A drilling system having retractable wings and method of using same. The system includes at least one wing, which can extend from the system once it engages in a casing and abuts against an abutment ring at the bottom end of the casing. When the system starts drilling a hole into the ground, the casing is installed down the hole. In one configuration, the at least one wing is at least partially retracted into the drilling system and locked in this position. In another configuration, the at least one wing extends from the drilling system and locks into an extended position. The system can be connected to a down-the-hole hammer, a top-hammer drilling rod, or any other suitable rock drilling tool/apparatus, and can be used with a single and a dual rotary drilling tool/apparatus.

A drilling system having retractable wings and method of using same. The system includes at least one wing, which can extend from the system once it engages in a casing and abuts against an abutment ring at the bottom end of the casing. When the system starts drilling a hole into the ground, the casing is installed down the hole. In one configuration, the at least one wing is at least partially retracted into the drilling system and locked in this position. In another configuration, the at least one wing extends from the drilling system and locks into an extended position. The system can be connected to a down-the-hole hammer, a top-hammer drilling rod, or any other suitable rock drilling tool/apparatus, and can be used with a single and a dual rotary drilling tool/apparatus.

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 assembly includes a power section with a housing that rotates in a first direction at a drill string rotation rate. An output rotates a drill bit through a transmission shaft in the first direction at a rotor rotation rate relative to the housing. A bent housing between the power section and the drill bit rotates in a second direction at a variable rotation rate relative to the power housing. The transmission shaft extends through the bent housing. A mechanical brake system adjusts the bent housing's variable rotation rate. The bent housing rotates relative to the wellbore in a rotary mode, but not in a sliding mode. The sliding mode maintains the drill bit's direction and inclination while the drill string rotates. In all modes, the drill bit's rotation rate is the sum of the drill string rate and the rotor rate relative to the power housing.

A drilling assembly includes a power section with a housing that rotates in a first direction at a drill string rotation rate. An output rotates a drill bit through a transmission shaft in the first direction at a rotor rotation rate relative to the housing. A bent housing between the power section and the drill bit rotates in a second direction at a variable rotation rate relative to the power housing. The transmission shaft extends through the bent housing. A mechanical brake system adjusts the bent housing's variable rotation rate. The bent housing rotates relative to the wellbore in a rotary mode, but not in a sliding mode. The sliding mode maintains the drill bit's direction and inclination while the drill string rotates. In all modes, the drill bit's rotation rate is the sum of the drill string rate and the rotor rate relative to the power housing.

Continuous circulation and rotation drilling system, comprising: a top drive; a mud circulation system; a drill assembly including a drill pipe; a clamp device. The continuous circulation and rotation drilling system is drivable between a first condition and a second condition. In the first condition, the drill assembly and the clamp device are mutually disconnected. In the second condition: the main body of the clamp device is in a closed configuration and the drill assembly is partly enclosed in an inner housing of the clamp device; the mud circulation system feeds drilling mud through a radial opening of a main body of the clamp device; one or more actuating groups of the clamp device are activated to rotate the drill pipe around its longitudinal axis.

This disclosure presents a downhole device and method to trigger, shift, and/or operate a downhole device of a drilling string in a wellbore. At a high level, the disclosed device causes a portion of drilling fluids to bypass the drill bit and into the annulus. The bypass may be triggered upon certain conditions related to the rotation speeds of the drill string or other conditions such as the pressure of the drilling fluids. For example, the drill string may be rotated in some protocol of operation (e.g., stop at certain rpm, and/or stop at certain other rpm) to describe a recognizable series of signals to an accelerometer and/or microprocessor that will communicate to pumps or valves to operate or pause/stop operations.

This disclosure presents a downhole device and method to trigger, shift, and/or operate a downhole device of a drilling string in a wellbore. At a high level, the disclosed device causes a portion of drilling fluids to bypass the drill bit and into the annulus. The bypass may be triggered upon certain conditions related to the rotation speeds of the drill string or other conditions such as the pressure of the drilling fluids. For example, the drill string may be rotated in some protocol of operation (e.g., stop at certain rpm, and/or stop at certain other rpm) to describe a recognizable series of signals to an accelerometer and/or microprocessor that will communicate to pumps or valves to operate or pause/stop operations.

The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for sensing wear in machines designed to reduce or break-down material. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods for sensing wear of reducing elements used by excavation machines such as surface excavation machines. The present disclosure relates to a wear sensing system including a multi-level wear sensor protection system. The multi-level wear sensor protection system includes a first level of protection, a second level of protection, and a third level of protection.

The invention relates to a drilling tool and a method for producing a bore in the ground, in which method ground material is carried away by a removal device on the underside of a main body of the drilling tool, flushing air is supplied by a feeding device into the bore, which is filled with drilling fluid, in the area of the removal device and ground material carried away by means of the flushing air is transported away through a discharge line. According to the invention, the ground material is transported to a receiving area in an upper section of the main body. A collecting hood is provided above the receiving area, which closes off the receiving area at the top, forming an air collecting space in which air collects. An outlet valve by means of which air is discharged from the air collecting space is arranged on the collecting hood.