US3148739A - Boring apparatus with screw anchor - Google Patents

Description

S p 1964 L. J. MATTINGLY ETAL BORING APPARATUS WITH SCREW ANCHOR Filed Jan. 9. 1961 3 Shets-Sheet 1 Fig.4 1 k 28 Les/er J. Matting/y Walter W Happe INVENTOR 5 BY (WW9 Em P 15, 1964 J. MATTINGLY ETAL 3,148,739

BORING APPARATUS WITH SCREW ANCHOR Filed Jan. 9. 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.5

Les/er J Muff/71gb Walter W Happe 1N VEN TORS- BY t 7.325%

Sept- 1 1964 1.. J. MATTINGLY ETAL 3,148,739

BORING APPARATUS WITH SCREW ANCHOR Filed Jan. 9 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 A\ .I I. m M

VAVWA United States Patent 3 148 73 BORING APPARATrJs vi'rr rr SCREW ANCHOR Lester J. Mattingiy, 1625 Horseshoe Drive, Florissant, Mo, and Walter W. Happe, St. Louis, Mo; said Happe assignor to said Mattingly Filed Jan. 9, i961, Ser. No. 81,375 3 Claims. (Cl. 173-46) The present invention generally relates to earth anchors for use in anchoring various elements to the earth such as guy wires employed in holding poles in a vertical position and the present invention more particularly relates to an adapter so that an earth boring machine may be used to screw the anchors into the ground.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a screw anchor adapter associated with an earth boring means so that the boring bar of the earth boring machine may be employed for screwing the screw anchors into the ground.

Generally, boring machines such as those dislosed in prior patents to Spowart 1,511,433 granted October 14, 1924, and Erdahl 1,921,812 granted August 8, 1933, may be employed when carrying out the present invention and it is the employment of such boring machines in placing the screw anchors which form the essence of the present invention. As exemplified by the boring machine shown in these patents, they embody generally a boring head which is swingably mounted upon a truck chassis or other suitable vehicle body so that it may be adjusted angularly about the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and also angularly about an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis. The boring head carries a boring bar which normally is provided with an auger at the lower end thereof which does the actual digging. The boring bar is supported in the boring head for longitudinal movement to advance the auger and withdraw the auger in relation to the hole being bored in the earth and the boring bar is also supported and driven in such a manner to drive the auger in its boring action. The boring bar is housed by a guide tube which extends upwardly from the head so that ordinarily during the boring operation and advancing of the auger into the earth, it is not possible to determine visually the extent of the boring action of the auger as it penetrates the earth.

Therefore, one object of the present invention is to provide the boring machine with a depth indicator such as has been disclosed in prior Patent No. 2,607,834 issued to George H. Conners which will enable the operator of the boring machine to be advised as to the extent of the earth penetrating movement of the boring bar of the machine so that he may discontinue the placing of the screw anchor when the length of the anchor rod has been predetermined. Although this type of depth control is proposed, the same results could be obtained by measuring the anchor rod, the standard length being 7 feet 2 inches, and a scribe may be placed on the boring bar to indicate the earth penetration of the anchor.

The present invention also involves certain improvement upon a similar type of invention disclosed in prior Patent No. 2,569,528 granted to Charles W. Candle. Heretofore, it has been the practice to place screw anchors manually although there have been available vari ous power units that could be employed for this purpose such as air motors, electric motors or hydraulic motors. The primary object of the present invention is based upon the principle of utilizing the power of earth boring machine for screwing earth anchors into place and for unscrewing the earth anchors when desired and specifically provides an adapter for holding the anchor in place after the anchor rod is inserted into the boringbar of the boring machine and keeping the anchor rod in axial alignment with the boring bar at all times.

Another very important object of the present invention is to provide a screw anchor adapter in accordance with the preceeding object incorporating a novel structure for cleaning the boring bar after it has been used to screw the earth anchors into the ground. When the boring bar is used to place the screw'anchors in the ground or dig a hole for a pole, a considerable amount of earth becomes embedded in the teeth of the boring bar and continuous deposit of. earth and residue on the boring bar causes considerable damage and wear on the guide shaft thus rendering it important to maintain the boringbar as clean as possible.

Still another feature of the present invention resides in its simplicity of construction, ease of operation, efficiency and its relatively inexpensive manufacturing cost.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to "the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer. to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE I is a side elevational view of the boring ie I machine with the screw anchor and screw anchor adapter associated therewith;

therein;

FIGURES is a view of an earth anchor after it has been installed by the adapter of the present invention;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the components of the earth anchor;

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal, vertical sectional View illustrating the construction of the present invention;

FIGURE 6 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 6-6 of FIGURE 5;'

FIGURE 7 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 77 of FIGURE 5; and I FIGURE 8 is a transverse sectional view taken substan tiallyupon a plane passingalong section line 88 of FIGURE 5.

Referring now specifically to the drawings and especially FIGURES 1 and 2, the vehicle broadly disclosed includes a supporting chassis on the frame generally designated by the numeral 10 and rear drivingwheels 12. Only the rear portion of the vehicle frame or chassis is illustrated since the hole digging or boring mechanism is mounted thereon and is generally designated by reference numeral 14. The boring mechanism includes a boring head16 sup ported by suitable mounts or supports 18. The boring head contains the drive gears by which the boring bar 20 is operated. Theboring bar 20 is adapted to move downwardly and upwardly in the tubular sleeves 22. The tubular guide 22 is pivotally attached to the upper portion of the boring means 16 as is well known in the prior art mentioned previously and as the boring bar 20 is drawn in a downward direction rotation is imparted thereto by suitable gear mechanism within the boring head 16 all as readily understood by those versed in the art in conjunction with the machines'of the type illustrated in the patents to Spowart and Erdhal mentioned hereinbefore.

The boring head is adapted to be turned or partially rotated about an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the machine or chassis 10 of the vehicle in order that the auger 24 carried by the lower end of the boring bar 20 may be shifted outwardly and inwardly relative to its vertical position. Also, the boring head 16 is capable of being rotated to diiierent angles about the longitudinal axis of the vehicle or boring holes and to be used to place screw type anchors at lateral angles to the earth and this adjustment is generally illustrated in FIGURE 2. The foregoing is a conventional mode of adjusting the boring head with the adjustments being obtained by certain wellknown mechanisms disclosed in the prior patents previously mentioned and forming no substantial part of the present invention.

The boring bar 20 which operates longitudinally within the guide tube 22 is equipped with the usual guide head 26 on the upper end thereofwhich slides in contact with the inner wall of the tube 22 and prevents gripping of the boring bar 20 during its rotation and during its longitudinal movement as the auger 24 is driven into the earth for producing the hole which is to be excavated or for the placing of a screw type anchor.

The screw anchor is generally designated by reference numeral 28 and includes an elongated anchor rod 30 having a threaded upper end 32 for receiving an eye member 34 and a lock nut 36 thereon for locking the eye in place thus enabling a guy wire to be attached to the anchor. The eye 34 is in the form of a thimble eye nut.

.The lower end of the anchor rod 28 is provided with a collar 38 therewith and the auger flight'24 is rigid with the collar 38 and tapers to a pointed end having a transverse tapered blade 40 thereon.

Mounted under the boring head 16 is a boring bar cleaning and lubricating mechanism generally designated by numeral 42 and which includes an annular felt oiler and wiper 44 and an annular cleaning brush 46 mounted in annular grooves in a suitable support 48 attached to the head 16 by fastener bolts 50.

The boring bar 20 is spirally threaded 0n the outer surface thereof and is provided with a longitudinal bore 52 extending longitudinally therein for receiving an elongated anchor rod 30. Disposed exteriorly on the lower .end of the boring bar 20 is a tubular adapter 54 having a collar 56 at the upper end and a collar 58 at the lower end and having a spiral flight 60 in between the collars 56 and 58. The upper end of the tubular member 54 is rigidly attached to the boring bar by a pin connection 62. The pin 62 is received in aligned opening 64 and 66 in the tubular sleeve 54 and the boring bar 20.

For retaining the boring bar and the screw anchor in assembled relation, the tubular sleeve 54 is provided with a plurality of spring fingers 68 hingedly attached to the inner surface of the sleeve 54 by hinge pins and having the free ends thereof extending inwardly and in sliding frictional contact with the anchor rod 30. Coil compression springs 72 extend between the free end of the fingers 68 and the inner surface of the sleeve 54 for urging the fingers into engagement with the anchor rod 3tl. Any suitable means may be provided for retaining the springs '72 in position such as a recess in the wall of the sleeve 54 in any suitable projection on the fingers 68.

The cleaning brush 46 and the oiler and wiper 44 serve to clean the boring bar before it is retracted into the guide shaft or sleeve 22 and before it contacts the gearing mechanism thereby eliminating wear caused by dirt.

Assuming that a screw anchor 23 is to be placed in 4 when placing of the screw anchor'has been completed. As will be readily apparent, the operator during the process of moving the boring bar 20 upwardly and at the same time rotating the boring bar, the cleaning action of the brushes 46 will remove the earth from the boring bar 20 and the oiler will wipe clean the boring bar 20 as it reenters the boring head and tubular guide.

The anchor adapter has very few parts and consists of the tubular member 54 having a generally cylindrical configuration receiving the boring bar and spaced concentrically from the anchor rod. The sleeve is reinforced with collars at each end thereof and has an auger flight on the outer surface which serves as a means for removing obstructions and to prepare a pilot hole for the boring bar 20 in the process of placing ascrew-type anchor. The upper end of the adapter sleeve 54 receives the boring bar 20 and is held rigidly and firmly in place with the pin 62. The bottom end of the adapter sleeve 54 is equipped with the spring fingers 68.

The fingers 68 are adapted to receive the straight anchor rod 3t) which are normally produced in standard sizes of A; of an inch, inch and 1 inch in diameters and 7 feet 2 inches in length. The upper end of the rod is screw threaded for receiving a lock nut and a thimble eyed nut and the bottom portion of the rod is provided with a square hub or collar attached to a spiral screw flight 24 welded thereto at its lower end.

The boring bar 20 has a longitudinal bore therein preferably 8 feet in length and 1% inch in diameter for receiving the anchor rod 30.

In assembling a screw anchor with the adapter, it is necessary to remove the thimble eye 34 and the lock nut 36 and then insert the anchor rod 30 upwardly into the sleeve 54 and into the longitudinal bore 52 in the boring bar 20. The square collar 38 is then brought into engagement with the adapter sleeve 54 and held in place therein thus securing the boring bar 20, sleeve 54 and screw anchor rigidly together as far as rotation is concerned but enabling the screw anchor to be detached therefrom after the auger 24 has been anchored and the boring bar moved upwardly which will causethe spring fingers '68 toslide upwardly on the anchor rod 30 and become detached after which the lock nut 36 and thimble eye nut 34 maybe replaced on the anchor rod; With this construction, the anchor rod may be easily placed in the earth or removed therefrom whenever desired. If the machine is not equipped with the electrical depth indicator, a scribe or mark may be placed on the boring bar so that the operator may discontinue the placing operation when the screw anchor has been inserted to the desired depth. An electrical depth indicator may be provided so that the operator will discontinue the placing operation at the predetermined depth.

The foregoing isconsidered as illustrative only of the i princples of the invention. Further, since numerous modification and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described,

I and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents the ground and that tubular guide 22 orientated generally horizontally, the boring bar cleaning mechanism is secured in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 5 by bolting into place the supporting components for the cleaning and oiling mechanism and these components are secured to the bottom of the boring head 13.

and oil mechanism may be quickly and easily removed may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed; I

What is claimed as-new is as follows:

1. In combination with a hole boring machine comprising a boring head, a guide member extending from the boring head, and a boring bar operable in the guide member and projecting from the head during its boring operation, a screw anchor adapter comprising a sleeve rigidly connected to the boring bar in axial alignment therewith, and means on the sleeve releasably locking a screw anchor thereto for rotating said screw anchor until it is in anchored position and then enabling disengagement of the anchor from the adapter, said means on the adapter for connection with the screw anchor including a polygonal socket for receiving a polygonal projection on the anchor, and spring urged fingers carried by the sleeve engaging the anchor for frictionally retaining the anchor connected with the adapter, said boring head including a boring bar cleaning brush engaging the periphery of the boring bar during the rotation and longitudinal movement thereof, said boring head also including an oiling and wiping disk of felt material engaging the periphery of the boring bar during rotation and longitudinal movement thereof, said oiling disk being disposed between the cleaning brush and the boring head for engaging the boring bar after the boring bar has been cleaned by the brush during the upward movement of said boring bar.

2. An adapter for converting a boring machine to a screw anchor placing machine comprising an elongated tubular sleeve, means on the sleeve for rigidly connecting the sleeve to a boring bar, said sleeve having a spiral flight on the outer surface thereof for forming a pilot hole for the anchor, said sleeve being hollow for receiving an elongated shank of an anchor, polygonal socket means on the lower end of the sleeve for detachable driving engagement with a screw anchor, and spring urged fingers attached to the inner surface at the lower end of the'sleeve for frictionally engaging an anchor shank thereby retaining the anchor in connection with the sleeve.

3. In combination with a hole boring machine adapted for placing screw anchors in the ground comprising a boring head, a guide member extending from the boring head, a boring bar operable in the guide member and projecting from the boring head, said boring bar provided with a longitudinal bore extending longitudinally therein, and a removable sleeve rigidly connected at its upper end to the lower end of the boring bar projecting from the boring head and in axial alignment therewith, a screw anchor comprising an elongated anchor rod freely slidable in said longitudinal bore of the boring bar, a spiral auger flight attached to the lower end of said rod, a polygonal collar concentrically fixed on said anchor rod above said auger flight, and a polygonal socket in the lower end of said sleeve conforming to said collar and removably engaged thereover for separation upon upward movement relative to the collar whereby the anchor may be bored into the ground and left in position by withdrawal of the sleeve and boring bar from the screw anchor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 134,305 North Dec. 24, 1872 292,129 Moore Jan. 15, 1884 393,895 Gentry Dec. 4, 1888 770,376 Lewis Sept. 20, 1904 810,807 Pitcher Jan. 23, 1906 863,508 Clark Aug. 13, 1907 881,280 Andersen et a1. Mar. 10, 1908 1,507,776 Humiston Sept. 9, 1924 1,602,375 Gibson Oct. 5, 1926 1,831,956 Harrington Nov. 17, 1931 1,981,475 Smith Nov. 20, 1934 2,214,370 Hassler Sept. 10, 1940 2,416,036 Zimmerlein et a1. Feb. 18, 1947 2,569,528 Kandle Oct. 2, 1951 2,666,621 Hunt Jan. 19, 1954 2,673,717 Bacon Mar. 30, 1954

Claims (1)

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A HOLE BORING MACHINE COMPRISING A BORING HEAD, A GUIDE MEMBER EXTENDING FROM THE BORING HEAD, AND A BORING BAR OPERABLE IN THE GUIDE MEMBER AND PROJECTING FROM THE HEAD DURING ITS BORING OPERATION, A SCREW ANCHOR ADAPTER COMPRISING A SLEEVE RIGIDLY CONNECTED TO THE BORING BAR IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT THEREWITH, AND MEANS ON THE SLEEVE RELEASABLY LOCKING A SCREW ANCHOR THERETO FOR ROTATING SAID SCREW ANCHOR UNTIL IT IS IN ANCHORED POSITION AND THEN ENABLING DISENGAGEMENT OF THE ANCHOR FROM THE ADAPTER, SAID MEANS ON THE ADAPTER FOR CONNECTION WITH THE SCREW ANCHOR INCLUDING A POLYGONAL SOCKET FOR RECEIVING A POLYGONAL PROJECTION ON THE ANCHOR, AND SPRING URGED FINGERS CARRIED BY THE SLEEVE ENGAGING THE ANCHOR FOR FRICTIONALLY RETAINING THE ANCHOR CONNECTED WITH THE ADAPTER, SAID BORING HEAD INCLUDING A BORING BAR CLEANING BRUSH ENGAGING THE PERIPHERY OF THE BORING BAR DURING THE ROTATION AND LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT THEREOF, SAID BORING HEAD ALSO INCLUDING AN OILING AND WIPING DISK OF FELT MATERIAL ENGAGING THE PERIPHERY OF THE BORING BAR DURING ROTATION AND LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT THEREOF, SAID OILING DISK BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN THE CLEANING BRUSH AND THE BORING HEAD FOR ENGAGING THE BORING BAR AFTER THE BORING BAR HAS BEEN CLEANED BY THE BRUSH DURING THE UPWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID BORING BAR.

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