IMPROVEMENTS IN EARTH-BORING APPARATUS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Alfred Marshall, of Canonbury, in the
County of Middlesex, Telegraphic Engineer, for the Invention of
“ IMPROVEMENTS IN EARTH-BORING APPARATUS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Alfred
Marshall at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 17th September 1870.
I, WILLIAM ALFRED MARSHALL, of Canonbury, in the County of
5 Middlesex, Telegraphic Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN EARTH-BORING APPARATUS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates to improvements in earth-boring apparatus
designed for use in fixing poles or posts for telegraphic or other
) purposes.
According to my Invention I make the auger or blade of a flat plate
or disc of metal severed in a radial direction from the centre or boss, on
which the blade is carried to the circumference, the two ends of the

page_text: blade thus formed being bent apart of a V form in edge view. The end
or point which is bent downwards or projects from the lower surface of
the blade forms the cutting edge, the earth removed thereby on the
rotation of the auger passing through the radial opening between the
two ends on to the upper surface of the plate, whence it is removed from
time to time by raising the auger. The auger or blade is fixed at right
angles on its shank or stock which is formed with a squared end to
receive the boss of the blade. The latter is secured by a tapering metal
point screwed on to the extremity of the stock. This point is provided
with a quick spiral groove or grooves to form a rimer for the purpose of
drilling a hole in advance of the boss of the auger, and so facilitate the
penetration of the latter. The point or drill is squared where attached
to the shank for the application of a spanner to screw the point firmly
on the shank. The stock of the auger is attached to two or more
sections of tubes screwed together and provided with sockets for the
eross handle used for rotating the auger.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Alfred Marshall in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 17th March 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ALFRED MARSHALL, of Canonbury, in the County of Middlesex,
Telegraphic Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Alfred Marshall, Her special
licence, that I, the said William Alfred Marshall, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Alfred
Marshall, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for

page_text: “IMPROVEMENTS IN EARTH-BORING APPARATUS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Alfred Marshall, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Alfred Marshall, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon (that is to say):-
-
My Invention relates to improvements in earth-boring apparatus
designed for use in fixing poles or posts for telegraphic or other
purposes.
According to my Invention I make the auger in the form of a flat
plate or disc of metal severed in a radial direction, from the centre or
boss (on which the blade is carried) to the circumference, the two jaws
of the blade thus formed presenting a V shaped opening in edge view.
The part which projects from the lower surface of the disc forms the
cutting edge, the earth broken up thereby on the rotation of the auger,
passing through the radial V opening on to the upper surface of the
plate, whence it is removed from time to time by raising the auger from
the hole. The auger or blade is fixed at right angles on a shank or
stock which is formed with a squared end to receive the boss of the
blade, the latter being secured by a tapering metal point screwed into
the end of the stock. I prefer however to connect the point and cutter
plate to the stock by means of a socket piece, as herein-after described.
The point is provided with a quick spiral groove or grooves to form a
rimer for the purpose of drilling a hole in advance of the boss of the
auger, and so facilitate the penetration of the latter. The stock of the
auger consists of two or more sections of tubes screwed together and
provided with sockets for the cross handle used for rotating the auger,
said cross bar being removed from one socket to the other next above as
the depth of the boring increases.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings shows a side elevation of my
improved earth-boring apparatus, and Figure 2 a vertical section of the
same taken at right angles to Figure 1, while Figure 3 shows a plan of
the cutter plate.
a is the auger or cutting blade which is cast in the form of a disc
having a radial opening 6 extending from the central boss c to the
circumference of the V form shown in Figure 1. The cutter plate a is
secured at right angles on the end of a tubular shaft or stock d made
in short lengths or sections to be screwed together, in number according
to the depth of hole required. I connect the cutter plate a to the
stock d by means of a socket piece e, into which the bottom end of said
stock is screwed as shown. In order to connect the parts I first mount
the cutter plate a on the squared part of a tapering point g which
serves to penetrate and loosen the ground in advance of the boss c of
the plate a and brings the edge of the lower or leading jaw a¹ into
action for boring the hole. The point 9 (which may be either in the
form of a quick spiral or twist as shown, or flat), and having the cutter
plate a first mounted thereon, as described, is then screwed by means of
its shank g' into the socket e, the stock and plate being thus united
firmly together and secured by set screws x, x.
Another improvement consists in providing a passage or opening h in
the point g, communicating with the hollow stock d, for the admission
of air below the cutter plate a to permit of the auger being easily lifted
out of the hole (when boring in tenacious ground) owing to the vacuum
then formed. The passage h is closed by a valve i connected with a
wire stem or rod k, passing down the tubular stock d in a guide tube A,
and operated by a trigger 1, mounted on the stock, as shown, the guide
tube k¹ being screwed into the shank g¹ of the point g. The trigger.
on being raised by the finger opens the valve i (as shown in dotted lines
in Figure 2) by bearing on the upper end of the wire stem k and admits
air below the cutter plate a with the object above stated. The valve. i
is returned to position on releasing the trigger by the coiled spring .
The valve i is curved or bevelled to an angle of the form best suited for
freeing the opening h in the point g of any dirt which may lodge therein
when boring, this object being effected on opening the valve.
opening also has an inclined surface h¹ to prevent the lodgement of
dirt therein.
The

page_text: The action of the apparatus will be readily understood from the fore-
going description, that is to say, the cutter plate a on being turned
with the point g as its centre by the cross handle m (introduced into the
socket n of the tubular stock d, as shown in Figure 1,) will penetrate by
cutting or boring and pass the earth, clay, or gravel, or even large stones
on to its upper surface, whence it can be readily removed by lifting the
auger frequently from the hole. Thus the improved auger of my
Invention does not force a passage by screwing into the ground, and no
power is wasted as is the case when a screw auger is used, my improved
apparatus being easily worked by two men.
Having described the nature of my Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. The cutting disc or plate a formed with a V opening and jaws a³,
and operating substantially as shown and described.
2ndly. I claim the combination with the cutter plate a of a taper
point 9 provided with a valve opening and secured to a tubular stock d,
the whole acting substantially as herein-before described and illustrated
in the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Alfred Marshall, have
bereunto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.