Recoil auger with clutch bearing

Abstract

A recoil auger enables holes to be drilled by using only straight line motions of a person's hand, arm, and shoulder. The recoil auger is comprised of a recoil drive system connected to an output shaft, which in turn is connected to an auger. The recoil drive system has a recoil mechanism that imparts unidirectional rotation to the auger in response to bidirectional rotation of the recoil mechanism. The recoil mechanism includes a clutch bearing to unidirectionally rotate the auger. The recoil drive system has a handle that the person grasps during operation. Operation is achieved by pulling a rope wound around a rope wheel. A recoil spring rewinds the rope after a pulling motion. Multiple recoil mechanisms assembled to the output shaft and one or more suitable handles enable more than one person to operate the recoil auger at the same time.

1 . A recoil mechanism comprising:
 a. an output shaft adapted for connection to a predetermined longitudinal shaft for manually unidirectionally rotating the predetermined shaft about a longitudinal axis in response to a person exerting bi-directional straight line motions with a first hand, arm, and shoulder of the person;   b. a housing that rotatably guides the output shaft;   c. a rope wheel that rotates in first and second directions; and   d. a clutch bearing that unidirectionally rotates the output shaft in response to rotation of the rope wheel in the first and second directions, so that the output shaft rotates in the first direction when the rope wheel rotates in the first direction, and the output shaft is stationary when the rope wheel rotates in the second direction.   
   
   
       2 . The recoil mechanism of  claim 1  wherein the housing comprises a housing plate, and wherein a handle is attached to the housing plate,
 so that the person can grasp the handle with a second hand, and exert the straight line motions with the first hand, arm, and shoulder.   
   
   
       3 . The recoil mechanism of  claim 2  wherein the housing comprises a circular ring that enables multiple persons to grasp the handle. 
   
   
       4 . A recoil mechanism adapted for connection to a predetermined shaft for manually unidirectionally rotating the shaft about a longitudinal axis in response to a person exerting bi-directional straight line motions with a first hand, arm, and shoulder of the person, wherein the recoil mechanism comprises:
 a. an output shaft connected to the shaft;   b. a plurality of recoil mechanisms connected to the output shaft each including a rope wheel that rotates in first and second directions, the output shaft rotating in the first direction in response to any rope wheel rotating in the first direction, the output shaft being stationary in response to no rope wheel rotating in the first direction; and   c. a plurality of housings each graspable by a different person, so that the recoil mechanism is operable by a plurality of persons each grasping a respective housing.   
   
   
       5 . A method of rotating a shaft comprising the steps of:
 a. providing a shaft;   b. providing a recoil drive system having an output shaft;   c. connecting the shaft to the output shaft;   d. exerting a first motion on the recoil drive system in a first straight line direction and rotating the shaft in a first rotational direction;   e. exerting a second motion on the recoil drive system in a second straight line direction opposite the first straight line direction without rotating the shaft;   f. assembling first and second recoil mechanisms to the output shaft;   g. assembling first and second handles to the output shaft;   h. grasping the first handle and exerting the first and second motions on the first recoil mechanism; and   i. grasping the second handle and exerting the first and second motions on the second recoil mechanism.   
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein:
 a. the step of providing a recoil drive system comprises the step of providing a recoil drive system having a handle; and   b. the steps of exerting the first and second motions comprise the steps of grasping the handle with a first hand, and exerting the first and second motions with a second hand.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 5  wherein:
 a. the step of providing a recoil drive system comprises the step of providing the recoil drive system with a rope wheel and a clutch bearing; and   b. the step of exerting the first motion comprises the step of rotating the rope wheel in a first rotational direction and causing the clutch bearing to rotate the output shaft in the first rotational direction.   
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the step of exerting the second motion comprises the steps of rotating the rope wheel in a second rotational direction, and enabling the output shaft to be stationary during rotation of the rope wheel in the second rotational direction. 
   
   
       9 . A method manually unidirectionally rotating a shaft about a longitudinal axis in response to a person exerting bi-directional straight line motions with a first hand, arm, and shoulder of the person comprising the steps of:
 a. providing a shaft;   b. providing a recoil drive system having an output shaft;   c. connecting the shaft to the output shaft, wherein the step of connecting the shaft to the output shaft comprises the step of providing a housing, and guiding the output shaft in the housing;   d. exerting a first motion on the recoil drive system in a first straight line direction and rotating the shaft in a first rotational direction; and   e. exerting a second motion on the recoil drive system in a second straight line direction opposite the first straight line direction without rotating the shaft.   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the step of providing a recoil drive system comprises the step of assembling multiple recoil mechanisms to the output shaft; and wherein the step of exerting the first motion comprises the step exerting the first motion on each of the recoil mechanisms. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein:
 a. the step of assembling multiple recoil mechanisms comprises the step of providing a rope wheel for each recoil mechanism;   b. the step of exerting the first motion comprises the step of exerting the first motion on each rope wheel and thereby rotating the output shaft in the first rotational direction; and   c. the step of exerting the second motion comprises the steps of rotating the rope wheels in the second rotational direction, and enabling the output shaft to be stationary.   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10  comprising the further steps of:
 a. providing a handle on the output shaft;   b. grasping the handle by multiple persons; and   c. exerting the first motion on each of the multiple recoil mechanisms by the respective multiple persons.