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US 6,505,998 B1Granted
Ground treatment
AssigneeGlobal Innovations, LLC
InventorRoger A. Bullivant
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ground treatment device (10) is weighted to provide ground treatment by dropping the device onto the ground. The device (10) has a relatively narrow nose (12) which provides, in use, the point of first contact with the ground. The device widens away from the nose (12), over a portion (14). A clevis arrangement (16) allows the device (10) to hang from a cable (18), to allow the device (10) to be raised by a crane, before dropping. A shoulder (22) projects outwardly and allows calibrated measurement of the degree of compaction achieved in the ground. Variations of the device (10) are described, together with apparatus for use in lifting and dropping the device, and methods of using the device.
Claims45
A method of ground compaction, comprising the steps of:
- compacting the ground;
- dropping an ironing ground treatment device onto the ground to effect an ironing pass after the step of compacting the ground, the ironing ground treatment device having a body and a working portion supported by the body, wherein the working portion includes a plurality of nose portions, each having a base for first contact with the ground during use, wherein each of the plurality of nose portions is tapered such that a width of each nose portion increases from the base of each respective nose portion towards the body, and wherein a portion of the body extends beyond the plurality of nose portions to provide a shoulder;
- and
- rolling the ground after the step of ironing the ground.
1 more element
A ground treatment device, comprising:
- a body;
- and
- a working portion, supported by the body,
- wherein the working portion has a base for first contact with the ground during use,
- wherein the working portion extends between the body and the base in an extending direction,
- wherein the working portion includes a faceted nose portion that includes at least all of the working portion extending away from the body from an interposing plane, said interposing plane being normal to said extending direction and being between the body and the base,
- wherein the faceted nose portion includes at least three facets, each of the at least three facets having a perimeter defined by a plurality of substantially straight edges,
- wherein the nose portion is tapered such that a width of the nose portion increases from the base of the nose portion towards the body,
- wherein a portion of the body extends beyond the nose portion to provide a shoulder which is spaced from the nose portion by a distance such that, when the ground treatment device is dropped from a predetermined height above the ground, the nose portion will embed in the ground without the shoulder reaching the ground if the ground is compacted to or above a predetermined amount, and
- wherein the ground treatment device is weighted such that the ground is treated when the ground treatment device is dropped onto the ground.
7 more elements
A method of ground compaction, comprising the steps of:
- dropping a ground compaction device at a predetermined speed to cause ground compaction, wherein the ground compaction device has a body and a working portion supported by the body, wherein the working portion includes a nose portion having a base for first contact with the ground during use, wherein the nose portion is tapered such that a width of the nose portion increases from the base of the nose portion towards the body, and wherein a portion of the body extends beyond the nose portion to provide a shoulder;
- and
- monitoring a degree of the ground compaction by noting a distance between the shoulder and the ground.
A method of forming a support within the ground, comprising the steps of:
- forming a pillar of particulate material in the ground;
- dropping a ground treatment device onto the pillar to create a void at the top thereof, wherein the ground treatment device has a body and a working portion supported by the body, wherein the working portion includes a nose portion having a base for first contact with the ground during use, wherein the working portion is tapered such that a width of the working portion increases from the base of the nose portion towards the body, and wherein a portion of the body extends beyond the nose portion to provide a shoulder;
- driving a pile into the ground through the void;
- and
- filling the void with supporting material.
2 more elements
A ground treatment device, comprising:
- a body;
- and
- a working portion supported by the body,
- wherein the working portion includes one or more faceted nose portions, each having a base for first contact with the ground during use,
- wherein the working portion extends between the body and each base in respective extending directions,
- wherein each faceted nose portion includes at least all of the working portion extending away from the body from a respective interposing plane, wherein each interposing plane is normal to the respective extending direction, and wherein each interposing plane is between the respective base and the body,
- wherein each faceted nose portion includes at least three facets, each of the at least three facets having a perimeter defined by a plurality of substantially straight edges,
- wherein each of said one or more nose portions is tapered such that a width of each nose portion increases from the base of each respective nose portion towards the body,
- wherein a portion of the body extends beyond said one or more nose portions to provide a shoulder, and
- wherein the ground treatment device is weighted to provide ground treatment upon dropping the ground treatment device onto the ground.
7 more elements
A ground treatment device, comprising:
- a body;
- and
- a working portion supported by the body,
- wherein the working portion includes one or more faceted nose portions, each having a base for first contact with the ground during use,
- wherein each of said one or more nose portions is tapered such that a width of each nose portion increases from the base of each respective nose portion towards the body,
- wherein a portion of the body extends beyond said one or more nose portions to provide a shoulder,
- wherein the ground treatment device is weighted to provide ground treatment upon dropping the ground treatment device onto the ground,
- wherein the working portion includes one or more shaft portions, each of the one or more shaft portions extending between a respective nose portion and the body,
- wherein the working portion includes an upper plate,
- wherein the one or more shaft portions is a plurality of shaft portions, and
- wherein each of the plurality of shaft portions substantially tessellate across a surface of the upper plate.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.