CUTTING APPARATUS

• US 20200131904A1
• Filed: 03/30/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sandvik Intellectual Property AB (Sandvik AB)
• Original Assignee: Sandvik Intellectual Property AB (Sandvik AB)
• Inventors: GARCIA, Luis, STABER, Guenther
• Granted Patent: US 11,047,235 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21C 27/124 with rotatable cutters provided with breaking-down members
• CPC Class Codes: E21D 9/102 by a longitudinally extending boom being pivotable about a vertical and a transverse axis
• CPC Class Codes: E21D 9/104 Cutting tool fixtures devices with percussive tools E21D9/106

Abstract

A cutting head for cutting apparatus suitable for creating tunnels or subterranean roadways and the like. The cutting head includes a rotatable cutting head body and a plurality of cutting units mounted thereon. The cutting units include at least first and second different types of cutting units. The first type of cutting unit has a first rotatable cutter having a first disc body and a first arrangement of buttons for abrading rock. The first buttons are mounted in a radially peripheral portion of the disc body and protrude outwardly therefrom. The second type of cutting unit has a second rotatable cutter having a second disc body and a second arrangement of buttons. The second buttons are mounted in a radially peripheral portion of the disc body and protrude outwardly therefrom. The different types of cutting units differ from one another by at least the arrangements of their buttons.

Claims

1. A cutting head for a cutting apparatus suitable for creating tunnels or subterranean roadways and the like, said cutting head comprising:

a rotatable cutting head body; and

a plurality of cutting units mounted on the cutting head body, said cutting units including at least first and second different types of cutting units, the first type of cutting unit having a first rotatable cutter including a first disc body and a first arrangement of buttons for abrading rock, said first arrangement of buttons being mounted in a radially peripheral portion of the disc body and protruding outwardly therefrom, and the second type of cutting unit having a second rotatable cutter having a second disc body and a second arrangement of buttons for abrading rock, said second arrangement of buttons being mounted in a radially peripheral portion of the disc body and protruding outwardly therefrom, wherein the at least first and second different types of cutting units are different from one another by at least the arrangements of the respective buttons.

2. The cutting head according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of cutting units are mounted on the cutting head body such that, in a direction of rotation of the cutting head, each immediate successive cutter of the first and second cutters has a different arrangement of buttons from the arrangement of buttons of an immediate preceding cutter of the first and second cutters.

3. The cutting head according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of cutting units are mounted on the cutting head body sequentially such that the first and second different types of cutting units alternate in a direction of rotation of the cutting head.

4. The cutting head according to claim 1, comprising at least three cutting units of the first type of cutting unit, and at least three cutting units of the second type of cutting unit.

5. The cutting head according to claim 1, wherein each first cutter includes a different number of buttons from the number of buttons included in each second cutter.

6. The cutting head according to claim 1, wherein spacing between adjacent buttons on each first cutter is different from the spacing between adjacent buttons on each second cutter.

7. The cutting head according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the buttons on each first cutter have a different shape from a shape of at least some of the buttons on each second cutter.

8. The cutting head according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the buttons on each first cutter have a different size from the size of at least some of the buttons on each second cutter.

9. The cutting head according to claim 1, wherein each cutting unit includes a rotatable shaft having a central longitudinal axis a cutter being mounted on the shaft, wherein at least some of the first arrangement of buttons each have a first central longitudinal axis that subtends a first angle with respect to a reference line that extends perpendicularly from the central longitudinal axis of the shaft, at least some of the second buttons each have a second central longitudinal axis that subtends a second angle with respect to the reference line that extends perpendicularly from the central longitudinal axis of the shaft, and wherein the first angle is different from the second angle.

10. The cutting head according to claim 1, further comprising at least one further type of cutting unit, the at least one further type of cutting unit having a further rotatable cutter having a further disc body and a further arrangement of buttons for abrading rock, said further buttons are mounted in a radially peripheral portion of the further disc body and protrude outwardly therefrom, wherein the further arrangement of buttons is different from the first and second arrangements of buttons.

11. The cutting head according to claim 10, wherein the further cutting unit is mounted to the radially peripheral part of the cutting head body.

12. The cutting head according to claim 1, wherein the cutting units are distributed around a pitch circle on the cutting head body.

13. The cutting head according to claim 1, wherein the cutting head body is annular.

14. The cutting head according to claim 1, wherein the cutting head body has a central axis arranged substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the body, wherein each disc body has a central axis that is arranged substantially perpendicular to the plane of its respective disc body, and the central axes of the disc bodies are arranged substantially parallel with the central axis of the cutting head body.

15. A cutting apparatus arranged for creating tunnels or subterranean roadways and the like, the cutting apparatus comprising:

a support structure having generally upward, downward, frontward and side facing regions;

first and second cutting assemblies, each of the first and second cutting assemblies including a cutting head according to claim h and a mounting assembly, the mounting assembly attaching the cutting head to the support structure in a manner that enables the cutting head to move with respect to the support structure, said mounting assembly including a first pivot axis, wherein the cutting head is movable about the first pivot axis thereby enabling the cutting head to move in a generally sideways direction relative to the support structure, said mounting assembly including a second pivot axis wherein the cutting head is movable about the second pivot axis thereby enabling the cutting head to move in a generally upwards-downwards direction relative to the support structure.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the cutting units provide an undercutting mode of operation.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein each mounting assembly includes:

a support pivotally mounted relative to the support structure via the first pivot axis, which is aligned generally upright relative to the upward and downward facing regions such that each support is configured to pivot laterally in a sideways direction relative to the side facing regions;

at least one support actuator arranged to actuate independent movement of each of the supports relative to the support structure;

an arm assembly pivotally mounted to the support via the second pivot axis aligned in a direction extending transverse including perpendicular to each support pivot axis to enable the arm to pivot independently relative to the support in an upward and downward direction relative to the upward and downward facing regions; and

at least one arm actuator arranged to actuate independent pivoting movement of the arm relative to the support, wherein each rotatable cutting head is mounted towards a free end of its respective arm, and each cutting head is rotatable about a head axis orientated to extend substantially transverse to each arm pivot axis.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein each arm actuator includes a planetary gear assembly mounted at a junction at which each arm pivots relative to each support.

19. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein each arm actuator includes at least one first drive motor arranged to drive the pivoting movement of the arm relative to the support.

20. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein each support actuator includes a hydraulic linear actuator.

21. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein each cutting assembly includes at least one second drive motor to drive rotation of the cutting head relative to the arm.

22. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the support structure includes a main frame and a powered sled movably mounted at the main frame and configured to slide in a forward cutting direction of the apparatus relative to the main frame, each cutting head being mounted at the sled via its respective arm and support so as to be configured to advance in the forward cutting direction.