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US 6,814,525 B1Granted
Piling apparatus and method of installation
OwnerMichael Whitsettinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An in-situ pile apparatus 10 includes a helical anchor to which a plurality of elongated generally cylindrically shaped sections can be added. Each of the sections has a specially shaped end portion for connecting to another section. An internal drive is positioned in sections inside the bore of each of the connectable pile sections. The internal drive includes enlarged sections that fit at the joint between pile sections. In one embodiment, the internal drive can be removed to leave a rod behind that defines reinforcement for an added material such as concrete. The rod also allows for a tension rod connection from the anchor tip to an upper portion attachment point.
Claims23
A multi-section pile apparatus, comprising:
- a) a lowermost anchor that is configured to be driven into a soil mass by rotation, the anchor having a helically threaded portion;
- b) a plurality of pile sections that are connectable end-to-end at joints, the pipe sections and joints having hollow bores, a lowermost of the pile sections being connectable to the top of the anchor;
- c) an internal drive that fits inside of the pile sections, the drive including enlarged sections that snugly fit the bores of the joints between respective pile sections, each joint being occupied by an enlarged section of the drive;
- d) wherein the enlarged section and the joints are configured with non-annular surfaces that enable torque to be transmitted from the drive to the pile sections;
- e) the lower end portion of the drive having a connector that enables a connection to be made between the lower end portion of the drive and an upper end portion of the anchor;
- and
- f) the combination of pile sections and joints being continuously hollow so what fill material added to the uppermost pile section enables all of the pile sections to be filled with fill material.
4 more elements
A multi-section pile apparatus, comprising;
- a) a lowermost anchor that is configured to be driven into a soil mass by rotation, the anchor having a helically threaded portion;
- b) a plurality of pile sections that are connectable end-to-end at joints, the pipe sections and joints having hollow bores, a lowermost of the pile sections being connectable to the top of the anchor;
- c) an internal drive that fits inside of the pile sections, the drive including enlarged sections that snugly fit the bores of the joints between respective pile sections, each joint being occupied by an enlarged section of the drive;
- d) wherein the enlarged section and the joints are configured with non-annular surfaces that enable torque to be transmitted from the drive to the pile sections;
- and
- e) the lower end portion of the drive having a connector that enables a connection to be made between the lower end portion of the drive and an upper end portion of the anchor.
3 more elements
A multi-section pile apparatus, comprising:
- a) a lowermost anchor that is configured to be driven into a soil mass by rotation, the anchor having a helically threaded portion;
- b) a plurality of pile sections that are connectable end-to-end at joints, the pipe sections and joints having hollow bores, a lowermost of the pile sections being connectable to the top of the anchor,
- c) an internal drive that fits inside of the pile sections, the drive including enlarged sections that snugly fit the bores of the joints between respective pile sections, each joint being occupied by an enlarged section of the drive;
- and
- d) wherein the enlarged section and the joints are configured with non-annular surfaces that enable torque to be transmitted from the drive to the pile sections.
2 more elements
An in-situ pile apparatus comprising:
- a) a lowermost helical anchor;
- b) a plurality of hollowed pile sections that are connectable end to end, a lowermost of the pile sections being connectable to the helical anchor;
- c) an internal drive system that is comprised of plurality of sections that are connectable end to end and which fit inside of the hollowed pile sections, the drive including enlarged members that fit at the joints between respective pile sections;
- and
- d) wherein each of the pile sections carries circumferentially paced radially extending soil displacement ribs.
2 more elements
An in-situ pile apparatus comprising:
- a) a lowermost helical anchor;
- b) a plurality of hollowed pile sections that are connectable end to end, a lowermost of the pile sections being connectable to the helical anchor;
- c) an internal drive system that is comprised of a plurality of sections that are connectable end to end and which fit inside of the hollowed pile sections, the drive including enlarged members that fit at the joints between respective pile sections;
- and
- d) wherein the internal drive is hollow and further compromising a rod that extends longitudinally through the hollow interior of the internal drive.
2 more elements
An in-situ pile apparatus comprising:
- a) a lowermost helical anchor that is configured to be driven into a soil mass;
- b) a plurality of hollowed pile sections that are connectable at joints that have open bores, a lowermost of the hollowed pile sections being connectable to the top of the anchor;
- c) an internal drive system that is comprised of a plurality of sections that are connectable and which fit inside of the hollowed pile sections, the drive system including enlarged sections that snugly fit the open bore of the joints between respective pile sections.
A method of installing a piling system comprising the steps of:
- a) thrusting a helical anchor into the earth;
- b) connecting multiple pile sections to the helical anchor, each of the pile sections having squared end portions that are connectable with respective other squared end portions of other pile sections to define one or more joints;
- c) driving the anchor and pile sections with an internal drive that includes a plurality of longitudinally extending end to end connected drive members, and wherein the internal drive includes enlarged drive members that are placed at spaced apart positions and which fit the joint between pile sections, registering at provided squared end portions of connected pile sections.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.