US3034588A

US3034588A - Rod driver

Info

Publication number: US3034588A
Application number: US750455A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr Wade M Matheny; George R Heilman
Original assignee: Union Carbide Corp
Current assignee: Union Carbide Corp
Priority date: 1958-07-23
Filing date: 1958-07-23
Publication date: 1962-05-15
Anticipated expiration: 1979-05-15

Description

1962 w. M. MATHENY, JR, ETAL 3,034,588

ROD DRIVER Filed July 23, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l V IWENTORS WADE M. MATHENY,JR. GEORGE R. HEILMAN MZfl%/ y 1962 w. M. MATHENY, JR., ETAL 3,034,588

Filed July 23, 1958 2 Sheets-Sh 2 Win i n u u n p n i 5 INVENTORS WADE M. MATHENY,JR. GEORGE R. HEILMAN wwwwwwwm ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiice 3,634,588 Patented May 15, 1952 3,034,588 ROD DRIVER Wade M. Matheny, Jr., and George R. Heilman, St.

Albans, W. Va., assignors to Union Carbide Corporation, a corporation of New York Filed July 23, 1958, Ser. No. 750,455 4 Claims. (Cl. 175-156) This invention relates to rod drivers, and more particularly to an effective device for driving metal ground rods of the type employed for making electrical ground connections, a principal object of the invention being the provision of a rod driving device which permits application of force along the length of any part of a rod for the purpose of driving it into the ground.

An object of this invention is to provide a relatively simple and inexpensive device of the above character which effectively clamps, guides and applies force to a rod at any given point without the use of scaffold or other superstructure, thereby eliminating hazards and accidents to personnel involved and materially reducing operational costs.

Another more particular object is to provide a rod driving device comprising a fixed rod gripping jaw and a movable jaw adapted to clamp a rod therebetween in which application of force to the device in clamping engagement is transmitted to the rod by friction.

Another object is to provide a construction for attaching the movable jaw to a handle which provides effective clamping engagement and which is readily engaged and disengaged with a minimum of effort.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rod driving device which can be utilized for the purpose of driving metal rods out of the ground.

The above and other apparent objects of the invention will appear from the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the rod driving device as applied to a rod.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section of the device showing the fixed rod gripping jaw and movable jaw in clamping engagement with a rod.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the movable jaw assembly shown in FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, designates a solid body member, preferably of hardened steel construction, which is provided with a recess 11 located on its top surface. The recess 11 is adapted to receive the driving head of a power hammer or any other suitable instrument whose function is to receive the direct force of the hammer. Attached to the lower section of body 10 and extending outwardly therefrom are a pair of parallel arm members 15 which define a rod receiving channel 16. Each arm member 15 is attached to body member 10 by any suitable means, as by bolts 7, for example, which pass through the lower section of the body portion and are fitted with castle nuts and cotter pins.

Vertically located on an elongated fiat sidewall of body member 10 and facing rod receiving channel 16 at substantially right angles is a fixed rod gripping jaw 19 comprising a set of concave arcuate teeth which, as illustrated in FIG. 2, engage a portion of rod 20. The teeth are machined out of the metal body member 10 and are slanted downward in the direction of the force applied to recess 11.

Intermediate the end surface of each parallel arm member 15 and fixed rod gripping jaw 19 are formed opposing slots 22 which extend vertically downward from the top to the intermediate portion of each arm member and terminate in arcuate depression 23. The

slots 22 are located on the inner side of each arm member 15 and serve as a guide for the pivot pin 28 of yoke 30 which rests in annular depression 23 when the handle 33 attached thereto is placed in position.

As more clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, handle 33 has a yoke 30 mounted on one end which comprises

parallel arm members

32 and 34. The arm members, in turn, pivotally support a movable jaw or clamp shoe 35 by means of a circular pin 39 which passes through each of the arm members. The handle 33 is of any convenient length that furnishes the necessary leverage for holding and guiding the rod. Located intermediate the top and bottom of each arm member and projecting outwardly therefrom is auannular pivot pin 28 which extends laterally through each of

arm members

32 and 34. Pivot pin 28 is adapted to be pivotally supported in annular depression 23 of each arm member 15 by way of entry through vertical slots 22 and the handle 33 is thus fulcrumed to swing vertically through rod receiving channel 16.

The movable jaw or clamp shoe 35 is preferably constructed of hardened steel and consists of a series of concave arcuate teeth 36 which are adapted to match those of fixed jaw 19 so as to provide firm engagement under pressure from handle 33 when a rod 24 is placed therebetween. The teeth 36 are preferably machined out of the metal of the movable shoe 35 and are slanted downward in the same manner as described for fixed rod gripping jaw 19.

An important feature of the invention resides in slanting the teeth of fixed jaw 19 and movable jaw 35 in a downward direction. In this manner when a rod is to be driven into the ground and is firmly engaged between the teeth of both

jaws

35 and 19, the force applied to recess 11 by means of an air hammer or other equipment is transmitted to the rod in the proper direction by means of friction between the teeth and the rod.

In operation of the rod driving device, the movable jaw 35 attached to handle 33 is removed from rod receiving channel 16 by means of slots 22. In removing the jaw, handle 33 is disposed in its uppermost position. The parallel arm members 15 are then placed astride a rod and moved upward or downward along the length of the rod to any selected point so as to provide a convenient distance from the ground for driving the rod downward. Thereafter, the movable jaw 35 is operatively positioned by means of pivot pin 28 entering slots 22 and resting in depression 23. Leverage is applied to handle 33 by operating personnel and effective clamping engagement is thereby obtained between fixed rod gripping jaw 19 and movable jaw 35. The driving head of an air hammer or other suitable instrument is placed in recess 11 and the force applied thereto is transmitted to the rod by means of friction between the rod and the teeth of fixed jaw 19 and movable jaw 35. For extracting ground rods when underground obstruction proves impossible to penetrate, the rod driving device is merely placed in reversed position and the rod driven out of the ground. This procedure, obviously, is the reverse application of driving a rod into the ground.

In order to prevent operating personnel from inserting the movable jaw 35 in the wrong fashion, an elongated slot 38 may be provided on the upper side of yoke 30 between

parallel arm members

32 and 34 whereby a centrally located outwardly extending flange 41 on the back side of movable jaw 35 may lie parallel therein. The dimensions of opposing slots 22 and pin 28 are then constructed so that the movable shoe 35 can be operatively positioned only when the flange 41 rests in slot 38.

The metal rods, pipe, and the like which may be driven into the ground by the rod driving device of this invention include, for example, rods having a diameter up to abouLtwo and one-half inches. Interchangeable jaws having matched teeth for both the fixed rod gripping jaw :19 and movable jaw 35 may be employed for each or one inch may be used for rods having a diameter of inch to /2 inch and inch to 1% inches, respective- 'ly. A tooth size of 2 inches will accommodate rods ranging in diameter from 4' inch to 2 /2 inches. Although the teeth of both jaws are preferably arcuate, the teeth of the movable jaw maybe fiat since in conjunction with the arcuate teeth of fixed jaw 19 there is suificient holding force.

The work piece driven into the ground is usually of circular section, however rods of hexagonal or octagonal section may be easily driven provided there are enough longitudinal surface faces to afford firm engagement for the teeth. The only limitation on length of the rod is imposed by the tendency of long, thin rods or pipes to bend. In general the smaller the diameter of the work piece, the shorter the length that may be driven into the ground. The material of which the work piece is constructed is limited to metals and hard woods of sulficient strength to withstand distortion by the resistance of the ground to the force applied. 7

The subject rod driving device can be used wherever it is necessary to drive long, heavy metal rods or pipes into the ground and has been found particularly suited for driving metal rods for making electrical ground con- Other contemplated uses for the rod driving nections. device include the driving of metal fence posts, light standards, sign standards, anchor bolts, and the like.

As is apparent from the above description, operation of the rod driver is accomplished at ground level without the aid of a scafiold or other superstructure which thus reduces operational costs and substantially eliminates the danger of accidents and injury to operating personnel. Numerous modifications are apparent in view of the foregoing specification and it is not intended to-limit the invention to the precise embodiment illustrated. All suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A rod driving device comprising, in combination, a solid body member having a recess located on its top surface, parallel arm members defining a rod receiving channel perpendicularly attached to the lower portion of said body member, a fixed rod gripping jaw comprising a set of downwardly slanting concave arcuate teeth located on the side of said body member and facing the rod receiving channel, a yoke member pivotally supported by said arm members within said rod receiving channel, a movable jaw comprising a set of downwardly slanting concave arcuate teeth pivotally attached to said yoke member and facing the fixed rod gripping jaw, and handle means attached to said yoke member whereby the application of leverage thereto provides elfective clamping engagement of a rod disposed between the fixed rod gripping jaw and movable jaw.

2. A rod driving device comprising a body having a recess in the top thereof, arms attached to said body defining a rod receiving channel, a fixed rod gripping jaw on the side of said body facing said channel, a yoke pivoted between said arms, a movable jaw pivoted substantially at the center thereof within said yoke and facing said fixed jaw, the depth of said channel and the vertical extent of the gripping face of said jaws being greater than the width of said channel to provide a long gripping area, and a handle on said yoke for urging the pivot of said movable jaw substantially horizontally toward said fixed jaw to provide clamping engagement substantially uniformly over said long gripping area.

3. A rod drivingdevice as claimed in claim 2, in which said pivoted jaw has downwardly slanting concave teeth distributed. above and below the pivot thereof.

4. A rod driving device as claimed in claim 2, in which the inner side of each arm has a slot and an annular depression removably receiving the pivot of said yoke.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 416,903 Danielson Dec. 10, 1889 749,318 Morris Jan. 12, 1904 891,157 Freeman June 16, 1908 968,022 Abbott et aI. Aug. 23, 1910 1,042,873 Bet-ts Oct. 29, 1912 1,112,192 Callan Sept. 29, 1914 1,469,911 Aumiller Oct. 9, 1923 2,330,360 Hill Sept. 28, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 233,527 Great Britain May 14', 1925 152,315 Austria Ian. 25, 1938