Piering device with adjustable helical plate

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6682267
  • Patent Number
    6,682,267
  • Date Filed
    Tuesday, December 3, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, January 27, 2004
    20 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Lee; Jong-Suk (James)
    Agents
    • Dorr, Carson, Sloan, Birney & Kramer, P.C.
Abstract
A piering device includes a shaft having a polygonal cross-section with a series of notches spaced at intervals along the vertices of the shaft. For example, the shaft can have a square cross-section with rounded corners. The helical plate has a passageway with a cross-section to slide along the shaft when the helical plate is in a first rotational position on the shaft. However, notches within the passageway of the helical plate engage the notches on the shaft when the helical plate is rotated to a second rotational position, thereby preventing the helical plate from sliding along the shaft. A key is inserted between the shaft and helical plate to hold the helical plate in the second rotational position and thereby fix the axial position of the helical plate on the shaft.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The present invention relates generally to the field of helical pilings or screw piles. More specifically, the present invention discloses a piering device having an adjustable helical bearing plate.




2. Statement of the Problem




Piering systems have long been used to lift and stabilize foundations of structures, and also in new construction. Some systems employ piles that are driven into the ground adjacent to the foundation, while other piering systems employ helical piles that are screwed into the ground. These piles are also used to anchor structures (e.g., large antennas, or pylons for high voltage lines) that are subject to large wind loads.




Conventional helical piles have an elongated shaft with a helical bearing plate permanently attached to the shaft adjacent to its lower end. The shaft can either be solid or tubular. For example, A.B. Chance Company of Centralia, Mo., markets helical piles having a solid shaft with a substantially square cross-section. The lower end of the shaft is beveled to form a point. The helical bearing plate is welded to the lower end of the shaft adjacent to the bevel. The length of the shaft is fixed, as are the diameter and location of the helical plate. In addition, some installations require several helical plates of different diameters spaced along the shaft. All of this can result in an substantial inventory problem to ensure that the appropriate helical piles are in stock for each job, particularly due to the size and expense of these helical piles.




It is also difficult to accurately predict the length of the piles that will be required for a specific job. Helical pilings are typically screwed into the ground to a point at which a predetermined torque limit is reached. It is difficult to predict what the depth of insertion will be when this torque limit is reached, due primarily to the unpredictable nature of local soil conditions. Therefore, it is often necessary to add an extension to the shaft of the helical pile. For example, A.B. Chance Company markets an extension shaft having a square socket that fits over the upper end of the helical pile shaft. A bolt can be passed through aligned holes in the socket of the extension shaft and the upper end of the helical pile shaft to secure the extension shaft to the helical pile. However, these holes significantly weaken the assembly.




A related problem arises if the shaft of the helical pile is too long. In this case, the upper end of the shaft must be cut off and a new hole must be drilled through the shaft to secure the shaft to the support bracket needed to engage the foundation. This can be difficult and time-consuming in the field.




Thus, a need exists for a helical piling system that is modular in design so that helical plates of various sizes and diameters can be used interchangeably, and various helical plates can be interchangeably combined with a shaft of a desired length. In addition, there is a need to be able to quickly and easily connect shafts to one another in the field to create a shaft assembly of desired length.




3. Prior Art




Other examples of helical pilings are disclosed in the following patents:




















Inventor




Patent No.




Issue Date













Gray




  414,700




Nov. 12, 1889







Grimaud




France 561,975




Mar. 10, 1925







Williams




2,234,907




Mar. 11, 1941







Henderson et al.




2,467,826




Apr. 19, 1949







Petersen




3,016,117




Jan. 9, 1962







Schirm




PCT WO 82/00672




Mar. 4, 1982







Gillen




4,239,419




Dec. 16, 1980







Pardue et al.




4,290,245




Sep. 22, 1981







Dziedzic




4,334,392




Jun. 15, 1982







McFeetors et al.




4,833,846




May 30, 1989







Gregory et al.




4,911,580




Mar. 27, 1990







Norman et al.




4,979,341




Dec. 25, 1990







Hamilton et al.




5,011,336




Apr. 30, 1991







Holdeman et al.




5,120,163




Jun. 9, 1992







Hamilton et al.




5,139,368




Aug. 18, 1992







Hamilton et al.




5,171,107




Dec. 15, 1992







Hamilton et al.




5,408,788




Apr. 25, 1995







Seider et al.




5,213,448




May 25, 1993







Reinert




5,570,975




Nov. 5, 1996







Jones




5,800,094




Sep. 1, 1998







Jones




6,352,391




Mar. 5, 2002















The applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 6,352,391 (Jones) discloses a piering device having a threaded shaft and an adjustable helical plate held in place by a removable key. However, applicant submits that this patent is not prior art to the present application because the patent was issued less than one year prior to the filing date of the present application and the device disclosed in the patent has not been on sale, in public use, or described in a printed publication more than one year prior to the filing date of the present application.




Gillen discloses a conically-shaped tapered concrete piling with a metallic reinforcement core.




Henderson et al. disclose a lifting slip joint for use in sinking concrete piles into the ground.




Pardue et al. disclose an earth anchor having a shank with a helical blade affixed thereto. A series of shank portions can be connected together axially.




Gray discloses a threaded pile with a threaded helical plate. After the pile has been driven into the ground, the plate is advanced into the ground by rotating a handle attached to a removable sleeve.




Dziedzic discloses a modular screw anchor having an earth-penetrating lead that is separate from the helical plate. In the embodiment shown in

FIGS. 2-6

of Dziedzic, the earth-penetrating lead and plate assembly are connected to a rectangular shaft. In the embodiment shown in

FIGS. 7-10

of Dziedzic, the shaft is round with threads at its lower end to engage the earth penetrating lead.




Seider et al., Holdeman et al. and Gregory et al. disclose other examples of an apparatus for stabilizing the foundation of a building using a conventional helical piling that has been screwed into the ground.




U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,139,368 and 5,171,107 to Hamilton et al. disclose a system for underpinning a foundation that uses a helical pile with a connecting bracket secured to the foundation.




Schirm discloses a tie rod having a helical plate and a moving foot that can slide along the rod limited by the position of a nut threaded on the rod.




Grimaud is believed to relate to a pile foundation.




Reinert discloses a mobile foundation installation system having a push-it carriage that can push a metal foundation into the ground by hydraulic cylinders pushing against a header frame held and secured in adjustable positions on a mobile tower.




McFeetors et al. disclose a ground anchor system for supporting a structure. A fixed-length helical pile is driven into the ground. The upper end of the piling device includes a screw that allows adjustment of the height of the support head beneath the foundation.




Petersen discloses a screw anchor that receives a square shaft. The anchor is held in place by a pin extending through the anchor and the shaft.




Williams, Norman et al., and Hamilton et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,408,788) show examples of screw anchors that can be threaded onto the lower end of a shaft.




The Jones '094 patent discloses a support bracket for attachment to the top of a conventional helical piling.




4. Solution to the Problem




None of the prior art references discussed above show a helical piling with an adjustable helical plate that can slide along the piling shaft to a desired position, and then be fixed in place by slightly rotating the helical plate on the shaft and inserting a removable key between the helical plate and shaft. This approach allows one or more helical plates of appropriate size to be placed at desired locations along the length of the shaft to meet the specific needs of each job. The shaft can also be cut to the desired length without waste.




The shaft and helical plate of a helical piling are subject to enormous torsional loads during installation, and very large axial loads (either in compression or tension) after the helical piling has been placed in use. None of the prior art references listed above teach or suggest the present mechanism for removably attaching a helical plate to the shaft to transmit these loads.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




This invention provides a piering device with an adjustable helical plate. The shaft of the piering device has a polygonal cross-section with a series of notches spaced at intervals along the vertices of the shaft. For example, the shaft can have a square cross-section with rounded corners. The helical plate has a passageway with a cross-section to slide along the shaft when the helical plate is in a first rotational position on the shaft. However, notches within the passageway of the helical plate engage the notches on the shaft when the helical plate is rotated to a second rotational position, thereby preventing the helical plate from sliding along the shaft. A key is inserted between shaft and helical plate to hold the helical plate in the second rotational position and thereby fix the axial position of the helical plate on the shaft.











These and other advantages, features, and objects of the present invention will be more readily understood in view of the following detailed description and the drawings.




BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




The present invention can be more readily understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:





FIG. 1

is a perspective view of the present invention.





FIG. 2

is an exploded perspective view of the present invention corresponding to FIG.


1


.





FIG. 3

is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the helical plate.





FIG. 4

is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the helical plate in a first rotational position on the shaft allowing the helical plate to slide along the shaft.





FIG. 5

is a horizontal cross-sectional view corresponding to

FIG. 4

showing the helical plate after it has been rotated to a second rotational position on the shaft so that the helical plate cannot slide along the shaft.





FIG. 6

is a vertical cross-sectional view corresponding to

FIG. 4

showing the shaft and helical plate in the first rotational position.





FIG. 7

is a vertical cross-sectional view corresponding to

FIG. 5

showing the shaft and helical plate in the second rotational position.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION




Turning to

FIG. 1

, a perspective view is provided of the present device. A corresponding exploded perspective view is shown in FIG.


2


. In general terms, the present device consists of a piering shaft


10


and a helical bearing plate


20


that can be removably attached at a desired location along the length of the shaft


10


.




The shaft


10


has a generally polygonal cross-section with a plurality of vertices extended along its length. For example, the shaft


10


can have a substantially square cross-section with rounded corners, as illustrated in the drawings. A series of notches


12


are spaced at intervals along the shaft at the vertices. In the embodiment shown in drawings, these sets of notches


12


are axially aligned to form partial threads around the shaft


12


. The faces of the shaft


10


between the vertices can be flat or curved, but should be at an effective radius from central axis of the shaft


10


that is less than that of the notches


12


, so as not to interfere with rotation of the notches


12


within the passageway


22


of the helical plate


20


, as described below. In the preferred embodiment, the notches


12


extend along the entire length of each vertex of the shaft


10


. This simplifies fabrication of the shaft


10


and allows the helical plate


20


to be positioned virtually anywhere on the shaft


10


. This also makes the present device more modular by enabling two or more shafts


10


,


11


to be connected in series using a coupler


30


, as shown in

FIGS. 1 and 2

. Any of a variety of thread configurations can be used on the shaft


10


. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the notches


12


are rounded to form a partial rope thread. The rounded shape of the thread makes its easier to handle and somewhat less susceptible to damage. Here again, the thread


12


could be limited to selected portions of the shaft, such as the lower end of the shaft


10


to provide a range of positions for the helical plate


20


. The upper end of the shaft


10


can also be threaded to engage a coupler


30


, if necessary, as shown in FIG.


1


. It should be expressly understood that the term “notches” as used in this application should be construed broadly to include all types of indentations, protrusions, grooves, and threads of any type.




The helical bearing plate


20


has a passageway


22


with a cross-section as shown in

FIGS. 3-7

. This passageway allows the helical plate


20


to slide along the shaft


10


when the helical plate


20


is in a first rotational position on the shaft


10


, as illustrated in the orthogonal cross-sectional views shown in

FIGS. 4 and 6

. The passageway


22


of the helical plate


20


has a series of notches


28


that engage the notches


12


on the shaft


10


when the helical plate


20


is rotated to a second rotational position on the shaft


10


, so that the helical plate


20


cannot slide along the shaft


10


, as illustrated in

FIGS. 5 and 7

. For example, if the shaft


10


has a square cross-section as shown in the drawings, the helical plate


20


is rotated by approximately 45 degrees between the first and second rotational positions. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the notches


28


in the passageway


22


of the helical plate


20


are axially spaced at regular intervals along the passageway


22


to form partial threads. In the first rotational position, the notches


28


in the passageway


22


of the helical plate


20


are not aligned with the notches


12


on the shaft


10


, and therefore do not prevent the helical plate


20


from sliding freely along shaft


10


. As shown in

FIGS. 4 and 6

, the notches


12


on the shaft


10


align with the unthreaded corners in the passageway


22


of the helical plate


20


. However, in the second rotational position, these sets of notches


12


,


28


engage one another and prevent axial relative movement between the shaft


10


and helical plate


20


, as shown in

FIGS. 5 and 7

. In particular, if the notches form partial threads, these threads do not engage one another in the first rotational position, but do engage one another in the second rotational position.




The helical plate


20


can have any of a wide variety of configurations and sizes. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the helical plate


20


has a generally cylindrical hub with a partially threaded passageway


22


extending completely through the hub. Alternatively, the hub of the helical plate


20


could have a hexagonal outer cross-section so that it can be grasped by a wrench. The helical plate is typically welded onto this hub, although other fastening means could be used.




A key


26


is inserted between the shaft


10


and helical plate


20


to hold the helical plate


20


in the second rotational position and thereby fix the axial position of the helical plate


20


on the shaft


10


, as illustrated in FIG.


1


. Preferably, two keys are inserted on opposite sides of the shaft


10


. The key


26


has a cross-section selected to allow it to be inserted into one of the corners of the passageway


22


of the helical plate


20


in the second rotational position.




A coupler


30


can be used to join two shafts


10


,


11


, if an especially long shaft is required, as depicted in FIG.


1


. The coupler


30


is shown in greater detail in the exploded view provided in FIG.


2


. It has a partially threaded passageway


32


extending between two axially-aligned openings that receive the shafts


10


and


11


. For example, the embodiment depicted in the figures shows a coupler


30


having a partially threaded passageway with a polygonal cross-section, similar to that of the helical plate


20


. The shafts


10


,


11


are inserted from opposite ends of the coupler


30


(in the first rotational position) until the ends of the shafts


10


,


11


abut. The coupler


30


is rotated by a fraction of a turn until the partial threads in the coupler engage the partial threads on each shaft


10


,


11


in the second rotational position. The coupler


30


is then removably secured to the shafts


10


,


11


by inserting a key


36


between the shafts


10


,


11


and the coupler


30


. This configuration is advantageous in that the shafts


10


and


11


, rather than the coupler


30


, carry most of the large axial loads after installation of the pier. Alternatively, two shorter keys can be inserted from opposite ends of the coupler


30


.




In another embodiment, the coupler


30


is simply a threaded cylindrical collar that engages the partial threads


12


on the ends of each shaft


10


,


11


. However, other configurations of the coupler


30


are possible. In addition, the coupler


30


could have a hexagonal outer cross-section so that it can be readily grasped by a wrench.




A variety of optional features can be used with the present device. As shown in

FIGS. 1 and 2

, a cutting tip


40


can be threaded onto the lower end of the shaft


10


. This cutting tip


40


is equipped with a threaded passageway


42


to engage the shaft


10


, and a set of cutting blades


45


to drill into the ground beneath the helical plate


20


and thereby reduce resistance as the helical piling is advanced into the ground. In one embodiment, the cutting tip


40


has a hub with a cylindrical threaded passageway


42


to engage the shaft


10


. Alternatively, the cutting tip


40


could have a hub with a polygonal, partially-threaded passageway, as similar to that of the helical plate


20


. In addition, the hub of the cutting tip


40


could have a hexagonal outer cross-section so that it can be grasped by a wrench.




A flat support bracket


50


can be threaded onto the upper end of the shaft


10


to support a building structure


60


as illustrated in FIG.


1


. Other types of support brackets or attachment means can be placed onto the upper end of the shaft to attach a load to the helical pile either in tension or compression. Here again, the support bracket can either be equipped with a threaded cylindrical passageway or a partially-threaded polygonal passageway to engage the upper end of the shaft. For example, the rabbit-ears attachment can be made an integral part of the concrete foundation of a building, as shown in the Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 6,352,391. Another type of adjustable support bracket that could be readily adapted for use with the present invention is disclosed in the Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,094.




The above disclosure sets forth a number of embodiments of the present invention. Other arrangements or embodiments, not precisely set forth, could be practiced under the teachings of the present invention and as set forth in the following claims.



Claims
  • 1. A piering device comprising:a shaft having a polygonal cross-section and a plurality of vertices, with a plurality of notches axially spaced at intervals along the shaft at the vertices; a helical plate having a passageway with a cross-section to slide along the shaft in a first rotational position on the shaft, and having notches within the passageway to engage at least one of the notches on the shaft when the helical plate is rotated to a second rotational position on the shaft so that the helical plate cannot slide along the shaft; a key insertable between the shaft and helical plate to hold the helical plate in the second rotational position and thereby fix the axial position of the helical plate on the shaft.
  • 2. The piering device of claim 1 wherein the shaft has a substantially square cross-section.
  • 3. The piering device of claim 1 wherein the vertices are rounded.
  • 4. The piering device of claim 1 further comprising a coupler having a passageway with two axially-aligned openings to receive the ends of two of the shaft.
  • 5. The piering device of claim 1 further comprising a cutting tip having a cutting blade and a passageway to receive the end of the shaft.
  • 6. The piering device of claim 1 wherein the notches on the vertices of the shaft have uniform spacing and are aligned to form partial threads around the shaft.
  • 7. The piering device of claim 6 wherein the notches in the passageway of the helical plate engage threadingly engage the notches of the shaft in the second rotational position of the helical plate.
  • 8. The piering device of claim 6 further comprising a coupler having a threaded passageway with two axially-aligned openings to receive and engage the ends of two of the shaft.
  • 9. A piering device comprising:a shaft having a polygonal cross-section and a plurality of vertices, with a plurality of notches axially spaced at intervals along the shaft at the vertices and aligned to form partial threads around the shaft; a helical plate having a passageway with a cross-section to slide along the shaft in a first rotational position on the shaft, and having threads within the passageway to engage the partial threads on the shaft when the helical plate is rotated to a second rotational position on the shaft so that the helical plate cannot slide along the shaft; and a key insertable between the shaft and helical plate to hold the helical plate in the second rotational position and thereby fix the axial position of the helical plate on the shaft.
  • 10. The piering device of claim 9 wherein the shaft has a substantially square cross-section.
  • 11. The piering device of claim 9 further comprising a coupler having a threaded passageway with two axially-aligned openings to receive and engage the ends of two of the shaft.
  • 12. The piering device of claim 9 further comprising a cutting tip having a cutting blade and a threaded passageway to receive and engage the end of the shaft.
  • 13. A piering device comprising:a shaft having a substantially square cross-section with a plurality of notches axially spaced at intervals along the corners of the shaft and aligned to form partial threads around the shaft; a helical plate having a passageway with a cross-section to slide along the shaft in a first rotational position on the shaft, and having threads within the passageway to engage the partial threads on the shaft when the helical plate is rotated to a second rotational position on the shaft so that the helical plate cannot slide along the shaft; and a key insertable between the shaft and helical plate to hold the helical plate in the second rotational position and thereby fix the axial position of the helical plate on the shaft.
  • 14. The piering device of claim 13 wherein the corners of the shaft are rounded.
  • 15. The piering device of claim 13 further comprising a coupler having a threaded passageway with two axially-aligned openings to receive and engage the ends of two of the shaft.
  • 16. The piering device of claim 13 further comprising a cutting tip having a cutting blade and a threaded passageway to receive and engage the end of the shaft.
US Referenced Citations (27)
Number Name Date Kind
414700 Gray Nov 1889 A
1406315 Whittaker Feb 1922 A
2234907 Williams Mar 1941 A
2467826 Henderson et al. Apr 1949 A
3016117 Petersen Jan 1962 A
3645055 Roza Feb 1972 A
3662436 Roza May 1972 A
3810364 Johnson May 1974 A
4239419 Gillen, Jr. Dec 1980 A
4290245 Pardue, Jr. et al. Sep 1981 A
4316350 Watson Feb 1982 A
4334392 Dziedzic Jun 1982 A
4712957 Edwards et al. Dec 1987 A
4833846 McFeetors et al. May 1989 A
4911580 Gregory et al. Mar 1990 A
4979341 Norman et al. Dec 1990 A
5011336 Hamilton et al. Apr 1991 A
5120163 Holdeman et al. Jun 1992 A
5139368 Hamilton et al. Aug 1992 A
5171107 Hamilton et al. Dec 1992 A
5213448 Seider et al. May 1993 A
5295766 Tiikkainen Mar 1994 A
5408788 Hamilton et al. Apr 1995 A
5570975 Reinert, Sr. Nov 1996 A
5800094 Jones Sep 1998 A
6352391 Jones Mar 2002 B1
6615554 Rupiper Sep 2003 B2
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number Date Country
WO 8200672 Mar 1982 WO