Patent ID: 6708786
Filing Date: 2004-03-23
Classification: E21B

Abstract:
A rotary cutter mount for an earth-boring cutter comprising:a bearing journal adapted to be coupled to a cutter body, the bearing journal having a rotary cutter body rotationally coupled to an exterior bearing surface thereof, a first mounting end of the bearing journal shaped to enable rotationally fixed positioning in a corresponding yoke, the yoke operatively coupled to the body of the earth-boring cutter; a ball race formed in an exterior surface of the bearing journal; and a ball loading passage formed in the bearing journal, the ball loading passage having an exit hole on the ball race, the exit hole positioned so that a rotary orientation thereof is disposed in a rotary orientation a selected angular displacement from a direction of maximum radial loading on the bearing journal, a shape of the first mounting end and a shape of the corresponding yoke adapted to enable mounting the bearing journal in a plurality of rotary orientations, each of the rotary orientations selected such that the exit hole is oriented other than in the direction of maximum radial loadings, wherein the shape of the first mounting end and the corresponding yoke are selected to provide a selected amount of angular separation between each of the plurality of rotary orientations, and wherein the selected amount of angular separation is greater than 90 degrees.