structure is mounted to the support member, the support member being configured to rotate within the housing to move the formation-engaging structure from the first position to the second position.

7. The earth-boring tool of claim 1 , wherein the cutting element is attached to the body at an immovable fixed location at a rotationally leading edge of the one of the plurality of blades of the body.

8. The earth-boring tool of claim 1 , wherein the cutting element comprises a primary cutting element and the formation-engaging structure comprises an additional cutting element.

9. The earth-boring tool of claim 8 , wherein a central axis of the additional cutting element is oriented at an angle with respect to a direction of movement of the additional cutting element when the additional cutting element is in the first position.

10. The earth-boring tool of claim 8 , wherein a central axis of the additional cutting element and a direction of movement of the additional cutting element relative to a formation lie in a common plane when the additional cutting element is in the second position.

11. An earth-boring tool, comprising:
a body comprising a plurality of blades;
a cutting element attached to one of the plurality of blades of the body;
a support member located within a recess in the body; and
a formation-engaging structure secured to the one of the plurality of blades of the body with the support member, the formation-engaging structure being movable during a drilling operation between a first position and a second position, the formation-engaging structure being at least partially within a cutting path traversed by the cutting element mounted on the same blade of the plurality of blades as the formation-engaging structure when the formation-engaging structure is in the first position, and the formation-engaging structure being at least partially exposed beyond the cutting path traversed by the cutting element mounted on the same blade of the plurality of blades as the formation-engaging structure when the formation-engaging structure is in the second position, wherein a height of the cutting element above the one of the plurality of blades is greater than an exposure of the formation-engaging structure.

12. The earth-boring tool of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of blades comprises radially projecting and longitudinally extending blades rotationally separated by junk slots.

13. The earth-boring tool of claim 11 , wherein the one of the plurality of blades comprises a rotationally leading edge, the cutting element being located at the rotationally leading edge of the one of the plurality of blades and the formation-engaging structure being located rotationally behind the cutting element on the one of same blade of the plurality of blades.

14. The earth-boring tool of claim 11 , wherein the cutting element comprises a primary cutting element and the formation-engaging structure comprises an additional cutting element, the formation-engaging structure being configured as a backup cutting element in the second position.

15. The earth-boring tool of claim 11 , further comprising an actuation device located within the recess in the body, wherein the support member is a component of the actuation device.

16. The earth-boring tool of claim 15 , wherein the actuation device comprises at least one of an electro-mechanical device or an electro-hydraulic device.

17. The earth-boring tool of claim 15 , wherein the actuation device is configured to allow a pressure of drilling fluid flowing through the earth-boring tool to move the formation-engaging structure from the first position to the second position.

18. The earth-boring tool of claim 11 , wherein the support member is generally cylindrical, at least a portion of the support member configured to rotate relative to the body about a longitudinal axis of the support member to move the formation-engaging structure from the first position to the second position.

19. The earth-boring tool of claim 18 , wherein the formation-engaging structure is mounted on a longitudinal end of the generally cylindrical support member at a location offset from the longitudinal axis of the support member.

20. The earth-boring tool of claim 11 , wherein an axis of rotation of the support member is transverse to a central axis of the formation-engaging structure.

Assignees

• Baker Hughes A Ge Co Llc

Inventors

• Do Eric
• Bilen Juan Miguel
• Schulte Philip Christof
• Hoines Jason E

Classifications

• E21B10/62

  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) · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• E21B10/43 Primary

  characterised by the arrangement of teeth or other cutting elements · CPC title

• E21B10/42

  Rotary drag type drill bits with teeth, blades or like cutting elements, e.g. fork-type bits, fish tail bits (characterised by wear resisting parts E21B10/46; by conduits or nozzles for drilling fluid E21B10/60; by detachable or adjustable parts E21B10/62) · CPC title