Flexible bladed auger

Abstract

An auger for moving granular material and slurries of granular materials comprising: a shaft; a rigid inner blade portion fastened to and spiraling around the shaft; and a flexible substantially larger outer blade portion carried by the inner blade portion. In the preferred embodiment the flexible blade portion comprises belting cut into the shape of a split doughnut shaped disc. The split doughnut shaped disc has a larger inside diameter than the diameter of the shaft so that when it is rolled around the shaft and fastened to the rigid inner blade portion it extends more than one revolution therearound. The problem faced in the movement of granular materials is that rocks, stones or other non-uniformly large pieces of material predictably are present in the material being handled. These larger pieces sink to the bottom of the auger and jam between it and the bottom of a trough therebelow. These larger pieces either stop the auger until they are removed, or alternatively they are pulverised, damaging the auger. The dislosed auger having an outer flexible blade portion inexpensively and effectively solves this problem.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.