Sweeny's 1866 Rotary Rig - American Oil & Gas Historical ...
The inventor, who applied for his U.S. patent on January 2, 1866, described his rotary drilling method's "peculiar construction particularly adapted for boring deep wells." Peter Sweeney of New York City was granted a patent (No. 51,902), which included a series of descriptions similar to technology used in modern rotary rigs.