Craig Hodges Cooley
Engineers in Lehi, UT

2012032, Dec 20, 2012

Jul 2, 2012

13/540059

Craig H. Cooley - Saratoga Springs UT, US
Timothy N. Sexton - Santaquin UT, US

US SYNTHETIC CORPORATION - Orem UT

F16C 17/00

384129

Bearing apparatuses including contacting bearing surfaces comprising superhard materials are disclosed. In one embodiment, the present invention relates to bearings including polycrystalline diamond inserts or compacts defining a plurality of surfaces that move relative to one another and contact one another. For example, apparatuses may include radial bearings, or other bearings including arcuate bearing surfaces that more in relation to one another, without limitation. In one embodiment, a superhard bearing element may comprise a superhard table (e.g., polycrystalline diamond) forming an arcuate bearing surface. Further, such a superhard bearing element may comprise a chamfer formed about at least a portion of a periphery of the arcuate bearing surface. Bearing apparatuses including such bearing elements and various mechanical systems are disclosed.

7870913, Jan 18, 2011

Jul 18, 2007

11/879867

Timothy N. Sexton - Santaquin UT, US
Craig H. Cooley - Saratoga Springs UT, US

US Synthetic Corporation - Orem UT

E21B 4/02

175107, 175104, 384215, 384 95

Various aspects of the present invention relate to bearing assemblies configured to accommodate non-uniform loading and misalignment with an adjacent bearing assembly. In one aspect of the present invention, a bearing assembly is disclosed. The bearing assembly comprises a compliance ring including a plurality of beams. Each of the beams is circumferentially spaced apart from each other. The bearing assembly further comprises a plurality of bearing elements, with each of the bearing elements positioned adjacent to a corresponding beam of the plurality of beams. Each of the bearing elements deforms one of the corresponding beams when loaded. An additional aspect of the present invention is directed to a bearing assembly in which bearing elements thereof may be mounted to a support element without using a brazing process. Further aspects of the present invention are directed to a thrust-bearing apparatus, a radial-bearing apparatus, and a downhole motor that incorporates disclosed thrust-bearing and radial-bearing assemblies.

8316969, Nov 27, 2012

Jun 16, 2006

11/424674

Kenneth E. Bertagnolli - Sandy UT, US
Craig H. Cooley - Saratoga Springs UT, US
Jason Wiggins - Draper UT, US

US Synthetic Corporation - Orem UT

E21B 10/36, E21B 10/46

175434, 1754202, 175426, 175428

Methods of manufacturing sintered superabrasive structures are disclosed. For example, a plurality of agglomerated granules comprising at least one superabrasive material may be provided and exposed to a pressure and a temperature sufficient to sinter the at least one superabrasive material. In another example, a plurality of agglomerated granules comprising diamond may be provided and exposed to a pressure and a temperature sufficient to form polycrystalline diamond. Articles of manufacture including at least one superabrasive material are disclosed. For example, a polycrystalline diamond compact may comprise a volume of polycrystalline diamond bonded to a substrate, wherein the volume of polycrystalline diamond includes a plurality of agglomerated granules which have been sintered. A drill bit comprising at least one cutting element including a volume of polycrystalline diamond bonded to a substrate wherein the volume of polycrystalline diamond includes a plurality of agglomerated granules which have been sintered is disclosed.

8074748, Dec 13, 2011

Feb 20, 2009

12/389882

David P. Miess - Highland UT, US
Craig H. Cooley - Saratoga Springs UT, US

US Synthetic Corporation - Orem UT

E21B 10/52

175374, 175434

Embodiments of the invention relate to thermally-stable polycrystalline diamond (“PCD”) elements, polycrystalline diamond compacts (“PDCs”), and methods of fabricating such PCD elements and PDCs. In an embodiment, a PCD element includes a PCD body comprising bonded diamond grains defining a plurality of interstitial regions. The PCD body includes a first volume having a first portion of the interstitial regions and a second volume having a second portion of the interstitial regions. The PCD body further includes an infiltrant that is disposed in the first portion of the interstitial regions and the second portion of the interstitial regions is substantially free of the infiltrant. The infiltrant comprises a glass, a glass-ceramic, silicone, a thermal decomposition reaction product of silicone, a ceramic having a negative coefficient of thermal expansion, or combinations thereof.

2012028, Nov 8, 2012

Jul 17, 2012

13/550831

S. Barrett Peterson - Orem UT, US
Craig H. Cooley - Saratoga Springs UT, US
Timothy N. Sexton - Genola UT, US

US SYNTHETIC CORPORATION - Orem UT

F16C 17/06, B23P 17/00

384306, 29898042

Embodiments relate to tilting superhard bearing element bearing assemblies and apparatuses. The disclosed assemblies/apparatuses may be employed in downhole motors of a subterranean drilling system or other mechanical systems. In an embodiment, a bearing assembly may include a support ring and a plurality of superhard bearing elements each of which is tilted and/or tiltably secured relative to the support ring and distributed circumferentially about an axis. Each of the superhard bearing elements includes a bearing surface and a base portion. The base portion of the at least one of the superhard bearing elements may include a tilting feature configured to allow the at least one of the superhard bearing elements to be tiltable about a tilt axis. The bearing assembly includes retaining features that secure the superhard bearing elements to the support ring.

8602132, Dec 10, 2013

Oct 24, 2012

13/659703

Craig H. Cooley - Saratoga Springs UT, US
Jason Wiggins - Draper UT, US

US Synthetic Corporation - Orem UT

E21B 10/36, E21B 10/46

175434, 1754202, 175426, 175428

Methods of manufacturing sintered superabrasive structures are disclosed. For example, a plurality of agglomerated granules comprising at least one superabrasive material may be provided and exposed to a pressure and a temperature sufficient to sinter the at least one superabrasive material. In another example, a plurality of agglomerated granules comprising diamond may be provided and exposed to a pressure and a temperature sufficient to form polycrystalline diamond. Articles of manufacture including at least one superabrasive material are disclosed. For example, a polycrystalline diamond compact may comprise a volume of polycrystalline diamond bonded to a substrate, wherein the volume of polycrystalline diamond includes a plurality of agglomerated granules which have been sintered. A drill bit comprising at least one cutting element including a volume of polycrystalline diamond bonded to a substrate wherein the volume of polycrystalline diamond includes a plurality of agglomerated granules which have been sintered is disclosed.

7845436, Dec 7, 2010

Aug 24, 2007

11/844821

Craig H. Cooley - Saratoga Springs UT, US
Timothy N. Sexton - Santaquin UT, US
S. Barrett Peterson - Orem UT, US
Jeffrey Lund - Cottonwood Heights UT, US
Christopher F. Johnson - Bountiful UT, US

US Synthetic Corporation - Orem UT

E21B 10/43, E21B 10/62

175383, 175432

A subterranean drilling system may include a drill string and a rotary drill bit coupled to the drill string. The rotary drill bit may include a bit body and a cutting element coupled to the bit body, with the cutting element being structured to rotate in response to torque applied to the cutting element. The system also may include a cam assembly coupled to the drill string, a cam follower assembly in contact with a cam surface of the cam assembly, and a torque-applying structure coupled to the cam follower assembly. The torque-applying structure may be configured to apply torque to the cutting element in response to relative rotation between the cam assembly and the cam follower assembly.

8069933, Dec 6, 2011

Dec 9, 2010

12/964208

Timothy N. Sexton - Genola UT, US
Craig H. Cooley - Saratoga Springs UT, US

US Synthetic Corporation - Orem UT

E21B 4/02

175107, 175104, 364215, 364 95

Various embodiments of the present invention relate to bearing assemblies configured to accommodate non-uniform loading and misalignment with an adjacent bearing assembly. In one embodiment of the present invention, a bearing assembly for use in a subterranean drilling system is disclosed. The bearing assembly includes a support ring and a retention ring attached to the support ring, with the retention ring including a plurality of through holes. The bearing assembly includes a plurality of bearing elements each of which includes a superhard bearing surface. Each of the bearing elements is positioned in and extends from a corresponding through hole of the plurality of through holes. At least a number of the bearing elements are configured to restrict displacement through the corresponding through hole and away from the support ring. Further embodiments of the present invention are directed to a thrust-bearing apparatus, a radial bearing apparatus, and a downhole motor that incorporates disclosed thrust-bearing and radial bearing assemblies.

8312943, Nov 20, 2012

Nov 8, 2011

13/291463

David P. Miess - Highland UT, US
Craig H. Cooley - Saratoga Springs UT, US

US Synthetic Corporation - Orem UT

E21B 10/52

175374, 175434

Embodiments of the invention relate to thermally-stable polycrystalline diamond (“PCD”) elements, polycrystalline diamond compacts (“PDCs”), and methods of fabricating such PCD elements and PDCs. In an embodiment, a PDC includes a PCD body including bonded diamond grains defining a plurality of interstitial regions. The PCD body includes a first volume having a first portion of the interstitial regions and a second volume having a second portion of the interstitial regions. The second volume is bonded to the substrate. At least one interstitial material is disposed in the first portion of the interstitial regions and a metallic infiltrant is disposed in the second portion of the interstitial regions. The at least one interstitial material exhibits a negative coefficient of thermal expansion.

8616304, Dec 31, 2013

Mar 11, 2013

13/793653

Jeffrey A. Johns - Mapleton UT, US
Timothy N. Sexton - Genola UT, US
Craig H. Cooley - Saratoga Springs UT, US

US Synthetic Corporation - Orem UT

E21B 4/02

175107, 175104, 384215, 384 95

Various embodiments relate to bearing assemblies configured to enable removal and replacement of superhard bearing elements, and bearing apparatuses that may utilize such bearing assemblies. The disclosed bearing assemblies may be used in a number of applications, such as downhole motors in subterranean drilling systems, directional drilling systems, roller-cone drill bits, and many other applications. In an embodiment, a bearing assembly includes a support ring and a retention ring assembled with the support ring. The bearing assembly further includes a plurality of superhard bearing elements. The retention ring and at least a number of the superhard bearing element are collectively configured to restrict displacement of the at least a number of the superhard bearing elements.