Patent ID: 7334652

Claim:
A roller cone drill bit for forming a wellbore in a subterranean formation comprising: a bit body having at least one support arm extending therefrom; a respective cone assembly rotatably mounted on each support arm for engagement with the formation to form the wellbore; each cone assembly having a gauge row and at least one other row of cutting elements; each cutting element having a crest extending from the associated cone assembly for engagement with adjacent portions of the formation; each cone assembly and associated cutting elements having a scraping direction for optimum removal of formation materials; the crests of the cutting elements in the at least one other row arranged with the crest of a first cutting element oriented generally perpendicular relative to the scraping direction to optimize volume removal of formation material by the first cutting element; a second cutting element in the at least one other row disposed adjacent to the first cutting element; the crest of the second cutting element oriented generally perpendicular relative to the crest of the first cutting element to optimize penetration of the formation by the second cutting element; and the remaining cutting elements in the at least one other row arranged in an alternating pattern with the crest of one cutting element aligned for optimum volume removal of formation material and the crest of an adjacent cutting element aligned for optimum penetration of the formation.