Mechanical safety pile monkey

Claim 2

In a pile driving apparatus: an elongated upright lead; a pile driver longitudinally slidably mounted upon said lead for driving a pile; means for placing a pile adjacent to said lead in a generally upright position whereby the lower end of the pile can be positioned at a selected spot adjacent to the bottom of said lead; a pile guiding device slidably mounted for longitudinal movement along said lead below said pile driver; means for longitudinally moving said guiding device relative to said lead; and said pile guiding device having means for slidably engaging a lower end portion of the pile adjacent to the selected spot whereby upon upward movement of said guiding device, said guiding device slides longitudinally along the pile and progressively moves the pile into alignment with said pile driver while the lower end of the pile remains at the selected spot.

Claim 3

In a pile driving apparatus as set forth in claim 1: said means for slidably engaging the pile comprising a pair of laterally closing, pivoted jaws which close on the pile and provide an opening larger than the pile shaped to slidably engage and guide the pile into alignment with said pile driver; and means for detachably securing said jaws in the closed position.

Claim 4

In a pile driving apparatus as set forth in claim 1: said pile guiding device being movable to an intermediate position on the pile during the driving thereof to stabilize the pile and reduce whip and buckling thereof.

Claim 5

In a pile driving apparatus: an elongated, upright lead of skeletal frame construction having a pair of laterally spaced front corner frame members; a pile driver disposed in front of said lead and longitudinally slidably mounted on said corner frame members for driving a pile; means for suspending a pile adjacent to said lead in a position only approximately aligned with said pile driver whereby the lower end of the pile can be positioned at a selected spot adjacent to the bottom of said lead; a mechanical pile monkey longitudinally slidably mounted on said corner frame members below said pile driver; means for raising and lowering said pile monkey; and said pile monkey including means for detachably slidably engaging a lower end portion of the pile adjacent to the selected spot whereby upon upward movement of said pile monkey, said pile monkey slides longitudinally along the pile and progressively moves the pile into alignment with said pile driver while the lower end of the pile remains at the selected spot.

Claim 6

In a pile driving apparatus: an elongated, upright lead of skeletal frame construction having a pair of laterally spaced front corner frame members; a pile driver disposed in front of said lead and longitudinally slidably mounted on said corner frame members for driving a pile; means for suspending a pile adjacent to said lead in a position only approximately aligned with said pile driver whereby the lower end of the pile can be positioned at a selected spot adjacent to the bottom of said lead; a mechanical pile monkey longitudinally slidably mounted on said corner frame members below said pile driver; means for raising and lowering said pile monkey; and said pile monkey including means for detachably slidably engaging a lower end portion of the pile adjacent to the selected spot whereby upon upward movement of said pile monkey, said pile monkey slides longitudinally along the pile and progressively moves the pile into alignment with said pile driver while the lower end of the pile remains at the selected spot.

Claim 7

In a pile driving apparatus as set forth in claim 4: said means for slidably engaging the pile comprising a paiR of laterally closing, pivoted jaws which close on the pile and provide an opening larger than the pile shaped to slidably engage and guide the pile into alignment with said pile driver; and means for detachably securing said jaws in the closed position.

Claim 8

In a pile driving apparatus: an longated, upright lead of skeletal frame construction having a pair of laterally spaced front corner frame members; a pile driver disposed in front of said lead and longitudinally slidably mounted on said corner frame members for driving a pile; means for suspending a pile adjacent to said lead in an upright position whereby the lower end of the pile can be positioned at a selected spot adjacent to the bottom of said lead; a mechanical pile monkey longitudinally slidably mounted on said corner frame members below said pile driver; means for raising and lowering said pile monkey; said pile monkey including means for detachably slidably engaging a lower end portion of the pile adjacent to the selected spot whereby upon upward movement of said pile monkey, the upper end of said pile is pulled into alignment with said pile driver; pulley meaans mounted adjacent to the top of said lead; and said means for raising and lowering said pile monkey comprising a rope disposed over said pulley means and extending downwardly past said pile driver and connected to said pile monkey.

Claim 9

In a pile driving apparatus: an longated, upright lead of skeletal frame construction having a pair of laterally spaced front corner frame members; a pile driver disposed in front of said lead and longitudinally slidably mounted on said corner frame members for driving a pile; means for suspending a pile adjacent to said lead in an upright position whereby the lower end of the pile can be positioned at a selected spot adjacent to the bottom of said lead; a mechanical pile monkey longitudinally slidably mounted on said corner frame members below said pile driver; means for raising and lowering said pile monkey; said pile monkey including means for detachably slidably engaging a lower end portion of the pile adjacent to the selected spot whereby upon upward movement of said pile monkey, the upper end of said pile is pulled into alignment with said pile driver; pulley meaans mounted adjacent to the top of said lead; and said means for raising and lowering said pile monkey comprising a rope disposed over said pulley means and extending downwardly past said pile driver and connected to said pile monkey.

Claim 10

In a pile driving apparatus: an elongated, upright lead of skeletal frame construction having a pair of laterally spaced front corner frame members; a pile driver disposed in front of said lead and longitudinally slidably mounted on said corner frame members for driving a pile; means for suspending a pile adjacent to said lead in an upright position whereby the lower end of the pile can be positioned at a selected spot adjacent to the bottom of said lead; a mechanical pile monkey longitudinally slidably mounted on said corner frame members below said pile driver; means for raising and lowering said pile monkey; said pile monkey including means for detachably slidably engaging a lower end portion of the pile adjacent to the selected spot whereby upon upward movement of said pile monkey, the upper end of said pile is pulled into alignment with said pile driver; pulley means mounted adjacent to the top of said lead; and said means for suspending the pile comprising a rope disposed over said pulley means and fastened to an upper end portion of the pile whereby the pile is normally tilted out of alignment with said pile driver prior to said pile monkey being moved upwardly.

Claim 11

In a pile driving apparatus: an elongated, upright lead of skeletal frame construction having a pair of laterally spaced front corner frame members; a pile driver disposed in front of said lead and longitudinally slidably mounted on said corner frame members for driving a pile; means for suspending a pile adjacent to said lead in an upright position whereby the lower end of the pile can be positioned at a selected spot adjacent to the bottom of said lead; a mechanical pile monkey longitudinally slidably mounted on said corner frame members below said pile driver; means for raising and lowering said pile monkey; said pile monkey including means for detachably slidably engaging a lower end portion of the pile adjacent to the selected spot whereby upon upward movement of said pile monkey, the upper end of said pile is pulled into alignment with said pile driver; pulley means mounted adjacent to the top of said lead; and said means for suspending the pile comprising a rope disposed over said pulley means and fastened to an upper end portion of the pile whereby the pile is normally tilted out of alignment with said pile driver prior to said pile monkey being moved upwardly.

Claim 12

In a pile driving apparatus: an elongated, upright lead; pulley means mounted at the top of said lead; a pile driver slidably mounted on the front of said lead and suspended from a rope passing over said pulley means; a pile rope disposed over said pulley means for suspending a pile therefrom whereby the lower end of the pile can be positioned at a selected spot on the ground adjacent to the bottom of said lead; a mechanical pile monkey longitudinally slidably mounted on the front of said lead and suspended below said pile driver by another rope disposed over said pulley means; said pile monkey comprising a base slide member slidably engaging the front of said lead; a pair of laterally closing pivoted jaws carried by and projecting forwardly from said base slide member, said jaws adapted to close on a lower end portion of the pile and provide an opening shaped to slidably engage and guide the pile whereby when the pile monkey is raised, the upper end of said pile is pulled into alignment with said pile driver, said pile monkey being adapted to be disposed at an intermediate point on the pile during the driving thereof to stabilize the pile and reduce whip and buckling thereof.

Claim 13

In a pile driving apparatus: an elongated, upright lead; pulley means mounted at the top of said lead; a pile driver slidably mounted on the front of said lead and suspended from a rope passing over said pulley means; a pile rope disposed over said pulley means for suspending a pile therefrom whereby the lower end of the pile can be positioned at a selected spot on the ground adjacent to the bottom of said lead; a mechanical pile monkey longitudinally slidably mounted on the front of said lead and suspended below said pile driver by another rope disposed over said pulley means; said pile monkey comprising a base slide member slidably engaging the front of said lead; a pair of laterally closing pivoted jaws carried by and projecting forwardly from said base slide member, said jaws adapted to close on a lower end portion of the pile and provide an opening shaped to slidably engage and guide the pile whereby when the pile monkey is raised, the upper end of said pile is pulled into alignment with said pile driver, said pile monkey being adapted to be disposed at an intermediate point on the pile during the driving thereof to stabilize the pile and reduce whip and buckling thereof.

Claim 14

A mechanical pile monkey for aligning a pile with a pile driver carried by an elongated, upright lead wherein the pile is initially suspended below the level of the pile driver out of alignment with said pile driver and with its lower end resting on a selected spot adjacent tO the bottom of the lead, said pile monkey comprising: a member having means for slidably engaging the lead for movement longitudinally thereof; guiding means for detachably embracing the pile carried by said member and in one position thereof providing an opening larger than the pile shaped to slidably engage the pile, said member adapted to be mounted upon the lead below the pile driver with said guiding means slidably engaging the pile adjacent to the bottom of the pile whereby said pile monkey can be raised and slid upwardly along the pile to pull the pile progressively into alignment with the pile driver while the lower end of the pile remains on the selected spot.

Claim 15

A mechanical pile monkey for aligning a pile with a pile driver carried by an elongated, upright lead wherein the pile is initially suspended below the level of the pile driver out of alignment with said pile driver and with its lower end resting on a selected spot adjacent tO the bottom of the lead, said pile monkey comprising: a member having means for slidably engaging the lead for movement longitudinally thereof; guiding means for detachably embracing the pile carried by said member and in one position thereof providing an opening larger than the pile shaped to slidably engage the pile, said member adapted to be mounted upon the lead below the pile driver with said guiding means slidably engaging the pile adjacent to the bottom of the pile whereby said pile monkey can be raised and slid upwardly along the pile to pull the pile progressively into alignment with the pile driver while the lower end of the pile remains on the selected spot.

Claim 16

A mechanical pile monkey for aligning a pile with a pile driver carried by an elongated, upright lead wherein the pile is initially suspended below the level of the pile driver out of alignment with said pile driver and with its lower end resting on a selected spot adjacent to the bottom of the lead, said pile monkey comprising: a base slide member; a pair of laterally closing jaws pivotally mounted on said slide member which when closed provide an opening larger than the pile and shaped to slidably engage the pile; means for detachably securing said jaws in the closed position; said base slide member adapted to be slidably mounted upon the lead below the pile driver and said jaws adapted to slidably engage the pile adjacent to the bottom thereof with said jaws secured in closed position whereby said pile monkey can be raised and slid upwardly along the pile to pull the pile progressively into alignment with the pile driver while the lower end of the pile remains on the selected spot.

Claim 17

A mechanical pile monkey for aligning a pile with a pile driver carried by an elongated, upright lead wherein the pile is initially suspended below the level of the pile driver out of alignment with said pile driver and with its lower end resting on a selected spot adjacent to the bottom of the lead, said pile monkey comprising: a base slide member; a pair of laterally closing jaws pivotally mounted on said slide member which when closed provide an opening larger than the pile and shaped to slidably engage the pile; means for detachably securing said jaws in the closed position; said base slide member adapted to be slidably mounted upon the lead below the pile driver and said jaws adapted to slidably engage the pile adjacent to the bottom thereof with said jaws secured in closed position whereby said pile monkey can be raised and slid upwardly along the pile to pull the pile progressively into alignment with the pile driver while the lower end of the pile remains on the selected spot.

Claim 18

In a pile driving apparatus: an elongated upright lead of fixed length in use thereof; a pile driver longitudinally slidably mounted upon said lead for driving a pile; means for placing a pile adjacent to said lead in a generally upright position normally out of alignment with said pile driver whereby the lower end of the pile can be positioned at a selected spot adjacent to the bottom of said lead; a pile guiding device slidably mounted for longitudinal movement along said lead separately from and below said pile driver; means for longitudinally moving said guiding device relative to said lead; said pile guiding device havinng means for slidably engaging a lower end portion of the pile adjacent to the selected spot whereby upon upward movement of said guiding device, said guiding device slides longitudinally along the pile and progressively moves the pile into alignment with said pile driver while the lower end of the pile remains at the selected spot.

Claim 19

In a pile driving apparatus: an elongated upright lead of fixed length in use thereof; a pile driver longitudinally slidably mounted upon said lead for driving a pile; means for placing a pile adjacent to said lead in a generally upright position normally out of alignment with said pile driver whereby the lower end of the pile can be positioned at a selected spot adjacent to the bottom of said lead; a pile guiding device slidably mounted for longitudinal movement along said lead separately from and below said pile driver; means for longitudinally moving said guiding device relative to said lead; said pile guiding device havinng means for slidably engaging a lower end portion of the pile adjacent to the selected spot whereby upon upward movement of said guiding device, said guiding device slides longitudinally along the pile and progressively moves the pile into alignment with said pile driver while the lower end of the pile remains at the selected spot.