Patent Abstract:
An elongated pilot member is forced into the ground and an auger with a hollow stem is positioned around the pilot member and rotated to move the auger into the ground. A second elongated member is coupled to the pilot member and an upward force is applied to the auger stem or to an extension thereof to enable a downward force to be applied to the second elongated member to force the second elongated member and the pilot member into the ground. The second elongated member and the auger stem then are attached together and to a foundation support member for providing support for a foundation.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a process and means for providing support for buildings. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Structures such as homes or commercial buildings many times are built on loose soil. In order to properly support these structures, the foundation must be adequately supported. Commercial buildings are supported by large and deep concrete piers formed in holes that extend from the surface downward to compacted soil. Such foundation supports are very heavy and costly and cannot be afforded by the average home owner. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to provide a new and useful process and system for providing support for a building which process is inexpensive and adds very little weight to the support system. 
     In accordance with the invention, an auger with a hollow stem is inserted into the ground and used as an anchor to aide in forcing an elongated member through the stem into the ground for use for support purposes. 
     In carrying out the process an elongated pilot member is forced into the ground and the auger stem is positioned around the pilot member and rotated to locate the auger in a fixed position in the ground. A second elongated member is coupled to the pilot member and an upward force is applied to the auger stem to enable a downward force to be applied to second elongated member to force the second elongated member and the pilot member into the ground additional elongated members are applied until a desired resistance is achieved. The elongated member and the auger stem then are attached together and to a foundation support member for providing support for the foundation. 
     Pressure measurements of the downward force applied are carried out to achieve the desired support for the foundation. 
     If deeper positioning of the hollow stem auger is desired, a tubular extension is coupled to the upper end of the auger stem and rotated to rotate the extension, the auger and pilot member further into the ground and the extension is used as an anchor to force the elongated members into the ground. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a tractor employed for in the process of installing a pilot in the ground for the alignment of the auger as well as a guide for the elongated members. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates an initial step in the process wherein a power unit attached to the boom of the tractor is used to push a pilot tube into the ground. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates the power unit of the tractor employed to screw an auger with its stem located around the installed pilot rod, into the earth. 
     FIG. 4 illustrates an extension to be coupled to the stem of the auger. 
     FIG. 5 illustrates two bowl and slips coupled to the extension and a piling member with hydraulic cylinders and pistons coupled to the two bowl and slips respectively. 
     FIG. 6 illustrates more detail of the hydraulic system of FIG.  5 . 
     FIG. 7 illustrates a piling cap attached to the driven upper piling rod. 
     FIG. 8 shows more detail of the piling cap. 
     FIG. 9 is a top view of the piling cap of FIG.  8 . 
     FIG. 10 is a schematic of the hydraulic system for rotating the power unit of the boom of the tractor and for operating the cylinders of FIGS. 5 and 6. 
     FIG. 11 illustrates driving of the pilot tube with auger moved to a fixed position in the earth below the non-compacted soil layer of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings, there is disclosed a conventional tractor  21  which may be used to carry out the process of installing the piling  23  (See FIG. 1) through non-compacted soil  25  and into a lower layer of compacted or undisturbed soil  27 . The non-compacted soil  25  may have been scraped off of the hill formed by the soil  27  to form a horizontal surface  29  onto which a building is to be constructed. The upper end of the piling comprises a foundation support  31  which is shown located in a ditch or channel  33  in which the foundation of the building is to be formed. The foundation may comprises concrete poured in the ditch  33  around the support. 
     The piling  23  also may be used to provide support for the foundation of an existing building. 
     The tractor  21  is a conventional tractor available to the public in the U.S.A. and comprises a motor for driving the wheels of two endless belts  41  with threads for moving the tractor, a boom  43  comprising a pair of boom arms  43 A pivotally coupled to the front of the tractor and a pair of boom arms  43 B pivotally coupled to the outer ends of boom arms  43 A. A hydraulic reservoir and pumps are employed to control hydraulic cylinders  45 ,  47 , and  49  to move the arms of the boom to different positions. The controls are located in the cab  51  and are controlled by an operator (person). 
     A power unit  61  is coupled to the outer end of the boom  43 . It has a tubular stem  63  which is employed to apply a downward vertical force to push the pilot tube  101  of the invention vertically into the ground when moved by the arms of the boom  43 . The power unit  61  also is employed to rotate the auger of the invention to carry out the process of the invention. 
     The power unit  61  includes an internal impeller rotated by hydraulic fluid to rotate the tubular stem  63  having two aligned apertures  63 A formed through its wall 180 degrees apart. As shown in FIG. 10, a hydraulic high pressure line  65  extends to the power unit from a pump  67  coupled to a hydraulic reservoir  69 . A return line  71  extends from the power unit  61  back to the reservoir. When valve  68  is opened, hydraulic fluid is pumped from the reservoir  69  to the power unit  61  to rotate the impeller and hence the tubular stem  63 . 
     The components that are used to form the piling  23  comprises the tubular iron pilot tube  101  having a pointed lower end  103  with a male catch  105  and a smaller diameter nipple  107  at its upper end. The nipple  107  is adapted to fit onto the tubular stem  63 . Also provided is a metal auger  111  comprising a tubular stem  113  with a helical blade  115  attached to its lower end. Also formed in the wall of the stem  113  at the lower end is a notch  117  adapted to receive the catch  105 . Formed through the stem  113  at its upper end are two aligned apertures  113 A located 180 degrees apart. The upper end  113 U is adapted to receive the stem  63  with apertures  113 A aligned with apertures  63 A for receiving a pin  119 . 
     A metal tubular extension stem  121  may be provided (FIG.  4 ). A lower sleeve  123  with apertures  123 A is welded to the lower end of the stem  121  with a portion of the sleeve  123  extending below the lower end of the stem  121 . The upper end of the stem  121  has apertures  121 A formed therethrough 180 degrees apart. The upper end of the stem  121  may be fitted around the power unit stem  63  with the apertures  121 A aligned with apertures  63 A for receiving an attaching pin  119 . 
     An upper metal tubular piling member  131  is provided (FIG. 5) and which may be slid into the upper end of the auger stem  113  or into the upper end of the extension auger stem  121  from its upper end. The upper end of the member  131  has a cylindrical nipple  133  welded thereto and has an outside diameter sufficient to be fitted into the lower end of another tubular piling member similar to member  131  in a stacking fashion. 
     In one embodiment, the pilot  101  tube may have a length of about 6 feet and the auger stem  111  and the piling member  131  each may have a length of about 10 feet. 
     In installing the piling  23 , the pilot tube  101  has its pointed end  103  located on the ground which may be at the bottom of the ditch  33 . The operator operates the controls of the tractor  21  to move the power unit  61  down to place the stem tube  63  around the nipple  107  of the tube  101 . The operator then operates the hydraulic controls of the tractor  21  to cause the boom  43  and hence the power unit  61  to apply a vertical downward force to the nipple  107  to force the pilot tube  101  vertically into the ground about 5 feet leaving about 12 inches of the pilot above the bottom level of the ditch  33 . The boom  43  then is moved upward to remove the power unit stem  63  from the pilot nipple  107 . The upper end of the auger stem  113  then is fitted around the power unit stem  63  and secured to the stem  63  with a pin  119  by locating the pin  119  through the apertures  113 A and  63 A. The lower end of the auger stem  113  is located around the upper end of the pilot tube  101 . The valve  68  is opened and the pump  67  is operated to rotate the auger  111  downward into the ground around the pilot  101  which acts as a guide to position the auger  111  vertically in the ground. The catch  105  of the pilot  101  and notch  117  of the auger stem  113  are formed such that when the auger stem  113  is rotated in the proper direction and is moving downward the catch  105  will be located in the notch  117  as shown in FIG.  4  and as the auger  113  continues to be rotated it will cause the pilot  101  to rotate also and to be moved further downward into the ground. Thus the auger  113  will be rotated downward around the pilot until the catch  105  is located in the notch  117 , whereby the auger will rotate the pilot downward until the top of the auger is located near the bottom of the ditch  33  at which point the pump  67  is shut down to stop rotation of the stem  63  of the power unit  61 . 
     If the auger  111  and the pilot  101  are not deep enough to the satisfaction of the operator, the stem  63  of the power unit  61  is detached from the auger stem  113  by removing the pin  119  and the sleeve  123  of the extension  121  is fitted around the upper end of the auger stem  113  and welded thereto around the bottom end of the sleeve  123  and through the apertures  123 A. The upper end of the extension  121  is fitted around the stem  63  of the power unit and secured thereto with the pin  119  extending through the apertures  121  A and  63 A. The pump  67  is operated again to rotate the stem  63  of the power unit  61  and hence the extension  121  to rotate the auger  111  deeper into the ground. 
     A metal tubular piling  131  then has its lower end located in the upper end of the extension  121  and is moved downward until it is located around the nipple  107  of the pilot  101  and engages the upper wall  101 W (See FIG. 2) of the tubular pilot member  101 . 
     Two commercially available bowls and slips  151  and  153  are located around the extension  121  and the pile  131  respectively. The bowl  151  is pivotally coupled to two hydraulic cylinders  151 C 1  and  151 C 2  and their pistons  151 P 1  and  151 P 2  are pivotally coupled to the bowl  153 . Hydraulic hoses  161 A and  161 B (coupled to hose  161 ) are coupled from one end of the cylinders  151 C 1 ,  151 C 2  to a high pressure side of a source of hydraulic fluid and hydraulic hoses  171 A and  171 B (coupled to hose  171 ) are coupled from the other ends of the cylinders  151 C 1 ,  151 C 2  to the return side of the source of hydraulic fluid. A valve  195  is coupled from the reservoir  69  for controlling hydraulic fluid flow through the hose  161 . The pump  67  and reservoir  69  are permanent parts of the tractor. An extension hose  181  is coupled to the high pressure hose  161  which extends to the cab of the tractor  21  where it is coupled to a pressure meter  191 . When the pump  67  is operated and the valve  195  is opened, the pump forces hydraulic fluid into the upper ends of the cylinders  151 C 1  and  151 C 2  the pistons l 51 P 1  and  151 P 2  are forced downward. The bowls  151  and  153  bite into the extension  121  and piling  131  respectively such that an upward force is applied to the extension  121  and auger  111  and a downward force is applied to the piling  131 . This forces the piling  131  and hence the pilot tube  101  further downward into the earth until a desired amount of resistance or pressure is achieved as reflected by the meter  191 . Thus the auger  111  acts as an anchor in moving the piling  131 ,  101  downward into the earth until a desired amount of resistance is achieved. 
     The bowls  151  and  153 , cylinders  151 C 1 ,  151 C 2 , and pistons  151 P 1 ,  515 P 2  and hoses  161 ,  161 A,  161 B,  171 ,  171 A,  171 B are then removed. 
     This will leave the extension  121  extending above the ground about 6 inches with the piling  131  extending above the top of the extension  121 . The piling  121  will be cut off such that it extends about 4 inches above the top of the extension  121  and then members  121  and  131  will be welded together. A metal U-shape piling cap  31  with a metal sleeve  201  secured to its bottom side will be employed by sliding the sleeve  201  over the top of the piling member  131  and welding the cap  31  to the member  131 . Members  203  are metal piling cap rings through which metal rebar  205  are inserted. A number of the pilings  23  with their caps  31  may be employed at the construction site with the rebar  205  coupled to each of the caps and then concrete poured in the ditch  33  to form a foundation for the structure to be built or repaired. The number of pilings  23  employed will depend on the weights and measures of the structure to be built or repaired. 
     If the extension  121  is not needed, the hydraulic system of FIGS. 5 and 6 will be coupled to the auger stem  111  to push the piling  131  and pilot tube  101  downward into the ground and the upper end of the piling  131  will be cut off above the stem  111  and welded to the stem  111  and the cap  31  welded to the piling  131  for supporting the rebar. 
     Reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,117,944, 4,365,428, and for disclosures of a backhoes which employ booms similar to the tractor  21  of FIG.  1 . These patents are incorporated into this ion by reference. 
     In one embodiment, the pilot tube  101  may have an outside diameter of 2⅞ inches; the auger stem  113  may have an outside diameter of 3½ inches; the extension tube  121  may have an outside diameter of 3½ inches; and the piling tube  131  may have an outside diameter of 2⅞ inches. The dimensions, however may vary. 
     It is to be understood that the pilot tube can be pushed into the and the auger may be rotated into the ground by equipment different than that of the tractor  21  and boom  43  as described above.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4