US Patent 7631705 Enhanced screen auger sampling system

A removable plug and collar for a hollow stem screened auger and a method of collecting water samples using the plug and collar. The plug has an outer threaded surface that is threaded in a first direction. The top of the plug has an internal threaded cavity that is threaded in a second direction opposite that of the first direction. The collar is pressure fit within the top of the screened auger, held in place with an auger bolt, and has an internal threaded surface to receive the plug. The plug has multiple ports to receive air and sample tubes, enabling samples to be collected without removing the plug from the screened auger. To set a well after sampling, the plug is removed from the collar down hole as a drill rod is threaded into the plug's internal threaded cavity in a direction the same as the second direction.