a pile driver has a hollow and elongated cylindrical housing . within the housing , a ram can slide upwardly and downwardly in order to provide the force which can drive a pile into dense strata of the earth . a follower , located partially inside the housing and extending out of the bottom thereof , is struck by the ram and is thus interposed between the ram and the pile to be driven when the device is operated . various devices are disclosed which serve as shock absorbers , the devices cooperating with the follower and with the housing in order to absorb recoil shock which is reflected back to the pile driver after a blow has been transmitted to the pile by the ram via the follower . these devices are so designed that the exterior diameter of the housing does not have to be substantially increased , which allows the pile driver thus manufactured to drive piles through surrounding guides .