JP7684099B2 - Pile press machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a pile driving machine that drives piles into the ground and a method for feeding piles in the pile driving machine.

A known construction technique for driving and burying various types of steel pipe piles, shaped steel piles, and other piles into the ground is to grip the top end of an existing pile that has already been buried in the ground with a clamp to generate a reaction force, and then raise and lower the chuck holding the pile, thereby successively driving new piles into positions adjacent to the existing piles.

The pile driving machine used for this type of construction has a saddle that is fixed to the existing pile via multiple clamps, and a slide frame that can move back and forth relative to the saddle, and a leader mast that is rotatably attached to the slide frame has a chuck that can be raised and lowered. Known piles that can be used for driving include steel sheet piles, steel pipe sheet piles, steel pipe piles, and concrete piles. The chuck is positioned at a predetermined position relative to the saddle, and the pile that has been suspended by a crane or the like and brought to the predetermined position is gripped by the chuck, and the chuck is raised and lowered along the leader mast to drive the pile into the ground.

Here, it is difficult to manually support the movement of a pile that has been suspended by a crane or similar device up onto the chuck. The larger the chuck, the easier it is to insert the pile into the chuck, but the pile driving machine as a whole becomes larger and heavier. Therefore, in order to make it easier to transport a pile suspended by a crane or similar device to a specified position in a pile driving machine, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a pile positioning guide device in which a pair of left and right guide rods are attached in the space above the chuck so that they widen toward the tip. With this positioning guide device, the pile is driven in with one of the pair of left and right guide rods extended and the other guide rod retracted.

The present applicant has also previously disclosed in Patent Document 2 a pile driving machine having an arm member extending forward from one of the left and right lateral positions relative to the chuck.

JP 2006-283470 A JP 2020-90797 A

However, in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, the pair of left and right guide rods are flared at the end, which may cause interference with structures when construction is carried out in close proximity. In addition, the position where the piles are inserted is limited to the front of the chuck, and piles cannot be brought in above the chuck, so the piles must be brought in far away and a large work space is required. Furthermore, in the past, when moving a pile above the chuck, a worker was required to set up the pile in order to smoothly guide it, and the efficiency of the work depended on the skill level of the worker, and in addition to this being accompanied by a certain degree of danger, it was also necessary to install scaffolding for work.

The present invention was made in consideration of these points, and aims to provide a pile driving machine and pile supply method that can safely and efficiently move a pile above the chuck without the need for an operator.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, according to the present invention, there is provided a pile driving machine for driving a pile into the ground, comprising an arm member arranged in the vicinity of a chuck that grips the pile to be driven into the ground, and a driving means for rotating the arm member to a position away from the chuck and a position close to the chuck, wherein when the arm member is moved to a position close to the chuck, it has a curved shape that protrudes forward of the chuck so as to approximately coincide with the opening of the chuck.

This pile driving machine may have a buffer member disposed inside the arm member. The arm member may also be inclined downward or upward from the base end of the arm to the tip end of the arm. The arm member may also be interchangeable between the left and right sides of the chuck.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a method for supplying piles to a pile driving machine that drives the piles into the ground, comprising an arm member arranged in the vicinity of a chuck that holds the pile to be driven into the ground, and a driving means for rotating the arm member to a position away from the chuck and a position close to the chuck, wherein when the arm member is moved to a position close to the chuck, the arm member has a curved shape that protrudes forward of the chuck so as to approximately coincide with an opening of the chuck, and when the arm member is moved forward away from the chuck, a pile is transported near the arm member, and then the arm member is rotated to a position close to the chuck.

In this supply method, the arm member may have a buffer member located inside the arm member when the arm member is in a state where it is separated forward from the chuck, and the arm member may be rotated in a direction approaching the chuck when a pile brought near the arm member abuts against the buffer member and the buffer member is pushed.

According to the present invention, with the arm member moved forward away from the chuck, a pile is brought near the arm member, and then the arm member is rotated to a position close to the chuck, so that the pile to be pressed into the ground can be smoothly moved above the chuck.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a pile driving machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the pile driving machine according to the embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which the arm member is positioned forward and away from the chuck. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the pile driving machine according to the embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which the arm member is positioned close to the chuck. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a procedure for supplying piles to a pile driving machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which a pile is transported into the pile driving machine. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a procedure for supplying piles to a pile driving machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which the piles are in contact with a buffer member. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a procedure for supplying a pile to the pile driving machine according to the embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which the arm member has been rotated in a direction approaching the chuck. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a procedure for supplying a pile to the pile driving machine according to the embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which the arm member has moved to a position close to the chuck. FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the pile driving machine according to the embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which the arm member is attached to the left side. FIG. 11 is a plan view of a pile driving machine according to another embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which the arm member is positioned forward and away from the chuck. FIG. 11 is a plan view of a pile driving machine according to another embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which the arm members are rotated inward.

The pile driving machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that in this specification and the drawings, elements having substantially the same functional configuration are given the same reference numerals to avoid redundant description.

In addition, in this specification, "forward" refers to the direction in which the pile driving machine 1 drives the pile (with the leader mast 20 facing forward), and in Figs. 1 to 10, the right side is the forward side and the left side is the rear side. The left-right direction is determined by looking at the direction in which the pile driving machine 1 drives the pile (with the leader mast 20 facing forward). In Fig. 1, the front side of the page (vertically above the page) is the right side, and the back side of the page (vertically below the page) is the left side. In Figs. 2 to 10, the lower side is the right side and the upper side is the left side. Inward refers to the direction from the outside (right side or left side) toward the center line L of the pile driving machine 1 (shown in Figs. 2 to 10).

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, multiple clamps 11 are provided on the lower sides of both sides of a saddle 10, which is the main body of a pile driving machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The clamps 11 grip the upper end of an existing pile P that has already been driven in, and fix the saddle 10 to the upper part of the pile P. Note that Figure 1 shows a state in which the clamps 11 grip the upper ends of three existing piles P to fix the saddle 10, and one new pile P has been driven in front of the three piles P. Also, in the embodiment, a U-shaped steel sheet pile is shown as an example of a pile P.

A slide frame 12 is provided on top of the saddle 10, and is slidable in the front-rear direction relative to the saddle 10. A leader mast 20, which serves as a rotating base, is configured on the slide frame 12 so as to be rotatable relative to the slide frame 12, centered on the center of the slide frame 12. The leader mast 20 is rotated by a rotary drive source (not shown), such as a motor, provided on, for example, the underside of the leader mast 20. Note that Figures 1 to 10 show the leader mast 20 facing forward (front). In this specification, each direction will be described based on the leader mast 20 facing forward (front) in this manner.

A chuck 25 that can be raised and lowered along the lift guide 21 is attached to the front of the leader mast 20. The chuck 25 has a configuration in which a chuck body 27 is attached to a chuck frame 26 that is attached to the lift guide 21 in front of the leader mast 20 so that it can be raised and lowered. The entire chuck 25 (chuck frame 26 and chuck body 27) rises and falls together by the extension and contraction action of the main cylinder 30.

The chuck body 27 is rotatably attached to the chuck frame 26. The chuck body 27 has an overall cylindrical shape, and an opening 31 that is U-shaped in plan view and penetrates vertically is provided inside the chuck body 27. A pile P, which is a U-shaped steel sheet pile, is passed through this opening 31.

A fixed claw 32 and a movable claw 33 are provided horizontally facing each other on the inside lower part of the chuck body 27. The movable claw 33 moves toward and away from the fixed claw 32 by a hydraulic cylinder (not shown). The pile P to be pressed in is gripped by the fixed claw 32 and the movable claw 33 provided on the chuck body 27.

A funnel-shaped guide surface 35 that widens as it goes up is formed on the top of the chuck body 27. As described below, the lower end of the pile P suspended by a crane or the like is guided by this guide surface 35, allowing the pile P to be smoothly passed through the opening 31 of the chuck body 27.

The upper part of the chuck frame 26 is provided with an arm member 40 arranged near the chuck 25. In the illustrated embodiment, the arm member 40 is arranged from the side of the chuck 25 toward the front. This arm member 40 can be attached to either the left or right side of the chuck 25, and Figures 1 to 7 show the arm member 40 attached to the right side of the chuck 25.

A base frame 41 is fixed to the top of the chuck frame 26 at a position rearward of the pile P that is passed through the chuck 25, and a support frame 42 can be attached to both the left and right sides of this base frame 41. Note that Figures 1 to 7 show a configuration in which the arm member 40 is attached to the right side of the chuck 25, and the support frame 42 is attached to the right side of the base frame 41.

The arm member 40 is supported by a shaft 43 provided at the tip of the support frame 42 so as to be freely rotatable relative to the support frame 42. As shown in FIG. 1, the arm member 40 is arranged tilted upward toward the front, and in this position tilted upward toward the front, the arm member 40 rotates about the shaft 43 in a substantially horizontal plane.

The arm member 40 is provided with an extension 45 on the opposite side of the shaft 43, and the tip of a piston rod 47 of a cylinder 46 provided on the base frame 41 is connected to this extension. When the cylinder 46 is operated, the piston rod 47 is rotated around the shaft 43. When the piston rod 47 is contracted and the extension 45 is pulled backward, the arm member 40 is moved to a position away from the chuck 25 forward, as shown in FIG. 2. On the other hand, when the piston rod 47 is extended and the extension 45 is pushed forward, the arm member 40 is moved to a position close to the chuck 25, as shown in FIG. 3. In this way, the cylinder 46 functions as a drive means for rotating the arm member 40 between a position away from the chuck 25 forward and a position close to the chuck 25.

When the arm member 40 is moved to a position away from the chuck 25 in a plan view as shown in FIG. 2, the arm member 40 has an arm base portion 50 that extends outward toward the front, and an arm tip portion 51 that extends inward toward the front. The arm base portion 50 extends gradually outward toward the front from the axis 43, and the arm tip portion 51 extends gradually inward toward the front in front of the arm base portion 50. Thus, when the arm member 40 is moved to a position away from the chuck 25 in a forward position, the arm member 40 has an overall bow-like curved shape with the center protruding outward. Note that when the arm member 40 is attached to the right side of the chuck 25 as shown in the figure, the direction toward the center line L of the pile driving machine 1 is the inside when viewed from the arm member 40 moved to a position away from the front.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the piston rod 47 is extended and the arm member 40 is moved to a position close to the chuck 25, the arm base end portion 50 is located in front of the right side of the chuck 25, and the arm tip portion 51 is located in front of the left side of the chuck 25. When the arm member 40 is moved to a position close to the chuck 25 in this way, the center of the arm member 40 protrudes forward. In this way, when the arm member 40 is close to the chuck 25, the arm member 40, which has an overall bow-shaped curved shape, can surround the front of the chuck 25 from both the left and right sides.

A buffer member 52 is disposed on the inside between the arm base end portion 50 and the arm tip portion 51 that constitute the arm member 40. The buffer member 52 is made of, for example, a sling, a rubber belt, a string, a rope, or a wire, and is flexible. One end of the buffer member 52 is connected to the tip of the arm member 40 (the tip of the arm tip portion 51), and the other end of the buffer member 52 is connected to the support frame 42 at a position inside and rearward of the shaft 43.

Next, we will explain how to supply piles P using the pile driving machine 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention configured as described above.

First, in the pile driving machine 1, the movable claw 33 is moved away from the fixed claw 32 to open the chuck 25. In addition, the piston rod 47 of the cylinder 46 is driven to retract, and the arm member 40 is moved to a position away from the chuck 25 forward.

Then, a new pile P to be driven into the ground is hung by a crane or the like, brought close to the pile driving machine 1, and moved to the inside of the arm member 40 (the side where the buffer member 52 is arranged) as shown in FIG. 4. Since the arm member 40 is moved to a position away from the chuck 25 forward, the pile P can be carried in over a wide range from a position directly above the chuck 25 toward the front. Since the new pile P carried into the pile driving machine 1 is in a suspended state, there is a risk that it may sway due to inertia or the influence of wind during transportation, but the pile P can be stopped from swaying by abutting against the buffer member 52 arranged on the inside of the arm member 40. In addition, by abutting the pile P against the buffer member 52, the impact is absorbed, and damage to the machine and the generation of impact noise are avoided. In addition, since the arm member 40 is arranged at an upward incline toward the front, when the pile P is abutted against the buffer member 52, it is not necessary to lower the pile P hung by a crane or the like more than necessary, making the work easier.

When the pile P is moved close to the arm member 40 and brought into contact with the buffer member 52, as shown in FIG. 5, the pile P pushes against the buffer member 52, generating a tension T that tries to pull the tip of the arm member 40 (the tip of the arm tip portion 51) backward. This tension T pulls the tip of the arm member 40 in a direction approaching the chuck 25, causing the entire arm member 40 to start rotating inward. In this way, by bringing the pile P into contact with the buffer member 52, the immediacy of starting the arm rotation is ensured.

Then, the piston rod 47 of the cylinder 46, which serves as the driving means, extends, and the arm member 40 is rotated in a direction approaching the chuck 25. Because the buffer member 52 is extendable to a certain extent and the arm member 40 has a curved shape, the arm member 40 rotates in this way in a direction approaching the chuck 25, so that the pile P is held between the arm base end portion 50 and the arm tip portion 51, as shown in FIG. 6. In this way, the pile P suspended by a crane or the like is gradually positioned inside the arm member 40.

Then, when the piston rod 47 of the cylinder 46 is further extended and the arm member 40 moves to a position close to the chuck 25 as shown in FIG. 7, the arm base end portion 50 is located in front of the right side of the chuck 25, and the arm tip portion 51 is located in front of the left side of the chuck 25. In this way, the pile P suspended by a crane or the like is positioned above the chuck 25 by the curved arm member 40.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, when the arm member 40 is rotated in a direction approaching the chuck 25 by the extension of the piston rod 47, the buffer member 52 gradually loosens, and as the buffer member 52 extends, the pile P can easily enter between the arm base end portion 50 and the arm tip portion 51. This allows the pile P to be positioned smoothly. Also, as shown in Figure 7, when the arm member 40 moves to a position approaching the chuck 25, the completely loosened buffer member 52 holds the pile P in a manner that envelops it, suppressing unintended horizontal movement of the pile P due to the swaying of the crane, while allowing intentional rotation and vertical movement of the pile P.

After the pile P is positioned above the chuck 25, the chuck 25 is raised and the pile P is passed through the opening 31 of the chuck body 27. Alternatively, the pile P may be lowered by operating a crane or the like and passed through the opening 31 of the chuck body 27. The chuck 25 may be raised and the pile P may be lowered simultaneously. In this case, the chuck body 27 of the chuck 25 may be rotated appropriately according to the direction of the pile P that has moved directly above the chuck 25, and the direction of the opening 31 may be adjusted appropriately. The lower end of the pile P is guided by a funnel-shaped guide surface 35 formed at the upper part of the chuck body 27, so that the pile P is smoothly passed through the opening 31 of the chuck body 27.

After the pile P is passed through the opening 31 of the chuck 25, the movable claw 33 is moved toward the fixed claw 32 by the hydraulic cylinder (not shown), and the pile P is gripped by the chuck 25. After the suspension by the crane or the like is released, the chuck 25 is lowered along the lifting guide 21 by the contraction operation of the main cylinder 30 in front of the leader mast 20, and the pile P gripped by the chuck 25 is pressed into the ground within the movable range of the main cylinder 30. After the pile P is pressed into the ground within the movable range of the main cylinder 30, the movable claw 33 is separated from the fixed claw 32 by the hydraulic cylinder (not shown) at the bottom of the chuck body 27, and the grip of the pile P is temporarily released. Then, the chuck 25 is raised along the lifting guide 21 by the extension operation of the main cylinder 30. Then, when the chuck 25 is in the raised position, the movable claw 33 is moved toward the fixed claw 32 by a hydraulic cylinder (not shown) at the bottom of the chuck body 27, and the pile P is gripped by the chuck 25 again. After that, the same operation is repeated, and the pile P brought into the pile driving machine 1 is driven into the ground to a specified depth. After the pile P is gripped by the chuck 25, the arm member 40 is rotated in a direction away from the chuck 25 by the contraction operation of the piston rod 47, and the pile to be driven in is prepared to be received next.

As described above, according to the pile driving machine 1 of the embodiment of the present invention, when the pile P is brought into the pile driving machine 1, the pile P suspended by a crane or the like can be positioned above the chuck 25 by the arm member 40, making it possible to bring in the pile P without the need for a worker, thus reducing the number of workers required. In addition, since there is no need for the worker to get close to the chuck 25, there is no risk of being pinched between the arm member 40 or the pile P, making it safe. There is also no need to install scaffolding for work. This allows for significant improvements in safety, efficiency, labor costs, etc.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modified or revised examples within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, the arm member 40 is attached to the right side of the chuck 25, but as shown in FIG. 8, the arm member 40 can also be attached to the left side of the chuck 25. In this case, for example, the base frame 41 can be made symmetrical, and the support frame 42 and arm member 40 can be inverted and can be attached to both the left and right sides of the chuck 25, thereby reducing the number of parts. For example, the arm member 40 can be attached to the left or right side of the chuck 25 depending on various conditions such as the site situation and wind direction. In addition to attaching the support frame 42 and arm member 40 to the left or right side of the base frame 41, a method of changing the left and right position of the arm member 40 by rotating the base frame 41 is also conceivable.

The base frame 41 may be attached to the top of the chuck frame 26, or may be attached to the leader mast 20 or the main cylinder 30, for example. It is preferable to arrange the arm member 40 so that it is inclined upward from the horizontal toward the front so that it can receive the pile P suspended by a crane or the like at a position as high as possible. Although the arm member 40 is shown in an embodiment in which it is inclined upward toward the front, the arm member 40 may be arranged inclined downward from the horizontal to accommodate a so-called low-head site such as under a bridge girder. In addition, as an example in which the center of the arm member 40 protrudes forward when the arm member 40 is moved to a position close to the chuck 25, another embodiment is also conceivable in which the arm member 40 itself is flexible, and when the arm member 40 is in a state close to the chuck 25, the arm member 40 is curved so that the center of the arm member 40 protrudes forward due to the presence of the pile P held by the arm member 40.

In addition, while a U-shaped steel sheet pile has been shown above as an example of pile P, the present invention can also be applied to a pile driving machine that drives hat-shaped steel sheet piles, concrete sheet piles, steel pipe piles, steel pipe sheet piles, etc.

9 and 10 are plan views of a pile driving machine 2 according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this pile driving machine 2, an arm member 60 has an arm base end portion 61 that extends outward toward the front, and an arm tip portion 62 that is attached so as to extend inward from the arm base end portion 61. A pair of front and rear rolls 65, 66 are attached to the arm base end portion 61, and an endless belt 67 is wound around the rolls 65, 66 as a cushioning member. Note that, apart from the configuration of the arm member 60, the pile driving machine 2 is similar to the pile driving machine 1 described above, and therefore elements having substantially the same functional configuration are designated by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant description.

In the pile driving machine 2 shown in Figures 9 and 10, as in the pile driving machine 1 described above, the pile P can be brought in by abutting it against the endless belt 67 arranged inside the arm member 60 (arm base end portion 61) as a buffer member. In this way, the pile P is abutted against the endless belt 67 to absorb impact, and damage to the machine and the generation of impact noise are avoided. Then, the arm member 60 is rotated in a direction approaching the chuck 25 by the extension operation of the piston rod 47, so that the pile P can be held and positioned between the arm base end portion 61 and the arm tip portion 62. In addition, in the pile driving machine 2 shown in Figures 9 and 10, the pile P can be moved above the chuck 25 by rotating the rolls 65 and 66 to rotate the endless belt 67 while the pile P is abutted against the endless belt 67 according to the situation. The endless belt 67 of this pile driving machine 2 is always under tension and does not slacken, so that when the arm member 60 is rotated in a direction approaching the chuck 25, the pile P that comes into contact with the endless belt 67 is pulled toward the chuck 25 as if rolling on the endless belt 67, and is finally positioned above the chuck 25. In this way, in this pile driving machine 2, the endless belt 67 functions as a moving mechanism that moves the pile P above the chuck 25. Therefore, this pile driving machine 2 is particularly suitable for piles with a roughly circular cross section, such as steel pipe piles and steel pipe sheet piles.

In addition, in Figures 1 to 8, when the arm member 40 is moved to a position close to the chuck 25, the center of the arm member 40 is shown to protrude forward, but the arm member 40 does not necessarily have to be curved at the center. For example, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, the arm tip portion 62 is shorter than the arm base portion 61, and the arm member 40 may have a curved shape between the base end and the tip.

The present invention can be applied to pile driving machines used for driving piles into the ground and for extracting piles from the ground.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1, 2 Pile pressing machine P Pile 10 Saddle 11 Clamp 12 Slide frame 20 Leader mast 21 Lifting guide 25 Chuck 26 Chuck frame 27 Chuck body 30 Main cylinder 31 Opening 32 Fixed claw 33 Movable claw 35 Guide surface 40 Arm member 41 Base frame 42 Support frame 43 Shaft 45 Extension 46 Cylinder 47 Piston rod 50 Arm base end portion 51 Arm tip portion 52 Cushioning member 60 Arm member 61 Arm base end portion 62 Arm tip portion 65, 66 Roll 67 Endless belt (cushioning member)

Claims (6)

A pile driving machine for driving a pile into the ground,
An arm member is provided in the vicinity of a chuck that holds a pile to be pressed into the ground,
a driving means for rotating the arm member to a position forwardly away from the chuck and a position adjacent to the chuck;
The pile driving machine is characterized in that, when the arm member is moved to a position close to the chuck, it has a curved shape that protrudes forward of the chuck so as to approximately coincide with the opening of the chuck. The pile driving machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a buffer member disposed inside the arm member. 3. The pile driving machine according to claim 1 , wherein the arm member is inclined downward or upward from a base end portion of the arm to a tip end portion of the arm. The pile driving machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the arm member is freely attachable to the left side or the right side of the chuck. A method for supplying piles to a pile driving machine that drives piles into ground, comprising the steps of:
An arm member is provided in the vicinity of a chuck that holds a pile to be pressed into the ground,
a driving means for rotating the arm member to a position forwardly away from the chuck and a position adjacent to the chuck;
the arm member has a curved shape protruding forward of the chuck so as to substantially coincide with an opening of the chuck when the arm member is moved to a position close to the chuck;
A pile supplying method for a pile driving machine, characterized in that, with the arm member moved forward away from the chuck, a pile is transported near the arm member, and then the arm member is rotated to a position close to the chuck. a buffer member located inside the arm member;
6. The pile supply method for a pile driving machine as described in claim 5, characterized in that the pile brought into the vicinity of the arm member abuts against the buffer member and the buffer member is pushed, thereby rotating the arm member in a direction approaching the chuck.

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