DR. QUAN MANH NGUYEN, O.D.
Optometry at Bellaire Blvd, Houston, TX

6561293, May 13, 2003

May 15, 2001

09/858160

James C. Minikus - Spring TX
Chris E. Cawthorne - The Woodlands TX
Stephen C. Steinke - The Woodlands TX
Gary R. Portwood - Kingwood TX
Gary E. Garcia - The Woodlands TX
David P. Moran - The Woodlands TX
Quan V. Nguyen - Houston TX

Smith International, Inc. - Houston TX

E21B 1008

1754201, 175430

A cutter element for a drill bit has a non-rectilinear crest. The cutter element has a base portion and an extending portion and the extending portion has either a zero draft or a negative draft with respect to the base portion. The non-positive draft allows more of the borehole bottom to be scraped using fewer cutter elements. The cutter elements having non-positive draft can be either tungsten carbide inserts or steel teeth.

6533051, Mar 18, 2003

Sep 7, 1999

09/390717

Amardeep Singh - Houston TX
Dennis Cisneros - Kingwood TX
Sujian J. Huang - The Woodlands TX
Quan V. Nguyen - Houston TX

Smith International, Inc. - Houston TX

E21B 1022

175371, 175365

A roller cone drill bit includes a bit body adapted to be rotated about a longitudinal axis. At least one leg which terminates in a shirttail portion depends from the bit body. The shirttail portion defines a first end face having a first circumferential groove thereon. The first circumferential groove has a radius equal to the radius of a tip of the shirttail portion. A journal is cantilevered from the leg, and a roller cone is rotatably mounted on the journal. The roller cone has a second end face adjacent to the first end face. A second circumferential groove is formed on the second end face.

5494123, Feb 27, 1996

Oct 4, 1994

8/317340

Quan V. Nguyen - Houston TX

Smith International, Inc. - Houston TX

E21B 1046

175408

A rotary cone rock bit has bearing inserts pressed into the side of the shirttail portion of the rock bit body for stabilizing the rock bit during drilling. Such a rock bit has a steel bit body with a threaded upper pin for connection to a drill string. Cutter cones are mounted on lower leg portions of the rock bit body. The rock bit body gradually decreases in diameter from the gage diameter adjacent the lower tips of the shirttails adjacent to the cones to a smaller diameter shoulder the pin end of the body. The lowermost bearing insert protrudes laterally from the gradually decreasing diameter part of the bit body approximately half way between the lower tip of the shirttail and the shoulder at the upper end of the shirttail. The outer ends of the bearing inserts are rounded and substantially at the gage diameter of the bit for bearing on the wall of the borehole being drilled without appreciably reaming the borehole. The bearing inserts may have a layer of polycrystalline diamond on the protruding ends for minimizing wear.

7252164, Aug 7, 2007

Apr 1, 2004

10/816542

Syed Hossain - Spring TX, US
James L. Larsen - Spring TX, US
Dwayne P. Terracina - Spring TX, US
Quan V. Nguyen - Houston TX, US

Smith International, Inc - Houston TX

E21B 10/18, E21B 10/61

175340, 175339, 175393

A drill bit configures hydraulic streams from the bit nozzles for the particular cutting structure to be cleaned based on the cutting structure location and geometry. The projected impingement location for each hydraulic stream projected fluid path is customized for a corresponding roller cone, with each nozzle or nozzle receptacle being individually positioned according to improve cone cleaning. At least two nozzles or nozzle receptacles should differ on the drill bit.