Timber Pile Connection System

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to piling and pile driving and more particularly relates to composite timber pile constructions and splice elements therefor. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to a composite timber pile construction and a method of driving composite timber piles in which a splice element confines a displaceable leveling material in a lateral direction with the leveling material transferring load evenly between the two piles spliced.

2. General Background

In various areas of the country where bearing pressures of soil are low and/or unsuitable for building purposes, construction can employ the use of one or more elongated load carrying elements referred to in the industry as a pile or piling. These devices for transferring load between a building and the underlying earth can be concrete, steel, or timber, in construction.

Timber piling are usually somewhat restricted in length because of the very nature of their source, namely trees. Thus it is desirable to splice timber piling together to form piling of extended length. These timber piling can also vary in diameter from end to end, complicating the splicing operation.

Often times timber pile are combined with piling of other construction such as, for example, concrete.

For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,003,323 issued to A. R. Holt provides a "Composite Pile Connector".

A "Pile Splicer" is also the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,206 issued to Robert Moore, et al. In that patent a splicing means for connecting two wood piles end to end to make a long pile for the transfer of pile loads to a lower stronger ground is disclosed. The splicer in that patent provides a plate-like, substantially horizontal element adapted to lie between adjacent pile ends. Optional epoxy glue between the upper and lower surfaces can be provided of the element and the upper and lower piles. A central upright dowel member extends above and below the plate-like element driven into each pile element respectively.

A "Composite Pile and Method of Manufacture" is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 4,252,473 issued to Albert M. Thomas, et al. The composite section includes a wooden section and a helically corrugated shell secured to the wooden section by a transition fitting.

A composite concrete and timber pile is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 1,471,124 entitled "Means for Connecting Ferro or Reinforced Concrete Piles to Wooden Piles".

"Composite Piles and Joiners Therefor" is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 2,912,829 issued to W. H. Cobi. The Cobi patent shows a composite concrete and timber pile with a splice element therefor.

A "Method and Apparatus for Splicing Replacement Pile Sections to a Pile Stub" is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 3,720,068 issued to E. R. DeRosa.

A splice element for two wooden utility poles, for example, is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 4,032,244. The extension would be attached to the flatten top of an existing pole. A projecting center shaft extends for the bracket to be received within mating center bores provided in the utility pole, a wooden extension pole or both. Threaded fasteners and metal straps complete the interconnection between the existing pole and the extension pole.

A "Pile Coupling and a Method of Pile Driving" is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,762,173 issued to Richard Marsh. The patent discloses a means for coupling sections of pile and a method of driving pile utilizing a thin-wall composite pile section. The coupling comprises a thin-wall sleeve with a telescoping thick-wall ring or collar mechanically anchored within the sleeve. Taps integrally formed in the collar, or the entire collar itself, are expanded within the sleeve to form corresponding anchor pots in the sleeve thereby mechanically interlocking the collar and sleeve. The coupling is adapted for use in coupling successive sections of thick-wall tubular pile or in coupling thin-wall tubular composite pile or thick-wall tubular pile. Use of the thin-wall tubular composite pile enables employment of a method for driving which eliminates the necessity for retaining a succeeding thick-wall tubular pile after the initial one is driven home.

The above devices fail to provide a suitable means for effective transfer of load between two timber pile in a manner which is simple, straightforward, easy to use, easy to field erect, easy to duplicate with good load carrying consistency, and easy to adapt to partial shop assembly, providing partial assembly when weather prevents pile driving such as rain, and the like.

In attempting to prepare a composite pile construction of two timber pile sections, invariably the end of the pile provide cut surfaces which may have been the result of a crude cutting arrangement such as a chainsaw or the like. The chances of both pile surface which abut upon assembly being exactly face to face is slim thus preventing the effective transfer of load from one pile to the other. This produces point stresses and can introduce bending moment into the entire assembly of the two pile sections. Such introduction of bending moment into the pile can cause buckling of the entire pile assembly and thus failure upon driving. Indeed, angular misalignment between the two pile sections reduces its effective load carrying capabilities.

Another problem in the assembly of two timber pile sections in a composite fashion is vertical alignment. The two timber pile sections must be vertically aligned and kept vertically aligned during driving so that the shock applied to the entire assembly by a hammer or other driving means does not cause the two piles to shift preventing effective load transfer from the top pile to the bottom pile section.

A composite section of two timber piles should be cost effective. It would be desirable to have an economical composite pile assembly doing away with the need for a concrete and timber pile construction having a timber pile topped with a concrete cap as is often used in the prior art.

The present invention thus provides a method and apparatus for driving composite timber pile sections in which there is provided a pair of timber pile sections with the first piling being driven into the earth a distance leaving an unexposed end portion.

A splice element is embedded partially into the second pile section and leveling material which is displaceable is added to the top of the first pile section. The leveling material is confined laterally within the splice element inside a provided bore with the bore communicating upon assembly with both pile sections trapping the leveling material. The pile sections are axially aligned and driven with the splice element then embedding into the second pile section. The leveling material is confined vertically by the respective mating faces of the two pile sections. The compressive load between the two pile sections is thus transferred through the leveling material and distributed evenly over the faces of the two piles.

The splice element is preferably cylindrical having a hollow inner bore. The leveling material should have good load carrying capability and is preferably displaceable and can be granular, for example, such as sand. The splicing element can have an indexing means for limiting the penetration of the stop element in each direction into each respective pile section. The pile sections are preferably flat on each end providing cooperating substantially flat mating surfaces which abut respectively the interfaced leveling material.

The splice element can be driven by a provided ram assembly which is adapted to connect with a pile driver. The ram assembly defines the penetration of the splice element into the lowermost pile section while at the same time allows driving of the first pile section with the splice element in place.

Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus of driving composite timber pile sections in which an entirely timber pile of composite construction is provided with effective load transfer therebetween.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of driving composite timber pile sections in which load is equally and evenly transferred between the two pile sections.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of splicing and of driving composite timber pile sections of differing diameters.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus of driving composite timber pile sections which is easy to adapt to field driving and assembly.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of driving composite timber pile sections which adapts itself easily to partial shop assembly/construction during weather conditions which prohibit pile driving.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of driving composite timber pile sections which is easy to use, easy to repeat with precision, and requires a minimum of personnel for handling.

For a further understanding of the nature and objects of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like parts are given like reference numerals and wherein:

FIGS. 1-6 are sequential views of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention illustrating the method of driving composite timber piles of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a elevational view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention illustrating its in-use complete position on a completed driven composite timber pile;

FIG. 8 is a partially sectional view of the splice element portion of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a top view of the splice element of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a partial perspective view of the ram assembly portion of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a partial sectional elevational view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention illustrating the ram assembly and splice element portions thereof in combination with a pile driver; and

FIG. 12 is a partial fragmentary view of the splice connector of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention.

FIGS. 1 through 6 illustrate the preferred embodiment of the method and apparatus of the present invention.

In FIG. 1 there can be seen a first, lowermost pile section 12 which has been driven a distance into the earth 14 below the earth's surface 15 a desired distance leaving an exposed uppermost portion 16. The portion (also referred to as the butt of the pile) 16 provides a substantially flat upper surface 17 which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the pile 12.

A second pile section 20 is also provided which will be spliced with pile 12 using splice element 30 as will be described more fully hereinafter.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 6, splice element 30 is first driven a distance into pile 12 using a ram 32 having a tip 34 which registers with the inner bore of splice element 30. Ram assembly 32 provides a shoulder stop 35 which will abut the upper surface 36 of splice element 30 during the embedding of splice element 30 into pile 12. This assembly of ram 32 and element 30 can be seen best in FIG. 3 where splice element 30 has been driven approximately half its length into the upper surface 17 of pile 12.

Splice element 30 is preferably cylindrical and hollow having continuous curved wall 33 and an inner open ended bore 31. After splice element 30 has been added by partially embedding it into one of the pile sections, a leveling material of granular substance, for example, such as sand is added to the top of the first pile section. The leveling material occupies the bore 31 of splice element 30 and thus is confined laterally by the splice element. The granular leveling material 40 is seen in FIGS. 4, 5, 6, and 12. Second pile section 20 is axially aligned with pile 12 and the remaining portion of splice element 30 is embedded thereinto with the composite pile section driven into the earth the desired distance as shown in FIG. 6. Water table 42 indicates that the uppermost pile section 20 could be treated while pile section 12 could be untreated since it is below the water table 42.

The construction of splice element 30 can be seen more particularly in FIGS. 8 through 9 and 11-12.

In FIGS. 7 and 12 upper and lower pile sections 20, 12 respectively are shown assembled and driven with splice element 30 in position. Leveling material 40 is confined laterally by the continuous curved sidewall 33 of splice element 30 thus preventing lateral escape of granular leveling material 40 as would be undesirable. By laterally confining leveling material 40, the leveling material can act as an effect load transfer in a vertical direction between pile section 12 and pile section 20. Each pile section provides a mating face portion with pile 12 providing uppermost face 17 and with pile section 20 providing a downwardly facing face 25. Each mating face 17, 25 respectively is substantially flat and generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the pile section 12, 20 involved.

Splice element 30 also provides one or more indexing dimples as best seen in FIGS. 7-9 and 11-12, each of which dimple is indicated by the numeral 50. Each dimple 50 is merely a concave depression formed in wall 33 of element 30 with two dimples 50 being shown in FIG. 8 spaced approximately one hundred eighty (180.degree.) degrees apart. It should be understood that two, three or four dimples 50 could be provided as indexing means. The dimples can be at different horizontal levels as apparant from an inspection of FIGS. 2-3 and 12. These "dimples" can aid in "indexing" the pile faces at the center of the splice element 30 with the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3. The pile driving crew could visually align the dimples 50 with uppermost file face 17 for example. Alternatively, ram 32 can provide a shoulder stop 35 which in combination with tip 39 of ram 32 defines the penetration of element 30 into pile section 12 as shoulder 35 drives element 30 into pile section 12 until tip 39 strikes pile 12 uppermost face 17 as illustrated in FIG. 11.

Splice element 30 would be manufactured of any suitable structural material such as steel or the like and would have beveled edges 37 which would provide a cutting edge as a means for ehancing the penetration of upper surface 36 and lower surface 38 of each end of splice element 30 into pile sections 12, 20.

FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate ram assembly 32 which comprises a tip portion 34 that actually abuts timber pile 12 during the driving thereof. Ram assembly 32 comprises a body 44 having an uppermost plate 45 connected thereto by welding for example. The lower tip 34 of ram assembly 32 comprises a multidiameter section including a first section 46 of larger diameter and a second section 47 of smaller diameter. Larger diameter 46 would be sized so as to fit within and conform to the internal diameter of bore 31 of splice element 30. Section 47 would be of a smaller diameter so as to fit within the innermost diameter of bore 31 adjacent dimples 50. A lowermost surface 39 of ram 32 would be flat and adapted to abut against the uppermost surface 17 of pile section 12 during driving. A shoulder 35 provides a stop for transmitting load between ram 32 and splice element 30 prior to driving. Ram 32 is driven downwardly and shoulder 35 abuts the upper surface 36 of splice element 30 so that the splice element cuts and penetrates the pile section 12. The splice element 30 is properly aligned before driving, preferably by aligning the central axis XX of splice element 30 with the central axis YY of pile section 12. Handles 48, 49 extend laterally from body 44. Handles 48, 49 allow ram assembly 32 to be lifted and handled by members of the pile driving crew prior to driving and prior to the placement of the pile drive hammer 50 into position. FIG. 11 shows hammer 50 in position, the hammer providing a lowermost hood 52 connected to hammer 50. The hood provides a cylindrical shroud which fits over ram assembly 32 and abuts against plate 45. Body 44 of ram assembly 32 can provide an aperture 53 therethrough as seen in FIGS. 10 and 11 which would aid in the removal of ram assembly 32 after driving. A lifting rod, chain or other such means could be attached to ram assembly 32 by placement through aperture 53 so that lifting load could be applied thereto and removal of the ram assembly 32 from splice element 30 effected.

Ram assembly 32 could be manufactured of any suitable structural material which would withstand the stresses of pile driving such as for example structural steel. The individual components including body 32, plate 45, shoulder 35, and sections 46 and 47 could be assembled by suitable means such as welding or the like. Handles 48, 49 could also be attached to ram assembly 32 at body 44 by welding, for example. Handles 48, 49 could be, for example, structural steel rod.

Because many varying and different embodiments may be made within the scope of the inventive concept herein taught, and because many modifications may be made in the embodiments herein detailed in accordance with the descriptive requirement of the law, it is to be understood that the details herein are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.