Patent US3788402A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3788402A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Automatically self-regulating variable-stroke, variable-rate and quiet-operating pile driver apparatus
Assignee: Dow Chemical Co
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Filing: 1972-08-14
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Granted: 1974-01-29
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Expires: 1992-08-14
Abstract
Abstract Automatically self-regulating variable-stroke, variable-rate and quiet-operating pile driver apparatus are disclosed in which a massive piston weight is bounced upon a cushion of pressure fluid, the pile driver advantageously being adapted for operation in four different modes: (1) only double-acting, (2) singleacting automatically converting to double-acting at maximum stroke travel, (3) only single-acting, (4) pre-stressing plus impacting plus thrusting mode, and (5) pile extraction mode. The prolonged downward push resulting from the pressurized fluidcushioned bouncing action is more effective than the conventional sharp hammer-type blow resulting from impact of one solid mass against another. When the pile being driven encounters softer strata in the earth, in the single-acting mode, the stroke of the piston weight automatically shortens while the number of bounces per minute automatically increase thus increasing the rate of the quiet powerful bounce thrusts for driving the pile faster, and when harder strata are encountered, the piston weight automatically bounces higher providing a longer stroke with fewer bounces per minute, thus increasing the force of each quiet powerful thrust for overcoming the increased impedance being encountered. In the double-acting mode, when harder strata are encountered, the velocity and stroke length of the piston weight increase automatically to deliver more powerful thrusts. A relatively large number of driving thrusts per minute can be provided in the double-acting mode by changing the head plug mass to shorten the maximum stroke length to increase the frequency of thrusts per minute. By virtue of the pressure fluid bouncing action imparted to the massive piston weight, the noise of metalto-metal contact blows can be avoided, and in addition a muffler housing surrounding the ports through which the expanded pressure fluid is released muffles the sound of the flow of the fluid, such as air or steam; this muffler also serving to separate lubricating oil from the released fluid. A cylinder bottom assembly below the bounce chamber is coupled to the pile being driven to transmit the quiet powerful bounce thrusts to the pile, moving in accordance with the pile motion, and a driving fluid storage chamber and valve mechanism associated with this assembly control the flow of the pressure fluid in an automatically selfregulating manner to seek the most effective driving action from moment-to-moment as the pile encounters different strata. If desired, the bouncing action of the cushion of pressure fluid can be altered to permit the piston weight to strike bottom slightly to provide the driving mode (4) above. A self-contained lubrication system may be actuated by the pressure impulses in the bounce chamber.
Inventors
- 👤 S Chelminski
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 07:01
CPC Classifications
E; E02; E02D; E02D13/00; E02D11/00; E02D13/04; E02D13/08; E02D7/00; E02D7/02; E02D7/06; E02D7/10; E02D7/12; E02D7/125
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
138 words
Pile driver apparatus for driving a pile into the earth comprising a cylinder wall defining a cylinder, a massive piston weight movable up and down within said cylinder, a bottom assembly associated with said cylinder wall and positioned below said piston weight adapted to be coupled in thrust transmitting relationship to the pile to be driven, said piston weight and cylinder bottom assembly defining a bounce chamber between them, compressible pressurized fluid storage chamber means adapted to communicate with said bounce chamber, a valve for blocking communication between said storage chamber and said bounce chamber, input means for feeding pressurized fluid into said storage chamber from a remote source of supply, and means for opening said valve for injecting pressurized fluid from said storage chamber into said bounce chaMber when the piston weight is descending withing the cylinder.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
138 words
Pile driver apparatus for driving a pile into the earth comprising a cylinder wall defining a cylinder, a massive piston weight movable up and down within said cylinder, a bottom assembly associated with said cylinder wall and positioned below said piston weight adapted to be coupled in thrust transmitting relationship to the pile to be driven, said piston weight and cylinder bottom assembly defining a bounce chamber between them, compressible pressurized fluid storage chamber means adapted to communicate with said bounce chamber, a valve for blocking communication between said storage chamber and said bounce chamber, input means for feeding pressurized fluid into said storage chamber from a remote source of supply, and means for opening said valve for injecting pressurized fluid from said storage chamber into said bounce chaMber when the piston weight is descending withing the cylinder.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
Pile driver apparatus for driving a pile into the earth, as claimed in claim 1, in which said cylinder bottom assembly includes said compressible pressurized fluid storage chamber means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
Pile driver apparatus for driving a pile into the earth, as claimed in claim 1, in which said means for opening said valve is actuated by the descending piston weight.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
71 words
Pile driver apparatus for driving a pile into the earth, as claimed in claim 1, including trapping means for trapping pressurized fluid in the bounce chamber beneath the descending piston weight for producing pressurized fluid cushioned bouncing action of the piston weight providing a powerful downward thrust upon said cylinder bottom assembly upon each bounce of the piston weight to be transmitted to the pile for driving it into the earth.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
47 words
Pile driver apparatus for driving a pile into the earth, as claimed in claim 1, in which said cylinder bottom assembly includes a second piston movable up and down with respect to the cylinder wall and adapted to be coupled to the pile in thrust transmitting relationship.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
52 words
Pile driver apparatus for driving a pile into the earth as claimed in claim 1, in which said cylinder bottom assembly includes an annular flange at the lower end thereof, and a clamp ring for encircling said annular flange for coupling the cylinder bottom assembly to the pile in thrust transmitting relationship.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
42 words
Pile driver apparatus for driving a pile into the earth as claimed in claim 1, in which an outlet port is provided in the cylinder wall for releasing expanded pressurized fluid from the bounce chamber, and a muffler enclosing the outlet port.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
Pile driver apparatus for driving a pile into the earth as claimed in claim 7, in which said muffler includes means for separating lubricating oil from the pressurized fluid.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
49 words
Pile driver apparatus for driving a pile into the earth as claimed in claim 8, in which a lubricating oil reservoir is associated with said muffler, and a self-contained lubrication system associated with said oil reservoir, said lubrication system being actuated by the pressure changes in said bounce chamber.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
116 words
Pile driving apparatus comprising a piston weight of large mass adapted to reciprocate up and down within a cylinder, said cylinder having a second piston adapted to reciprocate up and down within the lower end of the cylinder and adapted to be coupled in thrust transmitting relationship to the pile being driven, said piston weight and second piston defining a bounce chamber between them, said second piston having a pressure fluid inlet passage, a pressure fluid storage chamber in said second piston supplied by said passage, and a valve adapted to be opened to release the pressure fluid from the storage chamber into the bounce chamber when the piston weight descends and approaches the second piston.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
116 words
Pile driving apparatus comprising a piston weight of large mass adapted to reciprocate up and down within a cylinder, said cylinder having a second piston adapted to reciprocate up and down within the lower end of the cylinder and adapted to be coupled in thrust transmitting relationship to the pile being driven, said piston weight and second piston defining a bounce chamber between them, said second piston having a pressure fluid inlet passage, a pressure fluid storage chamber in said second piston supplied by said passage, and a valve adapted to be opened to release the pressure fluid from the storage chamber into the bounce chamber when the piston weight descends and approaches the second piston.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
38 words
Pile driving apparatus as claimed in claim 10, in which trapping means are provided for trapping the pressure fluid in the bounce chamber after the pressure fluid has been released from the storage chamber into the bounce chamber.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
Pile driving apparatus as claimed in claim 11, in which said trapping means are included in the valve for blocking off communication between the bounce chamber and the storage chamber.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
35 words
Pile driving apparatus as claimed in claim 10, in which said valve includes an actuator extending upwardly adapted to be engaged by the descending piston weight for opening said valve to release the pressure fluid.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
67 words
Pile driving apparatus as claimed in claim 13, in which said second piston has a port surrounding said actuator for providing communication between the storage chamber and the bounce chamber when the valve is opened, and an enlarged head on said actuator adapted to be depressed into said port for blocking said port for trapping the pressure fluid in said bounce chamber beneath the descending piston weight.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
49 words
Pile driving aPparatus as claimed in claim 13, in which said valve includes a valve member which is depressed by said actuator, said storage chamber and valve member having interfitting parts providing a cushion of pressure fluid preventing the valve member from striking bottom when it has been depressed.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
175 words
Pile driver apparatus comprising a cylinder wall defining a cylinder, a massive piston weight movable up and down within said cylinder, a bottom assembly associated with said cylinder wall and positioned below said piston weight, said piston weight and cylinder bottom assembly defining a bounce chamber between them, said cylinder bottom assembly including means defining a storage chamber for storage of pressurized fluid, said storage chamber having a port communicating with said bounce chamber, said storage chamber having a valve guide with a vertical bore, a valve member having a stem extending down into said bore, said valve member being movable up and down and when in its upper position said valve member blocking said port, said cylinder bottom assembly having an input passage for pressurized fluid communicating with the bore of said valve guide and said valve guide having an opening providing communication between said bore and said storage chamber, and said valve member being moved down by the descending piston weight for opening said port to inject pressurized fluid into said bounce chamber.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
175 words
Pile driver apparatus comprising a cylinder wall defining a cylinder, a massive piston weight movable up and down within said cylinder, a bottom assembly associated with said cylinder wall and positioned below said piston weight, said piston weight and cylinder bottom assembly defining a bounce chamber between them, said cylinder bottom assembly including means defining a storage chamber for storage of pressurized fluid, said storage chamber having a port communicating with said bounce chamber, said storage chamber having a valve guide with a vertical bore, a valve member having a stem extending down into said bore, said valve member being movable up and down and when in its upper position said valve member blocking said port, said cylinder bottom assembly having an input passage for pressurized fluid communicating with the bore of said valve guide and said valve guide having an opening providing communication between said bore and said storage chamber, and said valve member being moved down by the descending piston weight for opening said port to inject pressurized fluid into said bounce chamber.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
53 words
Pile driver apparatus as claimed in claim 16, in which said valve guide has an upper and lower opening each providing communication between the bore and the storage chamber, the upper opening being larger than the lower one, and said valve stem blocking the upper opening when the valve member is moved down.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
225 words
Pile driver apparatus comprising a cylinder wall defining a cylinder, a massive piston weight movable up and down within said cylinder, a bottom assembly associated with said cylinder wall and positioned below said piston weight, said piston weight and cylinder bottom assembly defining a bounce chamber below said piston weight and above said bottom assembly, said cylinder bottom assembly including means defining a storage chamber for storage of pressurized fluid within said bottom assembly, said storage chamber having a port communicating between the top of said storage chamber and said bounce chamber, a valve member associated with said port, said valve member being movable up and down and when in its upper position said valve member blocking said port, said cylinder bottom assembly having an input passage for feeding compressible pressurized fluid into said storage chamber, actuator means extending into said bounce chamber for moving said valve member down when the piston weight is descending for opening said port to inject compressible pressurized fluid from said storage chamber up into said bounce chamber beneath the descending piston weight to bounce the piston weight upwardly, and said cylinder wall having outlet port means for releasing the expanded compressible pressurized fluid from the cylinder after the piston weight has bounced upwardly to repeat the cycle, whereby the piston weight quietly bounces up and down within said cylinder.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
225 words
Pile driver apparatus comprising a cylinder wall defining a cylinder, a massive piston weight movable up and down within said cylinder, a bottom assembly associated with said cylinder wall and positioned below said piston weight, said piston weight and cylinder bottom assembly defining a bounce chamber below said piston weight and above said bottom assembly, said cylinder bottom assembly including means defining a storage chamber for storage of pressurized fluid within said bottom assembly, said storage chamber having a port communicating between the top of said storage chamber and said bounce chamber, a valve member associated with said port, said valve member being movable up and down and when in its upper position said valve member blocking said port, said cylinder bottom assembly having an input passage for feeding compressible pressurized fluid into said storage chamber, actuator means extending into said bounce chamber for moving said valve member down when the piston weight is descending for opening said port to inject compressible pressurized fluid from said storage chamber up into said bounce chamber beneath the descending piston weight to bounce the piston weight upwardly, and said cylinder wall having outlet port means for releasing the expanded compressible pressurized fluid from the cylinder after the piston weight has bounced upwardly to repeat the cycle, whereby the piston weight quietly bounces up and down within said cylinder.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
39 words
Pile driver apparatus as claimed in claim 18, in which means are provided for blocking said port after compressible pressurized fluid has been injected into the bounce chamber for trapping the compressible pressurized fluid beneath the descending piston weight.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-01-28 | 1977-07-30 | 1978-01-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-01-28 | 1981-07-30 | 1982-01-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-01-28 | 1985-07-30 | 1986-01-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |