Sheet pile components and process for making the same

• US 8,556,543 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sheet Pile, LLC
• Original Assignee: PilePro LLC
• Inventors: Heindl, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): ANDRISH, SEAN D
• Application Number:
  US12/450,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20100054868A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,024 Days
• Field of Search: 405/274, 405/278, 405/279, 405/281
• US Class Current: 405/278
• CPC Class Codes: B21B 1/082 Piling sections having lateral edges specially adapted for interlocking with each other in order to build a wall
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 3/30 Milling straight grooves, e.g. keyways
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 15/00 Making specific metal objects by operations not covered by a single other subclass or a group in this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 19/009 for grinding profiled workpieces using a profiled grinding tool
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 5/02 Sheet piles or sheet pile bulkheads foundations made with sheet pile bulkheads E02D27/30; cofferdams E02D19/04
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 5/04 made of steel
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 5/08 Locking forms; Edge joints; Pile crossings; Branch pieces

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a sheet pile wall component such as a sheet pile, a connection profile or a carrier that exhibits at least one interlock with a uniform cross-section extending across the entire length of the sheet pile wall component for engaging the interlock of an additional sheet pile wall component. According to the invention, a preliminary product is produced by forming using this method, and the interlock when viewed in its cross-section is manufactured at least in sections by shape-cutting at the section of the preliminary product that is to be provided with the interlock, whereby the cross-section of the section is dimensioned sufficiently such that the dimensional deviations caused by forming at the preliminary product are taken into account for the shape-cutting of the interlock.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a sheet pile wall component having a longitudinal edge and at least one interlock at the longitudinal edge;

the at least one interlock being a profiled section that is integral with a remaining section of the sheet pile wall component, the at least one interlock having a uniform cross-section extending across an entire length of the sheet pile wall component, for engaging an interlock of an additional sheet pile wall component, said method comprising the steps of;

producing a preliminary product through forming, wherein a material accumulation is formed during the forming of the preliminary product at a section that is to be provided with the at least one interlock while the remaining section is free of material accumulation; and

shape-cutting the at least one interlock at a section of the preliminary product that is to be provided with the at least one interlock, wherein the cross-section of said material accumulation is dimensioned sufficiently upon forming such that dimensional deviations caused by the forming of the preliminary product are taken into account for the shape-cutting of the at least one interlock.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the material accumulation is molded during the forming of the preliminary product such that the material accumulation has a basic shape of the at least one interlock to be produced when viewed cross-sectionally.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2, further comprising, after the step of shape-cutting, forming the section of the preliminary product that is to be provided with the at least one interlock to a final interlock shape.

4. The method as set forth in claim 3, wherein the step of forming the section after shape-cutting to form the final interlock shape includes heating to a heat forming temperature.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the shape-cutting of the at least one interlock is carried out through several chip-removing tools, in several successive processing steps.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the shape-cutting is performed using at least one cutting tool with a geometrically defined cutting edge.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said section of the preliminary product is guided past a stationary processing station for shape-cutting.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the at least one interlock is created using a mobile processing station.

9. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the shape-cutting is carried out through at least one of form-milling and form-grinding.

10. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the shape-cutting is carried out immediately following the forming of the preliminary product.

11. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said at least one interlock is introduced in said material accumulation through shape-cutting.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the at least one interlock is formed into a final interlock shape after shape-cutting through subsequent forming.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the formed final interlock is selected from the group consisting of a Larssen interlock, a Hoesch claw, a Hoesch button, a ball interlock, a socket interlock, a flat profile interlock, a trapezoidal groove, a trapezoidal interlock, a trapezoidal flange and a dovetail groove.

14. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sheet pile wall component is a wedge-shaped carrier.

15. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein shape-cutting is performed using at least one cutting tool in the form of a grinding disk.