Patent ID: 8695732
Filing Date: 2014-04-15
Classification: E21B

Abstract:
1. A rotary cutter mount for an earth-boring cutter, comprising: (a) a ball-bearing journal body adapted to be coupled to a cutter body, having a minimum and a maximum diameter, and a first and second opposite ends, the maximum diameter defining a cylindrical journal body which includes an exterior bearing surface adapted to be rotationally coupled to the interior surface of the cutter body so as to allow the cutter body to rotate freely with respect to the bearing journal, the minimum diameter defining a shaft portion, having sealing surfaces, and the first and second ends including mounting portions shaped to enable rotationally fixed positioning of the bearing journal in a yoke of a corresponding cutter head-plate support bracket; (b) at least two rows of annular ball-bearing races recessed in the exterior bearing surface so that said recesses extend circumferentially about the exterior bearing surface of the journal body; (c) a plurality of bearing balls; (d) a transverse longitudinal ball plug adapted to retain said bearing balls in each of said races; and (e) a clear bore being a ball loading and retaining passage extending longitudinally through said journal body, said clear bore positioned in a transverse horizontally-spaced relationship with respect to each of said rows of annular races, so that said transverse ball plug extends longitudinally through said journal body for loading and retaining said bearing balls in said races.