Apparatus for maintaining an electric conductor in a drill string

Claim 2

In a drilling apparatus having a sectionalized rotary pipe string, a bit connected to said pipe string, means for adding pipe sections to said pipe string, upper and lower guides mounted in said pipe string, an electric conductor mounted in the pipe string and extending upwardly from a terminal below said lower guide to and around said upper guide, downwardly to and around said lower guide, and upwardly to a terminal substantially at the surface, the improvement which comprises an elongated member interconnecting said upper and lower guides to prevent said guides from moving angularly with respect to the longitudinal axis of said member.

Claim 3

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the member interconnecting said guides includes an elongated track interconnecting said upper guide and said lower guide.

Claim 4

Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein the length of said track is at least as long as one pipe section contained in the pipe string.

Claim 5

Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said upper guide is secured to said pipe string and said lower guide is suspended on said conductor and is free to move longitudinally on said track.

Claim 6

Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said conductor is reinforced cable.

Claim 7

Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein each of said guides includes a sheave.

Claim 8

In a drilling apparatus having a sectionalized rotary drill string, a bit connected to said drill string, means for adding pipe sections to said drill string, an upper cable guide supported within said drill string, a lower cable guide disposed in said drill string, a reinforced electric cable extending upwardly from a subsurface terminal around said upper and said lower guides and upwardly to a surface terminal, said lower guide being suspended on a looped portion of said cable, the improvement which comprises a track interconnecting said upper and lower guides, said lower guide being mounted on said track to permit longitudinal movement therealong but to prevent angular movement thereon whereby the relative angular position of said upper and lower guides is maintained as said drill string is rotated.

Claim 9

In a drilling apparatus having a sectionalized rotary drill string, a bit connected to said drill string, means for adding pipe sections to said drill string, an upper cable guide supported within said drill string, a lower cable guide disposed in said drill string, a reinforced electric cable extending upwardly from a subsurface terminal around said upper and said lower guides and upwardly to a surface terminal, said lower guide being suspended on a looped portion of said cable, the improvement which comprises a track interconnecting said upper and lower guides, said lower guide being mounted on said track to permit longitudinal movement therealong but to prevent angular movement thereon whereby the relative angular position of said upper and lower guides is maintained as said drill string is rotated.