Pile installation system

Abstract

A foundation pile installation system includes a hollow foundation pile having a pair of tapered drive bar slots opening in its top end and a pair of attachment pin holes spaced below and aligned with the drive bar slots, a drive head having drive bar holes and a radially extending flange, a drive bar, and an attachment pin, the drive head for insertion in the top end of the pile in an assembled configuration in which the drive bar is inserted in the drive bar holes in the drive head and received in the drive bar slots of the pile and the attachment pin is inserted in the attachment pin holes of the drive head and in the attachment pin holes of the pile to secure the drive head to the pile, the tapered drive pin slots guiding the drive bar into the drive slots as the drive head is inserted in the pile.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A pile installation system, the system including a hollow foundation pile suitable for installation in the ground using rotary force and downward pressure, the system comprising:
 the pile having a tubular body and a top end,   a pair of drive bar slots on opposite sides of the body, said drive bar slots each extending axially from, and opening on, said top end,   a pair of attachment pin holes axially spaced from and radially aligned with the drive bar slots,   a drive head having a drive shaft including a radially extending circular flange, the drive shaft having a pair of drive bar holes and a pair of attachment pin holes, the attachment pin holes axially spaced from the drive pin holes,   a drive bar,   an attachment pin, and   an assembled configuration in which the drive shaft is received in the pile, the top end of the pile is abutting the circular flange, the drive bar is inserted in the drive pin holes of the drive shaft and received in the drive bar slots of the pile, and the attachment pin is received in the attachment pin holes of the pile and in the attachment pin holes of the drive shaft thereby securing the drive head to the pile.   
     
     
         2 . The pile installation system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 the drive bar slots in the pile each having a lower end, 
 the attachment pin holes in the pile axially spaced from the lower ends of the drive bar slots, 
 the drive bar holes and attachment pin holes of the drive head axially spaced apart the same distance as that between the lower ends of the drive bar slots and the attachment pin holes of the pile, 
 such that in the assembled configuration when the drive bar is in abutting engagement with the bottom ends of the drive bar slots of the pile the attachment pin holes of the drive head axially align with the attachment pin holes of the pile. 
 
     
     
         3 . The pile installation system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 each of the drive bar slots having a tapered opening for guiding a drive bar inserted in the drive pin holes of the drive head into the drive bar slots as the drive head is inserted into the pile. 
 
     
     
         4 . The pile installation system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 the pile having a helical flange. 
 
     
     
         5 . A method for installing a foundation pile in the ground, the system comprising:
 inserting a drive bar in a pair of drive bar holes in a drive head,   inserting the drive head into the hollow interior of the pile,   aligning the drive bar with a pair of drive bar slots in the top end of a tubular pile, and   sliding the drive shaft into the pile until the drive pin engages with the lower ends of the drive bar slots to attach the drive head to the pile.   
     
     
         6 . The method for installing a foundation pile of  claim 5 , the method further comprising:
 applying downward pressure and torque to the drive head thence to the pile to drive the pile into the ground.