US 6,988,564 B2Granted

Diesel hammer systems and methods

AssigneeAmerican Piledriving Equipment, Inc.

InventorJohn L. White

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Abstract

A diesel hammer system for driving a pile, comprising a housing, an anvil member supported by the housing, a clamp assembly adapted to connect the anvil member to the pile, and a ram member disposed within the housing. A fuel pump system injects fuel into a combustion chamber defined by the housing, anvil member, and the ram member. A coupling system detachably engages the ram member to raise the ram member from an impact position to an upper position, the coupling system comprising a trigger member that, when engaged, causes the coupling system to release the ram member. A trigger projection mounted is on the housing to engage the trigger member to cause the coupling system to release the ram member at the upper position. The diesel hammer further comprises a pre-trigger system comprising a pre-trigger member movable between an extended position and a retracted position.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A diesel hammer system for driving a pile, comprising:

a housing;
an anvil member supported by the housing;
a clamp assembly adapted to connect the anvil member to the pile;
a ram member disposed within the housing;
a fuel pump system for injecting fuel into a combustion chamber defined by the housing, anvil member, and the ram member;
and
a coupling system that detachably engages the ram member to raise the ram member from an impact position to an upper position, the coupling system comprising a trigger member that, when engaged, causes the coupling system to release the ram member;
a trigger projection mounted on the housing to engage the trigger member to cause the coupling system to release the ram member at the upper position;
and
a pre-trigger system comprising:
a pre-trigger member movable between an extended position and a retracted position;
wherein
when the pre-trigger member is in the extended position, the pre-trigger member engages the trigger member as the ram member moves from the impact position towards the upper position to cause the coupling system to release the ram member at a pre-trigger position;
and
when the pre-trigger member is in the retracted position, the pre-trigger member does not engage the trigger member as the ram member moves from the impact position to the upper position;
whereby
when the pre-trigger member is in the retracted position, the ram member moves from the impact position to the upper position and back to the impact position such that the ram member engages a fuel pump system to cause fuel to flow into the combustion chamber;
when the pre-trigger member is in the extended position, movement of the ram member from the impact position to the pre-trigger position and back to the impact position does not cause fuel to be forced out of the fuel chamber and into the combustion chamber.

15 more elements

A diesel hammer system for driving a pile, comprising:

a housing;
an anvil member supported by the housing for movement relative to the housing between rest and impact positions;
a clamp assembly adapted to connect the anvil member to the pile;
a ram member disposed within the housing;
a fuel pump system for injecting fuel into a combustion chamber defined by the housing, anvil member, and the ram member;
and
an extension member engaged with the housing member, where the ram member is disposed at least partly within the extension member when the ram member is in an upper position;
whereby
movement of the ram member from the upper position into an impact position causes the ram member to act on the fuel pump system to force fuel into the combustion chamber;
and
as the ram member reaches the impact position, the anvil member moves from the rest position to the impact position.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.