AU771093B2

AU771093B2 - Screw pile anchors

Info

Publication number: AU771093B2
Application number: AU76313/00A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Paul Camilleri
Original assignee: STEEL FOUNDATIONS Ltd
Current assignee: STEEL FOUNDATIONS Ltd
Priority date: 1999-09-28
Filing date: 2000-09-19
Publication date: 2004-03-11
Anticipated expiration: 2020-09-19
Also published as: AU7631300A

Description

TITLE: SCREW PILE ANCHORS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention THIS INVENTION relates to screw pile anchors.

The invention particularly relates, but is not limited to a coupling for screw pile anchors and to screw pile anchors incorporating the coupling.

The term "screw pile anchors" shall also include "screw piers", "ground anchors" and "piles".

2. Prior Art AU-B-17734/95 (680352) (PAUL CAMILLERI) and AU-A- 40280/95 (STEEL FOUNDATIONS LIMITED) both disclose the manufacture of screw pile anchors of the type to which the present invention may be applied.

The segments of the tubular shafts of screw pile anchors are typically screwed together, using screw threaded couplings.

If the threads become damaged before installation, it is difficult to connect the respective segments together.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved coupling to interconnect respective segments of the tubular shaft or body of a screw pile anchor.

It is a preferred object to provide such a coupling with respective male and female coupling members being engageable in driving engagement.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a screw pile anchor incorporating the coupling.

Other preferred objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description.

In a first aspect, the present invention resides in a coupling assembly for a tubular shaft of a screw pile anchor, the coupling assembly including: a female coupling member having a tubular portion open at a distal end, a substantially annular abutment seat at a proximal end; and at least one coupling formation in the tubular portion, extending substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the female coupling member, having a curved first wall portion of increasing radial distance from the longitudinal axis connected at one end to a second wall portion extending substantially radially inwardly therefrom, the or each first wall portion being releasably engageable by a respective complementary formation on a male coupling member; and the male coupling member including a tubular, or solid, portion having at least one complementary formation, extending substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the male coupling member, the or each complementary formation being external to the tubular, or solid, portion, and having a curved first wall or face increasing radial distance from the longitudinal axis connected at one end to a second wall or face extending substantially radially inwardly therefrom, the or each first wall or face being releasably engageable with a respective first wall portion of the female coupling member.

In a second aspect, the present invention resides in a screw pile anchor incorporating the coupling assembly of the first aspect.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS To enable the invention to be fully understood, preferred embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying S.drawings, in which: FIGS. 1 and 2 are respective front and side views of a screw pile anchor incorporating the coupling assembly and a point attack bit; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the coupling assembly; :*FIGS. 4 and 5 are respective end elevational views of the female and male coupling members; FIG. 6 is a first perspective view of the point attack bit; and FIG. 7 is a second perspective view thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a screw pile anchor 100, provided with a helical flyte 10, a point attack bit 40, and the coupling assembly each to be hereinafter described in more detail.

FIGS. 3 to 5 illustrates a coupling assembly 60 incorporating a female coupling member 70 (FIG. 4) and a male coupling member (FIG. The coupling assembly 60 can be used to attach, eg., a point attack bit 40 to the tubular shaft 101 of a screw pile anchor 100 where the outer end of the point attack bit 40 is provided with, eg., the male coupling member 80 of FIG. The coupling assembly 60 can also be used to interconnect respective tubular shaft elements together to enable the length of the screw pile anchor to be varied see FIGS. 1 and 2.

The female coupling member 70 has a tubular portion 71 open at its distal end and a substantially annular abutment seat 72 at its proximal end. The tubular portion 71 has a wall with a plurality of equally spaced coupling formations, each with first wall portions 73 which are curved and of increasing radial distance from the longitudinal axis of the female coupling member 70 in end view (see FIG. the adjacent first wall portions 73 being interconnected by respective second wall portions 74 extending inwardly substantially radial to the longitudinal axis of the :female coupling member 70 (or at an inclined angle, eg., of 00-450 to lines extending radially from the axis).

The male coupling member 80 has a plurality of equally spaced complementary formations 81 see FIG. 5 on a shaft, with respective first and second engagement faces 83, 84 complementary to the first and second wall portions 73, 74 on the female coupling member 0 70. Each second engagement face 84 extends substantially radially inwardly from one end of a first engagement face.

The male coupling member 80 is inserted into the female coupling member 70 until the distal end 82 of the male coupling member 80 engages the abutment seat 72.

o• By rotating the male coupling member 80 relative to the female coupling member 70 in the direction of arrow A, the coupling members 70, 80 are brought into driving engagement and/or locking engagement. Reversing the direction of rotation allows the coupling members to be released.

As the coupling formations of the tubular portion 71 and the formations 81 of the male coupling member engage in a cam-like arrangement, further rotation in the direction of arrow A more firmly locks the coupling members 70, 80 together.

Extension members 102 can be provided with the female and male coupling members 70, 80 at respective ends to enable the effective length of the tubular shaft 101 of the screw pile anchor 100 to be increased.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, a point attack bit 40 is formed, eg., by a mechanical or hydraulic press, at one end of, or from a section of, the tubular shaft 101 of the screw pile anchor 10, or at one end of a tubular shaft segment connectable to the tubular shaft, eg., by the coupling assembly The end of the tubular shaft 101 is deformed into a substantially diametrical formation 41 with at least one rib or tooth 42, which may be hardened, eg., by heat-treatment.

Various changes and modifications may be made to the :o*.embodiments described and illustrated without departing from the present invention.

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Claims

1. A coupling assembly for a tubular shaft of a screw pile anchor, the coupling assembly including: a female coupling member having a tubular portion open at s a distal end; a substantially annular abutment seat at a proximal end; and at least one coupling formation in the tubular portion, extending substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the female coupling member, having a curved first wall portion of increasing radial distance from the longitudinal axis connected at one end to a second wall portion extending substantially radially inwardly therefrom, the or each first wall portion being releasably engageable by a respective complementary formation on a male coupling member; and the male coupling member including a tubular, or solid, portion having at least one complementary formation, extending substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the male coupling member, the or each complementary formation being external to the tubular, or solid, portion, and having a curved first wall or face of increasing radial distance from the longitudinal axis and connected at one end to a second wall or face extending substantially radially inwardly therefrom, the or each first wall or face being releasably engageable with a respective first wall portion of the female coupling member.

2. A coupling assembly as claimed in Claim 1 wherein: a plurality of the coupling formations are provided at equal spacings around the female coupling member; and o 25 a complementary member of complementary formations are provided at equal spacings about the male coupling member.

3. A coupling assembly as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein: l the second wall portions extend at an inclined angle of 0* to 30 450 to lines extending radially from the longitudinal axis of the female coupling member.

4. A coupling as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein: l the coupling formations and complementary formations engage in a cam-like arrangement.

A coupling member substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.

6. A screw pile anchor incorporating the coupling assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 0 SO0 0. 05S 0