Patent ID: 7900706

Claim:
A wellhead assembly, comprising: a wellhead housing having a bore containing a support shoulder; a split, resilient load ring carried in an expanded initial position in the bore above the support shoulder, the load ring being movable downwardly to a contracted set position in engagement with the support shoulder; an actuator assembly carried in the bore above the load ring for pushing the load ring from the initial position to the set position, the actuator assembly having an axially resilient portion; and a casing hanger for securing to a string of casing and lowering into the wellhead housing, the casing hanger having an outer profile that engages the actuator assembly as the casing hanger moves downwardly in the bore, causing the resilient portion to compress and the load ring to move to the set position and causing the casing hanger to land on the load ring so that the load ring transfers weight from the casing hanger to the wellhead housing.