BORING MACHINE

• US 20070089906A1
• Filed: 12/04/2006
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rodney Davies
• Original Assignee: Rodney Davies
• Inventors: Davies, Rodney
• Granted Patent: US 7,510,025 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 175/26
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/046 horizontal drilling drilling with mechanical conveying means E21B7/003
• CPC Class Codes: E21D 9/004 using light beams for direction or position control
• CPC Class Codes: E21D 9/093 Control of the driving shield , e.g. of the hydraulic advancing cylinders arrangement of measuring or indicating devices for use during driving of tunnels E21D9/003

Abstract

A micro tunnelling machine has a tunnelling head with a boring bit which is forced in a horizontal direction by a hydraulic thruster. The direction of the head is laser guided. The beam strikes a target in the head and a camera relays an image of the target to an operator located at the tunnel entrance. The operator adjusts the direction by admitting water and draining water from a pair of rams inside the head which move the boring bit up and down or left and right. Water is introduced into the boring bit through the drive shaft of the boring bit. The water forms a slurry which is extracted by a vacuum pipe which enters the slurry as droplets and particles and conducts them away from the tunnelling head.

Claims

1. A system for laser-beam guidance of a microtunnelling machine comprising:

a boring head having a forward wall formed with an aperture,

a boring bit forward of the forward wall of the boring head and rotatable relative to the boring head,

a hollow drive shaft coupled at a forward end thereof to the boring bit and extending rearward from the boring head through the forward wall of the boring head and a rearward end of the boring head, the aperture in the forward wall of the boring head permitting adjustment of the drive shaft relative to the boring head in two directions that are substantially perpendicular to each other and to a longitudinal axis of the boring head,

liquid supply means for supplying water through the hollow drive shaft to the boring bit,

vacuum assisted slurry removal means for removing slurry from the boring bit to beyond the boring head,

a target for the laser beam attached to the hollow drive shaft,

a means for acquiring an image of the target and the laser strike position thereon and for conveying the image to an operator station situated remotely from the boring head, and

an input means for operational adjustment of the direction of the forward end of the drive shaft.

2. A microtunnelling machine comprising:

a boring head having a forward wall formed with an aperture,

a boring bit forward of the forward wall of the boring head and rotatable relative to the boring head,

a hollow drive shaft coupled at the forward end thereof to the boring bit and extending rearward from the boring head through the forward wall of the boring head and a rearward end of the boring head, the aperture in the forward wall of the boring head permitting adjustment of the drive shaft relative to the boring head in two directions are substantially perpendicular to each other and to a longitudinal axis of the boring head,

liquid supply means for supplying water through the hollow drive shaft to the boring bit,

vacuum assisted slurry removal means for removing slurry made by the boring bit to beyond the boring head,

a target for a laser beam attached to the drive shaft,

a means for acquiring an image of the target and the laser strike position thereon and for conveying the image to an operator station situated remotely from the boring head, and

an input means at the operator station for adjusting the direction of the forward end of the drive shaft.

3. A microtunnelling machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the vacuum assisted slurry removal means includes a vacuum vessel for intercepting slurry and a vacuum generator for creating an airstream through the aperture drawing slurry away from the boring bit.

4. A microtunnelling machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein the vacuum vessel is mobile and exchangeable at the site as the operation proceeds.

5. A microtunnelling machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein the vacuum generator is accomodated in a portable housing and driven by an internal combustion engine.

6. A microtunnelling machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein the vacuum generator is a liquid ring vacuum pump of 2500-3500 cfm capacity.