Hole boring apparatus

Abstract

A hole boring apparatus and method for boring holes in earth is disclosed that includes, a support frame including an earth engaging member and an upright tubular portion adjacent to the earth engaging member so as to provide a passageway therethrough from a top of the tubular portion through the earth engaging member. Also included is a boring member, including a shaft comprising a shaft lower end and a shaft upper end, a blade adjacent to the shaft lower end, a handle adjacent to the shaft upper end, the shaft being located within the passageway of the tubular portion to allow rotation of the shaft, the handle is operational for initiating rotation of the shaft.

1 . A hole boring apparatus for boring holes in earth, comprising: 
 (a) a support frame including an earth engaging member and an upright tubular portion adjacent to said earth engaging member so as to provide a passageway therethrough from a top of said tubular portion through said earth engaging member; and    (b) a boring member including a shaft comprising a shaft lower end and a shaft upper end, a blade adjacent to said shaft lower end, a handle adjacent to said shaft upper end, said shaft being located within said passageway of said tubular portion to allow rotation of said shaft, said handle is operational for initiating rotation of said shaft.    
     
     
         2 . A hole boring apparatus as defined in  claim 1  wherein said earth-engaging member includes a foot portion located on a side of said tubular portion and adapted for locating a sole of an operator's foot.  
     
     
         3 . A hole boring apparatus as defined in claimed  2  wherein said earth engaging member further includes a downwardly directed earth piercing spike to locate said hole boring apparatus on an earth surface.  
     
     
         4 . A hole boring apparatus as defined in any one of  claims 2  to  3  wherein said earth-engaging member is in the form of an elongate strip with said foot portion swept back and angled, in use, towards the operator.  
     
     
         5 . A hole boring apparatus as defined in  claim 4  wherein said foot portion is lower than a central portion of said elongate strip so that when said foot portion is in contact with the earth surface said blade is able to rotate without contacting the earth surface.  
     
     
         6 . A hole boring apparatus as defined in any one of  claims 1  to  5  wherein said handle is in the form of a T-bar.  
     
     
         7 . A hole boring apparatus as defined in any one of  claims 1  to  6  wherein said shaft is 100 200 mm longer than said tubular portion.  
     
     
         8 . A hole boring apparatus as defined in any one of  claims 1  to  7  wherein said blade is a pair of blades with working edges angled towards the direction of rotation and shaped to provide a downward cutting action on the earth.  
     
     
         9 . A hole boring apparatus as defined in any one of  claims 1  to  8  wherein said apparatus further includes a means to apply a resilient urgent downward force on said blade.  
     
     
         10 . A hole boring apparatus as defined in  claim 9  wherein said urging means is a helical spring mounted around said shaft and an upper portion of said spring is located within a recess formed between said ground engaging member and said upright tubular portion.  
     
     
         11 . A hole boring apparatus as defined in  claim 1  further including an annular section adjacent to said blade ends, said annular section is operational to cause the earth removed from the hole to be removed as a cylindrical plug.  
     
     
         12 . A hole boring apparatus as defined in  claim 1  further including a means for restricting relative movement between said upright tubular portion and said shaft upper end, said means for restricting relative movement between said upright tubular portion and said shaft upper end is operational to restrict relative movement between said upright tubular portion and said shaft upper end when in a locked state and to allow unrestricted relative movement between said upright tubular portion and said shaft upper end when in an unlocked state.  
     
     
         13 . A method for manually boring a hole in an earth surface utilizing a hole boring apparatus with an operator with a foot and a hand, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing a support frame including an earth engaging member and an upright tubular portion adjacent to said earth engaging member so as to provide a passageway from a top of said tubular portion through said earth engaging member therethrough, a boring member including a shaft comprising a shaft lower end and a shaft upper end, a blade adjacent to said shaft lower end, a handle adjacent to said shaft upper end, said shaft being located within said passageway of said tubular portion to allow rotation of said shaft, said handle is operational for initiating rotation of said shaft;    (b) locating said blade on the earth surface wherein a bored hole is desired thus locating said hole-boring apparatus;    (c) placing the foot on said earth engaging member to engage said earth-engaging member into the earth surface;    (d) grasping said handle with the hand;    (e) applying lateral and downward force to said handle for the purpose of rotating said shaft upper and lower ends to engage said blade into the earth surface;    (f) continuing step (e) until a desired bored hole depth is achieved;    (g) removing said hole boring apparatus from the desired bored hole depth; and    (h) removing earth from the desired bored hole depth.    
     
     
         14 . A method for manually boring a hole in an earth surface utilizing a hole boring apparatus with an operator with a foot and a hand, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing a support frame including an earth engaging member and an upright tubular portion adjacent to said earth engaging member so as to provide a passageway from a top of said tubular portion through said earth engaging member therethrough, a boring member including a shaft comprising a shaft lower end and a shaft upper end, a blade adjacent to said shaft lower end, a resilient urgent means to apply a downward force on said blade, a handle adjacent to said shaft upper end, said shaft being located within said passageway of said tubular portion to allow rotation of said shaft, said handle is operational for initiating rotation of said shaft;    (b) locating said blade on the earth surface wherein a bored hole is desired thus locating said hole-boring apparatus;    (c) placing the foot on said earth engaging member to engage said earth-engaging member into the earth surface;    (d) grasping said handle with the hand;    (e) applying lateral force to said handle for the purpose of rotating said shaft upper and lower ends to engage said blade into the earth surface;    (f) continuing step (e) until a desired bored hole depth is achieved;    (g) removing said hole boring apparatus from the desired bored hole depth; and    (h) removing earth from the desired bored hole depth.