Automatically adjustable caisson clamp
AssigneeAmerican Piledriving Equipment, Inc.
InventorJohn L. White
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A clamp system for allowing a pile driving/pulling system to be attached to a caisson to be driven into or extracted from the earth. The clamp system comprises a structural member, first and second clamp systems, first and second locking systems, and a clamp displacement system. The clamp displacement assembly is operatively connected between the structural member and the first and second clamp assembly. When the first and second clamp systems are disengaged from the pile and the first and second locking systems are disengaged from the structural member, the clamp displacement system may be operated to obtain a desired clamp distance between the first and second clamp assemblies.
Claims17
A clamp system for allowing a pile driving/pulling system to be attached to a caisson to be driven into or extracted from the earth, comprising:
- a structural member adapted to be attached to the pile driving/pulling system;
- first and second clamp systems comprising first and second clamp assemblies, respectively, that engage the structural member such that the first and second clamp assemblies can move along the structural member, where the first and second clamp systems operate in
- a first clamp mode in which the clamp assemblies are adapted to selectively clamp onto portions of the caisson, and
- a second clamp mode in which the clamp assemblies are adapted to release from the caisson;
- first and second locking systems each having a locking assembly mounted on the first and second clamp assemblies, respectively, where each of the first and second locking systems operate in
- a first lock mode in which a position of the clamp assemblies relative to the structural member is fixed, and
- a second lock mode in which the clamp assemblies are allowed to move relative to the structural member;
- and
- a clamp displacement system having a clamp displacement assembly operatively connected between the structural member and the first and second clamp assembly;
- whereby
- when the first and second clamp systems are in the second clamp mode and the first and second locking systems are in the second lock mode, the clamp displacement system may be operated to displace the clamp assemblies relative to each other to obtain a desired clamp distance between the first and second clamp assemblies.
A method of attaching a pile driving/pulling system to a caisson to be driven into or extracted from the earth comprising the steps of:
- providing a structural member adapted to be attached to the pile driving/pulling system;
- providing first and second clamp systems comprising first and second clamp assemblies, respectively, where first and second clamp systems operate in
- a first clamp mode in which the clamp assemblies are adapted to selectively clamp onto portions of the caisson, and
- a second clamp mode in which the clamp assemblies are adapted to release from the caisson;
- engaging the first and second clamp systems onto the structural member such that at least the first clamp assembly can move in a limited manner relative to the second clamp assembly and to the structural member;
- providing first and second locking systems having first and second locking assemblies, respectively, where locking systems each operate in
- a first lock mode in which the locking assemblies engage the structural member to fix a position of the clamp assembly associated therewith relative to the structural member, and
- a second lock mode in which the clamp assembly associated therewith is allowed to move relative to the structural member;
- mounting the first and second locking systems on the first and second clamp assemblies, respectively;
- and
- providing a clamp displacement system having a clamp displacement assembly;
- operatively connecting the clamp displacement assembly between the structural member and the first and second clamp assemblies;
- and
- operating the clamp displacement system to displace the first and second clamp assemblies relative to each other to obtain a desired clamp distance between the first and second clamp assemblies when the first clamp system is in the second clamp mode and the first locking system is in the second lock mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.