Process and apparatus for the installation of jack piles

Claim 2

Apparatus for installing a jack pile casing downwardly into the earth under a footing partially exposed by tunneling, said apparatus comprising: a vertical frame for placement on the bottom of said tunneling underneath said exposed footing; a jack resting on said frame at one end and expansible to transmit the downward loading from said exposed footing through said frame between said exposed portion of said footing at the top and said tunneling at the bottom; a press table attached to said frame for vertical up and down movement, said press table defining a surface for contacting the upwardly exposed portion of said jack pile casing upon downward movement of said table; means for jacking attached between said frame and said table for urging said table vertically downward with said jack pile casing into the ground whereby downward loading from said footing to said frame at least partially shifts from said frame at said tunneling to said jack pile casing to crowd said casing into the earth while maintaining substantially constant upward loading at said footing.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 and wherein said frame is fabricated in a plurality discrete and overlying segments of corresponding horizontal cross section and said press table includes a complementary horizontal cross section to permit vertical movement of said press table over and between said discrete frame sections.

Claim 4

A process of installing a jack pile casing comprising: tunneling underneath an existing footing to expose a part but not all of said footing; providing and placing a frame having a vertical diMension slightly less than the vertical distance between said exposed footing at the top and said tunneling at the bottom; providing and expanding an expansible jack member to brace said frame between said exposed footing at the top and said tunneling at the bottom to support at least a portion of the downward load of said footing through said frame from the bottom of said tunneling; jacking said jack pile casing downwardly into the ground from a point on said frame whereby at least a portion of the load from said footing is shifted from said frame on the bottom of said tunneling to said casing being jacked.

Claim 5

A process of installing a jack pile casing comprising: tunneling underneath an existing footing to expose a part but not all of said footing; providing and placing a frame having a vertical diMension slightly less than the vertical distance between said exposed footing at the top and said tunneling at the bottom; providing and expanding an expansible jack member to brace said frame between said exposed footing at the top and said tunneling at the bottom to support at least a portion of the downward load of said footing through said frame from the bottom of said tunneling; jacking said jack pile casing downwardly into the ground from a point on said frame whereby at least a portion of the load from said footing is shifted from said frame on the bottom of said tunneling to said casing being jacked.

Claim 6

Apparatus for installing jack pile casings underneath a portion of a foundation exposed by a tunneling comprising: a frame extending substantially between the bottom of said tunneling on one hand and the exposed portion of said foundation on the other hand; a horizontal press table attached to said frame; means for moving said press table vertically on said frame and maintaining said press table horizontal during said vertical movement; means for jacking said press table downwardly from a point of said frame; said press table configured at the lower surface for abutting the upper portion of a jack pile casing and crowding said casing into the ground; said press table further defining an aperture for permitting earth interior of said casing to be removed through said press table to the exterior of said casing; a continuous flight auger dependingly supported from a point on said frame through said aperture interior of said casing; and, means for rotating said auger attached to said auger and frame for removing earth from said jack pile casing segment as it is crowded into the ground.

Claim 7

Apparatus for installing jack pile casings underneath a portion of a foundation exposed by a tunneling comprising: a frame extending substantially between the bottom of said tunneling on one hand and the exposed portion of said foundation on the other hand; a horizontal press table attached to said frame; means for moving said press table vertically on said frame and maintaining said press table horizontal during said vertical movement; means for jacking said press table downwardly from a point of said frame; said press table configured at the lower surface for abutting the upper portion of a jack pile casing and crowding said casing into the ground; said press table further defining an aperture for permitting earth interior of said casing to be removed through said press table to the exterior of said casing; a continuous flight auger dependingly supported from a point on said frame through said aperture interior of said casing; and, means for rotating said auger attached to said auger and frame for removing earth from said jack pile casing segment as it is crowded into the ground.

Claim 8

The process of claim 3 and including the step of excavating the interior of said jack pile casing simultaneously with said jacking step by excavating with a first continuous auger flight when said first segment of said jack pile casing is jacked into the ground; disconnecting said first continuous auger flight, placing a second continuous auger flight section within said second jack pile casing segment; connecting said second continuous auger flight section to said first continuous auger flight section and simultaneously with said jacking of said first and second jack pile casings into the ground utilizing said first and second auger flights to excavate said interior of said jack pile casings.