Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Nov., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 7th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 28th Sept., 1888
I, GEORGE SONNENTHAL, of 85 Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to pile-drivers or pile-driving apparatus.
The main feature of my said Invention consists in constructing the frame or tripod
of the apparatus of wrought iron or steel tubes in such a manner that it can be easily
erected and lowered and readily taken to pieces, thus rendering the said apparatus
extremely portable.
My said Invention, moreover, comprises various other improvements hereinafter set
forth.
In carrying my said Invention into practice, I provide a frame or tripod the legs of
which are built up of wrought iron or steel tubes united in such a manner that they
are readily detachable in one or more parts. One of the said legs is constructed in
the form of a ladder. The monkey-guide is moreover formed of two uprights or tubes
also detachable in one or more parts and provided at the top with a small pulley or
sheave. The uprights of the said monkey-guide are united by cross-pieces or stays of
peculiar construction forming steps. Thus two ladders are provided which may be
conveniently used for climbing to the top of the frame or tripod. The said frame or
tripod and the monkey guides are formed in one or more detachable parts as above
described and are joined by means of sockets and tubular bolts (with or without wood
stiffening) koyed into the tubes forming the bottom or lower portion of the said frame
or tripod and inserted in the tubes forming the upper or top portion of the said frame
or tripod, or in any other suitable manner. The portability of the said frame or tripod
is thus greatly increased and the apparatus can when necessary be used at half or
other part or portion of its total height.

page_text: The legs of the said frame or tripod and the monkey guide are provided at the top
with a suitable swivelling head or hinge bolt common to them all, and at the hottom
with points made of steel, or any other suitable metal attached to suitable sockets
fitting into the bottom of the 'tubes forming the said frame or tripod and retained
therein by means of holts pins or other suitable means in such a manner that they
can be removed at will. The said steel points are prevented from entering too far
into the ground by means of iron or steel flanges fitted upon the sockets carrying the
said steel points at a suitable distance from the point. These steel points can also be
attached when desired to the bottom of the wrought iron or steel tubes forming the
upper part of the frame or tripod when the latter is being used at half or any other
portion of its usual height.
When the apparatus is mounted upon a timber foundation or is intended to stand on
the deck of a ship, pontoon or the like, these steel points and flanges are replaced by
suitable iron shoes the undersides of which are roughened or serrated and which are
connected to sockets, similar to those carrying the above described steel points, by
means of ball and socket joints or by any other convenient arrangement.
The monkey guide is moreover provided with one or more wrought iron or steel
tubular stays fitted with a steel point and flange or steel points and flanges or an iron
shoe or shoes similar to those above described the said stay or stays is or are attached or
hinged in any suitable manner to the centre of the monkey guide, and is or are also
connected with it at the bottom by means of two or more chains, or in some other
suitable manner, to prevent any slip of the said stay or stays in a backward direction.
Two or more diagonal iron or steel stays of any suitable section are also provided for
connecting the monkey guide with the ladder.
These stays tend to stiffen the said monkey guide and to prevent any yielding or
bending of the latter when the apparatus is employed to drive piles in an oblique
direction.
The legs of the tripod or frame are kept in position by means of stays made of iron
or steel bars of round or other suitable form in transverse section.
The small pulley or sheave provided at the top of the monkey guide is employed in
connection with a winch attached to the ladder for raising the piles intended to be
driven by the machine, and for lifting the monkey. When driving the piles, the
monkey lifting rope is carried by a larger pulley or sheave suspended by means of a
suitable shackle or eye provided for the purpose at the swivelling head upon the hinge
bolt of the frame or tripod.
To erect the frame or tripod the three legs are either placed flat upon the ground or
are preferably raised in the centre by a block or other means; they are then joined
at the top or head by the hinge-bolt.
By lifting the said legs from the bottom and pushing them uniformly towards the
centre, the frame or tripod is erected easily and expeditiously, and, by using
reasonable care, without any danger. To facilitate the raising thereof the ladder can
be pushed upward at the same time by means of suitable forked rods made to fit the
rungs, and which are slipped from rung to rung as the said frame or tripod is raised,
thus materially assisting in the work of erection. The said frame or tripod is then
fixed in position by means of the stays and the large pulley or sheave placed in
position and the monkey guide pulled up thereby.
To take down the apparatus it is only necessary to proceed in the reverse manner to
that above described.
Tuted thin 5th lan of Nauna 1907
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: 1, GEORGE SONNENTHAL, of 85 Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :—
My invention relates to pile-drivers or pile-driving apparatus.
The main feature of any said invention consists in constructing the frame or tripod of
the apparatus of wrought iron or steel tubes in such a manner that it can be readily
erected and lowered and can be taken to pieces so that it is easily portable, and can be
used either at its full height or at the half or other portion thereof.
My said invention, moreover comprises various other improvements hereinafter
set forth.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the frame or tripod and monkey-guide of a pile-
driver constructed according to my said invention.
•
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the frame or tripod, the monkey-guide being
removed.
Figure 3 is a front elevation of the monkey-guide detached.
Figure 4 is a central section, drawn to an enlarged scale, of a portion of one of
the iron or steel tubes forming the frame or tripod and the monkey guides, showing
the socket and the tubular bolt with the wood stiffening-piece hereinafter described for
connecting the sections or detachable parts of the tube.
Figure 5 is a sectional elevation drawn to an enlarged scale illustrating details of
construction.
Figure 6 is a section, drawn to an enlarged scale of a removable iron or steel point,
and flanges and socket hereinafter described.
Figure 7 is a section also drawn to an enlarged scale, of a removable iron or steel
shoe and socket hereinafter described.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing.
A is the frame or tripod and B the monkey-guide of the pile-driver. The legs a a¹
of the frame or tripod A consist of wrought iron or steel tubes made in lengths or
sections which are built up or united in such a manner that they are readily detachable.
The rear leg of the said frame or tripod is formed of two wrought iron or steel tubes a²
built up in a similar manner and connected by cross pieces or rungs a³ so as to form a
ladder. The monkey-guide B consists of two uprights or tubes also built up as
above mentioned and united by Z-shaped cross-pieces or stays d which also form steps.
Thus two ladders are provided which may be conveniently used for climbing to the
top of the frame or tripod A. A small pulley or sheave c is attached to the upper
extremity of the uprights bb' of the said monkey guide B.

page_text: The tubes forming the frame or tripod A and monkey-guide B are as above stated
formed of lengths or sections. These lengths or sections are firmly united by means
of screw-threaded sockets e and tubular bolts f with or without wood or other stiffening
pieces gas more clearly shown in Figure 4. The tubular bolt f keyed into the
lower section of the tube and is inserted in the upper section thereof. The adjacent
ends of the sections are screw-threaded to receive the socket e whereby they are secured
together in such a manner as to form practically a single tube.
The said sections may
however, be united in any other suitable manner, if desired.
By constructing the said frame or tripod A and the monkey-guide B in the manner
above described I greatly increase the portability of the apparatus and provide for its
use when necessary at the half or other part of its total height.
The legs a a¹ a of the frame or tripod A are connected at the top by a suitable
hinge-joint or swivelling head h more clearly shown in Figure 5. This hinge-joint
comprises eyes h³, h², h³ secured in sockets which are inserted in the said legs a, a¹, a²
and fastened therein by means of bolts or rivets ; or in any other suitable manner.
These eyes h, 2, 3 have a hinge holt & common to them all. The monkey guide B,
is moreover, provided with eyes 4 h similarly secured in the tubes and having a
hinge bolt passing through them and through links whereby the monkey guide
is connected with the tripod.
Each of the legs a a a² and of the uprights >,' is moreover provided at the
bottom or lower extremity with a point Figure 6 made of iron, steel or other
suitable metal and firmly attached to a socket m which is secured in the tube by means
of a bolt or rivet n or otherwise in such a manner that it can be removed and replaced
at will. The entrance of these points too far into the ground is prevented by means
of a flange o fitted upon the socket m at a suitable distance from the point.
The said
points can be applied when desired, to the bottom of upper sections of the wrought
iron or steel tubes forming the frame or tripod A and monkey-guide B when the
latter are to be used at the half or other portion of their height.
When the apparatus is mounted upon a timber foundation or is intended to stand on
the deck of a ship pontoon or the like I use upon the bottom or lower extremity of each
of the said legs a, a, a and of the uprights b, b', in place of the point l, socket m and
flange o above described, a metal shoe p, Figure 7, the underside of which is roughened
or serrated as at pl and which is connected by means of a ball-and-socket joint or by
other convenient means to an end piece a secured in the tube by a bolt or rivet s in a
similar manner to the socket m above described so that the said socket and end-piece
are interchangeable.
The monkey-guide B is provided with one or more tubular struts teach fitted with
a point and flange or with an iron shoe as shewn in Figure 6 or in Figure 7. The
strutt is attached by a hinge or joint u or other convenient means to the centre of the
monkey-guide B, and is also connected therewith at the bottom by means of two or
more chains , or it may be connected therewith in any other suitable manner so as to
prevent slipping of the said strut t in a backward direction. Two or more adjustable
diagonal iron or steel stays or tie-rods w of any suitable form in transverse section are
also provided for connecting the monkey-guide B with the leg a² of the frame or
tripod A. The legs of the frame or tripod A are kept in position by means of stays
or tie-rods & made of iron or steel rods or bars of round or other suitable form in
transverse section.
These struts and stays or tie-rods tend to stiffen the said tripod A and monkey-
guide B and to prevent any yielding or bending of the latter when the apparatus is
employed to drive piles in an oblique direction.
The pulley or sheave c at the top of the monkey-guide B is employed in connection
with a winch y attached to the ladder a² for raising the piles to be driven by the
machine, and for lifting the monkey =. When driving the piles, the monkey-lifting
1 rope is carried by a larger pulley or sheave 2¹ suspended by means of a suitable shackle
or eye provided for the purpose on the bolt k of the hinge-joint or swivelling
head h.
To erect the frame or tripod A the three legs a, a', a² are either placed flat upon the

page_text: ground or are preferably raised in the centre by a block or other suitable means,
They are then joined at the top or head by the hinge bolt k. By then lifting the said
legs a a¹ a² from the bottom and pushing them uniformly towards the centre, the
frame or tripod A is erected easily and expeditiously, and if reasonable care is exercised
without any danger. To facilitate the raising thereof, the legs a forming the ladder
can be pushed upward at the same time by means of suitable forked rods which are
made to fit the rungs as and which may be slipped from rung to rung as the frame or
tripod A is raised, thus materially assisting in the work of erection. The said frame
or tripod A is then secured in position by means of the stays ; the large pulley or
sheave is paced in position and the monkey-guide B is pulled up thereby.
To take down the apparatus it is only necessary to proceed in the reverse manner to
that above described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I wish it understood that
claim;-
First. The frame or tripod of a pile-driver formed of wrought iron or steel tubes
built up of detachable lengths or sections, substantially as, and for the purposes, set
forth.
•
Second. The tubular bolts (with or without the wood or other stiffening-pieces) for
connecting the lengths or sections of the tubes, substantially as described.
Third. The frame or tripod and the monkey-guide connected by the hinge-joint and
provided with the shackle or eye suspended from the hinge-bolt as, and for the purpose
above specified.
Fourth. The monkey guide consisting of iron or steel tubes built up of detachable
lengils or sections and provided with the pulley or sheave and with tubular or other
struts and stays substantially as set forth.
Fifth. The removable socket point and flange substantially as described with
reference to figure 6 for the purposes specified.
Sixth. The removable socket and the roughened or serrated shoe connected by the
ball-and-socket or other suitable joint, substantially as described with reference to
Figure 7 for the purposes specified.
Seventh. The improved pile-driver consisting of the parts constructed and combined
substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 7th day of August 1888.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.