Auger planter

• US 5,067,571 A
• Filed: 08/01/1989
• Issued: 11/26/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Power Planter Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Power Planter Incorporated
• Inventors: Bradley, Richard A., Niewold, D. Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Novosad, Stephen J.
• Application Number:
  US07/388,744
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 175/62, 175/170, 175/310, 175/323, 175/327, 175/385, 175/395, 175/397, 175/403, 175/410, 175/411, 175/394, 198/676, 198/677, 299/87, 408/125, 408/210, 408/230
• US Class Current: 175/394
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 5/04 Machines for making or covering holes for sowing or planting
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/44 Bits with helical conveying portion, e.g. screw type bits; Augers with leading portion or with detachable parts E21B10/42 takes precedence

Abstract

An auger planter is provided for forming small holes in the earth for the planting of flower bulbs and the like. The auger includes a central shaft and a single flighting having its leading and trailing ends truncated. When used, the single flighted auger exhibits minimal eccentric orbital rotation and minimizes inadvertent injury to the user.

Claims

1. An auger planter for the forming of small diameter holes in the soil of a depth suitable for the planting of flower bulbs and the like, comprising a helical flighting for advancing into the soil and a central shaft extending substantially axially through said helical flighting, said central shaft terminating at one end in a leading end of said shaft, said helical flighting terminating in a leading edge proximate to said leading end of said shaft, said helical flighting having an outer helically extending edge, said leading edge being defined by a chord portion extending chordally substantially across the flighting on one side of said shaft to a point of intersection with said helically extending edge and away from the direction of advance of said flighting into the soil, said helical flighting having a diameter and distance between adjacent flights which are approximately equal to each other, said helical flighting extending more than one revolution about said shaft and along said shaft for a distance greater than the depth of the hole to readily lift the soil from the hole as the flighting is advanced into the hole, and said leading edge further including a radial portion extending outwardly from said central shaft to a point of intersection with said chord portion.

2. The auger of claim 1 wherein said leading end of said shaft is tapered.

3. The auger of claim 2 wherein said taper is approximately 30°

.

4. The auger of claim 1 wherein the other end of said central shaft has an end portion adapted to be mounted in a hand held drill.

5. The auger of claim 4 wherein the outer diameter of said central shaft is greater than the outer diameter of said end portion adapted to be mounted in the drill.

6. The auger of claim 1 wherein said radial portion and said chord portion intersect each other at an obtuse angle.

7. The auger of claim 1 wherein the other end of said helical flighting opposite said leading edge terminates in a trailing edge, said trailing edge having a chord portion extending chordally substantially across the flighting from adjacent one side of said shaft to a point of intersection with said helically extending edge and toward the direction of advance of the flighting into the soil.

8. The auger of claim 7 wherein said trailing edge further includes a radial portion extending outwardly from said central shaft to a point of intersection with said trailing edge chord portion.

9. The auger of claim 7 wherein said leading edge chord portion and said trailing edge chord portion are substantially planar to each other in a plane extending substantially parallel to the axis of said central shaft.

10. The auger of claim 8 wherein at least one of said leading and trailing edges are blunt.

11. An auger planter for the forming of small diameter holes in the soil of a depth suitable for the planting of flower bulbs and the like, comprising an auger having a central shaft and helical flighting for advancing into the soil, said central shaft terminating at one end in a tapered leading end, the other end of said central shaft terminating in a trailing end adapted to be mounted in a hand held power drill, said flighting terminating in a leading edge proximate to said shaft leading end, said leading edge being blunt and having a chord portion extending chordally substantially across said flighting, said chord portion being angularly disposed to said central shaft such that the line of sight along said chord portion does not intersect the center of said central shaft and away from the direction of advance of said flighting into the soil, said helical flighting having a diameter and distance between adjacent flights which are approximately equal to each other, said helical flighting extending more than one revolution about said shaft along said shaft for a distance greater than the depth of the hole to readily lift soil from the hole as the flighting is advanced into the hole.

12. The auger of claim 11 wherein the end of said helical flighting opposite said leading edge terminates in a trailing edge, said trailing edge having a chord portion extending on one side of said shaft, said trailing edge chord portion being angularly disposed to said central shaft such that the line of sight along said chord portion does not intersect the center of said central shaft.

13. The auger of claim 12 wherein said leading edge chord portion and said trailing edge chord portion are substantially planar to each other in a plane extending substantially parallel to the axis of said central shaft.

14. The auger of claim 13 wherein said leading edge further includes a radial portion extending outwardly from said central shaft to a point of intersection with the radially inner portion of said leading edge chord portion, said trailing edge also including a radial portion extending outwardly from said central shaft to a point of intersection with said trailing edge chord portion, said leading edge radial portion and leading edge chord portion intersecting each other at an obtuse angle, and said trailing edge radial portion and said trailing edge chord portion intersect at an obtuse angle.

15. The auger of claim 12, wherein said leading edge and trailing edge chord portions extend respectively away from and toward the direction of advance of the flighting into the soil.

16. An auger planter for the forming of small diameter holes in the soil for the planting of flower bulbs and the like, comprising a helical flighting for advancing into the soil and a central shaft extending substantially axially through said helical flighting, said central shaft terminating at one end in a leading end of said shaft, said helical flighting terminating in a leading edge proximate to said leading end of said shaft, said helical flighting having an outer helically extending edge, said leading edge being defined by a chord portion extending chordally substantially across the flighting on one side of said shaft to a point of intersection with said helically extending edge and away from the direction of advance of said flighting into the soil, the other end of said helical flighting opposite said leading edge terminating in a trailing edge, said trailing edge having a chord portion extending chordally substantially across the flighting from adjacent one side of said shaft to a point of intersection with said helically extending edge and toward the direction of advance of the flighting into the soil, and said helical flighting having a diameter and distance between adjacent flights to readily lift the soil from the hole as the flighting is advanced into the hole.

17. The auger of claim 16 wherein said trailing edge further includes a radial portion extending outwardly from said central shaft to a point of intersection with said trailing edge chord portion.

18. The auger of claim 16 wherein said leading edge chord portion and said trailing edge portion are substantially planar to each other in a plane extending substantially parallel to the axis of said central shaft.

19. The auger of claim 16 wherein said trailing edge chord portion extends entirely across said flighting on one side of the shaft.

20. The auger of claim 16 wherein said leading edge chord portion extends entirely chordally across said flighting on one side of said shaft, said trailing edge chord portion extends entirely chordally across said flighting on one side of said shaft, and said leading edge chord portion and said trailing edge chord portion are substantially planar to each other in a plane extending substantially parallel to the axis of said central shaft.

21. An auger planter for the forming of small diameter holes in the soil for the planting of flower bulbs and the like, comprising an auger having a central shaft and helical flighting for advancing into the soil, said central shaft terminating at one end in a tapered leading end, the other end of said central shaft terminating in a trailing end adapted to be mounted in a hand held power drill, said flighting terminating in a leading edge proximate to said shaft leading end, said leading edge having a chord portion extending chordally substantially across said flighting, said chord portion being angularly disposed to said central shaft such that the line of sight along said chord portion does not intersect the center of said central shaft and away from the direction of advance of said flighting into the soil, the end of said helical flighting opposite said leading edge terminating in a trailing edge, said trailing edge having a chord portion extending chordally substantially across said flighting on one side of said shaft, said trailing edge chord portion being angularly disposed to said central shaft such that the line of sight along said chord portion does not intersect the center of said central shaft, said leading edge and trailing edge chord portions extending respectively away from and toward the direction of advance of the flighting into the soil, and said helical flighting having a diameter and distance between adjacent flights to readily lift soil from the hole as the flighting is advanced into the hole.

22. An auger planter for the forming of small diameter holes in the soil of a depth suitable for the planting of flower bulbs and the like, comprising a helical flighting for advancing into the soil and a central shaft extending substantially axially through said helical flighting, said central shaft terminating at one end in a leading edge proximate to said leading end of said shaft, said helical flighting having an outer helically extending edge, said leading edge being defined by a chord portion extending chordally substantially across the flighting on one side of said shaft to a point of intersection with said helically extending edge and away from the direction of advance of said flighting into the soil, said helical flighting having a diameter and distance between adjacent flights which are approximately equal to each other, said helical flighting extending more than one revolution about said shaft and along said shaft for a distance greater than the depth of the hole to readily lift the soil from the hole as the flighting is advanced into the hole;

and wherein the other end of said helical flighting opposite said leading edge terminates in a trailing edge, said trailing edge having a chord portion extending chordally substantially across the flighting from adjacent one side of said shaft to a point of intersection with said helically extending edge and toward the direction of advance of the flighting into the soil.

23. The auger of claim 22 wherein said trailing edge further includes a radial portion extending outwardly from said central shaft to a point of intersection with said trailing edge chord portion.

24. The auger of claim 22 wherein said leading edge chord portion and said trailing edge chord portion are substantially planar to each other in a plane extending substantially parallel to the axis of said central shaft.

25. The auger of claim 22 wherein said trailing edge chord portion extends entirely across said flighting on one side of the shaft.

26. The auger of claim 22 wherein said leading edge chord portion extends entirely chordally across said flighting on one side of said shaft, said trailing edge chord portion extends entirely chordally across said flighting on one side of said shaft, and said leading edge chord portion and said trailing edge chord portion are substantially planar to each other in a plane extending substantially parallel to the axis of said central shaft.

27. The auger of claim 22 wherein at least one of said leading and trailing edges are blunt.

28. An auger planter for the forming of smaller diameter holes in the soil of a depth suitable for the planting of flower bulbs and the like, comprising a helical flighting for advancing into the soil and a central shaft extending substantially axially through said helical flighting, said central shaft terminating at one end in a leading end of said shaft, said helical flighting terminating in a leading edge proximate to said leading end of said shaft, said helical flighting having an outer helically extending edge, said leading edge being defined by a chord portion extending chordally entirely across the flighting on one side of said shaft to a point of intersection with said helically extending edge and away from the direction of advance of said flighting into the soil, said helical flighting having a diameter and distance between adjacent flights which are approximately equal to each other, and said helical flighting extending more than one revolution about said shaft and along said shaft for a distance greater than the depth of the hole to readily lift the soil from the hole as the flighting is advanced into the hole.

29. An auger planter for the forming of small diameter holes in the soil of a depth suitable for the planting of flower bulbs and the like, comprising an auger having a central shaft and helical flighting for advancing into the soil, said central shaft terminating at one end in a tapered leading end, the other end of said central shaft terminating in a trailing end adapted to be mounted in a hand held power drill, said flighting terminating in a leading edge proximate to said shaft leading end, said leading edge having a chord portion extending chordally substantially across said flighting, said chord portion being angularly disposed to said central shaft such that the line of sight along said chord portion does not intersect the center of said central shaft and away from the direction of advance of said flighting into the soil, said helical flighting having a diameter and distance between adjacent flights which are approximately equal to each other, said helical flighting extending more than one revolution about said shaft and along said shaft for a distance greater than the depth of the hole to readily lift soil from the hole as the flighting is advanced into the hole, said leading edge chord portion and said trailing edge chord portion are substantially planar to each other in a plane extending substantially parallel to the axis of said central shaft, and wherein said leading edge further includes a radial portion extending outwardly from said central shaft to a point of intersection with the radially inner portion of said leading edge chord portion, said trailing edge also including a radial portion, said trailing edge also including a radial portion, said trailing edge also including a radial portion extending outwardly from said central shaft to a point of intersection with said trailing edge chord portion, said leading edge radial portion and leading edge chord portion intersecting each other at an obtuse angle, and said trailing edge radial portion and said trailing edge chord portion intersect at an obtuse angle.

30. An auger planter for the forming of small diameter hole sin the soil of a depth suitable for the planting of flower bulbs and the like, comprising the auger having a central shaft and helical flighting for advancing into a soil, said central shaft terminating at one end in a tapered leading end, the other end of said central shaft terminating in a trailing end adapted to be mounted in a hand held power drill, said flighting terminating in a leading edge proximate to said shaft leading end, said leading edge having a chord portion extending chordally substantially across said flighting, said chord portion being angularly disposed to said central shaft such that the line of sigh along said chord portion does not intersect the center of said central shaft and away from the direction of advance of said flighting into the soil, said helical flighting having a diameter and distance between adjacent flights which are approximately equal to each other, said helical flighting extending more than one revolution about said shaft and along said shaft for a distance greater than the depth of the hole to readily lift soil from the hole as the flighting is advanced into the hole, the end of said helical flighting opposite said leading edge terminating in a trailing edge, said trailing edge having a chord portion extending chordally substantially across said flighting on one side of said shaft, said trailing edge chord portion being angularly disposed to said central shaft such that the line of sight along said chord portion does not intersect the center of said central shaft, and wherein said leading edge and trailing edge chord portions extend respectively away from and toward the direction of advance of the flighting into the soil.