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Reference is made at this time to FIG. 4 which shows in a fragmentary view a top portion of the sheet steel piling SP with the duct 16 provided with a mouth portion 62 which may be formed while the sheet is still hot and thereafter reamed so that the inner surface area thereof will be properly sealed with the hard rubber nose portion of the injector 138 when it is driven thereinto by water pressure all of which will become apparent as this description progresses.The view in FIG. 5 is a further embodiment of the invention which shows a flatened duct 16' and an inserted flared mouth section 64 that is welded into position after the sheet pile rolling is finished.
Turning now to the structure of FIG. 6 there is shown partially in an elevational side view and partially in cross-section a new type of universal sheet pile clamp 80 that is shown in position over the top of a length of sheet steel piling SP preparatory for the driving operation.
This view clearly discloses a pair of jaw-like members (see view of FIG. 7 which is a section on line 7--7 of FIG. 6) that are arranged to grasp the sheet piling during the driving operation with one of the jaw-like members being hydraulically actuated and having a longer leg portion, the purpose of which will be understood as this description progresses, while the other is arranged in such a manner that it can compensate for lateral adjustment of the jaws relative to the piling duct.
Vibratory hammers adapted for use in pile driving are well-known to those skilled in the sheet steel pile driving art and the present invention forms an adjunct for use therewith. Vibratory hammers of the type referred to include an exciter which develops a sinusoidal standing wave, with no side motion, having an approximate amplitude of 1/8 to 3/4 and a force of 70 to 100 tons. Thus, it will be apparent that such a vibratory structure would require a very strong grip on the top of the pile and with the invention of the type of sheet piling disclosed herein a new type of clamp for positioning between the vibratory hammer and the sheet piling became necessary. Only the lower supporting surface of the vibratory hammer is revealed at 82 and to this the pile clamp 80 is suitably attached by bolts.
With further reference to FIG. 6, it will be noted that the pile clamp 80 includes a body portion 84 that is provided with opposed pistons that are arranged to straddle the duct 16 of the steel sheet piling and include complementally formed concave recesses 86-86, respectively, (FIG. 7) for this purpose with one of the pistons, namely 90, being hydraulically advanced by power supplied from the exciter 82 through the conduit 88 to the chamber 92.  The piston 90 includes in the center thereof a guide member 94 which is provided with a threaded stem 96 that extends through tensioning washers 98 and a seal 100 and terminates exteriorly of the chamber 92 in a lock nut 102. As noted earlier herein there are a pair of jaw-like members which serve to attach the vibratory hammer to the piling during the driving operation one of which, 90, is hydraulically actuated while its complemental counterpart, 93, is arranged for lateral adjustment to compensate for possible inaccuracies resulting from production of the sheet piling. In this view there is disclosed a curved area 170 which is formed by a known type of milling cutter (not shown) and thereafter each side of the duct is subjected to a further milling operation to pierce the wall of the duct as shown at 172 to permit jet-like emission of the liquid out over the oppositely extending parallel walls of the piling.
The successive milling operations can be conducted when the sheet piling is in a hot or cold state. Should the sheet be in a hot condition when the first milling cut is made the piercing operation may be performed by a suitable flat tool which is merely positioned in the root of the slot 170 and then driven into the duct to pierce the wall.
It will be apparent to those who are skilled in this art that all of the milling and piercing operations described above can be readily performed automatically on a flat bed table as the sheet is being emitted from either the rolling mill or the extruding mill. For example, opposed milling devices could be mounted on carriers positioned above and/or below the table and extending parallel to each side thereof and arranged to reciprocate toward and away from the duct of the sheet as it advances over a table so that the first milling cut can be made. Naturally, there are distinctly different ways this could be accomplished, i.e., the travel of the sheet could momentarily be interrupted while the milling cutters advance into contact with the sheet, make the cut and then retract, or the sheet could travel continuously on the flat bed while the milling cutters move into contact with the duct, advance longitudinally therewith while making the first milling cut and then return to their initial point of departure so as to once again be reciprocated into contact with the duct to make another milling cut.
It is also contemplated that in lieu of perforating the ducts in the manner described herein as the sheet pile is emitted longitudinally from the machine, it can be moved transversely of the table to another work area where the piercing of the ducts can be conducted sequentially on one side of the piling and then the piling could be turned over and the ducts on that side could then be pierced.
FIG. 12 shows the embodiment of the invention of FIG. 11 in enlarged side elevation with the edge of the sheet piling shown in cross-section. This view clearly shows the first milling cut 170 and the result of the subsequent hot or cold piercing step 172. Also in this side elevational view it is shown at the bottom of the sheet that the duct 16 is flattened to provide a tapered end 174 on the pile which is more suitable for the driving operation.
It is contemplated that the slotting of the sheet piling as described may be accomplished either by the mill that rolls or extrudes the sheet piling or by the rental companies that will place the sheet piling to use. source:freepatentsonline
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