AUGER SCREW

VIS SANS FIN SUR AUGET

English Abstract

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AUGER SCREW
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
An inlet auger section for a grain auger is
formed from six separate half portions each having a half
tube integrally carrying two half flights of two separate
helical screws. Each half section is manufactured
integrally from a plastics material and the half sections
co-operate to substantially surround a shaft of the auger
and to complete one flight of each of the screws. The
two half portions are clamped together onto the shaft by
hose clamps which extend around the tube and pass through
slots in the screw flights.

Claims

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CLAIMS
(1) An auger comprising a drive shaft, means
defining a tube having an inner surface substantially
co-axially surrounding the outer surface of the shaft, a
helical flight secured to said tube means for co-rotation
therewith, the tube means being divided axially to form
two portions which can be opened apart relative to the
shaft and a clamping means for closing the portions
around the shaft to frictionally engage the inner surface
of the two portions of the tube means with the outer
surface of the shaft.
(2) An auger according to Claim 1 wherein the
two portions are divided along two separate lines so that
the two portions can be physically separated with each
portion carrying a part of the helical flight.
(3) An auger according to Claim 2 wherein
each portion comprises half of the tube means and carries
half of the helical flight.
(4) An auger according to Claim 1 wherein the
clamp means comprises a plurality of separate clamps
arranged at spaced positions along the length of the tube
means.
(5) An auger according to Claim 1 wherein the
clamp means surrounds the tube means.



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(6) An auger according to Claim 5 wherein
there is provided a slot in the helical flight through
which the clamp means passes so as to fully surround the
tube means without interfering with the helical flight.
(7) An auger according to Claim 1 wherein the
clamp means comprises a plurality of separate clamps
arranged in spaced relation along the length of the tube
means and wherein there is provided a plurality of slots
in the helical flight each used for receiving a respect-
ive one of the clamp means so the clamp means surround
the tube means.
(8) An auger according to Claim 1 including a
pair of spaced shoulders provided on the tube means for
positioning the clamp means an an axial location on the
tube means.
(9) An auger according to Claim 1 wherein the
clamp means comprises a hose clamp.
(10) An auger according to Claim 1 wherein the
tube means and flight are integrally moulded from and
plastics material.
(11) An auger according to Claim 1 wherein the
tube means is arranged at a feed end of the auger and
there is provided a further helical flight and means
mounting the further helical flight on the shaft down-



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stream of the tube means so as to constitute a main auger
section fed by the helical flight of said tube means.
(12) An auger screw section for attachment to
a drive shaft of an auger comprising means defining a
tube having an inner surface for substantially co-axially
surrounding an outer surface of the drive shaft, a
helical flight secured to said tube means for co-rotation
therewith, the tube means being divided axially to form
two portions which can be opened apart relative to the
shaft and a clamping means for closing the portions
around the shaft to frictionally engage the inner surface
of the two portions of the tube means with the outer
surface of the shaft.
(13) An auger screw section according to Claim
12 wherein the two portions are divided along two sep-
arate lines so that the two portions can be physically
separated with each portion carrying a part of the hel-
ical flight.
(14) An auger screw section according to Claim
13 wherein each portion comprises half of the tube means
and carries half of the helical flight.
(15) An auger screw section according to Claim
12 wherein the clamp means comprises a plurality of
separate clamps arranged at spaced positions along the





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length of the tube means.
(16) An auger screw section according to Claim
12 wherein the clamp means surrounds the tube means.
(17) An auger screw section according to Claim
16 wherein there is provided a slot in the helical flight
through which the clamp means passes so as to fully
surround the tube means without interfering with the
helical flight.
(18) An auger screw section according to Claim
12 wherein the clamp means comprises a plurality of
separate clamps arranged in spaced relation along the
length of the tube means and wherein there is provided a
plurality of slots in the helical flight each used for
receiving a respective one of the clamp means so the
clamp means surround the tube means.
(19) An auger screw section according to Claim
12 including a pair of spaced shoulders provided on the
tube means for positioning the clamp means at an axial
location on the tube means.
(20) An auger screw section according to Claim
12 wherein the clamp means comprises a hose clamp.
(21) An auger screw section according to Claim
12 wherein the tube means and flight are integrally
moulded from a plastics material.

Description

AUGER SCREW



BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
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This invention relates to an auger screw and
particularly to a screw section which can be used as the
intake sec-tion of the auger.
Augers for li-fting grain and other particulate
material comprise a tube with a helical ~light mounted
within the tube on a drive shaft by which the flight can
be rotated to raise grain to the top o-f the tube or
cylinder~ The bottom end of the cylinder provides an
intake section at which the helical flight is exposed in
order to collect the grain from a supply and inject it
into the cylinder for transporta-tion by the helical
flight. There are a number of proposal in prior patents
for providing a slip clutch between an lntake section of
the helical flight and the main section of the helical
flight which is rigidly attached to the sha~t so that any
equipm~nt or limbs of operatives which engage the helical
~light of the exposed intake section do not damage the
helical flight or the limb or other equipment~engaging
the helical -flight. However these slip clutches comprise
a conslderable egpense in the manuacture of the auger


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and also are prone to failure in the hostile atmosphere
involved in transporting such particulate materials.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

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It is one object of the invention therefore to
provide an auger in which a section of helical flight can
be attached -to a drive shaft in a manner which is simple
and inexpensive and which provides an effective slip
clutch arrangement.
According to a first aspect of the invention
therefore there is provided an auger comprising a drive
shaft, means defining a tube having an inner surface
substantially co-axially surrounding the outer surface of
the shaft, a helical flight secured to said tube means
for co-rotation therewith, the tube means being divided
axially to form two portions which can be opened apart
relative to the shaft and a clamping means for closing
the portions around the shaft to frictionally engage the
inner surface of the two portions o~ the tube means with
the outer surface of the shaft.
According to a second aspect of the invention
there is provided an auger screw section for attach~ent
to a drive shaft of an auger comprising means defining a
tube having an inner surface for substantially co-axially
surrounding an outer surfaoe of the drive shaft, a

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helical flight secured to said tube means for co-rotation
therewith, the tube means being divided a~ially to form
two portions which can be opened apart relative to the
sha~t and a clamping means for closing the portions
around the shaft to frictionally engage the inner surface
of the two portions of the tube means with the outer
surface of the shaftO
The screw section can therefore be manufactured
very simply in two halves by a moulding process from a
plastics material. The two halves can be wrapped around
the drive shaft and attached to the shaft by clamps which
surround the tube passing through slots in the helical
~light. These clamps can be formed from simple conven-
~tional hose clamps which can be positioned at spaced
posltions along the length of the tube.
In this way an auger flight section is manu-
factured in a very simple and inexpensive manner from
readily available components and from a simple injecti~on
mouldlng process and yet ~provides~ a~ very effectlve
coupling of the section to the drive shaft.
With the foregoing in view, and other
advantages as will become apparent to those skille~d in
the art to which this invention relates as this speci~
cation proceeds, the inven~ion is herein~ described by

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reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part
thereof, which includes a description of the best mode
known to the applicant and of the preferred typical
embodiment of the principles of the present invention, in
which:
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a schematic part cross-sectional
view of the inlet end of an auger showing the auger screw
in plan view.
Figure 2 is an isometric view o~ half of one
section of the inlet auger screw of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an isometric view of the other half
of the section of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view along the
lines 4-4 o~ Figure l.
In the drawings like~ characters of reference
indicate corresponding parts in the dlfferent figures. :
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The auger shown in Figure 1 comprises a main
auger section 10 with a main auger helical fli:ght 11
carrie,d on a tube 111 screwed to a shaft l2 for co-rota-
tion with the shaft which is driven by the drive shaft
131 of a motor schematically indicated at 130 The hel-
ical screw 11 is of con~entional construction and: hence


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no details will be given here and is received within a
tube or cylinder 14 through which the material is
conveyed to a discharge outlet (not shown) at the upper
end of the cylinder 14.
At the lower end of the cylinder 14 is provided
an auger cage 15 comprising a U shaped support member 16
the legs of which are secured to the outer surface of the
cylinder 14 so as to provide a support for bearings 17
for the end of the shaft 12. The shaft and auger screw
at the inlet end is therefore exposed at either side of
the U-shaped cage 16 to allow the material to be engaged
by the auger screw and carried into the main auger
section for transport.
As opposed to the single helical screw used in
the main auger section, the inlet section includes two
separate helical flights 18 and 10. The auger section
forming the inlet section is formed from three separate
: sections separated at joins 20 and 21 so as to ~orm three
equal sections one of which is shown in~Figures 2 and 3.
2a Each section is formed from two~separate halves
with the halves being exactly the same as shown in
Figures 2 and 3. Each half section is formed ~rom an
injection mou~lded plastics materlal so as to form a flrst
half flight 18 and a second hal:f~ ~light 19 integral with



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a tube 22 which runs the full length of the section so as
to define shoulders at the ends of the section for
abutting the adjacent section or for abutting a collar
which may be provided on the shaft for locating the
sections axially of the shaft.
The inside diameter of the tube is substantial-
ly the same as the outside diameter of the shaft 12 so
that when the two halves of the section are placed
together they substantially surround the shaft 12. How-

ever in order to ensure that the inner surface of the
tube 22 frictionally contacts the outer surface of the
shaft 12, either the inside diameter of the tube 22 is
slightly less than the outside diameter of the shaft or
the radial extent of the half of the tube is slightly
less than 180~. In this way when the two halves are put
together they do not completely surround the shaft~but
leave a small gap which can be pulled together to clamp
the halves around the shaft.
: Each half section includes two pairs of ridges
or ribs 24 arranged so that each pair allgns with a pair
of the opposite half in order to locate a clamp 25:which
surrounds the tube 22. The clamp 25 comprises a con-
ventional screw-type hose clamp which :can be unscrewed
and opened to be wrapped around the tube 22 and then




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screwed up to clamp the tube 22 around the shaft 12. The
spacing of the pairs of ridges 24 is arranged so they lie
on either side of the screw clamp to ensure that it is
properly located.
In order for the screw clamp to be passed
through the flights of the auger, slots are formed in
each half flight which are of a size merely sufficient to
receive the thin metal section of the hose clamp 25. The
slots are indicated a-t 26.
1~ The inlet auger section can therefore be very
simply assembled from the six separate half sections by
positioning each half section around the shaft in con-
junction with i~s opposing half section and then insert-
lng the hose clamps through the slots and tightening them
in position between the ridges 24O The third section
closest to the main auger has the final flight 191
extending into the main auger tube 14 so that the main
auger flight is recessed to prevent any contact there-
with. The tightness of the hose clamps 25 can be adjust-
ed to obtain the required degree of friction between the
inner surface of the tube 22 and the outer surface of the
shaft 12 so that the required torque can be communicated
to the flights 18 and 19 from the shaft 12. In addition
the friction is controlled such that it is less than that


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required to cause damage to an implement inserted into
the auger flights or limbs of operatives inserted into
the auger flights or to the flights themselves.
It will be appreciated that the inlet auger
section can be readily removed by opening the two half
section relative to the shaft to remvve them from the
shaft. In this regard the auger section of the present
invention can be used as a retrofit or replacement item
for attachment to existing augers.
The manufacture of the inlet auger section in
six separ~te hal~ portions is particularly convenient and
enables the individual parts to be simply moulded from a
plastics material. However in alternative arrangements
(not shown) it is possible to manufacture the inlet auger
section in one part such that two halves can simply be
opened OF hinged axially of the shaft to allow the part
to be opened and inserted onto the shaft and then clamped
into position. Furthermore there may be more or less
than three separate sections. In addition these sections
may not be made in e~actly half portlons.
Since various modifications can be ma~de in my
invention as hereinabove described, and many apparently
widely different embodiments of same made within the
spirit and scope of the claims without departing from

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such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter
contained in the accompanying speci~ication shall be
interpre-ted as illustrative only and not in a limiting
sense.
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