Soil sampler

Abstract

A novel soil sampling device preferably mounted on a truck is provided herein. It includes five interrelated elements. The first is an upper hydraulic cylinder provided with a casing and rod movable from the casing, the casing thereof being anchored. The second element is a rotary motor fixedly mounted at the end of the rod of the hydraulic cylinder and adapted for vertical movement relative to the anchored casing of the hydraulic cylinder together with the rod of the hydraulic cylinder. The third element is an auger secured to, and rotably driven by, the motor, the motor and the auger being cooperatively vertically movable by the rod between an inoperative position, in which the auger is out of contact with the soil, and an operative position, in which the auger passes through, and a predetermined distance into, the soil. The fourth element is a lower soil sample box, positioned below the rotary motor, and mounted to the rod of the hydraulic cylinder at a location above the rotary motor, for vertical movement with respect to the anchored casing of the hydraulic cylinder. The soil sample box includes a pair of vertically aligned apertures therethrough for the passage of the auger therethrough. The soil sample box is also vertically movable between an inoperative position out of contact with the soil and an operative position resting atop the soil. Finally, guides are provided to guide the rotary motor and the auger for the above specified vertical movement. This provides an automatic truck-mounted soil sampling unit which easily and simply takes soil samples.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.