US2925258A - Tunnel boring machine having torsion counteracting means - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 16, 1960 Filed July 12, 1957 s. ROBB 2,925,258

J INS TUNNEL BORING MACHINE HAVING TORSION COUNTERACTING MEANS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 a INVENTOR.

JAMES S. ROBBINS I BY 4 y ATTORNEY Filed July 12, 1957 TUNNEL BORI J. 5. RO

NG MACHINE HAVING TORSION BBINS COUNTERACTING MEANS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 N I I F1- Q m m a!) g s s g 2 t9 .N m N N Q pl INVENTOR.

.1 JAMES s. ROBBINS y q W J. S. ROBBINS TUNNEL BORING MACHINE HAVING TORSION COUNTERACTING MEANS Feb. 16, 1960 4 Sheets- Sheet 5 Filed July 12, 1957 INVENTOR. JAMES S. ROBBINS AT TO R N EY Feb. 16, 1960 Y I J. s. ROBBINS 2,925,258

TUNNEL BORING MACHINE HAVING TORSION COUNTERACTING MEANS I Filed July 12, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

JAMES s. ROBBINS I 2 4, $2 814 ATTORNEY Q BY TUNNEL BORING MACHINE HAVING TORSION; I

COUNTERACTING MEANS James S. Robbins, St. Paul, Minn, assignor t0 Goodman Nflaliliuulliacturing Company, Chicago, 111.; a corporation 0 ms 1 Al'ctionJllZl.

pp a u y No 7 Tend of the tubular bearing support 38 in longitudinally spaced relation, and have a forwardly projecting annular 4 Claims. cram-4 -This invention relates toirnprovements in tunnel borl6 mounte'd in circumferential -spaced relation in theforwardmost plate 113 so as toprovide rolling support for" ing machines having a rotary cutter head especially adapted for boring directly in relatively hard: minerals", and more particularly to tunnel boring. machines of the kind disclosed in my copending application bearing Serial No. 671,258, filed July 11, 1957, and has for its prin'cipal object to provide a more eflicient machine of this character. v V

A further object of the invention is to provide'improved means for anchoring the main frame of themachine against .the tunnel wallsso as to counteract the torsion 'of the rotary cutter head and aid in 're storing'the mainframe to its proper upright position when it gets outof proper angular relation to the tunnel-bore A .fstill further object of the invention-is to provide improved=means associated with the anchoring hieans- Q for varying the direction of advance of themachine 'duringits tunneling operationg i j :Otherobjects and advantages of the invention will appear fromtime to time as the following description' proceeds.

The invention 'may best 'be understood by reference to the accompanying-drawings, in which: Figuresl is a top view of amachine-made in accord 4 ance withmy invention,. with parts brokenjawa'yor Figure 4' is a section taken generally along 1ine' of'Figure 1. l .Referring now todetailsof the embodiment of th'ef invention shownin the, drawings, the machine hasas its'f" principal elements amain frame ll having arotatable cutter head at its forward endindicatedge'nerally at1 2; The cutter head 12 includes a central-disc 13; having a'front wa1l 14, and" a rear-'wall 15, and alsohaving a plurality, herein 'four, cutter arms 22'extending radially "The main frame 11' ;;drive shaft 16, as by a vI splined' connection 44.

, 2 Eachof 'the' radially extending cutter arms 22-carric a'materialgathering' bucket 27 on its rear face. The

leading sides of the-buckets 27 are open to enable them to scoop up the loose material which drops to the floor of the tunnel as it is removed from the working face.

The main frame 11 includes a longitudinally elongated tubular bearing support 38 having bearings 39, and 40' fixed in its 'front and rear ends in whichthe' drive shaft 16 for the cutter head 12'is journalled; Two generally upright annular plates 112 and 113 are fixed'to the front portion -30 formed integrally therewith, about which-- buckets 27 on-the arms 22 are adapted to'rotate, as see nf in Figure 2. A'plurality-of bearing rollers 114 are the rear-face ofthe inner wall 15 of the "cutter head 12.

As each bucket 27 isrotated to a position at the top of the "cutter head, the loose material therein fallsby "gravity through a bucket outlet opening 28, thence through a registering chute 29 formed in the annular 7 forwardly projecting portion 30 of the main frame 11,

"and on to the front end of an endless belt conveyor 31 trained over an idler 310the front end of which is dis supported along the top of the main frame ll, asby, up

rights 101, with its rear end extending beyond said mainframe 'fo'r discharging material upon any suitable con= f Any'suitable means :may be provided fordrivin'g the endless belt'con'veyor, as by ian-electriemotor 32 suspendedffrom the conveyor frame";311- overhanging thef 5 rear end "of themachine, and connectedas by a belt 312 to 'a" gear reduction mechanism 313,' which in turn has I drivingconnections with -a belt pulley 314*for the rear 0 is-disl'odge'd fromtheworlcing face.

pivotally connected on atransverse pin 36*to afdepend arcuate bottom "of the tunnel.

enlarged gearw'zase 421s mounted on the rearie'nd I of thetubular' bearing support 38; and encloses the get; ing fordriving a pinion-'43 fixed on the rear end 'of t 'In' tlie form shownlherein; the drive shaft 16 and i ts ge 43' aredriven'by four simil-ar electric motors 45'; 45, (each F r 5 *tiPatent ed ii eh;

supported on thetn'nnel jfloor just rearwardly'o'f" thecutter head 12 by a shoe-357 cutter .bits 26. -The general arrangement of; the ikerf 1 2,766,978 need not be further shown-no from the periphery of said central disc. *The rear anmounted on and eiitending rearwardlyfromthe'i-ear face a 15 of the central disc 13 is fixed. to the frontend of a} of -'tlie'gear case 42, andfh'aving its-motor shaft 46'extend main drive shaft 16,,as by a splinedjoint 17. -The front qting into the-gear case; witha pinion -47 thereon meshed wall 14 has a plurality or cutter bits 18, 18 projecting with-the gear 43 on the drive 'shaft 16. Suitableelectrical forwardly therefrom; and :also has a plurality of core connections and controls (not shown) are provided f breaking rollers '19-, 19 carried thereon in position 'to driving the foufrhotors' 45 in unison to rotate'thecut'ter break down cores left between adjacent cutter bits 18 ,'.-18...-' head 12." i? 3 The frontfaces of the radially extendingcutter; arm's The ma'chine has laterallyextending' supporting means? a 22, 22 are3in substantially the samevertical plane asthe?" foreng'agin'g the side wars-or a'tunnehwhich includes front plate 14 of the central disc; 13, and eachicarriesa I cross :arni;indicated generally at 50-. Said cross arni l'ias- 1 seriesof kerf cutting bits ,23 and a plurality Of-1001B. an annular'bearing'portion 51 at its center-which ;sur.-: breaking rollers 24 generallysimilar to those on the'fronti rounds the tubular bearing support 38'of the main frame. face of said central disc; .In the center ofzthe discv 131'isq The twoopposite ends 52,52 .of said cross armhave-lat a pilot burster member 25 carryingforwardly'projectingerallyJn'ovable arcuate shoes 53; 53? adapted foriierigagement-f with thejside walls of the tunnel, as seen infiguresx; 1 and 4.], Each of the-shoes 53 is pivotal-1y connected 1b. a longitudinallydisposed rpinj54 to. a ,pistoni rodsfinof hydraulic @YlindetrSS. .The inner; end of thecTy-linderissw t n bit a re reak n r le s ju t desc ib d, is: essentially the same as; disclosed in myep'rior ,PatenLNor 'dqs rilzestn.

herein.

7 is connected to a brackets-1 fixed in the arm 52. 'Each' f i cylinder and piston are enclosed in a cylindrical member 58 which is telescopically movable relative to the outer The hydraulic cylinders 55 have suitable controls and connections (not shown) for extending or retracting their pistons 56 either simultaneously or individually, for purposes which will presently be described.

.The annular central bearing portion 51 of the cross arm 50 is slidably mounted on the tubular bearing support 38 of the main frame 11 by a modified ball-and-sockct joint, herein consisting of an annular ring 60 slidable along the tubular support 38, and with its peripheral surface formed with a circular, convex cross section, as shown in Figure 2. The inner periphery of the annular portion 51 has a reversely shaped concave ring 62 mounted therein and engaged on the outer face of the ring 60 on the tubular support 38. With this arrangement, limited rocking movement is afforded between the cross arm 50 and the main frame 1 1 to permit limited deviations in the direction of advance of the cutter head, as will presently be described.

The inner periphery of the annular portion 51 is preferably provided with a pair of annular recesses 63, 63 at opposite sides of the ball-and-socket joint, just described, adapted to contain suitable flexible sealing means around the tubular support to protect the ball-and-socket joint from ingress of dirt and the like.

The main frame 11 and the cutter head 12 are advanced as a whole relative to the cross arm 50 by means of a pair of hydraulic cylinders 48, the rear ends of which are pivotally connected to transversely disposed pins 481 fixed in rearwardly extending projections 482 carried by the cross arm 50 at opposite sides ofand adjacent the tubular support 38 of the main frame 11 (see Figure 1). Each of the hydraulic cylinders 48 has a piston rod 49 at its front end which is pivotally connected by a pin 491 to the upright plate 112 of the main frame 11. With this arrangement, the cross arm 50 is adapted to be anchored in the tunnel by extending the shoes 53, 53 into engage ment with the side walls and with the piston rods 49 of cylinders 48 in retracted position. Thereafter, by applying fluid pressure to the rear ends of the cylinders 48, the mainframe 11 and cutter head 12 are advanced bodily toward the working face, while the cross arm 50 remains stationary. During such advancing movement, the tubular support 38 of the main frame 11 passes through the central annular portion 51 of said cross arm.

Each end member 52 of the cross arm 50 has a depending guide plate 41 pivotally connectedby pin 410 adjacent the leg 37 of the main frame. The two guide members have lateral sliding engagement with the adjacent side face 371 of said depending leg 37, as seenin Figure 4. The lower end of each guide plate has an upwardly and outwardly inclined strut 41-1 witha hydraulic cylinder 413 pivoted thereto at 412, and a piston rod 414 in said cylinder pivotally connected as by pm 415 to an car 416 on the under face of the adjacent end portion 52' near its outer end. The purpose of these guide members wardly slotted clamps 68 fixed to the latter. This slotted connection permits the annular ring portion 67 to shift itself radially of the body portion 66, as may be required from time to time to adjust said ring to the tunnel walls. An auxiliary supporting shoe 69 is connected to the bottom edge of the annular ring 67 (see Figure 2) in position so that the bottom edge of the floating ring portion 67 will normally rest on the tunnel floor to prevent the loose 1 material which is deposited on said tunnel floor in front gthe beam 70.

41 and the diagonally disposed struts 411 will be presently described.

Between the cutter head 22 and the cross arm 50 is mounted an annular shield 65, the outer periphery of which is of substantially the same diameter as the cutting diameter of the cutter head 12. This shield is suitably supported on the main framell as by bolts 651 (see Figure 2). This shield is provided to crowd the material deposited on the floor of the tunnel into position for loading into the buckets 27, and also to confine the dust produced during the cutting operation to the area adjacent the working face. In the form shown herein, the shield consists of a central'body portion 66 with a floating annular extension 67 which is slidably mounted about the periphery of said body portion 66 by a plurality of-outrest on the tunnel floor.

of said shield from escaping rearwardly of the shield 65.

As will be seen from Figures 1 and 2, the main frame 11 has a rearwardly extending beam 70 passing below the gear case 42 and having a supporting shoe 71 adapted to Said rear supporting shoe 71 is vertically adjustable relative to the main frame by a hydraulic cylinder 76 pivotally connected at its upper end to a longitudinally extending pin 77 pivotally connected in a cylindrical casing 78 depending from the rear end of Hydraulic cylinder 76 also has a piston rod 79 pivotally connected at its lower end by pin 80 connected to the upper face of the shoe 71. The shoe 71 also has an upstanding cylindrical member 81 telescopically mounted on a depending cylindrical member 78 rigid with the beam 70 so as to guide the shoe for vertical adjustment, and also to enclose the hydraulic cylinder and its associated parts, and protect them from ingress of'dirt or the like.

The beam 70 has a cross bar 72 which is mounted on an upright standard 73 at its rear end. Said cross bar has extensible supporting shoes 74, 74 at each end thereof, which are adapted to engage the side walls of the tunnel midway between the roof and floor, for slidably supporting the rear end of the main frame 11 as the machine is advanced or retracted in the tunnel.

Each end of the rear cross bar 72 has a hydraulic cylinder 85 with its inner end fixed in said cross bar, and a piston rod 86 pivotally connected by a horizontally disposed pin 87 to the base of the adjacent shoe 74, as seen in Figure 1. Each shoe 74 also has an inwardly extending cylindrical portion 88 telescopically adjustable on the outer end of the cross arm 72 so as to guide the shoe for horizontal adjustment, and also to enclose the hydraulic cylinder 85 and its associated parts to protect themfrom ingress of dirt and the like.

Suitable pressure supply means and controls (not shown) are provided for the hydraulic cylinders 76 and 85. The controls for the cylinders 85 on opposite ends of the cross bar 72 are such as to actuate the piston rods 86 in either direction, either simultaneously or independently of each other, so as to cooperate in slidably supporting the rear end of the main frame 10 in centered position in the tunnel, or, when desired, to aid in effecting limited lateral steering movement of the machine as a whole to varying conditions, as will presently be described.

A roof support indicated generally at 90 consists of a plate 91 curved to fit against the roof at the tunnel,

and connected to a longitudinal frame member 92 on the main frame 11 by two pairs of parallel links 93, 93.

Vertical adjustment of said roof support is elfected by the two shoes 53, 53 at opposite ends of said cross arm are forced into anchoring relation against the side walls of the tunnel, with the cross arm in a position near the front end of the tubular member 38 on the main frame, as seen in Figures 1- and 2. Hydraulic pressure is then exerted on the two forwardly extending'hydraulic cylinders 48 to feed the cutter head and main frame forwardly toward the working face with the cutter head rotating.

During this feeding movement the cross arm 50 will =.andsocket joint 60, 62,?

sass-ass remain in its initial anchored''position until the; main,

frame has been advanced relativ'eto the cross arnithrough a distance corresponding, to the working stroke of the piston rods 49 of feeding cylinders48. The. front shoe 35 and the rear shoe 71 slide forwardly along the tunnel floor during the feeding movement. The speed of feed is controlled by the operator depending uponthe kind of mineral being cut.

,When the feed piston rods 49 have reached the forward end oftheir normal stroke, the advance of the machine frame is temporarily discontinued and the side shoes 53 on the cross arm 50 arewith drawn from anchoring engagement with the side walls of the tunnel. The piston rods 49 a re then retracted to slide the cross forwardly on the tubular member 381to its initialfeeding position relative to the frame, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The anchoring shoes are then extended so as to anchor the cross arm 50 in anew, advanced position, whereupon the feeding movement of the main frame'and cutter head can be resumed by again applying pressure to the rear ends of the feeding cylinders 48.

When it is desired to change the direction of advance of'the cutter head in the tunnel either at an" increased or decreased vertical angle or gradient; the rear shoe 71 is vertically extended or retracted in the proper direction cross arm 50 isanchored-toI lthei sid e :vvallsiejand themachine is being fed forwardly, sinces'aidcross arm is 'The' advance of the machine can alsobe ldeviated slidably mounted on the tubular memljen38 by the' balltion, as .may be necessary fromtime to time, the anchormg shoes 53 on thelcross arm are withdrawn from the so that the machine as a. m a counterclockwise direction.

"To restore the main frame to its normal; upright posiside wallsfof the xtuhnel and the hydraulic cylinders of the twostru ts which connect the opposite ends of the cross arm to the depending guide plates 41 are actuated in mutually opposite directions so as to restore the cross arm 50 to its normal horizontal position. The required change in angle between the ends of the cross arm and the guide plates 41 is permitted by the pivotal mountings of said guide. plates on the main frame. The anchoring 7 shoes 53. are'then reengaged in anchoring position against by the hydraulic cylinder 76. ,Such extension or retraction of the shoe 71 will cause the main frame to'tilt about the pivot pin 36 connectedeto the front supporting" defined bygtherappended-claims.

two different methods, working either independently or opposite ends of the cross arm 72 at the rear end of the machine, by extending one'of said shoes. while simultaneously retracting the other shoe. The entire machine can be steered to a limited degree toward one side or the other during its feeding movement, with the cross arm 50 at the front endof the machine in anchored relation with the'side walls. f 7 Lateral steering movement of the main framef and;v

Q. 2 ;-.;In[a' tunneling head'journalled thereon for cutting a bore in advance of 35 the machine, said frame/having slidablefloorsupporting laterally toward one side or the other of the tunnelby the sidewalls of the tunnel and the hydraulic cylinders 413 are actuated in mutually reversed directions so as to rotate or tilt the main frame in a clockwise direction until it is restored to its normal upright position in the tunnel, atright angles to the normal horizontal position of the cross arm 50. The two hydraulic cylinders 413 will then be maintained under balanced pressures while -the machine is in operation so as to maintain the cross arm. and the depending leg 37 on the main frame in right-angled relation to each other-until such time as they may again be used to restore themain frame to its normal upright position. 1 1

Although I have'shown and describeda certain embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that various changessand modifications may bemacle without departing-from the spirit and scope of the invention as ,Iiclaim z' V I machine, a frame having a rotary means, and. anchoring means slidably and pivotally mounted thereon for adjustment about an axis extendinglongitudinallY thereof and extending from opposite sides of said frame and having extensible and retractible shoes at the outer ends thereof adapted for anchoring engagement with theside walls of the tunnel, power means conpivotally'connected thereto and normally extending'at an intermediate angle for longitudinal sliding movement cutter head can also be effected-by extending one of the shoes 53 on the cross arm 50 while the opposite shoe 5;

. is retracted. Since the shoes 74 on-the rearcross arm: 72 are normallyislidable along the tunnel'wallsduring the advance feeding movement of. the machinesaid last named shoes 74, 74 will not interfere with the steering movement effected through the front anchoring shoes 53.

It will be further noted that, if desired, both" the rear along said frame, and extensible and retractable strut 'meansconnecting' said pivoted guide means with said.

anchoring means ,for varying the'angle between .said ancho'ringmeans and said pivoted guide means upon release'of said anchoring means from the wall of the tune Jnel, and adjusting said frame relative to said anchoring means into ahorizontal position upon engagement of.

sliding shoes 74, 74 and the frontancho ring shoes 53, 53

can be operated simultaneously to effect lateralsteering of the cutter head. i

The roof supporting plate roof of the tunnel when fault zones, ,oriwe'akor broken roof areas are encountered while the machine is being advanced. It may also be used in lowered position as a working platform from which a permanent roof support can be erected for such weak areasporused as a platform for other tunneling operations adjacent the roof. 7 I

91 adapted to into elevated position in'qsliding engagement with the Due to the torque reaction from thecutter head as it rotates in a clockwise direction, as indicated in. the drawings,'the entire mainframe will tend to tilt or turn in the opposite or counterclockwise directionabout the axis of rotation of the cutter head. a v 4 It has been found in prac 'ce, that this torque reaction may be enough to cause the several shoes 35, 53,71 and 74 to creep circumferentially of the tunnel walls,

said anchoring means with thewall of the tunnel. 2.' In 'a tunneling machine, a frame having a rotary boring head journalled thereon for rotation about a longitudinal axis for cutting a bore in advance of the jmachine, slidable floor supporting means supporting said frame for slidable movement along the tunnel floor, .an'

anchoring member extending transversely ofsaid frame and slidably and pivotally mounted thereon for movement about an axis coaxial with the axis of rotation of said boring head, extensible and retractable shoes at the spaced relation with respect to the pivotal axis. of said anchoring member, and having operative connection with opposite outer end portions of said anchoringv member,

' andoperable to vary the angle 'of saidan'choringmember I with respect to said-frame uponfrelease of said'shoes fromthe tunnel wall, and to'bring said frame into a hori whole will sl er Q 7 zontal position upon engagement of said shoes with the tunnel wall.

,3. The structure of claim 2, wherein laterally spaced guide members are pivotally connected to said anchoring member and depend therefrom and have slidabl engagement with said frame in spaced relation with respect to the pivotal axis of said anchoring member and along opposite side portions of said frame, and wherein the strut means are connected between the lower end portions of said guide members and opposite outer end portions of said anchoring member.

4. The structure of claim 3, wherein the frame has a beam extending longitudinally therealong and forming a slidable support therefor and wherein the guide members slidably engage opposite sides of said beam and the extensible and retractable strut means connected between said guide members and said anchoring member react against saidnbeam and anchoring member to bring .said frame into a horizontal position upon the anchoring of said shoes with the side wall of the tunnel.

' References Cited in the file ofthis patent UNETED STATES PATENTS 1,353,908 Hodgson -2 Sept. 28,

1,645,007 Johansen Oct. 11, 1927 2,384,397 Ramsay Sept.- 4, 1945 r 2,756,036 McIntyre July 24, 1956 2,756,037 Kirkpatrick July 24, 1956 2,760,766 Mayo Aug. 28, 1956 2,765,154 Wilms Oct. 2, 1956 2,816,747 Ball Dec. 17, 1957 2,837,325 Biedess June 3, 1958 2,846,600 Kirkpatrick Dec. 16, 1958

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