MACHINE FOR DRIVING TUNNELS, DRIFTS, RAISES, AND THE LIKE

• US 3,647,264 A
• Filed: 04/14/1970
• Issued: 03/07/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ernst Abraham Lauber
• Original Assignee: Ernst Abraham Lauber
• Inventors: Lauber, Ernst Abraham
• Primary Examiner(s): Purser, Ernest R.
• Application Number:
  US05/028,343
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: 299/31,56,75,85,86
• US Class Current: 299/31
• CPC Class Codes: E21D 9/117 mounted for orientating or sideways shifting relative to the frame

Abstract

A tunnelling machine has a cutting unit which is mounted on a main frame to swing about a horizontal axis. The cutting unit has a rotating cutter head which cuts over the whole width of the tunnel upon the swinging of the cutting unit by means of two swing jacks. The cutting unit and the frame are braced between the sidewalls of the tunnel by means of two jacks which have their extension axes colinear with the horizontal axis of swinging. A transverse frame, slidable forwards and backwards in the main frame, can also be braced between the sidewalls by means of two colinear jacks. One of the swing jacks is mounted in the main frame and the other in the transverse frame, and the swing jacks are also used for advancing the machine in steps.

Claims

1. A tunneling machine comprising a main frame, means for supporting said main frame in a tunnel, a cutting device pivotably mounted on the main frame for swinging about a first horizontal axis which is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the machine or of the tunnel, motor means for producing a reciprocating swinging movement of said cutting device about said first axis to effect an upward cutting stroke and a return stroke, a circular cutter head of the cutting device rotatable about an axis which is perpendicular to said first axis, motor means for rotating said cutter head, a plurality of cutter bits arranged circumferentially on the cutter head for cutting over the whole width of the tunnel face upon simultaneous rotating of the cutter head and upward swinging of the cutting device, and means for conveying debris from the tunnel face, said cutting device being mounted in said main frame by means of a pair of trunnions journaled in the frame, the interior of each trunnion forms a cylinder for a piston which is rotatable with respect to the cylinder, and said pistons are adapted to extend tunnel wall engaging members so as to brace the cutting device between the sidewalls of the tunnel but permit swinging of the braced cutting device.

2. A tunneling machine comprising a main frame, means for supporting said main frame in a tunnel, a cutting device pivotably mounted on the main frame for swinging about a first horizontal axis which is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the machine or of the tunnel, motor means for producing a reciprocating swinging movement of said cutting device about said first axis to effect an upward cutting stroke and a return stroke, a circular cutter head of the cutting device rotatable about an axis which is perpendicular to said first axis, motor means for rotating said cutter head, a plurality of cutter bits arranged circumferentially on the cutter head for cutting over the whole width of the tunnel face upon simultaneous rotating of the cutter head and upward swinging of the cutting device, and means for conveying debris from the tunnel face, said main frame including a base slidably supported on the tunnel floor, said main frame being pivotably mounted on said base for pivoting about an axis which is parallel with said first axis and motor means for lowering and raising the cutting device relative to the tunnel floor.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 2 in which said cutter bits are arranged to cut an arc-shaped kerf in the tunnel face which kerf defines an uncut rib, and means are arranged on said cutter head for breaking down said uncut rib.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 2 wherein said motor means for swinging said cutting device is arranged to swing the cutting device from a position in which the cutting half of the cutter head is behind a plane which passes through said first axis and is transverse to the tunnel to a position in which the cutting half of the cutter head is above a plane which passes through said first axis and is parallel with the tunnel.

5. A machine as claimed in claim 4 in which said motor means for swinging said cutting device is arranged to swing the cutting device less than 180*.

6. A machine as claimed in claim 2 wherein said motor means for swinging said cutting device is arranged to swing the cutter device from a position in which the cutting half of the cutter head is behind a plane which extends through said first axis and is transverse to the tunnel to a position in which the cutting half of the cutter head is so much above a plane which extends through said first axis and is parallel with the tunnel that substantially flat sidewall portions are obtained for the wall engaging members.

7. A machine as claimed in cLaim 2 in which said means for supporting the main frame in the tunnel includes a first power actuated pair of tunnel wall engaging members for bracing the frame between the sidewalls of the tunnel.

8. A machine as claimed in claim 7 in which a first hydraulic piston and cylinder means is arranged for extending a first one of said first pair of wall engaging members against one of the sidewalls, and a second piston and cylinder means is arranged for extending a second one of said first pair of wall engaging members against the other of the sidewalls.

9. A machine as claimed in claim 8 in which the axes of extension of said first and second piston and cylinder means are parallel to and substantially colinear with said first axis.

10. A machine as claimed in claim 7 further comprising a second frame mounted in the main frame for limited slidable movement relative to the main frame in the longitudinal direction of the machine or tunnel, motor means for moving said transverse frame relative to the main frame, a power-actuated second pair of wall engaging members mounted on said second frame for bracing the transverse frame between the sidewalls of the tunnel.

11. A machine as claimed in claim 10 in which said motor means for swinging the cutting device comprises a first double-acting hydraulic power jack pivotably mounted between the main frame and a first support on the cutting device, and a second double-acting hydraulic power jack pivotably mounted between said second frame and a second support on the cutting device.

12. A machine as claimed in claim 11 in which said first and second supports on the cutting device are displaced angularly from one another around said first axis.

13. A machine as claimed in claim 11 having means for arresting said first power jack while said second power jack is working and means for permitting actuation alternately of the first and the second pair of wall engaging members.

14. A machine as claimed in claim 13 in which said first power jack is arranged to be in its extended end position during advancing of the machine by means of said second power jack, and is locked hydraulically during advancing of the second frame by means of said second power jack.

15. A machine as claimed in claim 10, in which a first hydraulic piston and cylinder means is arranged for extending a first one of said first pair of wall engaging members against one of the sidewalls when a pressure chamber thereof is pressurized, and a second piston and cylinder means is arranged for extending a second one of said pair of wall engaging members against the other sidewall when a pressure chamber thereof is pressurized, and in which a third hydraulic piston and cylinder means is arranged for extending a first one of said second pair of wall engaging members against one of the sidewalls when a pressure chamber thereof is pressurized, and a fourth hydraulic piston and cylinder means is arranged for extending the other of said second pair of wall engaging members against the other sidewall when a pressure chamber thereof is pressurized.

16. A machine as claimed in claim 15 in which:

said pressure chamber of said fourth hydraulic piston and cylinder means is connected to a control valve means which has a piston for connecting this pressure chamber to a source of hydraulic fluid, a position for connecting the pressure chamber to a drain conduit, and a position for closing off the pressure chamber from the drain conduit and from the source of hydraulic fluid;

said pressure chamber of said third piston and cylinder means is connected, by means of a first conduit to a control valve means which has a position for connecting this pressure chamber to the source of hydraulic fluid and a position for connecting the pressure chamber to a drain conduit;

a pressure regulator is arranged in said first conduit; and

remote control means is arranged for actuating said pressure regulator to limit the pressure in said pressure chamber so as to permit said motor means for moving the second frame to move the second frame forwards while the second frame supports the main frame against the sidewalls of the tunnel by means of said second pair of supporting members and said first pair of supporting members is braced against the sidewalls of the tunnel.

17. A machine as claimed in claim 16 in which:

said pressure chamber of said second hydraulic piston and cylinder means is connected to a control valve means which has a position for connecting this pressure chamber to a source of hydraulic fluid, a position for connecting the pressure chamber to a drain conduit and a position for closing off the pressure chamber from the drain conduit and from the source of hydraulic fluid;

said pressure chamber of said first piston and cylinder means is connected, by means of a second conduit, to a control valve means which has a position for connecting this pressure chamber to the source of hydraulic fluid and a position for connecting the pressure chamber to a drain conduit;

a pressure regulator is arranged in said second conduit; and

remote control means is arranged for actuating said pressure regulator in said second conduit to limit the pressure in the respective pressure chamber so as to permit said motor means to move the main frame forwards while the main frame is supported against the sidewalls of the tunnel by means of said first pair of supporting members and said second frame is braced between the sidewalls of the tunnel.

18. A tunneling machine comprising a main frame, means for supporting said main frame in a tunnel, a cutting device pivotably mounted on the main frame for swinging about a first horizontal axis which is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the machine or of the tunnel, motor means for producing a reciprocating swinging movement of said cutting device about said first axis to effect an upward cutting stroke and a return stroke, a circular cutter head of the cutting device rotatable about an axis which is perpendicular to said first axis, motor means for rotating said cutter head, a plurality of cutter bits arranged circumferentially on the cutter head for cutting over the whole width of the tunnel face upon simultaneous rotating of the cutter head and upward swinging of the cutting device, and means for conveying debris from the tunnel face, said means for supporting the main frame in the tunnel including a first pair of power actuated tunnel wall engaging members for bracing the frame between the sidewalls of the tunnel, and said means for swinging the cutting device comprising a first double-acting hydraulic power jack pivotably mounted between the main frame and a first support on the cutting device, and a second double-acting hydraulic power jack pivotably mounted between said frame and a second support on the cutting device.

19. A tunneling machine comprising:

a. a main frame mounted for swinging movement of a horizontal axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the tunnel and adapted to be advanced progressively into the tunnel during the tunneling operation;

b. a secondary frame mounted for limited longitudinal movement with respect to said main frame;

c. a cutting device carried by said main frame to swing about a horizontal axis substantially parallel to the swing axis of the main frame;

d. a rotatable cutter head carried by said cutting device adapted to cut into the tunnel face during the simultaneous swinging and rotary movement thereof;

e. first pressure controlled bracing device operable to maintain said main frame in contact with the opposite walls of the tunnel under pressure during the cutting operation and to permit movement thereof by release of pressure; and

f. secondary pressure controlled bracing device operable to maintain said secondary frame in contact with the opposite walls of the tunnel under pressure during the movement of said main frame.

20. A tunneling machine comprising:

a. a main frame mounted for swinging about a horizontal axis transverse to the longitudinal Axis of the tunnel and adapted to be advanced progressively into the tunnel during the tunnel operation;

b. a secondary frame mounted within said main frame for limited longitudinal movement with respect thereto;

c. a cutting device carried by said main frame and adapted to swing about a horizontal axis;

d. a first pressure controlled extensibly swing jack connected between said cutting device and said main frame;

e. a second pressure controlled extensible swing jack connected to said secondary frame and to said cutting device at a point spaced from the connection with said first swing jack;

f. said swing jacks being operable to swing said cutting device into and out of engagement with the face of the tunnel;

g. said swing jacks being alternately operable to advance said frames stepwise into the tunnel.

21. A tunneling machine according to claim 20 having:

a. a first pressure controlled bracing device operable to maintain said main frame in contact with the opposite walls of the tunnel under pressure during the cutting operation and to permit advance movement thereof upon release of pressure and b. a second pressure controlled bracing device operable to maintain said secondary frame in contact with the opposite walls of the tunnel under pressure during the advance movement of said main frame;

c. said bracing devices being actuated to provide alternate advancement of said frames into the tunnel.