Braking device for an auger

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for braking an auger to limit rotation of the auger bit and/or auger blade relative to a power head. An auger with a braking device includes a drive shaft, one or more boring blades, a spiral auger blade, a power head, a transmission assembly, and a braking device. The transmission assembly couple to the proximal end of the drive shaft and to the power head. The transmission assembly may include a clutch to provide releasable engagement to mechanically couple the power head and the drive shaft to transfer force of the power head to rotate the drive shaft. The braking device has an activated configuration and a deactivated configuration. The braking device in the activated configuration is configured to engage a component of the transmission assembly, such as a clutch drum of the clutch, to restrict rotation of the drive shaft relative to the power head. The braking device can include an elongate band configured in a loop around the clutch drum of the transmission assembly. The band is configured to engage the clutch drum when a diameter of the elongate band loop is reduced. An activation assembly is coupled to the elongate band and can be manipulated to adjust the diameter of the elongate band loop.

1 . A powered auger for drilling a hole, comprising:
 a drive shaft having an elongate cylindrical shape and configured to rotate around a drive axis in line with a longitudinal axis of the drive shaft, the drive shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;   one or more boring blades disposed at the distal end of the drive shaft and configured to penetrate a surface in which the hole is desired as a force is applied down the drive shaft, the drive shaft coupled to the one or more boring blades and configured to rotate the one or more boring blades around the drive axis in a boring direction to cause the blades to bore into the surface;   a spiral auger blade spiraling and extending a length from the one or more boring blades at the distal end of the drive shaft toward the proximal end of the drive shaft, the spiral auger blade configured to raise debris created by the one or more boring blades out of the hole as the spiral auger blade is rotated in the boring direction, the drive shaft coupled to the spiral auger blade and configured to rotate the spiral auger blade around the drive axis in the boring direction;   a power head configured to generate a force to rotate the drive shaft on the drive axis in the boring direction;   a transmission assembly coupled to the proximal end of the drive shaft and coupled to the power head to provide releasable engagement to mechanically couple the power head and the drive shaft to transfer rotational force of the power head to rotate the drive shaft on the drive axis in the boring direction; and   a braking device having an activated configuration and a deactivated configuration, the braking device in the activated configuration configured to engage a component of the transmission assembly to restrict rotation of the drive shaft relative to the power head.   
     
     
         2 . An auger of  claim 1 , wherein the transmission assembly includes a spring clutch comprising:
 a clutch drum coupled to the drive shaft; and   a rotating disk that releasably engages the clutch drum when the rotations per minute (RPMs) of the rotating disk exceed a threshold and disengages the clutch drum when the RPMs of the rotating disk are below the threshold,   wherein the clutch drum is the component of the transmission assembly engaged by the braking device.   
     
     
         3 . An auger of  claim 1 , wherein the braking device comprises:
 an elongate band configured in a loop around the component of the transmission assembly and configured to engage the component of the transmission assembly when a diameter of the elongate band loop is reduced;   an activation assembly configured to be manipulated to adjust the diameter of the elongate band loop.   
     
     
         4 . An auger of  claim 3 , wherein the elongate band includes:
 a fixed end secured relative to a housing of the transmission assembly; and   a free end configured to couple to the activation assembly and to be displaced by the activation assembly to thereby adjust the diameter of the elongate band loop.   
     
     
         5 . An auger of  claim 3 , wherein the activation assembly of the braking device comprises:
 an actuator to be manipulated by a user to activate and deactivate the braking device, wherein activation includes reducing the diameter of the elongate band loop and deactivation includes increasing the diameter of the elongate band loop;   an elongate shaft to couple the actuator to the elongate band, wherein manipulation of the actuator results in linear displacement of the elongate shaft, and wherein linear displacement of the elongate shaft results in adjustment of the diameter of the elongate band;   a mount to support the actuator and the elongate shaft and to secure the braking device relative to the power head.   
     
     
         6 . An auger of  claim 5 , wherein the actuator is threaded and the elongate shaft includes threads to mate with threads of the actuator, and wherein the actuator is manipulated by rotating the actuator on a longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft. 
     
     
         7 . An auger of  claim 5 , wherein the actuator further comprises a biasing element configured to bias the actuator and the shaft apart, such that the braking device is biased toward a deactivated configuration in which the elongate band is disengaged from the component of the transmission assembly. 
     
     
         8 . An auger of  claim 5 , wherein manipulation of the actuator is accomplished by displacing the actuator linearly along a longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft. 
     
     
         9 . An auger of  claim 1 , wherein the power head comprises a fuel-powered engine. 
     
     
         10 . An auger of  claim 1 , wherein the power head comprises an electric motor. 
     
     
         11 . A powered auger for drilling a hole, comprising:
 a drive shaft configured to rotate on a drive axis in line with a longitudinal axis of the drive shaft;   an auger bit coupled to the drive shaft and configured to be rotated by the drive shaft on the drive axis, the auger bit comprising:
 a bit shank having an elongate shape having a proximal end and distal end, the proximal end configured to releasably couple to the drive shaft; 
 one or more boring blades disposed at the distal end of the bit shank and configured to penetrate a surface in which the hole is desired as a force is applied down the drive shaft and down the bit shank, the bit shank coupled to the one or more boring blades and configured to rotate the one or more boring blades around the drive axis in a boring direction to cause the blades to bore into the surface; and 
 a spiral auger blade spiraling and extending a length from the one or more boring blades at the distal end of the bit shank toward the proximal end of the bit shank, the spiral auger blade configured to raise debris created by the boring blades out of the hole as the spiral auger blade is rotated in the boring direction, the bit shank coupled to the spiral auger blade and configured to rotate the spiral auger blade around the drive axis in the boring direction; 
   a power head configured to generate a rotational force to rotate the drive shaft on the drive axis in the boring direction, and thereby rotate the auger bit;   a transmission assembly mechanically coupled to the power head and the drive shaft, the transmission assembly configured to transfer rotational force of the power head to rotate the drive shaft and the auger bit on the drive axis in the boring direction; and   a braking device having an activated configuration and an deactivated configuration, wherein the braking device in the activated configuration engages a component of the transmission assembly to restrict rotation of the drive shaft relative to the power head, such that manual rotation of the power head on the drive axis in a direction opposite the boring direction unscrews the auger bit from the hole and from debris in the hole in which the auger bit may be buried.   
     
     
         12 . An auger of  claim 11 , wherein the transmission assembly includes a spring clutch comprising:
 a clutch drum coupled to the drive shaft; and   a rotating disk that releasably engages the clutch drum when the rotations per minute (RPMs) of the rotating disk exceed a threshold and disengages the clutch drum when the RPMs of the rotating disk are below the threshold,   wherein the clutch drum is the component of the transmission assembly engaged by the braking device.   
     
     
         13 . An auger of  claim 12 , wherein the braking device comprises:
 an elongate band configured in a loop around the component of the transmission assembly and configured to engage the component of the transmission assembly when a diameter of the elongate band loop is reduced;   an activation assembly configured to be manipulated to adjust the diameter of the elongate band loop.   
     
     
         14 . An auger of  claim 13 , wherein the elongate band includes:
 a fixed end secured relative to a housing of the transmission assembly; and   a free end configured to couple to the activation assembly and to be displaced by the activation assembly to thereby adjust the diameter of the elongate band loop.   
     
     
         15 . An auger of  claim 13 , wherein the activation assembly of the braking device comprises:
 an actuator to be manipulated by a user to activate and deactivate the braking device, wherein activation includes reducing the diameter of the elongate band loop and deactivation includes increasing the diameter of the elongate band loop;   an elongate shaft to couple the actuator to the elongate band, wherein manipulation of the actuator results in linear displacement of the elongate shaft, and wherein linear displacement of the elongate shaft results in adjustment of the diameter of the elongate band;   a mount to support the actuator and the elongate shaft and to secure the braking device relative to the power head.   
     
     
         16 . An auger of  claim 15 , wherein the actuator is threaded and the elongate shaft includes threads to mate with threads of the actuator, and wherein the actuator is manipulated by rotating the actuator on a longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft. 
     
     
         17 . An auger of  claim 15 , wherein the actuator further comprises a biasing element configured to bias the actuator and the shaft apart, such that the braking device is biased toward a deactivated configuration in which the elongate band is disengaged from the component of the transmission assembly. 
     
     
         18 . An auger of  claim 15 , wherein the actuator is manipulated by displacing the actuator linearly along a longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft to linearly displace the a free end of the elongate band relative to a fixed end of the elongate band to reduce the diameter of the elongate band loop. 
     
     
         19 . An auger of  claim 11 , wherein the power head comprises a fuel-powered engine. 
     
     
         20 . An auger of  claim 11 , wherein the power head comprises an electric motor.