Method and apparatus for installing anchors

Claim 1

A device for installing an anchor of the type having at least one helical screw portion, a polygonally shaped hub portion and an elongated portion extending from said hub portion, in the earth by the utilization of rotational power and axial thrust from a mechanical power source comprising an elongated tubular means for housing said elongated portion of said anchor and having a first end adapted to securely engage said polygonally shaped hub portion of said anchor and means for connecting said elongated tubular means to said mechanical power source, said connecting means including means for measuring and indicating said axial thrust from said mechanical power source.

Claim 2

A device for installing an anchor of the type having at least one helical screw portion, a polygonally shaped hub portion and an elongated portion extending from said hub portion, in the earth by the utilization of rotational power and axial thrust from a mechanical power source comprising an elongated tubular means for housing said elongated portion of said anchor and having a first end adapted to securely engage said polygonally shaped hub portion of said anchor and means for connecting said elongated tubular means to said mechanical power source, said connecting means including means for measuring and indicating said axial thrust from said mechanical power source.

Claim 5

A device for installing an anchor of the type having at least one helical screw portion, a polygonally shaped hub portion and an elongated portion extending from said hub portion, in the earth by the utilization of rotational power and axial thrust from a mechanical power source comprising an elongated tubular means for housing said elongated portion of said anchor and having a first end adapted to securely engage said polygonally-shaped hub portion of said anchor and means for connecting said elongated tubular means to said mechanical power source, said connecting means including means for measuring and indicating said axial thrust from said mechanical power source, said measuring and indicating means including a spline assembly for transmitting said rotational power from said mechanical power source through said measuring and indicating means to said tubular means for application to said anchor, an elongated resilient means adapted to be compressed in response to the application of said axial thrust to thereby measure and provide an indication of said axial thrust and to thereby also transmit said axial thrust from said mechanical power source through said measuring and indicating means for application to said anchor, first and second shoulder portions positioned transverse to the longitudinal direction of said resilient means and engaging the opposite longitudinal extremities of said resilient means to thereby contain said resilient means between said first and second shoulder portions, an elongated tubular member having a first longitudinal opening corresponding to a first inner diameter of said tubular member, a first end fixedly attached to said first shoulder portion and a second longitudinal opening at a second end of said tubular member corresponding to a smaller inner diameter of said tubular member than said first inner diameter to thereby form a third shoulder portion, an elongated plunger having a first end fixedly attached to said second shoulder portion, having a fourth shoulder portion attached to a second end of said plunger and being movable within said elongated tubular member, said first shoulder portion and said third shoulder portion being oppositely disposed stops for said fourth shoulder portion to prevent further movement of said plunger within said elongated tubular member, and resilient members positioned between said first shoulder portion and said fourth shoulder portion and between said third shoulder portion and said fourth shoulder portion to absorb the physical shock resulting from the prevention of further movement of said fourth shoulder means by said first and third shoulder means.

Claim 6

A device for installing an anchor of the type having at least one helical screw portion, a polygonally shaped hub portion and an elongated portion extending from said hub portion, in the earth by the utilization of rotational power and axial thrust from a mechanical power source comprising an elongated tubular means for housing said elongated portion of said anchor and having a first end adapted to securely engage said polygonally-shaped hub portion of said anchor and means for connecting said elongated tubular means to said mechanical power source, said connecting means including means for measuring and indicating said axial thrust from said mechanical power source, said measuring and indicating means including a spline assembly for transmitting said rotational power from said mechanical power source through said measuring and indicating means to said tubular means for application to said anchor, an elongated resilient means adapted to be compressed in response to the application of said axial thrust to thereby measure and provide an indication of said axial thrust and to thereby also transmit said axial thrust from said mechanical power source through said measuring and indicating means for application to said anchor, first and second shoulder portions positioned transverse to the longitudinal direction of said resilient means and engaging the opposite longitudinal extremities of said resilient means to thereby contain said resilient means between said first and second shoulder portions, an elongated tubular member having a first longitudinal opening corresponding to a first inner diameter of said tubular member, a first end fixedly attached to said first shoulder portion and a second longitudinal opening at a second end of said tubular member corresponding to a smaller inner diameter of said tubular member than said first inner diameter to thereby form a third shoulder portion, an elongated plunger having a first end fixedly attached to said second shoulder portion, having a fourth shoulder portion attached to a second end of said plunger and being movable within said elongated tubular member, said first shoulder portion and said third shoulder portion being oppositely disposed stops for said fourth shoulder portion to prevent further movement of said plunger within said elongated tubular member, and resilient members positioned between said first shoulder portion and said fourth shoulder portion and between said third shoulder portion and said fourth shoulder portion to absorb the physical shock resulting from the prevention of further movement of said fourth shoulder means by said first and third shoulder means.

Claim 13

A device for installing an anchor of the type having at least one helical screw portion, a polygonally shaped hub portion and an elongated portion extending from said hub portion, in the earth by the utilization of rotational power and axial thrust from a mechanical power source and having an elongated tubular means for housing said elongated portion of said anchor including a first end adapted to securely engage said polygonally shaped hub portion of said anchor, wherein the improvement comprises means for connecting said elongated tubular means to said mechanical power source, said connecting means including means for measuring and indicating said axial thrust from said mechanical power source.

Claim 14

A device for installing an anchor of the type having at least one helical screw portion, a polygonally shaped hub portion and an elongated portion extending from said hub portion, in the earth by the utilization of rotational power and axial thrust from a mechanical power source and having an elongated tubular means for housing said elongated portion of said anchor including a first end adapted to securely engage said polygonally shaped hub portion of said anchor, wherein the improvement comprises means for connecting said elongated tubular means to said mechanical power source, said connecting means including means for measuring and indicating said axial thrust from said mechanical power source.

Claim 18

A device for installing an anchor of the type having at least one helical screw portion, a polygonally shaped hub portion and an elongated portion extending from said hub portion, in the earth by the utilization of rotational power and axial thrust from a mechanical power source and having an elongated tubular means for housing said elongated portion of said anchor including a first end adapted to securely engage the polygonally shaped hub portion of said anchor, wherein the improvement comprises a shear pin assembly for retaining said elongated portion of said anchor within said elongated tubular means during the installation of said anchor into the earth.

Claim 19

A device for installing an anchor of the type having at least one helical screw portion, a polygonally shaped hub portion and an elongated portion extending from said hub portion, in the earth by the utilization of rotational power and axial thrust from a mechanical power source and having an elongated tubular means for housing said elongated portion of said anchor including a first end adapted to securely engage the polygonally shaped hub portion of said anchor, wherein the improvement comprises a shear pin assembly for retaining said elongated portion of said anchor within said elongated tubular means during the installation of said anchor into the earth.

Claim 21

A method of installing an anchor of the type having at least one helical screw portion, a polygonally shaped hub portion and an elongated portion extending from said hub portion, in the earth by the utilization of rotational power and axial thrust from a mechanical power source comprising the steps of engaging said hub portion of said anchor with an anchor installing device, securely retaining said anchor in engagement with said anchor installing device by means of an elongated shear pin, connecting said anchor installing device to said mechanical power source and energizing said source to install said anchor in the earth.

Claim 22

A method of installing an anchor of the type having at least one helical screw portion, a polygonally shaped hub portion and an elongated portion extending from said hub portion, in the earth by the utilization of rotational power and axial thrust from a mechanical power source comprising the steps of engaging said hub portion of said anchor with an anchor installing device, securely retaining said anchor in engagement with said anchor installing device by means of an elongated shear pin, connecting said anchor installing device to said mechanical power source and energizing said source to install said anchor in the earth.

Claim 23

A method of installing an anchor of the type having at least one helical screw portion, a polygonally-shaped hub portion and an elongated portion extending from said hub portion, in the earth by the utilization of rotational power and axial thrust from a mechanical power source comprising the steps of engaging said hub portion of said anchor with an anchor installing device, securely retaining said anchor in engagement with said anchor installing device by means of an elongated shear pin, connecting said anchor installing device to said mechanical power source, energizing said source to install said anchor in the earth and separating said anchor after installation in the earth from Said anchor installing device by shearing said shear pin.

Claim 24

A method of installing an anchor of the type having at least one helical screw portion, a polygonally-shaped hub portion and an elongated portion extending from said hub portion, in the earth by the utilization of rotational power and axial thrust from a mechanical power source comprising the steps of engaging said hub portion of said anchor with an anchor installing device, securely retaining said anchor in engagement with said anchor installing device by means of an elongated shear pin, connecting said anchor installing device to said mechanical power source, energizing said source to install said anchor in the earth and separating said anchor after installation in the earth from Said anchor installing device by shearing said shear pin.