초록 ▼

An apparatus and method for continuously preloading during installation and removal of steel sheet piles, steel pilings, and casing piles, with a telescoping, articulated boom having a free end for creating the downward driving force, a weighted base to provide support and stability for the boom, a

An apparatus and method for continuously preloading during installation and removal of steel sheet piles, steel pilings, and casing piles, with a telescoping, articulated boom having a free end for creating the downward driving force, a weighted base to provide support and stability for the boom, a connector at the free end of said boom to engage the piling, a modified resonance-free vibratory hammer, to allow for simultaneously vibrating the piling while applying to the piling the continuous downward or upward force.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A method of driving a sheet piling that allows continuous force for preloading or extraction of the piling during installation comprising the steps of: providing an elongated bi-directional, hydraulic telescoping boom that creates a controlled downward or upward vertical forc

What is claimed is: 1. A method of driving a sheet piling that allows continuous force for preloading or extraction of the piling during installation comprising the steps of: providing an elongated bi-directional, hydraulic telescoping boom that creates a controlled downward or upward vertical force, the boom comprising: a) a telescopic lower portion, including a plurality of hydraulic double-acting cylinders for raising the boom from a horizontal to a vertical orientation and an internal hydraulic cylinder for extending and retracting a telescopic segment from a receptacle segment to accommodate differing lengths of sheet piling; b) a middle portion pivotally connected to the telescopic lower portion, the middle portion including a hydraulic double-acting cylinder providing control over the positioning of a modified resonance-free vibratory hammer and providing additional reach to the boom; and c) a free hinged portion having a first end pivotally connected to the middle portion, the free hinged portion being actuated by a hydraulic double-acting cylinder creating the downward or upward force to drive sheet piles; providing a weighted base carrier that vertically supports the boom for counterbalancing a downward or upward, hydraulically-harnessed force from the base carrier through said boom to said sheet piling; providing an articulated connector at a second end of the free hinged portion for connecting the boom to the sheet piling through the modified resonance-free vibratory hammer; connecting the resonance-free vibratory hammer to the sheet piling to be installed or removed; applying a continuous downward or upward force from the boom on the sheet piling; and simultaneously vibrating the sheet piling to drive the sheet piling into soil under the sheet piling, or to forcefully extract the sheet piling from the ground. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the connector to the vibratory hammer comprises a swivel to provide rotational movement in a horizontal plane and a universal joint that connects to the free hinged end of the boom to provide movement in a vertical plane to the vibratory hammer. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the free hinged portion comprises an inwardly curved arm. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the telescopic segment of the boom extends to a length that allows for the driving or extraction of a sheet pile having a length of approximately 65 feet. 5. A machine comprising: a) an elongated bi-directional, hydraulic telescoping boom for creating a controlled downward or upward vertical force, said boom comprising a telescopic portion, including a plurality of hydraulic double-acting cylinders for moving the boom between a horizontal and a vertical orientation and an internal mounted hydraulic cylinder for extending and retracting a telescopic segment from a receptacle segment, a middle portion pivotally connected to the telescopic portion, a hydraulic double-acting cylinder connecting the telescopic portion to the middle portion to actuate the middle portion and to provide additional reach to the boom, and a free hinged portion pivotally connected to the middle portion, the free hinged portion comprising an inwardly curved arm, and a hydraulic double-acting cylinder connecting the middle portion to the free hinged portion to actuate the free hinged portion; b) a weighted base carrier that vertically supports the boom for counterbalancing a downward or upward, hydraulically-harnessed force from the base carrier through the boom to the free hinged portion; and c) an articulated connector connecting the free hinged portion of the boom to a resonance-free vibratory hammer. 6. The machine of claim 5, wherein the connector comprises a swivel, and the swivel includes a pin-receiving connection aperture. 7. The machine of claim 6, wherein the connector further comprises a universal joint, the universal joint having an upper portion having a pin-receiving connection aperture that is aligned with a pin-receiving aperture of the free hinged portion of the boom, a connecting pin connecting said free hinged end with the vibratory hammer; and a lower portion having a pin-receiving connection aperture that is aligned with a pin-receiving connection aperture of the swivel to receive a connection pin inserted into the aligned apertures to engage said swivel with a lower portion of the universal joint. 8. The machine of claim 5, wherein the connector connecting the vibratory hammer to the boom comprises a swivel to allow said vibratory hammer and the sheet pile being driven to be rotated 360 degrees and a universal joint to allow movement of the vibratory hammer and sheet pile in a vertical plane. 9. The machine of claim 5, wherein the boom is articulated and can telescope in and out with a load that varies depending on the type and/or resistance of the soil into which a sheet pile is being driven and the length of said piling. 10. The machine of claim 5, wherein the boom is configured to operate at an angle from the base carrier ranging from 0 to 96 degrees to drive sheet piles up to 65 feet long into the earth. 11. The machine of claim 5, wherein the base provides a counterweight for the force applied by the boom. 12. A sheet pile driving machine providing continuous preloading of a sheet piling during installation or removal, comprising: an articulated boom comprising: a) a telescopic portion, including an extendable telescopic segment and a hollow receptacle segment for receiving said telescopic segment when the boom is not in use, said telescopic portion and its telescopic segment providing up to sixty-five feet of the linear reach of the articulated boom with the telescoping action of said telescopic portion operable by a plurality of telescopic portion hydraulic double-acting cylinders wherein each cylinder has a housing end and a piston rod end and each cylinder is connected to a base carrier at the housing end and to the receptacle segment of the telescopic portion of the boom at the piston rod end; b) an internal hydraulic, double-acting cylinder that operates under load to retract and extend the telescopic segment into and out of the receptacle segment of the boom, said internal hydraulic cylinder being mounted inside the receptacle segment of the telescopic portion of said boom; c) a middle portion extendable by operation of a middle portion hydraulic double-acting cylinder having a cylinder housing end connected to the telescopic segment of the telescopic portion of the boom and a piston rod end connected to said middle portion of the boom; d) a free hinged end portion; and e) a hydraulic double-acting cylinder with a cylinder housing end connected to the middle portion of said boom and a piston rod end connected to said free hinged end portion of the boom; a large weighted base vertically supporting the boom including a counterweight portion; a connector comprising a swivel engaged with the free hinged end of the boom for interconnecting said boom to the piling; and a vibratory hammer engaged with the swivel of said connector.