Vertical Axis Stump Auger with Spiral Cone and Segmented Blades
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional stump removal tools, such as stump grinders, are labor-intensive, hazardous, and inefficient, with slow removal rates and high maintenance costs, due to their reliance on horizontal axis rotation and grinding wheels that release chips in all directions.
Innovation Solution
A stump auger that rotates about a vertical axis, featuring a main shaft with a cone and spiral thread, equipped with third blades and fourth blades for shaving, grinding, and chipping stumps, designed to efficiently penetrate and remove tree stumps with improved safety and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a horizontal axis rotating grinding wheel is used, then the stump can be ground away, but the process is labor-intensive and hazardous with chips discharged in all directions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional horizontal axis rotation to vertical axis rotation. This fundamental reversal changes the chip discharge pattern from omnidirectional to controlled downward ejection through the auger flutes, eliminating the hazard of chips being discharged in all directions while maintaining effective stump removal capability
Solution Approach 2:
The auger flutes act as an intermediary mechanism that captures and channels wood chips. Instead of chips being discharged freely in all directions, the flutes serve as conduits that collect and redirect chips in a controlled manner, resolving the hazard while preserving the grinding function
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a vertical axis rotating stump grinder is used, then chip discharge is controlled, but the removal rate is slow and efficiency is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the penetrating function of an auger with the grinding function of cutting blades. The spiral thread penetrates and advances the device into the stump while the cutting blades simultaneously remove wood material, creating a combined action that achieves both controlled chip discharge and high removal rate
Solution Approach 2:
The spiral thread performs preliminary penetration and advance into the stump before the cutting blades engage. This preliminary action creates a path and positioning that enables the subsequent grinding action to be more efficient and faster, thereby increasing overall productivity
3Productivity
If conventional grinding wheels are used, then stumps can be removed, but maintenance costs are very high
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting function is segmented into multiple individual cutting blades rather than a single grinding wheel. This segmentation allows individual blades to be replaced independently when worn, reducing maintenance costs and complexity compared to replacing an entire grinding wheel assembly
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting blades are designed as replaceable, relatively inexpensive components that can be quickly swapped out when worn. This approach replaces expensive, complex grinding wheels with simpler, cheaper blades that have shorter service lives but lower replacement costs
4Strength
If horizontal axis rotation is used, then grinding contact is achieved, but the operator faces kickback hazards and safety risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the rotation axis from horizontal to vertical, which fundamentally changes the force vector direction and operator positioning. This inversion eliminates the kickback hazard by directing forces vertically rather than horizontally toward the operator, while maintaining effective cutting contact through the vertical boring action
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The stump auger effectively removes tree stumps quickly and safely, reducing labor and maintenance costs by using a vertical axis rotation and specialized blade design that prevents chip clogging and enhances cutting performance.
Implementation Method 1
the cone including a spiral thread extending about the outer surface of the cone from the cone top to the cone bottom
Data Source
AI summary
The present concept is a stump auger used for cutting a tree stumps, the stump auger includes a main shaft with a top end for coupling to a drive mechanism for turning the shaft about a vertical axis, wherein the main shaft is connected at a bottom end to a cone top. The stump auger cone includes a spiral thread extending about the outer surface of the cone from the cone top to the cone bottom. The stump auger further includes at least two boring bars connected to the main shaft, each boring bar includes at least two third blades which include a blade edge on a front face for cutting the tree stump as the stump auger is rotated about the vertical axis. Each successive third blade lies along successive planes, each third blade higher along the vertical z-axis.