# US 2014/0193208 A1 · Load cell for screw piling power head > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0193208 A1 - Document ID: US20140193208A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/736,011 - Filed: 2013-01-07 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-05 - Inventors: Wayne McILravey - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140193208A1 ## CPC - E02D 7/14: Components for drivers {inasmuch as not specially for a specific driver construction} - F16C 11/04: Pivotal connections (hinges for doors, windows or wings E05D) - G01L 3/14: wherein the torque-transmitting element is other than a torsionally-flexible shaft - F16D 2300/18: Sensors; Details or arrangements thereof - Y10T 403/32951: Transverse pin or stud - E02D: FOUNDATIONS; EXCAVATIONS; EMBANKMENTS (specially adapted for hydraulic engineering E02B); UNDERGROUND OR UNDERWATER STRUCTURES {(tunnels, tunnelling, mining E21)} - F16C: SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS - G01L: MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER, MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE (weighing G01G) - F16D: COUPLINGS FOR TRANSMITTING ROTATION; CLUTCHES; BRAKES - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A system to measure the installation torque of a screw pile comprises machinery suitable to drive the screw pile into the ground, said machinery further comprising a rotary drive suspended by means of a universal joint-type coupler. A load pin, having at least one sensor, is mounted through the universal joint-type coupler as a pivot pin and is oriented within the universal joint-type coupler so that at least some of the installation torque is transmitted through said load pin and is measurable by said at least one sensor. Preferably, the load pin further comprises a pair of bores and a plurality of sensors are provided and mounted within the bores. More preferably, a differential bridge network is used to obtain a measurable signal from the plurality of sensors. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system to measure the installation torque of a screw pile, the system comprising: machinery suitable to drive the screw pile into the ground, said machinery further comprising a rotary drive suspended by means of a universal joint-type coupler; and a load pin having at least one sensor, said load pin mounted through the universal joint-type coupler as a pivot pin; wherein the load pin is oriented within the universal joint-type coupler so that at least some of the installation torque is transmitted through said load pin and is measurable by said at least one sensor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor is a foil strain gauge. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the load pin is an elongate cylindrical member having an axial body with a longitudinal axis extending between opposing ends. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3 wherein the axial body comprises a medial portion having a center point along said longitudinal axis, and two peripheral portions at each of said opposing ends. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4 wherein the axial body further comprises a pair of transitional portions, each of said transitional portion being located between each of the two peripheral portions and the medial portion, said transitional portions being of slightly smaller diameter than said medial and peripheral portions, the transitional portions being substantially mirror images of each other. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5 wherein said at least one sensor is mounted within one of said transitional portion. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6 wherein the load pin further comprises at least one bore within each of said transitional portions ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7 wherein there are two bores, each of which located within each of said pair of transitional portions and each being a through-bore having a bore axis oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the load pin, wherein said paired transitional portions and their respective through-bores are equidistant from said center point. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8 wherein said two bores each further comprise two planar regions on their respective interior surfaces, said planar regions within each bore being substantially parallel to, and located equidistant on either side of, a central plane of the load pin, thereby forming a total of four planar regions. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8 wherein there are at least two sensors, each of said sensors being mounted to the interior of said bore. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9 wherein there are eight sensors, said eight sensors being mounted pairwise to each of the four planar regions. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11 wherein the sensors are foil strain gauges having parallel lines, the sensors being more sensitive to strain and forces that are in the orientation of said parallel lines. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12 wherein said foil strain gauges are mounted within their respective bores of the load pin so that the orientation of their parallel lines are substantially parallel to the load pin's longitudinal axis. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13 wherein each set of four foil strain gauge sensors is arranged within their respective bore so that two of the foil strain gauges in each bore are one side of the load pin's longitudinal axis, while the other two gauges in such bore are on the other side of the load pin's longitudinal axis. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein two of each of the set of four foil gauges are equidistance from the central plane of the load pin as compared to the other two of the set of four foil gauges. ### Claim 16 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8 wherein, the screw pile has an axis of rotation and wherein, when the load pin is mounted through the universal joint-type coupler, said bores are oriented substantially parallel to said axis of rotation of the screw pile. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15 wherein, the screw pile has an axis of rotation and wherein, when the load pin is mounted through the universal joint-type coupler, said bores are oriented substantially parallel to said axis of rotation of the screw pile. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15 wherein each of the set of four foil gauges within a bore are electrically connected using a Wheatstone bridge electronic circuit. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15 wherein each of the set of four foil gauges within a bore are electrically connected using a differential bridge electronic circuit. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15 wherein each of the set of four foil gauges within a bore are electrically connected using a bridge circuit and wherein one branch said bridge circuit is comprised of two foil strain gauges that are mounted on the same planar region within said bore and the other branch of the bridge circuit is comprised of the two remaining foil strain gauges that are on the opposing planar region. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19 wherein the eight foil strain gauges in each bore are electrically interconnected to provide a single measureable signal using a pair of connected differential bridge electronic circuits. ### Claim 22 A load pin for mounting through a universal joint-type coupler and for measuring the installation torque of a screw pile, the load pin comprising: at least one sensor; wherein the load pin is suitable to also function as a pivot pin when mounted through said universal joint-type coupler; and wherein the load pin is capable of being oriented within the universal joint-type coupler so that at least some of the installation torque is transmitted through said load pin and is measurable by said at least one sensor. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The load pin of claim 22 wherein the at least one sensor is a foil strain gauge. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The load pin of claim 22 wherein the load pin is an elongate cylindrical member having an axial body with a longitudinal axis extending between opposing ends and wherein the axial body further comprises a medial portion having a center point along said longitudinal axis, two peripheral portions at each of said opposing ends and a pair of transitional portions, each of said transitional portion being located between each of the two peripheral portions and the medial portion, said transitional portions being of slightly smaller diameter than said medial and peripheral portions, the transitional portions being substantially mirror images of each other. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The load pin of claim 24 wherein said at least one sensor is mounted within one of said transitional portion. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The load pin of claim 25 wherein the load pin further comprises at least one bore within each of said transitional portions. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The load pin of claim 26 wherein there are two bores, each of which located within each of said pair of transitional portions and each being a through-bore having a bore axis oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the load pin, wherein said paired transitional portions and their respective through-bores are equidistant from said center point. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The load pin of claim 27 wherein said two bores each further comprise two planar regions on their respective interior surfaces, said planar regions within each bore being substantially parallel to, and located equidistant on either side of, a central plane of the load pin, thereby forming a total of four planar regions. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The load pin of claim 28 wherein there are eight sensors, said eight sensors being mounted pairwise to each of the four planar regions. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The load pin of claim 29 wherein the sensors are foil strain gauges having parallel lines, the sensors being more sensitive to strain and forces that are in the orientation of said parallel lines. ### Claim 31 (depends on 29) The load pin of claim 29 wherein said foil strain gauges are mounted within their respective bores of the load pin so that the orientation of their parallel lines are substantially parallel to the load pin's longitudinal axis. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The load pin of claim 31 wherein two of each of the set of four foil gauges are equidistance from the central plane of the load pin as compared to the other two of the set of four foil gauges. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The load pin of claim 32 wherein each of the set of four foil gauges within a bore are electrically connected using a Wheatstone bridge electronic circuit. ### Claim 34 (depends on 32) The load pin of claim 32 wherein each of the set of four foil gauges within a bore are electrically connected using a differential bridge electronic circuit. ### Claim 35 (depends on 32) The load pin of claim 32 wherein each of the set of four foil gauges within a bore are electrically connected using a bridge circuit and wherein one branch said bridge circuit is comprised of two foil strain gauges that are mounted on the same planar region within said bore and the other branch of the bridge circuit is comprised of the two remaining foil strain gauges that are on the opposing planar region. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) The load pin of claim 35 wherein the eight foil strain gauges in each bore are electrically interconnected to provide a single measureable signal using a pair of connected differential bridge electronic circuits.