A boring machine, which I’ve also heard called a barn drill or a beam drill, was used for creating mortises and other activities in timber frame construction. The replaced the older t-handle augers. They were operated by placing them on the beam and sitting on top of the wooden base. A lever released the bit to contact the wood and the two handles were turned. The screw tip of the auger pulled the bit through the wood. There was often another lever that could engage a rack and pinion to raise the bit out of the hole. They fell out of favor as construction methods evolved to using smaller timbers and electric drills became more common. The Miller Falls boring machine is considered one of the nicest and they can easily sell for over $1,000. Here’s a video of a boring machine in use.