# US 10,865,545 B2 · Stabilizing features in a wear member assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,865,545 B2 - Document ID: US10865545B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/886,378 - Filed: 2020-05-28 - Published: 2020-09-17 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2016-05-13 - Assignees: Hensley Industries, Inc. - Applicants: Hensley Industries, Inc. - Inventors: Mohamad Bilal; Isai Diaz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10865545B2 ## CPC - E02F 9/2825: {using adapters} - E02F 9/2816: {Mountings therefor} - E02F 9/2833: {Retaining means, e.g. pins} - E02F 9/2858: {characterised by shape} - E02F 9/2883: {Wear elements for buckets or implements in general} - E02F 9/2808: {Teeth} - E02F: DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING (winning peat E21C49/00) ## Abstract A hollow ground-engaging wear member includes a leading end arranged to engage ground and a rear end having a cavity formed therein. The inner surface of the cavity may have vertically separated opposing inner walls forming an upper inner surface and a lower inner surface. The upper inner surface and the lower inner surface each may have a centrally disposed, inwardly protruding surface portion arranged to provide a bearing fit with a support structure. Each inwardly protruding surface portion may be disposed only in the rear portion of the cavity and shaped to form an arc. Each hole of a pair of holes in the respective horizontally separated opposing inner walls are arranged to receive a locking pin, and the inwardly protruding bearing surface of the upper inner surface and the inwardly protruding bearing surface of the lower inner surface may be positioned at least partially rearward of the pair of holes. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A hollow ground-engaging wear member attachable to a support structure, the wear member comprising: a leading end arranged to engage ground and a rear end having a cavity formed therein, the cavity having an inner surface and having a longitudinally extending axis, the cavity having a front portion and having a rear portion adjacent the rear end, the inner surface having horizontally separated opposing inner walls, the inner surface also having vertically separated opposing inner walls forming an upper inner surface and a lower inner surface, the upper inner surface and the lower inner surface each having a centrally disposed, inwardly protruding surface portion arranged to provide a bearing fit with the support structure, each inwardly protruding surface portion being disposed only in the rear portion of the cavity and shaped to form an arc, the inwardly protruding surface portion being arranged to support vertically imposed loads at the leading end; and a pair of holes in the respective horizontally separated opposing inner walls, each hole of the pair of holes arranged to receive a locking pin, and wherein the inwardly protruding bearing surface of the upper inner surface and the inwardly protruding bearing surface of the lower inner surface are positioned at least partially rearward of the pair of holes. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The wear member of claim 1, wherein each protruding bearing surface portion forms a cross-sectional arc having tangents at oblique angles. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The wear member of claim 1, wherein the upper inner surface and the lower inner surface each have only one single, centrally disposed, inwardly protruding bearing surface portion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The wear member of claim 1, wherein the inwardly protruding bearing surface of the upper inner surface is longitudinally aligned with the inwardly protruding bearing surface of the lower inner surface. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The wear member of claim 1, wherein the inwardly protruding bearing surface of the upper inner bearing surface is longitudinally offset from the inwardly protruding surface of the lower inner surface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The wear member of claim 1, wherein the inwardly protruding bearing surfaces are substantially elliptical. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The wear member of claim 1, wherein a transverse width of the inwardly protruding bearing surface of the upper inner surface is within a range of about 60-80% of a width of the upper inner surface. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The wear member of claim 1, wherein a longitudinal length of the inwardly protruding bearing surface of the upper inner surface is within a range of about 1-50 percent larger than a transverse width of the inwardly protruding bearing surface of the upper inner surface. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The wear member of claim 1, wherein the cavity includes a front portion, and intermediate portion, and a rear portion, wherein the inwardly protruding bearing surface portion bridges an intersection of the intermediate portion and the rear portion. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The wear member of claim 1, wherein each hole of the pair of holes extends completely through a wall of wear member. ### Claim 11 A hollow ground-engaging wear member attachable to a support structure, the wear member comprising: a leading end arranged to engage ground and a rear end having a cavity formed therein, the cavity having an inner surface and having a longitudinally extending axis, the cavity having a front portion and having a rear portion adjacent the rear end, the inner surface having horizontally separated opposing inner walls, the inner surface also having vertically separated opposing inner walls forming an upper inner surface and a lower inner surface, the upper inner surface and the lower inner surface each having a centrally disposed, inwardly protruding surface portion arranged to provide a bearing fit with the support structure, each inwardly protruding surface portion being disposed only in the rear portion of the cavity and shaped to form an arc, the inwardly protruding surface portion being arranged to support vertically imposed loads at the leading end; and a pair of holes in the respective horizontally separated opposing inner walls, each hole of the pair of holes arranged to receive a locking pin, and wherein each hole comprises a portion that is forwardly of each inwardly protruding surface portion. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The wear member of claim 11, wherein each protruding bearing surface portion forms a cross-sectional arc having tangents at oblique angles. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The wear member of claim 11, wherein the upper inner surface and the lower inner surface each have only one single, centrally disposed, inwardly protruding bearing surface portion. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The wear member of claim 11, wherein the inwardly protruding bearing surface of the upper inner surface is longitudinally aligned with the inwardly protruding bearing surface of the lower inner surface. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The wear member of claim 11, wherein the inwardly protruding bearing surface of the upper inner surface is longitudinally offset from the inwardly protruding surface of the lower inner surface. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The wear member of claim 11, wherein the inwardly protruding bearing surfaces are substantially elliptical. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The wear member of claim 11, wherein a transverse width of the inwardly protruding bearing surface of the upper inner surface is within a range of about 60-80% of a width of the upper inner surface. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The wear member of claim 11, wherein a longitudinal length of the inwardly protruding bearing surface of the upper inner surface is within a range of about 1-50 percent larger than a transverse width of the inwardly protruding bearing surface of the upper inner surface. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The wear member of claim 11, wherein the cavity includes a front portion, and intermediate portion, and a rear portion, wherein the inwardly protruding bearing surface portion bridges an intersection of the intermediate portion and the rear portion.