US2275662A - Sheet pile interlocking device - Google Patents

Description

` H. H. STURDY Filed Novqzs, 1940 1r:

SHEET-PILE INTERLOCK/ING DEVICE March 1o, 1942.

INVENTOR Patented Mar. 10, 1942 SHEET PILE INTERLOCKING DEVICE l Howard H. Sturdy, Newport News, Va., assignor to Dravo Corporation, a corporation of Penn- Sylvania I `Application November 28, 1940, Serial No. 367,562 (c1. en -60) 3 Claims.

This invention relates to the setting of interlockedsheet piling; and consists in an instrument foreffecting the interlock, or, in the parlance of `the industry, threading a pile that is about to be set upon the next adjacent and already` set pile. The object in View is the provision of an instrument of the character indicated thatshall be simple and rugged in structure, of relatively light weight, easily manipulated and appliediaifording speedy and accurate assembly of pilewith pile, and such instructure as to prevent error. In the accompanying drawing, Fig. I is a view in side elevation of the instrument of the invention; and in this ligure two lengths of piling are fragmentarily `shown-one may be understood to be a pile already set, and upon it the instrument rests; the other, a pile in,course of approach, guided by the instrument, to assembly with the pile already` set. Fig. II is a View in horizontal section, on the plane indicated at II-II, Fig- I; and in this ligure the instrument itself is shown in plan from above. Fig. III is a View in end elevation of the` instrument alone; the line of sight is indicated by the arrows III, III, Fig II.

iSteel piling has become standardized in shape. Each element, each individual pile is essentially arolled steel channel whose marginal flanges have been developed for the special service and brought to the asymmetrical bifurcated shape for interlocking pile with pile, assufticiently illustrated in Fig. II.

The instrument consists of a guide-block` I mounted between positioning plates 2 and 3 by which the block is brought to and maintained in operative position, together with an auxiliary guide-plate 4 that is conveniently mounted upon one of the positioning platesupon the plate 3.

The guide-block I is essentially a block with tapering gullet that, mounted on the pile already set, stands in vertical position, to guide the descending pile to interengagement with the pile already set. Advantageously the taper is double, from the two ends to the middle,`and so the block is adapted by inversion to serve double use. The block is convenientlyformed, as the drawings indicate, of a piece (itmay be three inches long) cut from one edge of a length of pile. The thumb of the bifurcated pile margin has been cut away; the hooked finger has been retained; and from the two ends of the block the surface between has been beveled away, as indicated at I0, Figs, II and III, to the medial narrowest point II. At this point the original contour has not been substantially altered, and in the assembly the contour at this point is in vertical alignment with that ofthe already set pile, upon `which the instrument is supported. In forming the block I from a length of pile, so much of the Web is retained as to aord a stem I2 for secure setting between the positioning plates 2 and 3.

` The positioning plates 2 and 3 are shaped to conformity to the stem portion I2 of the guideblock, and they are rigidly secured (conveniently by Welding) to the opposite faces of the guideblock. In making this assembly sufficient clearance (say of one eighth of an inch) is provided, that the instrument may readily be applied to a pile whose edge may have been burred in sawing. The plate 2 is at the edge 20 shaped to conformity to the curved iinger ofthe guide-block I; the` plate 3 extends to the plane on which the thumb of block I has been cut away, and at that point the plate 3 is bent and it extends thence in a plane that is perpendicular to the `application is made the two plates shall take over the opposite surfaces of the length of piling already in place. The curved edge of plate 2 then engages the correspondingly` shaped edge of the pile, and so the instrument is brought accurately to position, with the block seated upon the upper edge of the piling, and is adequately restrained from displacement horizontally in either of two directions. The block shown in the drawing is, as has been explained, doubly tapered, and so is adapted `for inversion; and, accordingly, the plates 2 and 3 extend in both directions, longitudinally of block I. The plates may, for example, be, both of them, 15 inches long; they are aligned face to face in the assembly; and the 3-inch block may be carried between them, at the midway point in their length. The extension 3D of plate 3 is advantageously provided with a hand-grip,` as by the cutting away of the web to leave a marginal bar 3 I.

The guide-plate 4 is, in this invertible instrument, provided with two alternately serving guide faces. It consists of a length of rolled angle, notched medially in one iiange and bent to the obtusely angular shape shown in elevation, Fig. III. The so shaped angle is secured (conveniently by welding) to the face of extension 30. The peak 40 ofthe obtuse angle is `centered at the mid point in the length of the instrument, and from that peak the faces of the plate recede symmetrically, in directions away from block I toward the upper and lower edges of the' extension 30 of plate 3. The peak 40 of the guide-plate 4 is spaced from the block I a suflicient distance to allow an applied length of pile to come snugly to the position of assembly shown in Fig. II. The width of the flange of the angle 4 that affords the guiding faces may be 3 inches.

It will be found convenient to secure in the handle of the instrumenta length 5 of line that at its free end carries a pin 6. The pin, when the instrument is placed in position on a pile already set, is to be thrust into a hole a such as is usually formed in a pile near its upper end, for the attachment of lifting machinery. By such anchorage the instrument may be held when convenient, or when by chance it might otherwise fall to the ground.

In operation, it may be understood that a pile B is to be applied to an already set pile A. A man, commonly called the pile-setter or top man is perched at the top of the last pile set-the pile A. He takes the instrument of the invention (it weighs only 22 pounds) and places it in the position shown in the drawing. The block I rests upon the upper edge of pile A; the plates 2 and 3 secure it against lateral displacement; the engagement of the hooked edge of plate 2 with the rounded margin of pile A secures it against displacement in the third dimension (that is, in the direction of the length of the wall that is being built). The pile B, ordinarily hung from and swung by a crane, is brought to approximate position from above. The pile-setter grasps it as it slowly descends, Orients it, brings its lower corner to bearing upon the upwardly flaring face of plate 4, and draws it to abutment upon the face of extension 30. In its continued descent the pile B then is guided, the thumby of its margin enters the tapering gullet of block I, and it` comes precisely to the position indicated in Fig. II. So positioned, and continuing its descent, it makes the desired interlock with pile A, and so continues as itis lowered and eventually driven to place.

When pile B has been set, a next ensuingA pile must in turn be brought to place; but it will be remarked that the margin of pile B will be found in oppositely disposed position, as is indicated at b, Fig. II. The pile-setter then, advancing to the new point of attack, inverts his instrument, and then, placing it as before, brings it to operative assembly on this oppositely disposed pile margin--and so on, as the work progresses.

It has been found in the use of this instrument that thetime required to effect the interlocking of succeeding piles is notably reduced. The operation of interlocking may be carried forward with safety (the instrument protects the pile-setter from the swing of the pile under wind) and the operation may be carried forward with relative ease, even in a wind. It is impossible to place the instrument upon a pile wrong end up; and, accordingly, delays and defects due to carelessness and inexperience are guarded against. In case the pile B becomes bound, so that it will not continue freely in its descent in interengagement with pile A, the instrument may be readily removed, simply by raising pile B with the bound instrument through an f interval of six inches, and then giving the instrument a slight .turnmanuallv It will then come freely away from pile B.

I claim as my invention:

1. A threading instrument, for use in the assembling of sheet-metal piling, including a block 2. A threading instrument, for use in the assembling of sheet-metal piling, consisting of a section cut from the edge of a length of piling and beveled upon its interlocking surface to the form of a block with tapering gullet and prolonged stem, positioning plates shaped to and integrated with the block and the stem thereof and extending longitudinally beyond the ends of the block, one of said plates being provided with an angular extension, and a guide plate set in angular position upon said extension and forming with the extension a guide for bringing a pile descending vfrom above to position and to entrance into the gullet in said block.

3. A threading instrument for use in the assembling of sheet-metal piling, including a guide'- block with opposite square ends and a doubly tapered gullet extending longitudinally between its ends, the block adapted to rest by either of its opposite ends upon the upper end of a length of piling already in place with its gullet extending vertically, and positioning plates between which the guide block is mounted, the positioning plates extending in bothvdirections beyond the ends of the guide-block, one of said positioning plates being provided with'a pile-guiding extension.

HOWARD H. STURDY.

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