Jamming resistant auger for cooker

An apparatus for delivering and burning combustible material, comprising:

• a hopper to store combustible material;
• a burn box having an inner volume defined by a sidewall and a bottom wall capable of burning combustible material;
• an auger tube having an inlet end in communication with the hopper and an outlet end in communication with the burn box, the auger tube suitable for transporting combustible material from the hopper to the burn box;
• a motor configured to drive the auger, the motor having a drive shaft with an axis of rotation;
• an auger positioned within the auger tube, the auger being rotatable about a longitudinal axis to facilitate movement of the combustible material through the auger tube, wherein the auger is pivotably connected within the auger tube and configured to provide axial flexibility to facilitate adjustment of the auger's orientation within the auger tube in response to irregularly sized or shaped combustible material;
• and
• a cover flap pivotally mounted at the outlet end of the auger tube to cover the outlet end to allow combustible material to exit the outlet end when the auger is rotating with combustible material in the auger tube, further comprising a loop extending through at least two openings in the cover flap, the loop being attached to the auger tube or the burn box, wherein the cover flap is constrained to pivot around the loop in a path that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the auger tube.

A system for delivering and burning combustible material in a cooking appliance, comprising:

• a hopper to store combustible material;
• an auger tube having an inlet end in communication with the hopper and an outlet end, the auger tube facilitating transport of combustible material from the hopper to the outlet end;
• an auger positioned within the auger tube, the auger being rotatable about a longitudinal axis to move the combustible material through the auger tube;
• a burn box having an inner volume defined by a sidewall and a bottom wall, the burn box receives and burns combustible material delivered from the auger tube;
• a motor with a drive shaft having an axis of rotation;
• a pivotable coupling connecting the auger to the drive shaft of the motor, the pivotable coupling enabling the auger to pivot relative to the drive shaft about an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the drive shaft and configured to provide axial flexibility, wherein the auger can pivot within the auger tube in response to irregularly sized or shaped combustible material;
• and
• a cover flap pivotally mounted at an outlet end of the auger tube to cover the outlet end to allow combustible material to exit the outlet end when the auger is rotating with combustible material in the auger tube, further comprising a loop extending through at least two openings in the cover flap, the loop being attached to the auger tube or the burn box, wherein the cover flap is constrained to pivot around the loop in a path that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the auger tube.

A device for delivering and burning combustible material, comprising:

• a hopper;
• a burn box to receive and burn the combustible material;
• an auger tube through which the combustible material is moved from the hopper to the burn box;
• a motor;
• and
• an auger pivotably connected within the auger tube and configured to provide axial flexibility to facilitate adjustment of the auger's orientation within the auger tube in response to irregularly sized or shaped combustible material, wherein the auger is pivotably connected within the auger tube via a spring wound in the same direction as the rotation of the auger, concentrically connected between the auger and the motor.

An apparatus for delivering and burning combustible material, comprising:

• a hopper to store combustible material;
• a burn box having an inner volume defined by a sidewall and a bottom wall capable of burning combustible material;
• an auger tube having an inlet end in communication with the hopper and an outlet end in communication with the burn box, the auger tube suitable for transporting combustible material from the hopper to the burn box;
• a motor configured to drive the auger, the motor having a drive shaft with an axis of rotation;
• and
• an auger positioned within the auger tube, the auger being rotatable about a longitudinal axis to facilitate movement of the combustible material through the auger tube, wherein the auger is pivotably connected within the auger tube via a spring wound in the same direction as the rotation of the auger, concentrically connected between the auger and the motor, and configured to provide axial flexibility to facilitate adjustment of the auger's orientation within the auger tube in response to irregularly sized or shaped combustible material.

A system for delivering and burning combustible material in a cooking appliance, comprising:

• a hopper to store combustible material;
• an auger tube having an inlet end in communication with the hopper and an outlet end, the auger tube facilitating transport of combustible material from the hopper to the outlet end;
• an auger positioned within the auger tube, the auger being rotatable about a longitudinal axis to move the combustible material through the auger tube;
• a burn box having an inner volume defined by a sidewall and a bottom wall, the burn box receives and burns combustible material delivered from the auger tube;
• a motor with a drive shaft having an axis of rotation;
• and
• a spring wound in the same direction as the rotation of the auger, concentrically connected between the auger and the drive shaft of the motor, the spring configured to enable the auger to pivot relative to the drive shaft about an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the drive shaft and to provide axial flexibility, wherein the auger can pivot within the auger tube in response to irregularly sized or shaped combustible material.

A device for delivering and burning combustible material, comprising:

• a hopper;
• a burn box to receive and burn the combustible material;
• an auger tube through which the combustible material is moved from the hopper to the burn box;
• a motor;
• an auger pivotably connected within the auger tube to facilitate adjustment of the auger's orientation within the auger tube in response to irregularly sized or shaped combustible material;
• and
• a cover flap pivotally mounted at an outlet end of the auger tube to cover the outlet end to allow combustible material to exit the outlet end when the auger is rotating with combustible material in the auger tube, further comprising a loop extending through at least two openings in the cover flap, the loop being attached to the auger tube or the burn box, wherein the cover flap is constrained to pivot around the loop in a path that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the auger tube.

A device for delivering and burning combustible material, comprising:

• a hopper;
• a burn box to receive and burn the combustible material;
• an auger tube through which the combustible material is moved from the hopper to the burn box;
• a motor;
• and
• an auger pivotably connected within the auger tube to facilitate adjustment of the auger's orientation within the auger tube in response to irregularly sized or shaped combustible material, wherein the auger is pivotably connected within the auger tube via a spring wound in the same direction as the rotation of the auger, concentrically connected between the auger and the motor.