Drive for auger elevator

Claim 1

AN INTERMEDIATELY DRIVEN CONVEYOR UNIT FOR MOVING MATERIAL ALONG A SUBSTANTIALLY UNINTERRUPTED FLOW PATH, SAID UNIT INCLUDING, IN COMBINATION AN UPPER AND A LOWER AUGER HOUSING DISPOSED IN AXIALLY ALIGNED, SPACED RELATIONSHIP ONE TO THE OTHER, EACH HOUSING HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT INTERNAL DIAMETER, AN AUGER IN EACH HOUSING, EACH OF SAID AUGERS INCLUDING A CENTRALLY LOCATED CORE MEMBER, SAID CORE MEMBERS BEING DISPOSED IN AXIALLY ALIGNED, SPACE RELATIONSHIP TO ONE ANOTHER, MEANS EXTERIORLY CONNECTING THE UPPER AND LOWER HOUSINGS IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP TO ONE ANOTHER TO THEREBY DEFINE A MATERIAL FLOW PATH OF SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT DIAMETER, AND MEANS FOR DRIVING THE AUGERS CONCURRENTLY TO THEREBY MOVE THE MATERIAL WITHIN THE HOUSING ALONG AN UNINTERRUPTED PATH OF MOVEMENT SPANNING THE GAP BETWEEN THE OPPOSED HOUSING ENDS, SAID DRIVING MEANS FIRSTLY INCLUDING, MEANS FOR CONNECTING THE OPPOSED AUGER CORE MEMBERS TO ONE ANOTHER IN TORQUE TRANSMITTING RELATIONSHIP, AND SECONDLY, A DRIVE MEMBER HAVING A POWER INPUT POINT LOCATED RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM THE PERIPHERY OF THE MATERIAL FLOW PATH, SAID DRIVE MEMBER HAVING GENERALLY RADIALLY INWARDLY DISPOSED EXTENSION MEANS JOINED TO THE TORQUE CONNECTION MEANS FOR RELATIVE MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT THERETO AXIALLY, AND FOR CONJOINT MOVEMENT WITH THE TORQUE CONNECTION MEANS IN A CIRCULAR DIRECTION, AND MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE CORE MEMBERS OF THE AUGER WITH RESPECT TO THE AUGER HOUSINGS, SAID MEANS INCLUDING AUGER THRUST BEARING MEANS, SAID THRUST BEARING MEANS BEING LOCATED A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE FROM, AND FLANKING, THE DRIVING MEANS WHEREBY AXIAL THRUST ON THE AUGERS WILL BYPASS THE DRIVING MEANS.