Dual Angle Wedge Retention System

Abstract

At least one labyrinth seal assembly is disposed within a roller cutter of a roller reamer. A first labyrinth seal assembly of a roller cutter is positioned toward a first pillow block of a cutter cartridge that includes the roller cutter. A bearing shaft of the cutter cartridge extends through an inner channel of the roller cutter. The cutter cartridge is retained in an axial recess of a tool body of the roller reamer via a compound and separate wedging of each of the two pillow blocks into a same axial recess by means of a shaped wedge particularly specialized to improve secure coupling of the assembly and reduce rattling of components. Each pillow block is rotatably coupled to the bearing shaft at an opposing end of the roller cutter.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A roller reamer coupled with a downhole tool body (“tool”) within a first axial recess of the tool, the roller reamer comprising:
 a retention assembly comprising a first roller cutter, a first pillow block and a first wedge, wherein the first roller cutter is rotatably coupled with the first pillow block; 
 the roller reamer having a central point that is located at a center of mass of the first roller cutter; 
 the first pillow block positioned within the first axial recess and having a block top side and a planar block internal side, wherein the block top side is positioned distal from a central axis of the tool, and the planar block internal side is positioned proximate to the first wedge; 
 the planar block internal side shaped to taper in two directions, such that the planar block internal side tapers toward the first block top side of the first pillow block as the first block planar internal side extends away from the central Z axis of the tool body, and the first planar internal side further tapers towards the center of mass of the first roller cutter; 
 the first wedge having a wedge planar internal side positioned proximate to the planar block internal side, wherein the wedge planar internal side tapers toward the central axis of the tool, and the first wedge planar internal side further tapers away from the center point CP of the central point. 
 
     
     
         2 . The roller reamer of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a threaded detachable attachment bolt, the bolt configured to extend through a wedge channel and to engage with a tool tapped receiver of the first axial recess;   the tool tapped receiver extending within the tool and away from the retention assembly.   
     
     
         3 . The roller reamer of  claim 1 , the first wedge further forming an empty volume positioned between the wedge channel and the tool tapped receiver, whereby the threaded detachable attachment bolt extends fully through the empty volume when the threaded detachable attachment bolt engages with the tool tapped receiver. 
     
     
         4 . The roller reamer of  claim 1 , the retention assembly further comprising:
 a second pillow block and a second wedge, wherein the first roller cutter is rotatably coupled with the second pillow block distal from the first pillow block;   the second pillow block positioned within the first axial recess and having a second block top side and a second planar block internal side, wherein the second block top side is positioned distal from the central axis of the tool, and the second planar block internal side is positioned proximate to the second wedge;   the second planar block internal side shaped to taper in two directions, such that the second planar block internal side tapers toward the second block top side of the second pillow block as the second block planar internal side extends away from the central axis of the tool body, and the second planar internal side further tapers towards the center of mass of the first roller cutter; and   the second wedge having a second wedge planar internal side positioned proximate to the second planar block internal side, wherein the second wedge planar internal side tapers toward the central axis of the tool, and the second wedge planar internal side further tapers away from the center point CP of the central point.   
     
     
         5 . The roller reamer of  claim 1 , further comprising a second retention assembly coupled with a second axial recess of the tool. 
     
     
         6 . The roller reamer of  claim 5 , further comprising a third retention assembly coupled with a third axial recess of the tool. 
     
     
         7 . The roller reamer of  claim 4 , further comprising a second retention assembly coupled with a second axial recess of the tool. 
     
     
         8 . The roller reamer of  claim 7 , further comprising a third retention assembly coupled with a third axial recess of the tool. 
     
     
         9 . The roller reamer of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a second threaded detachable attachment bolt, the second threaded detachable attachment bolt configured to extend through a second wedge channel of the second wedge and to engage with a second tool tapped receiver of the first axial recess;   the second tool tapped receiver extending within the tool and away from the retention assembly.   
     
     
         10 . The roller reamer of  claim 9 , the second wedge further forming a second empty volume positioned between the second wedge channel and the second tool tapped receiver, whereby the second threaded detachable attachment bolt extends fully through the second empty volume and the second threaded detachable attachment bolt engages with the second tool tapped receiver. 
     
     
         11 . The retention assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first pillow block comprises at least one cutter insert positioned within and extending from the pillow block and away from the tool. 
     
     
         12 . The retention assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the first pillow block comprises a plurality of cutter inserts positioned within and extending from the first pillow block and away from the tool. 
     
     
         13 . A retention assembly of a roller reamer, the roller reamer comprising at least a first roller rotatably coupled with a roller reamer body, the retention assembly comprising:
 a pillow block, the pillow block fitting into a recess of the roller reamer and presenting a bottom side, a top side and a planar tapered face extending between the bottom side and the top side, the planar tapered face tapered along each of two orthogonal axes, whereby the pillow block has a maximum surface area at the bottom side; and   a dual tapered wedge, the dual tapered wedge fitting into the recess of the roller reamer contemporaneously with the pillow block, wherein the dual tapered wedge presents a wedge planar internal side for placement against the pillow block planar tapered surface, and the wedge planar internal side is tapered along the two orthogonal axes; and   the dual tapered wedge having a maximum surface area at an upper side, wherein when the retention assembly is coupled with the roller reamer body the upper side is positioned proximate to the pillow block top side and distal from the pillow block bottom side.   
     
     
         14 . The retention assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the pillow block comprises at least one cutter insert positioned within and extending from the pillow block top side. 
     
     
         15 . The retention assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the dual tapered wedge further comprises:
 a lower side displaced from the upper side along a Z-axis, an outward side, and a wedge planar internal side;   the wedge planar internal side having a first edge pair and a second edge pair;   the first edge pair comprising an upper edge and an opposing lower edge, the lower edge and the upper edge displaced along the Z-axis and the upper edge positioned proximate to the upper side;   the second edge pair comprising an outer edge and an opposing inner edge, the outer edge and the inner edge displaced along an X-axis, wherein the X-axis is orthogonal to the Z-axis;   the wedge planar internal side and the outward side are displaced along a Y-axis by a varying thickness, wherein the Z-axis, the X-axis and the Y-axis are each mutually orthogonal and the wedge planar internal side is tapered in relation to the outward side along both the X-axis and the Y-axis to reduce the displacement between the wedge planar internal side the outward side, and the upper side has a greater surface area than the lower side.   
     
     
         16 . The retention assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the dual tapered wedge lower side is substantively planar. 
     
     
         17 . The retention assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the dual tapered wedge upper side is substantively planar. 
     
     
         18 . The retention assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the dual tapered wedge lower side is substantively planar and parallel to the dual tapered wedge upper side. 
     
     
         19 . The retention assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the dual tapered wedge further comprises a bolt through-hole extending fully through the wedge from the upper side and through the lower side. 
     
     
         20 . The roller reamer of  claim 1 , the dual tapered wedge further forming an empty volume positioned between the through-hole and a tool tapped receiver, whereby a threaded detachable attachment bolt extends fully through the empty volume when the threaded detachable attachment bolt engages with the tool tapped receiver.