Screw Pile Driving Apparatus with Adjustable Mast
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Solution Overview
Problem
Screw piles are difficult to drive vertically into the ground using conventional methods, as they require high operator skill and are prone to inclination and deflection due to the pivoting nature of excavator booms and potential obstacles.
Innovation Solution
A screw pile driving apparatus with a mast and carriage system that ensures vertical alignment, featuring a rotary driver and adjustable mast for precise targeting and engagement with the ground, along with a ground spike for stabilization, allowing for controlled rotation and penetration of screw piles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a reciprocating head is used to drive piles into the ground, then driven piles can be installed, but screw piles cannot be driven without damage
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from a static reciprocating impact system to a dynamic rotary driving system. The rotary head rotates the screw pile while the carriage moves vertically along the mast, enabling screw piles to be driven without damage while maintaining installation capability
2Ease of operation
If a rotary head freely suspended from the excavator boom is used, then screw piles can be driven, but high operator skill is required to maintain vertical alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a mast as an intermediary vertical guide structure between the excavator boom and the screw pile. The mast with its longitudinal axis constrained to vertical movement provides a stable reference that eliminates the need for high operator skill to maintain alignment, while the rotary head remains freely suspended to rotate the pile
3Ease of operation
If the screw pile hangs freely from the rotary head, then rotation is enabled, but the pile is easily deflected by obstacles like rocks
Solution Approach 1:
The carriage acts as an intermediary support mechanism that moves vertically along the mast while carrying the rotary head. This provides stable vertical guidance and support for the screw pile during rotation, preventing deflection by obstacles while maintaining the ability to rotate the pile into the ground
4Adaptability or versatility
If the excavator boom pivots during operation, then mobility and positioning are enabled, but the rotary head cannot follow a true vertical path
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the positioning system into independent functional components: the excavator boom provides rough positioning and mobility, while the mast provides precise vertical guidance. The mast's longitudinal axis is constrained to move only vertically, separating the mobility function from the vertical alignment function
Data Source
AI summary
A screw pile driving apparatus is supported on the boom of a work vehicle. A mast of the apparatus is adjustable relative to the work vehicle. A carriage slidable along the mast carries a rotary driver that releasably mounts the screw pile thereon. The bottom end of the mast includes an element penetrated into the ground and an adjustment mechanism that allows repositioning of the mast relative to that element prior to leveling of the mast and driving the pile into the ground as the carriage is displaced along the mast. The mast and carriage guide the rotary driver as a screw pile is penetrated into the ground to maintain the screw pile vertical. Allowing adjustment of the bottom of the mast relative to the ground also allows the mast to be precisely located relative to the target location for the pile before the pile is penetrated into the ground.