EP0386396A2

EP0386396A2 - Composite apparatus for making galleries

Info

Publication number: EP0386396A2
Application number: EP89830518A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Omar Cavattoni
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-03-07
Filing date: 1989-11-22
Publication date: 1990-09-12
Also published as: IT8919668A0; EP0386396A3; IT1228974B

Abstract

Composite apparatus for making galleries and comprising a plurality of cooperating parts for performing, without any interruptions of the advancing gallery front, the casting of the gallery reverse arch, laying the prefabricated sewer and cast-finishing the road path or, simultaneously, casting the reverse arch and the road path, and forming in the inside the sewer, essentially comprising a central body (1), resting on two toe walls (4), at the two end portions of which there are respectively pivoted a first ramp (7) bearing of the finished cast road path and a second ramp (6), bearing on the gallery bottom, where the excavation of the reverse arch is to be made. The above component parts, in particular, being provided with means for firmly anchoring them or for causing them to slide with respect to the gallery walls.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a composite apparatus, comprising several cooperating apparatus parts, for performing, in a gallery being constructed, the casting of the gallery reverse arch, laying of the prefabricated sewer and cast-finishing the road gallery path, or simultaneously casting of the reverse arch and road path, and forming in the integral single body thus made the sewer with a self-removing and withdrawing form.
As is known, galleries are usually made by conventional methods which provide for the removal of the material to be excavated by explosives or milling apparatus :in these excavation methods, the excavated soil material is usually removed by different dumpers or conventional trucks.
After any advancing of the excavation front, two side toe walls must be constructed and the gallery portion above the constructed toe walls must be coated.
These operations, on the other hand, can be properly carried out exclusively as the rock is good and with a full cross-section type of advancement.
In the case of a comparatively poor rock it is necessary to perform bolting operations, laying reinforcement beams and nets and casting the so-called "spritz-beton".
In the case of a very poor rock, moreover, it is necessary to excavate by the so-called half-section method or to perform extensive consolidation works.
After having excavated the gallery front, the gallery coating is performed, by using particular box caissons, of conventional type, which are caused to slide along the gallery toe walls or on the natural bottom of the gallery.
Then the gallery road path and sewer must be constructed.
These building operations, however, can be performed exclusively after having bored the overall gallery bore, or as it is possible to arrange bypass constructions, since the fresh casting will prevent operating apparatus and trucks from passing through.
In fact, for the advancement of the gallery front, the excavated material must be continuously removed, whereas, for consolidating the work, it is necessary to bring to the gallery work place bolts, reinforcing beams, nets, concrete to be sprayed, waterproofing materials and the like.
Moreover, for building the gallery toe walls and coating the gallery walls, the gallery must be accessed by self-moving concrete mixers.
The above disclosed material handling operations, however, can not be performed contemporaneously to the casting of the gallery bottom, since the trucks and concrete mixers can not be driven on the fresh concrete gallery bottom.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the aim of the present invention is to overcome the above mentioned drawbacks, by providing a composite apparatus for excavating galleries which affords the possibility of simultaneously casting the gallery bottom and building the sewer, while allowing for motor vehicle to be driven through the gallery in both driving directions, thereby allowing concrete to be directly cast into the gallery workings with the concrete mixers at rest on the subject apparatus and the trucks not restrained from moving through the gallery path.
Within the scope of the above mentioned aim, a main object of the present invention is to provide such a composite apparatus for excavating galleries which can freely move on the gallery toe walls, so as to immediately fill in or cover the gallery excavation.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the above mentioned aim and objects, as well as yet other objects, which will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a composite apparatus for making galleries, characterized in that said apparatus essentially comprises a central body bearing on two gallery toe walls, at the two end portions of said central body there being respectively pivoted a first ramp, bearing on the finished casting of the gallery road bottom and a second ramp bearing on the gallery bottom, said apparatus component parts being provided with means for firmly anchoring said component parts or for allowing for said component parts to slide with respect to the walls of said gallery.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and advantages of the composite apparatus for making galleries according to the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof which is illustrated, by way of an indicative but not limitative example in the figures of the accompanying drawings, where:

Figure 1 is a schematic elevation view of the apparatus according to the present invention, arranged for casting the gallery reverse arch, laying the prefabricated sewer and cast-finishing the gallery road path;
Figure 2 is another schematic elevation view of the apparatus according to the present invention arranged for simultaneously casting the gallery reverse arch and the gallery road path, and then forming in the thus obtained single integral body the sewer by using a self-removing and withdrawing form;
Figure 3 is a top plan view of that same apparatus;
and
Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a gallery.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings, the composite apparatus for making galleries according to the present invention comprises a central body, indicated overally at the reference number 1.
This central body 1 is provided with four driving wheels 2 moving on rails 3 arranged on the gallery toe walls 4 and with four screw stabilizers 5 bearing on the same rails 3.
At the two end portions of said central body there are pivoted a first and second ramp, indicated respectively at 6 and 7, having a suitably different length.
More specifically, of said ramps, the ramp 6 provided for bearing on the gallery bottom has a greater length and is also provided with two screw stabilizers 5′ bearing on the gallery bottom and with two wheel idly mounted on a hydraulic piston 8 and moving on the rails of the toe walls.
The mentioned ramp 6, moreover, is adapted to cover the excavation of the reverse arch 9.
The ramp 7 provided for bearing on the road bottom has a smaller length and also includes two screw stabilizers 5˝ which bear on the road bottom and two idle wheels on a respective hydraulic piston 8′, moving on the toe wall rail.
The ramp 7, moreover, operates to cover the fresh concrete casting forming the road bottom 10, to control its set performance.
Owing to the above disclosed provisions, the vehicles transporting the use materials can be easily driven in both driving directions on the central body, by coming from one of the ramps, which substantially consist of slanted platforms.
In fact, the provision of vertical stabilizers which bear on the gallery bottom, on the toe wall rails and on the road bottom, is such as to provide a very stable apparatus, even as the transport vehicles are abruptely braked.
Under the central body, in the apparatus embodiment shown in figure 1, are slidingly provided, on suitable longitudinal guides and driven by corresponding hydraulic motors, a form 11 for the casting of the reverse arch and a form 12 for the finishing casting of the gallery road path.
More specifically, the form 11 for casting the reverse arch comprises two form portions, that is a bottom portion which shapes the concrete being cast, supports the cast concrete vibrating devices and damp it for the casting of the finished gallery bottom and said portion is held embedded in the cast concrete up to the curing thereof; and a top portion entraining the bottom portion and which is disengaged from the latter and raised by hydraulic piston gears so as not to obstruct subsequent operations.
The form 12 for the finishing casting, in turn, supports on the front thereof a conveying screw for supplying the concrete material, as well as vibrating devices for pressing the fed concrete.
This form, moreover, after having patterned the concrete jet is raised by hydraulic piston gears so as not to obstruct further operations.
In this connection it should be pointed out that the concrete arrives on suitable self-moving concrete mixers, which move on the central body to discharge concrete into the underlying forms through the free zone 13 provided between the gallery toe wall and the mentioned central body and through the removable grids 13′ of said central body.
This central body is moreover provided, at an underlying position and on the side of the ramp bearing on the gallery bottom, with a driving and locking system 14 adapted to support the damper 15 for holding the concrete jet for the reverse arch, whilst the damper 16 for the concrete jet of the road bottom or path is bolt engaged to the form 11 for casting the reverse arch.
The advancing and withdrawing movements, with respect to the excavation front, of the overall composite apparatus according to the present invention are performed by raising the apparatus on the idle and driving wheels, by means of the respective hydraulic pistons, and actuating the motors of the driving wheels either clockwise or anticlockwise.
In this connection it should be pointed out that on the above mentioned two ramps and central body there are provided guard walls for persons or trucks, respectively indicated at 17 and 18.
Under the central body, in the embodiment shown in figure 2, there is provided a damper 19 for holding the concrete for the reverse arch and road bottom or path which are simultaneously cast. This damper comprises two portions, that is a top portion including driving means for slidingly displacing it under the central body and locking means for locking it to the central body at any desired point of its stroke; and a bottom portion coupled to the top portion for merely holding the concrete jet and provided with a hole for allowing the form 20 to pass through.
The form 20, in particular, is used in order to define in the concrete jet the sewer which has a substantially circular shape. This form has the feature that it can be withdrawn from the concrete jet, upon curing thereof, since it is provided with driving means operated by hydraulic pistons allowing for said form to disengage from the concrete jet; in fact, this form is adapted to change its shape and reduce its volume so as to be able of sliding within the cured concrete jet during the locating step. Before the concrete casting, the form 20 is supported by a portion of the just made sewer, since for a portion it is left engaged inside, from the other side by the mechanical assembly 21.
This mechanical assembly 21 operates, in addition to supporting from a side the just mentioned form, to withdraw it from the concrete jet upon curing thereof. This mechanical assembly is in fact provided, at the top portion thereof, with a driving system including a hydraulic motor which allow for it to slide under the central body for the overall length thereof. It moreover comprises a locking system for locking it to the central body at any given point of its stroke.
The finishing of the casting of the road bottom or path is performed by the form 12 of the already disclosed figure 1.
The length of the concrete jet under curing is equal to the stroke of two forms which is preset based on the soil nature.
More specifically short strokes of the forms have been provided as a few meters of reverse arch can be excavated, since the rock provides a pushing force which tends to close the gallery; on the contrary long strokes will be provided as it is possible to excavate several meters of reverse arch, since in this case the excavated rock does not provide any pushing force.
The width of the apparatus, that is of the central body and two ramps will depend on the width of the gallery and passage requirements of the vehicles which are driven thereabove.
From the above disclosure it should be apparent that the invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects.
In fact, owing to the disclosed apparatus, the works at the gallery front can always continue even as the reverse arch is excavated, since they are carried out during the transit dead time and, in the case of displacement of some vehicles, the apparatus will be dispaced with a very great speed and will imemediately cover the excavation so as to immediately recover the obstructed passage.
While the invention has been disclosed and illustrated with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it should be apparent that the disclosed embodiment is susceptible to several modifications and variations all of which will come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1- A composite apparatus for making galleries, comprising a plurality of cooperating portions for simultaneously casting the gallery reverse arch, sewer and finishing said gallery, as well as the gallery road bottom or path, characterized in that said apparatus comprises a central body bearing on the gallery toe walls, at the two end portions of said central body there being pivoted respectively a first ramp bearing on the finished casting of the gallery road path and a second ramp bearing on the gallery bottom, said apparatus component parts being provided with means for locking said parts or allowing for them to slide with respect to the walls of said gallery.

2- An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that under said central body there are provided driving wheels mounted on hydraulic pistons and vertically extending stabilizers adapted to contact rail means arranged on said gallery toe walls.

3- An apparatus according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said ramps have a different length one of said ramps, provided for bearing on the gallery bottom having a greater length and being provided with said vertical stabilizers, said ramp being further provided with articulated end portions and vertical idle wheels mounted on hydraulic pistons and adapted to contact said rail means.

4- An apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the other of said ramps is provided for bearing of the gallery road path and being provided with idle wheels, mounted on a respective hydraulic piston, and moving on said rail means, as well as with vertical stabilizers bearing on said road path or bottom.

5- An apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that under said central body there are provided a form for casting the reverse arch and a form for cast finishing the road path of said gallery, said forms being slidably supported on longitudinal guides and being driven by corresponding hydraulic motors.

6- An apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said form for casting the gallery reverse arch, after having patterned the concrete flow or jet, has a top portion forming a driving portion which is disengaged by hydraulic means, the bottom portion of said form being held in the cast concrete up to curing thereof and supporting a damper for holding the road path cast concrete.

7- An apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said form for the finishing casting supports, on the front portion thereof, a supplying screw for supplying concrete, as well as pressing vibrating devices, said finishing form, after having patterned the cast concrete, being raised by hydraulic means so as not to obstruct further operations.

8- An apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that on the portion of said central body facing the long ramp there is arranged a damper for the reverse arch said damper being mounted on a driving system able of sliding under said central body to be arranged and locked at any desired points of its stroke.

9- An apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said apparatus comprises a single damper for simultaneously holding the reverse arch cast concrete and the road path cast concrete so as to provide an integral concrete mass, said single damper comprising two damper top and bottom portions, the top portions including driving means for sliding under the central body and locking means to be locked to said central body, and the bottom damper portion being attached to the top damper portion and including a bore therethrough a form for forming the sewer can pass.

10- An apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said sewer form is provided with means for removing said sewer form from the case concrete.

11- An apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mechanical assembly which supports on a side said sewer form is provided with driving means sliding under said central body and adapted to remove said sewer form from the cast concrete.

12- An apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said road path form is according to claim 7.

13- An apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that on said ramps there are provided guard walls.

14- An apparatus according to one or more of the preced ing claims, characterized in that motor vehicles can move on said apparatus in both directions and self-propelled mixers can cast concrete from said apparatus in a rest condition.