US1084120A - Metal sheet-piling. - Google Patents

Description

J. R. WEMLINGER. METAL SHEET PILING. ON FILED FEB.1.7, 1910. RENEWED JULY 17, 1912.

APPLIOATI Invenor 1% 4 :41

Patented Jan. 13, 1914.

U TED ES PATEN OFFICE.

METAL SHEET-PILING.

Losaaao.

Application filed February 17, 1910, Serial No. 544,449.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jones R. \VEMLIN- GER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Metal Sheet- Piling, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in metal sheet-piling constructed of corrugated plates provided with locking devices which serve to make the same interlocking.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a metal sheet-piling which shall possess the greatest possible water-tightness combined with freedom of driving and pulling.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, 1 will describe the same in detail by referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings which forms part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a sectional plan of my improved metal sheet-piling, showing one complete section thereof interlocked with portions of contiguous sections; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of my improved sheet-piles; Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the locking edge and locking clip; and Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of a corner section of my improved metal sheet-piling.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the typical form of sheet-pile that embodies my invention consists of a corrugated section or plate 1 having, preferably, five corrugations, the

central one of which is provided with a lonv gitudinal locking strip or clip 2 that serves to interlock contiguous units of sheet-plhng. Each corrugated sheet or plate is composed of arcs 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, joined together con- I secutively bytangents 8, 9, 10 and 11, preferably at an angle of .60 degrees to the horizontal center line of the section. It will be noted that the arcs 3 and 7 which are alike are of smaller radius than the like arcs 4 and 6. The result of this arrangement is that when sections of my improved sheet-piling are interlocked they are in contact only at the extreme top and bottom of the corrugations or, in other words, at only two points between the locking clips 2. This is a very ii'npo-rtant fcatureof this invention and eliminates the most important defect of corrugated sections for sheetpiling,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 33,1914.

Renewed July 17, 1912. Serial No. 710,056.

when the same are made to fit closely as shown in U. S. Patents Nos. 776,132 and 776,147, in which case it was intended to haye the sheets in close contact at every point. In actual practice, this arrangement resulted in an enormous amount of friction causing very hard driving and exceedingly great difiiculty in pulling. Theoretically, of course, the friction being independent of surface, should be no greater in one case than in the other; the fact is, however, that the surfaces of metal in contact are by no means ideal ones and the natural roughness thereof provides minute projections and depressions that look together when the sheets are in contact under pressure. This surface locking causes enormous friction which must be overcome by the blow of the pile driver and greatly limits its useful force. My improvement eliminates not only this excessive friction but, also, what is quite as important,

decreases to almost nothing the surfaces of metal that can rust together while the sheetpiling is in position in the ground or in water.

Probably the most useful advantage of metal sheet-piling is its adaptability to continuous usage by being pulled and reused after the work to be done through its temporary application has been completed. At the same time, the most serious defect of commercial metal sheet-piling is the rusting together of the sheet-piles when they are left in osition for acomparatively short time. ften, attempts to pull the sheetpiling have resulted in much expense and delay, breakage of pulling machinery, and, frequently complete loss of sheet-piling itself because it could not be pulled economically or at all. It is evident, therefore, that my improvement is of great commercial value and while it retains all the advantages of the corrugated section for sheet-piling as regards great strength and stiffness combined with lightness, it eliminates completely the defects aforementioned.

Referring now to Fi 3 for a detailed description of the interl ocking arrangement, it will be noted that the locking clip 2 is arranged with shoulders 12 and tongues 13, the latter terminating in outwardly curved lips 14. The clip 2 in this case is formed of a rolled section, but it may be formed of a plate pressed to the required shape, in which case the shoulders 12 will not be as sharp as shown in Fig. 3; these shoulders should, however, be square enough to prevent a void in which the free edge 17 of the sheet-pile may wedge itself in the process of driving.

As shown, the tongues 13 project over the edge 17 of each sheet they serve to lock to the sheet of which they form an essential part. These tongues are curved so that they are in contact with the said edges only at one point 15 and, furthermore, owing to the outward curve of the lips 14, any tendency of the sharp edges of the locking tongues 13 to cut into the metal of the sheet-piles in contact therewith is entirely avoided. This is also a feature of practical importance because it eliminates another defect often found in interlocking sheet-piling.

It will be seen that the tongues 13 are shaped so as to provide an inner space or clearance 16, which performs a very useful function, as will be explained presently. While in transit and during the handling preliminary to actual driving of the sheetpiling, the edges 17 are very likely to be indented or buckled in places and although the same may be straightened before driving, this demands valuable time and more care than is usually possible in the field. Therefore, it is advisable to have locking means that will not require careful and expensive straightening of all marginal indentations or kinks, except really serious ones, but that will easily and eifectually lock the sheet-piles together in spite of such defects or imperfections. This is easily accomplished by the arrangement of locking clip shown.

Under ordinary conditions, i. e. where the sheetpiling is driven in the soil, the same is generally found to be sufficiently water-tight without a specially close interlock, but where the sheet-piling is used for colferdams in clear water or in other places where the hydrostatic pressure is excessive, a fairly tight interlock is needed. To provide for this emergelmy, the tongues 13 are shaped so that when the edge 17 of one sheet is entered under the clip it is slightly deflected or sprung from its original position, shown in dotted lines, to that shown in full lines in Fig. 3. This makes a lock which, combined with the overlapping features of this type of interlocking sheet-piling, makes it more watertight than any other type heretofore devised. The manner in which this tightness of interlock is secured is the cause of its effectiveness and, being novel, will be explained in some detail. Heretofore, when it was desired to securewater-tightness by means of an elastic joint, the locking clip was usually made flexible. This, however, will not accomplish the desired purpose be cause, although the clip itself may be flexible, the material in which itis driven usually packs so tightly against it as to prevent any motion of the clip and thereby counteracts its flexibility. I avoid this defect by leaving the clip inflexible, or at least nearly so, and by taking advantage of the fact that the comparatively long and free edge 17 is not only naturallv more flexible than the tongue 13, but it is, also, entirely free to move there being little, if any soil, packed in the open space 16 of the interlock.

By reference to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the locking clip 2 is somewhat shorter at each end than the main sheet 1. This is a valuable feature as it makes it possible to ClIlXB the pile without injury to the locking device which would likely be the case if the clips were extended to the ends of the pile.

As indicated in the drawings, the clip 2 is secured to the corrugated sheet 1 by means of flat headed rivets 18, which are prefer- .able to the round headed rivets usually employed because they oifer much less resistance in driving and pulling than the latter.

19 are open holes provided for the inscrtion of hooks required for the hoisting of the sheet-piles in position and also for pulling the same when not driven too deeply or driven in soft soil. If the piling is driven deeply or in hard soils. it is seldom advisable to try pulling with hooks or shackles u passed through the holes 19, as this causes the tearing out of the metal. out it is better and more satisfactory to draw the piling with some kind of tongs arranged to grip the metal solidly between strong jaws.

Corner sections of corrugated sheet-piling can be readily made by taking two halves of regular sections with a portion of the tangents on the other side of the center line of the sheets and securing the same together at the desired angle as at 19 by means of rivets 20 as clearly indicated in Fig. 4.

While I have hereinbefore described in detail one embodiment of my invention, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in the form of the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of my invention, since What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In a metal sheet-piling, a section having a plurality of corrugations, the end corrugations having arcs of smaller radius than the arcs of the intermediate corrugations.

2. A metal sheet-piling comprising a plurality of corrugated sections arranged to overlap at their margins, each edge of each section being secured and locked to the body of the adjoining section, and the surfaces of the overlapping portions engaging only at the centers of the arcs of their corrugations.

3. In metal sheet-piling, a plurality of corrugated sections arranged to overlap at their margins, the' overlapping portions constructed to engage only at the centers of the corrugations.

4c. In metal sheet-piling, a section having a plurality of corrugations, the end corrugations having arcs of smaller radius than the arcs of the intermediate corrugations, means carried by each section for guiding and locking each of the edges of the overlapping portions, said guidmg means caus ing said overlapping edges to spring outwardly and remain undertension.

5. In metal sheet-piling, a section having a plurality of corrugations, the end corrugations having arcs of smaller radius than the arcs of the intermediate corrugations, and means carried by each section for looking the edges of the overlapping portions under spring tension.

6. In metal sheet-piling, a splicing and locking strip for guiding and locking the edges of adjoining sections, said strip being arcuate in cross-section and provided with an inflexible offset flange or tongue bent outwardly at its base and connected thereto by means of a rigid shoulder and having its projecting end returned to engage the adjoining section.

7. In metal sheet-piling, a splicing and locking strip for guiding and locking the edges of adjoining sections, said strip being arcuate in cross-section and provided with an oflset flange ortongue bent to inclose a larger space adjacent to its base than at its outer end. i

8. In metal sheet-piling, a splicing and locking strip; for guiding and locking the edges of ad oining sections, said strip ing arcuate in cross-section and provided with v an offset flange or tongue bent to inclose a larger space adjacent to its base than at its outer end and having said outer end curved outwardly.

9. In metal sheet-piling, a splicing and locking strip for guiding and locking the edges of adjoining sections, said strip being arcuate in cross-section and provided upon either side with offset flanges or tongues bent to inclose a larger space adjacent to their bases than at their outer ends.

10. In metal sheet-piling, corrugated sectionsarranged to overlap across one or more corrugations, splicing and locking strips secured to each of said sections, each strip having an inflexible oflset flange adapted to project over and deflect and lock the edges of the overlapping port-ions, said strips terminating at their upper ends at a distance below the top of the sections.

11. In metal sheet-piling, a plurality of corrugated sections having flexible edges and arranged to overlap at their margins, a section being provided with an inflexible interlocking device formed to provide a larger space adjacent its base than at its outer end, and adapted to engage the flexible edgesof the overlapping sections and to forcibly deflect the same, whereby said edges are held in close contact wit-h the interlocking device.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JULIUS R. WEMLINGER.

Witnesses:

FLORENCE J. VALSH, O'rro TH. CARPENTIER.

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