AU1728899A - Dual-depth soil sampler - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRAL T4 Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECICA~TION STANDARD PATENT DUA~L DEPTH SOIL SAMPLER The following statement is a full description aof this invention incIluding the best method of performing it known to me: a.

a.

a a a a a a. a a. a a a a a.

a a a a a DLIAL DEPTH SOIL. SAMPLER This invention relates to the improvements in devices used for soil sampling.

For many vears people have used devices that sampled the soil, but it was time consuming, done in the heat of the year and quite often not done at all. With the advent of better fertilizers and the requirement of understanding the land, a far quicker and more accurate method of soil sampling was needed in both top soils and sub soils.

These problems are overcome by the present invention, whether it is used automatically or manually, time is cut dramtically, has the ability to go through all types of soils and has the ability to take uncontaminated sub soil as well as the top soil.

This patent application describes the ground contacting or lower part of a soil sampling machine which is designed to obtain soil samples at one or more different depths.

The main part of the automatic machine, which is not described a.

here, allows the ground contacting and soil sampling parts to be either raised or lowered to any heights or depth required.

This patent application resides in the ground contacting and soil sampling end of the whole machine and is described below.

At the lower end of the complete soil sampling machine is fitted a rotatable screw or auger of any desired size and length, which may be started or stopped as required and is capable of drilling/rotating in the soil and the screw action causes the soil particles to be loosened and lifted upwards. These soil particles will be collected into a positioned container via an opening guide or tube, which surrounds the auger screw, in any desired position.

This guide/tube is in itself rotatable such that when it is rotated to another desired position so the opening is also rotated until it adjacent to the secondary soil container so that the soil sample being lifted will be directed via the now repositioned opening into that secondary container. It is to be noted that the soil sampler is not limited to obtain only one soil sample but can be made multi-positional such that it is capable of obtaining any number of soil samples as required.

Alternately, this opening in the guide/tube may be made fixed in one fixed position and a variable position chute or similar be employed to cause the soil particles to be re-directed to the secondary container, or further, the container maybe made easily removable such that it may be replaced by a secondary container to obtain different soil samples at different depths.

An actual soil sampling action whereby two different samples may be obtained at different depth is described below.

The lower end of the soil sampling machine is lowered till it rests on the ground where it may be locked into position. The screw/auger is the rotated and lowered further causing the loosened soils samples to be lifted into a container via and opening in the auger tube guide. After reaching the required depth, the auger guide/tube is rotated until the opening is adjacent to the second container and the rotating screw/auger is lowered further such that any more loosened soil being lifted is directed into this secondary container. In this way, different soil samples may be obtained at different depths.

To assist the understanding of the invention, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings Fig. I shows one example of the outer side of the dual box with the auger through an inner tube/guide held by a bearing.

Fig. 2 shows the inner tube/guide with the opening to allow the soil to drop into the box.

Fig. 3 shows a cut-away revealing the two compartments and the soil falling into the first box.

Fig. 4. shows the cut-away with the inner tube turned towards the second box and the lower doors open to transfer the soil to a container.

Fig. 5 shows the Hand Held Dual Depth Sampler being changed manually.

Refering to Fig. I it can be seen that the innner tube (2) protrudes through the box for a specified number of centimeters.

This is to stop the top soil from falling into the hole during the drill and contaminating the sub-soil. The auger slides down the tube which is held firmly by a bearing to keep it in a perpendicular line.

Boxes and are the separate boxes for the two soil samples. For the top soil only box may be used. To take two depths of soil both boxes are used. When the required number of tests are taken the samples may be transferred to a catcher via the doors (12) that slide open to release the soil.

The floor of the boxes is sloped (13) so that all soil may be removed before commencing the next sample.

The frame connects the box to the main part of the machine(not described here) for raising or lowing the box.

Fig. 2. Shows the inner tube/guide with the opening on one side Fig. 3. shows, in the cut-away section, the two boxes (10) and (11) with the soil being drawn up by the auger and out of the opening in the tube and into the first box this is the Top Soil from the first JOcms.

Fig. 4. the bearing has been twisted (14) to turn the opening into the second box (11) to receive the sub-soil dropping into that box. The auger has continued to the next 10, or more cms to retrieve the sub-soil. The doors are opened (12) to allow the soil to be collected in a container and placed into the bags to be sent for testing.

Fig. 5. shows the handle on the frame being twisted manually to change from boa 1 to box 2 by means of handles.

Claims (3)

1. the Dual Depth Soil Sampler comprises of a box through which an inner tube! guide protrudes into the soil, moving through the tube, the auger drills into the soil, lifting the soil into a biven box.

The Dual Depth Soil Sampler device of claim 1 wherein the top sample is taken the auger continues into the soil and the tube is turned to face the second box so that the second or sub-soil maybe taken and lifts the soil into the next box.

3. the Dual Depth Soil Sampler device of claims 1 and 2 wherein the sampler continues to the next site and repeats the process until the required number of drills have been collected. S4. the Dual Depth Soil Sampler device of claims I to 3 wherein the soil collected is transported to a container by releasing the doors at the lower end of each box. A Dual Depth Soil Sampling device substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings. APPLICANT DATE