Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
The presell-t inverl-tion relates -to an or:ienta-table
adjustable herlt housing.
~AC~GROUND OF THE INVENTIO~
Over -the last few year~ adj-ustable bent ho-usings
have become we l 1 known in the oil industry in connection
with the use of down}lole drill.ing mo-tors. Fo~ downhole
drilling a number Qf components are u~ed in conjunc-tion
with the downhole drilling motor. These componerl-t6 are
10 a drill bi-t a bearing a~sembly a drive shaft and a
housing i~ whic}l the drive ~haft is housed. The
downhole drilling mo-tor produces an eccer~tric mo-tio~.
The bearing as~embly absoIbs -the radial and thrust
loadiny from the drill bit and drives the drill bit in a
15 CollCentric motion. The drive shaft is construe-ted with
a universal joint type of connection to convert the
eccentric mot:iorl of the drilling mo-tor into concerltric
motion required by the bearing assembly. The drive
shaft pa65e~ throuyh the housing which is secured at one
20 end to the drilling motor and at the other end to the
bearing a~sembly.
In direGtional drilliny a bend i6 placed in the
drill string in order to cause the borehole created by
25 the drilling process to deviate at an angle from the
vertical. It is desirable to get this "bend" as close
as possible to the drill bit this is accomplished by
using a bent housing. It is however inconvenierlt to
disas~emble the bearillg a6sembly drive shaf-t and
30 drilling motor in order to replace the bent housing with
a different bent housing with a bend of a differeTlt
magnitude. For this reason adju~table bent housings
were developed. The magnitude of the bend in an
35 adju~-table bent hou~ing i8 adju~table by relative
ro-tation of two ma-t.ing components. T~e curre~t ~tat'e of
-the ar-t i5 reflected in Uni-ted States Patent 4,813,497
which isswed to ~enrleth H. ~enzel. !r
't) ~;
As the art of directional drillir1g progre~es, the
prac-tice has developed of usirly an adju~table bent 8ub,
in comb:ination with another bent sub positioned above
the drilling motor. U~in~ two bent ~ub~ in this manner
allows the borehole to be drilled at an greater angle in
less time than would be pos~ible when using only one
0 bent 5Ub. A problem has arisen, however, .in ge-tting the
bends in the two bent sub~ to alig~. A separate tool
has beel1 developed which addresses this problem which i5
referred to as an orientation s~b. The U9~ of an
orientatiorl sub add~ one more component to the dxilling
15 motor assembly which is viewed as undesirable.
S~MMA~Y OF_T~ IN~R~TION
What i5 required is an orientatable adjustable bent
housing which will render the use of an orientation sub
redundant.
According to the present invention there i5
provided an orientatable adjustable bent housing which
is comprised of a tubular outer housing having a first
25 end, a second endj and an interior surface. The qecond
end of the outer hollsing has an angularly offset end
face. A tubular inner housiny is provided having a
first end, a second end and an exterior surface. The
irst end is telescopically rece;ved within the secorld
30 end of the outer housiny. A sleeve is provided having a
Eirst end, a second end, an inter.ior surface and an
exterior surface. The first end o-E the sleeve has an
angularly ofEset end face. Surface engagement means are
35 provided for noIl-rot~tably coupling the interior surface
of the sleeve with the exterior ~urface of the inner
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housirlg. The ~leeve is a~ially ~lidable alorlg the
exterior ~urface of the inrler housing betweerl a coupled
pVSi tiOIl wherein the ~leeve i5 no~ ro-tatably coupled by
the surface engagemen-t means to -the inner housirlg and an
orien-ta-table posi-tion whe~ein -the sleev~ i5 disengayed
frQm the surface engagement means thereby permitting
respec-tive rota-tioIIal posi-tionirlg of the sleeve and the
inner housirlg. Irl the coupled posi-tion the ~leeve is
further ~lidable between arl adju~table pos.itio~l wherein
the first end of the sleeve i~ spaced from the second
~end of the outer hou~iny arld an operative position. In
the operative position, the angularly offset end face a-t
the firs-t elld of the sleeve i~ brought in face to ~ace
relation with -the angularly offse-t end ~ace at the
15 s~cond end of the ou-ter housing thereby aliyning the
inner housing and the outer housing in a bent position
the maynitude of which is dependerlt upon -the relative
rotational positioning of the outer housirlg and the
inner hou~in0. The bend i5 orierrta-table by sliding the
20 sleeve to -the orientatable position. A first annular
member projects from the exterior surface at the first
end of the inner hou~ing. The firs-t annular member has
a concave radiused contact surface. A second annular
member projects from the interior surface at the secorld
25 end of the outer hou5iny. The second armular member has
a convex radiused contact surface. The convex contact
surface of the second anrlular member engages the concave
contact surface of the first annular member thereby
preventing axial separation of the inner housiny and the
30 outer housing while accommodating the bend created when
the sleeve is in the o~erative position. An overlappiny
splined engagemen-t between the e~terior surface at the
first end of the sleeve and -the interior surEace at the
35 second end of the outer housing non-rotatably couples
the inner housing with the outer housing when -the ~leeve
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.~
is in -the op~rative po~i-tlon. A locking n-u-t thr~eadedly
engages th~ exterior surface of the inner--housirlg -to
~ecure the sleeve in the opera-tiv~ posit:ion.
B EF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINBS
These and other feature~ of the inventiorl will
become more apparen-t ~rom the followiny descrip-tion in
which ref~rence is made to the appended drawings,
whereirl:
FIGUR~S la a~d lb together corlstitute a
longitudinal sectiorl view of a preferred embodiment of
the inven-tion.
FIGURE 2 is a -transverse ~ection view taken along
section lines 2-2 of FIGURE 1.
FIGUR~ 3 is a tran~verse section vi0w -taken along
section lines 3-3 of FIGURE 1.
FIGUR~ 4 is a -transvers~ section view taken alony
section lines 4-4 of FIGURE 1.
20 D~TAIL~D D~SCRIPTIO~ OF THE PR~RED ~BODIM~T
The preferred embodiment i~ an orientatable
adjustable bent housing, generally referred to by
reference numeral 10, which will now be described with
reference -to FIGUR~ 1. The primary components of
25 orientatable adju~table bent housing 10 are a tubular
outer housing 12, a tubular inner housing 14, a slee~e
16, and a locking nut 18.
Tubular outer housing 12 has a fir~t end 20, a
30 second end 22, an interior surface 24 and an exterior
surface 26. First erld 20 has a -threaded conrlection, for
connection to other tubular comporlents u~ed with a
drilling motor. Second end 22 of outer housing 12 ha~
35 an angularly offse-t end face 28, the purpose of which
will be hereinafter described.
~ 0 ~ 3
Twbular inrler housiny 14 has a f;rst end 30,
~econd end 32, and an e~terior sur~ace 3~. First end 30
of inner housing 14 i5 -tele~copically received within
~econd end 22 of outer housirlg 12. Second end 32 ha~ a
th~eaded comlection, for connectiorl to other tubular
components used with a drilling motor.
Sleeve :16 ha~ a first erld 36, a second end 38, an
interior surface 40 and an exterior surface 42. Fir~t
10 end 36 of sleeve 16 has an angularly of fset end face 44.
Sleeve 16 iB longitudinally ~lidable on exterior surface
34 of inner housing 14 as will be hereinafter described.
In the embodiment illustrated, sleeve 16 has two
co~nponents 16a and 16b. These componen-ts overlap and
16 are linked by a plurali-ty of ball bearings 46, as
illustrated in FIGUR~ 4. Interior surface 40 of sleeve
16 has a ci~cumferential groove 41 adjacent second elld
38. Locking nut 18 has an excerior surface 43 with a
circumferential g~oove 45 adjacent an end 47 opposite
2~ second end 38 of ~leeve 16. End 47 of lockiny nut 18 i~
tele~copically received by second ~nd 38 of sleeve 16.
In -this tele~copically engaged position circumferential
groove 41 is opposite circumferential groove 45 forming
a ball bearing race 49. Ball bearing~ 46 disposed in
25 the ball bearing race couple sleeve 16 and locking nut
lB. A passage 48 e~tends throuyh sleeve 16 -to permit
ball bearings 46 to be in erted. Passage 48 is closed
af-ter insertiorl of ball bearing 46 by a plug 50.
Locking nut 18 ha~ a first end 52 and a second end
54. Locking nut 18 is threadedly engageable with
exterior ~urface 34 of inner housing 14 as will be
hereinafter described. Second end 52 of locking nw-t 18
35 i~ overlapped by ~econd end 38 of sleeve 16, ~nd ~leeve
.
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16 i5 linked to locki.ng nu-t 18 by a plurality of ball
bearings 46. A5 previously de~cribed, a pa~sage 48
extend~ through sleeve 16 to permit ball bearinys 46 to
be inserted. Passage 48 is closed after inser-tiorl of
ball bearing3 46 by a plug 50.
Referring to FICUR~ 3, surface enyagemeIlt means in
th~ form of mating ~pline 56 and 58 non-rotatably couple
10 sleeve 16 with inner ho-using 14. Spline 56 depends from
interior ~urface 40 of sleeve 16 and mating spline 58 iY
on exterior sur~ace 34 of inner housing 14. When
splines 66 are engaged with splines 58, sleeve 16 is
non-rotatably coupled with inner hou~ing 14.
There i5 also a splined engagement b~tween second
end 22 of outer housing 12 and ~irst end 36 of sleeve
16. Second end 22 of outer hou~i~g 12 has a protruding
collar portion 60 which overlaps a protruding tapered
20 neck portion 62 at first end 36 of sleeve 16. Referrirlg
to FIGURE 2, on protru~ing collar ~ortion 60 int~rior
surface 24 of outer housirlg 12 has deperlding spline 64
which engage mating spline 66 on ex-terior ~urface 42 of
protruding neck portion 62 of sleeve 16.
The axia~ withdrawal of inner housing 14 from outer
housing 12 i5 prevented by annular members ~8 and ~0.
First annular member 68 is secured to exterior surface
34 at first end 30 of inner housing 14. Second annular
30 wedge 70 i5 secured to in-terior surface 24 a-t second end
22 of outer housing 12. Second annular member 70
engages first annular member 68 to preverl-t axial
movement of inner housing 14 ln relation to outer
3~ housiny 12. First annular member 68 and second annular
: member 70 have mating radiused contact surfaces 72 and
.;
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2 ~ 3
~4, respec-tively. Corltac-t surface ~2 i~ concave, while
co~tact surfa~ 74 is convex. First annular member 68
is part of an end cap 76 secured -to first end 30 of
inner housing 14. Second an}lular member ~0 .is
posi-tioned against a s~loulder 78 wh:ich protrud~s from
interior ~urface 24 at .~econd end 22 of outer housing
12.
The use and operation of orien-tatable adjustable
10 bent housirlg will now be de~cribed with reference to
FIG~RE 1. When orierltatable adjustable bent housing 10
is placed in position between the bearing assembly (not
showll) and drilling motor (not ~howrl) a drive shaft 80
extends through orien-tatable acljustable bent housing 10.
15 Sleeve 16 is axially slidable along ex-terior surface 34
of inner housing 1~ between a coupled position and an
orien-tatable posi-tion. In cthe Goupled positiorl sleeve
16 i~ non-rotatably coupled by the mating of spline 56
and 58 to inner housing 14. In the oriencatable
20 position Ypline 5~ of sle~ve 16 are disengaged from
spline 58 of inner housirl~ 14 permitting respective
rotational positioning of sleeve 16 and innQr housiny
14. In the coupled position sleeve 16 i8 further
.~lidable between an adjustable position and an operative
25 position. In the adjustable position fir~t erld 36 of
sleeve 16 is spaced from second end 22 of outer housing
12. In the adJustable position respective rotatiorlal
adjustment can taken place between inner housing 14 and
outer housing 12. In the operative posi-tion, anyularly
30 offset end face 44 at first end 36 of sleeve 16 is
brought in face -to face relation with angularly offset
end face 28 at secorld end 22 of oute~ hou~irlg 12 thereby
creating a bend the magnitude of which is dependent upon
35 the relative rotational positioning of outer housing 12
and inner housing 14,
.
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I-t will be seerl from the abuve descliptiorl o the
positions o~ ~leeve 16, -that in the adju~table position
~leeve 16 i8 nofl-rota-tably coupled to insler housing 14
so that a respective rotation of inner housing 14 in
rela-tion tu ou-te:r housirlg 12 will charlye the mating of
angularly offset esld faces 28 and 44. IE the bent
created by the ma-ting of arlgularly offse-t end faces 28
and 44 re~uires or:ientation, thi~ i8 accomplished by
moving 61eeve 16 to the orienta-table position p~rllli-ttirlg
10 re~pec-tive rotation oE sleeve 16 and inner hou~ing 14
until the bend is orientated in the desired di:rec-tion.
Sleeve 16 can then be placed in the operative position
Wi th the bend at the desired anyle and in the right
direction. Sleeve 16 is main-tained in -the operative
5 po5ition by locking nut lB which engages exterior
surface 34 of inner housirlg 14. In the operative
posi-tion, inner housing 14 i5 non-rotatably coupled via
sleeve 16 with outer housing 12~ to maintain the desired
rota-tional posi-tioniny of inner housing 14 and outer
20 housing 12. The norl-rotational coupling i~ accomplished
by a combination of mating spline 56 and 58 which non-
rotationally couple sleeve 16 to inner housin~ 14; and
mating spline 64 and 66 which non-rotationally couple
sleeve 16 to outer housing 12.
26
It takes a ~pecial form of stop mean~ to
accommodate the alteriny of the respective angular
positioning of the ou-ter hou~iny 12 and the inner
housing 14. However, with the mating annular members 68
30 and 70, whatever bent is created when slee~e 16 i5
secured in the operative po~ition can be accommodated by
the radiused contact surEaces ~2 and 74 which can mate
regardless of the angular po~ition a~sumed. Convex
3~ contact surface of secoIId amlular member enyages concave
2~2~
contact surface of first anrlulclr mer~l~er. T,~3e ac-tual
poin-t of contact varies with -the bend creatcd. The
radiu~ of the contac-t ~urfaces 72 and ~4 are prefer~bly
takerl E.rom a centerp,int po~itiorled alorlg the mating o~
anyularly off~e-t erld aces 28 and 44.
In order to effect an angular adjust~ent of
orientatable adju~table ben-t housing 10, lock:iny nut 18
must be "backed off" to perl~it sleeve 16 to be moved
axially ~long in~er hou~ing 14. The presence of ball
bearings 46 results in locking nut 18 being lin~ed with
sleeve 16 such that ~5 locking nut 18 is loosened first
end 36 of sleeve 16 is drawn away from second end 22 of
outer hou5iny 12. Once sleeve 16 ha~ been drawn back
16 approximately 3/4 of an inch spline 64 dissngage ~pline
66 permittiny relative rotation between outer housing 12
and inrler housing 14. This relative rota-tion results in
angularly offset end face 44 at first end 36 of sleeve
16 changing its position in relation to angular off~et
20 end ~ace 23 at second end ~2 c,f outer housiny 12 thereoy
alterir,g the ~a~nitude to the bend in orientatable
adjustable bent housing 10.
If it appears that it is ~ecess~ry to "orient" the
25 bend to correspond with a bent sub pcsitic,ned above -the
drilling mo-tor, this i5 accomplished by sliding sleeve
16 further along e~terior surface 34 toward secorld end
32 of inner housing 14. As sleeve 16 moves toward
second end 32 of inner housing 1~ it reaches a position
30 where it i~ no longer in the coupled positio~ as spline
56 disengage Mpline 58 permitting relative rotation o~
sleeve 16 and inner housing 14. Sleeve 1~ is then
considered to be in an "orientatable" posi-tîon,
35 permitting the bend i~ orientated in a de~ired
direction.
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The necessary adjus-tllle~lt havir~g beerl sleeve 16 i~
slid along irlner housi~lg 14 until i-t is firstly in a
coupled position, and therl upon further sl:idirlg of
sleeve 16 is placed in an operative positio~. Loc~ing
nut 18 is then tighterled unt:il sleeve 16 is tiyhtly
secured in place with first erld 35 engaged by second end
22 of ou-ter housiny 12 and second end 38 engayed by
first end 52 of locking IIUt 18.
It can be seen from arl e~amination of FIGURES 2 arld
3, that the splined engagemellt~ used have 48 tee-th which
permit adjustment in 1/8 of a degree increments. This
is a more refined adju6tment tharl is possible with marly
prior art tools. Indicia i~ placed on the exterior of
15 orienta-table adjustable herlt hou~ g 10 to serve as a
guide in making adjustments of the angle of the bend and
the orientation.
It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that
20 the mating engagement of splines 64 and 66 at the
overlapping of fir~t end 36 of sleeve 16 and second end
22 of inner housing 14 preclude~ the entry of clrilling
fluid be-tween annularly o~se-t end faces 28 and 44,
which over time can adversely effec-t the operatio~ of
~ 25 the tool.
:
It will also be app~ren-t to one Ykilled in the art
that the use of ball bearings ~6 to couple sleeve 16 and
; lockislg nut 18 resolves a problem in the art wi-th
30 respect to the use of sleeves. In the prior art the
sleeves used were diEficul-t to move due to dried
drilling fluids or corrosion. ~ften a hammer and chisel
had to be us~d to de-tach sleeve 16 from inner housing
35 1~.
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11
It wi11 fina11y be apparent to une ~ki11ed in the
art that modificatiorl~ can be made to the preferred
embodimerl-t withou-t departing ~rom t~le pirit ~nd ~cupe
of the inverl-tion.
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