Auger For Boring and Weeding

Abstract

An auger to assist in ground burrowing or mixing paint or concrete, is used by attaching it to an electric or cordless power source. The major advantages over previous augers are: a hex head design prevents slipping in the drill chuck, an offset boring tip provides better digging, and a removable extension allows for the digging holes from a sitting or standing position possible without straining. The cutting edge of the auger's discs is sharpened and provided with a serrated edge for easier digging in hard soil. A single spring pin lock connects a first shaft to the extension shaft and multiple holes in the extension shaft allow for a multitude of auger heights.

1 . A device for attachment to a power source for making a hole comprising:
 a) a first shaft having a first end and a second end, wherein:
 1) the first end includes a hexagonal-shaped portion; 
 2) a passage extends through the first shaft and is offset a distance from the first end; 
 3) the second end includes a pointed tip offset from center and shaved flat on one side at an angle configured for boring a hole in the soil; 
   b) a disc having a first surface; a second surface spaced apart from the first surface; an opening extending between the first and second surfaces, the opening configured to receive the first shaft and substantially coincident with the center of the disc; a slit extending radially from an edge of the disc to the opening defining a leading edge extending between the first surface and the second surface along a first side of the slit and a trailing edge extending between the first surface and the second surface along a second side of the slit; and a plurality of teeth extending radially from the periphery of the disc, wherein:
 1) at least a portion of the periphery of the opening in the disc is attached to the shaft at a distance from the second end of the shaft; 
 2) the disc is bent such that the leading edge of the slit is displaced from the trailing edge of the slit and the leading edge is positioned closer to the second end of the shaft than the trailing edge; 
 3) each of the leading and trailing edges are sloped from the second surface of the disc toward the first surface of the disc; and 
 4) each of the teeth are defined by a pair of angled surfaces extending radially from the periphery of the disc, wherein the proximal end of the tooth is joined to the periphery of the disc and the distal end of the tooth is a tip defined by an intersection of the pair of angled surfaces; 
   c) a removable pin; and   d) a second shaft, longer than the first shaft, having a first end and a second end, wherein:
 1) the first end is hexagonal-shaped; 
 2) the second end has a terminal end and a first shaft receiving portion with a bore therein; 
 3) the first shaft receiving portion has a plurality of paired holes positioned axially along the second shaft wherein each of the paired holes has a first hole on a first wall of the bore and a second hole, aligned with the first hole, on a second, opposing wall of the bore; and 
 4) each of the paired holes are configured to selectively align with the passage extending through the first end of the first shaft to receive the easily removable pin allowing the second shaft to be secured to the first shaft at a plurality of positions. 
   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the removable pin is a cotter pin with a looped portion. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the disc is sharpened along the periphery and angled at 35 degrees. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the second shaft is:
 a) configured to fit one of a three-eighths inch chuck and a half-inch chuck on a battery-powered power source; and   b) constructed of half-inch in diameter steel rods.   
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the removable pin is a cotter pin with a looped portion; the disc is sharpened along the periphery and angled at 35 degrees; the second shaft is configured to fit one of a three-eighths inch chuck and a half-inch chuck on a battery-powered power source; and the shaft is constructed of half-inch in diameter steel rods. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the pointed tip includes a cavity recessed into the angled surface. 
     
     
         7 . A device for use in combination with a power source for boring a hole in soil comprising;
 a) a power drill with chuck jaws; and   b) an auger attached to the power drill further comprising:
 1) a first shaft having a first and second end, wherein:
 i. the first end includes a hexagonal-shaped portion, 
 ii the second end is opposite the first end and has a tip portion extending from the second end along a portion of the first shaft, and 
 iii. a hole extends through the first shaft near the first end configured to receive a pin; 
 
 2) a second shaft having a first and a second end selectively connected to said first shaft wherein:
 i. the first end is hexagonal-shaped, 
 ii. the second end is opposite the first end and includes a receiving portion configured to receive the hexagonal-shaped portion of the first shaft, and 
 iii. a plurality of holes on the receiving portion each hole being selectively aligned with the hole near the first end of the first shaft configured to receive a pin; 
 
 3) a single cotter pin configured to be inserted through the holes on the first and second shafts to secure the first and second shafts together; and 
 4) a spiral disc attached near the tip portion of the first shaft comprising; a leading edge, a trailing edge, and a serrated portion, wherein
 i. the serrated portion includes a plurality of spikes extending radially from the shaft at the periphery of the disc, the plurality of spikes each including at least one angular surface and a tip, and 
 ii. the leading edge is slanted toward the tip of the first shaft and the trailing edge is slanted toward the hexagonal-shaped portion of the first shaft. 
 
   
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the tip portion is selected from one of the group consisting of:
 a shank portion with a point offset to one side of the shaft and a flat side extending from the point at an angle to the opposite side of the shaft;   a shank portion tapered to a point located substantially in the center of the shaft and a helical portion extending along at least a portion of the tip portion;   a frusto-conical portion having an aperture extending therein; and   a shank portion tapered to a point including a plurality of digging members, each digging member affixed to the shank along a first edge of the digging member and each digging member tapered wherein the narrow end of the digging member is disposed toward the point of the shank.