US2222481A - Column splicer and method of splicing - Google Patents

Description

Nav. 159, 19. w. T. FEIQRGUSON ETAL 2,222,431

COLUMN SPLICER AND METHOD OF SPLICING -Filed Nov. 2, 1 938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS M'rr'en 7T Ferguson Mali-er 0-. Fergizson vATTORNEY Nov. 19; 1940. w. T. FERGUSON ETAL.

COIJUMN SPLICER AND METHOD OF SPLICING v 2 Sheet-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 2, 1938 Willa 3 Ferguson 11 II I'll rlll.|. ll!

42 Md ATTORNEY INVENTO Marren 7'" BY "filter G. Ferguson Patented Nov. 19, 1940 COLUMN SPLICER AND METHOD OF SPLIC'ING Warren T. Ferguson, Wab'an, and Walter G. Forguson, Brookline, Mass, assignors to Anderson Products, Inc., Cambridge, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 2, 1938, Serial No. 238,376

4 Claims.

This invention relates broadly to a means and method of repairing or splicing columns of any type but is concerned principally with piles of the type used in connection with wharves, docks, piers and similar structures.

One of the objects of our invention is to provide a means and method whereby a new pile may be spliced to the undamaged portion of a defective pile. Another object of our invention is to provide means for positioning a quantity of unset cement, concrete, or other material about the end of a submerged pile in such a manner that the cement or concrete will not be harmfully diluted by water.

Another object of our invention is to provide a means and method of splicing piles so that the resulting joint will render the repaired pile at least as strong as a new pile with respect to both lateral and vertical loads. A further object of this invention is to provide means whereby the piles to be spliced are accurately alined with each other so that the load will be properly distributed.

Still another object is to provide means for supporting in proper position a concrete container so that concrete therein, when allowed to slump about the piles, will be distributed a proper distance above and below the point of abutenrent.

These and other objects of our invention will become apparent as the description proceeds with the aid of the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 shows a pile destroyed by marine borers to such an extent that replacement or repair is desirable; I

Fig. 2 shows the damaged pile sawed .oif near the mudline and below the damaged portion with our supporting and centering devicein position;

Fig. 3 shows the preliminary stages of installing a new section of pile;

Fig. 4 shows the new pile in position, centered with relation to the stub pile below and the concrete container positioned thereabout;

Fig. 5 shows the inner tube removed from the container with the concrete in position about the pile;

Fig. 6 is 'a plan view of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective of our supporting frame and centering device.

The pile 2 disclosed in Fig. 1 represents a typical situation prevalent in coastal waters of the United States and elsewhere in which the pile has been badly damaged by the destructive action of certain amphipod crustacea which are present in serious degree at the present time in many harbors. When the pile is badly eaten away, as shown, it becomes necessary sooner or later to replace or repair it that the load above may be properly supported. In certain cases it is preferable to replace the pile entirely either by withdrawing the old pile from the bottom '5 and inserting a new one, or by driving a new pile into the bottom adjacent the old one. This. procedure is expensive and is not always feasible if the pile happens to be in an inaccessible position, as for example, under a dock.

In such cases it may be better to attempt to repair the damaged pile by cutting away the damaged portion and inserting a new piece there- 'above. In repairing a pile in this manner, it is, of course, desirable that the new pile and the stump or stub in the bottom be alined with each other so that the load may be properly distributed, and it is necessary that the joint between the two parts be sufficiently strong to hold the abutting ends in position while ofiering adequate resistance to any lateral loads that may be applied.

In the U. S. patent issued to John Upton, No. 2,130,047, it is proposed to splice the abutting ends of piles by means of a re-enforced concrete joint, and the present invention is an improvement thereon.

In practicing our invention, the pile 2 is sawed off at 4 below the damaged portion, leaving a stub 5 in the bottom. This may be at the mud- '30 line or some distance above, depending on circumstances. If, however, the sound portion of the pile terminates close to the bottom as at 4, then the bottom material adjacent the pile is scraped away, as at 6 in Fig. 2, to provide a sufficiently clear distance along the pile to permit placing thereover the supporting frame and centering device generally referred to as 8.

The unit 8, as will be seen, has a supporting plate H) in the form of a cross, adapted to rest 40 on the upper end of the stub, and this plate may be definitely located in position by means of the spikes l2 which are driven into the pile through the holes l4.

The ends of plate l0 overhang the sides of the stub 5 more or less depending upon the relative diameters, and to these ends are connected the vertical members [6 which extend suitable distances above and below plate [0. The upper ends of the members I6 are connected by a circular band [8, while the lower ends of members l6 are connected by the circular band 20. It will be observed that the members l6 extend a distance below band 20 and are bent outwardly at 22 to form supports on which rests a ring 24. 55

With the unit a positioned as shown in Fig. 2,

it is apparent that the members 16 and ring 20 are spaced approximately a uniform distance from the stub 5, and this position will be maintained by virtue of the fixed connection between plate I and the stub.

Having proceeded thus far, the lower stub with unit 8 thereon is ready to receive a replacement pile thereabove to which the stub is to be spliced. In Fig. 3'is illustrated one method of proceeding. The replacement pile 26, cut to proper length and having splicing unit 28 positioned thereabouts, is lowered to the position shown, the lower end being guided within rin 18 in any convenient manner but ordinarily through the assistance of a diver. cannot be lowered vertically but must be swun in diagonally in order to get the upper end under the superstructure that it is to support, it is essential that the diameterof band I8 be somewhat larger than the diameter of the new pile so. that there will. be no binding.

The splicing unit shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 is disclosed in the U. S. Patent No. 2,130,047 to Upton above referred to and comprises an outer tubular casing 36 with an annular bottom 32 and an inner removable wall or tube 34 which issomewhat greater in diameter than the inner circumference of the bottom 32. A metal re-enforcement member 36, which is shown in the form of helix, is positioned in the splicing unit. The entire device may be supported about the replacement pile and above the water line by any convenient means as, for example, the hoist 38.

When thereplacement pile 26 has been swung into its correct. position as' shown in Fig. 4, the diver on the bottom then applies centering means to. the band i8 sothat pile 23 will be alined with stub 5. One form of centering means is shown in Fig. 4 and consists of wedges 48 which may be driven downwardly between the band and the pile to give the desired result.

Having centered and alined the piles in this manner, splicing uni-t 28 is then filled with concrete or cement of a type capable of setting under water. An annular cover 42 which may be in two halves for facility in installing is placed on top of the cement for the purpose of preventing harmful dilution when the splicing unit is lowered into the water.

With these preparations completed, unit 28 is then lowered into the water about the pile to assume the position shown in Fig. 4. The splicing unit will be supported by ring 2-4 which is in engagement with bottom 32.

As can be seen, the unset cement at this stage is well-confined within the splicing unit so that water has little opportunity toact thereon. The diver then attaches to the inner tube 34 a suitable hoisting mechanism 45 and the inner tube is drawn upwardly as shown in Fig. 5. This results in the concrete slumping about the abutting piles as shown as the intervening water is displaced. With the re-enforcemen-t 36 in the concrete, a very strong joint is formed as soon as the concrete has set.

In-ner tube- 34 which may be made in the two halves is removed from the pile, and the splicing operation is complete.

In. the drawings, certain of the parts have been exaggerated for purposes of clarity as, for example, 'the thickness of the walls of the splicing unit, which in reality are of thin sheet steel. Again the clearance shown between band 28 and the pile-is somewhat greater than would pertain If the pile in practice. It is contemplated that this clearance will be maintained sufliciently small so that upon removal of inner tube 34, concrete will not run out to such an extent as to damage the efiectiveness of the joint in any way. If by any chance this clearance in a particular instance should be excessively great, the diver may fill the space with a sealing material so that escape of the concrete may be prevented.

In addition to the method already recited we have found that it is possible to make a satisfactory splice by' positioning the container in the following manner.

On the stub 5 is positioned the unit 8 in the manner heretofore described. The splicing unit 28 is then lowered into position as shown in Fig. 4, but before the new pile 26 is introduced.

After splicing unit 28 has been properly settled on the members 22 of the unit 8, the'new pile 26 is swung into position, which, of course,

may be readily accomplished as there is ample clearan'cewithin tube 34 so that the lower end of the new pile may be slid into position within the upper band Hi. When this has been accomplished the arrangement of the parts Will be the same as in Fig. 4. Thereafter the inner tube 34 may be withdrawn to complete the splice.

Still another method of accomplishing our result may be practiced. The container or splicing unit 28 is positioned about unit 8 while the two are still out of water. The hoist 38 is in this sit- 1 uation 'secured'to the unit 8 and the combined parts are then lowered over the end of stub 5 to assume the position shown in Fig. 4, without, however, the upper pile 26 beingin place. Thereafter pile 26 is introduced and the inner tube 313 withdrawn so that the splice may be completed.

In the: practice of any of the foregoing methods it is contemplated that the initial cubic content of the splicing unit 28 will be great enough to provide ample concrete above and below the point of abutment of the piles after the inner tube 34 has been removed.

Under certain circumstances it is possible to make a suitable splice without the use of cement or similar material. Instead the splicing unit 23 may be filled with sand, finely crushed rock orany other material that will settle to a compact mass that will offer substantial resistance to the lateral displacement of the abutting piles.

A splice utilizing the latter materials might be made under conditions where the only requirement of the repaired pile would be to carry a vertical load and where little lateral support was needed.

We also intend that the construction of the unit 8' may be varied in detail so long as it functions as a; mechanism for substantially alining the abutting members as well as providing means for supporting the splicing unit in a position about the joint.

While we have disclosed various methods of performing our invention, we wish it to be distinctly understood that we do not intend to be limited thereby but only by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A centering and supporting device for use in alining abutting columns. comprising a plate adaptedto be positioned on the end of one of said columns, longitudinally extending members connected to said plate and having spaces therebetween to, permit easy lateral passage of flowable material therethrough, a ring attached to said. members remote from said plate to form an opening sufficiently large to permit the unbinding entrance of the end of a column within, said members having at their other ends outwardly extending portions to provide a support for a surrounding structure.

2. Means for supporting a container about the end of a column comprising a unit having a plate adapted to rest on the end of said column, a plurality of spaced apart members connected to said plate and extending both upwardly and downwardly therefrom, a ring connected at the upper end of said members remote from said plate to form an opening for reception of the end of a column, a second ring connected to the other end of said members and also remote from said plate, the lower ends of said members being bent outwardly to form supports, and an annular ring carried by said supports.

3. The method of splicing columns comprising the steps of aligning a pair of columns by means of a frame extending about the ends of both columns but sufiiciently loose about the end of the upper of said columns to permit lateral movement therein, positioning a container having therein material capable of flowing and packing itself and supported by connection with said frame about the position of abutment of said columns, and thereafter removing the inner wall of said container to allow said material to slump about the said abutting columns.

4. Means for use in splicing columns, comprising in combination a centering and supporting device comprising a plate adapted to be positioned between the ends of said columns, longitudinally extending members connected to said plate and having spaces therebetween to permit easy lateral passage of a flowable material therethrough, a ring attached to said members remote from said plate to form an opening sufliciently large to permit the free entrance of the end of a column within, said members having at their other ends outwardly extending portions to provide a support, and a tubular casing having an annular bottom and a removable inner wall suitable for holding material capable of flowing and packing itself, said tubular casing surrounding said centering and supporting device and in supported engagement with the outwardly extending portions of said longitudinally extending members, said plate extending in a direction transverse of and located within the confines of said tubular casing.

WARREN T. FERGUSON.

WALTER G. FERGUSON.

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