IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRIVING SCREW PILES "
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Wrightson and William Clark both of Stockton
on Tees in the County of Durham for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR DRIVING SCREW PILES
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Wrightson and
William Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
19th September 1882.
THOMAS WRIGHTSON and WILLIAM CLARK both of Stockton-on-Tees in the
County of Durham "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRIVING SCREW PILES".
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for driving screw
piles.
Screw piles are often put down in positions in which men can only work for a
short time when the tide permits; consequently the operation of sinking them by
manual labour is expensive.
The work nevertheless has not up to the present time been successfully performed.
by machinery although attempts have been made.
Our apparatus consists of a ring which can be dropped over the head of the pile
and a cross head which is mounted upon the ring. The ring is so formed as to
engage with flanges or keys upon the pile; but the ring can turn within the cross
head. The cross head when the apparatus is in use is secured to anchors or any
convenient fixtures so that it is held stationary. There are ratchet teeth upon the
ring and one two or more cylinders fixed upon the cross head. Rain pistons within
the cylinders actuate pawls which engage with the periphery of the ring. There
may either be ratchet teeth on the periphery of the ring or frictional nipping pawls
may be employed. Thus the ring can be made to turn and it carries the pile
round with it causing the pile to screw itself down into the ground.
Water or fluid under pressure is led to the cylinders by pipes and upon a valve
being opened by an attendant or automatically the pistons make a stroke.
A

page_text: pressure upon a small area on one side of the piston is constantly maintained so
that on closing the admission valve and opening the exhaust the pistons return
ready to make another stroke. The advance of one piston may if desired be
arranged to take place during the return of the other so as to produce a continuous
rotation of the pile.
The apparatus when at work may either be suspended or it may rest upon a
collar on the pile. In the latter case it will descend with the pile and the cords
ropes or connections by which the cross head is restrained from rotating must be
tightened from time to time. The crosshead may also be provided with a readily
detachable arm or arms by which it may be secured.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Wrightson and William Clark in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 17th March 1883.
"
THOMAS WRIGHTSON and WILLIAM CLARK both of Stockton on Tees in the
County of Durham, "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRIVING SCREW PILES
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for driving screw
piles.
Screw piles are often put down in positions in which men can only work for a
short time when the tide permits, consequently the operation of sinking them by
manual labour is expensive.
The work nevertheless has not up to the present time been successfully performed
by machinery although attempts have been made.
C
Our apparatus consists of a ring which can be dropped over the head of the pile
and a cross head which is mounted upon the ring. The ring is so formed as to
engage with flanges or keys upon the pile, but the ring can turn within the cross
head. The cross head when the apparatus is in use is secured to anchors or any
convenient fixtures so that it is held stationary. There are ratchet teeth upon the
ring and one two or more cylinders fixed upon the cross head.
Ram pistons
within the cylinders actuate pawls which engage with the periphery of the ring.
There may either be ratchet teeth on the periphery of the ring or frictional
nipping pawls may be employed. Thus the ring can be made to turn and it
carries the pile round with it causing the pile to screw itself down into the ground.
Water or fluid under pressure is led to the cylinders by pipes and upon a valve
being opened by an attendant or automatically the pistons make a stroke.
pressure upon a small area on one side of the piston is constantly maintained so
that on closing the admission valve and opening the exhaust the pistons return
ready to make another stroke. The advance of one piston may if desired be
arranged to take place during the return of the other so as to produce a continuous
rotation of the pile.
A
The apparatus when at work may either be suspended or it may rest upon a
collar on the pile. In the latter case it will descend with the pile and the cords,
ropes or connections by which the cross head is restrained from rotating must be
tightened from time to time. The cross head may also be provided with a readily
detachable arm or arms by which it may be secured.
In order that our said Invention may be most fully understood and readily carried
into effect we will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION of the DRAWINGS
:
Figure 1 is a plan of our apparatus.
A is the shaft of the pile which is to be turned by the apparatus for the purpose
of screwing it into the ground-the pile is seen in horizontal section.
B is a ring passed over the head of the pile, a plan of the ring with some other
of the parts is shewn separately in Figure 2. Figure 3 is a vertical section taken
on the line 1. 1. in Figure 2. The pile has flanges upon it and the top and bottom
plates b. b. of the ring are adapted to engage with these flanges.
C is the cross head, it is constructed of plate and angle iron and c¹. c¹. are its
top and bottom plates. The ring B is received between the plates cl. c. there are
circular holes in these plates through which the centre portions or bosses b² ², of
the ring project.
D. D are arms fitted into sockets at the ends of the cross heid.

page_text: E. E. are ropes attached to the arms D to prevent the cross head turning around
the pile c. c. are eyes on the cross head by which it may be suspended when in
use. 63. 63. are ratchet teeth on the periphery of the ring.
F. F. are pawls engaging with these teeth they are carried in the blocks f'. ƒ¹.
which are flanged to embrace corresponding flanges b. b. upon the ring.
G. G. are connecting rods which thrust upon the pawls for the purpose of turning
the pile.
H. H. are trunks upon pistons within cylinders K. K; the rods G. G. are jointed
to these pistons. k¹. and k². are two orifices in each cylinder K to them pipes are
attached leading to pumping apparatus or any convenient source of water under
pressure. The pipe at k¹. on the trunk side is always open to the pressure but in
connection with the pipe at 2. valves are provided in any convenient position.
They are worked by hand and are opened and closed alternately. In this way the
pawls F. F. are moved to and fro and in the outward movement of the pistons they
carry the ring B round with them.
.
During the inward movement of the pistons the pawls ride over the teeth.
The blocks ff¹ may be so formed as to constitute frictional nipping pawls and
in this case the ratchet teeth may sometimes be dispensed with.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention and the manner of
performing the same we would have it understood that we claim :-
First. Apparatus for putting down screw piles consisting of a ring and cross
head and ratchet or frictional pawls moved by, mechanism on the crosshead
substantially as herein described.
Second. Apparatus for putting down screw piles by the application of water or
fluid under pressure substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof we the said Thomas Wrightson and William Clark have
hereunto set our hands and seals this twelfth day of March in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
THOMAS WRIGHTSON (L.S.)
WILLIAM CLARK
(L.S.)