Patent ID: 8197737

Claim:
A method for making a reinforced stripper rubber assembly, comprising: molding a stripper rubber body from an elastomeric material of a first composition within a first stripper rubber body mold, wherein molding the stripper rubber body includes forming a drillstring engaging portion having a drillstring bore extending axially therethrough, having a reinforcing insert receiving recess within an, exterior surface thereof extending entirely around the drillstring bore and having an inner surface that engages a drillstring when the drillstring is dispose within the drillstring bore and wherein an entire portion of the drillstring bore is defined by said first composition elastomeric material; filling the reinforcing insert receiving recess with a single reinforcing insert after removing the stripper rubber body from the first stripper rubber body mold, wherein the single reinforcing insert includes an elastomeric material of a second composition exhibiting substantially different material properties than said first elastomeric material composition and a plurality of lengths of woven material encapsulated within the elastomeric material thereof, wherein said second composition elastomeric material of the single reinforcing insert extends entirely around the drillstring bore, wherein said second composition elastomeric material of the reinforcing insert is exposed at an exterior face of the stripper rubber body around an entire outer circumference thereof, and wherein the elastomeric material of the first composition extends to the exterior face of the stripper rubber body above and below the single reinforcing insert; situating the stripper rubber body in a second stripper rubber body mold such that the stripper rubber body and the elastomeric material disposed in the reinforcing insert receiving recess are jointly contained within a mold cavity thereof having a shape corresponding to a finished shape of the reinforced stripper rubber body; and heating the second stripper rubber body mold after situation the stripper rubber body therein to cause the elastomeric material of the second composition to become bonded to the elastomeric material of the second composition thereby providing a reinforcing insert bonded to the stripper rubber body within the reinforcing insert receiving recess.