Patent Application
20120011906
This application relates to auger and more particularly for an auger including a cam lock.
Augers are used for plumbing drains and the like. The augur may have a drum for holding a coiled snake, which usually is a cable or a flat wire. The snake has a snare at its leading end to grab clogs in the drain so that the clogs may be pulled out of the drain when the snake is withdrawn therefrom.
In operation, the snake is pulled out of the drum and pushed into the drain typically through and around curved or angled corners (like a trap) of a pipe until it reaches a clog. Upon reaching the clog, the snake must be anchored so that rotation of the auger also rotates the snake. As the snake rotates, it burrows its snare into the clog to hold onto it. The snake is then unsecured from the auger and is loaded back into the drum thereby pulling the clog and the snake out of the drain. The clog is then removed from the snare.
Typically the snake is anchored for rotation by means of a thumb screw. Thumb screws may be difficult to tighten and may damage the snake.
According to an embodiment, a lock for an augur through which a cable passes has a body having a bore passing therethrough and a lever. The lever has a lever body mounted for rotation in the bore, the lever body having a portion for engaging the cable, and an arm attaching to the lever body for rotating the body and the flat portion into and out of engagement with the cable. The lock also has a contact point disposed in the bore for cooperating with the lever portion to trap the cable therebetween, and a support for guiding the cable therethrough. The support has a portion extending into the bore of the body, the portion having a first slot therein, the lever extending through the slot to contact the cable.
According to a further embodiment, a lock for a drum augur through which a cable passes has a body having a bore passing therethrough, and a lever. The lever has a lever body mounted for rotation in the bore, the lever body having a flat portion for engaging the cable, and an arm attaching to the lever body for rotating the body and the flat portion thereof into and out of engagement with the cable. The lock also has a contact point disposed in the bore for cooperating with the lever flat portion to trap the cable therebetween, and a support for guiding the cable therethrough.
These and other features of the present invention can be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description.
Referring to
Referring to
The interior portion 60 is shaped to closely fit (e.g., slightly less than interference fit so the parts may be assembled) within the exterior portion 55. The interior portion 60 has a circular body having a diameter D and a second interior portion 72 having a diameter D′ that is smaller than the diameter D. A curved transition section 75 joins the interior portion 60 and the second interior portion 72. A plurality of curved fingers 80, having spaces 85 therebetween, extends axially towards the drum 35 from the second interior portion 72. The curved fingers 80 create an opening 90 that is slightly larger than a diameter D″ of a cable 95. The interior portion 60 has two longitudinal grooves 100, 105 in the second interior portion 72 thereof for cooperating with the cam lock 15 as will be discussed herein. The curved fingers 80 cooperate with a retaining ring 82 that cannot fit through the fingers and is attached to the cable to retain the cable from being completely pulled out of the drum 35 and inadvertently be sent down the drain (not shown).
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
The arm 225 and the pins 175, 180 are oriented to extend through the first and second bosses 160, 165 and fit within the longitudinal groove 100 in the interior portion 60 and the third pin 185 passes through eccentrically placed hole 222. The nozzle 50 is an annulus having a rounded outer surface 240 and a flat inner portion 245.
To construct the drum augur 10, the interior portion 60 is inserted into the exterior portion 55, the contoured inner edge 130 of the guard 45 cooperates with the curved transition section 75 of the interior portion 60 and circular flange 135 is received in the shelf 65 of the exterior portion 55. The parts may be glued together or sonically welded or the like. The body 140 is oriented on the interior portion 60 such that the pins 175, 180, 185 may be inserted through the bosses 160, 165. 180 to locate the pins 175, 180, 185 and the lever 150 in the longitudinal grooves of the interior portion 60 of the support. The flat inner portion 245 is attached to the body 140 to guide the cable 95 into and out of the support 30.
In operation, the cable 95 is fed through the support 30, the cam lock 15 and the nozzle 50. Once a snag (not shown) or a trap or a bend in the pipe (not shown) is reached, the arm 225 is rotated into the closed position (see
Once the snag is engaged, the arm is rotated in the counter clockwise direction to free the cable 95 (see the position of the lever in
Because the cam lock 15 uses the principles of levers, the drum auger 10 or similar device, is relatively simple to use compared to a screw (not shown) and more particularly for those who have difficulty manipulating a screw or tightening a screw (not shown) in a significant manner. Because the first rounded portion 215 and the second rounded portion 220 of the rectangular body 190 are rounded, the probability that sharp edges, like the edges of a screw (not shown), would dig into and damage a cable 95 is minimized. The pins 175, 180 offer greater clamping force over a greater cable tolerance range over a cam lock that does not have this feature.
Although a combination of features is shown in the illustrated examples, not all of them need to be combined to realize the benefits of various embodiments of this disclosure. In other words, a system designed according to an embodiment of this disclosure will not necessarily include all of the features shown in any one of the Figures or all of the portions schematically shown in the Figures. Moreover, selected features of one example embodiment may be combined with selected features of other example embodiments.
The preceding description is exemplary rather than limiting in nature. Variations and modifications to the disclosed examples may become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not necessarily depart from the essence of this disclosure. The scope of legal protection given to this disclosure can only be determined by studying the following claims.
