AUGER PLANTER

PLANTOIR A TARIERE

English Abstract

An auger planter is provided for forming
small holes in the earth for the planting of flower
bulbs and the like. The auger includes a central
shaft and a single flighting having its leading and
trailing ends truncated. When used, the single
flighted auger exhibits minimal eccentric orbital
rotation and minimizes inadvertent injury to the
user.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an
exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined
as follows:
1. An auger planter for the forming of small diameter
holes in the soil of a depth suitable for the planting
of flower bulbs and the like, comprising a helical
flighting for advancing into the soil and a central
shaft extending substantially axially through said
helical flighting, said central shaft terminating at one
end in a leading end of said shaft, said helical
flighting terminating in a leading edge proximate to
said leading end of said shaft, said helical flighting
having an outer helically extending edge, said leading
edge being defined by a chord portion extending
chordally substantially across the flighting on one side
of said shaft to a point of intersection with said
helically extending edge and away from the direction of
advance of said flighting into the soil, said helical
flight having a diameter and distance between adjacent
flights which are approximately equal to each other,
said helical flighting extending more than one
revolution about said shaft and along said shaft for a
distance greater than the depth of the hole to readily
lift the soil from the hole as the flighting is advanced
into the hole, and said leading edge further including a
radial portion extending outwardly from said central
shaft to a point of intersection with said chord
portion.
2. The auger of claim 1 wherein said leading end of
said shaft is tapered.
3. The auger of claim 2 wherein said taper is
approximately 30°.

4. The auger of claim 1 wherein the other end of said
central shaft has an end portion adapted to be mounted
in a hand held drill.
5. The auger of claim 4 wherein the outer diameter of
said central shaft is greater than the outer diameter of
said end portion adapted to be mounted in the drill.
6. The auger of claim 1 wherein said radial portion
and said chord portion intersect each other at an obtuse
angle.
7. The auger of claim 1 wherein the other end of said
helical flighting opposite said leading edge terminates
in a trailing edge, said trailing edge having a chord
portion extending chordally substantially across the
flighting from adjacent one side of said shaft to a
point of intersection with said helically extending edge
and toward the direction of advance of the flighting
into the soil.
8. The auger of claim 7 wherein said trailing edge
further includes a radial portion extending outwardly
from said central shaft to a point of intersection with
said trailing edge chord portion.
9. The auger of claim 7 wherein said leading edge
chord portion and said trailing edge chord portion are
substantially planar to each other in a plane extending
substantially parallel to the axis of said central
shaft.
10. The auger of claim 8 wherein at least one of said
leading and trailing edges are blunt.
11. An auger planter for the forming of small diameter
holes in the soil of a depth suitable for the planting
of flowers bulbs and the like, comprising an auger
having a central shaft and helical flighting for
advancing into the soil, said central shaft terminating

11
at one end in a tapered leading end, the other end of
said central shaft terminating in a trailing end adapted
to be mounted in a hand help power drill, said flighting
terminating in a leading edge proximate to said shaft
leading end, said leading edge being blunt and having a
chord portion extending chordally substantially across
said flighting, said chord portion being angularly
disposed to said central shaft such that the line of
sight along said chord portion does not intersect the
center of said central shaft and away from the direction
of advance of said flighting into the soil, said helical
flighting having a diameter and distance between
adjacent flights which are approximately equal to each
other, said helical flighting extending more than one
revolution about said shaft along said shaft for a
distance greater than the depth of the hole to readily
lift soil from the hole as the flighting is advanced
into the hole.
12. The auger of claim 11 wherein the end of said
helical flighting opposite said leading edge terminates
in a trailing edge, said trailing edge having a chord
portion extending on one side of said shaft, said
trailing edge chord portion being angularly disposed to
said central shaft such that the line of sight along
said chord portion does not intersect the center of said
central shaft.
13. The auger of claim 12 wherein said leading edge
chord portion and said trailing edge chord portion are
substantially planar to each other in a plane extending
substantially parallel to the axis of said central
shaft.
14. The auger of claim 13 wherein said leading edge
further includes a radial portion extending outwardly

12
from said central shaft to a point of intersection with
the radially inner portion of said leading edge chord
portion, said trailing edge also including a radial
portion extending outwardly from said central shaft to a
point of intersection with said trailing edge chord
portion, said leading edge radial portion and leading
edge chord portion intersecting each other at an obtuse
angle, and said trailing edge radial portion and said
trailing edge chord portion intersect at an obtuse
angle.
15. The auger of claim 12, wherein said leading edge
and trailing edge chord portions extend respectively
away from and toward the direction of advance of the
flighting into the soil.
16. An auger planter for the forming of small diameter
holes in the soil for the planing of flower bulbs and
the like, comprising a helical flighting for advancing
into the soil and a central shaft extending
substantially axially through said helical flighting,
said central shaft terminating at one end in a leading
end of said shaft, said helical flighting terminating in
a leading edge proximate to said leading end of said
shaft, said helical flighting having an outer helically
extending edge, said leading edge being defined by a
chord portion extending chordally substantially across
the flighting on one side of said shaft to a point of
intersection with said helically extending edge and away
from the direction of advance of said flighting into the
soil, the other end of said helical flighting opposite
said leading edge terminating in a trailing edge, said
trailing edge having a chord portion extending chordally
substantially across the flighting from adjacent one
side of said shaft to a point of intersection with said

13
helically extending edge and toward the direction of
advance of the flighting into the soil, and said helical
flighting having a diameter and distance between
adjacent flights to readily lift the soil from the hole
as the flighting is advanced into the hole.
17. The auger of claim 16 wherein said trailing edge
further includes a radial portion extending outwardly
from said central shaft to a point of intersection with
said trailing edge chord portion.
18. The auger of claim 16 wherein said leading edge
chord portion and said trailing edge portion are
substantially planar to each other in a plane extending
substantially parallel to the axis of said central
shaft.
19. The auger of claim 16 wherein said trailing edge
chord portion extends entirely across said flighting on
one side of the shaft.
20. The auger of claim 16 wherein said leading edge
chord portion extends entirely chordally across said
flighting on one side of said shaft, said trailing edge
chord portion extends entirely chordally across said
flighting on one side of said shaft, and said leading
edge chord portion and said trailing edge chord portion
are substantially planar to each other in a plane
extending substantially parallel to the axis of said
central shaft.
21. An auger planter for the forming of small diameter
holes in the soil for the planting of flower bulbs and
the like, comprising an auger having a central shaft and
helical flighting for advancing into the soil, said
central shaft terminating at one end in a tapered
leading end, the other end of said central shaft
terminating in a trailing end adapted to be mounted in a

14
hand held power drill, said flighting terminating in a
leading edge proximate to said shaft leading end, said
leading edge having a chord portion extending chordally
substantially across said flighting, said chord portion
being angularly disposed to said central shaft such that
the line of sight along said chord portion does not
intersect the center of said central shaft and away
from the direction of advance of said flighting into the
soil, the end of said helical flighting opposite said
leading edge terminating in a trailing edge, said
trailing edge having a chord portion extending chordally
substantially across said flighting on one side of said
shaft, said trailing edge chord portion being angularly
disposed to said central shaft such that the line of
sight along said chord portion does not intersect the
center of said central shaft, said leading edge and
trailing edge chord portions extending respectively away
from and toward the direction of advance of the
flighting into the soil, and said helical flighting
having a diameter and distance between adjacent flights
to readily lift soil from the hole as the flighting is
advanced into the hole.
22. An auger planter for the forming of small diameter
holes in the soil of a depth suitable for the planting
of flower bulbs and the like, comprising a helical
flighting for advancing into the soil and a central
shaft extending substantially axially through said
helical flighting, said central shaft terminating at one
end in a leading edge proximate to said leading end of
said shaft, said helical flighting having an outer
helically extending edge, said leading edge being
defined by a chord portion extending chordally
substantially across the flighting on one side of said

shaft to a point of intersection with said helically
extending edge and away from the direction of advance of
said flighting into the soil, said helical flighting
having a diameter and distance between adjacent flights
which are approximately equal to each other, said
helical flighting extending more than one revolution
about said shaft and along said shaft for a distance
greater than the depth of the hole to readily lift the
soil from the hole as the flighting is advanced into the
hole, and wherein the other end of said helical
flighting opposite said leading edge terminates in a
trailing edge, said trailing edge having a chord portion
extending chordally substantially across the flighting
from adjacent one side of said shaft to a point of
intersection with said helically extending edge and
toward the direction of advance of the flighting into
the soil.
23. The auger of claim 22 wherein said trailing edge
further includes a radial portion extending outwardly
from said central shaft to a point of intersection with
said trailing edge chord portion.
24. The auger of claim 22 wherein said leading edge
chord portion and said trailing edge chord portion are
substantially planar to each other in a plane extending
substantially parallel to the axis of said central
shaft.
25. The auger of claim 22 wherein said trailing edge
chord portion extends entirely across said flighting on
one side of the shaft.
26. The auger of claim 22 wherein said leading edge
chord portion extends entirely chordally across said
flighting on one side of said shaft, said trailing edge
chord portion extends entirely chordally across said

16
flighting on one side of said shaft, and said leading
edge chord portion and said trailing edge chord portion
are substantially planar to each other in a plane extend-
ing substantially parallel to the axis of said central
shaft.
27. The auger of claim 22 wherein at least one of said
leading and trailing edges are blunt.
28. An auger planter for the forming of smaller diam-
eter holes in the soil of a depth suitable for the plant-
ing of flower bulbs and the like, comprising a helical
flighting for advancing into the soil and a central
shaft extending substantially axially through said heli-
cal flighting, said central shaft terminating at one end
in a leading end of said shaft, said helical flighting
terminating in a leading edge proximate to said leading
end of said shaft, said helical flighting having an
outer helically extending edge, said leading edge being
defined by a chord portion extending chordally entirely
across the flighting on one side of said shaft to a
point of intersection with said helically extending
edge and away from the direction of advance of said
flighting into the soil, said helical flighting having a
diameter and distance between adjacent flights which are
approximately equal to each other, and said helical
flighting extending more than one revolution about said
shaft and along said shaft for a distance greater than
the depth of the hole to readily lift the soil from the
hole as the flighting is advanced into the hole.
29. An auger planter for the forming of small diameter
holes in the soil of a depth suitable for the planting
of flower bulbs and the like, comprising an auger having
a central shaft and helical flighting for advancing into
the soil, said central shaft terminating at one end in a
tapered leading end, the other end of said central shaft

17
terminating in a trailing end adapted to be mounted in a
hand held power drill, said flighting terminating in a
leading edge proximate to said shaft leading end, said
leading edge having a chord portion extending chordally
substantially across said flighting, said chord portion
being angularly disposed to said central shaft such that
the line of sight along said chord portion does not
intersect the center of said central shaft and away from
the direction of advance of said flighting into the
soil, said helical flighting having a diameter and
distance between adjacent flights which are
approximately equal to each other, said helical
flighting extending more than one revolution about said
shaft and along said shaft for a distance greater than
the depth of the hole to readily lift soil from the hole
as the flighting is advanced into the hole, said leading
edge chord portion and said trailing edge chord portion
are substantially planar to each other in a plane
extending substantially parallel to the axis of said
central shaft, and wherein said leading edge further
includes a radial portion extending outwardly from said
central shaft to a point of intersection with the
radially inner portion of said leading edge chord
portion, said trailing edge also including a radial
portion extending outwardly from said central shaft to a
point of intersection with said trailing edge chord
portion,said leading edge radial portion and leading
edge chord portion intersecting each other at an obtuse
angle, and said trailing edge radial portion and said
trailing edge chord portion intersect at an obtuse
angle.
30. An auger planter for the forming of small diameter
holes in the soil of a depth suitable for the planting

18
of flower bulbs and the like, comprising the auger
having a central shaft and helical flighting for
advancing into a soil, said central shaft terminating at
one end in a tapered leading end, the other end of said
central shaft terminating in a trailing end adapted to
be mounted in a hand held power drill, said flighting
terminating in a leading edge proximate to said shaft
leading end, said leading edge having a chord portion
extending chordally substantially across said flighting,
said chord portion being angularly disposed to said
central shaft such that the line of sight along said
chord portion does not intersect the center of said
central shaft and away from the direction of advance of
said flighting into the soil, said helical flighting
having a diameter and distance between adjacent flights
which are approximately equal to each other, said
helical flighting extending more than one revolution
about said shaft and along said shaft for a distance
greater than the depth of the hole to readily lift soil
from the hole as the flighting is advanced into the
hole, the end of said helical flighting opposite said
leading edge terminating in a trailing edge, said
trailing edge having a chord portion extending cordally
substantially across said flighting on one side of said
shaft, said trailing edge chord portion being angularly
disposed to said central shaft such that the line of
sight along said chord portion does not intersect the
center of said central shaft, and wherein said leading
edge and trailing edge chord portions extend
respectively away from and toward the direction of
advance of the flighting into the soil.

Description

13~4843
AUG ER PLAN TER
D. WAYNE NIEWOLD and RICHARD A. BRADLEY
BACRGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to
an improved auger planter and, more particularly, to
a Eingle flighted auger planter. The invention is
particularly suitable for use in planting flower
bulbs and plant ~eedlings, although it is also useful
for virtually any type of application for boring
~mall, shallow holes in the earth.
In any number of gardening applications,
15 there is a need for a device for forming small
~hallow holes in the ground. For instance, a
landscaper or home gardener often forms small,
shallow holes in the earth for bulb and seedling
planting. Depending upon the ground condition, the
number of holes to be dug, and the device used to
form such holes, the job can be laborous and time
consuming.
Hand operated cylindrical 80il cutters have
been employed in the past to remove plugs of earth to
25 form 8mall, ~hallow holes for bulb~ and the like. In
addition to requiring exhausting manual labor in the
use of such cylindrical cutters, one disadvantage in
such cutters is that the pluq of earth which is
removed mu~t ~ubsequently be broken apart to refill
the hole after placement of the bulb.
Scoop shaped garden trowels have also been
utilized in the past for setting bulbs and the like.
Although such trowels provide a means for removing
earth in a looser fashion than the cylindrical plug
removers, they also require extensive manual labor.
Furthermore, it is often desirable to provide a
6~

- _ -2- 13~843
series of uniform holes in the soil, but this is time
consuming and/or difficult to achieve with hand held
garden trowels.
Earth boring augers have also been utilized
in the past to more rapidly bore uniform holes in the
earth. Such augers have typically been double
flighted, so that the auger does not vibrate or move
in an orbital motion as it enters the ground. Such
double flighted earth boring augers suffer several
disadvantages. One disadvantage is that when holes
are formed for the purpose of setting bulbs and the
like, it is advantageous to mound the removed soil
close to the hole so it will be convenient to refill
the hole after the planting step. Double flighted
augers, however, tend to throw the dirt too far from
the hole to conveniently replace the earth after
planting the bulb. Another disadvantage is that
double flighted augers tend to plug faster than
single flighted augers due to the smaller distance
between the flights. Furthermore, double flighted
augers tend to be more complex and expensive to
produce than single flighted augers.
Single fliqhted earth boring augers also
have been employed in the past for planting.
However, they also have suffered certain
disadvantages. The prior single flighted augers tend
to be rotationally imbalanced compared to the double
flighted augers and therefore vibrate or move in an
orbital motion. Prior attempts to cure such
rotational imbalance have included the approach
disclosed in United States Letters Patent No.
3,356,168. In that patent a single flighted auger is
disclosed in which the flighting is secured to the
shaft by spot welding spaced along and balanced
around the shaft in an attempt to minimize rotational
imbalance. This approach results in more complex

- _3_ 1334843
manufacturing procedures and increases the expense of
such augers. Even if the potential rotational
imbalar.ce problem is overcome, prior single flighted
augers have also posed a safety problem to the user
due to sharp edged terminal ends of the flighting
which can catch the clothing of the user or cut the
user's body.
An auger planter incorporating the
principles of the present invention overcomes most if
not all of the aforementioned disadvantages. An
auger planter incorporating the principles of the
present invention is easy and safe to use, requires
minimal manual labor, is relatively easy and
inexpensive to manufacture, removes the soil from the
hole in a loose fashion, and mounds the loose soil in
close proximity to the hole.
The present invention achieves all of these
advantages utilizing an improved single flighted
auger having a central shaft which may be powered by
a hand drill. The central shaft supports a single
flighting having its leading tip, and preferably also
its terminal tip, removed or cut back to allow the
auger to enter the 80il with a minimum imbalance and
undesirable vibration and eccentric orbital motion.
The truncated or cut back ends of the flighting are
preferably blunt thereby minimizing the danger of
cutting the body of a person using the auger or of
having clothing caught by the flighting ends.
These and other features and advantages of
the present invention will be apparent upon
considering the following detailed description.
BRIE F DES CR I PT ION OF TH E DRAW ING
In the course of this description,
reference will frequently be made to the attached
drawing in which:

~ ~4~ 1334843
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one
preferred embodiment of an auger planter
incorporating the principles of the present invention
and illustrating the auqer in use with a hand held
power drill;
Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the
auger planter substantially as shown in Fig. 1 and
illustrating the manner in which soil is removed to
form a planting hole;
Fig. 3 is a cross sectioned top plan view,
as viewed substantially along line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and
showing the upper trailing edge construction of the
auger;
Fig. 4 is a cross sectioned bottom plan
view, as viewed substantially along line 4-4 of Fig.
2, and showlng the bottom leading edge construction
of the auger;
Fig. 5 is a cross sectioned bottom plan
view showing a second embodiment of the bottom
leading edge construction of an auger planter
incorporating the principles of the invention; and
Fig. 6 is a cross sectioned top plan view
showing a second embodiment of the upper trailing
leading edge construction of an auger planter
incorporating the principles of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A preferred embodiment of auger planter
incorporating the principles of the present invention
is generally illustrated at 10 in Figs. 1-3. The
auger planter comprises an auger 10 which includes a
central shaft 12 having a kottom leading end 14 and a
trailing terminal end 16. Leading end 14 preferably
is tapered to facilitate initial placement of the
auger against the soil 50, as well as to facilitate
and help stabilize the progression of the auger into

~ _ 5 1~34843
the ground. In this regard, the taper of leading
edge 14 is preferably approximately 30.
The trailing terminal end 16 of the shaft
is adapted to be mounted in the collet of a hand held
drill 60. The outer diameter of central shaft 12 and
the outer diameter of trailing terminal end 16 can be
the same or different. In this regard, it is
preferred that auger 10 will be used in association
with a standard 1/4 or 3/8 inch home hand drill.
Accordingly, terminal end 16 of the shaft is
preferably dimensioned so as to be adaptable for use
in the collet of such drills. Central shaft 12,
however, preferably has an outer diameter somewhat
greater than 3/8 inches to provide added stability
and strength to auqer 10. It has been found that a
5/8 inch outer diameter for central shaft 12 provides
sufficient strength and stability to auger 10 and
does not interfere with the progression of auger 10
into soil 50.
The auger 10 includes flighting 18 which is
of a helical or spiral configuration and which is
secured along its inner edge 20 to central shaft 12
by suitable means such as spot welding or molding
integrally with the shaft. Flighting 18 preferably
is right handed to compliment common right handed
power drills. It will be appreciated that the width
and pitch between flights, of flighting 18 can vary
without departing from the principles of the
invention. It will further be appreciated that the
number of revolutions of flighting 10 can also vary.
It has been found that for home gardening use a
flighting having a three (3) inch outer diameter, a
three (3) inch pitch between flights, and
approximately two full revolutions is sufficient to
form holes for typical bulb setting and can easily be
handled by the horsepower of typical hand held home

- -6- 1334843
power drills.
Central shaft 12 and flighting 18 may be
formed of the same or different materials. The
material used for the central shaft 12 and flighting
18 should be rigid and durable. Typically, central
shaft 12 and flighting 18 will be formed of a
suitable metal, but may be formed of rigid plastics
or resins. Furthermore, central shaft 12 and
flighting 18 may be constructed of separate parts or
integrally molded in a manner known to those skilled
in the art.
In a first preferred embodiment the lead
portion of flighting 18 is truncated or removed to
provide a leading edge 22 proximate to the lead end
14. As best seen in Fig. 4, the leading edge 22
comprises a chord portion 24 extending chordally
substantially across the flighting 18 on one side of
the shaft to a point of intersection with the outer
edge of flighting 18. Leading edge 22 also has a
radial portion 26 extending outwardly from central
shaft 12 to a point of intersection with chord
portion 24. Preferably, radial portion 26 and chord
portion 24 intersect at an obtuse angle 0~ with
portion 24 extending away from the direction of
advance of the flighting into the soil. In this
regard, the ratio of the length of chord portion 24
to the length of radial portion 26 is preferably
about 2:1. With specific reference, for the purpose
of illustration only and not limitation, to a
flighting having a three inch outer diameter and a
5/8 inch shaft, the length of radial portion 26 would
be approximately 1/2 inch and the length of chord
portion 24 would be approximately 1 1/8 inch. One or
both the chord or radial portions 24 and 26 of the
leading edge 22 are preferably blunted to prevent
accidental cuts, to prevent leading edge 22 from

~7~ 1334843
becoming caught in clothing, and to impede eccentric
oscillation of the single flighted auger 10.
The other end of flighting 18 of the first
embodiment also terminates in a trail ing edge 30. As
best seen in Fig. 3, the trailing edge 30, is
preferably of similar construction to the leading
edge 22 and includes a chord portion 32 extending
chordally substantially across the flighting 18 on
one side of the shaft to a point of intersection with
the outer edge of flighting 18. Trailing edge 30
also has a radial portion 34 extending outwardly from
central shaft 12 to a point of intersection with
chord portion 32. The trailing edge chord portion 32
and radial, portion 34 also preferably intersect at
an obtuse angle ~'with portion 32 extending toward
the direction of advance of the flighting into the
soil. The ratio of the length of chord portion 32 to
the length of radial portion 34 may also be about
2:1.
Alternate embodiments of auger leading and
trailing edges are shown in Figs. 5 and 6. In Fig. 5
which illustrates the flighting leading edge of this
embodiment, the chord portion 28, shown in phantom in
Fig. 2, extends entirely across the flighting 18 on
one side of the shaft. In Fig. 6 which illustrates
the flighting trailing edge of this embodiment, the
chord portion 36, also shown in phantom in Fig. 2,
extends entirely across the flighting 18 on one side
of the shaft. The trailing edge chord portion 36, as
well as leading edge chord portion 28 are preferably
blunted in this embodiment so as to prevent
accidental injury to the user including accidental
cuts and the catching of loose clothing, and the
leading edge is also blunted to impede eccentric
orbital rotation of auger 10 as it penetrates the
soil 50. As shown in Figs. 2, 5 and 6, the leading

~ -8- 1334843
edge chord portion 28 and trailing edge chord portion
36 also extend away from and toward, respectively,
the direction of advance of the flighting into the
soil.
In either the embodiment shown in Fig. 3 or
the embodiment shown in Fig. 6, the trailing edge
chord portion 32 or chord portion 36, respectively,
is preferably angularly disposed to central shaft 12
such that the line of sight along respective chord
portion 32 or 36 does not intersect the center of the
central shaft 12. Also to minimize undesirable
eccentric orbital motion, the chord portion of
leading edge 22 and the chord portion of trailing
edge 30 are preferably substantially planar to each
lS other in a vertical plane extending substantially
parallel to the axis of central shaft 12 as viewed in
Fig. 2.
In use, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2,
the leading edge 22 of auger 10, enters the soil 50
at an acute angle. As auger 10 is rotated and
penetrates the soil 50, loose soil 52 is moved to the
surface and accumulates in close proximity to the
hole being bored. Additionally, when auger 10 is
removed from the hole, some loose soil remains in the
bottom of the hole. This remaining loose soil
promotes bulb and seedling root growth.
It will be apparent to those skilled in
this art that the present invention can be embodied
in various forms; accordingly, this invention is to
be construed and limited only by the scope of the
appended claims.

Representative Drawing