Piling support arrangement
A support for use with a solar tracker includes two screw piles or blade piles ( 41, 42 ) inserted into the ground at an angle to vertical, wherein top portions of the two screw piles or blade piles ( 41, 42 ) are positioned close to each other, and a connector ( 46 ) connecting the top portions of the two screw piles or blade piles to each other, the connector carrying or forming a solar tracker support.
1 . A support for use with a solar tracker, the support including two screw piles or blade piles inserted into the ground at an angle to vertical, wherein top portions of the two screw piles or blade piles are positioned close to each other, and a connector connecting the top portions of the two screw piles or blade piles to each other, the connector carrying or forming a solar tracker support, the connector including a loop of material having a bearing to support a solar tracker, the loop including an inner surface and an outer surface, the connector including a first leg extending from the outer surface of the loop and a second leg extending from the outer surface of the loop,
wherein a first pile is screwed into the ground at a first angle to vertical and a second pile is screwed into the ground at a second angle to vertical, with the first pile and the second pile angling inwardly towards a longitudinal axis of the solar tracker,
wherein the first leg configured to be received within an upper portion of the first pile and the second leg configured to be received within an upper portion of the second pile,
wherein the upper portion of the first pile and the upper portion of the second pile are configured to abut the outer surface of the loop.
2 . The support as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first pile includes a first blade pile and the second pile includes a second blade pile, wherein the first blade pile and the second blade pile each include a shaft having one or more openings along an outer surface, wherein the one or more openings are configured to receive an inner edge of a blade.
3 . The support as claimed in claim 1 wherein the connector comprises a region positioned between the first leg and the outer surface of the loop, wherein the region includes a diameter being greater than an uppermost diameter of the first leg.
4 . The support as claimed in claim 2 wherein the the shaft of each of the first blade pile and the second blade pile includes a hollow shaft configured to receive a drive tool therethrough, the drive tool including one or more grooves configured to receive the inner edge of the blade therein to transfer torque from the drive tool to the shaft.
5 . The support as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first leg is crimped or bolted or affixed by fasteners to the first pile and the connector is crimped or bolted or affixed by fasteners to the second pile.
6 . The support as claimed in claim 5 wherein the first leg of the connector has a lower region that tapers inwardly or the first leg has an outer part of a lower region removed therefrom, or the first leg has an outer part of a lower region having reduced cross-sectional area at an outer region thereof and the second leg has a lower region that tapers inwardly or the second leg has an outer part of a lower region removed therefrom, or the second leg has an outer part of a lower region having reduced cross-sectional area at an outer region thereof.
7 . The support as claimed in claim 6 wherein the first leg and the second leg of the connector have one or more ribs thereon, or the first leg and the second leg have alternating regions of larger diameter or cross-sectional area and smaller diameter or cross-sectional area, with shoulders located therebetween.
8 . The support as claimed in claim 1 wherein the connector comprises a solar tracker support, a base portion connected to or formed with the solar tracker support, and two opposed ears or plates extending downwardly from the base portion, a first ear or plate located to one side of a top portion of the first and second piles, a second ear or plate located to another side of a top portion of the first and second piles, and fasteners extending through the first ear or plate and the second ear or plate to affix the top portion of the first pile to the first ear or plate and to the second ear or plate and to affix the top portion of the second pile to the first ear or plate and to the second ear or plate.
9 . The support as claimed in claim 1 wherein the connector comprises a solar tracker support, a first sleeve extending downwardly at an angle, a second sleeve extending downwardly at an angle, the first sleeve extending over a top portion of the first pile, the second sleeve extending over a top portion of the second pile, and fasteners for connecting the first sleeve to the first pile and for connecting the second sleeve to the second pile.
10 . The support as claimed in claim 9 wherein the solar tracker support comprises a base portion with the first sleeve extending downwardly at an angle from the base portion and the second sleeve extending downwardly at an angle from the base portion.
11 . The support as claimed in claim 1 wherein the connector carries a bracket, the bracket adapted to carry a torque tube mounting arrangement.
12 . The support as claimed in claim 1 wherein the connector carries or includes a mounting means for a torque tube mounting arrangement, or the connector is adapted to carry a torque tube mounting arrangement.
13 . A support system for a solar tracker including a plurality of supports as claimed in claim 1 , the supports spaced from each other and extending along the longitudinal axis of the solar tracker.
14 . The support system as claimed in claim 13 further comprising a motor support, the motor support including three or four piles inserted into the ground, upper ends of three or four piles adapted to enable a motor drive for the torque tube to be mounted thereto.
15 . The support system as claimed in claim 14 wherein the three or four piles each extend at an angle to the vertical and extend inwardly towards the longitudinal axis of the solar tracker, the three or four piles also extending inwardly so that their upper portions are located close to each other.
16 . The support system as claimed in claim 14 wherein a connector is used to connect the upper ends of the three or four piles to each other.
17 . The support system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the connector comprises a plate having three or four legs extending downwardly at an angle to vertical, the three of four legs being adapted for insertion into respective upper proportions of the three or four piles, the legs being crimped or bolted or affixed by other fasteners to the piles.
18 . The support system as claimed in claim 17 wherein each leg has a lower region that tapers inwardly or each leg has an outer part of a lower region removed therefrom, or the outer part of the lower region having reduced cross-sectional area at an outer region thereof, or the legs have ribs thereon, or the legs have alternating regions of larger diameter or area and smaller diameter or area, with shoulders located therebetween.
19 . The support system as claimed in claim 14 wherein the motor support comprises a base portion, three or four sleeves extending downwardly at an angle to vertical, the sleeves extending over a top portion of respective ones of the three or four piles, and fasteners for connecting the sleeves to the piles.
20 . A connector connecting the top portions of a first pile and a second pile to each other, the first and second piles being inserted into the ground at an angle to each other, the connector carrying or forming a solar tracker support, the connector comprising a first leg extending at an angle to vertical, the first leg being received within a top portion of the first pile, and a second leg extending at an angle to vertical, the second leg being received within a top portion of the second pile, the connector including a loop of material having a bearing to support a solar tracker, the loop including an inner surface and an outer surface, the first leg extending from the outer surface of the loop and the second leg extending from the outer surface of the loop,
wherein the top portion of the first pile and the top portion of the second pile are configured to abut the outer surface of the loop.
21 . The connector as claimed in claim 20 wherein the first leg has a lower region that tapers inwardly or the first leg has an outer part of a lower region removed therefrom or the first leg has an outer part of the lower region having reduced cross-sectional area at an outer region thereof, and the second leg has a lower region that tapers inwardly or the second leg has an outer part of a lower region removed therefrom, or the second leg has an outer part of the lower region having reduced cross-sectional area at an outer region thereof, or the first leg and the second leg have ribs thereon, or the first leg and the second leg have alternating regions of larger diameter or area and smaller diameter or area, with shoulders located therebetween.
22 . A connector for connecting the top portions of a first pile and a second pile to each other, the first and second piles being inserted into the ground at an angle to each other, the connector carrying or forming a solar tracker support, the connector comprising a solar tracker support, a base portion connected to or formed with the solar tracker support, and two opposed ears or plates extending downwardly from the base portion, a first ear or plate for locating to one side of a top portion of the first and second piles, and a second ear or plate for locating to another side of a top portion of the first and second piles, wherein a continuous channel is formed between the two opposed ears or plates, wherein the top portion of the first and second piles are both received within the continuous channel.
23 . A connector for connecting the top portions of a first pile and a second pile to each other, the first and second piles being inserted into the ground at an angle to each other, a base portion of the connector carrying or forming a solar tracker support, the connector comprising a solar tracker support, a first sleeve extending downwardly at an angle, a second sleeve extending downwardly at an angle, the first sleeve extending over a top portion of the first pile, the second sleeve extending over a top portion of the second pile, the connector including a first gusset extending between the base portion and the first sleeve and a second gusset extending between the base portion and the second sleeve, the first and second gusset positioned laterally outward of the first sleeve and the second sleeve, respectively.