Ergonomic shoe interface system for core drilling

Abstract

A shoe interface system and related methods are provided, where the shoe has a threaded connection to another tubular component of an inner tube assembly used in earth core drilling systems. The shoe interface system comprises a shoe and a tool used to connect and disconnect the shoe from said other tubular component by way of applying a complementary coupling interface that contributes to, or enhances the overall coupling pattern used to create sufficient engagement between contacting surfaces of the shoe and tool, and thus enable the connection and disconnection of the shoe when the tool is in use to break or create a friction lock at the threaded connection. Each complementary coupling interface comprises one or more pairings of raised and depressed surfaces that can be aligned and fitted with one another as a means to make the operation of the tool more ergonomic for the user.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
         1 . A shoe interface system comprising:
 a) a shoe, the shoe having an annular form, with an open first end and an open second end, the ends being joined by an annular wall with an outer surface and an inner surface, at least one of said ends having a threaded connection means for connecting to and disconnecting from a tubular body of an inner tube assembly; and   b) a friction breaking tool comprising a handle connected at one end to an annular or semi-annular structure, the structure having a contacting surface that fits over, or around a portion of the outer surface of the shoe's annular wall;   wherein the portion of the outer surface of the shoe and the contacting surface of the friction breaking tool's structure each comprise one or more coupling surfaces that can be aligned with each other when said structure is fitted over or around the portion of the outer surface of said shoe to form a complementary coupling interface, thereby providing a coupling pattern to facilitate a transfer of a rotational force when the friction breaking tool is operated by a user to connect or disconnect the threaded connection means of the shoe to or from the tubular body of the inner tube assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The shoe interface system of  claim 1 , wherein the complementary coupling interface comprises one or more pairings of coupling surfaces, wherein each pairing consists of an indentation and a protrusion that fits into said indentation when aligned with each other. 
     
     
         3 . The shoe interface system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more coupling surfaces of the outer surface of the shoe are indentations and the one or more coupling surfaces of the contacting surface of the structure of the friction breaking tool are protrusions. 
     
     
         4 . The shoe interface system of  claim 3 , wherein there are one or more indentations and said indentations are positioned an equidistant or non-equidistant pattern relative to one another around the outer surface of the shoe. 
     
     
         5 . The shoe interface system of  claim 2 , wherein the indentation is a slot oriented along a longitudinal axis of the shoe between the first and second ends of the shoe, or a seat disposed orthogonally to the longitudinal axis of the shoe. 
     
     
         6 . The shoe interface system of  claim 2 , wherein the structure of the friction breaking tool has been machined to provide the protrusion or is an object inserted through the contacting surface of the structure of the friction breaking tool. 
     
     
         7 . The shoe interface system of  claim 1 , wherein the friction breaking tool is a socket tool, or a crescent head tool. 
     
     
         8 . The shoe interface system of  claim 1 , wherein the friction breaking tool is a socket tool and the handle is a breaker bar handle or a ratchet handle. 
     
     
         9 . The shoe interface system of  claim 1 , wherein the handle of the friction breaking tool is operatively associated with a pneumatic, electric drive system, or hydraulic drive system to assist with the transfer of a rotational force when the friction breaking tool is operated by a user. 
     
     
         10 . A method of forming a shoe interface for use in core drilling using an inner tube assembly, the method comprising the steps of:
 a) providing a shoe having an annular form, with an open first end and an open second end, the ends being joined by an annular wall with an outer surface and an inner surface, at least one of said ends having a threaded connection means for connecting to and disconnecting from a tubular body of an inner tube assembly; and   b) connecting a friction breaking tool to the shoe, the friction breaking tool comprising a handle connected at one end to an annular or semi-annular structure, the structure having a contacting surface that fits over, or around a portion of the outer surface of the shoe's annular wall;   wherein the portion of the outer surface of the shoe and the contacting surface of the friction breaking tool's structure each comprise one or more coupling surfaces that can be aligned with each other when said structure is fitted over or around the portion of the outer surface of said shoe to form a complementary coupling interface, thereby providing a coupling pattern to facilitate a transfer of a rotational force when the friction breaking tool is operated by a user to connect or disconnect the threaded connection means of the shoe to or from the tubular body of the inner tube assembly.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the complementary coupling interface comprises one or more pairings of coupling surfaces, wherein each pairing consists of an indentation and a protrusion that fits into said indentation when aligned with each other. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  10 , wherein the one or more coupling surfaces of the outer surface of the shoe are indentations and the one or more coupling surfaces of the contacting surface of the structure of the friction breaking tool are protrusions that can be aligned with and fit into the indentations. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein there are one or more indentations and said indentations are positioned equidistant from one another around the outer surface of the shoe. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the indentation is a slot oriented along a longitudinal axis of the shoe between the first and second ends of the shoe, or a seat disposed orthogonally to the longitudinal axis of the shoe. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the structure of the friction breaking tool has been machined to provide the protrusion, or a key inserted through the contacting surface of the structure of the friction breaking tool. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the friction breaking tool is a socket tool, or a crescent head tool. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the friction breaking tool is a socket tool and the handle is a breaker bar handle or a ratchet handle. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the handle of the friction breaking tool is operatively associated with a pneumatic, electric drive system, or hydraulic drive system to assist with the transfer of a rotational force when the friction breaking tool is operated by a user. 
     
     
         19 . A shoe for constructing a shoe interface system, the shoe having an annular form, with an open first end and an open second end, the ends being joined by an annular wall with an outer surface and an inner surface, at least one of said ends having a threaded connection means for connecting to and disconnecting from a tubular body of an inner tube assembly; and wherein the outer surface of the shoe has one or more coupling surfaces comprising indentations or protrusions which can be aligned with complementary protrusions, or indentations of a friction breaking tool to facilitate the connection and disconnection of the shoe from the tubular body of the inner tube assembly when the friction breaking tool is operated by a user. 
     
     
         20 . The shoe of  claim 19 , wherein the friction breaking tool fits over, or around a portion of the outer surface of the shoe's annular wall and is a socket or crescent head tool.