Streamlined mill-toothed cone for earth boring bit

1. An earth-boring bit comprising:

a bit body;

at least one cantilevered bearing shaft depending inwardly and downwardly from the bit body;

a cutter mounted for rotation on the bearing shaft and having a plurality of teeth machined thereon that are covered with a hardfacing layer comprising particles of tungsten carbide dispersed in a metal matrix; and

at least some of the teeth having a leading side that has a streamlined contour.

2. The bit of claim 1 , wherein the leading side has an advance portion that leads remaining portions of the leading side.

3. The bit of claim 1 , wherein at least part of the leading side is curved.

4. The bit of claim 1 , wherein at least part of the leading side is conical.

5. The bit of claim 1 , wherein said at least some of the teeth have a conical contour and are located in an inner row.

6. The bit of claim 1 , wherein said at least some of the teeth comprise heel row teeth, the leading side of which is at least partially conical and joins an outer end that is generally flat.

7. The bit of claim 1 , wherein the leading side has inner and outer portions that join each other at a junction and diverge from each other.

8. The bit of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the teeth have a base and a crest, the crest having a width that is less than one-third of the width of the base.

9. An earth-boring bit comprising:

a bit body;

at least one cantilevered bearing shaft denending inwardly and downwardly from the bit body;

a cutter mounted for rotation on the bearing shaft and having a plurality of teeth formed thereon that are covered with a hardfacing layer; and

at least some of the teeth having a leading side that has a streamlined contour, and inner and outer portions that join each other at a corner junction and diverge from each other, the corner junction extending from a base to an apex, and the corner junction has an included angle that is no greater than 90 degrees.

10. An earth-boring bit comprising:

a bit body;

at least one cantilevered bearing shaft depending inwardly and downwardly from the bit body;

a cutter mounted for rotation on the bearing shaft and having a plurality of teeth formed thereon that are covered with a hardfacing layer, the teeth of the cutter further comprise an inner row containing inward and outward inclined teeth, each of the inward inclined teeth having a central axis that inclines inwardly relative to an axis of rotation of the cutter, each of the outward inclined teeth having a central axis that inclines outwardly relative to an axis of rotation of the cutter; and

at least some of the teeth having a leading side that has a streamlined contour.

11. An earth-boring bit comprising:

a bit body;

at least one cantilevered bearing shaft depending inwardly and downwardly from the bit body;

a cutter mounted for rotation on the bearing shaft and having a plurality of hardfaced streamlined teeth formed thereon each of the teeth having a steel tooth stub onto which a layer of hardfacing is welded, the hardfacing comprising tungsten carbide particles in a metal matrix;

each of the streamlined teeth having leading and trailing sides, and

the leading side having an advance portion and inner and outer portions joining the advance portion on opposite sides and diverging from each other.

12. The bit of claim 11 , wherein the advance portion and the inner and outer portions define a conical contour.

13. The bit of claim 11 , wherein the inner and outer portions are generally flat.

14. The bit of claim 11 , wherein the advance portion comprises a corner junction of the inner and outer portions, the corner junction having an included angle that is not more than 90 degrees.

15. The bit of claim 11 , wherein at least some of the teeth have a base and a crest, the crest having a width that is less than one-third of the width of the base.

16. An earth-boring bit comprising:

a bit body;

at least one cantilevered bearing shaft depending inwardly and downwardly from the bit body;

a cutter mounted for rotation on the bearing shaft and having a plurality of hardfaced streamlined teeth formed thereon;

each of the streamlined teeth having leading and trailing sides, and

the leading side having an advance portion and inner and outer portions joining the advance portion on opposite sides and diverging from each other, the advance portion and the inner and outer portions define a conical contour, and the trailing side has a generally flat flank.

17. An earth-boring bit comprising:

a bit body;

at least one cantilevered bearing shaft depending inwardly and downwardly from the bit body;

a cutter mounted for rotation on the bearing shaft and having a plurality of hardfaced streamlined teeth formed thereon;

each of the streamlined teeth having leading and trailing sides, and

the leading side having an advance portion and inner and outer portions joining the advance portion on opposite sides and diverging from each other, the inner and outer portions are generally flat, and the advance portion comprises a corner junction of the inner and outer portions.

18. The bit of claim 17 , wherein the teeth are generally pyramidal in shape, and the inner and outer portions define two sides of a pyramid.

19. The bit of claim 17 , further comprising an inner row containing inward and outward inclined teeth, each of the inward inclined teeth having a central axis that inclines inwardly relative to an axis of rotation of the cutter, each of the outward inclined teeth having a central axis that inclines outwardly relative to an axis of rotation of the cutter.

20. An earth-boring bit comprising:

a bit body;

at least one cantilevered bearing shaft depending inwardly and downwardly from the bit body;

a cutter mounted for rotation on the bearing shaft, and

a plurality of hardfaced teeth integrally formed on the cutter that have at least partially conical configurations, the teeth being steel and having a layer of hardfacing welded thereon that comprises tungsten carbide particles in a metal matrix.

21. The bit of claim 20 , wherein at least some of the teeth have fully conical configurations with rounded apexes.

22. The bit of claim 20 , wherein at least some of the teeth are located in a heel row and have flat outer ends, and wherein the teeth in the heel row have leading sides that are partially conical.

23. The bit of claim 20 , wherein at least some of the teeth have a base and an apex, the apex having a width that is less than one-third a width of the base.

24. An earth-boring bit comprising:

a bit body;

at least one cantilevered bearing shaft depending inwardly and downwardly from the bit body;

a cutter mounted for rotation on the bearing shaft, and

a plurality of hardfaced teeth formed on the cutter that have at least partially conical confligurations, at least some of the teeth have leading sides that are partially conical and trailing sides that have flat surfaces.

25. The bit of claim 24 , further comprising an inner row containing inward and outward inclined teeth, each of the inward inclined teeth having a central axis that inclines inwardly relative to an axis of rotation of the cutter, each of the outward inclined teeth having a central axis that inclines outwardly relative to an axis of rotation of the cutter.

26. An earth-boring bit comprising:

a bit body;

at least one cantilevered bearing shall depending inwardly and downwardly from the bit body;

a cutter mounted for rotation on the bearing shaft and having a plurality of hardfaced streamlined teeth formed thereon, each of the teeth having a steel tooth stub machined on the cutter and a layer of hardfacing comprising tungsten carbide particles in a metal matrix; and

each of the streamlined teeth having a leading edge that is defined by an intersection of diverging inner and outer portions.

27. The bit of claim 26 , wherein the leading edge comprises a corner junction that has an included angle of not more than 90 degrees.

28. An earth-boring bit comprising:

a bit body;

at least one cantilevered bearing shaft depending inwardly and downwardly from the bit body;

a cutter mounted for rotation on the bearing shaft and having a plurality of hardfaced streamlined teeth formed thereon; and

each of the streamlined teeth having a leading edge that is defined by an intersection of diverging inner and outer portions, the inner and outer portions being generally flat.

29. The bit of claim 28 , wherein each of the streamlined teeth is in the configuration of a pyramid, and the inner and outer portions define two sides of the pyramid.

30. The bit of claim 28 , further comprising an inner row containing inward and outward inclined teeth, each of the inward inclined teeth having a central axis that inclines inwardly relative to an axis of rotation of the cutter, each of the outward inclined teeth having a central axis that inclines outwardly relative to an axis of rotation of the cutter.

31. An earth-boring bit comprising:

a bit body;

at least one cantilevered bearing shaft depending inwardly and downwardly from the bit body;

a cutter mounted for rotation on the bearing shaft and having a plurality of teeth machined thereon that are covered with a hardfacing layer of tungsten carbide particles in a metal matrix; and

at least some of the teeth having a base and a crest, the crest having a width that is less than one-third a width of the base.