Patents Examined by Kyle Armstrong
  • Patent number: 11505908
    Abstract: Provided is a drilling apparatus, comprising a PHC pipe cased pile having a drilling section for containing fluid and a hammer element arranged inside the cavity of the PHC pipe cased pile which moves along the drilling direction till the bottom of the drilling section. As the hammer element moves along the drilling direction till the bottom of the drilling section, a localized hydraulic force will be induced in the fluid contained in the drilling section of the PHC pipe cased pile by a sharp rise in the fluid pressure in addition to the impact force directly acted on the rock and soil by the hammer element. Under action of the hydraulic force and the impact force, the surrounding soft rock stratum could be crushed and the rock stratum with higher strength is left intact, that is, the drilling apparatus proceeds until harder rock. At this point, concrete casting will bond with the harder rock, resulting in a better bearing capacity of the PHC pipe cased pile foundation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignees: GUANGZHOU MUNICIPAL ENGINEERING TESTING CO., LTD., GUANGZHOU INSTITUTE OF BUILDING SCIENCE CO., LTD., GUANGZHOU CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING CO., LTD., GUANGZHOU MUNICIPAL CONSTRUCTION GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mengxiong Tang, Zhiguo Zhou, Xiaoli Sun, Jun Yang, Hesong Hu
  • Patent number: 11506055
    Abstract: A pumpable resin system for installation of mine roof bolts includes a resin feed pump in fluid communication with a resin source, a catalyst feed pump in fluid communication with a catalyst source, a resin injection cylinder pump in fluid communication with the resin feed pump, with the resin feed pump configured to transfer resin to the resin injection cylinder pump when the resin feed pump is actuated, a catalyst injection cylinder pump in fluid communication with the catalyst feed pump, the catalyst feed pump configured to transfer catalyst to the catalyst injection cylinder pump when the catalyst feed pump is actuated, a hydraulic piston, with the resin injection cylinder pump and the catalyst injection cylinder pump slaved together and controlled by the hydraulic piston, a resin line in fluid communication with the resin injection cylinder pump, and a catalyst line in fluid communication with the catalyst injection cylinder pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: J-LOK Co.
    Inventors: Dakota Faulkner, John C. Stankus, Richard Wharton, Lumin Ma
  • Patent number: 11499285
    Abstract: A grout plug assembly for use in forming a pipe pile system defining at least one pile assembly inner surface portion comprises a resiliently deformable plug body defining a plug outer surface, a plug inner surface, a first plug end surface, a second plug end surface. The plug inner surface defines a plug passageway. The plug outer surface is sized and dimensioned to engage the at least one pile assembly inner surface portion of the pipe pile system during formation of the pipe pile system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: AMERICAN PILEDRIVING EQUIPMENT, INC.
    Inventors: Dan Collins, Dan Miller
  • Patent number: 11492772
    Abstract: Described is a device for providing a sizeable, slender object having a longitudinal direction into an underwater bottom from a deck of a vessel. The device includes a lifting means configured to take up the object at a lifting point thereof and position it on the underwater bottom; an upending tool connected to an edge of the vessel and configured to engage a first circumferential part of the object suspended from the lifting means and provide a pivot around which the object can be upended; and a gripping tool connected to an edge of the vessel and configured to engage a second circumferential part of the object suspended from the lifting means, whereby the first and second circumferential parts are optionally spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the object. The gripping tool includes an actuator system configured to act on at least one of the upending tool and the gripping tool and control movements of at least one of the first and the second circumferential parts, relative to the vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: DEME Offshore BE NV
    Inventors: Dieter Wim Rabaut, Kenneth Gerard Vannieuwenhuyse, Sven André Christiane De Bock
  • Patent number: 11486364
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a preassembly system comprising a support arrangement and a plurality of tower structures each having a mean diameter, D, wherein said plurality of tower structures are placed vertically on the support arrangement during preassembly and/or storage, the support arrangement comprising a set of attachments means for each tower structure, said attachment means being configured for positioning said plurality of tower structures with a mutual distance, a, wherein the ratio a/D is below 2.3, such as below 2.2, such as below 2.1, such as below 2.0 in order to reduce loads on the plurality of tower structures due to Vortex shedding while being secured to the preassembly system. The present invention further relates an associated method and a sea going vessel for transporting a plurality of vertically oriented tower structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventor: Peter Sigfred Mortensen
  • Patent number: 11473263
    Abstract: A cofferdam is disclosed that includes an open frame structure having double walls defining a hollow space within each double wall, with each double wall having an open bottom end and a closed top end. Each of the double walls are configured to act as suction piles allowing liquid to be removed from the space within each double wall to thereby induce negative pressure when the cofferdam is installed in a sub-sea configuration. Each of the double walls may include a plurality of partitions respectively defining a plurality of suction piles, the suction piles fluidically coupled by a manifold that may allow liquid to be removed from the suction pile to thereby drive the cofferdam structure into the subsea surface due to the induced negative pressure. A further embodiment cofferdam structure includes an open frame structure and one or more suction piles attached to the open frame structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: DELTA SUBSEA LLC
    Inventors: Scott P. Dingman, Perry Loughridge
  • Patent number: 11459719
    Abstract: The dock leveling system is a device to quickly and easily alter the height of the lake dock without necessitating getting into the water. The system can be installed into existing docks, or could potentially be sold with new docks. The system accomplishes the purpose of altering the height of the lake dock by the movement of a lower and upper clamp, each connected to the two foot threaded rod by an angle iron. Using a cordless drill, the top nut can be rotated clockwise or counter-clockwise. Clockwise movement of the top nut brings the two clamps together, raising the dock. Reversely, counter-clockwise movement of the top nut distances the two clamps from each other, lowering the dock frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Inventor: Orvin Gedstad
  • Patent number: 11459723
    Abstract: Disclosed is a positioning grouting anchor rod suitable for preventing and controlling an engineering seepage damage and a construction method thereof. The positioning anchor rod comprises an anchor rod, a grouting guide pipe and a grouting pipe. When the seepage failure occurs in the project, a water pump can be connected with a drain pipe interface to realize water drainage, and at the same time, a positioner can be used for positioning grouting in the seepage failure area to improve the accuracy of grouting reinforcement. A drainage channel and a grouting channel involved in the present application are independent of each other and do not interfere with each other, and the drainage and grouting functions are combined on the basis of retaining the original supporting function of the anchor rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Zhejiang University City College
    Inventors: Lisha Zhang, Xiao Wei, Hongwei Ying, Jinhong Zhang, Binghe Li, Gang Wei, Chunyan Zhao, Yifu Sun
  • Patent number: 11453991
    Abstract: The present invention is a grouting method for single pile rock-socketed foundation for offshore wind power, comprising: driving a steel casing into an overburden layer to dig the overburden layer and a rock stratum so as to dig a pile hole; hoisting a steel pipe pile into the steel casing and positioning the steel pipe pile in the pile hole, wherein an annular cavity is formed between the inner walls of the steel pipe pile and the pile hole and the bottom of the steel casing; grouting a first grouting layer to the bottom of a pipe hole of the steel pipe pile; grouting a plurality of grouting layers into the upper end of the first grouting layer in the annular cavity; and pulling out the steel casing, wherein after a grouting solution is aged, the steel pipe pile is stably connected to the overburden layer and the rock stratum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: ZHEJIANG UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Ronghua Zhu, Hengfeng Wang, Zhenya Tian, Hanqiu Liu, Zhisheng Tu, Xiang Sun, Qingfu Xu, Peiling Chen
  • Patent number: 11441285
    Abstract: The present invention provides a tool for forming an underground cast-in-situ pile having an enlarged base, the tool comprising: a first pile-forming member having a first base-forming member; a second pile-forming member having a second base-forming member, the pile-forming members extending collinearly and being movable in a longitudinal direction relative to one another between: a digging state wherein the base-forming members are proximate to one another so that the pile-forming members can be driven underground; and a base-forming state wherein the base-forming members are spaced from one another so as to form an underground void between the first and second base-forming members, the void being tillable with a flowable fill to form the enlarged base of the underground cast-in-situ pile; and jack screw means, rotation of which causes relative longitudinal movement between the pile-forming members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: PPX TECHNOLOGY PTY LTD
    Inventor: Przemyslaw Adam Zakrzewski
  • Patent number: 11434618
    Abstract: A method for forming a foundation wall of a building structure having a building frame seated on the foundation, the method including coupling each of a plurality of elongated vertical members to a floor of the foundation and the building frame so that each of the vertical members extend between the floor and the building frame adjacent to an existing foundation wall, providing at least one elongated horizontal member through apertures of the vertical members such that the horizontal member extends between and passes through respective ones of the vertical members, coupling panels to the horizontal member so as to form, with the vertical members and the horizontal member an integrated self-supporting formwork which, with the existing foundation wall forms a cavity, having disposed therein, the vertical members and the horizontal member, and flowing concrete into the cavity so as to fill the cavity around the vertical members and horizontal member disposed within the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: TC Hafford Basement Systems
    Inventor: Tony Hafford
  • Patent number: 11414827
    Abstract: A first embodiment of an anchor system may include a ballast, rods projecting through the ballast such that the rods extend away from the ballast and into the ground when deployed, and a mounting hardware atop the ballast. The anchor system may include an anchor deployable into the ground with a line providing tension between the ballast and the anchor when deployed into the ground. Another embodiment of the anchor may include a ground plate coupled to a spade in which the spade may be pressed into the ground when deployed. The anchor system may include an earth anchor shaped to be deployed in a first position and resist removal from the ground in a second position. and a line running from the ground plate to the earth anchor. The tension on the line may cause the earth anchor to transition from the first position to the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: ARRAY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Benjamin C. de Fresart, Nikhil Kumar, Anubhav Tandon, Lucas Creasy, Nathan Schuknecht
  • Patent number: 11408139
    Abstract: An elongated connecting element for anchoring members, which is provided with a first anchoring end portion designed to be inserted into an anchoring region and a second end portion which defines a head, which lies opposite the first anchoring end portion and is designed to interact with an element to be anchored. The elongated connecting element includes an external tubular element which accommodates an internal elongated body, the external tubular element defining, at the head, at least one feeding port for a synthetic anchoring mix and, at the first anchoring end portion, at least one exit opening for the synthetic anchoring mix. The synthetic anchoring mix is configured to set, penetrating at least partially into the anchoring region and creating a stable connection between the anchoring region and the elongated connecting element and between the respective portions of the external tubular element and of the internal elongated body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: THUR S.R.L.
    Inventors: Andrea Birtele, Matteo Gabassi
  • Patent number: 11408140
    Abstract: An apparatus for cutting a pile having a pair of cutting members having a first cutting member having a first cutting edge and a second cutting member having a second cutting edge. The first and second cutting members are pivotally mounted at separate primary pivot axes and are moveable about the primary pivot axes in order to move the first and second cutting edges with respect to each other between rest and cutting positions. The first and second cutting edges are parallel with respect to each other when in their respective cutting positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: CREATIVE CRUSHERS LTD
    Inventor: Warren Groombridge
  • Patent number: 11401674
    Abstract: Disclosed are a pile-bottom grouting cavity and a method for using same, and a cast-in-place pile body and a method for constructing same. The pile-bottom grouting cavity comprises: a grouting capsule, having an expansion state in which the grouting capsule is filled with grout to bear a pile body, and a contracted state in which the grouting capsule is hollow; a grouting pipe in communication with an inner cavity of the grouting capsule to grout the grouting capsule; and a fixing plate, with the grouting capsule being arranged on the fixing plate, and the fixing plate being provided with a through hole that is in communication with the bottom of an accommodation hole, such that slurry and/or sediment in the accommodation hole pass through the fixing plate. The aim thereof is to solve the problems in the prior art of hole wall collapse and excessive sediment that seriously affect the quality of construction in a grouting pile with a grouting capsule during the construction of a cast-in-place bored pile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Inventors: Yunfei Gao, Yongguang Gao
  • Patent number: 11396730
    Abstract: A portable circulation de-icing system is configured to melt ice from a body of water having a surface ice layer and an underlying water layer, with an opening in the surface ice layer which may have been created by a user. The portable circulation de-icing system comprises an agitator assembly, a floating motor assembly, and a flexible drive shaft. The agitator assembly is configured to be at least partially placed into the underlying water layer through the opening. The agitator assembly is configured to induce a water flow into the underlying water layer. The floating motor assembly is configured to float on the underlying water layer in the opening and to provide rotational power. The flexible drive shaft is configured to transfer the rotational power from the floating motor assembly to the agitator assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: J2 Outdoors LLC
    Inventor: Jeffrey L. Hood
  • Patent number: 11384497
    Abstract: Flexible containment tubes form sections of a dike for fluid containment. For example, multiple vinyl-coated polyester tubes with a 19-inch diameter may be filled with water and stacked on top of each other to create a temporary diversion dike. Multiple sections of dike may be abutted together to form longer sections of dike. A vapor barrier or plastic membrane may wrap over dike sections and/or weaved through the flexible containment tubes as they are placed prior to filling. Configurations of the vapor barrier and associated anchoring mechanisms improve the utility of dike sections by reducing hydrostatic pressure of contained fluid on the dike, harnessing the weight of fluid columns, and mitigating seepage through the dike sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: P.V. Flood Control Corp.
    Inventor: Paul Vickers
  • Patent number: 11384506
    Abstract: A trench cutting apparatus and method, the apparatus comprising a central support element comprising at least one jetting outlet and a cutting element configured to be driven around the central support element. The trench cutting apparatus is configured to be operable in a mechanical cutting mode in which the cutting element is driven around the central support element to cut material forward of the trench cutting apparatus, and a jet cutting mode in which a pump is activated to eject fluid from the at least one jetting outlet to fluidize or cut material forward of the trench cutting apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: ROYAL IHC LIMITED
    Inventor: Jonathan Ralph Manchester
  • Patent number: 11385159
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a supergravity simulation system for in-situ stress field and seepage field for deep earth engineering, comprising: a triaxial pressure chamber for placing a model and providing in-situ axial pressure, confining pressure and seepage field of deep earth structure; a simulation control device for providing pressure liquid and pore water to the triaxial pressure chamber to generate the aforementioned axial pressure, confining pressure and seepage field, and controlling the values of the axial pressure, confining pressure and seepage field; a signal acquisition device for monitoring the deformation and seepage process of the model during the test. The invention improves the similarity, reliability, and accuracy of the simulation test, and it can output pressure with an accuracy of 1% or constitute the pore water pressure difference with an accuracy of 1% to the triaxial pressure chamber through the command of the control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Inventors: Wenjie Xu, Liangtong Zhan, Yunmin Chen, Ke Li, Jinlong Li
  • Patent number: 11384502
    Abstract: A concrete inside interface processing structure for secant pile construction, including secant concrete pile, formed plain concrete pile, rotary jet grouting piles, steel mesh sheet, ribbed steel bar, Y-shaped connecting piece, reinforced concrete pile, and U-shaped connecting piece; drilled holes are arranged at intervals along axis of the formed plain concrete pile; the ribbed steel bar is anchored in each drilled hole; the steel mesh sheet is formed by connecting longitudinal bars and transverse bars, and driven into a soil body between the formed plain concrete piles; the concrete layer is formed by spraying concrete on the steel mesh sheet; the reinforced concrete pile is cast at outside of the formed plain concrete pile, and tangent to the formed plain concrete pile, and interlocked with the rotary jet grouting piles; the rotary jet grouting piles are tangent to the formed plain concrete pile or secant concrete pile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Inventors: Yonghong Wang, Bo Han, Jian Huang, Qijun Zhang, Jiangbin Wu, Wengang Zhang, Peiyuan Lin, Junning Xiang, Jun Yan, Bin Wang, Wenzhuo Liu, Chengyue Jia, Xiang Fang, Xin Wang, Zuodong Liang