Implement Wear Member with Wear Indicator

Abstract

A wear member including a body having front, rear, top, bottom, inner side and outer side portions. The wear member includes a front bottom edge, a front top edge parallel to the front bottom edge, a front inner side edge, and a front outer side edge. The wear member includes a front face defined on the front portion extending between the front inner side edge, the front outer side edge, the front top edge, and the front bottom edge. A lower wear indicator groove is formed in the front face parallel to the front bottom edge, and a lower wear face is defined between the front bottom edge and the lower wear indicator groove. The body mounts to the earth-working implement to dispose the lower wear face between a mounting edge and a work surface.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wear member for an earth-working implement, the wear member comprising:
 a body having front, rear, top, bottom, inner side and outer side portions;   a front bottom edge defined along at least a portion of a front bottom interface between the front portion and the bottom portion, the front bottom edge aligned with a longitudinal axis;   a front top edge defined along at least a portion of a front top interface between the front portion and the top portion, the front top edge substantially parallel to the front bottom edge;   a front inner side edge defined along at least a portion of a front inner side interface between the front inner side portion and the front portion;   a front outer side edge defined along at least a portion of a front outer side interface between the outer side portion and the front portion;   a front face defined on the front portion, the front face extending between the front inner side edge, the front outer side edge, the front top edge, and the front bottom edge;   a lower wear indicator groove formed in the front face substantially parallel to the front bottom edge; and   a lower wear face defined between the front bottom edge and the lower wear indicator groove;   wherein the body is configured to be mounted to the earth-working implement so as to dispose the lower wear face between a mounting edge of the earth-working blade and a work surface.   
     
     
         2 . The wear member of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a front lower cutout edge disposed on the front face between the front top edge and the front bottom edge and substantially parallel to the front bottom edge; and 
 a front cutout formed in the front face and delimited by the front lower cutout edge and the front top edge. 
 
     
     
         3 . The wear member of  claim 2  wherein the lower wear indicator groove is formed between the front bottom edge and the front lower cutout edge. 
     
     
         4 . The wear member of  claim 2  further comprising:
 a front lower surface defined between the front lower cutout edge and the front bottom edge; 
 a front cutout surface defined by the front cutout between the front lower cutout edge and the front top edge, wherein the front cutout surface is offset from the front lower surface in a direction along a normal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. 
 
     
     
         5 . The wear member of  claim 4 , wherein the front lower surface and is substantially parallel to at least a portion of the front cutout surface. 
     
     
         6 . The wear member of  claim 1 , wherein a normal axis is defined perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and a rear face is defined on the rear portion, and wherein a ratio between a wear indicator depth, measured along the normal axis, and a body thickness, measured along the normal axis between the front face and the rear face, can be in a range between about 1:20 and about 2:5. 
     
     
         7 . The wear member of  claim 1 , wherein a lateral axis is defined perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and wherein a ratio of a lower wear indicator height, measured along the lateral axis between the front bottom edge and the lower wear indicator groove, and a body height, measured along the lateral axis between the front bottom edge and the front top edge, is in a range between about 1:20 and about 1:5. 
     
     
         8 . The wear member of  claim 1 , wherein a lateral axis is defined perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and wherein a ratio of a lower wear indicator height, measured along the lateral axis between the front bottom edge and the lower wear indicator groove, and a body height, measured along the lateral axis between the front bottom edge and the front top edge, is at least about 1:10. 
     
     
         9 . The wear member of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an upper wear indicator groove formed in the front face substantially parallel to the front top edge between the lower wear indicator groove and the front top edge; and an upper wear face defined on the front face between the upper wear indicator groove and the front top edge.   
     
     
         10 . The wear member of  claim 9 , wherein the body is configured to be mounted to the earth-working implement so as to selectively dispose either the lower wear face between or the upper wear face between a mounting edge of the earth-working blade and a work surface. 
     
     
         11 . The wear member of  claim 9  further comprising:
 a front lower cutout edge disposed on the front face between the front top edge and the front bottom edge, the front lower cutout edge substantially parallel to the front bottom edge; 
 a front upper cutout edge disposed on the front face between the front top edge and the front lower cutout edge, the front upper cutout edge substantially parallel to the front top edge; and 
 a front cutout formed in the front face and delimited by the front upper cutout edge and the front lower cutout edge. 
 
     
     
         12 . The wear member of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a front lower surface defined on the front face between the front lower cutout edge and the front bottom edge;   a front cutout surface defined by the front cutout between the front lower cutout edge and the front upper cutout edge; and   a front upper surface defined on the front surface between the front top edge and the front upper cutout edge;   wherein the front cutout surface is offset from the front lower surface and the front upper surface in a direction along a normal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.   
     
     
         13 . The wear member of  claim 12 , wherein the front upper surface and the front lower surface are substantially co-planar. 
     
     
         14 . The wear member of  claim 9 , wherein a lateral axis is defined perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and wherein a ratio of an upper wear indicator height, measured along the lateral axis between the front bottom edge and the upper wear indicator groove, and a body height, measured along the lateral axis between the front bottom edge and the front top edge, is in a range between about 1:20 and about 1:5. 
     
     
         15 . The wear member of  claim 9 , wherein a lateral axis is defined perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and wherein a ratio of an upper wear indicator height, measured along the lateral axis between the front bottom edge and the upper wear indicator groove, and a body height, measured along the lateral axis between the front bottom edge and the front top edge, is at least about 1:10. 
     
     
         16 . A wear member for an earth-working implement, the wear member comprising:
 a body having front, rear, top, bottom, inner side and outer side portions;   a front bottom edge defined along at least a portion of a front bottom interface between the front portion and the bottom portion, the front bottom edge aligned with a longitudinal axis;   a front top edge defined along at least a portion of a front top interface between the front portion and the top portion, the front top edge substantially parallel to the front bottom edge;   a front inner side edge defined along at least a portion of a front inner side interface between the inner side portion and the front portion;   a front outer side edge defined along at least a portion of a front outer side interface between the outer side portion and the front portion;   a front face defined on the front portion, the front face extending between the front inner side edge, the front outer side edge, the front top edge, and the front bottom edge;   a front lower cutout edge disposed on the front face between the front top edge and the front bottom edge, the front lower cutout edge substantially parallel to the front bottom edge;   a front cutout formed in the front face and delimited by the front lower cutout edge and the front top edge;   a front lower surface defined between the front lower cutout edge and the front bottom edge;   a front cutout surface defined between the front lower cutout edge and the front top edge, the front cutout surface being offset from the front lower surface in a direction along a normal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;   a lower wear indicator groove formed in the front lower surface substantially parallel to the front bottom edge; and   a lower wear face defined on the front lower surface between the front bottom edge and the lower wear indicator groove;   wherein the body is configured to be mounted to the earth-working implement so as to dispose the lower wear face between a mounting edge of the earth-working blade and a work surface.   
     
     
         17 . The wear member of  claim 16 , wherein a lateral axis is defined perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and the normal axis, and wherein a ratio of a lower wear indicator height, measured along the lateral axis between the front bottom edge and the lower wear indicator groove, and a body height, measured along the lateral axis between the front bottom edge and the front top edge, is in a range between about 1:20 and about 1:5. 
     
     
         18 . The wear member of  claim 16 , wherein a lateral axis is defined perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and the normal axis, and wherein a ratio of a lower wear indicator height, measured along the lateral axis between the front bottom edge and the lower wear indicator groove, and a body height, measured along the lateral axis between the front bottom edge and the front top edge, is at least about 1:10. 
     
     
         19 . A wear member for an earth-working implement, the wear member comprising:
 a body having front, rear, top, bottom, inner side and outer side portions;   a front bottom edge defined along at least a portion of a front bottom interface between the front portion and the bottom portion, the front bottom edge aligned with a longitudinal axis;   a front top edge defined along at least a portion of a front top interface between the front portion and the top portion, the front top edge substantially parallel to the front bottom edge;   a front inner side edge defined along at least a portion of a front inner side interface between the inner side portion and the front portion;   a front outer side edge defined along at least a portion of a front outer side interface between the outer side portion and the front portion;   a front face defined on the front portion, the front face extending between the front inner side edge, the front outer side edge, the front top edge, and the front bottom edge;   a front lower cutout edge disposed on the front face between the front top edge and the front bottom edge, the front lower cutout edge substantially parallel to the front bottom edge;   a front upper cutout edge disposed on the front face between the front top edge and the front lower cutout edge, the front upper cutout edge substantially parallel to the front top edge;   a front lower surface defined between the front lower cutout edge and the front bottom edge;   a front upper surface defined between the front top edge and the front upper cutout edge;   a front cutout surface defined between the front lower cutout edge and the front upper cutout edge, the front cutout surface being offset from the front lower surface and the front upper surface in a direction along a normal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;   a lower wear indicator groove formed in the front lower surface substantially parallel to the front bottom edge;   a lower wear face defined on the front lower surface between the front bottom edge and the lower wear indicator groove;   an upper wear indicator groove formed in the front upper surface substantially parallel to the front top edge;   an upper wear face defined on the front upper surface between the front top edge and the upper wear indicator groove;   wherein the body is configured to be mounted to the earth-working implement so as to selectively dispose either the lower wear face or the upper wear face between a mounting edge of the earth-working blade and a work surface.   
     
     
         20 . The wear member of  claim 19 , wherein a lateral axis is defined perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and wherein a ratio of an upper wear indicator height, measured along the lateral axis between the front bottom edge and the upper wear indicator groove, and a body height, measured along the lateral axis between the front bottom edge and the front top edge, is in a range between about 1:20 and about 1:5.