Abstract:
A traction control device and the method of making the same wherein the device has contact surfaces, typically formed from polycrystalline diamond compacts inserted into a base, and where the inserts, and in some embodiments the base, are machined or cut to induce profiles for enhanced gripping and improved wear characteristics.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates to traction, anchoring and securing devices used for gripping surfaces. More specifically, this invention relates to traction and anchoring devices that have diamond traction surfaces and the methods of making such devices. 
   2. Description of Related Art 
   A variety of gripping devices are well known in the art. Generally, these devices make use of rubber, steel and other similar materials, and do not make use of diamond/carbide inserts, as traction surfaces and therefore do not have the heat and wear resistance provided by diamond/carbide traction surfaces. 
   Although, these referenced documents may not necessarily constitute prior art, the reader is referred to the following U.S. patent documents for general background material. Each of these patents is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for the material contained therein. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 3,981,308 describes a positive-locking surgical clamp. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,304,971 describes a telephone locking device. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,327,703 describes a method of preparing the upper end of a concrete column containing elongated reinforcing elements. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,763 describes a method of breaking an optical fiber. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,545,723 describes an apparatus for adapting a general purpose and effector device to a special purpose end effector that includes an adaptor bracket assembly. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,262 describes a pressurized medium actuated gripping device which is included in a rock or earth drilling machine. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,456 describes an elongate metal cross-member that is connect to an extends transversely across a vehicle frame. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,926 describes a programmable wire stripper provided for cutting and stripping selectively variable length insulation portions from the end of wire segments presented at a workstation. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,450 describes a locking tool that comprises three or more pieces. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,176 describes a rotatable chuck for supporting a plastic coated workpiece in a power driven threading machine. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,378 describes a mobile intervention chamber for providing access to an installation placed in an active cell. 
   U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,449,262 and 5,634,760 describe inserter/extractor apparatus for inserting and extracting objects from bins located at different heights in a carousel. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,615,588 describes an apparatus for processing edges of ophthalmic lenses with a gripping device for the ophthalmic lens. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,862 describes a semi-automatic suturing device that passes a single or double pointed needle back and forth between two needle holders. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,513 describes a mounting bracket for a workpiece holder that includes a pair of plates which can be coupled together so as to define two openings at their coupled surfaces. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,583 describes a pliers-knife combination that includes pivotally connected elongated members. 
   U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,048,013, US 6,176,533 B1 and US 6,227,586 B1 describe modular gripper assemblies having a body with a yoke structure. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,224 describes a power tong for rotating tubular members for make-up and break-out operations. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,199,728 B1 describes a clamp-type garment hanger defined by a pair of opposed jaw members between which a garment is hung. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,221,083 B1 describes a suture needle holder. 
   U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,256,841 B1 and US 6,357,085 B2 describe a tension member termination device optimized for terminating flat tension members having compressible outer coatings. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,408 B1 describes a mounting bracket for a workpiece holder that includes a pair of plates which can be coupled together so as to define two openings at their coupled surfaces. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,410 B1 describes a jaw for a rod gripping device that includes a front, rod engaging face and a plurality or teeth or studs made of a material harder than the jaw body, such as tungsten carbide. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,425,616 B2 describes a parts gripper assembly. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,291 B2 describes an orthodontic jig for attaching orthodontic brackets on the teeth. 
   SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
   It is desirable to provide a traction control device for making such a traction control device that is specifically designed for use on hard surfaces where heat, weight, friction, corrosion, abrasion and other challenging conditions make diamond and carbide more effective and longer lasting. It is particularly desirable to provide a method for making such traction control devices. 
   Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a traction control device having one or more diamond/carbide studs for the traction contact surface. 
   Another object of this invention is to provide a traction control device where the diamond/carbide studs are mounted into a fixture. 
   A further object of this invention is to provide a traction control device where the traction contact surfaces are provided at one or more angles to the surface being anchored or gripped. 
   A still further object of this invention is to provide a traction control device where the angles of the traction control surfaces are optimized for the material being anchored to or gripped. 
   It is another object of this invention to provide a traction control device which in some embodiments have traction ridges. 
   It is a further object of some embodiments of this invention to provide a traction control device having serrated facets. 
   It is a further object of some embodiments of this invention to provide a traction control device having sharpened points. 
   It is a further object of some embodiments of this invention to provide a traction control device having a textured surface. 
   It is a still further object of some embodiments of this invention to provide a traction control device appropriate for use in down-hole drilling. 
   It is an object of some embodiments of this invention to provide a traction control device appropriate for use with remote vehicles and robotic applications. 
   It is a still further object of some embodiments of this invention to provide a method of manufacturing traction control devices having diamond/carbide traction surfaces. 
   Additional objects, advantages and other novel features of this invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned with the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of this invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description wherein there is shown and described several present preferred embodiments of the invention, simply by way of illustration of one of the modes best suited to carry out this invention. As it will be realized, this invention is capable of other embodiments, in its several details and several specific geometries and method steps and are capable of modification in various aspects without departing from the concept of this invention. Accordingly, these objects, the drawings and descriptions should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification, illustrate present preferred embodiments of the invention. Some, although not all, alternative embodiments are described in the following drawings and description. 
     In the drawings: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first traction control device of this invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an exemplary traction control device of this invention during the cutting operation. 
       FIG. 3   a  is a side section view of the exemplary traction control device of this invention. 
       FIG. 3   b  is a perspective view of the exemplary traction control device showing the cut traction surfaces. 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a second cutting step of the manufacture of the exemplary traction control device of this invention. 
       FIGS. 5   a ,  5   b  and  5   c  are perspective views of a various exemplary embodiments of the traction control device of this invention as part of completed assemblies. 
       FIGS. 6   a - 6   r  are side section and perspective view of geometric details of various exemplary embodiments of the traction control surfaces of this invention. 
       FIG. 7  is a process flow chart of the present preferred manufacturing steps of the manufacture of the traction control devices of this invention. Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiment of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   This invention is traction or anchoring device enhanced by diamond/carbide inserts providing the traction surface and the method for making such traction or anchoring devices. Generally, diamond/carbide traction surfaced traction devices are used on hard surfaces where heat, weight, friction, corrosion, abrasion and other strain and stress conditions make the use of diamond/carbide inserts more effective and longer lasting compared to other traction surface materials or devices. Therefore, the traction devices of this invention have a wide variety of applications, including but not necessarily limited to, down-hole traction control for gripping the sides of the hole and moving an extraction device down the hole where they can attach to a bit or other broken part and for pulling the part out of the hole; gripping jaws for lifting steel pipe and the like; and robot or remote controlled vehicle gripping devices. 
     FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a first traction control device  100  of this invention. This device  100  has a cut contact surface  102  mounted on a base  101 . The base  101  is metal, typically steel, carbide or other similarly hard metal. Generally, the base  101  is provided with pockets or other locations where the contact surfaces  102  (inserts) can be fixed. Typically, the fixation of the contact surface  102  is accomplished by brazing, shrink fit, press fit, threading and/or adhesive or the like. The contact surface  102  is typically composed of diamond, generally polycrystalline diamond, although in alternative embodiments the contact surface  102  may be composed of carbide, thermally stable diamond, cubic boron nitride, wurzite, combinations thereof and other like superhard materials. The contact surface  102  is presently cut using a wire Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) process to cut the insert from a Polycrystalline Diamond Compact (PDC) blank or carbide mass. Alternative cutting techniques, although not presently preferred, such as plunge EDM, electrical discharge grinding (EDG), grinding, laser cutting and the like can be substituted without departing from the concept of this invention. Alternatively, the contact surface could be formed integral to the PDC blank by use of molds during the manufacturing process similar to methods described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,373 of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of an exemplary traction control device  200  of this invention during the cutting operation. The contact surface of the control device  200  is cut using a rotation cutting process, where after each, typically wire EDM, cut  201  is made the part  200  is rotated exposing a new section of the device for cutting. The amount of rotation can be from a very small angle, less than one degree to a large angle such as 90 to 180 degrees. The cuts may produce profiles of varying cut depth and angle, as shown in subsequent figures, in order to optimize the angles of the facets of the contact surface for the material type being anchored to or gripped. Typically, although not necessarily, the cuts are designed to produce points that are normal, or at optimized angles, to the surface being anchored or gripped. 
     FIG. 3   a  shows a side section view of an exemplary traction control device  300  of this invention. This device  300  has angles that match the wall of the hole (as in a down-hole application) producing contact surface points  301  defining a segment of a circle. In this manner this device  300  provides contact surface points  301  where the specific angle of each contact surface point  301  is optimized to cause an even amount of force on each contact surface point  301  with a given penetration. 
     FIG. 3   b  shows a perspective view of the exemplary traction control device  304  showing the cut traction surfaces  303 . The base  302  has a series of cut contact surfaces  303  on its top surface. In this embodiment, the contact surfaces  303  are cut in multiple directions as shown. 
     FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of a second cutting step of the manufacture of the exemplary traction control device  400  of this invention. This device has a different cut made at a 90 degree angle to a first cut to thereby produce contact surfaces  401  having a generally diagonal pyramid shape. 
     FIGS. 5   a ,  5   b  and  5   c  shows perspective views of a various exemplary embodiments of the traction control device of this invention as part of completed assemblies.  FIG. 5   a  shows a number of pyramid shaped contact surfaces  502  fixed to the side  501  of a cylinder base  500 , which is provided with a center opening  503 .  FIG. 5   b  shows a number of wedge shaped contact surfaces  506  fixed to the side  505  of a cylinder base  504 , also having a center opening  507 .  FIG. 5   c  shows a number of diamond pyramid shaped contact surfaces  510  on the side  509  of a cylinder base  508 , having a center opening  511 . 
     FIGS. 6   a - 6   r  shows side section and perspective view of geometric details of various exemplary embodiments of the traction control surfaces of this invention, for the purpose of showing some of the wide variety of contact surfaces that can be employed in as the diamond/carbide gripping surface in various embodiments of this invention.  FIG. 6   a  shows a contact surface  601  having a number of contact points  602  separated by recesses  603  having various different angles  603   a ,  603   b ,  603   c .  FIG. 6   b  shows a contact surface  604  with contact surfaces  605  separated by recesses  606  which have essentially the same angle  606   a .  FIG. 6   c  shows a contact surface  607  with a combination of ridges  608  and peaks  609 .  FIG. 6   d  shows a side section view of the contact surface  607  with a combination of ridges  608  and peaks  609 .  FIG. 6   e  shows a contact surface  610  that has a rectangular solid portion  611 , a pyramidal portion  611   a  and a top first contact surface  612 . This particular embodiment  610  of the contact surface has a flat top first contact surface  612 . In alternative embodiments, it is envisioned that the flat top first contact surface  612  can be replaced with a serrated or other three dimensional top first contact surface, without departing from the concept of this invention.  FIG. 6   g  shows a side section view of a radiused contact surface ridge  613  having multiple first contact points  614 .  FIG. 6   h  shows a three-dimensional view of the contact surface  613  showing that the contact surface  613  is radiused in a first  613   a  and a second  613   b  direction.  FIG. 6   i  shows a side section view of a contact surface  615  made of a number of separate contact elements  617  mounted to a base or substrate  616 .  FIG. 6   j  shows a similar contact surface  618 , where the initial contact surfaces  619  are defined by cuts  620  from a single piece.  FIG. 6   k  is a nested contact surface  621  having a first section  622   a  with contact points  622  and a second section  623   a  with contact points  623   b  separated by a top surface gap  623   c . The first  622   a  and second  623   b  sections are separated by gaps  623 . In this embodiment  621  the two sections  622   a ,  623   b  are made as two separate parts and then joined by fixing them together.  FIG. 61  shows a side section view of a contact surface  624  that has a generally curved top  624   a  and a serrated first contact surface  625  on the generally curved top  624   a .  FIG. 6   m  shows a side section view of a contact surface  626  that has multiple facets  628   a - d  and providing a first contact point  627 .  FIG. 6   n  shows a perspective view of the multiple faceted contact surface  626 .  FIG. 6   o  shows a perspective view of an alternative multiple faceted  629 ,  631 ,  632  contact surface  630  having a pyramidal top first contact surface  632 .  FIG. 6   p  shows a side section view of a contact surface  633  with a serrated first contact surface  634 .  FIG. 6   q  shows a cylindrical contact surface  635  with a conical top first contact surface  636 .  FIG. 6   r  shows a side section view of an alternative cylindrical contact surface  637  with a conical top first contact surface  638  with a rounded tip  639 . 
     FIG. 7  shows a process flow chart of the present preferred manufacturing steps of the manufacture of the traction control devices of this invention. A base is formed  701 , typically out of a hard metal such as steel, carbide or the like, generally with pockets or other similar locations for receiving contact surface inserts. The insert is cut  702  to provide the desired contact surface shape. Typically and presently preferably this cut  702  is made using a wire EDM process. Also, the present insert is composed of diamond, carbide or the combination of diamond and carbide formed as a PDC type insert, with a tungsten-carbide substrate and a polycrystalline diamond top contact surface. In alternative embodiments, the contact surface can be made from diamond or carbide alone. Alternatively materials such as cubic boron nitride, thermally stable diamond, wurzite and other superhard materials may also form a contact surface. The insert(s) are fit  703  into the base. The present embodiment fits  703  the inserts forming the contact surface into the base using such methods as brazing, shrink fitting, press fitting, adhesively gluing, clamping, screwing, bolting, pining or other standard mechanical fitting methods. A profile is machined  704  into the base and/or contact surface appropriate to the material and shape being gripped. In many embodiments, multiple profiles can be cut into the base and/or contact surface as appropriate. The part is typically turned  705  to reposition the part for cutting of an additional profile. This turning  705  of the part, is typically at or about ninety degrees, although alternative turning angles from very small, less than one degree, to large in excess of 180 degrees, can be substituted. The additional profile is cut  706 . The profile cut generally creates points for initial contact and provides the arrangement of the initial contact points. In alternative embodiments, the profile provides one or more facets that may be either angularly consistent or may vary as they are optimized for the material being anchored to or gripped. The facets in some embodiments have serrated edges. Often sharp initial contact points have multiple angles on the same part. In other alternatives, ridges are provides as contact points, either alone or in combination with traction points. Traction, or initial contact points, may have first contact surfaces, or tips, that are flat, blunted, serrated, irregular, rounded or sharp. The traction part is turned 707 to a flat portion and notches are generally cut into the side of the traction part. 
   The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative of the current best modes of the invention known to the inventors at the time of filing this application, and not as restrictive. Although the several embodiments shown here include specific geometries and steps, these are provided in order to show examples of the present embodiments of this invention. Rather, the geometries are provided to show several examples. This scope of this invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All devices and processes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced as within the scope of this patent.