Patent Publication Number: US-11028652-B1

Title: Auger stand for digger derrick

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     Embodiments of the invention relate to digger derrick systems. More specifically, embodiments of the invention relate to providing an auger stand for use with digger derrick systems. 
     2. Related Art 
     Digger derricks are used to maintain and install utility poles by digging holes using an auger and additionally, lifting and setting the poles using various methods combining boom, winch, swing, and pole guide functions. Digger derricks are frequently used in a manner for which they are not specifically designed, such as for pulling poles out of the ground by moving a pole side to side using the boom and simultaneously winching or moving the boom upwards. Such a manner of operation imparts dynamic loads on the digger derrick which can lead to damage and even catastrophic failure in some circumstances. Some systems employ separate stand-alone pole pulling systems which work independently from the digger derrick. However, such systems are expensive and may crowd workspace when used near the digger derrick. Therefore, there is a need for a system and method specifically designed for lifting a utility pole from the ground using a digger derrick without damaging the boom. 
     Further, there is currently no cover designed to be placed over the auger of the digger derrick when the auger is stowed on the boom. Thus, when stowed, the auger is vulnerable to the elements, potentially leading to physical damage and rust. 
     SUMMARY 
     Embodiments of the invention solve the above-mentioned problems by providing system and method to lift a pole using an auger stand. In some embodiments, the system comprises a utility vehicle, a boom, a digger assembly, and an auger stand. In some embodiments, the auger stand can also be used both as a cover to protect an auger of the digger assembly and as a stand to hold the auger upright. 
     A first embodiment of the invention is directed to an auger stand for receiving an auger of a digger derrick system, the auger stand comprising at least one wall section forming a hollow inner cavity configured to receive the auger therein, a landing secured to an interior surface of the at least one wall section within the inner cavity to support a load from the auger and provide an upward thrust, and a base for supporting the auger stand, the base comprising an anchoring mechanism to prevent rotation of the auger stand. 
     A second embodiment of the invention is directed to a method for lifting a longitudinal object using a digger derrick system including an auger, the method comprising the steps of providing an auger stand comprising at least one wall section forming a hollow inner cavity, a landing secured to an interior surface of the at least one wall section within the inner cavity, and a base comprising an anchoring mechanism, positioning a blade of the auger within the inner cavity of the auger stand such that the blade is in contact with the landing of the auger stand, securing the anchoring mechanism of the auger stand into the ground to prevent rotation of the auger stand, securing the longitudinal object to the digger derrick system after the auger is screwed into the auger stand, and rotating the auger in an extraction direction opposite from a digging direction of the auger such that the blade of the auger is unscrewed from the auger stand to lift the longitudinal object. 
     A third embodiment of the invention is directed to a system for lifting a longitudinal object, the system comprising a boom comprising a proximal end and a distal end, a digger assembly attached to the distal end of the boom, the digger assembly comprising an auger, and a digger motor for driving rotation of the auger, and an auger stand configured to be placed over the auger of the digger assembly, the auger stand comprising at least one wall section forming a hollow inner cavity configured to receive the auger therein, a landing secured to an interior surface of the at least one wall section within the inner cavity to support a load from the auger and provide an upward thrust, and a base for supporting the auger stand, the base comprising an anchoring mechanism to prevent rotation of the auger stand. 
     Additional embodiments of the invention are directed to a system comprising a collapsible auger stand operable to be used in combination with a digger derrick system to lift a pole and to be folded when not in use. 
     Further embodiments of the invention are directed to a system comprising a slotted auger stand operable to be used in combination with a digger derrick system to lift a pole. 
     This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Other aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments and the accompanying drawing figures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
       Embodiments of the invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a digger derrick system for some embodiments of the invention; 
         FIG. 2A  is first embodiment of the invention showing a tubular auger stand; 
         FIG. 2B  is a cross-sectional view of the first embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of a second embodiment of the invention showing a hinged auger stand; 
         FIG. 4A  is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the invention showing a collapsible auger stand in an open configuration; 
         FIG. 4B  is a perspective view of the third embodiment of the invention showing the collapsible auger stand in a closed configuration; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the invention showing a slotted auger stand; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a method for some embodiments of the invention; and 
         FIG. 7  shows an exemplary operational environment for some embodiments of the invention. 
     
    
    
     The drawing figures do not limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed and described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the invention. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following detailed description references the accompanying drawings that illustrate specific embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments can be utilized and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the invention is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. 
     In this description, references to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or “embodiments” mean that the feature or features being referred to are included in at least one embodiment of the technology. Separate references to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or “embodiments” in this description do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment and are also not mutually exclusive unless so stated and/or except as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the description. For example, a feature, structure, act, etc. described in one embodiment may also be included in other embodiments, but is not necessarily included. Thus, the technology can include a variety of combinations and/or integrations of the embodiments described herein. 
       FIG. 1  depicts a digger derrick system  10  for some embodiments of the invention. The digger derrick system  10  comprises a utility vehicle  12 , a boom  14 , and a digger assembly  16 . The boom  14  comprises a proximal end attached to the utility vehicle  12  and a distal end supporting a grapple  18  and the digger assembly  16 . In some embodiments, the boom  14  is one of a telescoping boom and an articulating boom. In some embodiments the grapple  18  is used for grasping objects. For example, the grapple  18  may be used to grasp a pole, such as pole  78  as shown in  FIG. 7 . The boom  14  further comprises a rotating linkage  20 , shown in  FIG. 7 , for rotatably attaching the digger assembly  16  to the boom  14 . In some embodiments, the boom  14  further comprises a hydraulic circuit for transmitting hydraulic power and extending/retracting the boom  14 . The digger assembly  16  comprises a digger motor  22  and an auger  24  having a blade  25 , as shown in  FIG. 2B . In some embodiments, the auger  24  is secured to the digger assembly  16  using a kelly bar  26 . An auger stand  28  may be placed over the auger  24 , as shown. It should be understood that in some embodiments the digger assembly  16  is not necessarily attached to the boom  14 . Instead, the digger assembly  16  can be alternatively attached to a crane or any other device. Further, in some embodiments, the digger assembly  16  may not be attached to any device and is stored in the auger stand  28 . 
     In some embodiments, the digger assembly  16  may be in the stowed position at the side of the boom  14 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . Here, the auger stand  28  may be placed over the auger  24  as a cover to protect the auger  24  when the auger  24  is not in operation. Alternatively, during operation the auger stand  28  is used to provide an upward thrust to the auger  24  to lift the pole  78 . The digger motor  22  of the digger assembly  16  is operable to rotate the auger  24  in a first direction associated with a digging operation of the auger  24 . Such rotation is used to dig into the ground and/or to screw into the auger stand  28 . Additionally, the digger motor  22  is operable to rotate the auger  24  in a second direction opposite the first direction. Said second direction is associated with an extraction operation of the auger  24  and/or unscrewing the auger  24  from the auger stand  28 . For example, during operation, the digger motor  22  rotates the auger  24  in the first direction to screw the auger  24  into the auger stand  28 , and then rotates the auger  24  in the second direction to unscrew the auger  24  from the auger stand  28 . 
       FIG. 2A  shows a first embodiment of the invention as a tubular auger stand  30 . In such embodiments, the auger stand  28  may be the tubular auger stand  30 . Said tubular auger stand  30  comprises at least one outer wall section  32 , at least one interior landing section  34 , and a base  36 . The wall section  32 , in some embodiments, forms a hollow cylindrical inner cavity for receiving the auger  24  therein. The landing  34 , in some embodiments, comprises a load-bearing flight  35  for transferring a load from the auger  24  while in use. Said load-bearing flight  35 , in some embodiments, is substantially helix-shaped, corresponding to the blade  25  of the auger  24 . Thus a bottom surface of the blade  25  contacts a top surface of the load-bearing flight  35  when the auger  24  is placed in the auger stand  28 . Further, in some embodiments, the load-bearing flight  35  comprises a threading as shown, where the threads correspond to the shape of the auger blade  25 , such that the auger  24  can be screwed into the tubular auger stand  30 . Alternatively, in a second embodiment, the landing  34  comprises a plurality of rollers, such as rollers  60  as discussed further below with respect to  FIG. 4A . Alternatively, the landing  34  may comprise a plurality of any other type of known plain-bearing thrust elements configured to provide an upwards thrust to the auger  24  during operation. 
     In some embodiments, the wall section  32  of tubular auger stand  30  may be cylindrical, as shown. However, embodiments are contemplated where the wall section  32  is not cylindrical. As such, it should be understood that, in some embodiments, the wall section  32  may be any suitable shape to receive the auger  24 . For example, in some embodiments, the wall section  32  may be rectangular with a cylindrical interior opening to receive the auger  24 . Additionally, in some embodiments the wall section  32  may be composed of multiple parts, which may be removably joined together using a fastener, or permanently joined together using a joining process, such as welding or any other suitable joining process. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the wall section  32  is manufactured as a single part. 
     The base  36  holds the auger stand  28  vertically upright. In some embodiments, the base  36  comprises a hub  40  and a plurality of legs  38  attached to the hub  40 . In some embodiments, the base  36  comprises four legs  38  extending radially outwards from the hub  40  of the auger stand  28 . In other embodiment the base  36  may comprise any number of legs. The base  36  further comprises an anchoring mechanism, such as at least one spade portion  42 . The spade portion  42 , in some embodiments, may be secured to the end of each respective leg  38  of the base  36 . When in use, the spade portion  42  can be inserted into a surface, such as the ground to prevent movement of the auger stand  28 . 
     In some embodiments, the plurality of legs  38  are removably attached to the hub  40  of the base  36 . In such embodiments, it may be desirable to remove the legs  38  when stowing the auger stand  28  to reduce the size of the auger stand  28 . In such embodiments, the legs  38  may be removably attached to the hub  40  via mechanical fasteners, such as, for example, screws, bolts, latches, or any other known fasteners. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the legs  38  may be permanently attached to the hub  40 . In such embodiments, the legs  38  may be welded to the hub  40  or otherwise secured. 
     In some embodiments, the spade portion  42  may be fin-shaped, as shown. It should be understood that a variety of shapes and sizes are contemplated for the spade portion  42 , such as pointed or rectangular with a serrated edge. In some embodiments, the shape and size of the spade portion  42  is selected based on operational parameters, such as soil condition and auger size. In some embodiments, any suitable shape and size for the spade portion  42  is selected such that the spade portion  42  is operable to prevent movement of the auger stand  28  when in use. In some embodiments, the spade portion  42  is removably attached to the legs  38  via a mechanical fastener, which may be any mechanical fastener such as a screw, a latch, a bolt, or any other known mechanical fastener. Alternatively, the spade portions  42  may be permanently attached to the legs  38 , such as via welding or other known processes. 
       FIG. 2B  shows a cross-sectional view of the tubular auger stand  30  with the auger  24  inserted. In some embodiments, the load-bearing flight  35  is secured to the interior opening of the wall section  32 , as shown. In some embodiments, the interior opening of the wall section  32  is cylindrical, as shown, and the load-bearing flight  35  is substantially helical to receive the auger  24 . The blade  25  of the auger  24  may be screwed into the load-bearing flight  35  of the auger stand  28 , such that at least one bottom surface of the blade  25  is in contact with at least one top surface of the load-bearing flight  35  when the auger  24  is placed in the auger stand  28 , as shown. The auger stand  28  can thereby provide an upward thrust to the auger  24  when the blade  25  is unscrewed from the auger stand  28 . The auger  24  may be rotated in a first direction to screw into the auger stand  28 . Said first direction is associated with a dig function of the auger  24 . The auger  24  may be rotated in a second direction opposite the first direction to unscrew from the auger stand  28 . While the auger  24  is rotated in the second direction i.e. the extraction direction, the spade portions  42  penetrate into the ground to prevent rotation of the auger stand  28 , such that the rotation of the auger blade  25  in the extraction direction drives the auger  24  upwards along the load-bearing flight  35 . 
     In some embodiments, the load-bearing flight  35  may be a single part positioned on the interior of the wall section  32 , as shown. However, it should be understood that in some embodiments, the load-bearing flight  35  may comprise a plurality of distinct load-bearing platforms spaced along the interior of the wall section  32 . Here, the plurality of platforms may be distributed along the interior of the wall section  32  according to the shape of the auger blade  25 , such that the top surfaces of the platforms are configured to contact and receive the auger blade  25  and provide an upward force to the auger  24  during operation. 
       FIG. 3  shows an exploded view of a second embodiment of a hinged auger stand  44 . The hinged auger stand  44  comprises a first wall portion  46  rotatably attached to a second wall portion  48  at a rotatable hinge joint  50 . The landing  34  may be distributed on each of the first wall portion  46  and the second wall portion  48  as shown. The hinged auger stand  44  can be opened, as shown, and closed by rotating the first wall portion  46  and/or the second wall portion  48  about the rotatable hinge joint  50 . Although two wall portions are shown, the hinged auger stand may include additional wall portions and additional hinges. In some embodiments, it may be desirable to use the hinged auger stand  44  because it can be quickly placed over and removed from the auger  24 . In some such embodiments, at least one operator may open/close the hinged auger stand  44 . 
     In some embodiments, the hinged auger stand  44  may include an automatic opening and closing mechanism (not shown), such that the operator can remotely control the opening and closing of the hinged auger stand  44 . Here, it may be desirable that the operator control the automatic opening and closing mechanism using an input device which may communicate wirelessly with the automatic mechanism. The operator may then simultaneously operate the boom  14  and the hinged auger stand  44  such that a single operator can perform the step of inserting the auger  24  into the hinged auger stand  44 . 
     In some embodiments, the hinged auger stand  44  comprises a plurality of legs  38 , which may be removable from the central hub  40 , as shown. Although four legs are shown, the hinged auger stand  44  may include any number of legs, such as two, three, or five. In some embodiments, it may be desirable to include varying lengths of legs  38 , in addition to varying shapes and sizes of the spade portions attached thereto. The legs  38  can be removed and replaced depending on the specific application. For example, if a larger torque is required, then the legs  38  may be replaced with elongated legs that produce a greater moment arm during operation. 
     In some embodiments, the hinged auger stand  44  is lockable, such that the first wall portion  46  and the second wall portion  48  may be locked in the closed position using at least one locking mechanism. In some embodiments, each of the first wall portion  46  and the second wall portion  48  may include a plurality of tabs  47 , as shown. The tabs  47  may be positioned to provide an interference fit when the hinged auger stand  44  is in the closed position to hold the first wall portion  46  and second wall portion  48  in place to maintain the closed position. 
       FIG. 4A  shows a third embodiment of a collapsible auger stand  52 . The collapsible auger stand  52  comprises a plurality of foldable members  54  attached to the respective plurality of legs  38  by a plurality of pivoting slides  56 . The pivoting slides  56  allow the legs  38  to pivot, such that they may be folded into the foldable members  54 . In such embodiments, the plurality of legs  38  may be joined using a center hinge ring  58 . The center hinge ring  58  joins the plurality of legs  38  while also allowing rotation of the legs  38 . In some embodiments, the collapsible auger stand  52  comprises three legs  38  to support the collapsible auger stand  52 , as shown. The collapsible auger stand  52  further comprises a plurality of rollers  60  attached along each of the foldable members  54  by attachment arms  57 . Here, the attachment arms  57  may be secured to the foldable members  54  using fasteners, such as pins, screws, bolts, or any other suitable mechanical fasteners. In some embodiments, the foldable members  54  comprise fastener holes  55 , as shown. Fastener holes  55  may be configured to receive a fastener therein to join the attachment arms  57  to the foldable members  54 . Alternatively, in some embodiments the attachment arms  57  may be permanently joined to the foldable members  54  via welding or any other suitable joining process. Similarly, the rollers  60  may be secured to the attachment arms  57  using any suitable mechanical fastener, such that the attachment arms  57  support the rollers  60  while allowing free rotation of the rollers  60 . In some embodiments, the angle of the attachment arms  57  may be adjustable. In some embodiments, the rollers  60  may be load-bearing rollers configured to support the auger blade  25 . In some embodiments, the collapsible auger stand  52  further comprises a plurality of adjustable curved walls  62  secured to the plurality of foldable members  54 . The curved walls  62  may be removably attached to the foldable members  54  using any suitable fastener means. For example, in some embodiments, the curved walls  62  are bolted, pinned or screwed to the foldable members. Further, in some embodiments, each of the curved walls  62  comprises slots  63 . Slots  63  may be used to receive a fastener, such as a bolt, or any other suitable fastener to join the curved walls  62  to one another. Additionally, slots may be sized or shaped to decrease the weight of the walls. In one embodiment, there are six curved walls  62  on an upper portion of the collapsible auger stand  52 . Two walls may be located between each member  54  and may have overlapping ends, as shown. In some embodiments, an additional six curved walls  62  may be included to cover the lower portion of the collapsible auger stand  52  (not shown). Here, the additional curved walls  62  may be positioned similar to the curved walls  62  shown in  FIG. 4A  with two walls located between each member  54  to cover the auger blade  25  and the rollers  60 . More or less walls may be used as desired to create a cover. 
       FIG. 4B  shows the collapsible auger stand  52  in a folded configuration for some embodiments of the invention. In some embodiments, it may be desirable to fold the collapsible auger stand  52  when the collapsible auger stand  52  is not in use or during transportation of the collapsible auger stand  52 . The folded configuration of the collapsible auger stand  52  takes up less space than when unfolded. In some such embodiments, the collapsible auger stand  52  may be folded by rotating the pivoting slides  56  inward such that the legs  38  and the center hinge ring  58  are positioned between the plurality of foldable members  54 . In some embodiments, the curved walls  62  may be removed before folding the collapsible auger stand  52 , as shown in  FIG. 4B , while in other embodiments the curved walls may remain attached to the foldable members  54  in the folded configuration. Further, in some embodiments, the curved walls  62  may not be present in the collapsible auger stand  52 . 
     In some embodiments, each of the legs  38  comprises a plurality of holes  59 , which may receive a fastener to join the legs to the pivoting slides  56 . In such embodiments, the size of the collapsible auger stand  52  may be adjustable by selecting which of the plurality of holes  59  is used to join the legs  38  to the pivoting slides  56  and adjusting the position of the curved walls  62  by slots  63 . For example, it may be desirable to adjust the size of the collapsible auger stand  52  to accommodate varying sizes of the auger blade  25 . Here, the pivoting slides  56  may slide along the legs  38  to select a different hole  59 , then the pivoting slides  56  may be secured by placing fasteners, such as bolts or any other suitable fasteners, through the selected holes  59 . Similarly, the curved walls  62  may be adjusted by sliding the curved walls  62  apart and placing a fastener at a selected location in the slots  63 . 
     In some embodiments, the collapsible auger stand  52  may comprise a locking mechanism to hold the collapsible auger stand  52  in either of the unfolded configuration ( FIG. 4A ) or the folded configuration ( FIG. 4B ). The locking mechanism may be a latch, a locking pin, a tension band, or any other locking mechanism. For example, in some embodiments, a tension band may be placed around the foldable members  54  while the collapsible auger stand  52  is in the folded configuration to maintain said folded configuration. Alternatively, in embodiments, that include a latch or a locking pin, the collapsible auger stand  52  may be locked into either configuration until the latch or locking pin is actuated to release the collapsible auger stand  52 , such that the configuration can be altered. For example, a locking pin may be placed on at least one of the pivoting slides  56 , such that the pivoting slides  56  are held in place by the locking pin until the locking pin is actuated by pressing the locking pin. 
       FIG. 5  shows a fourth embodiment of a slotted auger stand  64 . The slotted auger stand  64  comprises slotted wall section  66  including a plurality of slots  68 . The plurality of slots  68  reduce the weight of the slotted auger stand  64 , and create ventilation to remove heat associated with use of the slotted auger stand  64 . The slots  68  may be any shape or size. In some embodiments, the slotted wall section  66  includes a plurality of fastener holes  70  for receiving fasteners therein, such that the plurality of rollers  60  may be fastened to the slotted wall section  66 . In such embodiments, the rollers  60  are secured directly to the slotted wall section  66  by placing a fastener, which may be any known suitable fastener, through the fastener hole  70 . The fastener may extend through the fastener hole  70  and be secured directly to the roller  60 . For example, in some embodiments, a bolt may extend through the fastener hole  70  and screw into a threaded portion within a bearing of the roller  60 . When in use, the rollers  60  act as a landing  34  to transfer a load from the auger blade  25  to provide an upward thrust to the auger  24 . The plurality of fastener holes  70  may be positioned such that the rollers  60  are aligned with the auger blade  25  of the auger  24 . Thus, the auger  24  can be screwed into the slotted auger stand  64 . Here, the rollers  60  may be positioned in a helix shape to accommodate the auger blade  25  of the auger  24 . It should be understood that other arrangements of the rollers  60  are contemplated to accommodate varying sizes and shapes of auger blade  25 . During operation, in some embodiments, the auger blade  25  of the auger  24  contacts a top surface of at least one of the rollers  60  such that the rollers  60  provide an upward force to the auger  24 , when the auger  24  is rotated in the extraction direction. 
     In some embodiments, the slotted auger stand  64  further comprises a plurality of vertically-adjustable spade portions  72  attached to the plurality of legs  38  which are secured to the base  36  of the slotted auger stand  64 . In some embodiments, the base  36  may be triangular, as shown. Here, three legs  38  may be arranged in a triangle formation to support the slotted auger stand  64  in the center. In some embodiments, the legs  38  may be permanently joined via any suitable joining process, for example, by welding. Alternatively, the legs  38  may be removably secured to one another such that the base  36  may be deconstructed, adjusted, or folded. The adjustable spade portions  72  allow the height of the slotted auger stand  64  to be adjusted. In some embodiments, the adjustable spade portions  72  may be adjusted using a fastener pin  74  configured to be placed within a plurality of pin holes  75  on the adjustable spade portion  72 , as shown. In some embodiments, the slotted auger stand  64  further comprises at least one handle  76  secured to one of the plurality of legs  38  or the base  36 . The handle  76  may be used for an operator to carry the slotted auger stand  64  to transport the slotted auger stand  64  or to reposition the slotted auger stand  64  before or after operation. 
     It should be understood that, in some embodiments, the auger stand  28  is one of the tubular auger stand  30 , hinged auger stand  44 , collapsible auger stand  52 , and slotted auger stand  64 . Further, some embodiments may include multiple auger stands and a user may select a specific type of auger stand based on the particular application. It should also be understood that any features from various embodiments may be incorporated into other embodiments even if not explicitly stated herein. For example, handle  76  shown in the slotted auger stand  64  may be used in the tubular auger stand  30 . Similarly, the hinged auger stand  44  can include slots  68  to reduce the overall weight thereof. Other combinations of elements from the multiple embodiments are contemplated. 
       FIG. 6  shows method  600  for some embodiments of the invention. At step  602 , the auger  24  is inserted into the auger stand  28 . Inserting the auger  24  into the stand may be accomplished in a variety of ways depending on the specific embodiment and application. For example, in embodiments with the tubular auger stand  30  and the collapsible auger stand  52 , the auger  24  may be inserted into the auger stand  28  by rotating the auger  24  in the dig direction using the digger motor  22  thereby screwing the auger  24  into the landing  34  of the auger stand  28 . Further, in embodiments with the hinged auger stand  44 , the hinged auger stand  44  may be placed near the auger  24  then closed around the auger  24 . For example, in some embodiments, a first operator may operate the digger derrick controls to move the boom  14  to position the auger  24  near the ground. At least one additional operator may then place the hinged auger stand  44  on the ground and close the hinged auger stand  44  around the auger  24 . 
     At step  604 , the base  36  of the auger stand  28  is pushed downwards into the ground using the boom  14 . In some embodiments, pushing the base  36  downwardly pushes the spade portion  42  of the base  36  into the ground, such that the spade portions  42  are at least partially rooted into the ground to prevent rotation of the auger stand  28 . This step can be accomplished by initiating a lowering operation of the boom  14 , which may be carried out by an operator of the digger derrick system  10 . 
     Next, at step  606  the pole  78  is secured to the digger derrick system  10 . The pole  78  may be a utility pole, for example, a telephone pole or a power pole. It should be understood that the pole  78  may be secured to the digger derrick system  10  by any suitable means. For example, operations such as grasping the pole  78  using the grapple  18  and cinching the pole  78  using a strap, such as strap  80  shown in  FIG. 7 , may be used to secure the pole  78 . In some embodiments, the pole  78  may be grasped using the grapple  18  then cinched using the strap  80  around the pole  78  to secure the pole  78  to the boom  14  at the distal end of the boom  14 . It should be understood that the pole  78  may also be cinched at other locations of the boom  14  and the digger assembly  16  and further cinched in multiple positions. For example, in some embodiments, it may be desirable to cinch the pole  78  to the distal end of the boom  14  and to the digger motor  22 . 
     At step  608 , the rotating linkage  20  is fixed to keep the center of the load in line with the center of the boom  14  and the hydraulic circuit of the boom  14  is emptied such that the boom  14  rests on the auger  24 . When not fixed, the rotating linkage  20  may swing to allow the digger assembly  16  to rotate independently from the boom  14  for stowing the digger assembly  16  at the side of the boom  14 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . However, when fixed, the rotating linkage locks the digger assembly  16  in place aligned below the boom  14 . It is desirable to lock the digger assembly  16  in place during operation of the digger assembly  16  to prevent the digger assembly  16  from swinging while the auger  24  is rotating. It is also desirable that the hydraulic circuit of the boom  14  is emptied to prevent any unintentional movement of the boom  14  during operation and so that the boom  14  rests upon the digger assembly  16 . At step  610 , the auger  24  is rotated in the extraction direction using the digger motor  22  such that the auger  24  is unscrewed from the auger stand  28  to lift the pole  78 . Here, the landing  34  of the auger stand  28  provides an upward thrust to the auger blade  25 , which is translated through the auger  24  to the boom  14  where the pole  78  is grasped. The landing  34  may comprise any of the landing components described herein, such as a load-bearing flight, a threaded portion, a plurality of rollers, and/or a plurality of plain-bearing thrust elements. During step  610  it is desirable that the rotating linkage  20  is fixed and locked in place to prevent swinging or movement of the digger assembly  16  relative to the boom  14 . 
     At step  612 , after the auger  24  is unscrewed from the auger stand  28 , the pole  78  is positioned using the boom  14  according to the specific application of the invention. In some embodiments, the pole  78  may be placed on the ground or placed on the utility vehicle  12  for transport, though any placement of the pole  78  is hereby contemplated. At step  614  the pole  78  is released from the digger derrick system  10 . Depending on the specific embodiment, the pole  78  may be released by opening the grapple  18  of the digger derrick system  10  or by removing the strap  80  from the pole  78 . After releasing the pole  78 , steps  602 - 612  may be repeated to lift the pole  78  higher if necessary. Such, repetition is necessary when the pole  78  must be lifted higher than a single stroke length of the auger stand  28 . In some embodiments, a standard lifting stroke length of the auger stand  28  is associated with the length of the auger  24 . For example, the auger stand  28  may be sized according to the length of the auger  24  such that the auger stand  28  can provide a lifting force to the entire length of the auger  24 . Alternatively, in some embodiments, the auger stand  28  may be sized larger than the auger  24  such that the stroke length is increased beyond the length of the auger  24 . 
     At step  616 , the auger  24  is stowed on the boom  14 . In some embodiments, the auger stand  28  may be placed over the auger  24  when stowed to act as a cover. For some embodiments, it may be desirable to remove the legs  38  of the auger stand  28  before stowing the auger  24 . For example, depending on the length of the legs  38 , the legs may prevent the auger  24  from properly stowing by contacting the boom  14 . For this reason, it may also be desirable that the legs  38  are foldable or telescoping, such that the space that the legs  38  take up can be reduced without having to completely remove the legs  38 . At step  618 , the auger stand  28  is used to hold the auger  24  upright for installation on the kelly bar  26  to secure the auger  24  to the digger assembly  16 . Here, the auger stand  28  may be placed near the utility vehicle  12  and the boom  14  lowered to position the kelly bar  26  of the digger assembly  16  with the auger  24 . Using the auger stand  28  to hold the auger  24  upright allows the auger  24  to be easily switched out and replaced. Accordingly, an operation that would otherwise involve multiple operators holding the auger  24  upright only requires a single operator to operate the boom  14  to position the digger assembly  16  above the auger stand  28 . Further, in some embodiments the auger  24  is held upright using the auger stand  28  to store the auger  24 . Here, the auger  24  may be stored separate from the digger assembly  16 . It may be desirable to hold the auger  24  upright during storage to prevent the auger  24  from laying on the ground, which could increase the useful life of the auger blade  25 . 
       FIG. 7  shows an exemplary operational environment of the digger derrick system  10  for some embodiments. In such embodiments, the digger derrick system  10  is used to lift a pole  78  using the auger stand  28 . The auger stand  28  may be any of the tubular auger stand  30 , the hinged auger stand  44 , the collapsible auger stand  52 , and the slotted auger stand  64 . The auger  24  of the digger assembly  16  is screwed into the auger stand  28 , as shown. The pole  78  is secured to the boom  14  by grasping the pole  78  with the grapple  18  and cinching the strap  80  around the pole  78 , as shown. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the strap  80  may be fixed to the boom  14 . Alternatively, in some embodiments, the strap  80  is a separate component that is secured around the boom  14  during operation. Further, in some embodiments, a plurality of straps may be used. Likewise, embodiments are contemplated where the boom  14  comprises a plurality of grapples  18 . While the pole  78  is secured to the boom  14 , unscrewing the auger  24  from the auger stand  28  lifts the pole  78 . Thus, the pole  78  can be lifted from the ground using the digger derrick system  10  without damaging equipment. 
     It should be understood that the digger derrick system  10  and the auger stand  28  are capable of performing any of the functionality described herein, such as the steps of the method  600 . Further, the digger derrick system  10  and the auger stand  28  may include any combination of features described herein. For example, the auger stand  28  may comprise slots  68 , adjustable spade portions  72 , and/or rotatable hinge joint  50 . 
     In some embodiments, the pole  78  may be any member of sufficient length, such as for example, a utility pole, a tree, a structural column, etc. Accordingly, the auger stand  28  is operable to lift any longitudinal (cylindrical, rectangular, irregularly-shaped, etc.) object and is not limited to lifting utility poles. For example, in some embodiments, the auger stand  28  may be configured to lift a tree, a structural column, or a pipe. It should be understood that in addition to lifting a longitudinal object, in some embodiments, the auger stand  28  is used to lower the longitudinal object. For example, embodiments are contemplated where the auger stand  28  is placed near a hole in the ground and the auger  24  is screwed into the auger stand  28  to lower a power pole held by the grapple  18  into the hole. 
     Although the invention has been described with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the attached drawing figures, it is noted that equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as recited in the claims.