US1834751A - Method and apparatus for forming caissons - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 1, 1931. M. M. UPSON METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING CAISSONS- Filed Sept. 15, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 llll In Illmmmmmmmmmmwmmm IE @3713 Gummy I rw w,

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M. M. UPSON 1,834,751

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING CAISSONS Filed Sept. 15, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 1, 1931; M. M. UPSON 1,834,751

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING CAISSONS Filed Sept. -l5. 1927 5 ShGGtS-ShGGt 3 EglZ. 1oo a 1 v p Z t '1 l a0 I .90 l l I; l I5: .58 5 96 Y 102 I02 i 1 72 If: i 73 i T- 1 I 1 14 I I' :qlllllllllzlalfi 1g 3. I04 ,1 I l Patented Dec. 1, 1931 sates PATENT orrics MAXWELL M. UPSON, F ENGLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 RAYMOND CONCRETE rILE COMPANY, 0E NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JEEsEY .METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING CAISSONS Application filed September 15, 1927. Serial No. 219,572.

This invention pertains to a method and apparatus for making calssons, or in other words, for lining or sheeting walls of exca vations', cavities, or holes in the ground to cular caissons; therefore a modification adapted for that particular work will be described.

The invention contemplates boring or digging a hole to a certain depth, lining the hole with quick-setting cement, plaster of Paris, or other quick strength material, then sinking the hole further and lining it section by section, as the digging proceeds, just as the first sectionof the hole was lined. I prefer to use collapsible steel forms to aid in forming the cement lining or caisson.

The sections of cement lining are all substantially alike and when the job'is finished the bore is lined from top to bottom with a vertical hollow caisson of concrete. Each section of the caisson abuts the ad o1n1ng sections with the result that collapse or cav ing of the excavation is prevented while the desired work is done therein. p

The primary object, therefore, of the invention is to disclose an improved method and apparatus for forming caissons which comprises lining the excavation with a series of concrete shells as the digging progresses.

Further and other objects and advantages will be hereinafter set forth in the accompanying specification and claims, and shown in the drawings, which by way of illustration show what is now considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention.

F1g. 1 shows thc digging apparatus'at work. The first section of the hole has been lined and the collapsible form isin place.

Fig. 2 shows the lined hole or mold carried as far as can be done with the digging bucket.

Fig. 3 shows the completed excavation and Fig. 8 is a detail view showing a modification of the form 'in which the lower ring is integral with the form.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of the apparatus, on the line 99 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 10 is the same View as Fig. 9 except that the reamer or plow has been retracted from cutting position.

Fig. 11 is a detail view showingthe device for moving the plow to orfroin cutting position.

Figs. 12, 13 and it show the use of modified apparatus for wet soil.

s a convenient and practical means for digging a circular hole of any desired diameter and depth, I prefer to use a rotary digging bucket and reamer of the type described in the copending application of Francis H. Hunt, Serial No. 184,407, filed April 16, 1927; therefore, although other bucket 20 provided on its bottom with cutters.

22 so arranged that when the bucket is rotated in. proper direction the bucket bores vertically into the ground. The detritus produced by cutters 22 passes up into the bucket. The bucketis rotated by a telescopic. kelly 241- which is actuated by gearing 26 supported on an overhead frame 28. The bucket is raisedand loweredby rod 30 passing through digging the'kelly and attached at its lower end to bails 32 of the bucket. The upper end of rod 30 is connected to cable 34 which passes over a head-sheave 36 to a hoisting drum represented conventionally at 38.

Attached to the top of the bucket is a reamer or plow 40 so arranged as to enlarge the hole bored by the bucket. Material re moved by the reamer falls into the bucket to be later raised with the bucket and dumped therefrom. As shown in Figs. 9, 10 and 11 the plow 4:0 is arranged so that when the kelly is rotated clockwise the plow is automatically moved to, and held in, cutting position (Fig. 9) whereas when the kelly turns in the other direction the plow is retracted to inoperative position (Fig. 10) so as not to interfere with the hoisting of the bucket from the hole. Apparatus for bringing about this automatic plow control comprises a casting 42 bolted to a bucket bail 32 and having a hub 44 extending upwardly into the lower end of the lowest section of kelly 24. A portion of this part of the kelly is cut away as at 46 (Fig. 11), and into the space thus cut away extends a lug 48 which is part of casting 42. The dimensions of lug 48 and space 46 are such that when motion of the kelly is reversed the kelly will turn freely through a.

considerable are before contacting again. with lug 48 to move the bucket in the new direction. I

Projecting from the lower end of the kelly is an ear 50 to which is connected one end of a link 52, the other end of the link being connected at 54: to the end of plow 4O opposite the cutting end thereof. The plow .is pivoted at 56 on a hail of the bucket, therefore when the kelly rotates clockwise it will move the plow to the cutting position shown in Fig. 9, and when the kelly rotates in the opposite direction the plow will assume the retracted position indicated in Fig. 10.

The collapsible form is preferably of steel, in three sections 58, so connected together by joints 60 as to be capable of assuming; the circular form shown in Fig. 4- or of being collapsed as in Fig. The supply pipe 62 is connected to one section 58 so that ma terial poured through the pipe will emerge through outlet 64 to the outside of the shell. Pipe 62 is provided with couplings 65 so as tobe easily adjusted in length as the digging proceeds. Each section of the pipe is usually the same length as one of the forms.

In like manner the bottom form ring comprises the three arcuate'angle iron sections 66 interconnected by joints 68 (Figs. 6 and 7) to permit ready collapsing.

With the above in mind the method of using the apparatus will bereadily understood by reference to Fig. 1. After bucket 20 and reamer 40 have dujgfa hole deep enough to accommodate one of the collapsible forms and somewhat larger than the form in diameter, a form is placed in the positions shown in the drawing, supported concentrically in the cavity by timbers 7 0 through which pass bolts 7 2 which are riveted to the shell. The space between the lower end of the shell and the wall of the excavation is closed by collapsible ring 66. The outer diameter of this ring is somewhat greater than the diameter of the excavation; therefore the flange of the ring indents the wall of the excavation as at 74, thus enabling the ring to support itself in position together with the weight of the material which is later poured into the space above the ring. Under certain conditions the bottom ring may even support the steel form, thus obviating thenecessity for timbers 70 and rods 72. p

Under certain other conditions the bottom flange is attached to the form, as in Fig. 8, in which flange, 76 is formed integral with the form.

After the form and lower flange are properly supported in the cavity, quick strength material is poured through pipe 62 until the annular space-between shell and excavation wall is filled to form a casing 80. After that material has set sufficiently to hold its shape the form and ring are removed and moved down to the next succeeding position and the operation is repeated.

If it be desired to form the next section of the concrete casing before it is feasible to remove the supporting form from the first section, the second section of collapsible form is supported in position with its upper end as indicated at 82 by dotted lines in Fig. 1. Then when the space around the second section is filled with material up to ring 7 4, the ring is removed and the filling continued, thereby filling with material the space which had been occupied by the flange of the ring. In actual practice the ring flange is of much less thickness than indicated in the drawings. In this manner the lining of the excavation may be carried on at substantially the same speed as it is dug.

It will be noted that the above apparatus offers no obstruction to the raising and dumping of the bucket; therefore the forming of the concrete casing does not interfere with the progress of digging operations. After the bucket reaches bed rock 84. all material not removed by the plow 40 (Fig. 2) is removed by hand and the lining of the excavation is pieced in as at 86. leaving the completed lined caisson (Fig. 3), which has been dug and lined rapidly and at low cost. The caisson may be filled with concrete to form a column, or may be used for any other desired purpose.

Under certain conditions I do away entirely with the supporting ring 66 by so adjusting the length of plow 40 as to leave a circumferential shelf or ledge of earth upon which the newly poured cement may rest.

After the cement has set the ledge is removed. The length of the plow is adjusted by means of an adjustable length blade or by removing the blades and substituting another of the desired length-a change which may be made in a few seconds. d

When more than one form is in place in the excavation, each form may be supported in dependently by a collapsible ring, or each form may be tied to the one above it by suitable straps or bolts (not shown), or each form may be supported independently by rods extending to timbers 70.

Under certain conditions, instead of using collapsible rings 66 of angle steel I prefer to use a ring of sheet metal in arcuate sections, driving the sections into the wall of the excavation and leaving them there in the completed job.

For certain conditions, for instance wet soil, I may use the supplemental equipment shown in Figs. 12, 13 and 14. A comparatively long steel sleeve 90 is provided, of such diameter as to permit reamer 40 to work inside the sleeve. Riveted or bolted to the sleeve near the middle of its length are a number of brackets 92, upon the upper surfaces of which may rest an anvil 94. The anvil is collapsible, for instance in the form of a twopiece cross (Fig. 14) in order to be readily insertable or removable through rings 66 and forms 68.

In operation, anvil 94 is placed on brackets 92. Then by means of hammer 96, shell 90 is driven into the ground. Hammer 96 is operated by drum 98 and cable 100, the hammer being applied to anvil 94. When sleeve 90 has been driven as far as brackets 92 will permit, hammer 96 and anvil 94 are removed and the digging bucket excavates the contents of the lower half of the sleeve. Then the sleeve is again driven as far as brackets 92 permit, and its lower half again excavated by the bucket. At this stage of the operation a hole has been bored to a depth equal to the length of sleeve 90, and the hole is lined by the sleeve.

The next step is to put a collapsible form 58 and ring 66 in position in the upper half of sleeve 90 and fill the space between sleeve and form with concrete exactly as when sleeve 90 is not used. In the method now being described the rim of ring 66 cannot indent the wall of the excavation to hold itself in place, therefore the ring is attached to the form above it by brackets 102 and bolts 104, the form itself being supported from above by rods 72.

hen the space between form 58 and sleeve 90 is filled with concrete, anvil 94 and hammer 96 are again used to drive sleeve 90 again. The beginning of this operation is shown in Fig. 12. As the sleeve is driven, additional concrete may be added through pipe 62 to fill the space left vacant by the wall of sleeve 90.

' After the newly poured concrete has set sufiiciently, ring 66 is removed and another form 58 isput in position as shown in Fig. 13, and the above described operation repeated; I

In this manner is sleeve 90 utilized to permit formation of the successive caisson'sections without hindrance from the wet soil.

When bed rock is reached, sleeve 90 is not removed, but is simply left in its last operative position to form the bottom section of the caisson. If it be desired to line the sleeve with concrete all the way to the bottom, that maybe done-because brackets 92 do not project'far enough inwardly to interfere with the. form. Brackets 92 may be detached if desired but are usually left imbedded in the concrete of the bottom or next'to the bottom section of the caisson. If desired the caisson may be reinforced as for instance by vertical rods 106 or circumferential rings 108, or by both, as shown in Figs. 12 and 13. Reinforcement is found particularly valuable when the sleeve 90 is used, in order to prevent the tendency of the concrete to adhere to the sleeve and follow it downwardly when it is driven to a new position.

t is to be understood that the invention isnot limited to the construction herein specifically illustrated but can be embodied in other forms without departure from its spirit as defined by the following claims.

I claim: I I

1. The method of forming a deepcaisson which comprises digging an excavation, fitting a form therein solely supported from and concentric with the wall of the excavation, filling the space betweensaid form and wall with a rapidly hardening material, then continuing the digging and forming other shells within the excavation, one under the other. with the form supported as before.

2. The method of forming a caisson which com ises digging an excavation, placing therein a collapsible form spaced from the wall of the excavation aud'solely supported thereby, filling the space between wall and form with freshly mixed concrete, and removing the form after the material has set wherebv a section of concrete lining is formed, then digging the excavation deeper and forming in similar manner other sections of lining therein one under the other as the digging progresses.

3. The method of forming a deep caisson which comprises digging an excavation, supporting therein solely from the wall of the excavation a collapsible form spaced from the wall of the excavation, filling the space thereby provided with freshly mixed concrete, and removing the form after the material has set whereby a section of concrete lining is formed, then digging the excavation deeper and forming other sections of lining therein one under the other as the digging progresses.

4. Apparatus for forming a caisson in an excavation, comprising in combination, a collapsible form, means engaging the wall of the excavation and forming the sole support for said form said means holding the form concentric with said wall, and means comprising a pipe connected to said form for introducing freshly mixed concrete into the space between said form and said wall to form a section of said caisson.

5. Caisson forming apparatus including means for digging an excavation in combination with means for lining the excavation with a concrete caisson in sections, said lining means comprising collapsible forms and means insertable in the wallof the excavation whereby the wall acts to solely support said forms one above the other as the digging proceeds to form molds between said wall and said form, and means for filling each of said molds with concrete to form a section of said caisson.

6. Caisson forming apparatus including means for digging an excavation in combination with a rotary drilling bucket, means for rotating said bucket to form an excavation, a plurality of collapsible forms, means for installing said forms one above the other in said excavation and supporting them solely on the wall thereof above said bucket as the drilling proceeds, and means for surrounding each of said forms with concrete whereby a caisson is formed downwardly in the excavation as the drilling of the excavation proceeds.

7. The invention set forth in claim 6, in which means is provided-for raising said bucket from said excavation for dumping its contents, said forms being arranged to permit said bucket to be raised therethrough whereby the drilling operations may be carried on without hindrance by said forms.

In testimony whereof I hereto afiix my signature.

MAXl/VELL M. UPSON.

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