Patent ID: 9234390
Filing Date: 2016-01-12
CPC Classification: E21B,F16C

Claim Text:
1. A bearing assembly for a rotary drill, the drill including a base with a shaft and a bit with a cavity, the bearing assembly comprising: a bearing disposed at least partially within the bit cavity and having a central axis and including an inner member disposeable on the shaft and an outer member disposed about the inner member, the outer member being angularly displaceable about the axis with respect to the inner member and having an outer circumferential surface and a recess extending generally radially inwardly from the outer surface; and at least one retainer member disposed at least partially within the bearing outer member recess and configured to engage with the bit so as to releasably lock the bit onto the bearing outer member to rotatably couple the bit with the shaft, wherein the at least one retainer is formed as a generally spherical ball.