Patent ID: 7775298

Claim:
A drilling assembly, comprising: a rotary drive apparatus configured to rotate a string of drill pipe having a cutting head at a drilling end of the string of drill pipe; a longitudinally elongated torque transfer tube apparatus mounted to and extending downwardly from the rotary drive apparatus and configured to longitudinally receive the string of drill pipe rotatably there-through, the torque transfer tube apparatus being isolated from rotation relative to the rotary drive apparatus and the string of drill pipe during drilling with the drilling assembly; and a torque receiving structure through which the torque transfer tube apparatus is upwardly slidably received, and through which the torque transfer tube apparatus is downwardly slidably received during drilling with the drilling assembly, the torque transfer tube apparatus and the torque receiving structure being isolated from rotation relative one another and the string of drill pipe during drilling with the drilling assembly, torque being transferred from the torque transfer tube apparatus to the torque receiving structure during drilling with the drilling assembly.