Bender board retainer appartatus
View Patent ↗An auger assembly suitable for positioning and securing a bender board to a ground surface includes a gripping device adapted to be removably engage with the bender board and retain the bender board. The auger assembly also includes an auger adapted to be inserted inside the ground surface. The auger is removably engaged with the gripping device and is arranged to rotate relative to the gripping device. The gripping device is arranged to be displaced in a vertical direction in response to the rotation of the auger relative to the gripping device.
1 . An auger assembly for positioning and securing a bender board to a ground surface, the auger assembly comprising:
a gripping device adapted to be removably engaged with the bender board and retain the bender board; the gripping device having a hook structure configured to receive and retain the bender board, and a retention structure attached to the hook structure, the retention structure having a stopper defining a slot;
an auger having an elongated body extending from a first end of the auger to a second end of the auger and a blade attached to the elongated body and spirally extending from the first end towards the second end to enable the insertion of the auger into the ground surface in response to the rotation of the auger;
an engagement structure attached to the elongated body and arranged between the blade and the second end of the auger, the engagement structure configured to extend through the slot and engage with the stopper such that the engagement structure displaces the gripping device in the vertical direction in response to the rotation of the auger relative to the gripping device, the engagement structure further having a pair of flanges vertically spaced apart from each other with the stopper positioned between the pair of flanges, wherein the pair of flanges engage with the stopper to displace the gripping device in the vertical direction in response to the rotation of the auger relative to the retention structure, the auger being engaged with the gripping device to rotate relative to the gripping device.
2 . The auger assembly of claim 1 , wherein a distance between the pair of flanges is selected to be greater than a thickness of the stopper to allow a tilting of the auger during insertion of the auger inside a ground surface.
3 . The auger assembly of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of a portion of the elongated body associated with the engagement structure is smaller than a diameter of the slot to enable the rotation of the auger relative to the retention structure.
4 . The auger assembly of claim 1 , wherein the retention structure includes a pair of first nubs extending inside the slot from the stopper to retain the auger inside the slot.
5 . The auger assembly of claim 1 , wherein the retention structure defines a straight groove intersecting the slot to facilitate an insertion of the auger inside the slot.
6 . The auger assembly of claim 5 , wherein the retention structure includes a pair of second nubs extending inside the straight groove to prevent any undesired removal of the auger from the retention structure through the straight groove.