Method of manufacturing and repairing fixed-cutter drag-type rotary tools with cutting control structures

Abstract

A rotary tool for drilling subterranean material is disclosed. The rotary tool includes a tool body having a distal crown end comprising a circumferential series of raised cutting blades with recessed junk slots therebetween. Cutting elements are located proximate a leading peripheral edge of the raised cutting blades and cutting control structures are located interiorly of the cutting elements at a leading surface of an adjacent junk slot. Cutting control structures are releasably secured to the tool body in the adjacent junk slot whereby a used rotary tool is refurbishable by removing worn cutting control structures without degradation to the tool body and replacing the worn cutting control structures by installing new cutting control structures in the worn cutting control structures' locations.

1 . A rotary tool for drilling subterranean material comprising:
 a tool body having a distal crown end comprising a circumferential series of raised cutting blades with recessed junk slots therebetween;   cutting elements located proximate a leading peripheral edge of one of said raised cutting blades and cutting control structures located interiorly of said cutting elements at a leading surface of an adjacent junk slot; and   said cutting control structures being releasably secured to said tool body in said adjacent junk slot whereby a used rotary tool is refurbishable by removing worn cutting control structures without degradation to said tool body and replacing said worn cutting control structures by installing new cutting control structures in said worn cutting control structures' locations.   
   
   
       2 . The rotary tool as recited in  claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal axis of at least one of said cutting control structures is substantially aligned with a central axis of a cutting face of one of said cutting elements. 
   
   
       3 . The rotary tool as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a carrier having an exposed end on which said cutting control structures are mounted and an anchoring end comprising a releasable anchorage releasably secured to said tool body.   
   
   
       4 . The rotary tool as recited in  claim 3 , wherein said releasable anchorage is at least partially concealed within said tool body. 
   
   
       5 . The rotary tool as recited in  claim 4 , wherein at least a portion of said releasable anchorage extends into an adjacent junk slot on an opposite side of said raised cutting blade. 
   
   
       6 . The rotary tool as recited in  claim 4 , wherein at least a portion of said releasable anchorage is substantially cylindrically shaped and threaded about an exterior surface thereof. 
   
   
       7 . The rotary tool as recited in  claim 3 , wherein said cutting control structures are spaced apart on said carrier at a distance substantially equal to a spacing distance between said cutting elements on said raised cutting blade. 
   
   
       8 . The rotary tool as recited in  claim 7 , wherein at least one of said cutting control structures is located adjacent to one of said cutting elements on said raised cutting blade. 
   
   
       9 . The rotary tool as recited in  claim 7 , wherein at least one of said cutting control structures is positioned relative to at least one of said cutting elements so that said at least one of said cutting control structures lies in a flow path of cuttings generated by at least one operating cutting element. 
   
   
       10 . The rotary tool as recited in  claim 7 , wherein two cutting control structures are fixed to said carrier at a top surface of said exposed end thereof. 
   
   
       11 . The rotary tool as recited in  claim 7 , wherein three cutting control structures are fixed to said carrier at a top surface of said exposed end thereof. 
   
   
       12 . The rotary tool as recited in  claim 3 , wherein said exposed end of said carrier comprises an upper surface upon which the plurality of cutting control structures are mounted, said upper surface being flush-oriented with the leading surface of the adjacent junk slot. 
   
   
       13 . The rotary tool as recited in  claim 3 , wherein said exposed end of said carrier comprises an upper surface upon which said cutting control structures are mounted, said upper surface being elevated above the leading surface of said adjacent junk slot. 
   
   
       14 . The rotary tool as recited in  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of at least one of said cutting control structures projects over a cutting face of an adjacent cutting element. 
   
   
       15 . A method for manufacturing a rotary tool for drilling subterranean material comprising:
 providing a tool body having a distal crown end comprising a circumferential series of raised cutting blades with recessed junk slots therebetween;   affixing a plurality of cutting elements proximate a leading peripheral edge of one of said raised cutting blades;   providing a retention recess into said tool body and located interiorly of said cutting elements at a leading surface of an adjacent junk slot;   installing a carrier with a plurality of cutting control structures in said retention recess; and   releasably securing said carrier within said retention recess.   
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein releasably securing said carrier comprises welding said carrier into said retention recess. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein releasably securing said carrier comprises brazing said carrier into said retention recess. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein providing a retention recess into said tool body further comprises forming a cylindrical passage into said tool body at the leading surface of said adjacent junk slot. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein releasably securing said carrier within said retention recess comprises press-fitting a releasable anchorage of said carrier into said cylindrical passage. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein releasably securing said carrier within said retention recess comprises shrink-fitting a releasable anchorage of said carrier into said cylindrical passage. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising forming threads in said cylindrical passage. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein releasably securing said carrier within said retention recess comprises screwing a releasable anchorage of said carrier into said cylindrical passage. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein releasably securing said carrier within said retention recess comprises passing a releasable anchorage of said carrier through said cylindrical passage and securing a distal end of said releasable anchorage at a rear surface of said raised cutting blade. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said plurality of cutting control structures are formed from at least one of the group comprising polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC), thermally stable polycrystalline diamond (TSP), cubic boron nitride (CBN), polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN), carbide and ceramics. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said plurality of cutting control structures are formed from at least one of the group comprising copper, aluminum and plastic. 
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said plurality of cutting control structures have a shape chosen from one of the following shapes: semi-cylindrical shaped, conical, elliptical, substantially rectangular, polygonal and diamond shapes. 
   
   
       27 . A method for manufacturing a rotary tool for drilling subterranean material comprising:
 providing a tool body having a distal crown end comprising a circumferential series of raised cutting blades with recessed junk slots therebetween;   affixing a plurality of cutting elements proximate a leading peripheral edge of one of said raised cutting blades;   providing a retention recess into said tool body and located interiorly of said cutting elements at a leading surface of an adjacent junk slot; and   releasably securing a cutting control structure within said retention recess.   
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein releasably securing said cutting control structure within said retention recess comprises one of welding, brazing, press fitting and shrink fitting said cutting control structure within said retention recess. 
   
   
       29 . A method of refurbishing a rotary tool for drilling subterranean material comprising:
 obtaining a rotary tool that has been used to drill subterranean material, said rotary tool comprising a tool body having a distal crown end comprising a circumferential series of raised cutting blades with recessed junk slots therebetween, a plurality of cutting elements affixed proximate a leading peripheral edge of one of said raised cutting blades and a plurality of cutting control structures releasably secured interiorly of said cutting elements at a leading surface of an adjacent junk slot;   removing at least one of said plurality of cutting control structures; and   replacing said at least one cutting control structure with a new cutting control structure and thereby refurbishing said rotary tool.   
   
   
       30 . A method of drilling subterranean material with a rotary tool, comprising:
 rotating a rotary tool into subterranean material, said rotary tool comprising a tool body having a distal crown end comprising a circumferential series of raised cutting blades with recessed junk slots therebetween, a plurality of cutting elements affixed proximate a leading peripheral edge of one of said raised cutting blades and a plurality of cutting control structures releasably secured interiorly of said cutting elements at a leading surface of an adjacent junk slot;   engaging the formation with said plurality of cutting elements to generate a plurality of formation cuttings; and   modifying an attribute of at least one of said plurality of formation cuttings generated by at least one of said plurality of cutting elements engaging said formation with at least one of said plurality of cutting control structures.   
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein modifying said attribute of said at least one of said plurality of formation cuttings comprises modifying the size of said at least one of said plurality of formation cuttings. 
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein modifying said attribute of said at least one of said plurality of formation cuttings comprises modifying the shape of said at least one of said plurality of formation cuttings. 
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein modifying said attribute of said at least one of said plurality of formation cuttings comprises modifying a directional path of said at least one of said plurality of formation cuttings.