Auger drill and conveyor

Claim 3

The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said spiral auger is tapered upwardly and inwardly, said shell including an upwardly and inwardly tapering interior wall conforming generally with the periphery of the spiral auger to retain soil in the spiral auger for elevating the soil to the upper end of the auger.

Claim 4

The structure as defined in claim 2 wherein said housing on the upper end of the shell includes an annular closed space, a plurality of radially extending tubular arms extending from the enclosed space to the center of the housing, said spiral auger including a center shaft having the upper end received in the space defined by the intersection of the tubular arms on the housing, and means driving the auger including a drive assembly extending from the annular space through each of the tubular arms for driving engagement with the center shaft, each driving assembly including an elongated drive shaft extending into the space and vertically thereabove.

Claim 5

The structure as defined in claim 3 wherein said conveyor includes a supporting ring resting against the upper end of the housing and supportingly engaging the lower end of the conveyor for retaining it within the interior of the housing above the tubular arms for picking up soil conveyed above the tubular arms by the spiral auger thereby enabling the conveyor to be lifted out of association with the housing and spiral auger.

Claim 6

The structure as defined in claim 4 together with collar means on each drive shaft by which vertical forces may be imparted selectively to the drive shafts to provide directional control for the spiral suger.

Claim 7

The structure as defined in claim 5 wherein said conveyor includes a chain type assembly having a plurality of buckets thereon, a chute adjacent the upper end of the conveyor for receiving material dumped from the buckets, drive means for the conveyor, power means for driving the conveyor and auger drill, a housing assembly for the power means and drive means, said housing assembly adapted to be supported from a vehicle for moving the apparatus to a desired location with the chute adapted to discharge material onto a load carrying body of a vehicle.

Claim 8

A combined auger drill and elevating conveyor for forming a bore into the surface of the earth comprising vertically oriented and aligned spiral auger and conveyor whereby the spiral auger will excavate soil and the conveyor will discharge the material excavated by the spiral auger, said auger including a center shaft having a spiral auger flight thereon with the upper convolutions thereof tapering inwardly with a gradual reduction in radius, a shell encompassing the upper portion of the spiral auger and including a cylindrical external surface for shaping and forming the bore being formed and an inwardly and upwardly tapering interior surface conforming with the periphery of the flight with the relationship between the flight and the interior surface of the shell assuring upward movement of the soil being excavated, said conveyor including a lower end portion and pickup members for passage adjacent the upper end of the auger for picking up soil from the upper end portion thereof and conveying it upwardly and laterally of the bore for discharge at a desired location, the center shaft of the auger being journaled in the center of the shell by radially extending hollow arms, drive means for the auger extending through said arms for driving the center shaft of the auger.

Claim 9

A combined auger drill and elevating conveyor for forming a bore into the surface of the earth comprising vertically oriented and aligned spiral auger and conveyor whereby the spiral auger will excavate soil and the conveyor will discharge the material excavated by the spiral auger, said auger including a center shaft having a spiral auger flight thereon with the upper convolutions thereof tapering inwardly with a gradual reduction in radius, a shell encompassing the upper portion of the spiral auger and including a cylindrical external surface for shaping and forming the bore being formed and an inwardly and upwardly tapering interior surface conforming with the periphery of the flight with the relationship between the flight and the interior surface of the shell assuring upward movement of the soil being excavated, said conveyor including a lower end portion and pickup members for passage adjacent the upper end of the auger for picking up soil from the upper end portion thereof and conveying it upwardly and laterally of the bore for discharge at a desired location, the center shaft of the auger being journaled in the center of the shell by radially extending hollow arms, drive means for the auger extending through said arms for driving the center shaft of the auger.

Claim 10

The structure as defined in claim 7 wherein the upper end portion of said shell is in the form of a hollow housing defining an annular enclosed space communicating with the arms and a hollow central area open to the upper end of the shell with the hollow central area defining a receptacle for soil conveyed by the auger upwardly and forming a pickup area for the lower end of the conveyor, the drive means for said auger being disposed in the closed annular space in the housing and extending upwardly therefrom to enable effective length of the drive means to be varied as the auger drill and conveyor is lowered into the bore.