Patent ID: 6679559
Filing Date: 2004-01-20
Classification: E21C

Abstract:
An auger flight support for supporting a plurality of auger flights by connecting together respective first ends of parallel auger flights, the auger flights each having a respective helical flighting affixed exteriorly therearound and having a respective outer diameter and respective second ends having a drive socket, the auger flights being adapted for use with an augering apparatus of the type used for rotating and advancing a plurality of side-by-side cutting heads of a drilling section, the drilling section which is driven horizontally into the side of a hill with the cutting heads driven rotationally through the drive sockets by the augering apparatus, the unitized auger flights being inserted between the drilling section and the augering apparatus in a rotationally coupled end-to-end manner as drilling progresses, the auger flight support comprising:a pair of support posts, each having a tubular bearing housing and a radially dependent support leg; a pair of drive shafts each having a first end adapted to closely fit within and be affixable to the first end of a respective flight auger, a second end of mating configuration to the drive sockets adapted to be axially retained therein to axially and rotationally secure together axially adjoining auger flights, and a middle bearing portion which fits within said bearing housing; at least one bearing disposed within each of said bearing housings between the respective bearing housing and said bearing portion of the respective said drive shaft, said at least one bearing which rotationally supports and longitudinally retains the respective drive shaft to the respective support post; and a tie bar adapted to rigidly removably interconnect said bearing housings at such a spacing that the respective of said outer boring diameters of said flightings are closely adjacent one another, and said support legs extend generally downwardly and are of such a length that an endmost portion thereof extends radially beyond the outer diameter of the flighting to provide support for the auger flights.