Earth-boring tools having fixed blades and rotatable cutting structures and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10801266-B2
Application number	US-201815983639-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2018
Priority date	May 18, 2018
Publication date	Oct 13, 2020
Grant date	Oct 13, 2020

Abstract

An earth-boring tool includes a body, at least one blade, and at least one rotatable cutting structure. The blade extends axially from the body and extends radially outward from a center longitudinal axis of the earth-boring tool to less than an outer diameter of the earth-boring tool. The blade defines a first cutting profile. The at least one rotatable cutting structure assembly is coupled to the body and includes a leg extending axially from the body and a rotatable cutting structure rotatably coupled to the leg. The rotatable cutting structure defines a second cutting profile extending to the outer diameter of the earth-boring tool. The first cutting profile overlaps with the second cutting profile in a radial direction in an amount that is less than 20% of the outer diameter of the earth-boring tool. A method of making an earth-boring tool.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An earth-boring tool, comprising:
a body comprising a plurality of key receiving apertures, each key receiving aperture extending substantially radially outward from a center longitudinal axis of the earth-boring tool;
a plurality of blade structures, each blade structure extending axially from the body and extending radially outward from a center longitudinal axis of the earth-boring tool to less than an outer diameter of the earth-boring tool, each of the plurality of blade structures being distinct from the other blade structures and comprising:
a plurality of cutting elements disposed thereon and defining a first cutting profile; and
a key member for mating with a respective key receiving aperture of the plurality of key receiving apertures of the body; and

at least one rotatable cutting structure assembly coupled to the body and comprising:
a leg extending axially from the body; and
a rotatable cutting structure rotatably coupled to the leg, the rotatable cutting structure defining a second cutting profile extending to the outer diameter of the earth-boring tool,

wherein the first cutting profile overlaps with the second cutting profile in a radial direction in an amount that is 20% or less of the outer diameter of the earth-boring tool.

2. The earth-boring tool of claim 1 , wherein the leg of the at least one rotatable cutting structure asssembly defines a mounting surface upon which the rotatable cutting structure is mounted, and wherein the mounting surface at least generally faces the center longitudinal axis of the earth-boring tool.

3. The earth-boring tool of claim 1 , wherein each blade structure of the plurality of blade structures extends radially outward from the center longitudinal axis of the earth-boring tool a distance that is between about 12.5% and about 25% of an overall diameter of the earth-boring tool.

4. The earth-boring tool of claim 1 , wherein the first cutting profile of the plurality of cutting elements of the plurality of blade structures is recessed axially relative to the second cutting profile of the rotatable cutting structure.

5. The earth-boring tool of claim 1 , wherein the first cutting profile of the plurality of cutting elements of the plurality of blade structures protrudes axially relative to the second cutting profile of the rotatable cutting structure.

6. The earth-boring tool of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of blade structures comprises at least three blade structures.

7. The earth-boring tool of claim 6 , wherein the at least one rotatable cutting structure assembly comprises at least three rotatable cutting structure assemblies, and wherein each rotatable cutting structure of the at least three rotatable cutting structure assemblies is disposed between adjacent blade structures of the at least three blade structures.

8. An earth-boring tool, comprising:
a body;
a blade structure comprising a plurality of blades extending axially from the body and each blade extending radially outward from proximate a center longitudinal axis of the earth-boring tool to less than an outer diameter of the earth-boring tool, the plurality of blades having a plurality of cutting elements defining a first cutting profile; and
a plurality of rotatable cutting structure assemblies coupled to the body, each rotatable cutting structure assembly comprising:
a leg extending axially from the body; and
a rotatable cutting structure rotatably coupled to the leg,
wherein the rotatable cutting structures of the plurality of rotatable cutting structure assemblies define a second cutting profile extending to the outer diameter of the earth-boring tool,

wherein the first cutting profile of the plurality of blades protrudes axially relative to the second cutting profile of the plurality of rotatable cutting structures, and
wherein the first cutting profile overlaps with the second cutting profile in a radial direction in an amount that is 20% or less of the outer diameter of the earth-boring tool.

9. The earth-boring tool of claim 8 , wherein a ratio of an outer diameter of each rotatable cutting structure of the plurality of rotatable cutting structure assemblies and the outer diameter of the earth-boring tool is within a range extending from about 0.40 to about 0.50.

10. The earth-boring tool of claim 8 , wherein the leg of each rotatable cutting structure assembly is separably attached to the body of the earth-boring tool.

11. The earth-boring tool of claim 8 , wherein the leg of each rotatable cutting structure assembly extends radially outward in addition to axially from the body of the earth-boring tool.

12. The earth-boring tool of claim 8 , wherein a ratio of a linear offset of each rotatable cutting structure plurality of rotatable cutting structure assemblies and the outer diameter of the earth-boring tool is within a range extending from about 0.024 to about 0.028.

13. The earth-boring tool of claim 8 , wherein the body comprises a key receiving aperture extending axially into the body, and wherein the blade structure comprises a key member sized and shaped to be insertable into the key receiving aperture of the body.

14. The earth-boring tool of claim 8 , wherein the blade structure and the body are portions of an integral, unitary body.

15. The earth-boring tool of claim 8 , wherein the blade structure is separate and distinct from the body and is coupled to the body via one or more fasteners or welds.

16. A method of forming an earth-boring tool, comprising:
forming a body comprising a plurality of key receiving apertures, each key receiving aperture extending substantially radially outward from a center longitudinal axis of the earth-boring tool;
forming a plurality of blade structures, each blade structure extending axially from the body and extending radially outward from a center longitudinal axis of the earth-boring tool to less than an outer diameter of the earth-boring tool, each of the plurality of blade structures being distinct from the other blade structures and comprising:
a plurality of cutting elements defining a first cutting profile; and
a key member for mating with a respective key receiving aperture of the plurality of key receiving apertures of the body; and

coupling at least one rotatable cutting structure assembly to the body, the at least one rotatable cutting structure assembly comprising:
a leg extending axially from the body; and
a rotatable cutting structure rotatably coupled to the leg, the rotatable cutting structure defining a second cutting profile extending to the outer diameter of the earth-boring tool,

wherein coupling the at least one rotatable cutting structure assembly to the body comprises, coupling the rotatable cutting structure rotatably to the leg such that the first cutting profile overlaps with the second cutting profile in a radial direction in an amount that is 20% or less of the outer diameter of the earth-boring tool.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein forming a body having at least one blade comprises forming the at least one blade to extend radially outward from the center longitudinal axis of the earth-boring tool such that a ratio of a radial length of the at least one blade and the outer diameter of the earth-boring tool is between about 0.125 and about 0.25.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising causing at least one of the first cutting profile and the second cutting profile to be recessed axially relative to the other.

Assignees

• Baker Hughes A Ge Co Llc

Inventors

• Ricks Gregory L
• Rothe Mitchell A
• Felderhoff Floyd C

Classifications

• E21B10/14 Primary

  combined with non-rolling cutters other than of leading-portion type · CPC title

• E21B10/62 Primary

  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

• E21B10/567

  with preformed cutting elements mounted on a distinct support, e.g. polycrystalline inserts · CPC title