US3036821A

US3036821A - Dirigible mining auger

Info

Publication number: US3036821A
Application number: US94784A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harold D Letts
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-03-10
Filing date: 1961-03-10
Publication date: 1962-05-29
Anticipated expiration: 1979-05-29

Description

May 29, 1962 H, D. LETTs DIRIGIBLE MINING AUGER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March lO, 1961 K WOI- W wm m, www M5, 5 V/ r/ l 1%/ f M m l mum mw v g Il 4 w H A/ 7%/ W//J/ w ww w NM w\ .nul .mbk NN `\\1 MM. NJN .hull li. l Hw l l l l n ww Sw m? NE, l .IC wm N y w f o I Lm lFlili!nuIIIMMNII-:---WI- N \\.N| *Ubi am mw May 29, 1962 H. D. LETTs 3,036,821

DIRIGIBLE MINING AUGER Filed March l0, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FVG. 2.

1 N VEN TOR. H4602@ .0. 4 1f-77S,

H D.L.ETTS

DIRIGIBLE MINING AUGER May 29, 1962 Filed March l0, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 MMM May 29, 1962 H. D. LETTS DIRIGIBLE MINING AUGER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March l0, 1.961

INVENTOR i ,Lmeaz 0. 5771s United Stat This invention relates to a dirigible mining auger.

An object of the present invention is to provide a dirigible mining auger which is operable from the outside of a hole being bored to position the boring head for boring in the desired direction.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a dirigible mining auger which, during operation in a hole being bored, may be shifted to a position in which the boring head will bore in a straight direction, in an upwardly direction, or in a downwardly direction.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a dirigible mining auger which lends itself to ready assembly in a hole being bored.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a dirigible mining auger which is highly efficient in action, and commercially feasible.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURES l and 1A represent a plan view of the dirigible mining auger assembly according to thefpresent invention in working position within a hole being bored in a coal vein;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view, with parts broken away and in section, taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a plan View, with parts broken away, and in section, taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the trailing end portion of the auger shaft of the mining auger assembly according to the present invention;

FIGURE 4A is a side elevational 'sectional View of the leading end portion of the auger shaft and boring head of the mining auger assembly according to the present invention in position in which the boring head will bore in a straight direction;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of FIGURE 4A;

FIGURE 6 is a side elevational sectional view of the leading end portion of the auger shaft and boring head adapted so that the boring head will bore in an upwardly direction;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational sectional view of the auger shaft showing the end portion and boring head of FIGURE 6, but shifted so that the boring head will bore in a downwardly direction; p

FIGURE 8 is an end view, on a reduced scale, taken on the Iline 8 8 of FIGURE 4A; and

IFIGURE 9 is an end view, on a reduced scale, taken on the line 9 9 of FIGURE 4.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 1A of the drawings, the numeral 20 generally designates a supporting frame, the frame including a pair of laterally-spaced rear posts 2 and a pair of laterally-spaced front posts 22. The frame comprises longitudinal side members 23 extending between and secured to the posts 21 and 22. A carriage 25 is slidably mounted on the side lmembers 23 and carries a motor 26 whose shaft 27 is operatively connected to a transmission 28, the transmission having a driven shaft 29 projecting therefrom. The end of the driven shaft 29 has a hexagonal socket 30 which is attached to a hollow auger shaft 32, FIGURES l, 2 and 3.

The hollow auger shaft 32, FIGURES l and 1A, includes a trailing end portion 33 and a leading end portion 34 which is flexibly connected to the trailing end portion 33 for movement with the latter. The rear end of the trailing end portion 33 of the auger shaft 32 is atet drivingly connected to the socket 30 of the driven shaft 29 by means of a couplingmember 3S. The coupling member 35 has a hexagonal socket 36 on one end, FIG-

URES

2 and 3, which loosely receives a hexagonal portion 37 provided on the rearward end of the auger shaft trailing end portion 33, and has a hexagonal part 38 on the other end which is received in and embraced by the socket 30.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 1A,.4 and 4A, the trailing end portion 33 of the auger shaft 32 includes two sections 33a and 33h arranged in confronting end-to-end relation, the confronting ends being connected together by a coupling 4l which permits lateral play, The coupling 41, FIGURE 4, comprises a tube 42 which has an end portion xedly supported in the confronting end of the section 3311, and has the other end portion extending loosely into a sleeve 43 -xedly supported in the confronting end of the section 33a, the other end portion of the tube 42 being held in position within the sleeve 43 by means of a coupling pin 44 which releasably seats in registering

holes

45 and 45 provided in the sleeve 43 and the other end portion of the tube 42 respectively. The coupling pin is releasably held in coupling position by means of a spring-biased latch bar 44 supported upon the top of the section 33a of the trai-ling end portion 33 of the auger shaft 32, the latch bar having a free end portion so shaped as to receive and detachably engage a tapered flange 43 on the pin 44, as clearly shown in FIGURE 4. It is to be noted that the sleeve 43 carries a conveyor flight 46 which matches the conveyor flights 47 on the sections 33a and 33h of the trailing end portion 33 of the auger shaft 32.

Flexible coupling means indicated generally by the numeral 50 connects the rear end of the leading end portion 34 of the auger shaft 32 to the front end of the trailing end portion 33 of the auger shaft 32 or the nonconfronting end of the section 3'3b of the trailing end portion 33 of the auger shaft 32. Specically, the cou-V pling means comprises, FIGURES 4, 4A, 6, 7, a female coupling member 51 which is txedly supported in the non-confronting end of the section 33b of the trailing end portion 33 of the auger shaft 32, the female member being provided on its inner face with teeth 52. A male coupling member 53 is ixedly supported in the rear end of the leading end portion 34 of the auger shaft 32, the male member being provided with external teeth. A locking split ring 55 is slipped over the teeth 54 until it drops behind'the teeth 54 and surrounds the adjacent portion of the male member 53. 'Ihe male coupling member carrying the ring S5 is then inserted into the female member 51 until the free end of the male member 53 abuts the shoulder 51 on the female member 5l,

whereupon a two-part semicircular flange 51 is disposed so as to surround the male member 53 adjacent the open end of the female member Si, the ange being ixedly secured to the female member 5l as by welding to there by hold the male member 53 in interlocking relation with the female member 51. The female member 5l carries a conveyor flight 56 which matches the conveyor llights 4'7 on the sections 33a and 3311 of the trailing end portion 33 of the auger shaft 32, and also conveyor ights 57 on the leading end portion 34 of the auger shaft 32.

Circumposed about and connected to the front end part 0f the auger shaft leading end portion 34 is a boring head 60 which is provided at equally spaced intervals with cutter teeth 61. rllhe front end of the leading end portion 34 of the auger shaft 32 terminates in a conical spiral cutter point 62 having rows of cutting teeth 63 along opposite sides thereof.

A plurality of hollow tubular spokes 65, FIGURES lA, 4A, 6, 7, 8, are disposed radially about the leading end portion 34 of the auger shaft 32 inwardly of and adjacent the cutter head 60, the inner ends of the spokes 65 being ixedly secured to the leading end portion 34. A stem 66, FIGURE 8, is slidably supported in each of the spokes 65 and has an inner end which is within the leading end portion 34 of the auger shaft 32 and has an outer end which is exteriorly of the outer end of the adjacent spoke 65. A shoe 67 is on the outer end of each of the stems 66. A coil spring 68 is operatively connected to each stem 66 for biasing the stems toward the conical members 70 mounted within leading end portion 34 of the auger shaft 32, only one of the stems 66 having the coil spring operatively connected thereto being shown in FIGURES 6 and 7.

The cam embodying an elongated conical member 70 is mounted within the leading end portion 34 of the auger shaft 32 for longitudinal forward-and-backward movement. The conical member 70 is free to rotate with the auger shaft 32 although it is mounted within the leading portion 34 of the auger shaft for longitudinal movement relative to the auger shaft. The conical member 70 is normally disposed so that the intermediate part extends slidably between and engages the inner ends of the stems 66 and has a base 71 on the side of the spokes 65 remote from the boring head 60 and has the apex 72 on the side of the spokes 65 adjacent the boring head 60, the position of FIGURE 4A, and the one in which the boring head 60 will bore in a straight direction. The conical member 70, when normally disposed, projects each of the shoes 67 against the action of the respective springs 68 when each of the shoes is in the lowermost position, to engage the wall of the auger hole 75, FIGURE 4A, to thereby fix and steer the boring head 60 so as to bore in a straight direction. Projecting longitudinally from the apex 72 of the conical member 70 is a bar 76 which is slidably supported in a fixed collar 77 disposed within the leading end portion 34 of the auger shaft 32 inwardly of and adjacent the cutter point 62. It is to be noted that the base 71 of the conical member 70 slidably engages the leading end portion 34 of the auger shaft 32, and this sliding engagement of the base 71 with the leading end portion 34 and of the bar 76 with the collar 77 constitutes the mounting of the conical member 70 for longitudinal forward-and-backward movement within the leading end portion 34 of the auger shaft 32.

By virtue of the contour of the conical member 70, the shoes 67 are projected equally and cannot be extended to a radius of more than one-half (1/2) of the diameter of the auger hole 75. The projected shoes 67 exert a steering function, and such function depends upon the relationship of the position of the projected shoes, and the diameters of the boring head 60 or auger hole, and of the trailing end portion 33 of the auger shaft 32.

It is preferred that the trailing end portion 33 of the auger shaft 32 be provided with eccentric non-rotating guide spiders, each of said spiders being indicated by the numeral 80 with a spider 80 being applied to the section 33b of the trailing end portion 33 inwardly of and adjacent the flexible coupling means 50 and another spider 80 being applied to the section 33a of the trailing end porion 33 inwardly of and adjacent the coupling 41, as shown in FIGURES 1A and 4. The purpose of these guide spiders is to keep the rearward portion of the boring head 60 on the vertical center line of the hole 75 being bored and maintain an angle of incidence in a vertical direction. Each spider 80, FIGURE 9, includes a hub 81 which is circumposed about and rotatably supported on a bearing 81 seated in a retainer ring 81 which encompasses and is welded to the adjacent part of rthe section 33a of the trailing end portion 33 adjacent the confronting end of the aforesaid section, and radially disposed about the hub 81 and fixed thereto are a plurality of rigid spokes, two of the spokes being of like size and indicated by the numeral 82, and the other of the spokes being indicated by the numeral 83 and being longer than the two spokes 82. The spider is so disposed that the two shorter spokes 82 engage opposite points of the Wall of 4the lower half of the auger hole 75, and the longer spoke 83 engages the point of the wall in the upper half of the auger hole 75.

An actuator 85 is disposed within the auger shaft 32 and has one end operatively connected to the base 71 of the conical member 70 and has the other end exteriorly of the rear end of the trailing end portion 33 of the auger shaft 32. Means or a slide 40 is mounted for reciprocatory movement on the intermediate part of the coupling member 35, and said slide is operatively connected to the other end of the actuator, the slide, upon execution of its reciprocatory movement, effecting the forward-and-back- Ward movements of the conical member 70. Specifically, the actuator 85, FIGURES l, 2, 3, 4 and 4A, comprises a push member 86 having one end operatively connected to the base 71 of the conical member 70 and a plurality of rods 87 arranged in free end-to-end abutting relation are positioned on the side opposite the push member 86 and have the end of the adjacent rod bearing freely against the other end of the push member 86, the free end portion of the foremost rod 87 extending exteriorly of the rear end of the rear end portion 33 of the auger shaft 32 with the free end of the hindmost rod 87 being attached to the slide 40 by means of a bar 88. The bar 88 is supported in a bearing 88 which encompasses and is slidable along the coupling member 35. A coil spring 89 is operatively connected to the push rod 86, such spring effecting the backward movement of the conical member 70. The slide 40, as shown in FIGURE 3, is rollably supported by rollers 46a on the side members 23 of the supporting frame.

A pair of hydraulic cylinder asemblies 90 and 91, FIG- URE 3, are 'operatively connected to the slide 40, and actuation of the

piston rods

92 and 93 respectively of said assemblies effects the reciprocatory movement of the slide 40 and consequent forward-and-backward movement of the conical member 70. To effect the forward stroke of the slide 40, with the auger shaft 32 being rotated by the driven shaft 29 and the carriage 25 advancing, uid under pressure is admitted through the line 95 to the assemblies -96 and 91, resulting in the

piston rods

92 and 93 moving in a forwardly direction and simultaneously therewith the execution of the forward stroke of the slide 40 `and of the forward movement of the conical member 70. When it is desired to effect the rearward stroke of the slide 40, with Vthe auger shaft 32 being rotated by the driven shaft 29 and the carriage advancing, uid under pressure is admitted through the line 96 to the asemblies 90 and v91, resulting in the

piston rods

92 and 93 moving in a rearwardly direction and simultaneously therewith the execution of the rearward stroke of the slide 40 and of the rearward movement of the conical member 70.

In operation, with the auger shaft assembly in position within the auger hole 75 and the boring head in position to bore in the hole in a straight direction, the auger shaft 32 is caused to rotate by means of the driven shaft 29 and as the auger shaft projects the boring in a straight direction in the hole 75 the carriage 25 is caused to advance as the projected boring progresses.

Should it be desired to project the boring in an upwardly direction in the auger hole 75, while the auger shaft 32 is being rotated by the driven shaft 29 and the carriage 25 is advancing, fluid under pressure is admitted through the line 95 to the cylinder assemblies 90` and 91, resulting in the

piston rods

92 and 93 moving in a forwardly direction and simultaneously therewith the execution of the forward stroke of the slide 40 and of the forward movement of the conical member 70. The execution of the forward movement of the conical member 70 projects the shoes 67 equally and when each shoe is in the lowermost position to engage the wall of the auger hole 75 to thereby ix and steer the boring head 60 so as to project the boring in an upwardly direction, as shown in lFIGURE 6.

When it is found desirable to project boring in a downwardly direction in the auger hole 75, while the auger shaft 32 is being rotated by the driven shaft 29 and the carriage 25 is advancing, fluid under pressure is admitted through the line 96 to the cylinder assemblies l90 and 91, resulting in the piston rods `92 and 93 moving in a backwardly direction and simultaneously therewith the execution of the backward stroke of the slide 40, the coil spring `89 causing the conical member 70 to execute its backward movement. The execution of the backward movement 0f the conical member 70 projects the shoes 67 equally and when each shoe is in the lowermost position to engage the wall of the auger hole 7S to thereby fix and steer the boring head 60 so as to project the boring in a downwardly direction, as shown in FIGURE 7.

Although the trailing end portion 33 of the auger shaft 32 is shown and described as comprising two sections 33a and 33h, it is to be understood that the section 33b could comprise a substantial number of sections, for example, 2O to 30 sections like section 31317, of from l0 to 20- feet in length, so that lthe auger shaft 32 could project the boring in the auger hole 75 to a depth of from 200 to 400 feet, or more.

What is claimed is:

l. In a mining auger, a hollow auger shaft including a trailing end portion and a leading end portion flexibly connected to the trailing end portion for movement with the latter, means on the rearward end of said trailing end portion for attachment to la driven shaft to impart rotational movement to said auger shaft, a boring head connected to the front end part of said auger shaft leading end portion for rotation with the latter-named portion, a plurality of spokes disposed radially about said auger shaft leading end portion inwardly of and adjacent said cutter head and having inner ends `fixed to said auger shaft leading end portion and having outer ends, a stem slidably supported in each of said spokes and having an inner end within said auger shaft leading end portion and having an outer end exteriorly of the outer end of the adjacent spoke, a shoe on the outer end of each of said stems, a cam embodying an elongated conical member mounted within said auger shaft leading end portion for longitudinal forward-and-backward movement, an eccentric non-rotatable guide spider on the auger shaft trailing end portion for maintaining the angle of incidence in a vertical direction, said conical member being normally disposed so that the intermediate part extends slidably between and engages the inner ends of said stems and has the base on the side of said spokes remote from said boring head and has the apex on the side of said spokes adjacent said boring head, said conical member when normally disposed projecting the shoes to a position to engage the walls of an auger hole and tix and steer the boring head so as to bore in a straight direction, an actuator disposed within said auger shaft and having one end operatively connected to the base of said conical member and having the other end exteriorly of the rear end of said auger shaft trailing end portion, spring means operatively connected to each of said stems for biasing the adjacent shoe toward said conical member, and means operatively connected to the other end of said actuator for effecting the forWard-and-backward movement of said conical member, said conical member upon execution of its forward movement from the normal position projecting the shoes to a position to engage the wall of an auger hole and x and steer the boring head so as to bore in an upwardly direction and upon execution of its backward movement from the normal position permitting the shoes under the action of the springs associated with the stems to be retracted to a position to engage the wall of an auger hole and fix and steer the boring head so as to bore in a downwardly direction.

2. In a mining auger, a hollow auger shaft including a trailing end portion and a leading end portion flexibly connected to the trailing end portion for movement with the latter, means on the rearward end of said trailing end portion for attachment to a driven shaft to impart rotational movement to said auger shaft, a boring head connected to the front end part of said auger shaft leading end portion for rotation with the latter-named portion, a plurality of spokes disposed radially about said auger shaft leading end portion inwardly of and adjacent said cutter head and having inner ends fixed to said auger shaft leading end portion and having outer ends, a stem slidably supported in each of said spokes and having an inner end within said auger shaft leading end portion and having an outer end exteriorly of the outer end of the adjacent spoke, a shoe on the outer end of each of said stems, a cam embodying an elongated conical member mounted within said auger shaft leading end portion for longitudinal forward-and-backward movement, an eccentric non-rotatable guide spider on the auger shaft trailing end'portion for maintaining the angle of incidence in a vertical direction, said conical member being normally disposed so that the intermediate part extends slidably between and engages the inner ends of said stems and has the base on the side of said spokes remote from said boring head and has the apex on the side of said spokes adjacent said boring head, said conical member when normally disposed projecting the shoes to a position to engage the walls of an auger hole and fix and steer the boring head so as to bore in a straight direction, an actuator disposed within said auger shaft and having one end operatively connected to the base of said conical member and having the other end exteriorly of the :rear end of said auger shaft trailing end portion, spring means operatively connected to each of said stems for biasing the adjacent shoe toward said conical member, means operatively connected to the other end of said actuator for effecting the forward movement of said conical member, and spring means operatively connected to said actuator for effecting the backward movement of said conical member, said conical member upon execution of its forward movement from the normal position projecting the shoes to a position to engage the wall of an auger hole and tix and steer the boring head so as to bore in an upwardly direction and upon execution of its backward movement from the normal position permitting the shoes under the action of the springs associated with the stems to be retracted to a position to engage the wall of an auger hole and fix and steer the boring head so as to bore in a downwardly direction.

3. In a mining auger, a hollow auger shaft including a trailing end portion and a leading end portion flexibly connected to said trailing end portion for movement with the latter, means on the rearward end of said trailing end portion for attachment to a driven shaft to impart rotational movement to said auger shaft, a boring head connected to the front end part of said auger shaft leading end portion for rotation with the latter-named portion, a plurality of spokes disposed radially about said auger shaft leading end portion inwardly of and adjacent said cutter head and having inner ends fixed to said auger shaft leading end portion and having outer ends, a stem slidably supported in each of said spokes and having an inner end within said auger shaft leading end portion and having an outer end exteriorly of the outer end of the adjacent spoke, a shoe on the outer end of each of said stems, a cam embodying an elongated conical member mounted within said auger shaft leading end portion for longitudinal forward-and-backward movement, an eccentric non-rotatable guide spider on the auger shaft trailing end portion for maintaining the angle of incidence in a vertical direction, said conical member being normally disposed so that the intermediate pant extends slidably between and engages the inner ends of said stems and has the base on the side of said spokes remote from said boring head and has the apex on the side of said spokes adjacent said boring head, the conical member when normally disposed projecting the shoes to a position to engage the wall of an auger hole and x and steer the boring head so as to bore in a straight direction, an actuator disposed within said auger shaft, said actuator embodying a push rod having one end operatively connected to the base of said conical member and a plurality of rods arranged in free end-to-end abutting relation positioned on the side opposite said push rod and having the end of the adjacent rod bearing freely against the other end of said push rod and having the free end portion of the hindmost rod exteriorly of the rear end of said auger shaft rear end portion, a reciprocatory slide operatively connected to the free end of the hindmost rod for effecting the forward movement of said conical member, spring means operatively connected to each of said stems for biasing1 the adjacent shoe toward said conical member, and spring means operatively connected to said push rod for effecting the backward movement of said conical member, said conical member upon execution of its forward movement from the normal position projecting the shoes to a position to engage the wall of an auger hole and fix and steer the boring head so as to bore in an upwardly direction and upon execution of its backward movement from the normal position permittin-g the shoes under the action of the springs associated with the stems to be retracted to a position to engage the wall of an auger hole and fix and steer the boring head so as to bore in a downwardly direction.

4. In a mining auger, a hollow auger shaft including a trailing end portion and a leading end portion arranged forwardly of said trailing end portion and having the rear end in end-to-end relation with respect to the forward end of said trailing end portion, flexible coupling means connecting the rear end of said leading end portion to the forward end of said trailing end portion, means on the rearward end of said trailing end portion for attachment to a driven shaft to impart rotational movement to said auger shaft, a boring head connected to the front end part of said auger shaft leading end portion for rotation with the latter-named portion, a plurality of spokes disposed radially about said auger shaft leading end portion inwardly of and adjacent said cutter head and having inner ends fixed to said auger shaft leading end portion and having outer ends, a stem slidably supported in each of said spokes and having an inner end within said auger shaft leading end portion and having an outer end exteriorly of the outer end of the adjacent spoke, a shoe on the outer end of each of said stems, a cam embodying an elongated conical member mounted within said auger shaft `leading end portion for longitudinal forward-and-backward movement, an eccentric non-rotatable guide spider on the auger shaft trailing end portion for maintaining the angle of incidence in a vertical direction, said conical member being normally `disposed so that the intermediate part extends slidably between and engages the inner ends of said stems and has the base on the side of said spokes remote from said boring head and has the apex on the side of said spokes adjacent said boring head, said conical member when normally disposed projecting the shoes to a position to engage the wall of an auger hole and x and steer the boring head so as to bore in a straight direction, an actuator disposed within said auger shaft and having one end operatively connected to the base of said conical member and having the other end exteriorly of the rear end of said auger shaft trailing end portion, spring means operatively connected to each of said stems for biasing the adjacent shoe toward said conical member, and means operatively connected to the other end of said actuator for effecting the forward-and-backward movement of said conical member, said conical member upon execution of its forward movement from the normal position projecting the shoes to a position toi engage the wall of an auger hole and fix and steer the boring head so as to bore in an upwardly direction and upon execution of its vbackward movement from the normal position permitting the shoes under the action of the springs associated with the stems to be retracted to a position to engage the wall of an auger hole and fix and steer the boring head so as to bore in a downwardly direction.

5. Ina mining auger, a hollow auger shaft including a trailing end portion and a leading end portion arranged forwardly of said trailing end portion and having the rear end in end-to-end relation with respect to the forward end of said trailing end portion, exible coupling means connecting the rear end of said leading end portion to the forward end of said trailing end portion, means on the rearward end of said trailing end portion for attachment to a driven shaft to impart rotational movement to said auger shaft, a boring head connected to the front part of said auger shaft leading end portion for rotation with the latter-named portion, a plurality of spokes disposed radially about said auger shaft leading end portion inwardly of and adjacent said cutter head and having inner ends xed to said auger Shaft leading end portion and having outer ends, a stem slidably supported in each of said spokes and having an inner end within said auger shaft leading end portion and having an outer end exteriorly of the outerj end of the adjacent spoke, a shoe on the outer end of each of said stems, a cam embodying an elongated conical member mounted within said auger shaft leading end portion for longitudinal forward-and-backward movement, said conical memiber being normally disposed so that the intermediate part extends slidably between and engages the inner ends of said stems and has the base on the side of said spokes remote from said boring head and has the apex on the side of said spokes adjacent said boring head, an eccentric non-rotatable guide spider on the auger shaft trailing end portion for maintaining the angle of incidence in a vertical direction, said conical member when normally disposed projecting the shoes to a position to engage the wall o-f an auger hole and fix and steer the boring head so as to bore in a straight direction, an actuator disposed within said auger shaft, said actuator embodying a push rod having one end operatively connected to the base of said conical member and a plurality of rods arranged in free end-to-end abutting relation positioned on the side opposite to said push rod and having the end of the adjacent rod bearing freely against the other end o-f said push rod and having the free end portion of the hindmost rod exteriorly of the rear end of said auger shaft rear end portion, a reciprocatory slide operatively connected to the free end of the hindmost rod for effecting the forward movement of said conical member, spring means operatively connected to each of said stems for biasing the adjacent shoe toward said conical member, and spring means operatively connected to said push rod for effecting the backward movement of said conical member, said conical member upon execution of its forward movement from the normal position projecting the shoes to a position to engage the wall of an auger hole and fix and steer the boring head so as to -bore in an yupwardly direction and upon execution of its backward movement from the normal position permitting the shoes under the action of the springs associated with the stems to be retracted to a position to engage the wall of an auger hole and x and steer the boring head so as to bore in a downwardly direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,715,526 Letts Aug, 16, 1955