Device and method to cut piles

An apparatus for severing a pile that is setting in a vertical or near vertical position, while said pile is still bearing its own weight or the weight of another structure, comprising:

• a guide tube, said guide tube having an outside diameter less than that of the inside diameter of said pile and said guide tube is adapted for movement up and down within said pile, said guide tube including frame members from which said guide tube may be lifted up or lowered down inside of said pile;
• a moveable guide plate mounted on said frame members and adapted for movement up and down relative to said frame members,;
• a rotary actuator mounted on said guide plate, said rotary actuator having a shaft that rotates relative to said moveable guide plate;
• a double ended rod cylinder mounted on said frame members;
• a double ended rod of said double ended rod cylinder to move up and down relative to said frame members, with the top end of said double ended rod fastened to said shaft of said rotary actuator;
• a moveable foundation mounted at the lower end of said double ended rod, said moveable foundation to move up and down with said double ended rod relative to said frame members;
• at least two cutter stabilizer guide assemblies mounted on said cutter foundation and adapted to move opposite of each other relative to said cutter foundation;
• at least two cutter blade assemblies mounted on said cutter foundation and further mounted on each side of said cutter blade assembly, in the center is the cutter stabilizer guide assembly, said cutter blade assembly having at least one cutter blade that moves perpendicular to the wall of said pile and said cutter blade is guided and stabilized by said cutter stabilize guides as said cutter blade is pushed into said pile wall;
• at least two spacer assemblies mounted on said cutter foundation below, said cutter blade assemblies, said spacer assembly having a spacer and said spacer having barbs protruding from said spacer;
• at least two stabilizer assemblies spaced one hundred and eighty degrees apart from each other and mounted on said frame member, said stabilizer assembly with stabilizer pads, said stabilizer pads are pushed into said pile and lock said apparatus to said pile after which said double ended rod cylinder lowers said cutter blade assemblies and said spacer assemblies wherein said cutter blade assemblies proceed to cut into said pile forming a cut in said pile, and when said cut in said pile is of sufficient length to allow said spacer to be inserted into said cut until said barb catches onto said cut holding said spacer to said cut in said pile wherein said blade assembly proceeds to enlarge said cut until said cut extends around the entire circumference of said pile.