Patent ID: 8070391

Claim:
A pile driving system for driving an elongate pile and at least one sheet pile in a substantially horizontal stack of sheet piles comprising: a support system comprising an arm assembly; an engaging system comprising a primary housing and a secondary housing, where the primary housing is operatively connected to the arm assembly such that the engaging system rotates relative to the support system; a suspension system configured to resiliently oppose movement of the secondary housing within a limited range of movement relative to the primary housing; a vibratory system rigidly connected to the secondary housing; a first clamp assembly supported by the secondary housing, where the first clamp assembly comprises first and second grip members configured to define a first clamp plane, at least one pick member extending laterally relative to at least one of the grip members in a direction substantially parallel to the first clamp plane, where each pick member defines a tip portion; and a second clamp assembly supported by the secondary housing; whereby the engaging system operates in a first mode in which the first clamp assembly rigidly connects the secondary housing to the elongate pile; and a second mode in which the second clamp assembly rigidly connects the secondary housing to the elongate pile; a third mode in which the second clamp assembly rigidly connects the secondary housing to a side portion of the elongate pile; and a fourth mode in which the tip portion of the at least one pick member engages the at least one sheet pile of a substantially horizontal stack of sheet piles to remove the at least one sheet pile from the stack of sheet piles; and the pile driving system drives the pile in at least one of the first and second modes using at least one of a driving force generated by the support system, and a vibrational force generated by the vibratory system.