US1386622A

US1386622A - Process and a device for shortening the time used in removing the debris off the track on driving headings

Info

Publication number: US1386622A
Application number: US360900A
Authority: US
Inventors: Huguenin Albert
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1920-02-24
Filing date: 1920-02-24
Publication date: 1921-08-09
Anticipated expiration: 1938-08-09

Description

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PRDCESS AND A DEVICE ron SHORTENING we TIME USED IN REMOVING THE DEBRIS OFF THE TRACK 0N omvms HEADINGS.

APPLICATION HLYED Hi8- 24, I920- InvenZOr;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT HUGUENIN, OE ZURICH, SWITZERLAND.

PROCESS AND A. DEVICE FOR SHORTENING THE TIME USED IN REMOVING THE IDEBRIS OFF THE TRACK ON DRIVING HEADINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

Application filed February 24., 1920. Serial No. 360,900.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT I-IUGUENIN, a citizen of the Republic of Switzerland, residing at Zurich, Schappistrasse 18, Switzerland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes and Devices for Shortening the Time Used in Removing the Debris Off the Track on Driving Headings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a clear, full, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

In driving headings three periods can be distipguished in the work at the working fac 20 /(l) the period of drilling the bore-holes,

f, (2. of loading and fixing and (3 of removing the debris of blastingdn [order to start again this cycle with drilling bore holes into the new face. 2 It is generally known that removing the debris takes up much time and that this work delays the advance in driving a head ing. In the case of long tunnels, for instance on railways crossing the Alps, the time of completing the advance heading is of the greatest importance for the comple tion and the costs of the whole tunnel. A great progress is attained if the loss of time resulting from the removing of the debris can be reduced considerably. Various proposals have been made to that view, for in stance removing the debris hydraulically as tried in the construction of the Simplontunnel. Powerful hydraulic jets were set to work at the working face at the moment of the ignition of the blasting charges for the purpose of spreading the debris by means of the impact of the water jets over a comparatively great length of the heading and of attaining thereby a corresponding reduction of the thickness of the layer of the debris. Such a thin layer reduces the time for clearing the track from the debris considerably and the rock-boring machine can be set to start work at the new working face comparatively soon after the blasting has taken place. This proposal did, however, not come up to the expectations.

The object of the present invention consists in covering that part of the track immediately behind the working face by means of cover plates adapted to be brought into such an inclination that the debris piled up on the top of the plates by the explosive action of the blasts glide off them to the sides of the track. In this way the track is cleared at once, the debris lying at the sides of the track enabling the rock-boring machine to be brought up and to start work without any further interruption. The removal of the debris may be carried out while the rook-boring machine works.

Another advantage is gained by covering the track with the cover plates. It is a well known fact that the firing of the blasting charges produces a considerable quantity of explosive gases, which must be carried away in long headings by artificial ventilation be fore the workmen are able to take up work again at the face. In shorter headings, which are provided with side adits and in which an artificial ventilation is not installed, the workmen must wait for the gases to be carried away by the natural draft. The artificial ventilation can only be effected by leading pipes to the working face which supply fresh air at a certain rate, the noxious air fiowing back through the whole cross-section of the heading. It is not possible to bring the ventilation pipe which is normally of a very large diameter on account of the small surplus pressure of the air, to a closer distance to the working face than 80 to 100 m., because the pipes are likely to be damaged by the debris.

Coverlng the tracks by means of plates allows of conducting a ventilation pipe line close up to the working face as it is protected by said plates against the damaging effects of the debris. It is evident, that the pipes must be of small diameters conducting air compressed to a'high pressure. During the ignition of the blasts a powerful air-jet may be caused to flow from the working face backward along the heading, which rarefies the noxious gases considerably and carries them away quickly.

The process constitutes thus a remarkable progress in shortening the time of the removal of the debris of the track.

A convenient mode of carrying the invention into effect is shown on the accompanyin drawing. In this drawing:

%igure 1 is a vertical section along line II of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 2 is a plan of the covering device, the cover plates being broken away in the lower half of the figure.

Fig. 3 is a section along line III-III of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is partly a side view and partly a section along line IVIV of Fig. 2.

A number of pairs of cover plates 1 and 2 are arranged in succession above the rails 5 of the track which are normally laid on Wooden sleepers 6 which plates completely cover the track. The length of the covered part depends on the explosive action of the blasts. The two cover plates constituting a pair overla one the other and further each pair of plates overlaps the adjoinlng pair in the direction of the track. The body of the plates is preferably made of sheet iron, strengthened by means of ribs 3 made of profile iron or such like. The cover plates 1 and 2 are loosely placed on strong cylindrical rods 4 arranged outside the rails and held in position by brackets 7 screwed to the sleepers. The plates 1 and 2 rest by means of pillow blocks 8 on said rods, the blocks being fixed to the plates. The connection of blocks and rods allows of a swiveling movement of the plates around rods 1 and of a displacement in the direction of the rods.

Each pair of plates 1 and 2 is connected by

tie rods

9 and 10 provided with opposite thread to a worm wheel 11 the boss of which acts as a nut for the two tie rods. The worm wheel 11 is actuated by a worm 12 engaging the worm wheel at the top. The casing of the worm drive 11, 12 is connected by means of a hinged part 13 to a base plate 14 fixed to a sleeper.

Each worm is driven by a shaft 15, rovided on one side of the casing with a ardan-coupling 16 with which an intermediate hollow shaft 17 is connected. The connection of the intermediate shaft to the shaft end of the next worm drive is carried out b telescoping said end into the hollow shaft 17 which connection allows a gliding of one shaft in the other but no turning of the shafts against each other. All the worms are connected by these

shafts

15 and 17 forming together a complete line of shafting, by which all the pairs of plates can be actuated simultaneously. Another shaft 18 connects the end of said line of shafting by means of another Cardan-coupling 19 to a motor 20, which consists in most cases of an electro-motor.

A pipe conduit 21 arranged below the cover plates serves for conducting compressed air close up to the working face; it is provided with nozzles 22.

The cover plates are clad with interchangeable wooden laths 23 for protecting the plates against the shocks and impacts of the debris.

The manner of working the described device is as follows:

The track immediately behind the work ing face is covered by means of the cover plates 1, 2, then the blasting charges are ignited and a strong current of compressed air introduced by means of conduit 21, Whereafter the motor is actuated.

The worm drives 11, 12 actuated by the line of shafting 15, 17 cause the screwing of each pair of the

tie rods

9 and 10 into the boss of worm wheel 11 by which action the cover plates are raised into the upright position (shown in Fig. 1 in dotted lines) in swiveling around the rods 4 as fulcrum. The debris roll off the plates to both sides of the track during this movement of the plates.

The points 24 where the tie rods are connected to the plates and the worm wheels are vertically displaced during the swiveling motion of the plates, the worms 12 and the

shafts

15, 17 partake in that vertical movement, to which efiect the casing of the worm drive is hinged to the sleeper, thus the engagement of the constituent parts of the drive is permanently insured.

I claim:

1. The process, which comprises covering the part of the track immediately behind the working face by cover plates before igniting the charges, and clearing the track by bringing the plates into such an inclination, that the debris piled up on the plates by the explosive charges glide off said plates to the sides of the track, thereb allowing the rock-boring machine to be rought up to the face and to continue work almost immediately after the blasting.

2. The process, which comprises covering the part of the track immediatel behind the working face by cover plates be ore igniting the charges, forcing a strong air jet against the working face from a pipe protected by these cover plates for the purpose of carrying away the noxious gases, and clearing the track by bringing the plates into such an inclination that the debris piled up on the plates by the explosive charges glide off said plates to the sides of the track thereby allowing the rock boring machine to be brought up to the face and to continue work almost immediately after the blasting.

3. A device for removing the debris off the track when constructing headin s, comprising cover plates for covering t e part of the track immediately behind the working face, and means for effecting such an inclination. of said plates that the debris piled up on them by the explosion of the charges glide off said plates aside the track.

4:. A device for removing the debris off the track when constructing headings, comprising cover plates that overlap each other in the direction of the heading as well as transversely to it, for covering the part of the track immediately behind the working face and means for effecting simultaneously such an inclination of all said. plates that the debris piled up on them by the explosion of the charges glide off said plates aside the track, said means being operated by a common driving agent.

5. A device for removing the debris off the track when constructing headings, comprising cover plates for covering the part of the track immediately behind the working face and at the same time covering conduits for conducting compressed air close up to the working face, and means for effecting such an inclination of said plates that the debris piled up on-them by the explosion gases of the charges glide off said plates aside the track.

6. A device for removing debris off a track when constructing headings, which comprises pivoting means along the track, folding track covers mounted on said pivoting means, and means beneath the covers when folded for operating said covers.

7. A device for removing debris off a track when. constructing headings comprising hinged covers for the track over-lapping at their edges, an operating device between the track rails, means connecting the hinged covers and operating device, means for mounting said operating device to permit automatic vertical adjustment thereof during the operation of said covers.

8. In. a device for removing debris off a track when constructing headings which comprises over-lapping covers hinged at each side of the track and operating means for the covers, said operating means capable of sliding longitudinallyof the track.

9. In a device for removing debris off a track when constructing headings, bars outside of the track and substantially parallel thereto, covers arranged to pivot and slide on said bars, operating rods pivoted at one end to said covers and having their other ends threaded, worm wheels and operating worms both mounted to move vertically between the track rails, said worm wheels having lateral threaded extensions engaging the threaded ends of pairs of said rods, a shaft section for each worm having at one end an articulated sliding shaft member for sliding engagement with the next adjacent shaft section and means for driving connected sections.

10. In a device for removing debris off a track comprising pairs of pivoted covers overlapping over the track the covers of one pair overlapping the edges of the next adjacent pair, and means between the track rails, to swing the covers on. their pivots from the track to discharge debris to the side to the track clear of the rails.

I11 testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name.

ALBERT HUGUENIN.