HOLLOW AUGER-DRIVER COUPLING

• US 3,794,127 A
• Filed: 06/06/1972
• Issued: 02/26/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Henry E. Davis
• Original Assignee: Henry E. Davis
• Inventors: Davis, Henry E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Leppink, James A.
• Application Number:
  US05/260,270
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 175/58,236,323 285/DIG.14,330
• US Class Current: 175/58
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 17/03 between drilling rod or pipe and drill motor or surface drive, e.g. between drilling rod and hammer
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 17/22 Rods or pipes with helical structure
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 25/04 the core receiver having a core forming cutting edge or element, e.g. punch type core barrels
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/02 by mechanically taking samples of the soil

Abstract

A coupling for connecting an auger to a driver so as to allow core sampling while the auger is positioned within the drilled hole and connected to the driver. One embodiment of the coupling has a ring positioned outwardly of the adjacent ends of the auger and driver. Arms are mounted to the ring and extend radially inward being bearingly received by the adjacent auger and driver ends. The driver and auger are hollow so as to allow the raising and lowering by cable of a sampling hammer with a sampler. A hollow cap is removably mounted to the top of the auger and has a pair of upstanding members which receive two of the arms of the coupling. A hollow-centered plate is removably mounted to the bottom of the driver and has a pair of depending members which receive the other two arms of the coupling. Another embodiment of the coupling includes a pair of yokes each of which is pivoted to an open centered ring member. The yokes are also coupled, respectively, to the auger and the driver. The yokes extend outwardly of the ring member and are connected through bearings to the ring member.

Claims

1. A hollow coupling arrangement comprising:

an auger section having a hollow tube with a helical flight secured thereto;

said auger section having secured thereto a pair of upstanding and oppositely positioned first members;

a hollow-centered drive shaft having a pair of depending and oppositely positioned second members; and

, connecting means positioned beween and connecting said drive shaft and auger section, said means being bearingly connected to said first and second members, said connecting means being hollow-centered allowing a sampling device to be passed throuGh said drive shaft and said auger section.

2. The coupling of claim 1 wherein:

said means is a circular ring with four arms projecting radially inward into said first and second members and said ring is positioned exteriorly of said first and second members.

3. The coupling of claim 2 wherein:

said first and second members have bearing means receiving said arms; and

, said arms are co-planar and positioned at intervals of 90* around said ring;

said drive shaft has a flanged lower end and a hollow-centered plate removably secured thereto, said second members being secured to said plate and extending down through said ring; and

, a cap threadedly received onto said auger section and securing said first members to said auger section.

4. The coupling of claim 1 wherein:

said means includes an annular ring positioned inwardly of said first and second members;

said means further includes four bearing arrangements positioned at 90 degree intervals around said ring, two of said bearing arrangements connecting said first members and said annular ring and two of said bearing arrangements connecting said second members and said annular ring.

5. The coupling of claim 4 wherein:

said drive shaft has a hollow centered plate secured thereto, said plate securing said second members to said drive shaft.

6. A hollow coupling for connecting a hollow auger-driver and an adjacent hollow auger section comprising:

a hollow centered cap adapted to be mounted atop the auger section and having a pair of upstanding oppositely positioned first members;

a hollow centered plate adapted to be mounted to the lower end of the driver and having a pair of depending oppositely positioned second members; and

connecting means positioned between and connecting said cap and plate, said means being bearingly connected to said first and second members, said connecting means being hollow centered whereby a sampling device may be passed through said coupling.

7. The coupling of claim 6 wherein:

said connecting means is a ring and said connection to said first and second members is accomplished by four bearing arrangements;

a first pair of said bearing arrangements is coaxial with one another and connects said ring to said first members;

a second pair of said bearing arrangements is coaxial with one another and connects said ring to said second members;

said bearing arrangements being positioned at 90* intervals around said ring.

8. The method of core sampling comprising the steps of:

positioning a drilling apparatus having a rotary power means and a hollow driver in a position at a drilling site;

connecting the hollow driver to the drilling apparatus for driving thereby;

connecting a hollow auger to the hollow driver by a hollow centered coupling;

operating said drilling apparatus and power means to rotate the hollow driver to rotate the hollow auger and cause the hollow auger to drill into the earth; and

extending a sampler through the driver, coupling and auger to take a sample while the driver is connected to the drilling apparatus and to the hollow auger and while the drilling apparatus is still in its original position.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein:

said extending step includes raising and lowering said sampler by reelable cable.

10. The method of claim 9 and comprising the additional steps of:

lowering by cable a sampling hammer with plug means through said driver, said coupling and said auger until said plug means rests atop ground;

rotating and advancing said auger to a desired depth subsequent to said lowering of said hammer with plug means;

next, stopping rotation and advancement of said auger;

raising by cable said hammer and plug means through said auger, said coupling and said driver subsequent to said stopping step; and

, mounting said sampler to said hammer immediately prior to the lowering of said sampler.

11. The Method of claim 10 and comprising the additional step of:

driving said sampler with said hammer to the desired depth while said hammer is positioned within said auger and subsequent to the lowering of said sampler.

12. The method of claim 11 and comprising the additional steps of:

rotating said auger subsequent to said driving step so as to free said sampler subsequent to said driving step;

stopping rotation of said auger immediately prior to the raising of said sampler; and

, removing said plug means from said hammer subsequent to the raising of said hammer and plug means.

13. A hollow coupling arrangement comprising:

a hollow tube having secured thereto a pair of upstanding and oppositely positioned first members;

a hollow-centered drive shaft having a pair of depending and oppositely positioned second members; and

, connecting means positioned between and connecting said drive shaft and hollow tube, said means being bearingly connected to said first and second members, said connecting means being hollow-centered allowing a sampling device to be passed through said drive shaft and said hollow tube.

14. A hollow coupling arrangement comprising:

a hollow tube;

a hollow centered drive shaft; and

, connecting means connecting said drive shaft and hollow tube, said connecting means being hollow-centered allowing a sampling device to be passed through said drive shaft and said hollow tube, each of said hollow tube and said hollow centered drive shaft having an axis about which the respective tube and drive shaft are rotatable;

said connecting means positively connecting said drive shaft and said hollow tube whereby rotation of said drive shaft about its axis produces rotation of said hollow tube about its axis, said connecting means permitting inclination of said tube to said drive shaft whereby said axes are at an angle to one another.

15. Earth sampling apparatus comprising:

drilling apparatus having rotary power means;

a hollow driver connected to the drilling apparatus for driving thereby;

a hollow tube for drilling into the earth;

connecting means connecting said hollow driver and said hollow tube, said connecting means being hollow centered; and

a sampling device mounted on said drilling apparatus and movable through said hollow driver and through the hollow center of said connecting means and through said tube for taking samples.

16. The earth sampling apparatus of claim 15 wherein:

said tube is part of an auger which also includes a helical flight secured to said tube.