Hydraulic impact hammer systems and methods

A pile striking system for striking at least one pile comprising:

• a main housing;
• a valve assembly supported by the main housing;
• an anvil supported by the main housing;
• a ram supported for movement within the main housing;
• a cap detachably attachable to the main housing;
• a coupler rod detachably attachable to the ram;
• a conversion housing detachably attachable to the main housing;
• a hydraulic actuator supported by the conversion housing, the hydraulic actuator defining an actuator rod;
• a lifting head defining an upper wall defining an actuator rod opening, a lower wall defining a ram rod opening, and at least one side wall configured to define an at least one access opening;
• a lift connector;
• and
• a ram connector wherein
• with the actuator rod extending through the actuator rod opening, the lift connector is accessed through the at least one access opening and between the upper and lower walls and is engaged with the actuator rod to detachably attach the actuator rod to the upper wall of the lifting head;
• with the coupler rod extending through the ram rod opening, the ram connector is accessed through the at least one access opening and between the upper and lower walls and is engaged with the coupler rod to detachably attach the ram to the lower wall of the lifting head;
• with the cap is attached to the main housing and the valve assembly is configured to operate in a diesel mode, the pile striking system operates as a diesel hammer to cause the ram to impact the anvil to strike the at least one pile;
• and
• with the conversion housing attached to the main housing, the coupler rod attached to the ram and to the lower wall of the lifting head by the ram connector, and the actuator rod detachably attached to the upper wall of the lifting head by the lift connector, the valve assembly is configured to operate in a hydraulic mode, and operation of the hydraulic actuator raises and lowers the ram such that the pile striking system operates as a hydraulic impact hammer to cause the ram to impact the anvil to strike the at least one pile.

A method of striking a pile comprising the steps of:

• supporting a ram for movement within a main housing;
• detachably attaching a coupler rod to the ram;
• detachably attaching a conversion housing to the main housing;
• supporting a hydraulic actuator defining an actuator rod from the conversion housing;
• providing a lifting head defining an upper wall defining an actuator rod opening, a lower wall defining a ram rod opening, and at least one side wall configured to define an at least one access opening;
• detachably attaching the actuator rod to the upper wall of the lifting head by extending the actuator rod through the actuator rod opening, and accessing a lift connector through the at least one access opening and between the upper and lower walls to engage the lift connector with the actuator rod to detachably attach the actuator rod to the upper wall of the lifting head comprising the step of securing a distal end of the actuator rod relative to the lifting head using a rod nut;
• and
• detachably attaching the coupler rod to the lower wall of the lifting head by extending the coupler rod through the ram rod opening, and accessing the ram connector through the at least one access opening and between the upper and lower walls to engage the ram connector with the coupler rod to detachably attach the ram to the lower wall of the lifting head;
• and
• with the actuator rod detachably attached to the upper wall of the lifting head and the ram detachably attached to the lower wall of the lifting head, operating the hydraulic actuator to raise and lower the ram to strike the pile.

A method of striking at least one pile comprising the steps of:

• supporting a valve assembly from a main housing;
• supporting a ram for movement within the main housing;
• providing a hydraulic actuator defining an actuator rod;
• providing a lifting head defining an upper wall defining an actuator rod opening, a lower wall defining a ram rod opening, and at least one side wall configured to define an at least one access opening;
• operating in a diesel mode by attaching a cap to the main housing and configuring the valve assembly to operate in a diesel mode to cause the ram to impact an anvil to strike the at least one pile;
• and
• operating in a hydraulic impact mode by
• attaching a conversion housing to the main housing,
• attaching a coupler rod to the ram,
• attaching the coupler rod to the lower wall of the lifting head by
• extending the actuator rod through the actuator rod opening,
• accessing the lift connector through the at least one access opening and between the upper and lower walls to engage a lift connector with the actuator rod to detachably attach the actuator rod to the upper wall of the lifting head,
• attaching the actuator rod to the upper wall of the lifting head by
• extending the coupler rod through the ram rod opening, and
• accessing the ram connector through the at least one access opening and between the upper and lower walls to engage the ram connector with the coupler rod to detachably attach the ram to the lower wall of the lifting head,
• configuring the valve assembly to operate in the hydraulic impact mode, and
• operating the hydraulic actuator to raise and lower the ram to cause the ram to impact the anvil and strike the at least one pile.