US3572668A

US3572668A - Apparatus for cutting driven metal piling

Info

Publication number: US3572668A
Application number: US746207A
Authority: US
Inventors: Irvin L Leblanc
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1968-07-19
Filing date: 1968-07-19
Publication date: 1971-03-30
Anticipated expiration: 1988-03-30

Abstract

A graduated vertical pipe for holding and accurately positioning a cutting torch, said pipe being slidably mounted in a top centering ring that is mountable in rotation on the top of the piling to be cut, the bottom of said graduated pipe suspending a removable bottom centering guide, and the whole being rotatable 360*.

Description

United States Patent lrvin L. LeBlanc 6215 S. Laverne St., New Orleans, La. 70126 July 19, 1968 Mar. 30, 1971 Inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented APPARATUS FOR CUTTING DRIVEN METAL PlLlNG 3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 266/23, 148/96 Int. Cl t. 823k 7/04 Field of Search 266/23 (0) (N); 148/96; 33/21 (A) (C); 83/184, 178,187, 54; 82/82 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,345,242 6/1920 Reynolds Primary Examiner-Frank T. Yost Attorney-Lake and Pugh ABSTRACT: A graduated vertical pipe for holding and accurately positioning a cutting torch, said pipe being slidably mounted in a top centering ring that is mountable in rotation on the top of the piling to be cut, the bottom of said graduated pipe suspending a removable bottom centering guide, and the whole being rotatable 360.

Patented Mm-.1130, 1971 2 Sheets-Shet 1 l. INVENTOR IRVIN L. L

BY i/ FIG.

EBL )IC ATTORNEY Patented March 30, 1971 I 3,572,668

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR IRVIN' L. LEBLAIYIIC AT TORNEY/ APPARATUS FOR CUTTING DRIVEN METAL PILING The invention generally relates to the apparatus for cutting the surplus tops of metal shell pilings that have been driven into the ground, and more particularly to cutting the pilings from the inside at points below ground level at the building foundation level.

It is general practice in the art to drive in place piling on the site before excavating the lot down to the level of the prospective foundation. The excavating of the building site down to the desired foundation level after the pilings have been driven is laborious and costly, but no method has as yet been invented for cutting these pilings at the desired foundation level and the empty shell pilings tips are left standing as high as 13 to 30 feet above foundation level and around which the excavating must proceed.

It is an object of the invention to provide the apparatus for cutting off the driven metal shell piling at the foundation level or a desired height after it has been driven to ground level or above in order to remove the excess piling so that excavation of the foundation can proceed over the cut piling ends rather than around the excess piling tips.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the detailed description and claims and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is the side elevation of the invention in place in the upper end of a shell piling;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the upper centering ring and tumtable;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the bottom centering ring;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the top torch clamp; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged plan view of the bottom torch clamp.

Referring to FIGS. 1-5, the invention comprises a graduated pipe 1 having at each end longitudinally

adjustable pipe sleeves

2 and 2a. A rotatable centering ring and turntable 3 of dimensions suitable to cooperate with the end of the driven pile 8 comprises a circular structure having reinforcing radial arms that are normal and form at the center and define a center hole. Said hole is large enough to slidably receive the graduated pipe I but too small to allow the passage of the upper sleeve 2, vertically adjustable on pipe 1. Vertically movable supporting clamps 4 and 6 are secured intermediate the ends of the pipe for holding a cutting torch 5 at cutting distance from the piling intermediate theends of the pipe I. The clamps 4 and 6 are screwed by thumb screws so that the burning end of the torch 5 is 6 inches from the bottom sleeve which is set flush with the end of the pipe. A platform and reinforcing bracket is fastened to the pipe to support the weight of the torch 5. A bottom guide plate 7 defining the center hole for engaging the lower end of the pipe I is supported by a bottom pipe sleeve 2a screwed on the end of the pipe I. The upper clamp 4 for the torch carries a pulley and control line which leads up to a handle 10 via a pulley on sleeve 2, for controlling the oxygen. Oxygen and acetylene lines II are fed down through one of the interstices of the radial arms of the rotatable centering ring 2 to supply the cutting torch 5.

An upwardly extending flange 13 on the centering ring and turntable 3 supports the spring biased handle 10 to the end of which the oxygen control line is secured. Flange I3 is also vertically slotted to receive therein a combination setscrew and rotating handle 9 for, respectively, adjustably fixing said pipe sleeve 2 to pipe 1 and for rotating the entire apparatus including the clamp attached torched in the piling 8 supported on the upper end thereof.

In operation the invention generally is used under one of two conditions. In the first condition, the piling is out below the water level of the building site, the rotatable centering ring 3 is set at the desired height from the bottom of the rod with a setscrew in the pipe sleeve. The cutting torch 5 is secured by the two clamps 4 and 6 to the graduated pipe 1 so that the cutting torch 5 is precisely 6 inches from the bottom pipe sleeve and is rotatable with the pipe 1. The pile 8 is filled with cement up to within 6 inches of the desired cutoff point. After the pile is filled to the 6-inch level, the torch 5 is set for the cutoff distance as indicated by the sleeve 2 on the graduated pipe 1 by screwing the combination setscrew and rotating handle 9 into sleeve 2 to engage pipe I. The acetylene is turned on and lit, then the apparatus is inserted into the end of the pile with the turntable centering ring 3 resting on and rotatably engaging the exposed end of the piling 8 and with the combination setscrew and rotating handle 9 engaging in the slot of flange 13. The oxygen line is activated by handle 10 and the control line to produce the cutting flame. The turntable and centering ring, the pipe 1 and the torch 5 fixed to said pipe 1, is manually rotated 360 by the combination setscrew and rotating handle 9 engaged in the slot of flange I3 and also fixed to pipe l'to cut the piling 8 at the desired height within a tolerance of plus or minus 541 inch. The unwanted portion of the metal pile can then be extracted. The last 6 inches of the pipe is filled when the site is excavated down to its foundation level.

When the cutoff point is above the water level at the site, the pile 8 can be cut precisely at that point and before the concrete filling is poured. After the pile 8 is filled, the unwanted portion of the pile can be extracted before the concrete sets. If the pile was accidentally overpoured, the cement breaks off easily at the proper elevation.

Although the apparatus and method of the invention has been described with a certain amount of particularity, it should be understood that this is purely by way of example and that numerous changes can be made in the arrangement of parts without parting from the spirit of the invention as is claimed hereinafter.

Iclaim:

1. Improved apparatus for holding and accurately positioning a metal cutting means in an approximately vertical driven metal pile for cutting said pile below the outside surface in which the pile is driven, said apparatus comprising in combination: a turntable and centering ring defining a center hole and having peripheral means extending downwardly for rotatably engaging the exposed end of said driven pile, and having an upwardly extending flange defining a vertical slot; a vertically graduated pipe or rod adapted to slidably engage in the hole defined in said turntable and centering ring; a pipe sleeve adapted to slidably engage over said graduated pipe and above said turntable and centering ring but not to fit through the hole defined in it, said pipe sleeve being transversely tapped through a side; a combination tap screw and rotating handle having a threaded end adapted to engage in the transverse tap of said pipe sleeve and fixes it and fixes it and the sleeve to the pipe which depends from the turntable and centering ring the desired distance from the exposed end of the pile, and said tap screw and handle being adapted to engage in the vertical slot in the upward flange of the turntable and centering ring for fixing it to the pipe sleeve; means for holding said cutting means radially directed and fixed to rotate with the graduated pipe for cutting from inside of said pile; a centering ring fixed to the lower end of the graduated pipe and adapted to snugly and rotatably fit within said pile for centering the graduated pipe in cooperation with the turntable and centering ring; and a remote control means for controlling the application and cutting progress of said cutting means; whereby when said combination tap screw and rotating handle fixes the pipe sleeve to the graduated pipe to define the desired cutting distance, and fixes the sleeve to the turntable and centering ring rotatably engaged on the exposed end of the pile, and the rotating handle and the remote control means are simultaneously actuated, the piling is cut from the inside at the desired distance from the top of the piling.

2. Improved apparatus as described in claim I wherein said metal cutting means is an oxyacetylene cutting torch and connecting lines to a supply of oxygen and acetylene, and said remote control means comprises a spring biased handle mounted on said upwardly extending flange of the turntable and centering ring and a control line connecting said handle with the oxygen control on said cutting torch, whereby when said acetylene is manually lit outside of the pile, the oxygen is remotely controlled to ignite and form the cutting flame inside the pile.

3. Improved apparatus as described in claim I wherein said peripheral means comprises downwardly extending concentric flanges radially spaced apart to receive therebetween the exposed end of said piling.

Claims

2. Improved apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said metal cutting means is an oxyacetylene cutting torch and connecting lines to a supply of oxygen and acetylene, and said remote control means comprises a spring biased handle mounted on said upwardly extending flange of the turntable and centering ring and a control line connecting said handle with the oxygen control on said cutting torch, whereby when said acetylene is manually lit outside of the pile, the oxygen is remotely controlled to ignite and form the cutting flame inside the pile.

3. Improved apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said peripheral means comprises downwardly extending concentric flanges radially spaced apart to receive therebetween the exposed end of said piling.