US3312295A - Method and apparatus for fluid injection in vibratory driving of piles and the like - Google Patents

Description

Aprll 1967 A. G. BODINE, JR 3,

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FLUID INJECTION IN VIBRATORY DRIVING OF FILES AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 23, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 A ril 4, 1967 A. G. BODINE, JR 3,312,295

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FLUID INJECTION IN VIBRATORY DRIVING OF FILES AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 23, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 V/";.\ I 7V1 mm? 7 1. 7,7 9 /v\ .4 l 'll'n Fii-I I h; I 130 141 W Q T '6 4, 1 4/ i II 5 1 l g} 7 11 I lg ll In 117 Y Li l I I I '[III lln. I! II! m A II III [Ill AL I Elli I IIII 1.11 l Ill J52 13 4 A; INVENTOR.

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A. G. BODINE. JR PPARATUS FOR FLUID INJECTIO 3,312,295 N IN VIBRATORY DRIVING OF FILES AND THE LIKE 9M 1 4 l 01 r. M

6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 23, 1965 5 a D w A L OJ 9 INHMHJ I I WI I I I HP HET j n1 5 4 M 1 j g 1 L V .6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR IIJTIIII Apnl 4, 1967 A. G. BODINE. JR

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FLUID INJECTION IN VIBRATORY DRIVING OF FILES AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 23, 1965 A nl 4, 1967 A. G. BODINE, JR 3,312,295

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FLUID INJECTION IN VIBRATORY DRIVING 0F FILES AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 23, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. I

April 4, 1967 A. Bo N JR 3,312,295

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FLUID INJECTION IN VIBRATORY DRIVING OF FILES AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 25, 1965 Y 6 SheetsSheet 6 INVENTOR. g/6 6/ 6. 301m 1/2 D l J United States Patent METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FLUID INJEC- TION IN VIBRATORY DRIVING 0F PILES AND THE LIKE Albert G. Bodine, Jr., Los Angeles, Calif. (7877 Woodley Ave., Van Nuys, Calif. 91406) Filed Sept. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 489,652 31 Claims. (Cl. 17519) This application is a continuation-impart of my prior copending application entitled Method of Molding Well Liners and the Like, Ser. No. 340,745, filed Jan. 28, 1964, now Patent No. 3,239,005; and is connected by copendency with my earlier application entitled, Method and Apparatus for Creating a Load Bearing Region in Earthen Material, Ser. No. 98,801, filed Mar. 28, 1961, now Patent No. 3,130,552; and is also a continuation-inpart of my copending application entitled Sonic Method and Apparatus for Forming Trenches and for Laying Pipe Line Therein, Ser. No. 258,216, filed Feb. 13, 1963, now Patent No. 3,256,695.

This invention relates generally to systems for vibratory driving of piles into the earth, particularly and most advantageously, to systems of the sonic type, wherein the vibration frequency is high enough for elastic wave action to occur within the pile itself, and is at resonance. The invention is also applicable, however, to other types of resonant pile driving systems, such as bodily vibratory pile and the like combined with elastically vibratory structure, and bodily vibratory .piles vibrating in a bouncing manner with the earth acting as a spring. Finally, the invention is applicable to vibratory pile driving without resonance. The invention is directed to driving into soillike earth material, and is inappropriate to solid or hard rock penetration.

The invention is concerned primarily with the driving of foundation piles into soil, and will be described herein principally in that connection. Among pile types to which the invention is applicable are solid piles, H-beam piles, pipe piles, casings, sheet metal piles, pre-cast concrete piles, and similar earth installation members. The reference to piling, however, is without implied limitation thereto, since the invention may be applied to the driving of many kinds of longitudinally extended members, in various attitudes including vertical, inclined, or horizontal, such as anchor posts, poles, samplers, conduits, tunnels, and the like.

In pile driving and the like, the earthen material, or soil, during the driving operation, is crowded into a more dense condition as the pile penetrates the earth. For this reason the process is sometimes called displacement driving. The earth material moves aside, or compacts, to make room for the intruder.

This displacement process requires that the surrounding earth make room for the displaced material. And, of course, this is possible only if the earth material around the proposed pile location is of sufficiently low density or compressibility and has sufficient capability of accepting lateral soil flow. Much of the earth structure is so constituted that it can accept, with resistance of course, this lateral crowding and flow of the soil. For example, if there is a porosity condition, the surrounding earthen material can sometimes be forced to collapse, like a hard sponge, and thus open up flow-receiving space. Earth material may also sometimes make way for laterally displaced material by an elastic compaction or compressibility phenomenon.

If the earthen material originally in place is an unconsolidated material, like sand or loam, the individual grains are usually of a great variety of shapes, and these shapes are usually randomly oriented, such that there is appreciable space between them... Therefore the applica- 3,312,295 Patented Apr. 4, I967 ice tion of additional pressure, particularly with the proper vibration, will cause these grains to re-orient and to fit more closely together, forming a more dense structure.

Occasionally, however, there occurs an earthen condition where the individual grains are of more regular shape, like tiny beads, which have been laid down in nature all in intimate contact, and thus afford a structure of maximum density and compaction. Obviously, such a structure does not readily make room for an intruder. There is little or no place for the displaced material to go. Such an earthen condition is an important area of application of my invention.

The invention is applicable to situations Where a member is driven in tight engagement with closely packed earthen material (soil-like material rather than hard or solid rock), so that this earthen material in place is compressed, and thus conditioned to flow or extrude, but where any flow path to relief, or any cavity for receiving the flow, is inadequate, or the flow resistance too high. Some earthen clay beds exhibit these diflicult properties. It is important to recognize that my invention is unique as regards its region and purpose of application, configuration of the apparatus used and the technique of its application, and also as regards the final tightly bound situation of the pile after it is in place in the earth.

The invention is based upon the discovery that, in driving piling and the like, certain proble'm soils are penetrated with greater facility by a pile driven in tight engagement if the penetration element (or driving point of the pile) at the leading end or edge thereof is simultaneously vibrated against the soil and has a flow of wash fluid conducted positively thereto and periodically introduced between a vibrating face of the penetration element and the soil, and if additionally a cavity is provided in connection or association with the penetration element and with a return or discharge path or passageway for the fluid, for receiving soil displaced by the penetration element. The novel combination of these four basic features, specifically: vibration, fluid conduction directly to the vibrating face, displaced soil receiver or cavity, and fluid return or discharge flow path, gives surprisingly high penetration performance in certain otherwise problem introduction be carried out simultaneously in connection With the forward progression of penetration of the pile, either continuous or interrupted, whereby the forward bias accomplishes some type of acoustic coupling to the soil. These two further features, forward bias for coupling, and simultaneously phasing of fluid introduction, are in reality tw-o necessary further or auxiliary requirements in addition to the four requirements described above. In a true sense this invention thus has six basic requirements.

It is important to note that the displaced-soil-receiving cavity can be a portion of either or both the fluid introduction conduit and return or discharge conduit or pathway. It is also important to note that some soils respond particularly well to this invention if the vibration involves elastic resonance of a structure. However, in damping soils, that is, soils having high acoustic loss, the resonance Q (defined hereinafter) is very low, and thus resonance might then be reduced so far that, effectively, the vibratory performance is nonresonant in character. Useful results under such circumstances are obtaintable with the practice of the invention, even tho-ugh not so effectively as with resonance. Therefore, it must be recognized that the above mentioned combination of the recited four basic features, requirements or elements does not necessarily require resonance. However, all four requirements must be met in some form, and therefore simple vibrating a pile in the presence of fl-uid, so as to produce a slick or pappy condition on the soil surface adjacent the pile, will not accomplish the invention.

In some particular soils the earthen material structure and arrangement is sufliciently permeable to fluid to constitute the discharge path and thus to receive the return or discharge fluid and fluidized soil after the fluid has performed its function at the vibratory face. Thus the discharge path need not necessarily be an elongated conduit path in the pile structure.

As regards a fluid which is liquid, the best explanation at the present time, and one seemingly most supported by tests, is that a sort of nonlinear cavitation, or incipient cavitation, apparently takes place in the liquid in the penetration region, adjacent the vibrating face of the penetrating member, with a resulting fiuidization of the soil in the immediate vicinity. To maximize such cavitation, or make it highly effective, the penetrating member should have a substantial coupling face, such as something comparable in area to the cross-section of the penetration member itself. This cavitation-like phenomenon results in imparting a quality of mobility to the earthen material which has to be displaced. The fluidized material then can move or extrude into the above mentioned material-receiving cavity, so that the highly compressed earthen material being crowded by the penetrating member flows or extrudes into this receiving area, and the penetrating member continues to progress through the soil in place in the earth. The above mentioned incipient-type cavitation which is attained under the conditions described appears to combine the phenomenon of vibratory erosion of the earth material, vibratory mixing of the eroded mate-- rial with the liquid, and vibratory fiuidization which causes the mixed and eroded material to move on int-o the space provided for it in what may be considered an extrusion of the soil in a fluidized state.

It should be understood that this invention does not require that the introduced fluid be jetted downward for hydraulic cutting in the manner of well-known jetting processes used to cut a hole ahead of the penetration in conventional pile jetting. Conventional high pressures, or jet nozzles, are not needed.

This above described displacing and fluidized soil flow phenomenon takes place easily if there is a cavity provided to receive the displaced material. Also, in many instances, this cavity must be swept by the fluid. Therefore, this cavity is usually in series with the path of the fluid introduced by the above mentioned downflow conduit. As mentioned above, the enviroment in which the invention is practiced involves a vibratory pile or similar member which is being tightly crowded into the earth, so as to result in what is in effect a sort of elastic compression of earthen material below the pile. This then leads to a flow expansion condition that takes place as the soil is fluidized, such that the soil material literally explodes into the receiving cavity area above mentioned.

This receiving cavity can take various shapes and situations within the limits of the invention, either inside or outside of the pile structure as will later appear.

As regards the fluid to be used in the practice of the invention, it is preferable in most instances, particularly with some soils, to use a liquid for this fluid. However, in certain other soils, and in some particular instances in most all soils, this fluid can be air, or some other gas. In both instances, and in all forms of the apparatus, the fluid and the receiving cavity are so arranged that the displaced material, under high compression from the vibratory action, can easily explode into the receiving area.

In applying this invention it is important to recognize that this is a vibratory erosion and vibratory pressure relief or transport method and device, and the wash fluid must be selected with this thought in mind. The fluid should be mobile. Ordinarily the lower the viscosity the better; and also in many cases there is an advantage in having a wash fluid with high flotation or transport propperties. This latter property is by this method and apparatus sometimes added to a fluid such as water by the sonic cavitation-type action actually making a higher density fluid from emulsion-type action on the earthen material. Since the basic practice of this invention does not require the installation of a foreign fluid medium in the earth, the fluid will not normally be a cementatioustype material.

Although not necessary in all forms of my invention, in some of the typical forms it is common for the receiving area for the displaced material to be an integral part of the upflow conduit, with the result that the displaced material is commonly brought to the surface of the ground, especially when the piling is driven quite deep, or where material recovery is desired. In addition, in many forms of the apparatus, when the pile is left in the ground, the upflow portion of the conduit is left full of this displaced material, further aiding the binding of the pile member in the ground.

Because of the resistance to flow of the fluidized soil material into the displacement-receiving cavity, the earthen material around the pile remains highly compressed, so that the pile is still tightly held in the earth. This compression effect can be further enhanced by holding to a minimum the introduction of the fluid. On the other hand, where it is desired to bring material to the ground surface for various reasons, including, for example, observation of the material composition, then the flow of fluid can be substantial.

With a resonant pile, in some soils, some of the above described requirements of the invention can be reduced or eliminated, or an equivalent resonance substituted therefor. This is because the function of resonance causes the pile to have properties which actually fulfiil the functions of some of the above described requirements or elements of the invention. For example, with vibration at resonance, the material-receiving cavity is not always necessary. This is because, as will be more fully described subsequently, of the greater degree of soil fiuidization provided by the resonance phenomenon which results in the soil itself providing some of the cavity function.

In addition, when the pile and its associated structure have a resonant elastically vibratory behavior, a return path in the pile structure sometimes is not necessary. This latter characteristic is due to the fact that a resonating pile, as it elongates and contracts, changes its diameter periodically, and thus provides a cyclic l-ooseness between the pile and the earth. This is somewhat akin to Poissons ratio effect caused by the fact that the pile must change its diametric-al dimension when it elongates and contracts. This periodically occurring around the outside of the pile then affords the required upflow or discharge conduit of the above mentioned fourelement combination. It will thus be seen that specific provision for an upflow conduit is more necessary with the simple bodily vibratory-type pile, as contrasted with an elastically vibratory (sonic) pile. Accordingly, it can be seen that, with some soils, the only additional requirement to practice this invention with a resonant elastically vibratory pile is that the pile have a downflow conduit so that a continuous flow of fluid can be introduced to the bottom cavitating face of the pile, whereby the above described eroding and fluidizing effect can take place to aid in displacing the soil material at the bottom end of the pile.

It is important to note that this invention is not practiced simply by driving a pile in a situation where the earth material is under a body of Water. This is not adequate for providing the necessary fluid condition at the vibratory penetrating face of the pile. In order to get this fluid action at the penetrating face as the pile is driven down into the soil, so as to have the necessary type of action which is akin to cavitation as above described, it is necessary that a conduit positively introduce a continuous flow of fluid down the pile, past the tight-fitting penetrating end thereof, and thus directly to the actual face of the pile where it is vibrating directly against the soil at the bottom end. This is true of resonant as well as nonresonant conditions.

The practice of the inventon is highly effecti e in the simple case of addition of the effects of resonance to simple pile vibration. And this resonance can be one wherein practically all of the elastically vibratory phenomena take place in the pile itself. Another type of vibratory pile driving system to which the invention is equally applicable is one wherein an external or separate elastic or resonant circuit structure is combined with the pile, so that the pile is one element of a complete resonating system. That is to say, a separate elastic compliance can be combined with the pile, and the pile itself caused to vibrate as a primarily inductive or mass reactive element in a complete resonant system. The pile can thus perform the function of an element in a resonant system with or without external structure, with the consequence that the earthen material in situ becames cognizant, so to speak, of the fact that it is being worked upon by a vibratory system wherein all of the circuit requiments of resonance are met by the system itself.

Although I do not want to be held by this theory, I believe I have strong theoretical explanations for the unique sonic fluidization effect which accrues when resonance is thus employed. Apparently the resonant sonic action results in a very unique performance in granular media such as earthen soils. This is to be contrasted with devices which simply ibodily vibrate a member against the earth, with the earth serving as an elastic compliance, i.e. a spring. It appears to be a law of nature that the earth will then auomatically supply certain circuit features, either elastic compliance reactance, or elastic compliance reactance together with certain mass reactance, so as to bring about a circuit response by surrounding earth material, 'With a portion of the earth then functioning as a part of the elastic circuit.

In such cases, the earth thus presents a vibratory circuit response to the bodily vibrating member. This is because the bodily vibrating member, e.g., the pile, is only one element of a vibration system, and does not provide the complete circuit response within itself, since it lacks necessary elastic compliance. The earth then assumes the burden or function of providing an elastic compliance (capacitative) response, generally in combination with additional mass (inductive) response. At any rate, since the earthen material is called upon to provide a particular discrete and often relatively large circuit response, it necessarily follows that a substantial region or body of the earth vibrates with the pile, largely as a unitary body. This body of earth of course is in the region immediately around the bodily vibration member, such as a pile, which is being inserted into the earth. It will be evident that this largely bodily vibratory portion of the earth material contributes a mass reactive effect to the vibratory system and also, since the pile and the body of earth vibrating bodily therewith must vibrate in cooperation with a springiness effect of the surrounding earth material, the necessary elastic compliance is automatically supplied by this surrounding earth material. Thus, to repeat, since the bodily vibration pile member is a single unit, vibrating with a single discrete vibratory motion, the region of the earth therearound must vibrate also with a single or primarily bodily vibratory motion, in order that the earth present the above described response characteristics. This must follow since no individual grain nor small group of small grains can present sufficient force of respouse in relation to a substantially sized bodily vibratory pile, for instance, in order to achieve the character of vibration that can be observed. Accordingly, it follows, as stated above, that the earth must present its circuit response through and throughout a substantial volume of the earth surrounding the vibratory member. In order to do this, the earthen grains in each bodily vibratory region of the earth vibrate substantially in unison, all moving in substantially the same phase and direction, as well as with substantially the same amplitude. This then tends to result in the earthen material still behaving as a fairly coherent mass, which is diflicult to penetrate.

Referring again to my preferred resonant sonic systems, on the other hand, all of the responses are embodied within resonant pile structure itself. In other words, my resonant system is of itself a fully complete res-onant circuit. All requirements of inductance and capacitance, i.e. of mass and elastic compliance, are fully met by the structure. This structure might be a resonannt pile member, or a pile member which resonates in combination with other response structure attached thereto. The important point is that under such conditions, the earth is observed to behave as though it knows What is going on, and no reactive impedance response being required for resonant vibration of the pile structure, none is presented by the earth. This means then that the earth provides only a resistive impedance. Under such latter conditions the earthen grains tend to vibrate randomly, being fully random as regards relative vibration between the grains. These grains can vibrate randomly relative to each other as regards direction, phase and amplitude. This results in considerable relative motion and freedom of mobility between the separate grains, with the result that they can be displaced and compacted quite easily relative to each other. Accordingly, with a moderate amount of bias, such as a force pressing the penetration member in a given direction, these grains can be made to work into more intimate contact, tumbling about and finally fitting closely in a compact mass, with the various odd-shaped grains tending to position themselves together for maximum compaction, and with the small grains fitting in between the large grains. The result then is that this sonic activation makes possible a very high degree of mobility and resulting campaction, so that the enetration member can progress with great facility into the earth.

However, while this resonant ile structure is preferred, and maximum driving results are obtained under all conditions with the present invention used therewith, there are some soils that permit very satisfactory enetration of a vibratory-type pile, without resonance, when the present invention is practiced therewith. The invention is accordingly not restricted to use with any particular variety of vibratory pile or the like.

Sonic discussion Certain acoustic phenomena disclosed in the foregoing and hereinafter, are, generally speaking, outside the experience of those skilled in the acoustics art. To aid in a full understanding of these phenomena by those skilled in the acoustics art, and by others, the following general discussion, including definition of terms, is deemed to be of importance.

By the expression sonic vibration I mean elastic vibrations, i.e. cyclic elastic deformations, which travel through a medium with a characteristic velocity of propagation. If these vibrations travel longitudinally, or create a longitudinal wave pattern in a medium or structure having uniformly distributed constants of elasticity or modulus, and mass, this is sound wave transmission. Regardless of the vibratory frequency of such sound wave transmission, the same mathematical formulae apply, and the science is called sonics. In addition, there can be elastically vibratory systems wherein the essential features of mass appear as a localized influence or parameter, known as a lumped constant, and another such lumped constant can be a localized or concentrated elastically deformable element, affording a; local referred to variously as elasticity, modulus, modulus of elasticity, stiffness, stiffness modulus, or compliance, which is the reciprocal of the stiffness modulus. Fortunately, these constants, when functioning in an elastically vibratory system such as mine, have cooperating and mutually influencing effects like equivalent factors in alternating-current electrical systems. In fact, in both distributed and lumped constant systems, mass is mathematically equivalent to inductance (a coil); elastic compliance is mathematically equivalent to capacitance (a condenser); and friction or other pure energy dissipation is mathematically equivalent to resistance (a resistor).

Because of these equivalents, my elastic vibratory systems with their mass and stiflfness and energy consumption, and their sonic energy transmission properties, can be viewed as equivalent electrical circuits, where the functions can be expressed, considered, changed and quantitatively analyzed by using well proven electrical formulae.

It is important to recognize that the transmission of sonic energy into the interface or work between area two parts to be moved against one another requires the above mentioned elastic vibration phenomena in order to accomplish the benefits of my invention. There have been other proposals involving exclusively simple bodily vibration of some part. However, these latter do not result in the benefits of my sonic or elastically vibratory action.

Since sonic or elastic vibration results in the mass and elastic compliance elements of the system taking on these special properties akin to the parameters of inductance and capacitance in alternating current phenomena, wholly new performances can be made to take place in the mechanical arts. The concept of acoustic impedance becomes of paramount importance in understanding performances. Here impedance is the ratio of cyclic force or pressure acting in the media to resulting cyclic velocity or motion, just like the ratio of voltage to current. In this sonic adaptation impedance is also equal tomedia density times the speed of propagation of the elastic vibration.

In this invention impedance is important to the accomplishment of desired ends, such as where there is an interface. A sonic vibration transmitted across an interface between two media or two structures can experience some reflection, depending upon differences of impedance. This can cause large relative motion, if desired, at the interface.

Impedance is also important to consider if optimized energization of a system is desired. If the impedances are adjusted to be matched somewhat, energy transmission is made very effective.

Sonic energy at fairly high frequency can have energy effects on molecular or crystalline systems. Also, these fairly high frequencies can result in very high periodic acceleration values, typically of the order of hundreds or thousands of times the acceleration of gravity. This is because mathematically acceleration varies with the square of frequency. Accordingly, by taking advantage of this square function, I can accomplish very high forces with my sonic systems. My sonic systems preferably accomplish such high forces, and high total energy, by using a type of sonic vibration generator taught in my Patent No. 2,960,314, which is a simple mechanical device. The use of this type of sonic vibration generator in the sonic system of the present invention affords an especially simple, reliable, and commercialy feasible system.

An additional important feature of these sonic circuits is the fact that they can be made very active, so as to handle substantial power, by providing a high factor. Here this factor Q is the ratio of energy stored to energy dissipated per cycle. In other words, with a high Q factor, the sonic system can store a high level of sonic energy, to which a constant input and output of energy is respectively added and substracted. Circuit-wise, this Q factor is numerically the ratio of inductive reactance to resistance. Morevover, a high Q system is dynamically active, giving considerable cyclic motion where such motion is needed.

Certain definitions should now be given:

Impedance, in :an elastically vibratory system, is, mathematically, the complex quotient of applied alternating force and linear velocity. It is analogous to electrical impedance. The concise mathematical expression for this impedance is 21rfC Elastic compliance reactance is analogous to electrical capacita'tive reactance, just as compliance is analogous to capacitance.

Resonance 'in the vibratory circuit is obtained at the operating frequency at which the reactance (the algebraic sum of mass and compliance reactances) become zero. Vibration amplitude is limited under this condition to resistance alone, and is maximized. The inertia of the mass elements necessary to be vibrated does not under this condition consume any of the driving force.

A valuable feature of my sonic circuit is the provision of enough extra elastic compliance reactance so that the mass or inertia of various necessary bodies in the system does not cause the system to depart so far from resonance that a large proportion of the driving force is consumed and wasted in vibrating this mass. For example, a mechanical oscillator or vibration generator of the type normally used in my invention always has a body, or carrying structure, for containing the cyclic force generating means. This supporting structure, even when minimal, still has mass, or inertia. This inertia could be a force-wasting detriment, acting as a blocking impedance using up part of the periodic force output just to accelerate and decelerate this supporting structure. However, by use of elastically vibratory structure in the system, the effect of this mass, or the mass reactance resulting therefrom, is counteracted at the frequency for resonance; and when a resonant acoustic circuit is thus used, with adequate capacitance (elastic compliance reactance), these blocking impedances are tuned out of existence, at resonance, and the periodic force generating means can thus deliver its full impluse to the work, which is the resistive component of the impedance.

Sometimes it is especially beneficial to couple the sonic oscillator at a low-impedance (high velocity vibration) region, for optimum power input, and then have high impedance (high-force vibration) at the work point. The sonic circuit is then functioning additionally as a transformer, or acoustic lever, to optimize the effectiveness of both the oscillator region and the work delivering region.

For very high-impedance systems having high Q at high frequency, I sometimes prefer that the resonant elastic system be a bar of solid material such as steel. For lower frequency or lower impedance, especially where large amplitude vibration is desired, I use a fluid resonator. One desirable species of my invention employs, as the source of sonic power, a sonic resonant system comprising an elastic member in combination with an orbiting mass oscillator or vibration generator, as above mentioned. This combination has many unique and desirable features. For example, this orbiting mass oscillator has the ability to adjust its input power and phase to the resonant system so as to accommodate changes in the work load, including changes in either or bot-h the reactive impedance and the resistive impedance. This is a very desirable feature in that the oscillator hangs on to the load even as the load changes.

It is important to note that this unique advantage of the orbiting mass oscillator accrues from the combination thereof with the acoustic resonant circuit, so as to comprise a complete acoustic system. In other words, the orbiting mass oscillator is matched up to the resonant part of its system, and the combined system is matched up to the acoustic load, or the job to be accomplished. One manifestation of this proper matching is a characteristic whereby the orbiting mass oscillator tends to lock in to the resonant frequency of the resonant part of the system.

The combined system has a unique performance which is exhibited in the form of a greater effectiveness and particularly greater persistence in a sustained sonic action as the work process proceeds or goes through phases and changes of conditions. The orbiting mass oscillator, in this matched-up arrangement, is able to hang on to the load and continue to develop power as the sonic energy absorbing environment changes with the variations in sonic energy absorption -by the load. The orbiting mass oscillator automatically changes its phase angle, and therefore its power factor, with these changes in the resistive impedance of the load.

A further important characteristic which tends to make the orbiting mass oscillator hang on to the load and continue the development of effective power, is that it also accommodates for changes in the reactive impedance of the acoustic environment while the work process continues. For example, if the load tends to add either inductance or capacitance to the sonic system, then the orbiting mass oscillator will accommodate accordingly. Very often this is accommodated by an automatic shift in frequency of operation of the orbiting mass oscillator by virtue of an automatic feedback of torque to the energy source which drives the orbiting mass oscillator. In other words, if the reactive impedance of the load changes this automatically causes a shift in the resonant response of the resonant circuit portion of the complete sonic system. This in turn causes a shift in the frequency of the orbiting mass oscillator for a given torque load provided by the power source which drives the orbiting mass oscilllator.

All of the above mentioned characteristics of the orbiting mass oscillator are provided to a unique degree by this oscillator in combination with the resonant circuit. As explained elsewhere in this discussion the kinds of acoustic environment presented to the sonic source by this invention are uniquely accommodated by the combination of the orbiting mass oscillator and the resonant system. As will be noted, this invention involves the application of sonic power which brings forth some special problems unique to this invention, which problems are primarily a matter of delivering effective sonic energy to the particular work process involved in this invention. The work process, as explained elsewhere herein, presents a special combination of resistive and reactive impedances. These circuit values must be properly met in order that the invention be practiced effectively.

A representative group of present illustrative embodiments of the invention will now be described, reference 10 for this purpose being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through an embodiment of the invention showing a piling member or the like being driven into the earth, with the lower end of the piling penetrating a resistant earthen formation with the aid of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 1, with the suspension means removed for clarity of illustration of parts below;

FIG. 3 is a detailed section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to a portion of FIG. 1, but showing a modification;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of another form of the invention;

FIG. 6 is an end elevational view of the upper portion of the apparatus of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged detail taken from FIG. 5, but with parts broken away to show in section;

FIG. 8 is a detail section taken on line 88 of FIG 7;

FIG. 9 is a section taken on line 99 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 10 is a section taken on line 1010 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged detail view, with parts broken away, of the lower end portion of the pile of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a section taken on line 1313 of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a section taken on line 1414 of FIG. 12;

FIG. 15 is a side elevational view of another piling in accordance with the invention, parts being broken away to show in section;

FIG. 16 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the piling of FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a view similar to FIG. 16, but showing a modification;

FIG. 18 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of the invention, portions being shown in section;

FIG. 19 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the piling of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is a bottom plan view of the piling as seen in FIG. 19, taken in accordance with the arrows 2020 in FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 shows the lower end portion of a modified piling, the view being in longitudinal section;

FIG. 22 is a detail sectional view showing a modification of the shoe on the piling of FIG. 21;

FIG. 23 is a view similar to FIG. 22, but showing another modification;

FIG. 24 is a plan view of a sheet piling in accordance with the invention, showing in phantom lines additional pilings connectable to the piling primarily illustrated;

FIG. 25 is a view taken in accordance with the arrows 2525 of FIG. 24; and

FIG. 26 is a view taken in accordance with the arrows 2626 of FIG. 24.

Referring now more specifically to the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in FIGS. 1-3, numeral 10 designates generally the earth bore or space made by driving the earth penetration element to be presently described into the earth, and in such case the bore may be of a normal diameter substantially that of the bottom of the pile or mandrel itself.

Numeral 11 designates generally the earth penetration element, in this instance a tubular elastic pile or mandrel, com-posed of a good elastic material such as steel, and which has been driven so as to form bore 10. The pile 11 may be of considerable length, and wherever the depth of installation is so great that a single-piece pile would be impracticable, the pile may be made up in a number of sections screwthreadedly joined to one another as will be understood without necessity of illustration herein.

A central feed bore 12 extends longitudinally through pile 11, and mounted therein may be one or more check valves 13, arranged to pass fluid in a downward direction.

As here shown, each check valve comprises a valve ball 14 adapted to seat upwardly on a seat ring 15 and confined by suitable cage means, here in the form of a cross pin 16 fitted across valve sleeve 17. The bore 12 through the pile is preferably radially enlarged at the lower end, so as to form a cavity 18.

A fluid material feed hose 20 is coupled to the upper end of mandrel 11, so as to feed the bore 12, and will be understood to lead from a suitable source of fluid supply, such as a pump, not shown.

Near its upper end, pile 11 may be provided with an external piston 22, which works in an air cylinder 23, having a bottom wall 24 slidably surrounding and pressure-sealed, as at 25, to the pile 11. The piston 22 is airs'ealed to cylinder 23, as at 26. The cylinder space 27 below piston 22 is supplied with air under pressure via an air hose 28. The air pressure maintained in space 27 is suflicient to act as an air spring for support of the pile 11 and auxiliary equipment connected thereto.

Cylinder 23 has a pair of eyes 30 suspended through links 31 from the arms of a hanger 32 hung, in turn, by means of a cable 33, from any suitable lowering and hoisting gear such as is conventionally used in connection with derricks, cranes, etc., not shown.

A sonic wave generator is coupled to the upper end of the pile 11. In the preferred practice of the invention, this generator is an orbiting mass oscillator such as described hereinabove, and disclosed in my Patent No. 2,960,314. In this instance, the generator 4i) is in two parts 40a and 40b secured rigidly against opposite sides of the upper end of the pile 11 "by bolts 41. It will be understood that these parts 40a and 40b coact through the upper end of pile 11 so as to act as a unitary wave generator. Each of members 40a and 40b comprises a housing embodying a cylindrical wall 44 forming a circular raceway 45'. Two side plates 48 engage opposite edges of each circular side wall 44, and form with wall 44 a cylindrical chamber in which is confined an orbital.

mass in the form of a generally cylindrical inertia rotor 49. The rotor 49 is of a diameter substantially smaller than that of the raceway 45, and is adapted to roll therearound in an orbital path, exerting a centrifugal force on the wall 44. The rotor 49 is driven in this fashion by a jet of air or other fluid under pressure introduced tangentially of the raceway via a nozzle bore 50 supplied by pressure air hose 51. Spent air escapes via ports 54 in side plates 48.

It will be seen from FIG. 1 that the two inertia rotors are driven in opposite directions of rotation. As will presently be described, the two rotors are phased to run in synchr-onism with one another. That is to say, they are always at corresponding points of their respective orbital paths. and, by virtue of their opposite directions of orbital motion,'theym0ve laterally in opposition to one another. Accordingly, the vertical components of the force exerted by the rotors on the generator housings, and thence on the mandrel 11, are in phase and additive, while the horizontal force components are equal and opposite and cancel. The fluid pressure driving the rotors may be made such that the number of circuits per second taken by the rotors around their raceways is in the range of the resonant frequency of the pile 11 for a mode of longitudinal standing wave vibration of the mandrel, usually the half-wavelength mode. Assuming the half-wavelength mode, the standing wave is characterized by the two half-length portions of the mandrel alternately elas tically elongating and contracting with the midpoint of the mandrel experiencing a velocity node or pseudo-node of the standing wave, i.e. having a minimum vibration amplitude, and the two end portions experiencing velocity antinodes, i.e. vibrating in directions longitudinal of the rod at maximum amplitude.

At first, the two rotors 49 have random phase relations. Very shortly, they chance to come into such phase Thus they move up and down together relations as to cooperate, or be additive, to a degree in vertical motion (longitudinally of the nod). When that occurs, a component of vertically oscillating force is exerted on the generator housing, and therefore on the upper end of pile 11, and if the frequency is in the range of fundamental resonance, the pile will tend to vibrate, possibly only feebly at first, in an approximation to the desired half-wave standing wave mode. Once this process is started, the resonantly vibrating pile tends'to vibrate at a frequency just under peak resonance frequency for the pile, and this controlled vibration of the pile backreacts on the rotors to hold them both at the frequency of vibration of the pile, and to bring them into synchronism with each other. As they synchronize, the amplitude of the standing wave increases to maximum, and performance of the orbiting mass oscillator then has all the advantages mentioned in the introductory part of the specification. If the frequency of the two rotors is not in the resonance range, then the pile will vibrate primarily as an untuned mass reactance. Moreover, under highly damped conditions in acoustically lossy soil, standing wave resonance will be very poor, and again the pile vibration will be largely forced vibration. Under such conditions, and where there is no substantial approach to resonance, the two generator components 40a and 40b may not synchronize so readily, and alternative generator forms may be preferred. For example, see the gearsynchronized generators disclosed in my copending application Ser. No. 181, 385, now Patent No. 3,217,551.

Operation is as follows: Pressurized air is delivered through hose 51 to sonic wave generator 40, with pressure regulated .so as to drive the generator at a frequency setting pile 11 into vibration, which in some cases will be a resonant half-wave standing wave vibration, as earlier explained. Then, by resting the pile with its lower end against the ground, and sometimes additionally weighting it, the vibrating pile penetrates the soil, substantially according to the process set forth in my prior Patent No. 2,975,846. The pile may penetrate readily down to the level of interface 19, and is assumed then to have encountered a soil stratum s which is diflicult of penetration. At this time, a pump, not shown, preferably a continuous flow pump, is connected on its intake side to a source of fluid, preferably water, though air may sometimes serve, and on its discharge side to feed hose 20, and is operated to deliver fluid to the bore 12.

The check valves 13 in the bore 12 of the vibrating pile 11 then aid the pumping of the fluid downwardly through said bore 12 to be dischargedat 60 at the lower end of pile 11. The pumping action occurs in accordance with a sonic pumping process disclosed in my Patent No. 2,444,912, the only difference being that in the patent, the check valves open upwardly, and the liquid is pumped upwardly. Here, the check valves open downwardly, and pumping is in the downward direction. Briefly, on each upward movement of a check valve ball seat ring, fluid immediately above the ring is displaced by the latter, and moves through the ring by momentary suction from below the ring owing to the elevation of the ring. The ball at this time is unseated. In other words, a void created below the ring as the ring rises is filled with fluid owing to fluid above the ring being displaced by the ring. On the downstroke, the ring, moving with an acceleration greater than gravity, seats against the check valve ball, and the fluid is propelled downwardly. Springs, not shown, may be used to bias the check valve balls to seat normally on the seat rings, but have been found to be generally unnecessary.

The fluid thus pumped down through pile 11 fills in the bore 10 below the pile, as at 60 and is conducted to the vibratory lower end face 61 of the pile simultaneously with the vibration of the pile, being admitted below the face 61 on each cyclic upstroke of the lower end portion of the pile. This liquid acts to erode the soil below the pile, forms a mixture with the soil, and thus further fluidizes and increases the mobility of the soil. This fluid may rise in the bore hole in the slight or narrow space or passage between the pile and the surface of the bore 10, its upward flow being facilitated by the fact that the pile decreases in diameter on each cyclic elastic elongation as it vibrates in its longitudinal standing wave mode. Thus a discharge passage is cylically opened up, and liquid and fluidized soil may thus rise in this passage to the ground surface, or, alternatively, to some pocket or indentation area of reception in the bore hole, or to an area of porosity or permeability along the bore hole which is capable of receiving the flow, or otherwise. The portions of the vibrating pile 11 contacting the body of fluid injected at 60, underneath the pile, and those which are in contact with the inner surface of the earth surrounding the pile 11 radiate sonic waves or vibrations which travel through the fluid to and into the surrounding soil. The fluid usually has an acoustic impedance inter mediate that of the pile and that of the soil, and helps match the two for effective transmission of sonic energy from the pile through the fluid and into the soil.

It will be seen that the fluid is injected into the bore in vibratory pulses. These pulses generate intermittent sonic or compressional waves which are transmitted to the soil, and cause intermittent penetration of fluid, and which result in further mixing of fluid and surrounding soil into a slurry. In addition, the piston-like action of the lower end of the pile operates, on each downstroke, to impact the fluid in the bore hole, to force it cyclically outward against the wall surfaces of the bore hole, and to pump the slurry up the narrow annulus around the pile. The vibratory piston-like action of the lower end of the pile also radiates sonic vibrations which are transmitted around the lower end of the pile and up the slurry around the pile, thus activating this slurry. Still further, the vibration in the pile results in a vibratory shear coupling between the side surfaces of the pile and the slurry, by which acoustic vibrations are radiated into the slurry. This vibratory action will be seen to occur directly at the interface between the pile and the slurry.

The various vibratory and/or sonic actions described cooperate to impact the slurry, and to drive it cyclIcally against the soil, accompanied by transmission of vibrations to and into the soil, with the effect of providing the fluidizing of the soil as well as the slurry. The sonic action may involve the additional effect (depending upon the soil) of driving the water and/or slurry into the fluidized soil, so that the latter receives fingers or runners r of the slurry, such as is well illustrated in FIG. 1.

The vibratory action thus erodes and mixes the soil into a slurry with the fluid, and this slurry, indicated at 1, then forcibly flows or extrudes, under substantial pressure as heretofore explained, into the material-receiving cavity 18 at the lower end of the pile, as well as across the vibratory end face 61 of the pile to the flow conduit afforded by the narrow annular cyclically opening space around the pile, as heretofore described. This narrow annular outside space is seen in FIG. 1 to have enlarged into a permanent material-receiving cavity C in a region where the earth is either porous, or subject to large compression or compaction. The cavity C is shown in FIG. 1 as filled with the fluidized earth material or slurry 7. Such a cavity c can be large enough in some cases to receive the entirety of the soil necessarily removed from beneath the pile. In other cases, the soil slurry can be caused to flow up the passage formed around the pile all the way to the ground surface. This flow can, in some cases, actually elastically expand the bore hole, and thus open up the passage for freer flow.

A further advantageous step is to fluctuate the pressure of the air entering the pipe 51 to drive the vibration generator, so as to cause a fluctuation in frequency..

This can be accomplished by use, in line 51, of any cyclically operated throttle valve, unnecessary here to illustrate. Only a relatively small fluctuation in frequency need thereby be effected, but sufficient to cause a small amount of lateral vibration to appear in the pile along with the longitudinal vibration. This added lateral vibration further assures that the pile will remain loose in the bore 10 as the slurry is moving up. There are of course other known ways of modifying the vibration generator, or its operation, so as to induce a degree of lateral or other nonresonant vibration, and any of these may be resorted to within the broad scope of the present invention to accomplish the effect described. It is also to be understood that there are many materials for the fluid, such as water, air or mixtures, which can be applied and utilized in the practice of the invention.

It may be here mentioned again that the sonic resonant pile driving process, with use of resonant standing wave vibration, as well as the other vibratory pile driving systems, employs a degree of downward biasing force on the pile. A pile of the type here illustrated is relatively heavy, and will often be sufliicently heavy to provide its own downward biasing force. However, additional mass loading may be added to the upper end of the pile. For example, a heavy annulus, not shown, can easily be mounted on the upper end of the pile 11, around the feed pipe 20. Of course, after such a self-driving operation, the pile will fit fairly snugly within the soil.

An enlarged head or cap 62 (FIG. 4) can be tightly fitted onto the lower end of the pile. This cap, in place on the pile, forms a bore hole of somewhat larger diameter than the pile, and therefore a larger annulus for upflow of the slurry, as indicated at 65 in FIG. 4.

Referring further to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, it should be noted that the four preliminarily stated essential features of this invention are all embodied therein, some in more than one way, while in some cases, a single configuration and/ or performance satisfies more than one of the required features.

With continued reference to FIG. 1, fluid w is supplied from the source through hose connection 20 and on into fluid passage 12 from where it is delivered to the vibrating face 61 of the pile 11 at the lower end. This fluid is carried past the cavity 18 at the lower end and on across the face 61 at the lower end and then up the narrow annular space around the outside of the pile or mandrel member.

Thus the vibrating pile and its fluid introduction conduit fulfill the first two requirements of the invention. The third requirement, specifically the soil receiver, is provided by the cavity 18 at the lower end, and/or by an earth indentation cavity space such as c. In addition there is further soil receiver space in the thin annulus around the outside of the pile or mandrel member. This space may be very thin, in some cases, opening cyclically by the Poissons ratio effect mentioned above, and so admitting soil slurry. The annulus may thereby gradually enlarge to receive more soil, and enlargement can also occur by erosion, or by elastic or inelastic compaction. With an embodiment such as that of FIG. 4, the annulus 65, above the head 62, is large and capable of functioning as a large soil-receiving cavity.

The fourth requirement, specifically the fluid return or discharge flow path, is met by the flow space around the outside of the pile, as just discussed, which may thus function as a flow path and also as a displaced soil receiver, at least in part. Moreover, as noted above, the annulus 65 of FIG. 4 is large in cross-sectional area, and constitutes both soil receiver and discharge flow path. In other words, the cap member 62 tends to generate an oversized annulus in the ground so that there will be a substantial flow path for the return or discharge flow.

As mentioned above, an adequate return or discharge flow sometimes does not necessarily require the cap memer, notwithstanding an initial tight fit of the pile in the ground, because an adequate flow conduit can be provided in oher ways. For one example, certain soils are sufficiently porous so that much of the return flow or discharge flow is taken up by the soil itself. This latter case is particularly advantageous when it is desired to have maximum tightness of engagement of the pile memher in the soil. Under this latter condition the situation is met by having a minimum flow rate of introduced fluid, so that there is a minimum amount of fluid needing discharge from the system. In other words, when in the practice of the invention it is desired to have a very tight engagement of the pile member with the ground, I prefer to provide an introduction flow conduit which serves only the purpose of introducing the fluid to the vibrating face. Then fluid is introduced slowly enough to avoid any large problem of disposing of it. This slow rate of fluid introduction is however suflicient for many situations where it is only necessary to move the displaced soil a short distance up along the side of the pile to a more permeable earthen material zone which will accept this displaced material, without requiring that the displaced material be brought all the way to the ground surface. In such case, of course, there is some flow path from the lower end of the pile, which terminates in permeable cavity space in the earth acting as a soil-receiver space. It is immaterial, of course, whether this cavity space is a porous structure containing voids, or a caved-in open space. In either case, there is a soil receiver in flow path communication with the soil of the lower end of the pile. This latter technique is especially valuable in situations where the difficult zone met by this invention exists in only a shallow thin-layer zone through which the pile member must penetrate.

In situations where the displaced material amounts to a substantial volume, the requirements of soil receiver and flow path must be given special emphasis. One provision to such end is to use the type of elastically vibratory resonant pile which changes its dimensions circumferentially on each vibration cycle. Under this resonant condition, then, a flow path is opened up notwithstanding a tightly driven pile, and the excess material can be brought to the ground surface, so that this annulus, in effect, meets both the flow path and the soil receiver requirements.

Also, as described hereinabove, additional flow space and soil receiver space can be provided, and is useful for soils having a natural adhesion to the pile, by using the above mentioned cap piece 62 which tends to make the hole somewhat oversized. By allowing the pile to sit and vibrate for a moment, with little or no bias, after it has reached its prescribed depth, and after turning off the supply of fluid, the earthen wall material around the annulus tends to cave in around the pile and grip it tightly.

As mentioned above, a frequency can be selected for the vibration generator rollers so as to cause the pile :member to go into a lateral vibration, or in other words to have a lateral component of vibration superimposed mpon the longitudinal component. This lateral compoznent tends to generate an annular space around the outside of the pile during the driving operation. Or, the :soil can be made to compact back against the pile by vibrating the pile for a short time after the flow of fluid injected in accordance with this invention is turned off.

Two other results are attained by the preferred use of resonance, and of an orbiting mass type of vibration generator, the first of which may displace the need, in whole or in part, of otherwise essential features, such as cavity, discrete discharge flow conduit, etc., and the second of which brings about automatic accommodation to changing work load resulting from the changing environment owing to the introduction of fluid at the bottom end of the pile. The inherent ability of the orbital mass generator to deliver power effectively under changing conditions of work load, such as by changing its phase angle and power factor, was refertfid I9 in the introductory part of the specification,

' FIGS. 5-10 show another system for driving a plural pipe combination down into the soil. A horizontal crossbeam 112, which may comprise an elastic steel pipe, is supported as by a conventional boom, cable and sling, not shown, and projecting downwardly from the center region of the underside of this beam or pipe 112 are two hollow elastic rods 113 and 113a, spaced horizontally and longitudinally of the beam. The rods 113 and 113a are screwthreaded at the top into a mounting block 114 that is firmly supported under and against the underside of pipe 112 by a suitable hanger 115 (FIGS. 5 and 6). The lower ends of rods 113 and 113a are capped, as indicated at 116, and the rods are equipped with spaced sound wave radiator fins 117. Mounting block 114 has a water inflow passage 118 communicating with the interior of hollow rod 113, and a water supply hose 119 is coupled to this passage. Mounting block 114- also has a water outflow passage 118a, to which is connected a discharge hose 119a. The hollow rods 113 and 113a are furnished along their lengths with water flow openings 120, directed generally toward each other, i.e. in the directions of flow paths through the soil therebetween. The orifices are thus preferably directed generally inwardly, or towards one another, so that the water flow issuing from the one rod 113 impinges on the soil between the two rods 113 and 113a mixes with this soil, and the resulting slurry then flows into the openings 120 in the other rods 1130. The rods 113 and 11311 may be composed of elastic material, as steel, and longitudinally-directed resonant standing vibration may be set up in the two rods during operation for the preferred practice of the invention. A half-wavelength standing wave diagram is depicted immediately to the right of the rods 113 and 113a in FIG. 5, and it will be understood that the width dimension of this diagram represents the vibration amplitude at corresponding points along the rods 113. Velocity antinodes occur at the top, as at V, and nodes N occur at the midpoints.

A longitudinal standing wave can be induced to occur in each of the two rods 113 and 113a in various ways, but I prefer to accomplish this purpose by producing a lateral standing wave, of one full wavelength, in the tubular beam 112. Such a standing wave is represented in the diagram immediately above the beam 112 in FIG. 5, and it will be seen that velocity antinodes V occur at the two ends of the beam, and at the mid-point. To produce this lateral standing wave in the beam 112, I utilize a lateral wave generator in the beam in the region of one of the velocity antinodes, in this case adjacent one of the extremities of the beam 112.

The illustrative generator 130 shown for this purpose in FIGS. 9 and 10 is substantially that more fully disclosed in FIGS. 5-9 of my prior Patent No. 2,960,314, issued Nov. 15, 1960. This generator 130' has a cylindrical housing 131, which is received into cylindrical beam 112 and fitted tightly in a circular aperture 132 in one side of the latter. Air under pressure introduced to the generator via conduit 133 and passage 134, flows through passages 135, and is discharged tangentially, via passages 136 (FIG. 10') into a cylindrical chamber 137 containing an inertia rotor in the form of a steel disk 138, of smaller diameter than the chamber. This air so introduced into chamber 137 impingeson disk or rotor 138, and drives it rapidly around the raceway formed by periphery of chamber 137. Spent air escapes through ports 139, and thence via the large opening provided at 140.

The orbital or spin frequency of the rotor 138 may be governed by regulation of the pressure of the air supplied to air conduit 133. This air is supplied via acoupling means at 142 and an air hose 143 leading from any pressure-controllable source of supply, not shown. By suitable regulation of this air pressure supplied to generator 130, the spin frequencvof the inertia rotor may, if desired, be caused to approximate the resonant standing wave frequency of the beam 112 for the mode of lateral standing vibration represented in the diagram above the beam in FIG. 5. At this time, the component of force exerted by the spinning rotor 138 on the housing of the generator 130, and therefore on the beam 112, in a direction laterally of the beam, excites the lateral standing wave in the beam 112. Accordingly, the end and center regions of the beam 112 at the velocity antinode V vibrate vertically with a substantial component of elastic deformation amplitude. The center region of the beam 112 is acoustically coupled to the upper ends of the hollow rods 113 and 113a, and alternating forces of large magnitude are applied from the center region of the beam 112 to the upper ends of the rods 113 and 113a, in directions longitudinally of said rods. I

Although not always necessary, as explained above, it is sometimes desired that these alternating force applications cause elastic longitudinal resonant standing wave vibration in the rods 113 and 113a, preferably of a halfwavelength. Accordingly, the rods 113 and 113a, which for such purposes are of elastic material, are best given lengths corresponding to a half-wavelength for a longitudinal wave in the material of the rods, at the frequency of resonant lateral vibration of the beam 112. Longitudinal resonant standing wave vibration is thus produced in the rods 113 and 113a.

This vibration of the rods 113 and 113a, and of the radiation fins 117 thereon, results in radiation into the surrounding earth material of powerful waves, which produce the fiuidization effect on the earth material as discussed hereinabove.

It will be appreciated that a longitudinal half-Wavelength wave, i-f produced in each of the rods 113 and 113a, will be of greatest amplitude in the end portions of the rods, and will gradually reduce to zero at the node at the mid-point. In some instances this is a disadvantage. Accordingly, it is a further optional feature of the system that the vibrating rods 113 and 113a may simply be bodily reciprocated in a vertical direction, through any desired stroke distance, during the operation of the system. This may be accomplished by alternately elevating and lowering the beam 112 by its suspension means. This bodily reciprocation may be at a different frequency (usually much lower) from that of a sonic standing wave frequency in the rods. Of course, the downward penetration during driving is often sufficient so as to make such reciprocation unnecessary. Also, the pipes 113- and 11311 may be bodily vibrated by the beam 112 while the latter undergoes lateral elastic standing wave vibration. This is accomplished by having the resonant frequency for lateral standing wave vibration of the beam differ materially from the resonant frequency for longitudinal standing wave vibration of the pipes 113 and 113a. In this case, I can have a resonant system, such as mentioned hereinabove, where the added elastic structure 112 contributes both elastic compliance reactance and added mass reactance, in amounts to cause the combination of pipes 113 and 113a, together with beam 112, to be resonant at some frequency governed by the condition that all mass reactances taken together be equal to all elastic compliance reactance of the structure at the operating frequency of the vibration generator.

The two finned rods 113 and 113a, subjected to longitudinal vibration by the lateral vibration of the beam 112, penetrate into the soil when their lower ends are engaged with the ground, and all or part of the weight of the rods and the beam 112 is imposed thereon as a downward bias force. To facilitate penetration of certain resistant strata of the soil, fluid is circulated to and down the rod 113, is ejected from the openings 120 therein, and impinges on the soil between and around the rods, including the lower region thereof. The soil is fluidized and formed or combined into a slurry by the sonic fluidization effect of the sound waves radiated by the fins 117, together with the eroding effect of the fluid discharge from the vibrating rod 113. Soilsubject to these influences thus goes into a slurry which finds its way into the holes 120 in the upflow rod 113a. In the practice of the invention with this form of apparatus, the soil-receiving space or cavity can be afforded in various ways. First, the walls of the soil in which the rods are being driven are sometimes porous, permeable, or compressible, thus affording space for receiving soil. In addition, or alternatively, the upflow pipe is of large cross-sectional area, and affords a space of large volumetric displacement for receiving the soil. The spaces between the fins are also very adequate in many cases. Finally, of course, the upflow pipe 113a functions as the final discharge conduit.

FIGS. 1114 show a form of pile or mandrel having features of similarity to the configuration of FIGS. 5-10, in that it 'has a downflow or introduction conduit for the injected fluid which runs alongside or parallel to the upfiow or return conduit. In FIGS. 11-14, the conduits are embodied within a single structure such as might be made by closing in the two open faces of an H-beam, as shown. Thus, the pile illustratively consists of an -H- beam 150, with welded-in side walls 151 converting the H-beam into a box-beam, with a central web 152, so that the H-beam then provides a pair of parallel fluid flow conduits 154 and 155.

Fluid inflow and discharge hoses 156 and 157, respectively, are coupled to the top end of the pile, in communication with conduits 154 and 155, respectively.

A main difference between the embodiments of FIGS. 510 and FIGS. ll-14 is that in the latter the conduits are embodied within a single beam or pile-type member, A second difference is that, in the preferred form of FIGS. 11-14, the cross-flow of fluid from the introduction conduit to the discharge conduit takes place only at the bottom end. This is for maximum delivery of fluid to the lower vibrating "face in the penetration region, Moreover, this cross-flow of fluid, maximized in the re.- gion of the vibrating face, very greatly maximizes the carrying power of the fluid as it carries the displaced material away from the region where it extrudes from its original location owing to high compression under which it is placed by the intruding action of the lower portion of the pile.

Referring further to FIGS. 1l-l4, a notch 158 is preferably provided in the central web, at the bottom. This notch joins adjacent portions of the lower end regions of the two conduits 154 and 155 to provide an initial space or pocket 159 into which the displaced soil material can flow in its very first travel from its place in the earth from which it is initially displaced. The notch 159 forms a pocket very similar to the initial displacement receiver pocket 18 shown in FIG. 1. Such a material-receiving cavity, in immediate proximity to the position of initial displacement or extrusion of the soil, is highly beneficial with some soils, which tend to extrude or be displaced into this pocket to a large extent by the sonic fluidization effect arising solely from the. sonic vibration of the lower end of the pile against the soil, before mixing with the injected fluid. With the receiver pocket in close proximity to the soil face worked on, the flow path is obviously desirably minimized. The injected fluid has the further functions and effects described fully in connection with FIG. 1, acting between the lower faces of the pile and the soil, and on the soil material being loosened and displaced into the pocket,-to further fluidize the soil and turn it into a slurry which can flow readily up the upflow conduit 155. An immediately accessible flow-receiving cavity will be seen to be provided bythe embodiment of FIGS. l-4, as well as by that of FIGS. 11-14.

The pile of FIGS. l'l-14 is shown to be vibrated by a vibration generator or oscillator 162 engaged with the top of the pile, and of a nature similar to that of FIGS. l-3. The only necessary modification is that the hole going through the oscillator, which is gripped by bolts41, as shown in FIG. 2, is of square rather than round crossinvention.

section. Suspension is by a hoisting cable 164 attached to the upper end of the pile. The air cushion device of FIGS. 1-3 is not shown in FIGS. 11-14, as it is not always essential, but can be added if desired.

In FIGS-15 and 16 is shown a cylindrical pile 170, in this instance composed of pre-cast concrete, which has a fluid conduit embodied therein, in this case a pipe 171 extending longitudinally through the pile along the longitudinal axis thereof, and which is preliminarily cast into the pile. This pipe has the advantage of providing a 'certain amount of longitudinal reinforcing for the pile. The upper end of this pipe 171 is shown in FIG. 16 to project somewhat above the upper end of the pile 170 and to have its upper end conveniently accessible for reception of downwardly extending portion 172 of an elbow 173 receiving fluid from a suitable source, not shown. A suitable seal is provided at 174, so that when the elbow 173 is forced down, this seal 174 makes a fluid-tight contact with the inside of the pipe 171. Elbow 173 is introduced through a side window 175 in an adapter tube 176 cast in place in the upper end portion of the pile.

The adapter tube 176 also mounts the vibration generator or oscillator 177, which again may be of the type fully shown and described in connection with FIGS. 1-3, and the upper end of the tubular member 176 is closed by a plate 178, to which is connected suspension means 179.

The lower end of conduit pipe 171 discharges into a material-receiving cavity or pocket 180, quite similar in function to those heretofore discussed in connection with the embodiments of FIGS. 1-4 and 11-14. In addition, optional lateral outflow conduits or passageways are I formed in the lower end portion of the pile, leading outwardly from the pocket 180 through the sides of the pile.

' The performance of the pile of FIGS. 15 and 16, without mits its vibrations downward into the pile through the member 176, and the pile may be set into either resonant vibration, or nonresonant bodily vibration, depending upon the frequency at which the vibration generator 177 is driven, as should now be understood without further description. When the lateral discharge passages 181 are used, the fluid and its slurry is ejected to the thin annulus between the pile and the bore hole so as to carry up around the outside of the pile, either to the ground surface, or at least to a porous or permeable zone of the earth, or one which can be either elastically or inelastically expanded so as to make room for the slurry.

FIG. 17 is a view showing a pile similar to that of FIGS. 15 and 16, excepting that two conduits are cast in the pile. The pile in this case is indicated at 182, and has at its lower end a cavity or pocket 183. At the top is a tubular member 184, which will be understood to be like the tubular member 176 of FIGS. 15 and 16, and to carry at the top a vibration generator such as illustrated in FIG. 15. Two conduits 186 and 187 are cast in the pile, side by side, one being fed from an elbow 188 at the top, in a manner similar to that of FIG. 16, and the other having a discharge elbow 189 leading out laterally from the upper end portion of the pile, and to which may be coupled a discharge hose. The pile is shown with optional lateral discharge passages 190. In this case, the conduit 186 supplies fluid, and the cavity 183 receives fluidized soil, for mixture with the supplied fluid, as earlier described in connection with other embodiments of the In this case, assuming the passageways 190 are not used, or are not used for the entire flow, slurry is discharged via the upflow conduit 187. Some of the slurry can discharge via the passageways 190, and it is an advantage that some of the soil can thus be discharged in the space around the pile, where it subsequently can contribute towards tightness of fit of the pile in the final bore hole.

FIGS. '18 and 19 show a tubular elastic metal pile 280 comprising a long tube 201 and a smaller diameter conduit 202 mounted therein by means of webs 203. At the top is a vibration generator 285, like that illustrated and described in connection with FIGS. 1-3. A fluid inflow pipe 288 is coupled to tubular member 201 near the upper end of the latter, and thus opens into the annulus 209 between the tubular member 201 and the conduit 202, said annulus 289 thus being the inflow fluid conduit.

Welded within the bottom end of the outside tubular member 201 of the pile are crossing breaker bars 212, here shown as provided with V-shaped lower edges 213. The lower end of the upflow conduit 202 terminates a little above these breaker bars 212, and it will be seen that the largest cross-section of the total flow area within the lower end portion of the tubular member 201 is in the region between the lower end of the inside conduit 202 and the upper edges of the breaker bars. Thus, an expansion area or zone 215 occurs in this region, above the spacer bars. The displaced-soil-receiving space, in this embodiment of the invention, is largely in this region 215, above the breaker bars.

A primary function of the breaker bars, in addition to their purpose in providing this expansion region 215, is to break and separate the larger pieces of earth extruding or breaking free from the earth region immediately below, so as to break these pieces of earth into smaller portions and thus facilitate mixing with the introduced fluid and the production of a slurry such as can readily circulate up the outflow conduit 202, Since the principal fluid in flow is downwardly from the annulus 20 9, the displaced soil tends to move upwardly into the region immediately above the crossing portions of the breaker bars; and it will be seen that this material in this region is in position to be swept and carried upwardly by the fluid entering into the central conduit 2112. The latter is of ample cross-section to carry away large quantities of displaced material.

FIG. 21 shows the lower end portion of a pile 219' generally similar to that of FIGS. 18 and 19 (identical, if desired, in the portions broken away in FIG. 21) but with certain advantageous modifications as will now be described. The pile comprises an outside tubular member 220, and an inside tubular conduit 221, the members 220 and 221 being spaced by an annulus 222 which serves as a fluid downflow conduit. Tubular members 220 and 221 are joined to a drive shoe 224 at the bottom. The drive shoe 224 is of the same diameter as the pile tube 220 at the bottom, so as to form an extension thereof, and has a reduced diameter portion 226 extending a short distance up into tube 220 and around the lower extremity of tube 221, so as to fill in the annulus therebetween. Fluid from the downflow annulus 222 passes through passageways 230 in the shoe 224 and opens inside the shoe via ports 231 located in a venturi-like, inwardly convergent mouth 232 formed in the shoe 224. Welded in place around the outer portion of the month 232 are breaker teeth 234, adapted to function in breaking up the earth material separated from the soil, and also to provide a somewhat sudden change or oifset in cross-sectional area of the mouth 232 at the level just above these teeth. Thus there is afforded a small volume of initial displacement region above these teeth to receive separated soils immediately upon its separation from the earth. It will be seen that the conical or upwardly convergent entrance mouth 232 causes the upflow velocity of the mixture of displaced soil and fluid to increase as it moves upwardly inside thereof to the upflow conduit 221.

FIG. 22 shows a modification of the embodiment of FIG. 21, wherein corresponding parts are identified by like reference numerals, but with the subletter a added lnthe case of FIG. 22. Here, the shoe 224a differs from that of FIG. 21 in having a more divergent mouth 232a, leading to a shoulder 240 which provides ail-enlarging offset in the flow path. The shoulder 240 is a place of extrusion of the material compressed by the highly convergent mouth 232a, and it affords a configuration leading to sudden expansion of the displaced material soon after leaving its initial position in the earth. The space above the shoulder 240 functions as an initial expansion receiver somewhat in the same manner as that above the breaker bars and breaker teeth in preceding embodiments. These formations have in common the feature of a zone of expansion where the pressure is sharply released soon after the soil starts its flow from its initial position in the earth. Thus, in these embodiments, the earth material is initially placed under compression by the'pressure of the pile, or of the shoe on the lower end of the pile, causing the material to extrude; and immediately after this extrusion and beginning upflow, the material is caused to go into a region of sudden expansion, such as above the breaker bars in the embodiment of FIGS. 18- 20, or above the shoulder 240 in the embodiment of FIG. 22. Above this shoulder 240', the material is picked up very readily by the upflowing fluid and is easily carried out.

FIG. 22 also shows the shoe 224a as formed on a larger external diameter than the pile 219a which is an advanage with certain types of soil materials. It provides, as will be obvious, a larger annulus space for upflowing material around the outside of the pile, as described initially in connection with FIG. 4. The additional space provided around the outside of the pile also reduces skin friction and thus reduces resistance to penetration.

FIG. 23 shows a modification of FIG. 21, the lower extremity of the outside tubular pile member being here designated at 220]), and a shoe on the lower end thereof at 22412. The pile member 22% may, excepting for the shoe, be like that of FIG. 21. The upper portion of shoe 22% is generally like the shoe 224 of FIG. 21, but instead of having a convergent throat leading into tube 22 1b, the shoe 224k has a bore 250 leading without reduction to the bore of conduit 22112; and the outside of the Y shoe is tapered downwardly to form an exterior conical face 251. Fluid from the annulus above (as in FIG. 21) passes through passageways 23% and is discharged inside bore 250, which acts as a soil-receiver space, and also as the passageway by which water is discharged at the bottom to the soil, as well as fed past the rim 252 of.

the shoe at the bottom, to the conical vibratory, soilimpacting and displacing face 251. In this case, the exterior conical face 251 displaces, compresses and com- "pacts the soil material radially outward, aided .by the fluid fed against the soil and past the rim 2-52 to the face 251. The soil within the outline defined by the rim. 25 2 is not in this case compressed, and, upon fluidization by the joint action of the vibrations and the fluid fed thereto, rises easily into the pocket or soil-receiving space formed within the shoe by the bore 250', where it is more thoroughly mixed with the infiowing water, and from which it is then picked up and transported up the central pile conduit 221b by the fluid flow rising therein.

Reference is next directed to FIGS. 24-26, inclusive, showing application of the invention to commonly known sheet piling. The invention is illustratively shown in the present instance as applied to a sheet pile 300' of Z-shape in cross-section. Thus the pile has an intermediate web 301, a flange 302 at one edge of the latter bent in one direction therefrom, and a somewhat wider flange 303 at the other edge, bent in a direction opposite to that of the flange 302. The'flanges 302 and 303 have at their longitudinal edges knuckle joint elements 304' and 305, respectively, of well-known conventional form, by which similar Z-shaped piles, indicated in phantom lines at 300',

. can be driven alongside the pile 300, with knuckle joint junctures therebetween. Such practice is well-known and need not be further described herein. The Z-shaped pile is of elastic material, and capable of supporting longitudinal vibratory action, either resonant standing wave 22 vibration, or bodily vibration, as discussed in connection with the various forms of piling considered hereinabove.

A vibration generator for generating longitudinal vibra- V tions of the pile is designated generally at 310. This generator 310 is similar to the vibration generator used in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3, excepting for the fact that the generator rotors 311 and the raceways 312 in which the latter are confined are placed in a single body 314, rather than divided into two halves, as in FIGS. 1-3.

One other minor difference is noted, in that the air nozzles 315 for driving the generator rotors are altered somewhat in position in the case of FIG. 25. In all essentials, however, the generator 310 is completely equivalent to and operates identically with'the generator of FIGS.

1-3. The generator housing 314 is at the upper end of a large clamp device 3120 adapted for clamping engagement with the upper edge portion of the pile web 301. As is shown, the clamp 320 includes, first, a clamp arm 322 depending from generator housing 314, and formed with gripping serrations 3 23 adapted for biting engagement with the upper edge portion of the pile web 301, as clearly shown in FIG. 26. Opposed to arm 322 is a depending arm 328, containing an aperture 329 in which is slidably fitted a horizontally movable clamping cylinder 330. The forward end of this clamping cylinder 330 is engageable with thepile web 301 in opposition to the clamp arm 322, and it may be provided with gripping serrations such as indicated at 333. Inside cylinder 330 is a stationary piston 335', provided with a reduced stem 336 which protrudes through the outer end of the cylinder 3-30 and is fixed by pin 338 in clamp arm- 328, as clearly illustrated. To set the clam-p 320, air under pressure is admitted to cylinder chamber 340 via an air hose 341.

Fluid is conducted from the upper end of the pile to the lower end thereof by means of a pipe such as 344 welded to the web 301 on one side of the latter, and this pipe supplies fluid adjacent the lower soil-displacing and pentrating edge 345 of the pile. FIG. 25 shows the web 301 of the pile as provided at its lower edge with a centrally located V-notch 346, which is useful in assuring fluid circulation to both sides of the pile, and

- as forming a small pocket capable of initially receiving at least a proportion of the displaced and extruded soil. The drawings show also an upflow pipe 347 for return or discharge of fluid, leading from the lower end of the pile to a point near the top thereof. The upflow pipe 347 is an optional feature, not necessary in all instances. When used, it may be placed as illustrated, against the pile web 301, on the opposite side thereof from the downflow pile 344, and, as here shown, near the opposite edge of the pile web 301 from the downflow conduit 344. This 10- clamp, and the vibration generator then operated to longitudinally vibrate the pile. As stated earlier, the longitudinal vibration may be resonant, desirably, either with standing wave resonance, or bodily resonance, or may be simplyvibrated bodily without resonance, as discussed earlier in connection with other types of pile. The pile 300 has at its lower end a relatively narrow soil-engaging and displacement face, though the total cross-sectional area of this displacement face may be fairly substantial in some cases. In easy soils, the pile penetrates readily by virture of the vibratory action established by the operation of the generator. Upon encountering problem soils, however, such as discussed preliminarily, fluid, such as water, from a suitable source, not shown, is pumped down the downflow pipe 344 while the pile is being vibrated against the soil. The water is supplied adjacent the lower edge of the pile, which is the impacting and soildisplacement end face thereof, and this fluid, thus supplied 23 to this vibrating face of the pile, by the same phenomena discussed hereinbefore in connection with earlier forms of the pile, causes the soil to fluidize, mix with the injected fluid, and then flow upwardly as a fluid and soil slurry. As mentioned hereinabove, the pocket 346 facilitates movement of .the fluid from the downflow pipe 3 i on one side of the pile web 301 to the opposite side thereof, and also serves to accept extruded soil displaced by the vibratory action of the lower penetrating end or edge of the pile, affording a small zone wherein additional mixing of the soil and injected fiuid can take place. It will be appreciated that a sheet metal pile has a very large surface area for its cross-sectional area, and this large surface area facilitates discharge of the fluid and soil slurry up along all surfaces of the pile in what may often be a relatively thin film. In most cases, the discharge path or passageway so afforded is entirely adequate. The slurry may thus fiow from the lower end of the pile entirely to the ground surface, or the flow may rise to more permeable soil regions and thus be absorbed within the side walls of the earth structure about the pile rather than rising to the ground surface. With this type of pile, as with others heretofore discussed, the soil structure may often contain fractured or fissured formations capable of accepting large volumes of flow, and these may thus in some cases supply the discharge path as well as the ultimate soil-receiving space.

in some cases, it can be desirable to remove at least a proportion of the injected fluid by means of the upflow pipe 347, and in such cases the optionally shown pipe 347 can be used.

A number of illustrative applications of the invention, and a number of pile types especially adapted to the practice of the invention, have now been described. It will be understood, of course, that these are for illustrative purposes only, and that various changes and modifications in technique, and in the construction of the pile equipment, may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or of the broader of the appended claims.

I claim: 7

1. The method of vibratory driving of a longitudinally extended penetrating element having a penetrating end with a vibratory impacting end face into granular media for piling and the like, that includes:

bringing said impacting end face of said penetrating end of said element into forcible engagement with said media;

vibrating said element with longitudinally directed vibrations While in engagement with said media, so as to cause vibratory impacting of said end face against the media and thereby vibratory penetration in tight engagement with the media;

conducting a flow of wash fluid through a conduit directly to said vibratory impacting end face of said element with said flow maintained while said face is impacting against said media; and

providing, adjacent said impacting face, a cavity for reception of wash water and media displaced by said penetrating element and mixed with said wash fluid.

2. The method of claim 1, including the step of conducting said fluid together with media mixed therewith away from said impacting end face.

3. The method of claim 1, including the step of conducting said displaced media and wash water away from said cavity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said element is embodied in a resonant vibratory system, and wherein the vibration of said member occurs at the resonant frequency of said system.

5. The subject matter of claim 4, wherein said fluidizedsoil-receiving cavity comprises an indentation in the media formed to the side of said member.

6. The method of vibratory driving of a longitudinally extended member such as a pile or the like into granular -media, said member having a penetrating end with an impacting end face, that comprises:

bringing the impacting end face of the penetrating end of the member into engagement with the media-,-

causing a steady bias force to act on the member in the direction of desired penetration;

vibrating the member against the soil with longitudinally directed vibrations while under the influence of said bias force, so as to produce vibratory driving action of said penetrating end against and tightly into the media; and

While said vibrations are maintained simultaneously conducting a wash fluid in a flow path extending to and then away from the impacting end face of the vibrating penetrating end of said member, with a fluidized-soil-receiving cavity included in the portion of said flow path extending away from said impacting end face.

7. The subject matter of claim 6, wherein the vibrated member is embodied in a resonant vibratory system, and the vibration of said member is established at a resonant frequency of said system.

8. The subject matter of claim 6, wherein said cavity is located in close proximity to said impacting end of said vibrating penetrating end of said member.

9. The subject matter of claim 8, wherein said cavity is located Within the penetrating end of said member.

10. The subject matter of claim 6, wherein said member comprises an elongated hollow stem with a fluid passage extending therethrough, and wherein the part of said flow path to said impacting end face comprises said fluid passage.

11. The subject matter of claim 10, wherein the part of said flow path away from said impacting end; face is around the outside of said stem.

12. The subject matter of claim 10, wherein the part of said flow path away from said impacting end face comprises a second fluid passage extending through said stem.

13. The method of vibratory driving of a longitudinally extended penetrating element having a penetrating end with a vibratory impacting end face into granular media for piling and the like, which element comprises a resonant vibratory system, that includes:

bringing said impacting end face of said penetrating end of said element into forcible engagement with said media; vibrating said element at a longitudinal resonant frequency of the system While in engagement with said media, so as to cause resonant longitudinal vibratory penetration in tight engagement with the media; and

conducting a flow of wash fluid through a conduit directly to said vibratory impacting end face of said element with said flow maintained while said face is impacting against said media.

14. For use as piling or the like, an elongated, longitudinally vibratory penetrating member adapted for longitudinal penetration into granular media, said penetrating member having a vibratory, media-engaging and -displacing penetrating end part adapted to make a tight fit with the media displaced thereby, and said end part having a media-engaging and -displacing end face;

means in connection with said member for biasing it in a direction to enter the media;

means for longitudinally vibrating said member; and

means forming a supply conduit for conducting a continuous flow of wash fluid to said media-engaging end face of said penetrating endpart of said member during said vibration.

15. The suject matter of claim 14, wherein said mediaengaging and -displacing end face is of a projected area .in the direction of penetration which is of the same order as the cross-sectional areaof the elongated longitudinally vibratory media-penetrating member.

16. The subject matter of claim 14, including also means forming a space for reception of media and fluid slurry formed in the region of engagement by said penetrating end part of said member; and

means forming a slurry discharge passageway communicating with both said region of engagement and said reception space.

17. The subject matter of claim 14, wherein said conduit is formed within said elongated media-penetrating member.

18. The subject matter of claim 14, with a slurry discharge conduit formed within said elongated media-penetrating member.

19. The subject matter of claim 14, wherein said penetrating end part of said member forms a laterally enlarged offset on said member and affords a clearance space between said member and the side walls of the hole formed in the media by said end part.

20. The subject matter of claim 14, wherein said member and said means for longitudinally vibrating said member are related for vibration of said member at a resonant frequency thereof.

21. The subject matter of clairr 14, wherein said member comprises a sheet pile, and said wash fluid supply conduit comprises a pipe fastened to a side thereof.

22. The subject matter of claim 14, including means within the vibrator media-engaging and -displacing penetrating end part of said member forming a pocket for immediate reception of media displaced by said end part.

23. The subject matter of claim 22, including also a slurry passageway in said member extending from said pocket through the side of said member.

24. The subject matter of claim 14, including means within the media-engaging and -displacing penetrating end part of said member forming a pocket for immediate reception of media displaced thereby, said wash fluid supply conduit extending longitudinally through said member to said pocket, and there being a slurry discharge conduit leading from said pocket longitudinally through said member to a point of discharge.

25. The subject matter of claim 24, wherein said conduits are parallel to one another.

26. The subject matter of claim 25, including bar means spanning said penetrating end part of said member at the outer region of said pocket and positioned to form a fluid-flow-path expansion region in said pocket between 26 said bar means and the entrance to said discharge conduit.

27. The subject matter of claim 25, including a wall separating said conduits at the lower end of said member, and there being a pocket in said wall opening toward the media being penetrated by said member and adapted to receive a portion of said media as it is displaced.

28. The subject matter of claim 24, wherein said conduits are concentric, one inside the other, in relation to one another.

29. The subject matter of claim 28, wherein said slurry discharge conduit is inside said fluid supply conduit, wherein said vibratory media-displacing end part comprises a shoe formed with a substantially parallel-sided bore leading to said discharge conduit and formed externally of'said bore with a tapered media-engageable, displacing and compressing surface.

30. The subject matter of claim 28, wherein said slurry discharge conduit is inside said fluid supply conduit, wherein said vibratory media-displacing end part comprises a shoe formed with a convergent mouth open to the displaced media and wash fluid and leading into said discharge conduit.

31. The subject matter of claim 30, wherein there is an enlarging offset at the juncture of said mouth with said discharge conduit.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 454,382 6/1891 Robinson 61-53.74

955,729 4/1910 Welsh 61--53.74 X 1,529,112 3/1925 Burns 6153.74 2,673,453 3/ 1954 Templeton 61-53.74 2,743,585 4/ 1956 Berthet et al. 55 X 2,975,846 3/1961 Bodine 175-19 3,106,258 10/1963 Muller 175-55 3,128,604 4/1964 Sandberg 61-53.74 X 3,151,687 10/1964 Sato et a1. 17521 FOREIGN PATENTS 26,225 6/ 1920 Denmark. 768,798 4/1934 France. 510,064 7/1939 Great Britain.

CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

R. E. FAVREAU, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. THE METHOD OF VIBRATORY DRIVING OF LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDED PENETRATING ELEMENT HAVING A PENETRATING END WITH A VIBRATORY IMPACTING END FACE INTO GRANULAR MEDIA FOR PILING AND THE LIKE, THAT INCLUDES: BRING SAID IMPACTING END FACE OF SAID PENETRATING END OF SAID ELEMENT INTO FORCIBLE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID MEDIA; VIBRATING SAID ELEMENT WITH LONGITUDINALLY DIRECTED VIBRATIONS WHILE IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID MEDIA, SO AS TO CAUSE VIBRATORY IMPACTING OF SAID END FACE AGAINST THE MEDIA AND THEREBY VIBRATORY PENETRATION IN TIGHT ENGAGEMENT WITH THE MEDIA; CONDUCTING A FLOW OF WASH FLUID THROUGH A COUDUIT DIRECTLY TO SAID VIBRATORY IMPACTING END FACE OF SAID ELEMENT WITH SAID FLOW MAINTAINED WHILE SAID FACE IS IMPACTING AGAINST SAID MEDIA; AND PROVIDING, ADJACENT SAID IMPACTING FACE, A CAVITY FOR RECEPTION OF WASH WATER AND MEDIA DISPLACED BY SAID PENETRATING ELEMENT AND MIXED WITH SAID WASH FLUID.

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