Telescopic auger

A bin sweep comprising a first auger section having a screw conveyor with a first core and a first helical flight secured therealong so as to be rotatable with the first core about a longitudinal axis of the first core, a second auger section with a second core and a second helical flight secured therealong so as to be rotatable with the second core about a longitudinal axis of the second core, means mounting the first auger section such that it can extend from a first feed end thereof within a bin to be emptied of a stored material to a second discharge end exteriorly of the bin for discharge of the material, means connecting the second auger section to the first end of the first auger section, said connecting means allowing rotation of the second auger section about a vertical axis defined on the first auger section such that the second auger section can rotate around the vertical axis through 360.degree. within the bin to collect the material from an area surrounding said first end, drive means for drivingly rotating said second auger section about said vertical axis, and means for supporting the first auger section for transportation of the first auger section with the second auger section coupled thereto and supported thereby in cantilever manner from a bin to a second bin, said supporting means being arranged at said second discharge end of the first auger section such that the supporting means can be arranged exteriorly of the bin to insert the first auger section, said connecting means and said second auger section into a position adjacent a centre of the bin.

A bin sweep comprising a first auger section having a screw conveyor with a first core and a first helical flight secured therealong so as to be rotatable with the first core about a longitudinal axis of the first core, a second auger section with a second core and a second helical flight secured therealong so as to be rotatable with the second core about a longitudinal axis of the second core, means mounting the first auger section such that it can extend from a first feed end thereof within a bin to be emptied of a stored material to a second discharge end exteriorly of the bin for discharge of the material, means coupling the second auger section to the first end of the first auger section, said coupling means allowing rotation of the second auger section about a vertical axis defined on the first auger section such that the second auger section can rotate around the vertical axis through 360.degree. within the bin to collect the material from an area surrounding said first end, drive means for drivingly rotating said second auger section about said vertical axis, wherein said drive means comprises a drive element mounted on said second core at an end thereof remote from said vertical axis and drivingly rotatable by said second core about a longitudinal axis of the core, the drive element having a peripheral surface surrounding the axis of the second core, and drive communication means driven by said peripheral surface of said drive element and arranged to communicate rotation of said peripheral surface of the drive element to a floor of the bin for movement of the second auger section around said vertical axis, said peripheral surface having a diameter less than that of a peripheral edge of the second helical flight and said drive communication means being arranged such that the speed of the movement of the second auger around said vertical axis is less than the angular velocity of the peripheral edge of the second helical flight around said axis of the second core.

An auger for transportation of particulate material comprising a first shroud member, a first auger section having a first screw conveyor mounted within the first shroud member with a first core and a first helical flight secured therealong so as to be rotatable with the first core about a longitudinal axis of the first shroud member, a second auger section having a second shroud member, a second screw conveyor mounted within the second shroud member with a second core mounted coaxially with the first core, one of the first and second cores being arranged as a tube such that the other of the first and second cores can slide longitudinally inside the tube, with an outer end of said other of the first and second projecting outwardly from an end of the tube, a second helical flight along the second core and having substantially the same pitch as the first helical flight, the helical flight secured to said other of the first and second cores being secured only at an outer end of the said other of the first and second cores and being otherwise unconnected thereto, the second flight being in threaded engagement with the first flight, said first core being free to rotate relative to the second core, said second shroud member being free to move longitudinally of the first shroud member to increase and decrease a combined effective length of the first and second shroud members, drive means connected to said first core so as to rotatably drive said first screw conveyor about the axis of the first core, drive connecting means for communicating rotation from said first screw conveyor to said second screw conveyor being provided solely by contact between said first and second helical flights, and actuable means arranged to temporarily inhibit rotation of the second screw conveyor relative to the first screw conveyor so as to cause screwing action of the second helical flight relative to the first helical flight to change the effective combined length of the first and second auger sections.