US2134478A

US2134478A - Tunneling machine

Info

Publication number: US2134478A
Application number: US207257A
Authority: US
Inventors: Denzil M Hollingsworth
Original assignee: EQUIPMENT RENTAL CORP
Current assignee: EQUIPMENT RENTAL Corp
Priority date: 1938-05-11
Filing date: 1938-05-11
Publication date: 1938-10-25
Anticipated expiration: 1955-10-25

Description

Oct. 25, 1938. D, M. HOLLINGSWORTH 2,134,478

TUNNELING MACHINE Filed May l1, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR HOLLINGSWORTH BY 7 "4Q/5 DENzlL M ATTORNEY Oct.' 25, 1938- D. M. HOLLINGSWORTH TUNNELING MACHINE Filed May l1, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY SQL u done by manual labor'where the earth is of such Patented Oct. 25, 1938 i `U NlTEDf Pfaire154171` VoFFlci-zv p Y VV.2,134,478 a A Y* v TUNNELVING MACHINEV Denzl M. Hollingsworth, Louis, M0., assignor to` Equipment Rental Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application May 11.,v 193s,-seria1 No. 207,257`

n ,Y scams., (ol. @1 -85) Y My invention vrelates to ttunneling machines,

and has for its principal objectlto produce 'such a machine relatively cheaply, and one which is highly eicient in performance. Tunneling, particularly for sewer Workl and the like, is generallyL consistency that it can be removed bypick and shovel. This isnecessarily a slow and expensive method. Y Such efforts to, use a machine to re`-" place manual laborof which I have any knowledge have not been particularly successful,v due, I believe, to cumbersome "mechanical methods and arrangements and the rather slow advancing movement of `such a machine. 1 yItis `to be understood that `where the tunneling is in rockyrnaterial my tunneling `machine `is' notusually applicable, for much of such material must'befblasted out. My machine is particularlyapplicable where l 2?), the earth is clay, marl, shale, orfsuchothermateriall and where men with pick and shovel could most effectively work. By experience I` have found that by using my machine I can progress at approximately a speedroffone foot per minute while drilling. vIn sewer construction worksuch sults in a speed in tunneling is Vhighlyimportant` and regreat saving in the cost of constructing asewer. Y L

By vmymechanical set-up the tunnel is advancedrandtheV sewer construction work` is like- Wise progressively carried forward, and when the sewerl is completed' my mechanism is all subject to Withdrawal through the completedsewer Without injuryor detriment thereto(` An important'feature of my inventionfis that I employ a forwardlyjmovable `shield which is advanced by means' of hydraulic jacks; approximately twenty-four inches'aheadof the drilling device, and -whichdeflnes 'the upper portionrof thesewer. f The drill `then removes the earth within a cylindricalradius/inside said shield, and the earth so removed is carried'onwa traveling conveyor `to cars into which saidearth is, discharged, andas each car is filled with such earth `itmay be pulled out of @the sewer and dumped.

Horseshoe shaped shields havenot been successfully jacked due to theirtendency to rotate, therefore a still further important feature of my inventionv is thatifand whenthe shield tends to rotate during` the drilling'operation andthus produce a tilted arrangement of said shield, I can reverse the cutting blades on-the rotatable drilling member, which causes the shield to rotate in 'the oppositedirection, andfthus I can'restore said shield to its normal position'.- If `such rotation continues to the detrimentof the vdrilling Vindependently of said 'drilling device.

These cuttingblades are readily accessible and can-be changed in a relatively short time.

`I preferably `advance my drill by using one hydraulic jack bearing againsta portion of the carriage upon which my drill is mounted. As stated before, all the mechanical equipment which I employ can `be dismantled and the several parts freely removed through the completed tunnel;

' -The shieldisfkeptlon line and grade by varying the pressure -thereon by different hydraulic jacks which are used to advance said shield. By myl invention a minimum amount of manual labor is necessary and only one roperator for 'the machine is required. l Y Fig. :1 isa longitudinal,`secticnal view showing the drilling device and loadingsystem.

yFig. 2 `an enlarged section of the drilling portion of the mechanism. A

Fig. `3 is a cross-section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 showing the drilling head partly in elevation and partly in section.

Fig. 4 is -a detail section taken on line 4--4 of FigQB.

Fig. 5 is across-section taken on line 5-5 of y `Fig. 6 isa cross-section taken on line 6 6 of l'gQZ.' f "7 is a section taken on line 'l--i'i of Fig, 3.

Fig. 8is"a horizontal section taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 6, showing the jack-positioning means.

vI nthe drawings `A designates a longitudinally movable shield forwardly movable in a tunnel B, so as to penetrate the earth to be removed in th'e excavation of said tunnel. -C is a drilling device operable by a motor D mounted on a carriage E.

The drill neverV penetrates beyond the top of thesheldA, and this tends to prevent falling or' caving of softmaterial.V lA series of hydraulic jacks E, usually six in number, are used to push the shield A forwardly into the earth. The drilling device C isfrnoved forwardly by' a hydraulic lack` G. A belt conveyor H is mounted in the upper part of the equipmentfor carrying back to dump cars` I the earth drilled out by the vdrilling device C.

I designates a forwardly extending portion of the shield A andis preferably tapered, as at 2, to facilitate the penetration of the earth by said portion l. This portion l preferably extends approximately about two-thirds around the drilling device-C and-is capable of moving ahead of and In Figs. l and 2 the shield A has been advanced about two feet into the earth ahead of the drilling device C. The shield A extends rearwardly. a substantial distance, as shown in Figs. l and 2. As the drilling progresses and the tunnel is cleared, corrugated liner plates 3 are placed about the top and sides of said tunnel and serve as supporting means for said tunnel and one face of a wall for concrete with which said tunnel is lined, as shown at J in Fig. l, The concrete lining is.' the usual lining employed in tunnel or sewer construction.

The hydraulic jacks F for advancing the shield A bear against an A-frame 4 which is composed of the uprights 5 and rearwardly extending timbers E and 6 which extend rearwardly and abut against the forward end of the floor portion of `concrete J, which is preferably of quick-setting have a seven foot throw and a capacity of one v hundred and fty tons each.

The shield A is held in its expanded position by seven I-beams I0, which are placed longitudinally of the shield (see Fig. 5), and two circumferentially placed members II and I2, one near the front of the shield A and the other approximately two-thirds of the way back (see Figs. l and 2). The beams I0 extend longitudinaliy of the shield between these two members II and I2. Preferably the beams IEI and members II and I2 are bolted to the inner circumference of the shield A so that when the Shield is to be dismantled and removed from the sewer these parts may be removed and the shield collapsed, thusrpermitting the ready removal of said shield.l Y

The belt conveyor H is supported from the roof of the tunnel by the hangers I3, which have rollers Ill at the lower ends thereof over which the flexible belt conveyor H moves. The dump cars run on the rails I5 placed longitudinally along the floor of the tunnel. One set of said rails I5 may serve to receive another string of dump cars, and the belt conveyor H may be swung so as to discharge rst into one string of cars and then into the other string.

The drilling device C consists of a circular plate IS mounted on a shaft I1 which extends forwardly from the motor D, and is driven by said motor. Radial slots are provided in this plate I and are sufficiently wide to admit the earth cut away by the drilling device. At the edge of each side of these openings I provide angular supports IB which have threaded openings Eil in the outer face thereof to receive threaded bolts i9 for securing the blades 20 in position (see Fig. 4). By this arrangement the blades 2Q can cut away the earthy material against which the drilling device A abuts. The plate I@ is supported by a circular member 2I, which is supported in any convenient manner and the cuter edge of which extends forwardly as at 22 to serve as a support at the forward edge thereof for the plate I5, which plate is revoluble. If yand when it is desired to reverse the cutting revolution of the plate I6, the blades 20 are detached from the side to which they have been bolted when the plate I6 was rotating in one direction and placed lon the opposite side of the opening and bolted to the angular support I9 located at the side of said opening. If a horseshoe shaped sewer is being tunneled, I cut a circular opening and the earth 23 at the top of the shield A but above the top of the rotating plate 20 drops down and through openings provided in the forwardly extending part 22 of the circular member 2l.

A sufficient space between the inner faces of the circular plate I6 and member 2I is provided .to permit a series of buckets 24, carried by the circular plate I6, to operate and thus as the earth passes through the radial openings in the plate I6 or drops from the upper, horseshoe portion of the shield A, it is elevated by the buckets 24 and dumped therefrom onto the belt conveyor H, which in turn carries it rearwardly to a point over the dump cars I, into which said earth is discharged by the conveyor H. The forward end of the conveyor H extends into the space between the circular plate I6 and the member 2|, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. It will be understood that the motor D is reversible, but as the motor and its associated parts are no part of my invention, I am not illustrating or describing in detail said motor and its associated parts, as any conventional type motor may be employed.

The drilling device C and motor D and associated parts are mounted on a carriage 25, which is mounted for longitudinal movement upon the rollers 26 appropriately placed on the members II and I2. If necessary an appropriate supporting device for the upper portion of the motor D may be supplied.

A hydraulic Vpump 21 is provided and is operable by a motor 28, This pump supplies the water for the hydraulic jacks. The conveyor H mayfalso be run by said motor 28 operable independently of the motor D.

The earth inthe lower corners of the horseshoe as shown at 29 can be removed manually by a shovel and thrown into the buckets 24, and from them discharged onto the belt conveyor H.

The conveyor H is attached to the drill reduction drive driven by the motor D and moves forward with the drilling device as the hydraulic jack G drives the drilling device forwardly to makeit dig. Ihedrilling device C-is 8 feet in diameter,with two cutting edges which are designed to cut l inch of earthy material with each revolution. The device C rotates at approximately 10 revolutions per minute. 'I'he peripheral speed of the drilling device C is approximately 250 feet per minute, and the speed of the conveyor belt H is also 250 feet per minute, both being ample to vhandle approximately 18 inches of drilling per minute. The hydraulic jack G advances the drilling device C approximately 18 inches per minute, and said jack has a pressure up to 40,000 pounds. It will be understood that when the drilling device C reaches the forward end of the shield A, the drilling device is stopped and the shield is advanced forwardly a distance of about 18 inches and stopped. The shield A is adapted to be pushed forwardly by the application of the six jacks F heretofore described.

Workmen are completely enclosed and protected at all times by the shield A. By my device any settlement of adjoining ground is avoided, and only the actual material defined by the shield A is removed from the tunnel.

I claim:

1. A tunneling machine comprising a longitudinally movable shield, means for advancing said shield, a drilling device capable of rotatable and longitudinal movement, means for rotating said drilling device and meansfor advancing said drilling device longitudinally, the

lface member of said drilling device being pro- .vided With radial slots, detachable drilling blades vice and means for advancing said-drilling device Cil longitudinally, the face member of said drilling device being provided withV radial slots, detachable drilling blades for attachment to either side of said slots depending upon the direction of rotation of said drilling device, buckets connected to said drilling device for receiving earth removed during the operation. of said drilling device, and a traveling conveyor adapted to receive said earth from said buckets for conveying said earth rearwardly away from said drilling device. v I

`d. A tunneling machine comprising a longitudinally movable, expansible shield,` longitudinal and circumferential `members for holding said shield in expanded position, a drilling device capable o-f rotatable and longitudinal movement, means for rotating said drilling device and means for advancing said drilling device longitudinally, the face member of said drilling device being provided with radial slotsdetachable drilling blades for attachment to either side of said slots depending upon the direction ofrotation of said drilling device, buckets connected tof said drill-f` ing device for receiving earth removed during the operation of said drilling device, and a traveling conveyor adapted to receive said earth from said buckets for conveying saidV earth rearwardly away from said drilling device.

4. A tunneling machine comprising a longitudinallyV movable, expansible shield, means for holding said shield in expanded position, a drilling device capable of rotatable and longitudinal movement,meansfor rotating said drilling device and hydraulic jacks for advancing said drill- V ing device longitudinally, the face member of said drilling device being provided with radial slots, detachable drilling blades for attachment to either side of said slots depending upon the direction of rotation of said drilling device, buckets connected to said drilling device for receiving earth removed during the operation of said drilling device, and a traveling conveyor adapted to receive said earth from said buckets for conveying saidearth rearwardly away from said drilling device.

f 5. A tunneling machine comprising a longitudinally movable, eXp-ansible shield, means'for holding said shield in expanded position, a drilling device capable of lrotatable and longitudinal .movement means for rotating said drilling devic-e and means for advancing said drilling device.

longitudinally, the face member of'said 4drilling device being provided with radial slots, detachable drilling blades for attachment `to either side of said slots .depending upon the direction of rotation of said drilling device, a rear supporting element for supporting said face member of said drilling device spaced apart from said face member, buckets carried by said 'face member and located in the space between said face member and said rear supporting element connected to said drilling device for receiving earth removed during the operation of said 'drilling device, and a ytraveling conveyor adapted to receive said earth from said buckets forl conveying said earth rearwardly away from said drilling device.

` 6. A tunneling machine comprising a longitudinally movable, expansible shield having a forwardly projecting hood and side portions for penetrating the earthy material, means for' holding said shield in, expanded position, means for advancing said,shield', ra drilling device capable of rotatable and longitudinal movement, means for rotating said drilling device and means ing device, buckets connected to said drilling device for receiving earth removed during the operation lof said drilling device, and a traveling `for advancing said drilling device longitudinally,

conveyor adapted Vto receive said earth from said buckets for conveying said earth rearwardly away from said drilling device.

DENzn. M. HOLLINGSWORTH.