GB2114194A - Foundation machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a foundation machine comprising a pylon 5 tiltably mounted on an underframe 1, 2, 3. The pylon 5 lies down above the underframe 1, 2, 3 so that the machine is compact. The pylon 5 is fastly tilted by means of two devices 7 and 8. The tilting device 7 comprises two cylinder-piston devices pivotably mounted on the underframe 1, 2, 3 and cooperating with two claws 23 mounted on the pylon 5 when tilting the pylon 5 between the lying position and an intermediate position. When the intermediate position is reached, claws 23 release said cylinder-piston devices. The supporting device 8 comprises two cylinder-piston devices pivotably mounted on the pylon 5, and, when tilting between said intermediate position and the upright position, also pivotably connected to the underframe 1, 2, 3 by means of a pin 47. When the tilting device 7 is working, pins 47 are removed and the cylinder-piston devices of device 8 slide over guides 17, 18 mounted on the underframe 1, 2, 3. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Foundation machine This invention relates to a foundation machine which comprises an underframe, a pylon which is mounted thereon to be tiltable about a horizontal tilting axis, and means for tilting said pylon relative to the underframe between a lying position and an upright position.

Such foundation machines are notably used for driving foundation piles, or for boring wells into the ground which are thereafter filled with concrete to form foundation piles in situ. The implement, that is thus a vibrating machine or an air-operated hammer when driving piles or a boring device when boring, is movably hung from the nylon which, during the conveying of the foundation machine, is tilted down but is set upright during the working thereof. In upright position, the pylon is not necessarily vertical, in such a way that the foundation piles may also be driven or formed at some angle in the ground.

In known foundation machines of the abovedefined kind, the pylon is so tiltably secured to the one end of the underframe that it does lie completely in front of the underframe in lying position. On the other end of said underframe is mounted an elevated structure which reaches to substantially above the tilting axis. The means for tilting the pylon are formed by at least one double-action cylinder-piston unit which is hingedly made fast on the one hand to the pylon, a very short distance away from the tilting axis, and is hingedly secured on the other hand to the top of said elevated structure. Said elevated structure may be troublesome and does in any case increase the cost of the machine.The main drawback of said known machine lies however in the pylon being located completely in front of the underframe in lying position, and the machine having a very long length with the pylon lying down. This means that the conveying of the machine with the pylon laid down will be very difficult if not impossible. Actually for such conveying, a large portion of the pylon is dismantled. Such dismantling of the pylon and the re-assembling thereafter is naturally timeconsuming and costly.

The invention has for object to obviate said drawbacks and to provide a foundation machine which, when the pylon lies in a lying position, is very compact and may thus be conveyed without having to partly dismantle the pylon, while the erecting and lowering of the pylon can occur very fast and in a simple way.

For this purpose the pylon can be tilted down above the underframe and the means for tilting the pylon comprise an extensible and shortenable, connectable and releasable tilting device for tilting said pylon between the lying position above the underframe and a slanting intermediate position, said tilting device during the tilting between both said positions being hingedly connected to the underframe some distance away from the tilting axis and being hingedly connected to the pylon at a relatively short distance away from the tilting axis, but being released in the erected position of the pylon, and an extensible and shortenable, as well as connectable and releasable supporting device for the tilting of the pylon between the intermediate position and the erected or upright position, said supporting device during the tilting between both said latter positions, being hingedly connected to the underframe some distance away from the tilting axis on that side along which the pylon extends at an angle above said underframe and being hingedly connected to the pylon at a relatively long distance away from the tilting axis, but being released in the lying-down position of said pylon.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, the foundation machine comprises means which when erecting the pylon, automatically release the tilting device from the one element among those elements formed by the pylon and the underframe when said pylon moves beyond the intermediate position, but automatically connect said device back to said element before the pylon as it is lowered, reaching again said intermediate position, while the tilting device is hingedly secured in a fixed position to the other element.

Preferably said latter-mentioned means which connect and release automatically the tilting device relative to the one element among those elements formed by the pylon and the underframe, comprise at least one claw which is made fast to said element, while said tilting device is provided at the releasable end thereof with a head cooperating with said claw which when erecting said pylon between the lying position and the intermediate position, hooks behind said claw but with a further tilting is released from the claw, and the machine comprises a support which so supports said head, at least as said head is released from the claw, that said head as said pylon is lowered, is again captured by said claw before the pylon reaches the intermediate position.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the supporting device is hingedly connected with the one end in a fixed location, to said pylon and the foundation machine comprises at least one hand-movable and removable coupling element for hingedly connecting together the other end of said supporting device and the underframe.

Preferably said other end of the supporting device and the underframe are provided with openings and the coupling element is a pin which can be fitted through said openings as they lie facing one another.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the foundation machine comprises a post which is slidably mounted on the pylon, and means for sliding suid post in the lengthwise direction thereof relative to said pylon.

In this embodiment the implements are mounted on the post which is longer than the pylon it forms a tower with. In the erected condition of the tower, the post markedly projects above the pylon, but in lying-down condition the post can, with a view for the conveying, be so slid as to possibly project equaliy outside both ends of the pylon. The tower then projects in lying condition in a lesser way on the front side outside the underframe than when the post would be fast to the pylon or the tower would only be comprised of a pylon with the same length as the post. Moreover, in this embodiment, by sliding the post relative to the pylon with the tower lying down or slightly at an angle, it is possible to bring the gravity point nearer to the tilting axis whereby the torque is reduced and the load on the tilting device is minimized.

Other details and advantages of the invention will stand out from the following description of a foundation machine according to the invention; this description is only given by way of example and does not limit the invention; the reference numeral pertain to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side view of a foundation machine according to the invention with the tower lying down.

Figure 2 is a side view similar to figure 1 of a foundation machine according to the invention, but shown during the tilting of the tower from the lying-down position to the intermediate position.

Figure 3 is a side view similar to figures 1 and 2, but with the tower in the intermediate position.

Figure 4 is a side view similar to the preceding figures, but with the tower in erected position.

Figure 5 shows a section view along line V-V in figure 4, but drawn on a larger scale.

Figure 6 is a side view of the bottom part of the pylon in the machine as shown in figure 4, but drawn on a larger scale and with part of the tilting device shown in dashed line.

Figure 7 shown a section view along line VII VII in figure 6.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of part of the underframe and the means for tilting the pylon from the machine according to the preceding figures, shown on another scale.

In the various figures, the same reference numerals pertain to the same elements.

The foundation machine as shown in the figures is mainly comprises of an underframe 1, 2, 3, a tower 5, 6 tiltably mounted thereon about a horizontal axis 4, and means 7, 8 for tilting said tower.

The underframe comprises in the usual way, a caterpillar set 1, a top carriage 2 and a ball turning ring 3 whereby said top carriage is rotatably mounted about a vertical axis on said caterpillar set 1.

Means are mounted on the underframe 1, 2, 3 to drive the caterpillar set 1 and to rotate the top carriage 2 about a vertical axis relative to the caterpillar set 1. Said means are of a structure known per se and will thus not be described here and have not been shown in the drawings either for clearness sake.

The top carriage 2 comprises a rectangular base 9 formed by girders. On the lengthwise sides thereof and on the top side are mounted two side sills 10. As it appears particularly clearly from figure 8, the side sills 10 connect at the one end of top carriage 2, to a vertical support 11 which projects above said sills. Said support is further braced by a strut 12 which extends between the top end of support 11 and the top side of the side sill 10. Each support 11 bears at the uppermost end thereof, a bearing 13.

To the other end of top carriage 2 on the top side of each side sill 10, connects a rise 14 the top side of which forms a slanting plan running upwards to the end. The rises 14 on both side sills 10 are connected together by a cross beam 1 5.

To the uppermost end of each rise 14 is welded a support 16 projecing upwards. To the top side of each rise 14 is made fast a U-shaped channel 17 which, on the side of the supports 11, runs up to against said supports above the top side of the corresponding side sill 10. Exactly against the supports 1 6, the side walls of the U-shaped channel 17 are reinforced by flanges 18. An opening 19 extends cross-wise through both flanges of the U-shaped channel and through the walls thereof.

The tower 5, 6 is comprised of a pylon 5 and a post 6 slidably mounted thereon which in the lying-down position of said tower, lies on the top side of the pylon.

As it appears mostly from figure 5, the pylon 5 is formed by two section bars 20 which are retained spaced from one another by a lattice 21.

At a short distance from the lowermost end of pylon 5, on the outer side of each section bar 20 stands a journai 22 which enters a bearing 13.

Both journals 22 thus determine the geometrical horizon tilting axis 4. On said lowermost end each section bar 20 bears, on that side opposite to post 6, a claw which is formed by two pairs of battens 23 running in parallel relationship with one another, which are welded with the one end thereof to the section bar 20 and are welded with the other end thereof two by two together and to a small reinforcement plate 24, in such a way that they form together two parallel triangles as shown in detail in figures 6 and 7. The apex of the formed triangles lies on that side removed from post 6 of the pylon 5, but closer to the lowermost end of pylon 5 than the tilting axis 4. On that side facing said lowermost end, the apex of each triangle in the vertical position of pylon 5, is provided with a notch 25 opening downwards.

At the uppermost end thereof the pylon 5 bears above each section bar 20, a beam 26 which bears at both ends, that is respectively on the side of post 6 and on the side opposite thereto, a cable pulley 27. Somewhat lower between the section bars 20, there is mounted a beam 28 which bears a cable pulley 29, respectively on the side of post 6 and on the side opposite thereto. The beam 28 is naturally mounted opposite openings in the lattice 21.

To said lattice 21 are made fast pairs of claws or so-called clamp plates 30, on the side of post 6 and at various heights on pylon 5. The post 6 hooks with flanges underneath said claws 30 and it is so slidably mounted on pylon 5.

As it appears especially from figure 5, the post is a hollow cylinder which is bounded sidewise by two section bars 31 the flanges of which are connected in pairs by walls 32. Both section bars 31 are slid with the one flange and that wall 32 which connects said flanges, underneath said claws 30. The width of said post as considered along the cross-wise direction of the top carriage 2, that is in parallel relationship with the horizontal axis 4, is substantially smaller than the width along the same direction of pylon 5. The post 6 lies however between both beams 26 at the uppermost end of pylon 5 and that beam 28 projecting outside said pylon lies completely on the one side of post 6.

At the uppermost end thereof the post 6 bears two cable pulleys 33. Adjacent the lowermost end thereof also, two cable pulleys 35 are mounted next to one another on the post 6, said pulleys 35 projecting outside post 6 through openings 34 in the section bars 31.

The sliding of post 6 in the direction from foot to top of pylon 5 is caused by a cable 36 which is fast with one end to the drum of a winch 37 which is mounted on the top carriage 2. Said cable 36 runs over both cable pulleys 29 which are mounted on the uppermost end of pylon 5, then runs along the one side of post 6 to the foot thereof, runs around one of the cable pulleys 35, runs thereafter on the other side of post 6 in the direction of the top thereof, turns around cable pulley 55 mounted on the post 6, runs back to the foot and over the other cable pulley 35, and runs finally back in the direction of the top to one of the beams 26 mounted on the pylon 5 to which beam it is fastened with the end thereof. When erecting the tower 5, 6, the drum of winch 37 is released or cable 36 is disengaged to allow the required lengthening thereof.During the lowering, the cable 36 may when desired, be somewhat wound up by means of winch 37. Both during the erecting and during the lowering, the post 6 is retained fast on pylon 5 by known means, unless when the post is to be slid, for example to prevent when erecting the tower, the lowermost end thereof striking the ground.

The sliding of post 6 in the opposite direction occurs due to the force of gravity when the tower 5, 6 is completely or partly erected. When the tower 5, 6 lies in lying-down position, such displacement in the direction from top to foot may occur by means of a cable not shown for clearness sake in the figures, which runs from a winch 56 mounted on the top carriage 2 over the cable pulleys 33 at the post top, and is secured with the one end thereof to one of the beams 26.

When using the machine, when the post 6 does not have to be moved, said latter cable end is released from beam 26 and the cable may be used for raising loads, for example for hanging the implement which is slidably mounted on post 6 on that side thereof opposite pylon 5.

In lying position the tower 5, 6 as shown in figure 1, lies above the top carriage 2. With a view for the conveying, the post 6 is so slid relative to pylon 5 that said post projects equally on either side outside said pylon 5.

The post 6 also lies in this position at the beginning of the erecting of tower 5, 6, whereby the tilting moment and thus the force required for erecting the tower is relatively small. Said moment is further reduced as an implement has been left on post 6, and actually as near as possible to the foot of said post 6. When erecting said implement then forms some king of counterweight for the largest part of tower 5, 6 which lies on the opposite side of tilting axis 4.

To prevent the tilting of the underframe 1, 2, 3, the top carriage is braced to the ground by means of swing-out hydraulic feet 38.

The erecting of tower 5, 6 occurs by means of said means 7, 8 which are comprised of a tilting device 7 for a first stage of erecting, and a supporting device 8 for a second stage of erecting.

The tilting device 7 comprises two doubleacting cylinder-piston units which are mounted on the inner side of both side sills 10 on the top carriage 2. The cylinder 39 from each said unit is hingedly secured with a hinge pin 41, to the top carriage 2. The piston rod 40 lies on the side of said supports 11 and bears at the end thereof, a head 42; Said head 42 is comprised of a horizontal shaft which is rotatably or unrotatably mounted on the end of the piston rod 40, projects on either side outside said end, and is provided with a disk-iike overthickness on both projecting ends thereof. The heads 42 from the tilting device 7 are so located and have such a size that may each be captured by one of said claws 23, 24,25.

Both batten pairs 23 lie thereby between the end of piston rod 40 surrounding the head shaft, and the disc-like overthicknesses. To the cylinder 39 connect in the usual way hydraulic lines 43. The control of the hydraulic cylinder-piston devices 39, 40 occurs in a way known per se, which will not be described in detail here either.

The supporting device 8 also comprises two hydraulic cylinder-piston devices the cylinders 44 of which are hingedly secured with the uppermost end thereof by means of a horizontal hinge pin 46 to the pylon 5, approximately level with beam 28.

The free end of the piston rods 45 may be coupled by means of a coupling pin 47 to that end removed from supports 11 of said top carriage 2.

The end of the piston rods 45 is provided therefore with an opening 48 and fits in the Ushaped channel 17, When the end of the piston rod 45 lies on the end of top carriage 2 between both flanges 18, and the openings 1 9 therein face the opening 48, said coupling pin 47 may be passed through said openings 19 and 48. Said pin 47 comprises at the one end thereof an overthick head, while through the other end thereof can be passed a small locking pin 49.To each cylinder 44 of the double-acting cylinder-piston units 44, 45 connect in a known way, hydraulic lines 50 which are controlled in a way which is known also and will not be described hereinafter. Aflexible portion connecting to the cylinder 44 from said hydraulic lines 50 may also be uncoupled and coupled by means of a fast coupling 51 relative to the remainer of the lines with the pressurized-oil source.

When the tower 5, 6 lies in the lying-down position as shown in figure 1, said tower bears on the cross-beam 1 5 from the top carriage 2. The cylinder-piston units 39, 40 lie in extended position and the heads 42 lie inside the notches 25 in those claws 23, 24, 25, standing at the lowermost end of pylon 5. The cylinder-piston units 44, 45 lie to,the contrary in retracted position. The cylinders 44 bear on both supports 1 5 at the one end of the top carriage 2 and the free ends from the piston rods 45 are completely loose.

The erecting of the tower 5, 6 occurs during the first stage with the tilting device 7 only.

Thereby the cylinders 44 from the supporting device 8 are raised by said pylon 5 from the supports 1 5. The cylinders 44 hang with the uppermost end thereof from the slanting pylon 5, while they bear with the lowermost end thereof, by means of a vane 54 standing thereon, slidingly on the bottom of channel 1 7 as shown in figure 2.

To prevent with a further tilting, post 6 striking with the lowermost ends thereof the ground, said post should be slid somewhat in the direction of the top thereof relative to pylon 5, in the abovedescribed way. With the further erecting of tower 5, 6 by means of the tilting device, the lowermost ends of the piston rods 45 enter said channels 17 and move away from the vertical supports 11 up to that end lying above a rise 14 from said channels 17, as shown in figure 3. The free ends of the piston rods 45 then lie between the flanges 1 8 at the end of the channel 17 and the openings 48 in said end lie opposite the openings 19.

In this intermediate position shown in figure 3 of the tower 5, 6, the supporting device 8 is engaged by bringing both coupling pins 47 through the openings 48 in both piston rods 45 and the facing openings 1 9 and locking said pins by means of the locking pins 49. By means of the fast couplings 51, the flexible portions of the hydraulic lines 50 are also coupled to the remainder of said lines, in such a way that the cylinder-piston units 44, 45 may be operated and further erect the tower 5, 6.

In said latter position, both cylinder-piston units 44, 45 from the supporting device 8 lie approximately vertically. The heads 42 at the one end of the cylinder-piston units 39, 40 from the tilting device 7, still lie barely inside the notches 25 in both claws 23, 24, 25, but with the further upwards tilting of tower 5, 6 by means of the supporting device 8, said claws 23, 24, 25 release the heads 42. The notches 25 now open on the lower side. With a further tilting of tower 5, 6, the tip of said claws 23, 24, 25 moves in such an upwards direction that the heads 42 may come out from the notches 25 and thus are no more taken along. The cylinder-piston devices 39, 40 thereby lie in completely retracted position.

The released heads 42 do not fall downwards but remain supported by supports 52 which are welded to the upper side of base 9 of said top carriage 2. Said supports 52 actually also form guides for the heads 42 during the tilting under the action of the tilting device 7. Said supports 52 cooperate with the notches 25 in such a way that the heads 42 during the tilting by tilting device 7 cannot fall out of said notches 25 as long as said above-defined intermediate position of the tower 5, 6 has not been reached. The supporting device 8 now further tilts the tower 5, 6 to the erected or upright position thereof, which erected position may be the vertical position as shown in figure 4.

In the erected position, the tower may also lie slightly at an angle both to the front and to the back, in such a way that foundation piles may also be driven at an angle in the ground.

In figure 6, the pylon 5 is also shown in erected position, whereby thus the claws 23, 24, 25 have released the heads 42 from the cylinder-piston devices 39, 40. The path for the notch 25 from a claw 23, 24, 25 is shown by a dashed line 53 in this figure 6. The heads 42 lie on this line and thus In the path of a notch 25. It is then also clear that when lowering the tower 5, 6, the claws will also automatically capture the heads 42 back immediately before the intermediate position of tower 5, 6, as shown in figure 3, being reached. When said intermediate position has been reached, the coupling pins 47 are removed in such a way that the supporting device 8 is completely uncoupled.The further lowering of tower 5, 6 now takes place only with the tilting device 7 which is thus coupled back automatically in the meantime.

Due to the tower 5, 6 lying in the lying-down position, completely above the underframe formed by the caterpillar set 1, top carriage 2 and ball rotating ring 3, it is not necessary to partly dismantle said tower from the conveying thereof.

The erecting and lowering of tower 5, 6 may then also occur very fast and in a simple way. Even so the structure of the machine is relatively simple.

The erecting and lowering may further be made easy by suitably sliding the post 6 which is slid symmetrically relative to pylon 5 for the conveying, at the start of the erecting is so arranged that the rotating moment is as small as possible, during the erecting is slid in the direction of the top thereof because the foot thereof should not engage the ground, and after the erecting is located with the foot thereof on the ground.

The invention is in no way limited to the abovedescribed embodiment, and within the scope of the patent application many changes may be brought to the described embodiment, notably as regards the shape, the composition, the arrangement and the number of the components which are used for the embodying.

Particularly the means for sliding the post should not necessarily be as described above.

Said post may also be slid in other ways and be locked temporarily relative to the pylon, in other ways, for example by means of hydraulic devices.

Both the tilting device and the supporting device should not necessarily be formed by two cylinder-piston units. In some cases, one cylinderpiston unit may be enough. It is also possible to substitute to said cylinder-piston unit, another extensible and shortenable device, such as a jack device.

The coupling and uncoupling of both devices should not either necessarily occur in the abovedescribed way. Thus the tilting device does not have to be uncoupled automatically when erecting. Said tilting device may also for example be uncoupled and coupled by hand by means of a pin.

Claims (10)

Claims

1. Foundation machine which comprises an underframe (1,2,3), a pylon (5), which is mounted thereon to be tiltable about a horizontal tilting axis (4), and means (7, 8) for tilting said pylon (5) relative to the underframe between a lying position and an upright position, characterized in that the pylon (5) can be tilted down above the underframe (1, 2, 3) and the means (7, 8) for tilting the pylon (5), comprise an extensible and shortenable, connectable and releasable tilting device (7) for tilting said pylon (5) between the lying position above the underframe (1, 2, 3) and a slanting intermediate position, said tilting device (7) during the tilting between both said positions being hingedly connected to the underframe (1,2, 3) some distance away from the tilting axis (4), and being hingedly connected to the pylon (5), at a relatively short distance away from the tilting axis (4), but being released in the erected position of the pylon (5), and an extensible and shortenable, as well as connectable and releasable supporting device (8) for the tilting of the pylon (5) between the intermediate position and the erected or upright position, said supporting device (8) during the tilting between both said latter positions, being hingedly connected to the underframe (1,2, 3) some distance away from the tilting axis (4) on that side along which the pylon (5) extends at an angle above said underframe (1, 2, 3) and being hingedly connected to the pylon (5) at a relatively long distance away from the tilting axis (4) but being released in the lying-down position of the said pylon (5).

2. Foundation machine as defined in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises means (23, 24, 25) which when erecting the pylon (5), automatically release the tilting device (7) from the one element among those elements formed by the pylon (5) and the underframe (1, 2, 3) when said pylon moves beyond the intermediate position, but atomatically connect said device back to said element (5 or 1, 2, 3) before the pylon (5) as it is lowered, reaching again said intermediate position, while the tilting device (7) is hingedly secured in a fixed position to the other element (1, 2, 3, or 5).

3. Foundation machine as defined in claim 2, characterized in that said latter-mentioned means (23, 24, 25) which connect and release automatically the tilting device (7) relative to the one element among those elements formed by the pylon (5) and the underframe (1, 2, 3) comprise at least one claw (23, 24, 25) which is made fast to said element (5 or 1, 2, 3) while said tilting device (7) is provided at the releasable end thereof with a head (42) cooperating with said claw (23, 24, 25) which when erecting said pylon (5) between the lying position and the intermediate position, hooks behind said claw (23, 24, 25) but with a further tilting is released from the claw (23, 24, 25), and the machine comprises a support (52) which so supports said head (42) at least as said head (42) is released from the claw (23, 24, 25), that said head (42) as said pylon (5) is lowered, is again captured by said claw (23, 24, 25) before the pylon (5) reaches the intermediate position.

4. Foundation machine as defined in claim 3, characterized in that it comprises two claws (23, 24, 25) which are mounted on the lowermost end of the pylon (5), and which are each provided with a notch (25) eccentrically relative to the pylon tilting axis (4), while the tilting device (7) comprises two extensible and shortenable members (39, 40) which are hingedly secured with the one end thereof to the underframe (1, 2, 3) and bear at the other end thereof a head (42) which fits into a notch (25) from a claw (23, 24, 25).

5. Foundation machine as defined in any preceding claim, characterized in that the supporting device (8) is hingedly connected with the one end in a fixed location, to said pylon (5) and the foundation machine comprises at least one hand-movable and removable coupling element (47) for hingedly connecting together the other end of said supporting device (8) and the underframe (1,2,3).

6. Foundation machine as defined in preceding claim, characterized in that said other end of the supporting device (8) and the underframe (1, 2, 3) are provided with openings (48 and 19), and the coupling element is a pin (47) which may be arranged into said openings (48 and 1 9) when they lie facing one another.

7. Foundation machine as defined in claim 4, characterized in that the supporting device (8) comprises two extensible and shortenable members (44, 45) which are hingedly secured with the one end thereof to the pylon (5), and are provided at the other end thereof with an opening (48) for a pin (47), while the underframe (1, 2, 3) is provided on the top side thereof with two guides (1 7, 18) in each one of which is provided an opening (19) for one of said pins (47), which guides (1 7, 18) at least at the end of the pylon tilting from the lying-down position to the intermediate position, guide said latter ends of the extensible and shortenable members (44, 45) in such a way that when the pylon (5) has reached the intermediate position, the openings (48) in said members lie facing the openings (19) in said guides (17, 18) and the pins (47) can be fitted.

8. Foundation machine as defined in either of claims 6 and 7, characterized in that the extensible and shortenable members (44, 45) from the supporting device (8) are double-acting cylinder piston devices the hydraulic lines (50) of which may be unconnected by means of fast couplings (51).

9. Foundation machine as defined in any preceding claim, characterized in that it comprises a post (6) slidably mounted on the pylon (5), and means to slide said post (6) relative to the pylon (5) along the lengthwise direction thereof.

10. Foundation machine substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.