Marine pile driving and boring apparatus

Abstract

A marine pile driving and boring apparatus is disclosed. An illustrative embodiment of the apparatus includes a barge having an elongated hammer slot, a boom track carried by the barge generally adjacent to said hammer slot, a boom platform carried by the boom track, a boom tower carried by the boom platform and a hammer assembly having a hammer carried by the boom tower.

1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a barge having an elongated hammer slot;   a boom track carried by said barge generally adjacent to said hammer slot;   a boom platform carried by said boom track;   a boom tower carried by said boom platform; and   a hammer assembly having a hammer carried by said boom tower.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of barge support assemblies carried by said barge. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein each of said plurality of barge support assemblies comprises a support assembly housing pivotally carried by said barge, a barge support member slidably carried by said support assembly housing, a support extension cylinder carried by said support assembly housing and a support extension piston extendable from said support extension cylinder and engaging said barge support member. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a boom assembly positioning cylinder carried by said barge and a boom assembly positioning piston extendable from said boom assembly positioning cylinder and engaging said boom tower. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a hammer lift cylinder carried by said boom platform and a hammer lift piston extendable from said hammer lift cylinder, and wherein said hammer assembly is carried by said hammer lift piston. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein said hammer assembly comprises a coupling arm carried by said hammer lift piston and a hammer track carried by said coupling arm, and wherein said hammer is carried by said hammer track. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said barge comprises a top panel, a bottom panel spaced-apart from said top panel and a pair of side panels and a pair of end panels extending between said top panel and said bottom panel. 
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said boom track comprises a pair of generally elongated, parallel, spaced-apart boom track rails carried by said barge and wherein said boom platform is carried by said boom track rails. 
   
   
       9 . An apparatus comprising:
 a barge having a generally elongated hammer slot;   a generally elongated boom track carried by said barge generally parallel and adjacent to said hammer slot;   a boom platform carried by said boom track;   a boom tower having a plurality of generally elongated corner members carried by said boom platform, a plurality of stabilizing members spanning said corner members and a hammer assembly adjustment space defined between adjacent ones of said corner members; and   a hammer assembly having a hammer carried by said boom tower at said hammer assembly adjustment space of said boom tower.   
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  further comprising a plurality of barge support assemblies carried by said barge. 
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein each of said plurality of barge support assemblies comprises a support assembly housing pivotally carried by said barge, a barge support member slidably carried by said support assembly housing, a support extension cylinder carried by said support assembly housing and a support extension piston extendable from said support extension cylinder and engaging said barge support member. 
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 9  further comprising a boom assembly positioning cylinder carried by said barge and a boom assembly positioning piston extendable from said boom assembly positioning cylinder and engaging said boom tower. 
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 9  further comprising a hammer lift cylinder carried by said boom platform and a hammer lift piston extendable from said hammer lift cylinder and wherein said hammer assembly is carried by said hammer lift piston. 
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein said hammer assembly comprises a coupling arm carried by said hammer lift piston and a hammer track carried by said coupling arm, and wherein said hammer is carried by said hammer track. 
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein said barge comprises a top panel, a bottom panel spaced-apart from said top panel and a pair of side panels and a pair of end panels extending between said top panel and said bottom panel. 
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein said boom track comprises a pair of generally elongated, parallel, spaced-apart boom track rails carried by said barge and wherein said boom platform is carried by said boom track rails. 
   
   
       17 . An apparatus comprising:
 a barge having a generally elongated hammer slot;   a generally elongated boom track carried by said barge generally parallel and adjacent to said hammer slot;   a boom platform carried by said boom track;   a boom tower carried by said boom platform;   a hammer lift cylinder carried by said boom platform inside said boom tower;   a hammer lift piston extendable from said hammer lift cylinder;   a hammer assembly having a coupling arm carried by said hammer lift piston, a hammer track carried by said coupling arm and a hammer slidably carried by said hammer track; and   a hammer actuation assembly carried by said hammer track and engaging said hammer.   
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 17  wherein said hammer actuation assembly comprises a plurality of expansion springs extending between said hammer and said hammer track and a hammer actuation cylinder carried by a first one of said hammer track and said hammer and a hammer actuation piston extendable from said hammer actuation cylinder and engaging a second one of said hammer track and said hammer. 
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 17  wherein said hammer comprises a pair of generally elongated, spaced-apart side hammer plates; a connecting hammer plate extending between said side hammer plates; and a plurality of hammer rollers carried by each of said side hammer plates and engaging said hammer track. 
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 17  further comprising a plurality of flotation compartments provided in said barge.