Coupler for coupling a pile member to a pile driver

Claim 1

A DRIVING DEVICE FOR DRIVING AND LIFTING RESPECTIVELY A PILE MEMBER, SAID DRIVING DEVICE COMPRISING AN OSCILLATORY DRIVING MEANS FOR APPLYING A LONGITUDINALLY DIRECTED FORCE TO SAID PILE MEMBER, AND A RELEASABLE COUPLING DEVICE INCLUDING A SUPPORT MEANS MOVABLE INTO AND OUT OF PRESSURE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE DRIVING MEANS FOR TRANSMISSION OF THE OSCILLATIONS THEREOF TO THE SUPPORT MEANS, A PAIR OF COACTING CLAMPING JAWS MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT MEANS AND DISPLACEABLE RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER AND TO THE SUPPORT MEANS BETWEEN A CLAMPING POSITION CLAMPING SAID PILE MEMBER AND A RELEASE POSITION RELEASING SAID PILE MEMBER, SPRING MEANS BIASING THE CLAMPING JAWS TOWARD THE RELEASE POSITION, AND AN ACTUATING MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID JAWS AND SAID SUPPORT MEANS MOVABLE IN REFERENCE TO THE JAWS AND THE SUPPORT MEANS AND BEING OPERABLE FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY MOVING SAID JAWS INTO AND OUT OF CLAMPING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PILE MEMBER, INTO AND OUT OF PRESSURE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SUPPORT MEANS AND SAID SUPPORT MEANS INTO AND OUT OF PRESSURE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID DRIVING MEANS.