Hydraulic and earth engineering – Underground passageway – e.g. – tunnel – Boring
Patent
1985-04-25
1987-08-18
Novosad, Stephen J.
Hydraulic and earth engineering
Underground passageway, e.g., tunnel
Boring
299 31, 299 33, E21D 908, E21D 1140, E21C 2902
Patent
active
046873759
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to circular heading machines for excavating tunnels.
It is well known to cut tunnels by advancing a machine in step-wise fashion and to erect tunnel supports behind the machine. However, as these supports are behind the machine, the machine itself is protected by some other means such as shields, but shields can become trapped by convergence, especially in deep mining and consequently tunnelling can be delayed while the shield is freed.
An object of this invention is to obviate or mitigate the aforementioned disadvantage.
According to the present invention there is provided a circular heading machine comprising an elongate machine body having at its forward end a forwardly directed cutter boom mounted thereon, means to advance the machine body in step-wise fashion, means to limit peripheral movement of the cutter boom to form an accurate profile and a gathering apron at the forward extremity of the machine body, characterised in that the cutter boom is mounted on a sliding carriage longitudinally moveable on and independently of the machine body, a hood overlies the apron, a cage structure extends rearwardly from the hood structure and surrounds the boom cutter and sliding carriage and means are provided externally of the cage structure, directly behind the hood structure for erecting circular tunnel support structures over the machine body, erection of the tunnel support structures taking place simultaneously with operation of the cutter.
Preferably, the hood is a semi-circular member supported by hydraulic rams for height adjustment.
An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a circular heading machine according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1;
Figs. 3 to 5 are side elevations of the machine illustrating, with FIG. 1, the cycle of operation;
FIG. 6 is a rear elevation of the lines VI--VI of FIG. 1 showing tunnel support erection apparatus.
FIG. 6A is a rear elevation of the lines VIA--VIA of FIG. 1 showing the rear support leg;
FIG. 7 is a detail illustrating lagging between the tunnel supports; and
FIG. 8 a detail illustrating a trailing arm.
The circular heading machine has an elongate body 10 which mounts a cutter boom 11 at its forward end, the boom 11 being carried on a sliding carriage 12 which is slidably moveable on the machine body 10 by thrust jacks 13. The cutter boom 11 carries a conical cutter head 14, by which a tunnel 15 can be excavated; movement of the boom is manually controlled via tilting jacks 11A and slewing jacks 11B, by an operator seated in the sliding carriage.
At the forward extremity of the machine body there is a gathering apron 16 of semi-circular form which carries windmill or gathering arms 16A and above the apron there is a semi-circular hood 17; this hood forms a stone/dust guard as illustrated in FIG. 1 for use as a temporary roof support if required and it may be provided with trailing fingers (FIG. 8) as hereinafter described.
The hood is supported by hydraulic rams 17A which serve to lower the hood if necessary for the insertion of lagging strips 45 (FIG. 6) hereinafter described and to permit controlled lowering of the hood in the event of severe convergence or collapse of the roof.
The apron and hood converge rearwards and terminate in a profile guidance ring 18 and on the cutter boom there is a profile collar 18' which can run round the inner face of the ring 18 thus limiting the movement of the boom.
Immediately behind the apron/hood structure is a tunnel-support mechanical erection apparatus 20 by which ring girders can be erected over the machine body as hereinafter described with reference to FIG. 6.
A cage-structure 21 is provided on the machine body below the level of the top of the hood 17 to enclose the boom 11 and carriage 12 and the support erection apparatus 20 is external of the cage 21. Tunnel support erectors can therefore work in safety on a platform 22 on the machine body even while the
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Anderson Strathclyde PLC
Goodwin Michael A.
Novosad Stephen J.
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