14934 results about "Drill hole" patented technology

The present invention is directed to an adjustable self drilling tap assembly and method for drilling and tapping bores in bone for use in orthopedic procedures to treat bone. The adjustable length tap assembly includes a shaft having cutting threads for drilling holes in bone, a stop collar configured and dimensioned to be translatable along the longitudinal axis of the shaft, and a locking collar comprising a member configured and dimensioned to be received over at least a portion of the stop collar. The locking collar preferably is configured and dimensioned to engage with the stop collar to adjustably set the effective length for the cutting threads and to prevent movement of the stop collar along the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

Methods and systems for drilling to a target location include a control system that receives an input comprising a planned drilling path to a target location and determines a projected location of a bottom hole assembly of a drilling system. The projected location of the bottom hole assembly is compared to the planned drilling path to determine a deviation amount. A modified drilling path is created to the target location as selected based on the amount of deviation from the planned drilling path, and drilling rig control signals that steer the bottom hole assembly of the drilling system to the target location along the modified drilling path are generated.

A system for endosteal tibial ligament fixation with adjustable tensioning is disclosed. A grasping hook located on a shaft is used to draw a ligament graft into a contoured drill hole formed in a bone. A series of slanted ridges on the shaft can pass in only one direction through a securing push nut residing in the contoured drill hole, resulting in an interference fit that secures the attachment system, while allowing the tension of the ligament graft to be adjusted.

A material fixation system is particularly adapted to improve the tendon-to-bone fixation of hamstring autografts, as well as other soft tissue ACL reconstruction techniques. The system is easy to use, requires no additional accessories, uses only a single drill hole, and can be implanted by one person. Additionally, it replicates the native ACL by compressing the tendons against the aperture of the tibial tunnel, which leads to a shorter graft and increased graft stiffness. It is adapted to accommodate single or double tendon bundle autografts or allografts. It also provides pull out strength measured to be greater than 1000 N.

A drill guide system comprising:

• • a hemispherical cup having an opening therein;
  • a body having a distal end, a proximal end and a lumen extending between the distal end and the proximal end; and
  • a connector for connecting the body to the hemispherical cup so that the lumen at the distal end of the body is aligned with the opening in the hemispherical cup.

An acetabular instrument alignment guide for aligning at least one orthopaedic instrument relative to an acetabulum in a pelvis. The acetabular instrument alignment guide includes an interchangeable head configured for positioning within the acetabulum where the interchangeable head has a primary axis. A drill guide is releasably connected to the interchangeable head. The drill guide includes a drill bore offset from the primary axis, and the drill bore is configured for aligning a drill relative to the pelvis. The acetabular instrument alignment guide further includes at least one reference pin and an instrument guide connected to the at least one reference pin, the instrument guide being both rotatable and translatable relative to the at least one reference pin. The reference pin is configured for placement in at least one hole in the pelvis produced by the drill.

A method for simulating the drilling performance of a roller cone bit drilling an earth formation may be used to generate a visual representation of drilling, to design roller cone drill bits, and to optimize the drilling performance of a roller cone bit. The method for generating a visual representation of a roller cone bit drilling earth formations includes selecting bit design parameters, selecting drilling parameters, and selecting an earth formation to be drilled. The method further includes calculating, from the bit design parameters, drilling parameters and earth formation, parameters of a crater formed when one of a plurality of cutting elements contacts the earth formation. The method further includes calculating a bottomhole geometry, wherein the crater is removed from a bottomhole surface. The method also includes incrementally rotating the bit and repeating the calculating of crater parameters and bottomhole geometry based on calculated roller cone rotation speed and geometrical location with respect to rotation of said roller cone drill bit about its axis. The method also includes converting the crater and bottomhole geometry parameters into a visual representation.

A bi-center drill bit includes pilot and reaming blades affixed to a body at azimuthally spaced locations. The blades have PDC cutters attached at selected positions. In one aspect, the pilot blades form a section having length along the bit axis less than about 80 percent of a diameter of the section. In another aspect, selected pilot blades and corresponding reaming blades are formed into single spiral structures. In another aspect, shapes and positions of the blades and inserts are selected so that lateral forces exerted by the reaming and the pilot sections are balanced as a single structure. Lateral forces are preferably balanced to within 10 percent of the total axial force on the bit. In another aspect, the center of mass of the bit is located less than about 2.5 percent of the diameter of the bit from the axis of rotation. In another aspect, jets are disposed in the reaming section oriented so that their axes are within about 30 degrees of normal to the axis of the bit. In another aspect, the reaming blades are shaped to conform to the radially least extensive, from the longitudinal axis, of a pass-through circle or a drill circle, so the cutters on the reaming blades drill at the drill diameter, without contact to the cutters on the reaming blades when the bit passes through an opening having about the pass-through diameter.

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for setting concentric casing strings within a wellbore in one run-in of a casing working string. In one aspect of the invention, the apparatus comprises a drilling system comprising concentric casing strings, with each casing string having a drill bit piece disposed at the lower end thereof. The drill bit pieces of adjacent casing strings are releasably connected to one another. In another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for setting concentric casing strings within a wellbore with the drilling system. In another aspect of the invention, the releasably connected drill bit pieces comprise a drill bit assembly.

The present invention is a bi-center drill bit designed to drill out the cement and other material in the casing and then proceed to drill out the full gauge drilling diameter borehole with a diameter greater than the inside of the casing. The bi-center drill bit is configured with non-drilling bearing elements that contact with the casing when the bit is drilling the cement without allowing the gauge cutting elements of the bi-center drill bit to contact the casing. The bi-center drill bit also has a cutting element configuration which prevents reverse scraping of the cutting elements when drilling both the cement and the formation.

The disclosure has application for use in conjunction with an operation of drilling an earth borehole using: a drilling rig, a drill string having its generally upper end mechanically coupleable with and suspendable from the drilling rig, and a bottom hole assembly adjacent the lower end the drill string, the bottom hole assembly including a drill bit at its lower end. A method is set forth for obtaining information about at least one parameter sensed at the bottom hole assembly, including the following steps: providing at least one measuring device in the bottom hole assembly, the at least one measuring device producing measurement data representative of a measured condition at the bottom hole assembly; providing an uphole processor system at the earth's surface; providing a drill string telemetry system coupled with the at least one measuring device and coupled with the uphole processor system; and transmitting the data from the measuring device to the uphole processor system via the drill string telemetry system.

An electromagnetic wave propagation resistivity borehole logging system comprising multiple groups of electromagnetic transmitter-receiver arrays operating at three frequencies. The borehole logging tool component of the system employs eight transmitters and four receivers. The transmitters and receivers are disposed axially and symmetrically along the major axis of the tool to form four group pairs. Each group pair consists of a transmitter-receiver groups axially and symmetrically on opposing sides of a reference point on the tool. Each, transmitter-receiver group consists of one transmitter assembly and two receiver assemblies. Each transmitter-receiver group is operated at two of three operating frequencies which are 100 kHz, 400 kHz and 2 MHz. Some of the transmitter and receiver assemblies are fabricated to yield azimuthally focused resistivity measurements, and to yield vertical and horizontal resistivity in anisotropic dipping beds. The system can be embodied as a logging-while-drilling system or as a wireline logging system.

A method for drilling a borehole includes; providing a drill string of drill pipe including a center bore, a distal end, a bit assembly at the distal end; hanging a liner from the drill string, thereby forming an annular space between the drill string and the liner and with the bit assembly extending from a lower end of the liner; positioning the drill string with the liner attached thereto in a borehole such that a second annular space is formed between the liner and the borehole wall; operating the bit assembly to proceed with drilling the borehole; and circulating drilling fluid down through the center bore of the drill string out through the bit assembly and down through the second annular space between the liner and the borehole wall, the drilling fluid returning up through the annular space between the drill string and the liner.

An apparatus and method for forming a hole in material for non-medical and medical purposes such as a cranial burr hole for ventriculostomy and brain biopsy procedures. The apparatus includes a main unit upon which a drill unit is located. The drill unit includes a drill bit and an on/off switching means. The main unit includes a handle which is suitable for grasping, and an advancing mechanism including a release/engage mechanism, and an advancing lever and an optional on/off switch. The drill unit is advanced a predetermined distance relative to the main unit each time an advancing lever is pulled. In use, the apparatus is placed in a desired position upon the material to be drilled such a patient's skull and is stabilized by a stabilization platform, the apparatus is then turned on, and the advancing lever is pulled to advance the drill unit a predetermined distance relative to a longitudinal axis of the main unit with each pull of the advancing lever. The procedure is ended when the desired depth of penetration has been reached, or the material such as in the case of skull bone, has been completely penetrated.

The invention relates to a hydraulic fracturing anti-reflection technology for pumping and exploring gas by drilling a hole in a coal mine well, comprising the following steps sequentially: (1) selecting a fracturing location; (2) determining the pressure type according to observed coal type, laneway arrangement and construction development degree, and ways of top soleplate bedding plane borehole hydraulic fracturing, top soleplate translamellar borehole hydraulic fracturing, the coal bed bedding plane borehole hydraulic fracturing or the coal bed translamellar borehole hydraulic fracturing can be adopted; (3) determining borehole parameters for constructing drilling, wherein, the borehole parameters include borehole length, borehole height, aperture, obliquity angle and azimuth angle; (4) designing the hydraulic fracturing, including injected water volume and injection pressure; (5) borehole washing; (6) draining; (7) examining the fracturing effect, if the fracturing effect is in accordance with the requirement, the following step is carried out, if not, turning to step (4); and (8) entering a pipeline for pumping and discharging. The technology enhances the air permeability of the coal bed, reduces the gas emission rate of an excavation working face, and obviously promotes the pumping and exploring capability and the pumping and exploring effect of the single borehole. The pumping and discharging efficiency is improved, the pumping and discharging time is shortened and the damage of the gas is maximally eliminated.

A method for drilling in the floor of an ocean from a floating structure using a rotatable tubular includes a seal housing having a rotatable seal connected above a portion of a marine riser fixed to the floor of the ocean. The seal rotating with the rotating tubular allows the riser and seal housing to maintain a predetermined pressure in the system that is desirable in pressurized mud cap and reverse circulation drilling. A flexible conduit or hose is used to compensate for relative movement of the seal housing and the floating structure because the floating structure moves independent of the seal housing. The drilling fluid is pumped from the floating structure into an annulus of the riser, allowing the formation of a mud cap downhole in the riser, or allowing reverse circulation of the drilling fluid down the riser, returning up the rotatable tubular to the floating structure.

Overburden drilling equipment for drilling a hole includes a down-the-hole hammer formed by a cylinder and a piston reciprocating in the cylinder due to pressurized water being directed alternately to the upper and lower ends of the piston. Each downward stroke inflicts an impact blow upon an anvil portion of a drill bit extending upwardly within the lower portion of the cylinder. A drill chuck is mounted at a lower end of the cylinder to receive the drill bit. A generally cylindrical casing shoe is attached to a casing and is rotatably connected to the drill bit to be longitudinally advanced thereby during drilling operation. The drill chuck includes at least one key which defines the largest radius of the drill chuck. The casing includes a diametrically reduced portion which has at least one keyway therein. The key and the diametrically reduced portion retain the hammer longitudinally in relation to the drill bit.

Machine for ground drilling, with a circulating fluid, by the utilization of electric discharge generated by high-voltage pulses between electrodes. It may comprise: —A drill-bit 1 with electrodes movable relative to each other, so that bottom-hole physical contact be secured for all the electrodes 4 on all bottom-hole topographies. —Pointed hydraulic nozzles for jetting the fluid, to remove primary cuttings and with pressure expansion across the nozzles 7 at no less than 4 MPa. —A high-voltage pulse generator deployed down-hole at a minimum distance from the drill-bit 1. —A rotating or oscillating bit causing the borehole cross-sectional excavation to occur, and electric discharge between a plurality of electrodes situated on the bit face along one or a few radii and tangents. —A bottom hole assembly for annular hole-making with core storage, transportation, down-hole closed loop discharge fluid circulation. A discharge fluid storage may be incorporated. A drilling method is also described.

A Fixation Augmentation Device (FAD) is presented. The FAD includes a tubular body or sleeve (902) having a collar (904) disposed on a first end thereof. The sleeve is provided having an outside diameter selected such that the sleeve fits into a hole drilled in a bone. The collar at the first or proximal end of the sleeve prevents advancement of the FAD into the hole with screw insertion. Flanges (908) are provided at the distal portion of the sleeve to provide interference fixation of the FAD to the bone, thereby allowing the screw and FAD to obtain purchase where a screw alone would have failed or otherwise have inadequate fixation. The FAD is also designed to collapse as it is withdrawn from the drill hole in the event of removal of the device is desired.

The present invention provides for pulsed powered drilling apparatuses and methods. A drilling apparatus is provided comprising a bit having one or more sets of electrodes through which a pulsed voltage is passed through a mineral substrate to create a crushing or drilling action. The electrocrushing drilling process may have, but does not require, rotation of the bit. The electrocrushing drilling process is capable of excavating the hole out beyond the edges of the bit with or without the need of mechanical teeth.

A method is disclosed for offshore drilling in which a bit is driven at a far end of a drill string, drilling fluid is injected into the drill string from surface drilling facilities, and drilling fluid passes through the far end of the drill string and flushes the borehole at the bit and entrains cuttings into the drilling fluid which circulates up the casing/drill string annulus. The drilling fluid drawn off near the mudline and is treated through a subsea primary processing stage to removing the cuttings from the drilling fluid. The treated drilling fluid is then returned to the surface with a subsea return pump system and passes to surface drilling facilities for injection and recirculation.

A caliper tool used on a drilling tubular and having extensible members that remain decoupled with respect to the borehole wall during caliper measurements and while the extensible members are extended to allow movement in and through the borehole. A processor processes known and measured information to determine the size and shape of the borehole. Formation evaluation instruments may be included to allow formation evaluation substantially simultaneously with the caliper measurements.

The present specification describes a drill bit for drilling a cavity. The drill bit may include a chassis, a plurality of gauge pad sets, and at least one gauge pad structure. The chassis may be configured to rotate about an axis. The plurality of gauge pad sets may each include at least one gauge pad. The at least one gauge pad structure may moveably couple at least one of the gauge pads of at least one of the plurality of gauge pad sets with the chassis.

The invention discloses an in-hole drilling tool integrating drilling, slotting and punching a coal seam and a using method thereof. The in-hole drilling tool comprises a water supple device or an air supple device, a high-pressure sealing drill pipe, a slotting and punching valve and a drill bit. The water supply device and the air supply device are connected with the high-pressure sealing drill pipe at an orifice. The slotting and punching valve is installed between the high-pressure sealing drill pipe and the drill bit. The in-hole drilling tool is essentially used for drilling and anti-reflective outburst eliminating after drilling of soft outburst coal seam. The using method is as follows: after the drilling construction is finished, a water supplier with a pressure release valve is used for starting a high-pressure pumping station to improve the pressure and the flux for water supply; high-pressure water current at the pumping station drives the slotting and punching valve to act for closing an axial liquid passage and opening a radial liquid passage; and high-pressure jet current realizes slotting or punching through a cutting nozzle or a punching nozzle. The invention has novel design and easy operation, is safe and reliable, improves the outburst elimination efficiency and realizes the integrated operation of drilling, slotting or punching and outburst eliminating.

A method and apparatus for forming an in situ borehole liner in which a laser beam from a laser energy assembly disposed within a transparent drill head enclosure of a drill head assembly is directed into a rock formation to be drilled and a portion of the rock formation is melted, forming molten rock. The drill head assembly is directed into the molten rock forming a borehole having a borehole wall. At least one air stream from the drill head assembly is directed into the molten rock forming the molten rock against the borehole wall after which the molten rock against the borehole wall is cooled, forming a borehole liner.

A method and apparatus is provided to collect downhole data during a drilling operation via a downhole tool. A differential pressure is created by the difference between internal pressure of fluid passing through the downhole tool and the annular pressure in the wellbore. The apparatus includes a drill collar connectable to the downhole drilling, and has an opening extending into a chamber therein. A piston is positioned in the chamber and has a rod extending into the opening. The piston is movable between a closed position with the rod filling the opening, and an open position with the rod retracted into the chamber to form a cavity for receiving downhole fluid. A sensor is positioned in the rod for collecting data from fluid in the cavity. The apparatus may also be provided with a probe and/or hydraulic circuitry to facilitate the collection of data.

A prosthetic implant for the body having an associated gyroscope, accelerometer and/or magnetometer as the sensor to detect changes in position of the implant. The device incorporates a miniature gyroscope, accelerometer, and/or magnetometer as a permanent part of the prosthesis for navigational information. Alternatively, the magnetometer can be external to the implant when the implant has magnetic elements associated with it. The sensors can be microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensors placed within a drilled hole and sealed with a screw or a cap (20). The implant can be responsive to an external interrogation and powering systems. The device provides information so as to help to properly place the prosthetic implant during surgery and to assess proper functioning. The gyroscope, accelerometer, and/or magnetometer are used after implantation to provide diagnostic information in situ based upon the changed positioning or motion of the device in the prosthesis. The device can be a total joint replacement, dental implant or other type of prosthetic implant.

A screen that conforms to the borehole shape after expansion is disclosed. The screen comprises a compliant outer layer that takes the borehole shape on expansion. The outer layer is formed having holes to permit production flow. The material that is selected preferably swells with prolonged contact to well fluids to further close off annular gaps after expansion. In an alternative embodiment, the screen is not expanded and the swelling of the material alone closes off annular gaps. The outer sleeve is placed over the screen and the screen is placed on a base pipe and initially expanded from within the base pipe to secure the components of the screen assembly for running downhole, while minimizing or eliminating any welding among the layers. A variety of expansion tools can be used to expand the screen or screens downhole.

A drilling rig is provided which is adapted to selectively drill using coiled tubing and jointed-pipe. The rig includes a base, a mast, a top drive slidably mounted to said mast for performing jointed-pipe operations, and a tubing injector for performing coiled tubing operations, mounted on said mast for selective movement from a first position in which the injector is in line with the mast and a second position in which the injector is out of line with the mast to permit jointed-pipe operations by the top drive. The rig is uniquely suited to easily and quickly assemble bottom hole assemblies (BHA's), and to connect such BHA's to coiled tubing.

A drilling apparatus for well-boring having a drill bit assembly which includes a laser cutting assembly and a vacuum assembly. The vacuum assembly is adapted to intake vapors generated by the laser cutting assembly proximate the drill bit assembly during operation of the drilling apparatus. The collected vapors may then be processed by a chromatographic analyzer to determine the characteristics of the rock formation being drilled.