Subsea pile driver
AssigneeHollandsche Beton Groep N.V.
InventorDirk Arentsen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The hammer of an underwater pile driving apparatus is movable upwards and downwards in a housing which, in operation, is filled with a liquid which is present both above and below the hammer, the hammer being driven at least on the upwards direction by a driving liquid which is pressurized by a motor driven pump located on or adjacent the housing and which is the same as the liquid in which the hammer moves.
Claims8
Underwater pile driving apparatus comprising a housing having means defining an opening in its bottom end, a motor driven pump producing a pressurized driving liquid, and a hammer movable upwards and downwards in said housing and which is driven in at least the upward direction by said pressurized driving liquid and is arranged to deliver, through said opening, an impact to a pile to be driven, said housing in which the hammer moves being filled, during operation, with the driving liquid which is present both above and below the hammer, the housing enclosing the liquid in which the hammer moves, the pump being in communication with the liquid in the housing through a closed circuit system, and pressure and volume compensating means being provided between the liquid in the housing and the ambient water. whereby the liquid in the housing is maintained substantially at the pressure of the ambient water in which the apparatus is submerged.
Apparatus according to 2, characterized in that sealing means is provided for preventing leakage between said opening and said member movable therein, and the hammer forms a drive piston which is driven by said driving liquid.
Underwater pile driving apparatus comprising a housing having means defining an opening in its bottom end, a motor driven pump producing a pressurized driving liquid, and a hammer movable upwards and downwards in said housing and which is driven in at least the upward direction by said pressurized driving liquid and is arranged to deliver, through said opening, an impact to a pile to be driven, said housing in which the hammer moves being filled, during operation, with the driving liquid which is present both above and below the hammer, and means is provided for maintaining the liquid in the housing substantially at the pressure of the ambient water in which the apparatus is submerged, the said ambient water constituting the source of supply for the driving liquid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.