Garden auger and method re same

Abstract

A garden auger having an auger blade with a substantially rectangular body section for use with a drill motor. The preferred auger body including toed-in wings for rapidly clearing earth from the created hole and cutters formed at one end of the auger blade.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A garden auger comprising an auger blade, a tip and a shaft, said auger blade fixed to said shaft to prevent rotation therebetween; 
 said shaft comprising an attachment portion located opposite said tip;    said auger blade comprising a body, said body being substantially rectangular in shape and having a width and a length, said body also being substantially planar; said auger blade further comprising a first and second cutter, said first and second cutter attached to said body at the end of said body closes to said tip said first cutter extending substantially across one half of said width of said body; said second cutter extending substantially across one half of said width of said body; and,    said cutters oriented substantially perpendicular to the plane of said body and at an angle φ with respect to a plane approximately perpendicular to the plane of said body.    
     
     
         2 . The garden auger of  claim 1  wherein said angle φ is less than 10°.  
     
     
         3 . The garden auger of  claim 1  wherein said attachment portion is adapted to be inserted in a drill motor.  
     
     
         4 . The garden auger of  claim 1  wherein said first cutter and said second cutter both include bevels.  
     
     
         5 . The garden auger of  claim 1  wherein said shaft includes a slot and said body is inserted in said slot.  
     
     
         6 . The garden auger of  claim 1  wherein said tip is integral with said auger blade.  
     
     
         7 . A garden auger comprising a shaft and an auger blade; 
 said auger blade comprising a central body and a tip; said central body portion being substantially rectangular and substantially planar; said tip attached to one end of said central body and being substantially trapezoidal in configuration;    said auger blade comprising a first wing and a second wing, said first wing attached to said tip at a first wing first end and said second wing attached to said tip at a second wing first end; said first wing extending from said tip at a first angle; said second wing extending from said tip at a second angle;    said auger blade attached to said shaft to prevent rotation therebetween; and    said shaft comprising an attachment portion.    
     
     
         8 . The garden auger of  claim 7  wherein said attachment portion is adapted to be inserted in a drill motor.  
     
     
         9 . The garden auger of  claim 7  wherein said trapezoidal shape of said tip includes angled sides oriented at an angle greater than 135° degrees from the longitudinal axis of said central body.  
     
     
         10 . The garden auger of  claim 7  wherein said tip comprises a first cutter and a second cutter extending outwardly from the plane of said tip in opposite directions and at an angle substantially perpendicular to the plane of said tip.  
     
     
         11 . The garden auger of  claim 9  wherein said tip comprises a first cutter and a second cutter extending outwardly from the plane of said tip in opposite directions and at an angle substantially perpendicular to the plane of said tip along said angled sides of said tip.  
     
     
         12 . The garden auger of  claim 7  wherein said first and second wings are arcuate in shape.  
     
     
         13 . The garden auger of  claim 12  wherein said first wing includes a first wing free end and said second wing includes a second wing free end; and wherein said first wing free end and said second wing free end are a distance X from the plane of said central body that is less than the farthest distance of any portion of said first or second wing from the plane of said central body.  
     
     
         14 . The garden auger of  claim 12  wherein arcuate shape of said first wing and said second wing comprise a radius of curvature of approximately 2 inches.  
     
     
         15 . The garden auger of  claim 7  wherein said shaft further includes a point.  
     
     
         16 . The garden auger of  claim 14  wherein said shaft further includes a channel in which said auger blade is mounted.  
     
     
         17 . The garden auger of  claim 7  wherein said shaft is greater than two feet in length.  
     
     
         18 . The garden auger of  claim 1  wherein said shaft is less than one foot in length.  
     
     
         19 . The garden auger of  claim 1  further comprising toed-in wings attached to said body.  
     
     
         20 . A method for planting perennial start, bulbs, seedlings or cuttings in small patches by a single person comprising the steps of inserting a garden auger having a shaft less than one foot in length and a width substantially equal to the diameter of the hole to be created in a drill motor; rotating the garden auger at a very high rate of rotation; kneeling or bending to create the holes for planting by penetrating the ground until the top of the auger blade is below ground level and, while still kneeling or bending, inserting the plants in the created holes and, while still kneeling or bending finishing the area around the plants.