US20020043377A1 - Garden auger and method re same - Google Patents
Garden auger and method re same Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20020043377A1 US20020043377A1 US09/851,529 US85152901A US2002043377A1 US 20020043377 A1 US20020043377 A1 US 20020043377A1 US 85152901 A US85152901 A US 85152901A US 2002043377 A1 US2002043377 A1 US 2002043377A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- auger
- garden
- tip
- wing
- shaft
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims description 8
- 238000005452 bending Methods 0.000 claims description 7
- 230000000149 penetrating effect Effects 0.000 claims description 5
- 238000005520 cutting process Methods 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000002689 soil Substances 0.000 description 5
- 229910000831 Steel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000010959 steel Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000003466 welding Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000004927 clay Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000005516 engineering process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000035515 penetration Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000000452 restraining effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000011435 rock Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000002023 wood Substances 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B10/00—Drill bits
- E21B10/44—Bits with helical conveying portion, e.g. screw type bits; Augers with leading portion or with detachable parts
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01B—SOIL WORKING IN AGRICULTURE OR FORESTRY; PARTS, DETAILS, OR ACCESSORIES OF AGRICULTURAL MACHINES OR IMPLEMENTS, IN GENERAL
- A01B1/00—Hand tools
- A01B1/06—Hoes; Hand cultivators
- A01B1/065—Hoes; Hand cultivators powered
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B11/00—Other drilling tools
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10S30/00—Cutlery
- Y10S30/07—Sprinkler and cutter
Definitions
- Augers for boring large holes in the ground have existed for quite some time. Traditionally they constructed in accordance with a standard helical screw type construction having a central shaft and an inclined plane wrapped around the central shaft in a spiral staircase fashion. While these “spiral staircase” types of augers have proven successful for boring holes for telephone poles, post holes and foundation piers, they are not satisfactory for boring holes for bulbs, seedlings and perennial starts.
Abstract
A garden auger having an auger blade with a substantially rectangular body section for use with a drill motor. The preferred auger body including toed-in wings for rapidly clearing earth from the created hole and cutters formed at one end of the auger blade.
Description
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The field of the invention pertains to augers for use in planting and methods for using them.
- 2. Description of the Technology
- Augers for boring large holes in the ground have existed for quite some time. Traditionally they constructed in accordance with a standard helical screw type construction having a central shaft and an inclined plane wrapped around the central shaft in a spiral staircase fashion. While these “spiral staircase” types of augers have proven successful for boring holes for telephone poles, post holes and foundation piers, they are not satisfactory for boring holes for bulbs, seedlings and perennial starts.
- Typically the drive motors for the “spiral staircase” types of augers are gas powered with slow rotation and high torque and connected with clutches to the auger. For large telephone pole type augers the drive motors are rendered stationary and for the two-person augers used for post holes, the two operators provide the stability. Because of the strong driving force and stability, the rotation of the auger can successfully elevate the new dirt that is captured by the auger blades up and out of the hole. However, because of the helical screw type blade, the tendency of these types of augers is to merely screw themselves into the ground, just as a screw is driven into wood or metal without creating a hole. The holes are actually created by preventing the auger from being pulled into the ground by restraining the vertical speed at which the auger penetrates the ground. To accomplish this, the user must have sufficient countering force to prevent penetrating the ground at the same rate as the rotation and pitch of the screw would normally require. For large telephone pole augers, this is no problem since they are mounted to large stationary drives which also restrict the penetration rate. When using a one or two person post hole digger, the users must provide the countervailing force, which as anyone who has used those devices knows, is the majority of the work that is required.
- With known spiral staircase augers for use with electric drills for planting bulbs, the user will usually have to slow the speed of the auger down dramatically, which can result in difficulty in penetrating hard soil, or exert a great deal of energy preventing the auger from screwing itself into the ground. Thus, the known spiral staircase augers are not optimal for long periods of use and are not efficient either in speed or energy usage.
- Further, since the earth is elevated along the helical blade, effort is required to lift the fully loaded spiral staircase auger out of the hole or the auger and drive motor must be held stationary for a period of time to allow the helical blade to clear itself of loosened earth. In sandy soil, typically the auger will not successfully clear the hole because the sandy soil will slide back down the helical blade and refill the hole. Finally, the traditional spiral staircase auger has a limitation on the size of the rocks that can be elevated, namely the vertical distance between the turns of the helix.
- When planting bulbs, seedlings, perennial starts and other new plants in fields and yards, it is not practical or desirable to carry along a heavy powerful gasoline powered drive motor. If the area in which the plants are to be planted is not close to a continuous electrical power source, the only practical power source is battery powered devices which typically have lower power and torque than conventional gasoline powered drives or wired electrical devices.
- Thus, a method and auger for planting bulbs, seedlings, perennial starts and other plants that works well with low power and low torque drive motors in remote areas and that can create holes quickly with little effort by the user is needed and desired.
- The present inventions comprise unique augers and methods for using them. In a preferred embodiment the auger comprises an auger blade substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation and extending substantially across the entire diameter of the bored hole. In more presently preferred embodiment, the auger blade is formed at an angle of approximately 145° from the axis of rotation and includes offset wings extending longitudinally away from the auger tip. Both of these embodiments allows the user to easily and completely control the speed at which the auger penetrates the ground while requiring minimal effort to prevent the auger from being pulled into the ground.
- It is therefore an object of the present inventions to provide garden auger that generates at most a slight downward pull when operated at high speeds and quickly clears the hole for planting.
- FIG. 1 is a side view of a garden auger in accordance with the present invention.
- FIG. 2 is a front view of a garden auger in accordance with the present invention.
- FIG. 3 is a side view of an auger blade of a garden auger in accordance with the present invention.
- FIG. 4. is a front view of the auger blade of FIG. 3.
- FIG. 5 is a side view of an auger shaft for use with the auger blade of FIG. 3.
- The
garden auger 10 in FIG. 1 comprises ashaft 12. Theshaft 12 is preferably ½″ in diameter. The preferred method for use of thegarden auger 10 of FIG. 11 is with a ⅜″ drill motor. As such theshaft 12 includes astep 14 and anattachment portion 16 having a diameter of ⅜″. It is to be understood that if the drill motor to be used in conjunction with the garden auger was ½″, theattachment portion 16 would be ½″ in diameter. Similarly, if the drill motor to be used was a ¼″ diameter drill motor theattachment portion 16 would be ¼″ in diameter. It is also presently preferred that theattachment portion 16 be hexagonal in cross section to prevent slippage between the drill motor andattachment portion 16 when the ground is exceptionally rocky or binding. - In the garden auger of FIG. 1 the
shaft 12 is approximately 7⅛″ long, leaving approximately 7″ extending from the drill motor in which it will be inserted. This length has proven to be useful, in that when this length garden auger is used the planter need not have to stand to create the plant hole and then bend down to place the plant in the hole. In applications where the plantings are to be made close together by one person, this has proven to be a highly efficient length. - The
garden auger 10 of FIG. 1 also includes anauger blade 20. Theauger blade 20 may be formed integrally withauger shaft 12. However, for ease in manufacturing theauger blade 20 is attached to theshaft 12 by welding. Additionally, it is presently preferred thatshaft 12 includes aslot 18 into which theauger blade 20 is inserted prior to assembly. - The
auger blade 20 of thegarden auger 10 of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 includes abody 22, atip 24 andcutters body 22 has a width approximately equal to the diameter of the hole that is to be created. The length of thebody 22 is approximately equal to the depth of the hole that is to be created. In the preferred embodiment, thebody 22 is 2.5″ wide and approximately 4″ in length. In the preferred embodiment, thebody 22 is ⅛″ thick. - The
tip 24 is aligned with thelongitudinal axis 13 of theshaft 12. In the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1, thetip 24 is ¾″ in length and ¼″ in width. Additionally, thetip 24 includes apoint 25 which is preferably tapered to a blunt end. - The
preferred garden auger 10 of FIG. 1 includes twocutters body 22 and at a slight angle φ, preferably 7½° with respect to a plane approximately perpendicular to the plane of thebody 22. Both of thecutters bevels cutters - In the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1, the
garden auger 10 was constructed from metal, specifically steel. It is contemplated that theentire garden auger 10 could be of a single piece construction and molded using a high strength non-brittle plastic material. - FIGS.3-5 depict components of another embodiment of the garden auger of the present invention. Whereas the
garden auger 10 depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 has proven highly effective in high loam soil, the garden auger having an auger blade as depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4 has proven highly efficient in high clay content soil. - The
auger blade 30 depicted in FIG. 3 includeswings central body 36. Thewings central body 36. Eachwing wings wings central body 36 that is less than the maximum distance Y, the farthest distance of any portion of thewings central body 36 forming toed-in wings. - The
auger blade 30 also includes atip 38 andcutters cutters tip 38 andcentral body 36 in opposite directions. Preferably the extension is only about ¼″. The angle θ of the axis of the cutters is preferably approximately 142° from thelongitudinal axis 39 of theauger blade 30 in a plane parallel with the plane of thetip 38. - The overall width of the
auger blade 30 preferably comprises the width of the twowings central body 36 and is preferably substantially equal to the diameter of the hole that is to be created. In the preferred embodiment depicted in FIG. 4, this width is approximately 4½″. - The
auger blade 30 is preferably secured to ashaft 40 by means of welding. In thepreferred shaft 50 depicted in FIG. 5, the shaft includes apoint 52 and achannel 54. Preferably thechannel 54 is the length of theauger blade 30. Theshaft 50 is preferably ½″ in diameter and includes anattachment portion 56 that can be fabricated with the same configurations as described withattachment portion 16 of the embodiment in FIGS. 1 and 2. - The
shafts - In practice, an efficient method for planting perennial start, bulbs, seedlings or cuttings in small patches by a single person is to insert the garden auger having a shaft less than one foot in length and a width substantially equal to the diameter of the hole to be created in a drill motor; rotating the garden auger at a very high rate of rotation, preferably approximately the highest RPM of conventional ⅜″ drill motors; kneeling or bending to create the holes for planting by penetrating the ground until the top of the auger blade is below ground level and, while still kneeling or bending, inserting the plants in the created holes and, while still kneeling or bending, finishing the area around the plants.
- In practice, an efficient method for planting perennial starts, bulbs, seedlings or cuttings over a wide area is to insert a garden auger having a length of greater than two feet and a width approximately equal to the width of the desired hole in a drill motor, rotating the garden auger at a very high rate of rotation, preferably approximately the highest RPM of conventional ⅜″ drill motors, creating the holes for planting without bending or kneeling by penetrating the ground until the top of the auger blade is below ground level, inserting the bulbs, perennial starts, seedlings or cuttings into the holes and finishing the area around the plants.
- While the invention has been described with regard to presently known and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the inventions are not to be limited to those embodiments and not restricted except within the scope and spirit of the claims appended hereto.
Claims (20)
1. A garden auger comprising an auger blade, a tip and a shaft, said auger blade fixed to said shaft to prevent rotation therebetween;
said shaft comprising an attachment portion located opposite said tip;
said auger blade comprising a body, said body being substantially rectangular in shape and having a width and a length, said body also being substantially planar; said auger blade further comprising a first and second cutter, said first and second cutter attached to said body at the end of said body closes to said tip said first cutter extending substantially across one half of said width of said body; said second cutter extending substantially across one half of said width of said body; and,
said cutters oriented substantially perpendicular to the plane of said body and at an angle φ with respect to a plane approximately perpendicular to the plane of said body.
2. The garden auger of claim 1 wherein said angle φ is less than 10°.
3. The garden auger of claim 1 wherein said attachment portion is adapted to be inserted in a drill motor.
4. The garden auger of claim 1 wherein said first cutter and said second cutter both include bevels.
5. The garden auger of claim 1 wherein said shaft includes a slot and said body is inserted in said slot.
6. The garden auger of claim 1 wherein said tip is integral with said auger blade.
7. A garden auger comprising a shaft and an auger blade;
said auger blade comprising a central body and a tip; said central body portion being substantially rectangular and substantially planar; said tip attached to one end of said central body and being substantially trapezoidal in configuration;
said auger blade comprising a first wing and a second wing, said first wing attached to said tip at a first wing first end and said second wing attached to said tip at a second wing first end; said first wing extending from said tip at a first angle; said second wing extending from said tip at a second angle;
said auger blade attached to said shaft to prevent rotation therebetween; and
said shaft comprising an attachment portion.
8. The garden auger of claim 7 wherein said attachment portion is adapted to be inserted in a drill motor.
9. The garden auger of claim 7 wherein said trapezoidal shape of said tip includes angled sides oriented at an angle greater than 135° degrees from the longitudinal axis of said central body.
10. The garden auger of claim 7 wherein said tip comprises a first cutter and a second cutter extending outwardly from the plane of said tip in opposite directions and at an angle substantially perpendicular to the plane of said tip.
11. The garden auger of claim 9 wherein said tip comprises a first cutter and a second cutter extending outwardly from the plane of said tip in opposite directions and at an angle substantially perpendicular to the plane of said tip along said angled sides of said tip.
12. The garden auger of claim 7 wherein said first and second wings are arcuate in shape.
13. The garden auger of claim 12 wherein said first wing includes a first wing free end and said second wing includes a second wing free end; and wherein said first wing free end and said second wing free end are a distance X from the plane of said central body that is less than the farthest distance of any portion of said first or second wing from the plane of said central body.
14. The garden auger of claim 12 wherein arcuate shape of said first wing and said second wing comprise a radius of curvature of approximately 2 inches.
15. The garden auger of claim 7 wherein said shaft further includes a point.
16. The garden auger of claim 14 wherein said shaft further includes a channel in which said auger blade is mounted.
17. The garden auger of claim 7 wherein said shaft is greater than two feet in length.
18. The garden auger of claim 1 wherein said shaft is less than one foot in length.
19. The garden auger of claim 1 further comprising toed-in wings attached to said body.
20. A method for planting perennial start, bulbs, seedlings or cuttings in small patches by a single person comprising the steps of inserting a garden auger having a shaft less than one foot in length and a width substantially equal to the diameter of the hole to be created in a drill motor; rotating the garden auger at a very high rate of rotation; kneeling or bending to create the holes for planting by penetrating the ground until the top of the auger blade is below ground level and, while still kneeling or bending, inserting the plants in the created holes and, while still kneeling or bending finishing the area around the plants.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US09/851,529 US20020043377A1 (en) | 1997-07-09 | 2001-05-07 | Garden auger and method re same |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US08/890,728 US6227317B1 (en) | 1997-07-09 | 1997-07-09 | Garden auger having wings and cutters |
US09/851,529 US20020043377A1 (en) | 1997-07-09 | 2001-05-07 | Garden auger and method re same |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US08/890,728 Continuation US6227317B1 (en) | 1997-07-09 | 1997-07-09 | Garden auger having wings and cutters |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20020043377A1 true US20020043377A1 (en) | 2002-04-18 |
Family
ID=25397073
Family Applications (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US08/890,728 Expired - Fee Related US6227317B1 (en) | 1997-07-09 | 1997-07-09 | Garden auger having wings and cutters |
US09/851,529 Abandoned US20020043377A1 (en) | 1997-07-09 | 2001-05-07 | Garden auger and method re same |
Family Applications Before (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US08/890,728 Expired - Fee Related US6227317B1 (en) | 1997-07-09 | 1997-07-09 | Garden auger having wings and cutters |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (2) | US6227317B1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN101450883B (en) * | 2007-12-06 | 2012-05-30 | 中国石油化工股份有限公司 | Method for increasing light olefins through vacuum catalytic cracking |
Families Citing this family (16)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN2494103Y (en) * | 2001-05-23 | 2002-06-05 | 周怀榕 | Horticultural excavator |
CA2353105C (en) | 2001-07-27 | 2004-06-15 | Robert Mckill | Rotary hand-held tilling and weed removing device |
US6736217B2 (en) * | 2002-06-12 | 2004-05-18 | Charles Farrel Brown | Weed, weed root and root vine removing, cultivating tool |
US6955227B1 (en) * | 2002-09-21 | 2005-10-18 | Versatile Housewares | Auger for mixing and burrowing |
US6843324B2 (en) * | 2002-12-09 | 2005-01-18 | Charles Basek | Gardening implement |
EP1440614A1 (en) * | 2003-01-23 | 2004-07-28 | Roto-Majic Inc. | Rotary hand-held tilling and weed removing device |
US6854524B1 (en) | 2003-02-21 | 2005-02-15 | Rudolph C. Williams | Tools and methods to trim excess vegetation from growing plants |
DE502004003756D1 (en) * | 2004-03-26 | 2007-06-21 | Bauer Maschinen Gmbh | drill |
US7347276B2 (en) * | 2004-08-23 | 2008-03-25 | Tci97 Inc. | Adjustable garden tool |
US7963344B2 (en) | 2008-09-03 | 2011-06-21 | Black & Decker Inc. | Tiller with removable battery |
US8627897B2 (en) | 2008-09-03 | 2014-01-14 | Black & Decker Inc. | Tiller housing |
US8479842B2 (en) | 2011-01-18 | 2013-07-09 | Joseph Tucceri | Garden auger |
US8915313B2 (en) | 2013-01-09 | 2014-12-23 | Pesticide Delivery Systems, Inc. | Hole boring tool |
US20160309640A1 (en) | 2015-04-27 | 2016-10-27 | Frederick R. Marken | Rotary tiller device with interchangeable torqueing apparatus and rotary shank |
USD778695S1 (en) | 2015-10-29 | 2017-02-14 | Frederick R. Marken | Rotary tiller |
US10257971B2 (en) | 2015-12-03 | 2019-04-16 | Rodney T. Kittelson | Drill attachment for tilling soil |
Family Cites Families (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US134805A (en) * | 1873-01-14 | Improvement in bits for boring coal | ||
US40176A (en) * | 1863-10-06 | Improved rock-drill | ||
US181036A (en) * | 1876-08-15 | Improvement in post-hole borers | ||
US3129771A (en) * | 1961-08-02 | 1964-04-21 | Clifford G Lidstone | Cultivating tool |
US4723802A (en) * | 1985-10-31 | 1988-02-09 | Fambrough David G | Rotary weed extractor |
US5687807A (en) * | 1995-04-26 | 1997-11-18 | Vermeer Manufacturing Company | Cutter head for trenchless boring machine |
-
1997
- 1997-07-09 US US08/890,728 patent/US6227317B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
2001
- 2001-05-07 US US09/851,529 patent/US20020043377A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN101450883B (en) * | 2007-12-06 | 2012-05-30 | 中国石油化工股份有限公司 | Method for increasing light olefins through vacuum catalytic cracking |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US6227317B1 (en) | 2001-05-08 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US6227317B1 (en) | Garden auger having wings and cutters | |
AU2014268137B2 (en) | Bent blade screw ground anchor | |
US4779689A (en) | Soil auger | |
US20170107765A1 (en) | Portable power rotary device provided with drill having earthwork and cut-off functions | |
US4742656A (en) | Earth anchor with multi-sided blade | |
US4986373A (en) | Post hole digger | |
CA2260557A1 (en) | Hollow screw-in pile | |
CN211240741U (en) | Agricultural equipment for improving soil in agriculture | |
US20060113117A1 (en) | Multi-use earth auger | |
US8479842B2 (en) | Garden auger | |
US7677336B2 (en) | Portable drilling device | |
US5213170A (en) | Footing auger | |
JPH0542524B2 (en) | ||
CN2443587Y (en) | Portable machine for holes | |
MXPA04003376A (en) | Post hole digger. | |
CN205793978U (en) | A kind of difunctional Soil loosening tool of tiger tooth | |
CN210432383U (en) | Efficient forestry seedling device of digging pit | |
JP7184663B2 (en) | planting drill | |
US20160145944A1 (en) | Water Post Hole Digging Tool | |
GB2403885A (en) | Lawn aerator | |
CN204511306U (en) | A kind of fishtail type ground auger with circumferential limiting component | |
CN214507887U (en) | Landscape garden grassland planting device | |
CN108131101A (en) | Dell ground drill bit | |
CN209949803U (en) | Gardens are planted with equipment of digging | |
KR100364611B1 (en) | The ground perforator for inserting vinyl house frame |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |