Page 61 - Air and Gas Drilling Manual
P. 61
Chapter 2: Surface Equipment 2-11
housing of the head and seals to prevent air or gas from passing to the rig floor. The
stripper rubber (flexible packer) diverts the air or gas with entrained rock cuttings to
the outlet (to the blooey line). The flexible stripper rubber is forced by air (or gas)
flow pressure against the outer surface of the kelly or drill pipe. There are other seals
between the rotating assembly and the spindle housing. Together all these sealing
agents divert the air or gas flow (with entrained rock cuttings) to the blooey line and
away from passage to the rig floor (see Figure 2-10).
Figure 2-10: Cut-a-way view of a rotating head with dual stripper rubbers (courtesy of
Williams Tool Company).
Although the rotating head was originally developed for air and gas drilling
operations, this device was adapted for use in geothermal drilling operations and
