US3388753A - Driving tool - Google Patents

Description

United States Patent 3,388,753 DRIVING TOOL Allen E. Bardwell, East Brunswick, NJZ, assignor to Trident Industries, Inc, Princeton, N.J., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 16, 1965, Ser. No. 464,499 8 Claims. ((31. 173-139) ABSTRACT 015 THE DISCLOSURE A gravity drop driving tool constructed to increase the effectiveness thereof with less damage per operating cycle thereto and to driven items comprising an elongated casing, a heavy elongated bar member mounted in said casing for limited reciprocative movement, cushioning means at each end of said bar limiting movement, but having appreciable compression, a lifting member at one end of the casing, and tool holder at the other end of the casing.

The present invention relates generally to gravity drop tools or structures for driving piles or casings, for drilling, or for like functions, and more particularly to a novel gravity drop tool for driving piles or casing, for drilling, or for like functions which, when used for driving piles or casings accomplishes greater driving effect and less damage per operating cycle than conventional or other gravity drop driving tools.

For many years, various types of pilings and casings have been driven into the ground as supports for buildings as protection against the sea, flood water, etc., for casing off or sealing water wells, etc., and for other purposes. Equipment has been developed for handling gravity drop tools for driving the piling or casings downward but little advancement has been made in the driving tools per se, although the need for faster, better driving has been great for many years.

Hence, an object of the present invention is to provide a gravity drop driving tool which fulfills the long existing need stated above.

In brief, an exemplification of the present novel gravity drop driving tool includes an elongated casing in which is enclosed a heavy elongated bar or hammer. At each end of the hammer is a disk of yieldable Teflon or similar material. Closing one end of the casing is a tool receiving box or member. Closing the other end of the casing is a rope socket attachment member.

Therefore, another object of the present invention is to provide a novel gravity drop driving tool which will in crease the rate of penetration of the driven element or unit, or the bit when used in drilling.

Other objects are to provide a novel gravity drop driving tool which achieves increased penetration of the driven tool per cycle of operation without damage to or appreciable increased strain on the driven element or unit, which is economical and relatively inexpensive, which has wide adaptation of use, which requires no special handling equipment, which is durable and requires minimum maintenance, which can be employed with minimum instruction to operating personnel, and which otherwise fulfills the objects and advantages sought therefor.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages are apparent from the following description taken with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURES 1 and 2 comprise a longitudinal, diametric cross-sectional view through a driving tool illustrated as formed of metal incorporating the principles of the present invention, FIGURE 1 including the upper portion thereof and FIGURE 2 the lower portion, portions of elements or units in both figures being in elevation;

Patented June 18, 1968 ice FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic view of the present tool being employed to drive a casing using a drive clamp and a drive head;

FIGURE 4 is an isometric view of a drive clamp; and

FIGURE 5 is an isometric view of a drive head.

Refer-ing to the drawings more particularly by reference numerals, 10 indicates generally a gravity drop driving tool constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. The tool 10 includes a casing 12 within which is a bar 14 illustrated as elongated and solid. Also within the casing 12 and adjacent the ends of the bar 14 are cushioning members 16 and 18 of Teflon or other suitable material against which the bar 14 alternately strikes or compresses, actually or in effect.

Extending into the lower end of the casing 12 is a support 20 which may be shrunk and welded or otherwise secured in position with the inner end against the member 16. The support 20 receives any selected tool, such as a striker, hammer, or drill bit (not shown), as by the threaded well 22.

Extending into the upper end of the casing 12 is a cable or rope socket member 24 which may be shrunk and welded or otherwise secured in position with the inner end against the member 18. A cable or rope may be secured to the threaded end 26 of the member 24.

The present tool 10 has many uses. For example, the tool 10 with an attached striker or hammer may be gravity dropped onto a pile or onto other members or units being driven into the ground or other place. As the striker contacts a pile, for example, and the striker and the pile move downwardly an increment, the bar 14 moves sharply downwardly against the member 16 compressing the same. The member 16 sustains compression of the bar 14 for a greater length of time creating a greatly increased driving period of the support 20 on the object being driven, thereby increasing the driving elfect of the striker and increasing the pile penetration of the ground per operating cycle. The member 18 cushions the bar 14 as it bounces upward after compressing the member 16.

Another use is illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawing. A drive clamp 30 is fastened onto the shank of the member 24 in the usual manner, a drive head 32 is secured to the upper edge of a casing 34 in the well-known fashion, the lower end of tool 10 is lowered into the casing 34, and gravity drop driving ensues. As above described, the sustained compression of the bar 14 effectively continues the driving force of contact of the drive clamp 30 with the drive head 32. The sharp rebound of the drive clamp 30 is in effect snubbed as the casing is driven a greater distance into the ground than can be accomplished with a simple bar. Once the casing is moving, it, of course, acquires less force to continue its motion than to restart it.

Another use of the tool 10 is in drilling in which the penetration per cycle is increased.

It is apparent that there has been provided a tool which fulfills the objects and advantages set forth and sought.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description and the accompanying drawing have been given by way of illustration and example. It is also to be understood that changes in form of the elements, rearrangement of parts, and substitution of equivalent elements, which will be obvious to those skilled in the art, are contemplated as within the scope of the present invention which is limited only by the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a gravity drop multi-use tool comprising a casing, a heavy bar member mounted in said casing for reciprocative movement, cushioning material adjacent each end of said bar member incorporating characteristics permitting predetermined movement of said bar member following a striking blow, after drop of said tool providing a second blow, means maintaining said cushioning material in predetermined positions for engagement by said bar member, and a member operatively mounted at one end of said casing for transmitting a driving force from said bar member to a struck object.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which said member is adapted to strike a pile and the like a first blow and then to transmit the force of said bar members blow over a greater period of time.

3. In combination, a driving tool for driving piling and the like, comprising a heavy member, a support for said heavy member, said member having limited reciprocative movement in respect to said support, a striking means mounted on said support, said heavy member having limited reciprocative movement in respect to said striking means and being mounted to strike a blow immediately following a blow by said striking means.

4. The combination of claim 3 including buffers engageable by said heavy member, said buffers limiting the reciprocative movement of said heavy member and efiecting a snubbing action on the blow of said heavy member.

5. The combination of claim 4 in which said buffers are maintained in fixed positions and are of resilient material.

6. The combination of claim 3 in which said striking means is a drive clamp element.

7. The combination of claim 4 in which at least one of said buffer members engages said bar member substantially at all times.

8. In combination, a gravity drop multi-use tool comprising a casing, a heavy bar member mounted in said casing for reciprocative movement for striking a driving blow immediately after a gravity drop blow of said tool, cushioning material adjacent each end of said bar member limiting reciprocation thereof and snubbing said heavy members blow to effect a dwelling action, and means maintaining said cushioning material in predetermined positions for engagement by said bar member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,319,724 5/1967 Cunningham 173-l 19 1,006,661 10/1911 Knapp 173--l31 3,245,482. 4/ 1966 Williams et al. 173-126 CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

NILE C. BYERS, FRED C. MATTERN, MILTON KAUFMAN, L. P. KESSLER, Examiners.

Images