Locking joint for concrete piles having joined sections

Claim 1

A locking joint for joining first and second sections oF a concrete pile comprising a metal plate on the end of each pile section, a metal collar extending from the metal plate on a first pile section around said pile section, said collar having an opening defined therein, a locking block secured behind the metal plate of the first pile section, said locking block having a longitudinal pin receiving space defined therein and also a transverse bore defined therein intersecting the pin receiving space and aligned with the opening in said collar, an outwardly projecting pin projecting from the metal plate of the second pile section and received in the pin receiving space in said locking block, said pin having a transverse hole therethrough, a wedge device having a front end and a rear end and projecting through the transverse bore in said locking block and through the hole in said pin to hold the metal plates in firm abutting relationship, a bulged portion constructed on the rear end of said wedge device and having toward its front an inwardly tapered portion and at its rear having a reduced cross section step, said locking block having defined therein a circumferentially extending groove around said bore adn adjacent said collar, and an annular resilient ring of wavy configuration about its periphery having an inner and an outer diameter, the outer diameter being greater than the diameter of the opening in said collar and the inner diameter being smaller than the diameter of the opening in said collar, said annular ring being accommodated in the groove in said locking block and being retained therein by said collar, certain raised portions about the periphery of said ring resiliently engaging said reduced cross section step on said wedge device in a direction longitudinally of the bore and positively retaining said wedge device under all conditions of stress in said bore.