Earth auger with removable cutting tooth support structure

An adapter for use with an earth auger for holding a plurality of cutting teeth in advance of the leading edge of a flight on the auger, the cutting teeth being of the type having a shank portion with an enlarged body portion having cutting edges and integral with one end of the shank portion:

• a holder structure having means for removably securing said structure to a leading edge of the flight, and being dimensioned to extend substantially entirely across the leading edge of the flight,
• said holder structure having a plurality of spaced apart pockets extending through said structure for receiving shank portions of cutting teeth to pass through the pockets from one side of said structure to an opposite side of said structure,
• reinforcing webs on said holder structure having raised ends proximate to each of the cutting tooth receiving pockets for engagement with the body portion of the cutting teeth and extending to a position for contact with a leading edge of the flight to provide a back support for the body portion of each cutting tooth,
• one of said reinforcing webs having a portion for overlap with a bottom surface of the flight to guide said holder structure into position on the flight, and
• said holder structure being stepped in its lower surface at each pocket with each step having a height greater than the next step in direction toward the outer edge of said structure whereby upon movement of said structure with an auger a series of concentric holes will be formed with the innermost hole being the deepest and the outermost hole being the most shallow.