Earth penetrating apparatus for obtaining sediment samples, driving instrument probes, pilings, or sheet pilings

• US 5,771,985 A
• Filed: 10/08/1996
• Issued: 06/30/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bill L. Jaworski
• Original Assignee: Bill L. Jaworski
• Inventors: Jaworski, Bill L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsay, Frank
• Application Number:
  US08/728,285
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 175/22, 175/55, 175/56, 175/58, 175/105, 173/49
• US Class Current: 175/55
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 1/025 combined with sampling
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 7/18 Placing by vibrating vibrators for soil compacting E02D3/046
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 25/00 Apparatus for obtaining or removing undisturbed cores, e.g. core barrels or core extractors core bits E21B10/02
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/24 Drilling using vibrating or oscillating means, e.g. out-of-balance masses percussion drilling E21B1/00

Abstract

A motor driven eccentric vibrator with a spring isolated biasing mass for applying force to an earth penetrating device to cause the device to penetrate into the earth. The vibrator is rigidly attached to a housing which is rigidly attached to the earth penetrating element, which may be a sampling/core tube, while the biasing mass is suspended from the housing by a suspension that allows relative motion between the housing and the biasing mass in a vertical direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the earth penetrating element. The biasing mass serves to apply a down force on the housing while not significantly reducing the amplitude of the vibrational displacement of the housing in a vertical direction. This mass also reduces the vibrational displacement of the housing in a horizontal direction caused by a single eccentric vibrator.

Claims

1. An earth penetrating apparatus for driving a core tube, instrument probe, piling, sheet piling or the like into the earth, which comprises:

a housing;

a vibrator mounted to said housing;

a biasing mass;

a suspension, said biasing mass being suspended from said housing by said suspension; and

means for attaching an earth penetrating device to said housing.

2. The earth penetrating apparatus of claim 1 wherein said vibrator generates vibrations along at least a first axis.

3. The earth penetrating apparatus of claim 2, wherein said suspension permits a range of motion between said housing and said biasing mass along said first axis, whereby said suspension decouples said biasing mass from vibrations produced by said vibrator.

4. The earth penetrating apparatus of claim 3 where the weight of said biasing mass is supported by said suspension over said range of motion between said housing and said biasing mass.

5. The earth penetrating apparatus of claim 3, wherein said suspension limits the motion between said housing and said biasing mass along a second axis, said second axis being perpendicular first axis.

6. The earth penetrating apparatus of claim 1, wherein said suspension system comprises at least one spring, said spring having a first end and a second end, said first end engaging said biasing mass, said second end engaging said housing, said spring minimizes the transmission of vibrations generated by said vibrator to said biasing mass, whereby said suspension decouples said biasing mass from said vibrator.

7. The earth penetrating apparatus of claim 6, wherein the weight of said biasing mass compresses said spring.

8. The earth penetrating apparatus of claim 5, wherein said suspension further comprises at least one bearing, said bearing mounted to said biasing mass and slideably engaging said housing, said bearing limiting the relative motion between said biasing mass an said housing along a second axis, said second axis being perpendicular to said first axis.

9. The earth penetrating apparatus of claim 8, wherein said bearing further limiting the relative motion between said biasing mass and said housing along a third axis, said third axis being perpendicular to both said first axis and said second axis.

10. The earth penetrating apparatus of claim 8, further comprising an earth penetrating device attached to said housing by said attachment means.

11. The earth penetrating apparatus of claim 10, wherein said penetrating device projects along an earth penetrating axis, said earth penetrating axis being parallel to said first axis.

12. The earth penetrating apparatus of claim 10, wherein said earth penetrating device is a core sample tube.

13. The earth penetrating apparatus of claim 10, wherein said vibrator generates vibrations in a plane parallel to said first axis and said second axis.

19. The earth penetrating apparatus of claim 1 wherein, said vibrator generates vibrations in at least one plane, said plane being defined by an earth penetrating axis and a horizontal axis, said earth penetrating axis is the desired direction along which earth penetration is to take place, and said horizontal axis is perpendicular to said earth penetrating axis.

14. An earth penetrating apparatus for driving a core tube, instrument, probe, piling, sheet piling or the like into the ear which comprises:

a housing;

at least one vibrator mounted to said housing, said at least one vibrator producing vibrations in at least one plane, said plane being defined by an earth penetration axis and a horizontal axis, said earth penetration axis is the desired direction along which earth penetration is to take place, and said horizontal axis is perpendicular to said earth penetration axis;

at least one biasing mass;

a suspension, said biasing mass being suspended from said housing by said suspension, said suspension polarizing said vibrations so that vibratory displacements produced are directed substantially along said earth penetrating axis; and

and means for attaching an earth penetration device to said housing, said attachment means is configured so that when attached said earth penetration assembly will project along said earth penetration axis.

15. The earth penetrating apparatus of claim 14, wherein said suspension comprises:

at least one linear bearing positioned between said at least one biasing mass and said housing, said at least one linear bearing permitting a relatively free movement between said housing and said at least one biasing mass along said earth penetration axis, and said at least one linear bearing restricting the relative motion between said at least one biasing mass and said housing;

along said horizontal axis; and

at least one pair of springs, said at least one pair of spring having a spring constant selected so that the natural frequency of said at least one biasing mass and said suspension is different from said at least one vibrator.

16. The earth penetrating apparatus of claim 15, wherein said at least one vibrator is at least one single eccentric vibrator.

17. The earth penetrating apparatus of claim 15, further comprising an earth penetrating device attached to said housing by said attachment means.

18. The earth penetrating apparatus of claim 17, wherein said earth penetrating assembly is a core sample tube.