STABILITY CHARACTERISTICS IN A WEAR MEMBER ASSEMBLY

Abstract

A wear member assembly may include a nose that attaches to the edge of the blade; the nose may include a rear portion having a first set of substantially flat surfaces including a first, second, and third subset of surfaces; the third subset of surfaces may be angled and positioned between the first subset of surfaces and the second subset of surfaces; the nose may further include a front portion positioned on surfaces adjacent forward of the rear portion, the front portion having a second set of substantially flat surfaces including a fourth, fifth, and sixth subset of surfaces; the sixth set of surfaces may be angled and located between the first subset of surfaces and the second subset of surfaces;The wear member assembly further includes a wear member having a cavity comprising front and rear bearing surfaces corresponding to the third and sixth subassembly of surfaces.

Description

STABILITY CHARACTERISTICS IN A WEAR MEMBER ASSEMBLY PRIORITY INFORMATION This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 335,789 filed May 13, 2016, entitled “Stabilization System for a Wear Member with an Octagonal Interface” and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 441,779 filed January 3, 2017, entitled “Stability Features in a Wear Member Assembly,” which inventions are incorporated herein by reference and in their entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention is generally directed to assemblies of ground preparation members that include adapters for excavation wear members that are secure to the shovel edge. More particularly, the present invention is directed to stabilizing load-bearing surfaces between adjacent wear members. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Material-moving implements, such as excavator buckets found in construction, mining, and other earthmoving equipment, often include replaceable wear parts, such as digging teeth. These are often removable attachments to large-based structures, such as excavator buckets, and come into abrasive contact with the soil or other material being moved. For example, digging tooth assemblies provided on excavating equipment, such as excavator buckets and the like, typically comprise a relatively massive adapter portion that is securely anchored to the edge of the front bucket. The adapter portion typically includes a projecting nose. A replaceable tooth typically includes a rearward-facing cavity that freely receives the nose of the adapter.To retain the teeth in the adapter nose, aligned transverse openings can generally be formed in both the teeth and the adapter nose, and a suitable connector structure is directed and forcibly retained within the aligned openings to freely anchor the replacement tooth in its associated adapter nose. During normal operation, the tooth experiences loads in multiple directions. If the tooth is not positioned stably on the nose, the loads experienced by the tooth can cause additional wear on the adapter. Therefore, there is a need for an improved adapter nose and a corresponding opening in the tooth. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION According to some example implementations, a wear member assembly may include a nose that can be attached to the edge of a shovel. The nose may include a rear portion having a first set of eight substantially flat surfaces converging along a longitudinal axis of the nose toward a distal end of the rear portion. The first set of substantially flat surfaces may include a first subset of surfaces having a top and bottom surface, a second subset of side surfaces, and a third subset of surfaces comprising bearing surfaces. The third subset of surfaces is angled and positioned between the first and second subsets of surfaces.The nose may also include a front portion positioned adjacent to the rear portion, the front portion having a second set of eight substantially flat surfaces converging along a longitudinal axis of the nose toward the distal end of the front portion. The second set of substantially flat surfaces may include a fourth subset having an upper and lower surface, a fifth subset of lateral surfaces, and a sixth subset of surfaces comprising bearing surfaces, the sixth subset of surfaces being inclined and positioned between the first subset of surfaces and the second subset of surfaces.The wear member assembly may also include a wear member having the cavity opening towards a rear end, the cavity comprising a rear and front bearing surface corresponding to the third subassembly of surfaces and the sixth subassembly of surfaces. According to some implementations of the examples, a wear member may include a cavity having a rear portion with a first set of eight surfaces converging toward a longitudinal axis at a first angle toward an end distant from the rear portion. The first set of substantially flat surfaces may include a top and bottom surface, a set of side surfaces, and a set of diagonal surfaces comprising the bearing surfaces. The cavity may further include a front portion positioned adjacent to a rear portion, the front portion having a second set of eight surfaces converging toward a longitudinal axis at a second angle that is less than the first angle.The cavity may also include a set of compartments positioned at least partially along the diagonal surfaces, the compartments having surfaces oriented vertically inwards. According to some implementations of the examples, a wear member assembly may include an adapter nose having a back portion having a transverse width and a transverse height, the transverse width being different from the transverse height, the back portion having two non-bearing surfaces and four substantially flat bearing surfaces, the two non-bearing surfaces being substantially horizontal in transverse and the four substantially flat bearing surfaces being oblique in transverse, the first two of the four substantially flat surfaces being arranged on a first lateral side of the two substantially flat non-bearing surfaces, and a second two of the four substantially flat bearing surfaces being arranged on a second lateral side of the two substantially flat non-bearing surfaces, characterized in that a distal end of the back portion,The cross-width of both of the two substantially flat non-bearing surfaces is different from the cross-width of any one of the four substantial bearing surfaces. According to some implementations of the examples, a wear member includes a cavity with a rear and a front. The rear may have a cross-width and a cross-height, the cross-width being different from the cross-height. The cavity may have two substantially flat non-bearing surfaces and four substantially flat bearing surfaces. The two substantially flat non-bearing surfaces may be substantially horizontal in cross-section, and the four substantially flat bearing surfaces may be oblique in cross-section.The first two of four substantially flat bearing surfaces may be arranged on a first lateral side of two substantially flat non-bearing surfaces, and a second pair of the four substantially flat bearing surfaces may be arranged on a second lateral side of two substantially flat non-bearing surfaces. At a distal end of a rear portion, the transverse width of both of the two substantially flat non-bearing surfaces may differ from the transverse width of any one of the four substantial bearing surfaces. The present invention relates to a wear member assembly having a specially shaped bearing surface disposed on a wear member nose, such as an adapter nose, and a correspondingly shaped bearing surface on an additional wear member inserted onto the nose. It is understood that both the preceding general descriptions and the following drawings and detailed description are illustrative and explanatory in nature and are intended to provide an understanding of the present invention without limiting its scope. With respect to additional aspects, the features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to a person skilled in the art from the following. The present invention relates to stabilizing load-bearing surfaces on wear members that provide stability and support during excavation / material replacement operations in ground preparation. In some implementations, the present invention describes a ground preparation wear member of a hole that can be attached to a support structure. This member may include a leading end arranged for ground preparation and a trailing end having a cavity formed therefrom. The cavity may have an inner surface with a longitudinally extending axis and a leading portion with a trailing portion adjacent to the trailing end. The inner surface may have horizontally separated opposing inner walls and vertically separated opposing inner walls forming an upper inner surface and a lower inner surface.The upper and lower inner surfaces may each have a central arrangement, with a portion of the internally projecting bearing surface arranged to provide a bearing adapted to the support structure. Each portion of the internally projecting bearing surface may be arranged at the rear of the cavity and may have a transverse width less than its longitudinal length, and may rest in a depression in the support structure. The portion of the internally projecting bearing surface may be arranged to support loads imposed vertically at the leading end. According to some implementations of the examples, the present invention is directed to supporting a structure arranged to receive a wear member. The supporting structure may include a nose arranged to receive a cavity of the wear member. The nose may include a front portion having a plurality of external orientation surfaces. The external orientation surfaces are inclined with respect to a longitudinal axis of the nose at a first angle.The nose may further include a rear portion having two horizontally separated outward-facing surfaces, two vertically separated outward-facing surfaces including an upward and a downward-facing surface, the horizontally separated outward-facing surfaces and the vertically separated outward-facing surfaces being inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis at a second angle that is different from the first angle. The nose may further include a first concave bearing surface positioned on the upward-facing surface. The nose may further include a second concave bearing surface positioned on the downward-facing surface. According to the implementations of a further example, the present invention relates to a wear member that may include a cavity arranged to fit over a nose of an adapter. The cavity may include a front portion having a plurality of internally oriented surfaces, the internally oriented surfaces being inclined with respect to a longitudinal axis of the cavity at a first angle. The cavity may include a rear portion having two separate internally oriented surfaces, and two vertically separated internally oriented surfaces including an ascending surface and a descending surface, the horizontally separated internally oriented surfaces and the vertically separated internally oriented surfaces being inclined with respect to a longitudinal axis at a second angle that is different from the first angle.The cavity may include a second convex bearing surface positioned on the downward orientation surface. According to further implementations of the examples, the present invention relates to a wear member assembly that may include an adapter having a rear end for securing the adapter to the blade edge and a front end having a nose. The wear member may also include a substantially flat, upward-oriented surface at least partially circumscribed by an upward-oriented concave bearing surface and a substantially flat, downward-oriented surface at least partially circumscribed by a downward-oriented concave bearing surface. The wear member may also include a wear member having a front end arranged for ground preparation and a rear end having a cavity.The cavity may include an upward-facing bearing surface having a first outward projection extending therefrom, the first outward projection being arranged to fit within an upward-facing concave bearing surface. The cavity may also include an upward-facing bearing surface having a second outward projection extending therefrom, the second outward projection being arranged to fit within the downward-facing concave bearing surface. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings illustrate the implementations of the systems, devices, and methods disclosed herein and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present invention. Figure 1 is a view of an assembly of ground preparation wear members according to an example that incorporates the principles described herein. Figure 2 illustrates a perspective view of an adapter nose with a bearing surface portion on the upper and lower surfaces according to an example incorporating the principles described herein. Figures 3A and 3B are diagrams showing longitudinal and transverse views of the bearing surface portion of the adapter nose according to an example incorporating the principles described herein. Figures 4A and 4B are diagrams showing cross-sectional views of the bearing surface portion at the nose according to an example incorporating the principles described herein. Figure 5 is a top view of the nose with a portion of the bearing surface according to an example incorporating the principles described herein. Figure 6 is a front view of the nose with a portion of the bearing surface according to an example incorporating the principles described herein. Figure 7A is a perspective view of a tooth having a projection that corresponds to the bearing surface portion at the nose according to an example incorporating the principles described herein. Figure 7B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a tooth with the projection according to an example that incorporates the principles described herein. Figures 8 and 9 are cross-sectional views of the tooth with a projection according to an example that incorporates the principles described herein. Figure 10 is a rear view of a tooth looking into the cavity according to an example that incorporates the principles described herein. Figure HA is an exploded perspective view of a ground preparation wear member assembly according to an example of the principles described herein. Figure 11B illustrates an adapter nose viewed along the longitudinal axis of a nose according to an example of the principles described herein. Figure 11C illustrates a side view of an adapter nose according to an example of the principles described herein. Figure 12A illustrates a tooth viewed from within the cavity according to an example of the principles described herein. Figure 12B illustrates a cross-sectional side view of a tooth assembly according to an example of the principles described herein. Figure 13 illustrates a perspective view of an adapter nose according to an example of the principles described herein. Figure 14A illustrates an adapter nose with torque control features according to an example of the principles described herein. Figure 14B illustrates a side view of an adapter nose with torque control features according to an example of the principles described herein. Figure 14C illustrates a perspective view of an adapter nose with torque control features according to an example of the principles described herein. Figure 14D illustrates a top view of an adapter nose with torque control features according to an example of the principles described herein. Figure 15 illustrates a diagram showing a tooth having a cavity designated to fit an adapter nose with torque control features according to an example of the principles described herein. Figure 16A illustrates a cross-section of an orthogonal adapter nose for the longitudinal axis according to an example of the principles described herein. Figure 16B illustrates a cross-section of an adapter nose with orthogonal torque control features according to an example of the principles described herein. Figure 16C illustrates a cross-section of a front portion of an adapter nose according to an example of the principles described herein. Figure 16D illustrates a cross-section of an adapter nose with compensated torque control features according to an example of the principles described herein. These figures will be better understood by referring to the following Detailed Description. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION For the purpose of promoting understanding of the principles of the present invention, reference will now be made to the implementations illustrated in the drawings, and the specific language used to describe them will be employed. It should never be understood that any attempt is made to limit the scope of the invention. Any further alterations and modifications to the described devices, instruments, methods, and any further applications of the principles of the present invention are fully contemplated as if they would normally occur to a person skilled in the art for whom the invention is related. Furthermore, the present invention describes some elements or features in detail with respect to one or more implementations or Figures, while those same elements or features appear in subsequent Figures without such a high level of detail.It is fully contemplated that the features, components, and / or steps described with respect to one or more implementations or Figures may be combined with the features, components, and / or steps described with respect to other implementations or figures of the present invention. For simplicity, in some cases the reference numbers are the same or similar throughout the drawings to refer to the same or similar parts. The present invention relates to a ground preparation wear member assembly that includes an adapter nose secured to a shovel edge. The ground preparation wear member assembly includes an intermediate adapter that can be secured to the adapter nose. The wear member includes a rear orientation cavity designed to fit over the adapter nose. The nose may include a rear set of surfaces, and in some implementations, both the front and rear surface sets may form a substantially octagonal shape in cross-section. Several surfaces of both the front and rear surface sets may be mating (or bearing) surfaces, while other surfaces of the front and rear surface sets may be non-matting (or non-bearing) surfaces.In some particular embodiments, the upper and lower surfaces of the rear assembly of surfaces may be fitted together and include an interference bearing feature, such as a projection on one of the teeth or adapter that mates with a groove on another tooth or adapter. These features cooperate to distribute the vertical load in a manner that assists with the stability and alignment of one of the wear members on the adapter nose. As used herein, a fitting surface is a load-bearing surface. In some implementations, the ground preparation wear mount adapter includes interlocking surfaces on the sloped side surfaces. These interlocking surfaces can be arranged to provide stabilizing contact on more than one surface when the ground preparation wear mount is subjected to a vertical or horizontal load. For example, an applied vertical upward load can be supported by two sloped interlocking surfaces, and an applied vertical upward load can be supported by two separate sloped interlocking surfaces. Similarly, a left horizontal load can be supported by two sloped interlocking surfaces, and a right horizontal load can be supported by two interlocking surfaces.In some implementations, one set of inclined fitting surfaces is arranged on a distal or main portion of the adapter nose, and another set of inclined fitting surfaces is arranged on a proximal or end portion of the adapter nose. In this way, a wear member, such as a tooth, can be supported by inclined fitting surfaces on both the distal and proximal ends of the adapter nose. Figure 1 is a view of an exemplary ground preparation wear member assembly 100 according to one of the examples of the present invention. In the implementation shown, the ground preparation wear member assembly 100 includes a tooth (or wear member) 104, an adapter 102, and a retaining pin 106. In the present example, the wear assembly 100 may also include a cover wear member 108. The adapter 102 includes a hole (not shown) for receiving the retaining pin 106. The tooth 104 also includes a hole through which the retaining pin 106 can be inserted. The retaining pin 106 can be secured to the tooth 104 within the adapter 102. The adapter 102 may be referred to herein as a support structure since it provides stability support to an additional component, which in the present implementation is the tooth 104. Figure 2 illustrates a perspective view of an adapter 102. According to the present example, the adapter 102 includes a front end 201 and a rear end 212. The front end 201 includes a nose 203, and the rear end 212 includes a pair of forked legs 214a arranged to secure the adapter 102 to a shovel edge (not shown). A longitudinal axis 211 is shown through the front end 201 and the rear end 212. A transverse axis 215 is shown for reference in a position that would run parallel to a shovel edge (not shown). According to the present example, the nose 203 includes a front portion 205, a rear portion 207, and an intermediate portion extending between the front portion 205 and the rear portion 207. The front portion 205 includes a forward-orienting end and a surface 220 and a plurality of external orientation surfaces 202 on an adjacent octagonally arranged end surface 220. In the present implementations, each of the surfaces 202 is inclined with respect to a longitudinal axis 211. In addition, at least four of the surfaces are inclined with respect to the transverse axis 215. In some examples, at least four of the plurality of surfaces 202 may be load-bearing recess surfaces. For example, in some implementations, the surfaces 202 may include inclined surfaces 202a, 202b, 202c, and 202d as load-bearing recess surfaces.In other implementations, the surfaces may include vertical and horizontal surfaces 202e, 202f, 202g, and 202h as load-bearing recess surfaces. In some implementations, each of the 202 surfaces may be substantially flat, while in other implementations, only four of the eight 202 surfaces are substantially flat. And in still other implementations, a different number of the eight 202 surfaces are substantially flat. In the present example, the rear portion 207 also includes a plurality of outward-facing surfaces 204 in an octagonal arrangement. Each of the surfaces 204 is tilted about a longitudinal axis. Each of the rear surfaces 204 can be tilted differentially about the longitudinal axis. For example, surfaces 204f and 204h can be tilted differentially about a longitudinal axis more than the upper and lower surfaces 204e and 204g. In the present example, the rear surfaces 204 are tilted about a longitudinal axis at a different angle than the front surfaces 202. Specifically, the rear surface 204 is tilted at a larger angle about a longitudinal axis than the surfaces 202. In some examples, the various front surfaces 202 can have angles about the longitudinal axis.Furthermore, the rear surfaces 204 may have different angles with respect to the longitudinal axis. In such examples, the average angle at which each rear surface 204 converges to the longitudinal axis may be greater than the average angle at which the front surface 202 converges to a longitudinal axis. As shown in the perspective view of Figure 2, the rear surfaces 204 include sloped surfaces 204a, 204b, and 204c. The opposite side of the nose 203 includes an additional sloped surface 204d, which is identified in Figures 4A and 4B, for example. The rear surface 204 also includes a top surface 204e and a side surface 204h. The nose 203 may also include a surface 204g and an opposite side surface 204f, which are identified in Figures 4A and 4B, for example. The rear surface 204 may also be bearing or mounting surfaces.In some examples, each of the rear surfaces 204 can be a bearing surface. In some examples, only the inclined surfaces 204a, 204b, 204c, and 204d can be bearing surfaces. In some examples, only the horizontal and vertical surfaces 204e, 204f, 204g, and 204h can be bearing surfaces. In some implementations, each of the surfaces 204 can be substantially flat, while in other implementations, only four of the eight surfaces 204 are substantially flat. In still other implementations, a different number of the surfaces 204 are substantially flat. In the present example, the intermediate portion 209 includes a plurality of outward-facing surfaces 216. These outward-facing surfaces 216 may extend between and intersect surfaces 202 and surfaces 204. In some implementations, the surfaces 216 may be differentially inclined relative to surfaces 202 and surfaces 204 about a longitudinal axis 211. Referring to Figure 2, the outward-facing surfaces may include a plurality of surfaces, including, among others, a higher-facing surface 216a and a lower-facing surface 216b (Figures 3A and 3B). In the present implementation, the side surfaces of the intermediate portion 209 may contain a hole 206. Additional inclined surfaces 216c, 216d, 216e, and 216f (best seen in Figures 5 and 6) are arranged approximately in the intermediate portion of the nose. With reference to Figures 2, 3A, 3B, 5, and 6, the highest orientation surface 216a of the middle section 209 can extend at a different angle than the adjacent highest surface 204e of the rear section 207 and the adjacent top surface 202e of the front section 205. Consequently, the highest orientation surface 216a can be non-planar with the adjacent highest surface 204e of the rear section 207 and non-planar with the adjacent top surface 202e of the front section 205. Similarly, the lowest orientation surface 216b of the middle section 209 can extend at a different angle than both the adjacent lower surface 204g of the rear section and the lower surface 202g of the front section 205. In the present example, the upper surface 204e includes a concave bearing surface 210 positioned thereon. In some examples, the upper surface 204e circumscribes the concave bearing surface 210. In some implementations, the concave bearing surface 210 joins the intersection of a higher orientation surface 216a and the upper surface 204e. The concave bearing surface 210, in the present implementation, is a groove that can cooperate with the corresponding projection on the wear member 104 to provide load-bearing stability as well as lateral stability. While not visible from the perspective view, the nose 203 may also have a portion of a concave bearing surface on the lower surface that is opposite the upper surface 204e.In some implementations, the concave bearing surface on the upper surface may be formed identically to the concave bearing surface 210 on the upper surface 204e. In the present example, the concave bearing surface 210 is substantially elliptical in shape. Other shapes are also contemplated. For example, instead of being elliptical, the concave bearing surface may be circular or have some other configuration. The nose 203 also includes a hole 206 extending from the lateral surface 204h to the opposite lateral surface (not shown in the present perspective). In the present implementation, the hole 206 is formed in the intermediate portion 209 of the nose 203. The hole 206 is measured and shaped to receive a retaining pin. In the present example, hole 206 is positioned toward the concave bearing surface 210. In other words, at least a portion of the concave bearing surface 210 is positioned behind hole 206. In some examples, the entire concave bearing surface 210 may be positioned behind hole 206. In other implementations, hole 206 extends partially through the nose 203. A corresponding hole 206 may be formed on the opposite side of the nose 203. In these implementations, two separate retaining pins may be used to secure the wear member to the adapter 102 (see Figure 1).The nose also includes a torque control surface 230b, 230d. Torque control surfaces 230a, 230c are illustrated in Figures 4B and 6. Torque control features 230a, 230b, 230c, and 230d may be substantially flat surfaces that are the outside orientations and are measured and shaped to fit against the corresponding surface within the tooth cavity, which will be described in more detail below. In the present example, the torsion control surfaces 230a, 230b, 230c, 230d respectively intersect the inclined surfaces 204a, 204b, 204c, 204d of the rear portion 207. In particular, the torsion control surfaces 230a, 230b, 230c, 230d intersect the inclined surfaces 204a, 204b, 204c, 204d near where these surfaces meet the vertical surfaces 204f, 204h.In some examples, the torque control surfaces 230a, 230b, 230c, 230d can be unloaded with the vertical surfaces 204f, 204h. In some examples, the angled surfaces of both the front surfaces 202 and the rear surfaces 204 can be bearing (or mating) surfaces. Specifically, surfaces 202a, 202b, 202c, 202d, 204a, 204b, 204c, and 204d can be bearing surfaces. Additionally, the horizontal and upper surfaces of the front surfaces 202 and the rear surfaces can be non-bearing (or mating) surfaces. Specifically, surfaces 202e, 202f, 202g, 202h, 204e, 204f, 204g, and 204h can be non-bearing surfaces. Other combinations of bearing and non-bearing surfaces are also contemplated. Figures 3A and 3B are diagrams showing longitudinal cross-sectional views of a portion of adapter 102, illustrating a higher concave bearing surface 210 and a lower concave bearing surface 213. Figure 3B, in particular, shows the portion of bearing surface 213 on the lower surface 204g of the adapter 102 nose. In some embodiments, the upper surface 204e and the lower surface 204g may both be mating surfaces. In such cases, other surfaces, such as side or sloped surfaces, may be either mating or non-mapping surfaces. For example, all sloped surfaces may be non-mapping surfaces, while the upper, lower, and side surfaces are mating surfaces.As indicated above, some implementations of the concave bearing surface 210 connect the intersection of the higher orientation surface 216a and the upper surface 204e. In such implementations, the higher orientation surface 216a may be a non-fit surface, while the concave bearing surface 210 forms a fit surface. In some examples, the concave surfaces 210 and 213 may be non-bearing surfaces. In such examples, various combinations of the horizontal, vertical, and inclined surfaces may be a fit surface, and in some cases, only the inclined surfaces are fit surfaces. It may also be the case that all surfaces are fit surfaces. Other combinations of fit and non-fit surfaces are contemplated.For example, inclined surfaces can be fitting surfaces while horizontal and vertical surfaces are non-fitting surfaces in a manner similar to that described below in the text accompanying Figures HA-16D. The lower concave bearing surface 213 may be substantially identical to the portion of the upper concave bearing surface 210. In some instances, the position and shape of the portion of the concave bearing surface 213 may mirror the position and shape of the portion of the upper concave bearing surface 210. Consequently, similar to the arrangement described above, the lower concave bearing surface 213 may join the intersection of the lower orientation surface 216b and the lower surface 204g. In such implementations, the lower orientation surface 216b may be a non-fit surface, while the lower concave bearing surface 213 forms a fit surface. In some instances, the portion of the lower concave bearing surface 213 may be longitudinally offset from the portion of the upper concave bearing surface 210.For example, the lower concave bearing surface portion 213 may be closer to or further from the front of the nose than the concave bearing surface portion 210. The concave bearing surface portions 210, 213 in the present implementation are formed as grooves with smooth, circular surfaces as transitional forms from the concave surface to the higher, flat surface 204e. The groove provides lateral stability to the rear of a wear member 104 when subjected to a load during use. Furthermore, when vertical loads are directed towards the main tips of the wear member 104, the grooves distribute the load to the rear of the wear member, and the load is transferred through the concave bearing surface portions 210, 213 to the adapter (or to an intermediate adapter if equipped). Additionally, the concave load-bearing surface portions 210, 213 provide a smooth surface with curved sides that contribute to lateral stability.Consequently, the lateral loads on a main tip of the wear member 104, which result in the opposing load on the end of the wear member, can be relieved for some extent by curved side sides of a concave bearing surface portion 210, 213. As can be seen, grooves are formed on the upper surface 204e, which is longitudinally inclined so as to face the main end surface 220 of an adapter 102. Consequently, the corresponding projections on the inner surface of the wear member 104 can fit directly into the grooved bearing surface portions 210 and 213. Figures 4A and 4B are diagrams showing cross-sectional views of the concave bearing surface portions 210, 213 on the adapter 102. Figures 4A and 4B also show each of the rear surfaces 204. Specifically, Figures 4A and 4B illustrate the upward-facing top surfaces 204e, the outward-facing side surfaces 204f, 204h, and the downward-facing bottom surface 204g. Figures 4A and 4B also illustrate the outward-facing inclined surfaces 204a, 204b, 204c, 204d.In the example implementations shown, the concave bearing surfaces 210, 213 are formed on the rear portion 207 only on the upward-facing upper surface 204e and the downward-facing lower surface 204g, while the outward-facing side surfaces 204f, 204h and the outward-facing inclined surfaces 204a, 204b, 204c, 204d are all formed to a relative plane. This can provide additional bearing surface support for a vertical load on a supported tooth 104, while providing standard support for a horizontal or lateral load. Figure 5 is a top view of the nose 203 of adapter 102. The concave bearing surface portion 210 is shown extending into and across the intersection of the higher orientation surface 216a and the top surface 204e. In some examples, the transverse width 504 of the concave bearing surface portion 210 may be within a range of approximately 60–80 percent of the transverse width 508 of the top surface 204e. In some examples, the transverse width 504 of the concave bearing surface portion 210 may be approximately 70% of the transverse width 508 of the top surface 204e. The longitudinal length 502 of the concave bearing surface portion 210 may be similar to the transverse width 504 of the concave bearing surface portion 210.In some examples, the longitudinal length 502 of the concave bearing surface portion 210 may be within a range of approximately 0–50 percent longer than the transverse width 504. The concave bearing surface portion 210 may be sized to provide stability and increase the surface area of ​​the upper surface 204e while minimizing weakening of the adapter 102 through the tension riser. Consequently, the depth of the grooved bearing surface portion may be selected to provide the necessary balance of stability and strength. In some implementations, the depth of the surface portion is selected to be within the range of approximately 0.1 inches to approximately 0.625 inches, although other depths are considered. Figure 6 is a slightly forward-leaning inclined view of adapter 102 with a portion of the concave bearing surface 210. Figure 6 also illustrates the top surface 204e and the top surface 202e, and the top surface 216a. Figure 6 also illustrates the rear inclined surfaces 204a, 204b, the front inclined surfaces 202a, 202b, and the intermediate non-bearing surfaces 216c and 216f. Figure 7A is a perspective view of the wear member 104, which includes projections extending from the inner surface of the cavity. The wear member 104 may also be referred to as a ground preparation wear member. Although the wear member 104 may also be referred to as a tooth, it may also form an intermediate adapter or another wear member configured to be supported by or to support another wear member. The wear member includes a main end 708 at the front end 701 of the wear member. The main end 708 is arranged to prepare or penetrate the ground and may generally be referred to as the working end. The wear member 104 also includes a rear end, which has a cavity (shown in cross-section in Figure 7B) that is measured and formed to receive a nose 203 of the adapter 102. In the present example, side 709 of the wear member 104 includes a hole 711 that is measured and formed to receive a retaining pin 106 (Figure 1). In some implementations, the opposite side of the wear member 104 may include a similar hole. Hole 711 can be positioned such that when the wear member 104 is properly set onto the nose 203, hole 711 aligns with hole 206 of the adapter 102. Therefore, the retaining pin 106 can be inserted through both holes 206 and 711, and the assembly is ready to hold the wear member 104 onto the adapter 102. In this example, wear member 104 includes a wear indicator 731. The wear indicator 731 can be a set screw or a groove in wear member 104 that signals to an operator when wear member 104 should be replaced. Specifically, wear member 104 wears as if used for digging operations. When it wears to a point where the bottom of the wear indicator 731 is discharged along with the rest of wear member 104, this signals to an operator that it is time to replace wear member 104. The wear indicator 731 can be measured and shaped to have the depth associated with the expected amount of wear before wear member 104 should be replaced. This expected amount of wear can be based on historical data representing how wear member 104 wears during normal operations.The wear indicator 731 can be positioned in other locations on the wear member 104 as well. Figure 7B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a wear member 104 showing a higher projection 706 and a lower projection 707 arranged to correspond to the concave bearing surfaces 210, 213 on the adapter 102. The wear member 104 includes a leading end 708 and a trailing end 703. A cavity 702 is formed in the trailing end 703, extending longitudinally inward from the trailing end 703. The cavity 702 opens to the rear of a wear member 104 and is shaped and measured to fit over the nose 203 of the adapter 102. In some implementations, the cavity 702 is formed to have surfaces that correspond to various surfaces of the nose 203. In some implementations, since not all surfaces are mating surfaces, only the mating surfaces of the cavity 702 and the nose 203 have the same shape. Therefore, the cavity 702 may be contoured so that the mating surface of the cavity 702 matches the mating surface of the adapter 102. Because of this, the descriptions applied herein relating to the outer surfaces of the nose 203 are equally applicable to an inner surface of the cavity 702 of a wear member 104. Similar to the nose 203, the cavity 702 also includes a front portion 720, a rear portion 722, and an intermediate portion 724. The cavity 702 also includes a longitudinal shaft 718, which in this implementation is coaxial with a longitudinal shaft of a wear member 104.A transverse axis 719 (Figures 7A and 10) extends perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis 718 and is arranged to remain substantially parallel to a principal end of a shovel edge. In accordance with the present example, the cavity 702 includes a front portion 720, a middle portion 724, and a rear portion 722. The front portion 720 includes a plurality of substantially flat, inwardly facing surfaces 721a, 721b, 721e, 721f, and 721g in an octagonal shape (not all eight orientations are shown in the cross-section of Figure 7B). These surfaces 721a, 721b, 721e, 721f, and 721g may correspond to some outwardly facing surfaces 202 of the front portion 205 of an adapter 102. As described above, some surfaces 202 of the front portion 205 may be snap-fit ​​surfaces, while others may be non-snap-fit ​​surfaces.The fitting surfaces of adapter 102 can fit with the fitting surfaces of cavity 702, while the non-fitting surfaces of adapter 102 can have slightly different shapes than the non-fitting surfaces of cavity 702 or can be offset from the non-fitting surfaces of cavity 702. The intermediate part 724 includes a plurality of substantially flat, inwardly facing surfaces 723a, 723b, 723e, 723f, 723g (not all surfaces are shown in the cross-section of Figure 7B). These surfaces 723a, 723b, 723e, 723f, 723g may correspond to some of the outwardly facing surfaces 216 of the intermediate parts 209 of an adapter 102. Specifically, the fitting surfaces of the adapter 102 may fit with a fitting surface of the cavity 702, while the non-fitting surfaces of the adapter 102 may have slightly different shapes than the non-fitting surfaces of the cavity 702 or may be offset from the non-fitting surfaces of the cavity 702. The back portion 722 includes a plurality of substantially flat inwardly facing surfaces 704a, 704b, 704c, 704d, 704e, 704f, 704g, 704h in an octagonal shape (some surfaces may be better shown in Figure 8). These surfaces include a higher inner surface 704e and a lower inner surface 704g (which are vertically separated), horizontally separated side surfaces 704f, 704h, higher inclined inner surfaces 704a, 704c, and lower inclined inner surfaces 704b, 704g. These surfaces 704a, 704b, 704c, 704d, 704e, 704f, 704g, 704h may correspond to the outward-facing surfaces 204 of the front 207 of adapter 102.Specifically, the fitting surfaces of adapter 102 may fit with the fitting surfaces of cavity 702, while the non-fitting surfaces of adapter 102 may have slightly different shapes than the non-fitting surfaces of cavity 702 or may be offset from the surfaces of cavity 702. The cavity 702 includes a higher inward-facing surface 704e that is designed to fit with the upward-facing surface 204e of the nose 203. In some implementations, the higher inward-facing surface 204e may be substantially flat. The higher inward-facing surface 704e also includes a higher projection 706 extending from it. The higher projection 706 may also be described as an inward-facing bearing surface portion 706 since it projects inward toward a longitudinal axis 718 of the wear member 104 and the cavity 702. The inward-facing, higher bearing surface portion 706 is measured and shaped to fit with the concave bearing surface portion 210 of the nose 203.Similarly, the cavity includes a lower inward-facing surface 704g that was designed to fit with a downward-facing surface 204g of the nose 203. The lower inward-facing surface 704g also includes an inward-facing bearing surface portion 707. The cavity also includes other surfaces that correspond to surfaces 202, 204 of the nose 203. The inward-facing bearing surface portions 705, 707 are convex and arranged to vertically support the loads imposed at the leading end. The projections 706 and 707 can be centrally located on their respective surfaces 704e and 704g. The projections 706 and 707 can then be circumscribed by flat portions of surfaces 704e and 704g. Furthermore, the projections 706 and 707 can be offset laterally from one another if the corresponding portions of the concave bearing surfaces 210 and 213 of the nose 203 are offset from each other. Both projections, the higher 706 and the lower 706, can form a longitudinal arc having tangents at oblique angles. In some examples, there may be only a single projection 706 on the higher surface 704 and only a single projection 707 on the lower portion of surface 704g. In some examples, however, there may be additional projections on each surface 704e and 704g. In the present example, the surfaces of the projections 706, 707 can act as bearing surfaces against the portions of the bearing surfaces 210, 213 of the adapter nose 203. Therefore, the interference features comprising the projections 706, 707 and the portions of the bearing surfaces 210, 213 can provide additional support for loads in various directions. Furthermore, by virtue of their curved nature, the projections and grooves provide lateral stability as well as vertical bearing surfaces. The cavity 702 may also include a hole 725 that aligns with hole 206 when the wear member 104 is placed over the adapter 102. Such alignments allow the retaining pins to be inserted through it. In some examples, the wear member 104 may include a single hole on one side of the cavity, and in some examples, the wear member 104 may include two holes, one on each side of the cavity 702. The cavity 702 also includes inward-facing torque control surfaces 727a, 727c. Torque control surfaces 727b, 727d are shown in Figure 10. The inward-facing torque control surfaces 727a, 727b, 727c, 727d are measured and formed to fit against the outward-facing torque control features 230a, 230b, 230c, 230d of the adapter nose. Figures 8 and 9 are cross-sectional views of the tooth with the projection. Figure 8 illustrates the vertically separated, opposite inner walls 704e, 704g, which correspond to walls 204e, 204g of the nose 203. Figure 8 also illustrates the horizontally separated, opposite inner walls 704f, 704h, which correspond to walls 204f, 204h of the nose 203. Figure 8 also illustrates the transversely inclined, inward-facing walls 704a, 704b, 704c, 704d, which correspond to the outward-facing, transversely inclined walls 204a, 204b, 204c, 204d of the nose 203. Figure 10 is a rear view of a tooth viewed from within cavity 702. Viewed from within the cavity, surfaces 721a, 721b, 721c, 721d, 721e, 721f, 721g, and 721h of the front portion 720 of cavity 702 can be seen. Additionally, surfaces 723a, 723b, 723c, 723d, 723e, 723f, 723g, and 723h of the middle portion 724 of cavity 702 can be seen. Furthermore, surfaces 704a, 704b, 704c, 704d, 704e, and 704g, as well as projections 706 and 707, can be seen. While the concave bearing surface portions 210, 213 and the projections 706, 707 are substantially elliptical in shape, some embodiments may have polygonal projections and bearing surface portions. In some examples, the bearing surface portions may be positioned on the side surface near or adjacent to the bore 206, 711 through which the retaining pin is inserted. Because the projections 706, 707 are measured and formed to match the size and shape of the concave bearing surface portions, the description of either applies equally to the other. Although the grooves are described on adapter 102 and the protrusions are described on the internal surfaces of wear member 104, it should be noted that some implementations are arranged in reverse to have the protrusion on adapter 102 and the grooves on wear member 104. The present invention also relates to a ground preparation wear member assembly that includes an adapter nose that can be secured to a spade edge or a tooth. The nose includes inclined bearing surfaces arranged to be received within a cavity of the tooth. The cavity includes bearing surfaces that correspond with and prepare the bearing surfaces of the nose. According to some examples, the adapter nose may include a front portion at a distal end of the nose and a rear portion at a proximal end of the nose. The rear portion may include eight substantially flat surfaces that converge toward the longitudinal axis of the nose. The front portion may also include eight substantially flat surfaces that converge toward the longitudinal axis of the nose, but at a shallower angle.In some implementations, both the front and rear sections have octagonal cross-sections. In some of these implementations, the horizontal and vertical surfaces of the rear section may be non-bearing surfaces, while the inclined surfaces (e.g., non-vertical and non-horizontal) may be bearing surfaces. On the front, the inclined surface may also be a bearing surface. Figure 11A is an exploded perspective view of a ground preparation wear member assembly 10. According to the present example, the wear member assembly 10 includes a nose 1100 and a wear member 1200. One example implementation of a wear member 1200 is a tooth 1200. In another implementation, the wear member 1200 is an intermediate adapter. Other wear members are contemplated. The nose 1100 includes a front portion 1124 and a rear portion 1122. In the example shown, the nose 1100 extends from the base structure, which is shown as a block but represents any additional added structure that supports the nose, including a scoop receiving portion having bifurcated adapter legs, similar to adapter 102 in Figure 1. In some implementations, the nose is secured to the edge of the excavator bucket. The nose may form part of an adapter or an intermediate adapter and may also be referred to herein as a support structure since it provides stabilizing support to an additional component, which in this implementation is tooth 1200. Nose 1100 also includes a hole 12 for receiving a retaining pin. In this example, the nose includes torque control tools 18. Tooth 1200 also includes a hole 14 through which the retaining pin can be inserted. Since any of many known retaining pins can be used herein, retaining pin details are not included. Tooth 1200 also includes a rearward-facing cavity (not shown in Figure 11A) and a ground preparation end as a driving end 16.A shaft 1105 extends through wear member assembly 10. Figure 11B shows a view of the nose 1100 looking through the longitudinal axis 1105 of the nose 1100. Figure 11C shows a side view of the nose 1100, looking along the transverse axis 1107. The transverse axis 1107 is aligned in a position that would run parallel to the axis of the blade edge (not shown). As described above, the nose 1100 must be secured to the blade edge and includes a front portion 1124 and a rear portion 1122. The rear portion 1122 includes a set of eight substantially flat surfaces. In particular, this set includes a subset having an upper surface 1108a and a lower surface 1108b, a subset of two side surfaces 1106a, 1106b, and a subset of four inclined surfaces 1110a, 1110b, 1110c, 1110d.The upper and lower surfaces may be referred to as horizontal surfaces, and the side surfaces may be referred to as vertical surfaces because the surfaces are horizontal and vertical in cross-section. The four inclined surfaces 1110a, 1110b, 1110c, 1110d may be bearing surfaces arranged to contact and interfere with the tooth surfaces 1200. Because each bearing surface is inclined, each bearing surface is capable of resisting both vertical and horizontal loads. The inclined surfaces may also be referred to as diagonal or oblique surfaces. Both the horizontal surfaces 1108a, 1108b and the vertical surfaces 1106a, 1106b may be non-bearing surfaces. In the present exemplary implementation, each of the eight substantially flat surfaces converges toward a longitudinal axis 1105 of the nose 1100. In some examples, the angle of the eight substantially flat surfaces with respect to the longitudinal axis 1105 may be within the range of approximately 5–25 degrees. In other examples, the angle may be within the range of 8–15 degrees. Other ranges are also contemplated herein. In this implementation, the upper and lower surfaces 1108a, 1108b may be wider than the side surfaces 1106a, 1106b. Thus, the octagonal cross-section may differ in width 1132 more than in height 1134. This facilitates torsional and stability control. In the exemplary implementation shown, the front portion 1124 further includes a set of eight substantially flat surfaces. Specifically, the set includes a subset having a top surface 1114a and a bottom surface 1114b, a subset of two side surfaces 1112a and 1112b, and a subset of four inclined surfaces 1116a, 1116b, 1116c, and 1116d. The four inclined surfaces 1116a, 1116b, 1116c, and 1116d can be bearing surfaces arranged to contact and interfere with tooth surfaces 1200. Because each bearing surface is inclined, each bearing surface can resist both vertical and horizontal loads. The top and bottom surfaces 1114a and 1114b can also be non-bearing surfaces. In some instances, the side surfaces 1112a and 1112b can be bearing surfaces.In some examples, however, the side surfaces 1112a, 1112b may be non-bearing surfaces. In some implementations, the non-bearing surfaces of the front 1124 or rear 1122 may not be substantially flat. In some implementations, each of the eight substantially flat surfaces of the front 1124 converges toward the longitudinal axis 1105 of the nose 1100, but at an angle that is narrower than the angle at which the eight substantially flat surfaces of the rear 1122 converge toward the longitudinal axis 1105. In some examples, the angle of the eight substantially flat surfaces of the front 1124 with respect to the longitudinal axis 1105 may be within the range of approximately 0–15 degrees. In other examples, the angle may be within the range of approximately 1–8 degrees. Additionally, the upper and lower surfaces 1114a, 1114b may be wider than the side surfaces 1112a, 1112b. Thus, the cross-section of the octagonal shape is different in width 1132 than it is in height 1134. This further facilitates torsional control and stability.In some examples, the ratio of the top or bottom surface width to the side surface width is different in the front 1124 than in the back 1122. For example, the ratio of the top and bottom surface width to the side surface width may be larger in the front 1124 than it is in the back 1122. Figure 12A shows a view of tooth 1200 looking into cavity 1205. Figure 12B is a cross-sectional view of tooth 1200 along the longitudinal axis 1105, taken at lines 12B-12B in Figure 12A. Cavity 1205 is formed at the trailing end 1209 of tooth 1200, extending longitudinally inward at the trailing end 1204. Cavity 1205 has bearing surfaces that correspond to and interfere with the bearing surfaces of the nose 1100. It also has a longitudinal reference axis 1105 and a transverse axis 1107. Cavity 1205 further includes a front portion 1224 and a back portion 1222. The back portion 1222 includes a set of eight substantially flat surfaces.Thus, in this exemplary implementation, the set of substantially flat surfaces includes a subset having a top surface 1208a and a bottom surface 1208b, a subset of two side surfaces 1206a, 1206b, and a subset of four inclined surfaces 1210a, 1210b, 1210c, 1210d. The four inclined surfaces 1210a, 1210b, 1210c, 1210d can be bearing surfaces. Because each bearing surface is inclined, each bearing surface is capable of resisting both the horizontal and vertical loads that may be applied to the foot 1200 during use. Both the top and bottom surfaces 1208a, 1208b and the side surfaces 1206a, 1206b can be non-bearing surfaces. In some instances, the non-bearing surfaces may not be substantially flat. For example, non-rolling surfaces can be curved. The front part 1224 further includes a front assembly of eight substantially flat surfaces. Specifically, the front assembly includes a subassembly having an upper surface 1214a and a lower surface 1214b, a subassembly of two side surfaces 1212a, 1212b, and a subassembly of four inclined surfaces 1216a, 1216b, 1216c, 1216d. The four inclined surfaces 1216a, 1216b, 1216c, 1216d may be bearing surfaces. Again, because each bearing surface is inclined, each bearing surface is capable of resisting both horizontal and vertical loads. The horizontal surfaces 1214a and 1214b can also be non-bearing surfaces. In some examples, the vertical surfaces 1212a and 1212b can be bearing surfaces. In some examples, however, the vertical surfaces 1212a and 1212b can be non-bearing surfaces. Referring now to Figure 11C, the nose 1100 includes a rear surface 1101 and an octagonal front contact surface 1118. The front contact surface 1118 may be octagonal. The front contact surface 1118 may be a fitting surface since it is designed to make contact with a front contact surface 1218 of the cavity 1205 (shown in Figures 12A and 12B). The front contact surface 1218 of the cavity 1205 may also be octagonal. The rear surface 1201 at the rear end 1109 of the tooth 1200 may or may not make contact with the rear surface 1101 of the nose 1100. In some implementations, the nose 1100 and tooth 1200 may be designed symmetrically so that the tooth can be rotated 180 degrees and still fit perfectly into the tooth. This allows tooth 1200 to be flipped over after a certain period of wear. Tooth 1200 can then continue to be used in the flipped position. This prolongs the life of tooth 1200. Figure 13 is a perspective view of the nose 1100. In addition to the substantially flat surfaces 1106a, 1106b, 1108a, 1108b, 1110a, 1110b, 1110c, 1110d, 1112a, 1112b, 1114a, 1114b, 1116a, 1116b, 1116c, 1116d, both the front 1124 and the rear 1122 may have curved surfaces located between the flat surfaces. In implementations having rear surface 1101, the nose 1100 may include surfaces 1302 located and moving between rear surface 1101 and the eight substantially flat surfaces 1106a, 1106b, 1108a, 1108b, 1110a, 1110b, 1110c, 110d of rear portion 1122. The nose 1100 may further include elongated curved surfaces 1304 between adjacent edges of each of the flat surfaces 1106a, 1106b, 1108a, 1108b, 1110a, 1110b, 1110c, 110d, 1112a, 1112b, 1114a, 1114b, 1116a, 1116b, 1116c, 1116d both at the front 1124 and at the rear 1122.The nose 1100 may further include curved surfaces 1306 located between the flat surfaces 1106a, 1106b, 1108a, 1108b, 1110a, 1110b, 1110c, 1110d of the rear 1122 and the flat surfaces of the front 1124. The nose 1100 may further include curved surfaces 1308 located between the front contact surfaces 1118 and the flat surfaces 1112a, 1112b, 1114a, 1114b, 1116a, 1116b, 1116c, 1116d of the front 1124. In some implementations, these curved surfaces may be fillets or circles intended to minimize stress on the location during use. Curved surfaces can also help provide an outlet for the wear member cavity. In some examples, the transverse width W1 of the upper and lower non-bearing surfaces 1108a, 1108b is different at the distal end 1307 of the rear 1122 than the transverse width W3 at the proximal end 1305 of the rear 1122. For example, the transverse width W1 of the upper and lower non-bearing surfaces 1108a, 1108b may be less at the distal end 1307 of the rear 1122 than the transverse width W3 at the proximal end 1305 of the rear 1122 or vice versa. Furthermore, the transverse width W2 of the bearing surfaces 1110a, 1110b, 1110c, and 1110d at the distal end 1307 of the rear 1122 may be different from the transverse width W4 at the proximal end 1305. For example, the transverse width W2 of the bearing surfaces 1110a, 1110b, 1110c, and 1110d at the distal end 1307 of the rear 1122 may be smaller than the transverse width W4 at the proximal shaft 1305 or vice versa.Furthermore, the transverse width W1 of the upper and lower surfaces 1108a, 1108b at the distal end 1307 of the rear part 1122 may differ from the transverse width W2 of the bearing surfaces 1110a, 1110b, 1110c, 1110d at the distal end 1307 of the rear part 1122. For example, the transverse width W1 of the upper and lower surfaces 1108a, 1108b at the distal end 1307 of the rear part 1122 may be smaller than the transverse width W2 of the bearing surfaces 1110a, 1110b, 1110c, 1110d at the distal end 1307 of the rear part 1122 or vice versa. Furthermore, the transverse width W3 of the upper and lower surfaces 1108a, 1108b at the proximal end 1305 of the rear part 1122 may be different from the transverse width W4 of the bearing surfaces 1110a, 1110b, 1110c, 1110d at the proximal end 1305 of the rear part 1122.For example, the transverse width W3 of the upper and lower surfaces 1108a, 1108b at the proximal end 1305 of the rear 1122 may be greater than the transverse width W4 of the bearing surfaces 1110a, 1110b, 1110c, 1110d at the proximal end 1305 of the rear 1122 or vice versa. Figure 14A shows a view of an illustrative adapter nose 1400 with torque control tools 1402a, 1402b, 1402c, and 1402d resisting torsional movement of the wear member 1200 about the nose 1100. Figure 14B shows a side view of the adapter nose 1400 with torque control tools. Figure 14C is a perspective view of the adapter nose 1400 with torque control tools. Figure 14D is a top view of the adapter nose 1400 including the inclined bearing surfaces with reference to Figures 11A, 11B, 11C, and 13. For convenience, these bearing surfaces will not be described again with reference to Figures 14A, 14B, 14C, and 14D. Torque control tools 1402a, 1402b, 1402c, 1402d comprise projections extending from the nose 1400.Each of the torque control tools includes vertical flat outward facing surfaces 1404a, 1404b, 1404c, 1404d. Torque control tools 1402a, 1402b, 1402c, 1402d are positioned near the rear end of the adapter nose 1400. Torque control tools 1402a, 1402b, 1402c, 1402d are also positioned such that vertical surfaces 1404a, 1404b, 1404c, 1404d intersect inclined bearing surfaces 1110a, 1110b, 1110c, 1110d of the nose 1400. As illustrated in Figure 14D, vertical surfaces 1404a, 1402b, 1402c, 1404d are tapered towards the longitudinal axis. This allows tooth 1200 to be extracted from nose 1100 more easily. As best seen in the side view of Figure 14B, the torque control tools 1402a, 1402b, 1402c, and 1402d are located within the boundary created by the flat surfaces 1108a and 1108b. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the nose of adapter 1400 includes torque control tools 1402a and 1402b located on one side and torque control tools 1402c and 1402d arranged on one side. In some implementations, the nose of adapter 1400 includes the torque control tools only on one of the top or bottom sides. Furthermore, in the implementation shown, torque control tools 1402a and 1402b are vertically aligned with torque control tools 1402c and 1402d. In some implementations, the torque control tools are not vertically aligned. Figure 15 is a diagram showing a tooth 1500 having a cavity 1505 designed to fit an adapter nose, such as adapter nose 1400, with torque control tools, such as torque control tools 1402a, 1402b, 1402c, 1402d. The cavity 1505 may include a number of pockets 1502a, 1502b, 1502c, 1502d. Pockets 1502a, 1502b, 1502c, 1502d may be designed to receive torque control tools 1402a, 1402b, 1402c, 1402d from adapter nose 1400. In the exemplary implementation shown, pockets 1502a, 1502b, 1502c, 1502d include inwardly facing, flat, vertical surfaces 1504a, 1504b, 1504c, 1504d that correspond to the vertical surfaces 1404a, 1404b, 1404c, 1404d of adapter nose 1400.Thus, the vertical surfaces 1404a, 1404b, 1404c, 1404d of the nose 1400 are designed to engage and interfere with the vertical surfaces 1504a, 1504b, 1504c, 1504d of the tooth 1500 so as to resist rotary motion between the nose 1400 and the tooth 1500. The tooth 1500 may have, as indicated with reference to Figures 12A and 12B, flat bearing surfaces that interrelate with flat bearing surfaces on the nose of the adapter 1400. Figure 16A shows a cross-section of the nose of adapter 1100 orthogonal to the longitudinal axis (e.g., 1105, Figure 11B) in an assembled condition. Thus, Figure 16A also illustrates the cross-section of tooth 1200. As illustrated, the inclined bearing surfaces 1110a, 1110b, 1110c, 1110d of the nose 1100 engage against the inclined surfaces 1210a, 1210b, 1210c, 1210d of tooth 1200. These inclined bearing surfaces minimize or prevent lateral and vertical movement of tooth 1200 relative to the nose of the adapter 1100. In some instances, there may be a gap between the horizontal non-bearing surfaces 1108a, 1108b of the nose and the horizontal non-bearing surfaces 1208a, 1208b of tooth 1200. Additionally, there may be a gap between the vertical non-bearing surfaces 1106a, 1106b of the nose and the vertical non-bearing surfaces of tooth 1200. 1206a, 1206b of tooth 1200.In some examples, however, the non-bearing surfaces of nose 1100 and tooth 1200 may make contact when tooth 1200 fits onto nose 1100. Due to the inclined bearing surfaces, lateral and vertical movement can be minimized. Figure 16B shows a cross-section orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the adapter nose 1400 with the torque control tools. As described above, the vertical surfaces 1404a, 1404b, 1404c, and 1404d of the nose 1400 fit against the vertical surfaces 1504a, 1504b, 1504c, and 1504d of the tooth 1500. Thus, the torque control tools 1402a, 1402b, 1402c, and 1402d are arranged to resist rotational and torsional movement between the nose 1400 and the tooth 1500. This could help stabilize the tooth 1500 in the adapter nose 1400 during use. Figure 16C shows a cross-section of the front of the adapter nose 1100. Figure 16C also illustrates the cross-section of tooth 1200. As illustrated, the inclined bearing surfaces 1116a, 1116b, 1116c, 1116d of the nose 1100 mesh against the inclined bearing surfaces 1216a, 1216b, 1216c, 1216d of tooth 1200. In some examples, there may be a gap between the horizontal non-bearing surfaces 1114a, 1114b of the nose and the non-horizontal bearing surfaces 1214a, 1214b of tooth 1200. In the present example, the vertical surfaces 1112a, 1112b of the nose 1100 and the vertical surfaces 1212a, 1212b of the tooth The 1200 are rolling surfaces and thus there is no space between them. In some examples, however, there may be a space between the vertical surfaces 1112a, 1112b of the nose 1100 and the vertical surfaces 1212a, 1212b of the tooth 1200.In this exemplary implementation, the inclined bearing surfaces 1116c and 1116d are adjacent to, but not part of, the same lower surface 1114b of the adapter nose 1100. This inclined design can, in some cases, extend the service life of the adapter nose 1100. It is not uncommon during use for an operator to wear down the lower portion of a tooth, inadvertently exposing and wearing down a lower surface of the adapter nose 1100. In conventional systems using the lower surface of an adapter nose as a bearing surface, this can adversely affect the stability of a subsequent tooth located on the adapter nose. A worn bearing surface can cause wobble, accelerate wear, and potentially permanently damage the adapter nose.However, the exemplary implementation revealed herein includes bearing surfaces on inclined lower surfaces, rather than a horizontal base surface. Because of this, if an operator inadvertently wears down part of the lower surface of the adapter nose, the inclined bearing surfaces would provide greater stability to the tooth in both the vertical and horizontal directions. This can increase the service life of the adapter nose because the tooth can be adequately supported even with a worn lower surface of the adapter nose. Figure 16D illustrates a cross-section of the adapter nose 1450 with the offset torque control tooling. For example, surface 1454a is offset from surface 1454c. Similarly, surface 1454b is offset from surface 1454d. Tooth 1550 includes the corresponding surfaces 1554a, 1554b, 1554c, and 1554d. The offsets are such that tooth 1550 can rotate up and down and engage with the nose 1450. In other words, the tooth is engaged with the adapter nose 1450 in two rotational positions. Although described as having eight flat surfaces, some implementations of the adapter noses and teeth described herein include four inclined flat surfaces and fewer than four horizontal or vertical flat surfaces. In some implementations, the adapter noses and teeth described herein include a round or arc-shaped outer surface connecting two adjacent inclined flat surfaces. For example, some implementations do not include the lateral vertical, with circles connecting adjacent surfaces 106a and 1106b. In these implementations, surfaces 1106a and 1106b may be replaced with a round surface connecting bearing surfaces 1110a and 1110c. The tooth may be shaped to match.In some implementations, the adapter nose may be formed with eight flat surfaces, but the tooth cavity, such as cavity 1205, may be formed with only six flat surfaces. In some examples, the vertical surfaces 1206a and 1206b described herein may be rounded, while cavity 1205 may still be formed to engage and fit the flat, inclined bearing surfaces of the adapter nose. United States Provisional Application No. 62 / 441.756 filed on January 3, 2017, entitled "Clamp Spring Connector for a Ground Preparing Wear Member Assembly" and United States Provisional Application No. 62 / 335.424 filed on May 12, 2016, entitled "Accelerator for a Wear Member Assembly" are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Those with a basic understanding of the art will appreciate that the implementations encompassed by the present invention are not limited to the particular exemplary implementations described above. In this respect, although illustrative implementations have been shown and described, a wide range of modifications, changes, combinations, and substitutions are contemplated herein. It is understood that such variations may be made herein without departing from the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be interpreted generally in a manner consistent with this disclosure.

Claims

1. A wear member comprising: a cavity having: a rear portion having a first set of eight surfaces converging toward a longitudinal axis at a first average angle toward a distal end, the first set of eight surfaces comprising: a top surface and a bottom surface; a set of side surfaces; and a set of inclined surfaces positioned between the top and side surfaces and between the bottom and side surfaces; and a front portion positioned forward of the rear portion, the front portion having a second set of eight surfaces converging toward the longitudinal axis at a second average angle that is less than at the first average angle; and a set of pockets positioned close to the diagonal surfaces, each pocket of the pocket set having an inwardly oriented vertical surface.

2. The wear member according to claim 1, further characterized in that the width-to-height ratio of a rear cross-section is less than the width-to-height ratio of a front cross-section.

3. The wear member according to claim 1, further characterized in that the front portion comprises four inclined bearing surfaces.

4. The wear member according to claim 1, further characterized in that the upper and lower surfaces are bearing surfaces.

5. The wear member according to claim 1, further characterized in that the set of side surfaces are non-rolling surfaces.

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