Cutter pocket design

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a drilling tool includes machining a cutter pocket into a tool body. The cutter pocket has at least a front planar surface, a back planar surface, a first side surface between the front and back planar surfaces, and a second side surface opposite the first side surface and between the front and back planar surfaces. Once machined, cutting elements are placed in the cutter pocket and then brazed in the cutter pocket.

1 .- 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A method of manufacturing a drilling tool, the method comprising:
 machining a tool body, the tool body having a cutter pocket, the cutter pocket comprising:
 a front planar surface; 
 a back planar surface opposite the front planer surface; 
 a first side surface between the front and back planar surfaces; and 
 a second side surface opposite the first side surface and between the front and back planar surfaces; 
   disposing a cutting element in the cutter pocket; and   brazing the cutting element in the cutter pocket.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 applying hard facing to the tool body.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the tool body comprises steel and the cutting element comprises tungsten carbide. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the brazing comprises:
 creating a bond between the steel of the tool body and the tungsten carbide of the cutting element.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the machining comprises:
 milling the tool body with a five-axis mill.   
     
     
         21 . A method comprising:
 machining a tool body, the tool body having a cutter pocket, the cutter pocket comprising:
 a front planar surface; 
 a back planar surface opposite the front planar surface; 
 a first side surface between the front and back planar surfaces; 
 a second side surface opposite the first side surface and between the front and back planar surfaces, wherein at least a portion of at least one of the first side surface and second side surface is substantially planar; 
 a bottom surface disposed between the front planar surface and the back planar surface, wherein at least a portion of the bottom surface is substantially planar; 
 wherein at least one of the first side surface and second side surface is substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface; 
   disposing a cutting element in the cutter pocket; and   brazing the cutting element in the cutter pocket.   
     
     
         22 . A method comprising:
 machining a tool body, the tool body having a cutter pocket, the cutter pocket comprising:
 a substantially rectangular shape formed by a front planar surface, a back planar surface opposite the front planar surface, and first and second side surfaces between the front and back planar surfaces, the cutter pocket also having a bottom surface disposed between the front planar surface and the back planar surface, wherein at least a portion of the bottom surface is substantially planar; 
 disposing a cutting element in the cutter pocket such that an axis of the cutting element being a line running perpendicular to a face of the cutting element, the axis being substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the cutter pocket; and 
 brazing the cutting element in the cutter pocket such that a bottom edge of the cutting face of the cutting element contacts the bottom surface of the cutter pocket.