Two-Part Caisson-Clamp for Pile Driving
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pile driving equipment requires complex and costly modifications to piles, involving multiple jaw faces and hollow structures, which increases time, expertise, and cost for insertion and extraction procedures.
Innovation Solution
A two-part caisson-clamp design with each half containing only one concave jaw face, resisting horizontal forces with mechanical stops, allowing the pile to contact the caisson-beam without modification, and optionally reinforced with a mandril.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing caisson-clamps with multiple jaw faces are used to secure piles, then the piles can be firmly held during insertion and extraction, but the piles require complex modifications (machining, welding, cutting, grinding) and hollow structures to accommodate the clamps
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp is divided into two separate half-clamps that can be independently positioned and adjusted on the caisson-beam. Each half-clamp has its own jaw face, eliminating the need for a single complex clamp structure. This segmentation allows the clamps to be applied to solid piles without requiring hollow structures or extensive modifications.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring the pile to be modified to accommodate the clamp (traditional approach), the invention inverts the approach by having the clamp adapt to the existing pile surface. The jaw faces are designed with concave curves that conform to the pile's outer surface, eliminating the need for machining, welding, or cutting the pile.
2Ease of manufacture
If existing caisson-clamps with fixed jaw face orientations are used, then the clamps can be designed for specific pile sizes, but they require replacement and rotation of clamps and jaw faces for different pile sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The half-clamps are designed to be movable along the caisson-beam and can be independently positioned to accommodate different pile diameters. The jaw faces can be adjusted vertically and horizontally to conform to piles of various sizes, eliminating the need to replace entire clamp assemblies when changing pile sizes.
Solution Approach 2:
The half-clamp design with adjustable positioning and concave jaw faces creates a universal clamp system that can accommodate multiple pile sizes and configurations. The same half-clamp design can be used across different applications by adjusting its position and orientation, rather than requiring size-specific clamp variants.
3Reliability
If existing caisson-clamps require placement and replacement of four jaw faces per clamp, then the clamps can be optimized for specific orientations, but the number of components and assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
By splitting the clamp into two half-clamps, each requiring only one jaw face, the total number of jaw faces is reduced from four to two. Each half-clamp is a simpler, more manageable component that can be independently installed and adjusted, reducing overall assembly complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the unnecessary complexity of multiple jaw faces per clamp by designing each half-clamp to require only a single jaw face. This extraction of excess components simplifies the overall system while maintaining the necessary clamping functionality through the two half-clamps working together.
4Ease of manufacture
If existing caisson-clamps are used with solid piles, then no hollow structure is needed, but the clamps require machining, welding, cutting, or grinding of the pile surface
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of modifying the pile surface to accommodate the clamp (traditional approach requiring machining, welding, cutting, or grinding), the invention inverts the approach by having the clamp's concave jaw faces conform to the existing pile surface. This allows solid piles to be used without any surface modifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The jaw faces are designed with concave curvature parameters that can be adjusted to match different pile diameters and surface profiles. This parameter adjustment allows the clamp to adapt to various solid pile configurations without requiring physical modification of the pile surface.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a two-part caisson-clamp, wherein each half of the caisson-clamp contains only one jaw face. The two half caisson-clamps together pinch the top of a pile between them. The jaw faces may have a concave curve to secure the pile between them. The pile extends up between the two caisson-clamps to contact the caisson-beam. Horizontal forces on the two caisson-clamps, which would otherwise drive the two caisson-clamps apart, are resisted by mechanical stop(s). A mandril may be inserted into the pile to reinforce the top of the pile relative to the forces applied and transferred by the half-caisson clamps.