Connection for well bore drilling tools

Abstract

A drilling tool connection includes a male pin, a female box connector, and a locking pin. The male pin includes a hexagonal outer perimeter, at least a portion of the pin having a cylindrical bore along a longitudinal axis of the pin, where the pin has a transverse slot formed transverse to the longitudinal axis of the pin. The box connector element includes a circular outer perimeter, where at least a portion of the box connector element has a hexagonal aperture aligned with a longitudinal axis of the box. The box connector element has at least one transverse bore formed in the box transverse to the longitudinal axis of the box, and the hexagonal aperture of the box is adapted to receive the hexagonal portion of the male pin. The locking pin is insertable through an aperture defined by the slot of the pin and the bore of the box.

Description

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND[0001]This disclosure relates to well bore equipment and, more particularly, to connections for various downhole tools used for drilling well bores.BACKGROUND[0002]Downhole drilling motors have been used for many years in the drilling of oil and gas wells and other wells. In a usual mode of operation, the rotational power output shaft of the motor and the drill bit will rotate with respect to the housing of the motor. The housing, in turn, is connected to a conventional drill string composed of drill collars and sections of drill pipe. This drill string extends to the surface. Drilling fluid is pumped down through the drill string, to the bottom of the hole and back tip the annulus between the drill string and the wall of the bore hole. The drilling fluid cools the drill bit and removes the cuttings resulting from the drilling operation.[0003]Since the inception of downhole drilling motors, the rotational power output from the motors has increased. The rotational...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013]Various implementations of a drilling tool connection according to the present disclosure may include one or more of the following features. For example, the drilling tool connection may be able to withstand greater rotational torque as compared to other types of threaded tool joints, thereby decreasing a possibility of mechanical failure or shearing. As another example, the drilling tool connection may allow for greater time and cost efficiency in assembling a downhole tool apparatus for drilling operations. As a further example, the drilling tool connection may allow for a downhole tool to remain coupled to, for example, another downhole tool such as a downhole drilling motor or drill bit, a drill string section, or a universal joint assembly. As yet another benefit, the drilling tool connection may be substantially free of stress risers and galling as encountered in threaded connections, thereby allowing greater torque to be output by the downhole drilling motor without mechanical failure in the drilling apparatus. Further, the drilling tool connection may allow for a greater axial force to be applied to a downhole drilling apparatus by the drill string in attempting to back off the apparatus from the well bore, thereby increasing the likelihood that the apparatus may be removed from the well bore. The drilling tool connection may, therefore, decrease the number of fishing trips down the well bore to recover lost downhole tools.

Problems solved by technology

These connections, however may encounter forces and resistance within the well bore that are greater than those forces for which they are designed.

Typically, such a shear force, if great enough, may cause the tool joint to fail (e.g., shear off at various threaded connections).

Further, due to the nature of threaded connections, the rotational torque may cause such a connection to decouple (e.g., unscrew) apart from a mechanical failure.

One or more components of a downhole drilling apparatus may come uncoupled and are lost or stuck in the well bore due to tool joint failure.

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