Drill Head for a Tunneling Apparatus

• US 20100230171A1
• Filed: 02/11/2010
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vermeer Manufacturing Company
• Original Assignee: Vermeer Manufacturing Company
• Inventors: Harrison, Stuart, Vos, Matthew Stephen, Salins, Andis Normunos, Michael, Tod Jason, Mills, Matthew Arlen, Shuman, Robert Hoch V
• Granted Patent: US 8,684,470 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 175/324
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/002 by visual inspection
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/04 Directional drilling
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/20 Driving or forcing casings or pipes into boreholes, e.g. sinking; Simultaneously drilling and casing boreholes
• 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

The present disclosure relates to a tunneling apparatus including a drill head having a main body and a drive stem rotatably mounted within the main body. The main body defines a vacuum passage offset from the drive stem that extends through the main body from a proximal end to a distal end of the main body. The tunneling apparatus also includes an axial bearing structure for transferring axial load between the drive stem and the main body of the drill head. The axial bearing structure is proximally offset from the distal end of the main body of the drill head. The tunneling apparatus further includes a first radial bearing structure for transferring radial load between the drive stem and the main body of the drill head. The first radial bearing structure is positioned between the axial bearing structure and the distal end of the main body of the drill head and is distally offset from the axial bearing structure.

Claims

1. A tunneling apparatus comprising:

a drill head including a main body and a drive stem rotatably mounted within the main body, the main body extending from a proximal end to a distal end, and the main body defining a vacuum passage offset from the drive stem that extends through the main body from the proximal end to the distal end, the drive stem defining a longitudinal axis;

an axial bearing structure for transferring axial load between the drive stem and the main body of the drill head, the axial bearing structure being proximally offset from the distal end of the main body of the drill head by a first spacing of at least 12 inches measured along the longitudinal axis of the drive stem; and

a first radial bearing structure for transferring radial load between the drive stem and the main body of the drill head, the first radial bearing structure being positioned between the axial bearing structure and the distal end of the main body of the drill head and being distally offset from the axial bearing structure by a second spacing measured along the longitudinal axis of the drive stem.

2. The tunneling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first spacing is at least 18 inches and the second spacing is at least 12 inches.

3. The tunneling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the main body includes an outer covering, and wherein the axial bearing structure includes an axial bearing pack mounted within a sleeve anchored to the outer covering.

4. The tunneling apparatus of claim 3, wherein the sleeve is anchored to the outer covering by a plurality of reinforcing plates.

5. The tunneling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the main body includes a stack of generally disc-shaped modules positioned at the distal end of the main body, wherein the first radial bearing structure includes a bushing mounted within the stack of disc-shaped modules, wherein the axial bearing structure includes an axial bearing pack that is proximally offset from the stack of generally disc-shaped modules, and wherein the stack of generally disc-shaped modules define at least a portion of the vacuum passage.

6. The tunneling apparatus of claim 5, wherein the drill head includes a steering shell mounted over the stack of generally disc-shaped modules.

7. The tunneling apparatus of claim 6, wherein at least one of the generally disc-shaped modules defines a plurality of piston cylinders, wherein pistons for moving the steering shell relative to the stack of generally disc-shaped modules are positioned within the piston cylinders, and wherein at least one of the disc-shaped modules defines first fluid passages in fluid communication with the piston cylinders for providing fluid to the piston cylinders for driving the pistons within the piston cylinders.

8. The tunneling apparatus of claim 7, wherein at least one of the disc-shaped modules defines a second fluid passage for directing drilling fluid into a region between the generally disc-shaped modules and the steering shell.

9. The tunneling apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second radial bearing structure for transferring radial load between the drive stem and the main body of the drill head, the second radial bearing structure being positioned adjacent the proximal end of the main body of the drill head.

10. The tunneling apparatus of claim 9, wherein the main body of the drill head includes an end plate positioned at the proximal end of the main body, and wherein the second radial bearing structure is mounted within a collar secured to the end plate.

11. The tunneling apparatus of claim 10, further comprising pins projecting proximally outwardly from the end plate.

12. The tunneling apparatus of claim 10, wherein the end plate defines a plate opening forming a portion of the vacuum passage, and wherein the drill head includes a ramp for transitioning flow within the vacuum passage to the plate opening.

13. The tunneling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the drive stem includes a first torque transfer interface positioned at the distal end of the main body and a second torque transfer interface positioned at the proximal end of the main body, wherein a cutting unit can be coupled to the first torque transfer interface and a pipe section can be coupled to the second torque transfer interface.

14. A tunneling apparatus comprising:

a drill head including a main body and a drive stem rotatably mounted within the main body, the main body extending from a proximal end to a distal end, and the main body defining a vacuum passage offset from the drive stem that extends through the main body from the proximal end to the distal end;

the main body including a stack of generally disc-shaped modules positioned at the distal end of the main body, the stack of generally disc-shaped modules defining at least a portion of the vacuum passage;

a steering shell mounted over the stack of generally disc-shaped modules;

a first radial bearing structure for transferring radial load between the drive stem and the main body of the drill head, the first radial bearing structure being mounted within the stack of generally disc-shaped modules;

a second radial bearing structure for transferring radial load between the drive stem and the main body of the drill head, the second radial bearing structure being positioned adjacent the proximal end of the main body of the drill head;

an axial bearing structure for transferring axial load between the drive stem and the main body of the drill head, the axial bearing structure being proximally offset from the stack of generally disc-shaped modules and being position between the first radial bearing structure and the second radial bearing structure.

15. The tunneling apparatus of claim 14, wherein the main body includes an outer covering, and wherein the axial bearing structure includes an axial bearing pack mounted within a sleeve anchored to the outer covering.

16. The tunneling apparatus of claim 15, wherein the sleeve is anchored to the outer covering by a plurality of reinforcing plates.

17. The tunneling apparatus of claim 14, wherein the main body of the drill head includes an end plate positioned at the proximal end of the main body, and wherein the second radial bearing structure is mounted within a collar secured to the end plate.

18. The tunneling apparatus of claim 17, wherein the end plate defines a plate opening forming a portion of the vacuum passage, and wherein the drill head includes a ramp for transitioning flow within the vacuum passage to the plate opening.

19. The tunneling apparatus of claim 14, wherein at least one of the generally disc-shaped modules defines a plurality of piston cylinders, wherein pistons for moving the steering shell relative to the stack of generally disc-shaped modules are positioned within the piston cylinders, and wherein at least one of the disc-shaped modules defines first fluid passages in fluid communication with the piston cylinders for providing fluid to the piston cylinders for driving the pistons within the piston cylinders.

20. A tunneling apparatus comprising:

a drill head including a main body and a steering member that is moveable relative to the main body, the drill head also including a first position indicator that moves in response to relative movement between the main body of the drill head and the steering member of the drill head, the position indicator being located within a field of view of a camera of the tunneling apparatus.

21. A tunneling apparatus comprising:

a drill head including a main body and a steering shell positioned around the main body, the drill head also including a drive stem rotatably mounted in the main body, the drive stem defining a central longitudinal axis;

the main body of the drill head defining a plurality of piston cylinders that generally radially outwardly from the central longitudinal axis of the drive stem along piston cylinder axes;

the drill head also including pistons mounted in each of the piston cylinders for altering the relative position between the steering shell and the main body of the drill head;

the steering shell including flattened regions where the pistons engage the steering shell, the flattened regions being flattened along slide orientations along which relative sliding motion is generated between the pistons and the steering shell when the pistons are extended and retracted within the piston cylinders, the slide orientations being aligned along a plane that is perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis of the drive stem, the slide orientations also being generally perpendicular to the piston cylinder axes, wherein the flattened regions are provided by inserts mounted within openings defined by a main body of the steering shell.

22. The tunneling apparatus of claim 21, wherein the flattened regions are generally flat along the slide orientations.

23. A tunneling apparatus comprising:

a drill head including a main body and a steering shell positioned around the main body, the drill head also including a drive stem rotatably mounted in the main body, the drive stem defining a central longitudinal axis;

the main body of the drill head defining a plurality of piston cylinders that generally radially outwardly from the central longitudinal axis of the drive stem along piston cylinder axes;

the drill head also including pistons mounted in each of the piston cylinders for altering the relative position between the steering shell and the main body of the drill head;

the drill head further including a cutting unit attached to the drive stem by a connection that allows the cutting unit to be rotated in a clockwise direction about the central longitudinal axis and also allows the cutting unit to be rotated counterclockwise about the central longitudinal axis; and

a bi-directional pump positioned within the drill head and powered by the drive stem, wherein the bi-directional pump pumps hydraulic fluid used to control movement of the pistons when the drive stem is rotated in the clockwise direction, and wherein the bi-directional pump also pumps hydraulic fluid used to control movement of the pistons when the drive stem is rotated in the counterclockwise direction.