A drilling assembly and method of drilling a wellbore is disclosed. The drilling assembly includes a steering device having a tilt device and an actuation device. A first section and a second section of the drilling assembly are coupled through the tilt device, wherein the first section is attached to a drill bit. The actuation device includes an electromechanical actuator and causes a tilt of the tilt device to cause the first section attached to the drill bit and the drill bit to tilt relative to the second section. The wellbore is drilled using the drill bit. The electromechanical actuator is actuated to tilt the tilt device to cause the first section attached to the drill bit and the drill bit to tilt relative to the second section and to maintain the tilt geostationary while the drilling assembly is rotating to form a deviated section of the wellbore.

A steering collar for deflecting a drill string in a borehole to cause the borehole to be drilled in a different direction. The steering collar surrounds a hollow drive shaft which is driven by the drill string. During normal drilling operations, the steering collar does not rotate with the drive shaft. The steering collar has three sets of pistons operated by the pressure of the drilling fluid, one set of which is pressure relieved. Drill fluid that is pumped down the drill string flows into the hollow drive shaft and through ports to activate the pistons which thereby force corresponding pads outwardly into contact with the sidewall of the borehole. Since the one set of pistons is pressure relieved, it does not force its pad against the borehole sidewall with as much pressure as the other two sets of pistons force their pads against the sidewall of the borehole. Accordingly, the steering collar is deflected laterally in the borehole so that the drill bit is also steered laterally to cause drilling in a different direction. In order to reorient the steering collar in the borehole, the steering collar can be locked to the drive shaft so that when the drill string is rotated, the steering collar is also rotated so that it is moved to a new angular position in the borehole.

A drilling machine gearbox includes a hollow outer rod drive shaft and an inner rod drive shaft. A break out mechanism is configured to clamp an outer rod of a drill string. A controller communicates via an outer rod drive signal to control rotation of the outer rod drive shaft, communicates via an inner rod drive signal to control rotation of the inner rod drive shaft, and communicates with the gearbox via a gearbox movement signal to control movement of the gearbox along a rack. The controller is operable to apply an oscillating torque of 150 ft-lbs or less to the inner rod drive shaft when the break out mechanism is clamped on the outer rod, and when (1) the outer rod drive signal is signaling rotation of the outer rod drive shaft, or (2) the gearbox movement signal is signaling the gearbox to move along the rack.

An industrial machine including an actuator, a gear reducer, a cutter drum, a cutter bit, a sensor, and a controller. The gear reducer is configured to receive a first rotational energy from the actuator and output a second rotational energy. The cutter drum is supported by a chassis. The cutter drum is driven by the second rotational energy. The cutter bit is coupled to the cutter drum. The sensor is configured to sense a characteristic of the industrial machine. The controller, having a processor and memory, is configured to receive the characteristic of the industrial machine, determine a cutting efficiency based on the characteristic of the industrial machine, and output the cutting efficiency.

An industrial machine including an actuator, a gear reducer, a cutter drum, a cutter bit, a sensor, and a controller. The gear reducer is configured to receive a first rotational energy from the actuator and output a second rotational energy. The cutter drum is supported by a chassis. The cutter drum is driven by the second rotational energy. The cutter bit is coupled to the cutter drum. The sensor is configured to sense a characteristic of the industrial machine. The controller, having a processor and memory, is configured to receive the characteristic of the industrial machine, determine a cutting efficiency based on the characteristic of the industrial machine, and output the cutting efficiency.

An apparatus including a rotating segment having a first radial surface, a non-rotating segment having a second radial surface, a housing disposed around the first and second radial surfaces, and one or more rolling elements disposed between and in contact with the first and second radial surfaces for transferring the non-rotating segment in an axial direction upon rotation of the rotating segment. The non-rotating element may be a second rotating element that rotates at a different rotational rate than the rotating element. Each rolling element moves 360 degrees along a circular path relative to the first radial surface and the second radial surface. The first or second radial surface has a tapered section. A downhole apparatus includes a power mandrel having a first end connected to a power section member and a second end having a rotating cam surface; a rotating element engaging the rotating cam surface; an anvil sub attached to a workstring, with the anvil sub having a stationary cam surface configured to engage with the rotating cam surface. Rotation of the rotating cam surface moves the anvil sub and the workstring axially within the wellbore.

A progressive cavity device including an articulated coupling for converting the complex motion of a rotor into simple rotation. The coupling may include two shafts coupled to one another by joint assemblies connected to opposite ends of an intermediate shaft. The joint assemblies may include interleaved male and female spline portions and an elastomer filling the spaces between the male and female splines. The elastomer may deflect under load to allow the male and female splines to move relative to each other to allow the assembly to react to shaft misalignments. To limit elastomer bulging from the ends of the joint in response to shaft movement, the bulge area may be capped so that the elastomer cannot bulge outward and become extremely stiff.

A steerable earth boring assembly which includes an annular collar and a drive shaft with a drill bit, where the shaft pivots with respect to the collar. An upper portion of the shaft inserts into an orientation sleeve which resides in the collar. An axial bore is obliquely formed through the orientation sleeve, and in which the upper portion inserts. An angular offset between the drive shaft and collar is changed by adjusting azimuthal positions of the orientation sleeve with respect to the collar. A brake assembly is included for applying a restraining force onto the orientation sleeve.

Embodiments of the invention relate to bearing apparatuses in which one bearing surface of the bearing apparatus includes diamond, while another bearing surface includes a non-diamond superhard material (e.g., silicon carbide). For example, a bearing apparatus may include a bearing stator assembly and a bearing rotor assembly. The bearing stator assembly and bearing rotor assembly each include a support ring and one or more superhard bearing elements generally opposed to one another. The bearing surface(s) of the rotor or stator may include diamond, while the bearing surface(s) of the other of the rotor or stator do not include diamond. Another bearing apparatus may include both thrust- and radial bearing components. The generally opposed thrust-bearing elements may include diamond, while the generally opposed radial bearing elements may not include diamond, but include a non-diamond superhard material, such as silicon carbide.

A backhead assembly system for a Down The Hole (DTH) hammer operated by a supply of compressed fluid, that comprises mainly a backhead, said backhead having a central hole capable of transporting the pressurized air to the hammer and an inner cylinder, coaxially disposed and coupled with releasable holding mediums to the backhead, were said backhead has an interior frontal cavity and said releasable holding mediums are in the mentioned frontal cavity. The hammer also comprises a wear sleeve, coaxially disposed to the backhead and inner cylinder, in which the backhead is coupled to the rear side of the wear sleeve. In both embodiments of the present invention, the inner sleeve has a rear section of less diameter and a front side of larger diameter; both sections joined through a portion of generally increasing diameter.