Quick acting drive cap assembly

Claim 2

A drive cap assembly for an earth-boring auger comprising: a casing having a top and bottom end and a side wall, said top end having means for receiving rotating power, said bottom end being hollow for receiving the top portion of said auger, said side wall having a hole therethrough, a latch key received upon said casing and having a plug passing through said hole and engaging said auger, said plug having a distal end lockingly abuttable against an outer wall of said auger; a ring received over said casing and said key and maintaining said casing and said key together.

Claim 3

The assembly of claim 1 additionally comprising: a center rod driver having a longitudinal driving axis and being coupled to a secondary drill shaft extending through said auger; a first extension fixedly attached to said casing and projecting interiorly therein and being offset from said axis, said extension being spaced from said side wall of said casing; a second extension fixedly attached to said center rod driver and positioned against said first extension to rotate about said axis with said auger and secondary drill shaft.

Claim 4

A drive cap assembly for an earth-boring auger comprising: a casing having a top and bottom end and a side wall, said top end having means for receiving rotating power, said bottom end being hollow for receiving the top portion of said auger, said side wall having a hole therethrough, a latch key received upon said casing and having a plug passing through said hole and engaging said auger; a ring received over said casing and said key and maintaining said casing and said key together; a center rod driver coupled to a secondary drill shaft extending througH said auger; a first extension fixedly attached to said casing; a second extension fixedly attached to said center rod driver for side abutment against said first extension and wherein: said center rod driver is threadedly secured to said secondary drill shaft, said center rod driver has a disc-shaped member resting on said top portion of said auger, said top portion has a slot on its outer periphery for engaging said plug.

Claim 5

A drive cap assembly for an earth-boring auger comprising: a casing having a top and bottom end and a side wall, said top end having means for receiving rotating power, said bottom end being hollow for receiving the top portion of said auger, said side wall having a hole therethrough, a latch key received upon said casing and having a plug passing through said hole and engaging said auger; a ring received over said casing and said key and maintaining said casing and said key together; a center rod driver coupled to a secondary drill shaft extending througH said auger; a first extension fixedly attached to said casing; a second extension fixedly attached to said center rod driver for side abutment against said first extension and wherein: said center rod driver is threadedly secured to said secondary drill shaft, said center rod driver has a disc-shaped member resting on said top portion of said auger, said top portion has a slot on its outer periphery for engaging said plug.

Claim 6

The assembly of claim 3 wherein: said first extension includes a first pair of bosses each being positioned adjacent the outer periphery of said top end; said second extension includes a second pair of bosses each positioned adjacent the outer periphery of said disc-shaped member adjacent said first pair of bosses.

Claim 7

The assembly of claim 4 wherein: said ring has a semi-circular portion, a tapering portion and a straight portion all integrally joined, said circular portion slidingly abuts against said casing and said straight portion slidingly abuts against said latch key.

Claim 8

A drive cap assembly for connecting a rotatable driver with an earth-boring auger and a secondary drill comprising: a hollow main body with a solid first end and a hollow second end; a rod fixedly attached to said first end and extending thereabove for receiving said rotatable driver; a plug separate from said body radially locking said main body to said auger, said plug projecting into said body and against said auger; a ring fitted around said casing and said plug locking said casing and plug together.

Claim 9

A drive cap assembly for connecting a rotatable driver with an earth-boring auger and a secondary drill comprising: a hollow main body with a solid first end and a hollow second end; a rod fixedly attached to said first end and extending thereabove for receiving said rotatable driver; a plug separate from said body radially locking said main body to said auger, said plug projecting into said body and against said auger; a ring fitted around said casing and said plug locking said casing and plug together.

Claim 10

The drive cap assembly of claim 6 additionally comprising: a center rod driver removably positioned within said hollow main body and connected to said secondary drill, said center rod driver abuttingly engaging said hollow main body so as to rotate said secondary drill with said hollow main body, said driver having a first and second disc integrally connected together with said second disc being the smaller thereof fitting within said auger spacing said secondary drill therefrom, said first disc contacting said solid first end of said casing and resting atop said auger.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein: said means is a headed bolt with a pair of bosses fixedly fastened to its head, said pair of bosses removably engaging said casing.

Claim 14

The assembly of claim 1 wherein: said ring has a semi-circular portion, a tapering portion and a straight portion all integrally joined, said circular portion slidingly abuts against said casing and said straight portion slidingly abuts against said latch key.

Claim 15

The assembly of claim 2 wherein: said first extension includes a first pair of bosses each being positioned adjacent the outer periphery of said top end; and, said second extension includes a second pair of bosses each positioned adjacent the outer periphery of said center rod driver adjacent said first pair of bosses.

Claim 16

The assembly of claim 1 wherein: said ring has a semi-circular portion, a tapering portion and a straight portion all integrally joined, said circular portion slidingly abuts against said casing and said straight portion slidingly abuts against said latch key; and, said latch key is removably mounted on said means of said casing.