MEASUREMENT DEVICE AND A SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USING THE SAME
First Claim
1. A measurement device for use with a pile installation machine, the measurement device for determining a depth of a pile being installed into a ground layer by measuring displacement of a working head of the pile installation machine, the measurement device comprising at least one encoder assembly having a support bracket fixably attachable to a first associated structural component of an associated pile installation machine, the support bracket having a mounting arrangement for the fixable attachment to the first structural component and a pivot joint coaxial with a load arm axis, the at least one encoder assembly further including a load arm rotatable about the load arm axis and having a base end near the load arm axis and a distal end spaced from the load arm axis, the load arm further including a wheel near the distal end that is rotatable about a wheel axis, the at least one encoder assembly further including an encoder joined to the wheel such that the wheel drives the encoder as it rotates, the at least one encoder assembly further including a wheel force biasing assembly loaded between the support bracket and the load arm configured to urge the load arm and wheel about the load arm axis into an engaged condition relative to the associate pile installation machine such that the wheel frictionally engages a surface of a second associated structural component and the displacement of the first structural component relative to the surface of the second structural component rotates the wheel about the wheel axis and thus rotates the encoder, the measurement device further including a communication system to send encoder data to an associated computing system for receiving the encoder data to determine at least one of the displacement of the first structural component relative to the surface of the second structural component and the depth of an associate pile.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A measurement device system and method of using the same for determining the depth of a pile being installed and/or the equipment used to install the pile. The device including an encoder assembly having a support attachable to a structural component of a rig wherein the support has a pivot joint coaxial with a load arm axis. The encoder assembly has a load arm rotatable about the arm axis and with a wheel near its distal end that is rotatable about a wheel axis with an encoder joined to the wheel that moves with the wheel. The encoder assembly further including a biasing assembly to urge the load arm and wheel into an engaged condition relative to the associated pile installation machine such that the wheel frictionally engages a surface of another structural component of the rig. Thus, the displacement of the first structural component relative to the second component rotates the wheel about the wheel axis and the encoder. This information can then be used to determine pile depth.
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Citations
34 Claims
- 1. A measurement device for use with a pile installation machine, the measurement device for determining a depth of a pile being installed into a ground layer by measuring displacement of a working head of the pile installation machine, the measurement device comprising at least one encoder assembly having a support bracket fixably attachable to a first associated structural component of an associated pile installation machine, the support bracket having a mounting arrangement for the fixable attachment to the first structural component and a pivot joint coaxial with a load arm axis, the at least one encoder assembly further including a load arm rotatable about the load arm axis and having a base end near the load arm axis and a distal end spaced from the load arm axis, the load arm further including a wheel near the distal end that is rotatable about a wheel axis, the at least one encoder assembly further including an encoder joined to the wheel such that the wheel drives the encoder as it rotates, the at least one encoder assembly further including a wheel force biasing assembly loaded between the support bracket and the load arm configured to urge the load arm and wheel about the load arm axis into an engaged condition relative to the associate pile installation machine such that the wheel frictionally engages a surface of a second associated structural component and the displacement of the first structural component relative to the surface of the second structural component rotates the wheel about the wheel axis and thus rotates the encoder, the measurement device further including a communication system to send encoder data to an associated computing system for receiving the encoder data to determine at least one of the displacement of the first structural component relative to the surface of the second structural component and the depth of an associate pile.
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16. A system for use with a pile installation machine, the system for determining a depth of a pile being installed into a ground layer by measuring displacement of a working head of the pile installation machine, the system comprising a measurement device having at least one encoder assembly including a support bracket fixably attachable to a first associated structural component of an associated pile installation machine, the support bracket having a mounting arrangement for the fixable attachment to the first structural component and a pivot joint coaxial with a load arm axis, the at least one encoder assembly further including a load arm rotatable about the load arm axis and having a base end near the load arm axis and a distal end spaced from the load arm axis, the load arm further including a wheel near the distal end that is rotatable about a wheel axis, the at least one encoder assembly further including an encoder joined to the wheel such that the wheel drives the encoder as it rotates, the at least one encoder assembly further including a wheel force biasing assembly loaded between the support bracket and the load arm configured to urge the load arm and wheel about the load arm axis into an engaged condition relative to the associate pile installation machine such that the wheel frictionally engages a surface of a second associated structural component and the displacement of the first structural component relative to the surface of the second structural component rotates the wheel about the wheel axis and thus rotates the encoder;
- a communication system and a computing system, the communication system controlling the flow of data between the measurement device and the computing system wherein at least the data generated by the encoder is transmitted to the computing system, the computing system configured to determine the depth of the associate pile from the data produced by the at least one encoder assembly.
- View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method of determining a depth of a pile being installed into a ground layer by measuring displacement of a working head of a pile installation machine, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a measurement device having at least one encoder assembly including a support bracket fixably attachable to a first associated structural component of an associated pile installation machine, the support bracket having a mounting arrangement for the fixable attachment to the first structural component and a pivot joint coaxial with a load arm axis, the at least one encoder assembly further including a load arm rotatable about the load arm axis and having a base end near the load arm axis and a distal end spaced from the load arm axis, the load arm further including a wheel near the distal end that is rotatable about a wheel axis, the at least one encoder assembly further including an encoder joined to the wheel such that the wheel drives the encoder as it rotates, the at least one encoder assembly further including a wheel force biasing assembly loaded between the support bracket and the load arm configured to urge the load arm and wheel about the load arm axis into an engaged condition relative to the associate pile installation machine such that the wheel frictionally engages a surface of a second associated structural component and the displacement of the first structural component relative to the second structural component rotates the wheel about the wheel axis and thus rotates the encoder; securing the at least one encoder assembly to the first structural component; adjusting the at least one encoder assembly such that the wheel frictionally engages the surface of the second associated structural component; providing a computing system; providing a communication system to control the flow of data between the measurement device and the computing system; generating rotational data based on the rotation of the wheel during the installation of the pile; determining a displacement between the first structural component and the surface of the second structural component based on the rotational data; and
,calculating a depth of the pile based the displacement. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification