Apparatus and methods to manufacture PDC bits

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9381600-B2
Application number	US-50599709-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2009
Priority date	Jul 22, 2008
Publication date	Jul 5, 2016
Grant date	Jul 5, 2016

Abstract

A method to manufacture a drill bit including constructing a bit head portion of the drill bit, constructing a bit shank portion of the drill bit, aligning the bit head portion with the bit shank portion, and electron beam welding a butted joint between the bit head portion and the bit shank portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method to manufacture a drill bit, the method comprising:
constructing a bit head portion of the drill bit;
constructing a bit shank portion of the drill bit;
aligning the bit head portion with the bit shank portion;
attaching the bit head portion and the bit shank portion at a threaded connection;
abutting co-planar surfaces of the bit head portion and the bit shank portion, wherein the abutted co-planar surfaces extend radially outward in a single plane from the threaded connection to an outer circumference of the drill bit; and
electron beam welding the abutted co-planar surfaces between the bit head portion and the bit shank portion.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising evacuating air from a welding chamber surrounding the aligned bit head portion and the bit shank portion.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising aligning the bit head portion axially with the bit shank portion.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising aligning the bit head portion circumferentially with the bit shank portion.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
manufacturing complementary service threads on the bit head and bit shank portions of the drill bit; and
threadably assembling the bit head portion of the drill bit to the bit shank portion of the drill bit.

6. A method to manufacture a drill bit, the method comprising:
sintering a bit head portion from a matrix powder and a binder material;
machining a bit shank portion;
attaching the bit shank portion to the sintered bit head portion at a threaded connection;
abutting co-planar surfaces of the bit head portion and the bit shank portion, wherein the abutted co-planar surfaces extend radially outward in a single plane from the threaded connection to an outer circumference of the drill bit;
electron beam welding the abutted co-planar surfaces between the bit head portion and the bit shank portion; and
securing a plurality of PDC cutter elements about the sintered bit head portion.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising installing flow nozzles into the sintered bit head portion.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising axially aligning the sintered bit head portion with the machined bit shank portion.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising circumferentially aligning the sintered bit head portion with the machined bit shank portion.

10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising evacuating air from a welding chamber surrounding the bit shank portion and the sintered bit head portion.

Assignees

• Roth Cary A
• Smith International

Inventors

• Roth Cary A

Classifications

• B23K2103/04

  Steel {or steel} alloys · CPC title

• B23K2101/20

  Tools · CPC title

• B23K15/06

  within a vacuum chamber (B23K15/04 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B23K31/025

  Connecting cutting edges or the like to tools; Attaching reinforcements to workpieces, e.g. wear-resisting zones to tableware · CPC title

• B23P15/28 Primary

  cutting tools (sawing tools B23D63/00, B23D65/00; files or rasps B23D73/00) · CPC title