A hydraulic reciprocating piston hammer percussion drill includes an elongated piston hammer having opposed reduced diameter shank portions and disposed in a cylinder for reciprocating movement in response to pressure fluid acting continuously on one transverse face of the piston hammer and in response to valving of pressure fluid alternately to an opposed piston face of the piston hammer by a tubular sleeve valve which is disposed in sleeved relationship around the piston hammer between a piston portion of the piston hammer and an impact blow receiving bit. The tubular sleeve valve is provided with ports which communicate with high pressure and fluid exhaust ports in the piston hammer to effect reciprocation of the sleeve valve and of the piston hammer to deliver repeated impact blows to the bit. The bit may be configured to have a major portion of a transverse face disposed at an acute angle with respect to a plane normal to the bit and drill axis to allow directional drilling when the bit receives impact blows without being rotated. Retractable or fixed stabilizer or guide shoe members may be mounted on the exterior of the drill cylinder to aid in centering the drill in the drillhole or allow lateral deflection of the drill to accomplish directional drilling.
A downhole well drilling apparatus includes an above-ground mast and an axially elongated generally cylindrical pneumatic hammer drill supported by the mast and mounted in an axially vertical above-ground position. An installation and removal adapter mounted on the lower end of the pneumatic hammer drill couples the hammer drill to a pipe string and maintains a movable part of the hammer drill in an operative condition at all times thereby enabling the hammer drill to operate while rotational torque and upward directed force are simultaneously applied to the operating hammer drill by the apparatus during removal of a casing from a downhole position. Hammer operation is controlled by a manually operable air supply valve.
A downhole well drilling apparatus includes an above-ground mast and an axially elongated generally cylindrical pneumatic hammer drill supported by the mast and mounted in an axially vertical above-ground position. An installation and removal adapter mounted on the lower end of the pneumatic hammer drill couples the hammer drill to a pipe string and maintains a movable part of the hammer drill in an operative condition at all times thereby enabling the hammer drill to operate while rotational torque and upward directed force are simultaneously applied to the operating hammer drill by the apparatus during removal of a casing from a downhole position. Hammer operation is controlled by a manually operable air supply valve.
A stabilizing sleeve device for an impact drill bit used in underground drilling operations. The cylindrical tubular device has arcuate keys on a bottom edge for interlocking with keyways in the shoulder of a hammer drill bit and a locking key groove in its top edge.
An accumulator comprises a housing connected to a hydraulic system, an elastomeric bladder separating a gas compartment from a fluid compartment, and an anti-extrusion device. A method for operating an accumulator comprises connecting the accumulator to a hydraulic system, injecting an inert gas into a gas compartment to a precharge pressure, moving an anti-extrusion device to prevent a bladder from extruding into the hydraulic system, running the accumulator and the hydraulic system downhole, moving the anti-extrusion device to allow fluid communication between the hydraulic system and a fluid compartment, generating pressure fluctuations within the hydraulic system, and expanding or contracting the bladder in response to the pressure fluctuations without moving the anti-extrusion device. A method of improving fluid hammer performance comprises connecting the fluid hammer to an accumulator that produces a greater delivered horsepower from the fluid hammer as compared to a baseline horsepower when operating without the accumulator.
An apparatus and method for directional drilling utilizing a fluid hammer. The fluid hammer is coupled to a bent steering member which, in turn, is coupled to a drill string. The bent steering member includes means for rotating the fluid hammer independently of the bent steering member. The means for rotating may be a mud motor or a dual drive, pipe-in-pipe mechanism. The fluid hammer may be directed by rotating the drill string and bent steering member to point the fluid hammer in a desired direction. The bent steering member may include a sonde for monitoring its orientation. Fluid pressure capable of activating the fluid hammer is conveyed to the fluid hammer by means of the drill string.
