U.S. patent number 3,782,125 [Application Number 05/216,936] was granted by the patent office on 1974-01-01 for earth shoring apparatus.
Invention is credited to Edward J. Holl.
United States Patent |
3,782,125 |
Holl |
January 1, 1974 |
EARTH SHORING APPARATUS
Abstract
Two opposed, parallel series of suitably guided, elongate,
non-interlocking, steel sheeting elements are driven vertically
into the earth adjacent to an area where earth is to be excavated,
to shore against earth collapse. The driving of the sheeting
elements is accomplished by hydraulic or other fluid means
associated with such elements, and the weight of relatively massive
manifolds and fluid-supply and fluid-distribution pipes is utilized
to assist gravitation of the sheeting elements into the earth as
the hydraulic fluid flushes earth away from beneath the sheeting
elements. Under many soil conditions, additional weight is imposed
upon the upper ends of the sheeting elements to assist the
hydraulic or fluid means. The imposition of suction through the
hydraulic means may be employed under some soil conditions to
de-water the earth area at or adjacent to the excavation.
Inventors: |
Holl; Edward J. (South Orange,
NJ) |
Family
ID: |
22809062 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/216,936 |
Filed: |
January 11, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
405/282 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E02D
17/08 (20130101); E02D 7/26 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E02D
7/00 (20060101); E02D 17/06 (20060101); E02D
17/08 (20060101); E02D 7/26 (20060101); E21d
005/12 () |
Field of
Search: |
;61/41A,36A,53.74,63,41
;175/21 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Taylor; Dennis L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Henderson; Robert
Claims
I claim:
1. Earth shoring apparatus comprising:
a. two opposed, approximately parallel series of vertically
disposed, elongate, relatively rigid, sheeting elements;
b. spacing means extending between opposed upper end portions and
opposed lower portions of said elemnts of said two series to
maintain approximately uniform spacing therebetween corresponding
approximately to the width of an earth area of a trench to be
dug;
c. vertical pipes, fixed to and extending vertically from upper end
portions to lower end portions of said sheeting elements and
opening at said lower end portions;
d. a pair of rigid, horizontally disposed manifolds, separately
supported by said two series at upper portions of sheeting elements
thereof;
e. fluid-supply pipes connecting said manifolds to a source of
supply of fluid; and
f. fluid-distribution pipes connecting said manifolds to the upper
ends of said vertical pipes;
g. whereby fluid, introduced into said manifolds and thence into
said vertical pipes and forcibly ejected from the open lower ends
of the latter, flushes earth from beneath said sheeting elements to
facilitate gravitation of the latter into the earth, and the weight
of said manifolds materially assists such gravitation.
2. Earth shoring apparatus according to claim 1, said spacing means
extending between opposed upper end portions of said sheeting
elements comprising rigid, crosswisely-disposed manifold supports
upon opposite end portions of which said manifolds are
disposed.
3. Earth shoring apparatus according to claim 2, said spacing means
extending between opposed lower portions of said sheeting elements
comprising a rigid, horizontally disposed, rectangular frame, with
respect to which said series of sheeting elements are slideable
during said gravitation thereof.
4. Earth shoring apparatus according to claim 3, further including
intermediate spacing means comprising spaced, rigid, horizontal,
cross supports extending between areas at outer sides of said
series of sheeting elements; and rigid, horizontal, outer and inner
stringers, supported upon said cross supports, located respectively
outside of and inside of the sheeting elements of both said series
and constrained by said cross supports to slideably engage and
guide said series during gravitation thereof.
5. Earth shoring apparatus according to claim 4, further including
cleats, slideably coacting between said stringers and said series
and between said frame and said series to aid in guiding the
sheeting elements of said series during their said gravitation.
6. Earth shoring apparatus according to claim 4, said manifolds and
their said supports and said fluid-supply and fluid-distribution
pipes being removable from said series after gravitation of the
latter to provide an adequate area for trench digging
operations.
7. Earth shoring apparatus according to claim 4, further including
suspension means, connected between said rectangular frame and
upper portions of sheeting elements of both said series, and being
of such dimensions as to hold said frame suspended in an
approximately horizontal position between and toward the upper
limits of siad two series to space the latter apart following
completion of digging of the trench.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is often necessary to provide earth shoring means for preventing
the collapse of earth as digging progresses in forming trenches or
other excavations in pipe laying or other more or less equivalent
operations.
In forming suitable earth shoring means, so-called sheeting has
been employed such as, for example, horizontally disposed coplanar
wooden boards held in edge to edge relationship by suitable bracing
means. More recently, vertically disposed, coplanar sheeting
elements of wooden boards or of elongate, side edge interlocking
steel elements have been employed as sheeting means for shoring
excavations.
Such vertical sheeting elements, as hitherto employed and driven,
involve serious drawbacks. Thus, they had to be individually
elevated, and then precisely guided and driven, necessitating the
allowance of considerable headroom above ground level to
accommodate the lengths of the sheeting elements to be driven and
also requiring additional headroom for the boom of a crane for
holding the sheeting elements vertically in proper position for
driving and for aiding in the support of pile driving apparatus
employed to drive the sheeting elements into the ground.
The use of pile driving apparatus damages the upper and lower ends
of the vertical sheeting elements and also compacts the underlying
earth thereby increasing resistance to the driving force, and
sometimes causing such severe earth vibrations as to damage
existing nearby buildings or other structures.
There are other drawbacks in the prior art practices, but the
foregoing should show the need for improvements in the indicated
art.
THE GENERAL OBJECTS OF THIS INVENTION
Without laboring the advantages of the present invention over the
indicated prior practices, it should suffice to say that the
objectives of the present invention are to provide substantially
improved and less costly means for shoring earth to prevent its
collapse upon digging of a trench or other excavation. The use
herein of the word "trench" should be understood as referring to
any trench or excavation in which the present invention may be
employed. Also, the term "driven" is used herein to comprehend not
only the forcing of the sheeting elements into the earth but also
the treatment of underlying earth enabling said elements to settle
into the earth.
Further and more specific objectives are to provide improved and
more economical means for driving vertical sheeting and for
de-watering the earth at the excavation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWING
In the accompanying drawing which illustrates preferred means
according to this invention for earth shoring and earth
de-watering:
FIG. 1 is a vertical, partially sectional view of the principal
parts of apparatus according to this invention, as located in
relation to a shallow, initially dug trench, in position to
commence driving of vertical steel sheeting elements simultaneously
at opposite sides of a trench to be excavated.
FIG. 2 is a view, somewhat similar to FIG. 1, but showing the
apparatus as shortly before completion of the driving of the
vertical steel sheeting.
FIG. 3 is a vertical view, partly in section, of only certain parts
of the apparatus, approximately in positions which they occupy at
the completion of excavating of the trench.
FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a portion (of indefinite length) of
the apparatus overlying an area to be excavated, which may be
considered to be for a trench to receive a sewer pipe or the
like.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a rigid, rectangular steel frame
constituting an important part of the apparatus of this
invention.
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary detail of FIG. 1.
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary detail, viewable with reference to FIG. 4,
illustrating certain pipe connecting means which are usable to
condition the apparatus for de-watering purposes.
FIGS. 8 and 9 are perspective views of cleats for holding upright,
steel sheeting elements in proper vertical positions during driving
thereof.
FIG. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the association
of the cleat of FIG. 8 with a steel, vertical sheeting element, and
also with an inner guide member or stringer to hold said sheeting
element in proper vertical position during driving thereof.
FIG. 11 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the opposite or
obscured side of the structures shown in FIG. 10 to make clear the
association of the cleat of FIG. 9 with a steel, vertical sheeting
element, and also with an outer guide member or stringer to hold
said sheeting element in proper vertical position during driving
thereof.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In some respects, the earth shoring apparatus according to the
present invention is similar to the apparatus disclosed in my U.S.
Pat. No. 3,584,465 dated June 15, 1971, to which reference may be
had in relation to the present disclosure. The principal difference
between the disclosure of my said patent and the present invention
is that, according to the latter, the sheeting elements are driven
with the use of hydraulic or other fluid means, while, in this
disclosure of my said patent, they are driven by mechanical impact
such as is afforded by a pile driver or by a vibratory device.
According to the present invention, similar, elongate, steel
sheeting elements 20 are employed in vertical positions. FIG. 4
shows the upper ends of two parallel series of such elements,
almost abutting each other sidewisely along opposite sides of an
area where a trench is to be dug. These sheeting elements may
electively be of various shapes in cross section, but are
illustrated as of a preferred modified "V" shape. adjacent,
Most of the remainder of the shoring apparatus is arranged to
vertically drive and guide the sheeting elements 20 into their
shoring positions and to hold them in place during excavating
operations and during operations taking place in the trench.
It may be assumed, for the purpose of this description, that a
long, straight, relatively narrow trench is to be dug, to receive a
large sewer pipe or the like as indicated in chain lines at P in
FIG. 3. Before any of the disclosed apparatus is used, an initial,
shallow trench A is dug, and a counter trench B is cut away along
each margin of the trench A. Because of the shallowness of the dug
portions A and B, no shoring is thus far needed.
One or more rigid, rectangular frames 22 (FIG. 5) of steel are
lowered into the bottom of the initial trench A, these being placed
in end to end abutting relationship if, as is often the case, more
than one such frame is needed to extend them substantially
throughout the length of the deeper trench to be dug. The trench A,
as shown in FIG. 1, should preferably be wider than the frames 22,
at least to the extent of about twice the face to face width of a
sheeting element 20, to provide clear areas at opposite sides of
the frames.
Flat cross supports 24 are then laid across the initial trench A,
preferably in positions directly above the ends of the frame or
frames 22. The ends of the cross supports 24 rest upon the upwardly
facing surfaces of the counter trench B. Rigid inside stringers 26,
preferably of about the same lengths as directly underlying frames
22, are laid upon the cross supports 24 directly above the side
margins of the underlying frames, these stringers being limited
against inward shifting by angle brackets or equivalent lug
elements 28, riveted or otherwise suitably fixed to the upper faces
of the cross supports 24.
Somewhat similar, rigid, outside stringers 30 are laid upon the
cross supports 24, parallel to the inside stringers 26 and spaced
from the latter slightly more than the face to face width of the
sheeting elements 20 which are to be employed. Outer lug elements
32 are suitably fixed to the cross supports to limit the outward
shifting of the outside stringers 30.
After the described disposition of the stringers 26 and 30, the
steel sheeting elements 20 are individually carried by a crane and
lowered into vertical, slightly spaced side-edge to side-edge
positions between the inside and outside stringers until their
lower ends descend into place within the clear areas at the outer
sides of the frame 22. As the sheeting elements 20 are thus
positioned, cleats 34 and 36 are used to the extent necessary to
hold the positioned sheeting elements against material tilting from
their vertical attitudes. These cleats, detailed hereinafter, are
employed in engagement with a sheeting element 20 and with the
stringers 26, 30 and the side members of the frame 22. They may be
used with each sheeting element as the latter are positioned or
with every second or third sheeting element of a series, as may be
needed, to hold the sheeting elements against material tilting.
The sheeting elements 20, at opposite sides of the initial trench
and disposed along the sides of a single one of the frames 22 may
be driven simultaneously; and separate, similar hydraulic
assemblies are preferably provided for driving the sheeting
elements associated with each frame 22.
The following is a description of one of said hydraulic assemblies
arranged for simultaneously driving all the sheeting elements 20
related to a single one of the frames 22.
Each of the sheeting elements 20 is provided with a vertical pipe
38 extending within the "V" of said element and from the top or
near the top to the bottom end or slightly below the bottom end of
the sheeting element. These pipes are suitably slidably guided in
their related sheeting elements by suitable restrainers 40 (FIGS.
1, 2, and 10). A pair of manifolds 42, of considerably greater
diameter than the pipes 38, are secured by "U" bolts 44 upon and
toward opposite ends of rigid, cross-wisely disposed manifold
supports 46 located at opposite ends of the hydraulic assembly and,
if needed, at an intermediate point of said assembly. Thus, the
manifolds are supported to extend longitudinally of and adjacent to
the series of sheeting elements which are at opposite sides of the
trench. The ends of the manifolds 42 are closed by preferably
removable caps 43.
The supports 46 and the manifolds 42 thereon are hung upon the
upper ends of adjacent sheeting elements 20 by means of chains 48,
suitably connected at their lower ends to upper parts of the "U"
bolts 44 or directly to some part of said supports; the chains 48
having hooks 50 engaged over the upper ends of adjacent sheeting
elements. This arrangement serves to impose the weight of the
manifolds 42 and the manifold supports 46 upon the upper ends of
some of the sheeting elements.
The weight of the manifolds 42 and the cross supports 46 may
somewhat similarly be imposed upon the other sheeting elements by
means of hooks 52 on chains 54, the lower ends of which may be
welded to the manifolds or may be suitably secured to straps 56
extending around the manifolds adjacent to said other sheeting
elements. Thus, the weight of the manifolds and cross supports is
applied to all of the sheeting elements to supplement, for driving
purposes, the hydraulic means disclosed herein.
Short pipe studs 58 (FIG. 6) are welded or otherwise fluid-tightly
fixed into the manifolds 42, being spaced apart horizontally to
correspond approximately to the spacing of the pipes 38 of the
sheeting elements 20 to be driven. At the outer ends of these pipe
studs are provided shut-off valves 60; and preferably flexible
connections 62 are employed to interconnect said valves and the
upper ends of adjacent vertical pipes 38.
Each manifold 4 is provided with a supply pipe 64 connected to a
pump 66 which receives water or other fluid from fluid supply 68,
said pump and fluid supply being shown by symbols in the
drawing.
THE MANNER OF UTILIZING THE APPARATUS
After all the sheeting elements to be driven have been placed in
their initial or non-driven positions indicated in FIG. 1, the
manifolds 42 with their related supports 46, and with their pipe
studs 58 and valves 60 connected thereto, are lifted by a crane
into their places as shown in FIG. 1. Concomitant of thus
positioning the manifolds, the hooks 50, 52 of the chains 48 and 54
are engaged over the upper ends of their ajdacent, related sheeting
elements so that the latter, collectively, support the manifolds
and all other apparatus in fixed relation to the manifolds. Also,
the valves 60 and pipe studs 58 of each manifold are connected by
their flexible connections 62 of the upper ends of their adjacent,
related vertical pipes 38.
Then, each supply pipe 64 is interconnected between the related
manifold 42 and pump 66; and the latter is connected to a suitable
source 68 of fluid supply.
The hydraulic driving of the plural sheeting elements 20 is started
upon completion of assembling of the apparatus as hereinbefore
described. All valves 60 are opened and operation of the pumps 66
is commenced. This results in fluid being forcibly ejected from the
open or orificed lower ends of the pipes 38 as indicated by
diverging irregular lines in FIG. 1.
The forcibly ejected fluid cuts away the earth immediately beneath
the sheeting elements 20, thereby enabling them to descend into the
earth largely by their own weight. The weight of the manifolds 42,
the cross supports 46 and everything carried by the latter will, of
course, contribute to the descent of the sheeting elements into the
earth because of the chain connections of said parts of the
apparatus to the upper ends of said sheeting elements. If needed,
any suitable mass, affording added weight, may be placed upon the
supports 46, as indicated at 74 in FIGS. 1 and 2, to aid
additionally in the descent of the sheeting elements.
When the just described descent of the sheeting elements 20 has
progressed to about the extent indicated in FIG. 2, the hydraulic
driving is suspended temporarily, and the stringers 26 and 30 and
the cross supports 24 are removed. Then, the hydraulic driving of
the sheeting elements is resumed, and is completed when the upper
ends of the latter are about level with the adjacent earth, as
shown in FIG. 3. Upon completion of the driving, the cross supports
46 and manifolds 42 and all related weights are still hung by
chains 48, 54 upon the sheeting elements 20.
At this point in operations, the frame 22 is still supported on the
bottom of the initial trench A where deepening of that trench has
not yet been commenced. Plural chains 70, at this time, are
connected by their hooked ends, between the four corners of the
frame 22 and the upper ends of adjacent, completely driven sheeting
elements 20, to give support to said frame even after underlying
earth is later dug away.
If the condition of the earth where the final or deep trench is to
be dug is such that de-watering of the earth is not necessary, the
flexible connections 62 are all disconnected from their related
pipes 38, and the manifold supports 46 and all the hydraulic
apparatus carried thereby are removed by suitable crane means. At
that point, the frame 22 is held by chains 70 approximately at the
level shown in FIG. 3.
The planned bottom of the trench to be dug is indicated at C in
FIG. 3, from which it may be seen that the sheeting elements 20 are
of such length and driven to such a depth that their lower ends are
below the level of the planned bottom C of the trench.
After the chains 70 are hooked to the frame 22 to support the
latter, the digging means are arranged to extend down through said
frame and are operated to dig the trench to its full depth C.
During and after such digging, the shoring walls constituted of the
sheeting elements 20 are held against inward collapse or shifting
by the frame 22 near said elements' upper ends and by the earth
remaining between the lower ends of the sheeting elements.
If de-watering is desired before and during the digging of the
trench to its full depth and during pipe laying or other work
therein, the hydraulic apparatus is not removed from the upper ends
of the sheeting elements 20 but is left in place at least until the
need for de-watering ends. To effect de-watering, the operation of
pumps 66 is reversed (if they are the reversible type) or
oppositely acting pumps or suction pumps are substituted for the
pumps 66 to extract excess water from the earth.
When the need for de-watering ends, and there is no longer any need
for the hydraulic apparatus, said apparatus may be removed by
suitable crane means.
If it is desired, the pumps 66 may be of sufficient capacity to
work, either for the driving of the sheeting elements or for
de-watering, through more than a single manifold 42 for each pump,
in which case plural manifolds 42 may be interconnected by sleeve
connections 72, substituted for caps 43, as shown in FIG. 7.
The apparatus of this invention may be utilized beyond its
above-indicated uses, to aid in extracting the sheeting elements 20
after the work in the trench has been completed and the trench
refilled with earth. For this purpose, the hydraulic apparatus is
left in place during digging of the trench, during work in the
trench, and during the refilling of the trench. Thereafter, fluid
is pumped downwardly in the pipes 38 by the pumps 66, thereby, to
some extent, lubricating the sheeting elements and adding some
propulsion upwardly to the latter to aid the crane means in
extracting the sheeting elements from the earth.
The cleat 34 (FIG. 8) is of substantially rigid metal formed with a
"V" portion 34a which nests within a corresponding "V" portion of a
related sheeting element 20, as shown in FIG. 10, and has two
inwardly expanded lips 34b which fit snugly over an upstanding
flange of the inside stringer 26.
The cleat 36 (FIG. 9) is also of substantially rigid metal formed
with side members 36a and a "V" portion 36b within which nests a
corresponding "V" portion of a related sheeting element 20, as best
seen in FIG. 11. The cleat 36 has an outwardly expanded lip 36c
which fits snugly over an upstanding flange of the outside stringer
30.
It will be apparent that, with cleats 34, 36 used on every sheeting
element 20 to be driven or upon selected ones of said elements, the
latter will be held against material departure from their desired
vertical attitudes.
As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, cleats 34 are also preferably used
to cooperate between the frame or frames 22 and sheeting elements
20 to give further assurance against departure of the sheeting
elements from their vertical attitudes.
It should be apparent that this invention achieves all its stated
objectives and presents a substantial improvement in the art of
earth shoring.
* * * * *