Patent ID: 7350600

Claim:
An earth-boring bit comprising: a bit body comprising a plurality of head sections, each of the head sections having a curved lower end defining a shirttail and an outer surface, the outer surface having a ball plug spaced above the shirttail; a cutter rotatably mounted to a cantilevered bearing shaft depending inwardly from each of the head sections; a layer of hardfacing on each of the head sections, the layer of hardfacing including a leading edge portion formed on a leading side of each of the head sections and a shirttail portion formed on the shirttail of each of the head sections below the ball plug; and the layer of hardfacing including an outer surface portion of hardfacing joining the leading edge and the shirttail portions of hardfacing and formed on the outer surface of each head section above the ball plug, the outer surface portion of hardfacing having an upper edge and a lower edge below the upper edge, defining between the edges a gap wherein the outer surface of each head section is free of hardfacing.