US674415A

US674415A - Tunneling apparatus.

Info

Publication number: US674415A
Application number: US72844599A
Authority: US
Inventors: David L Hough
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1899-08-25
Filing date: 1899-08-25
Publication date: 1901-05-21
Anticipated expiration: 1918-05-21

Description

No. 674,4I5. P a tented May 2|, I901.

- D L. HOUGHK 1 T-UNNELING APPARATUS. 1 (Application filed Aug. 25, 1899.)

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No. 674,4l5. ,Pat ented May 2|, 19m.

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TUNNELING APPARATUS.

(Applicafion filed Aug. 26, 1899.)

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(Application flled Aug. 25, 1899.)

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DAVID L. HOUGH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TUNNELING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 674,415, dated May 21, 1901.

Application filed August 25 1899. Serial No. 728,445. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, DAVID L, HOUGH, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tunneling Apparatus, of which the followingis a specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

In driving subaqueous tunnels it has been usual heretofore to provide within the hood or shield of the tunnel a sufficient air-pressure to prevent the entrance of water through the material at the end of the tunnel through which the tunnel is being driven and the breaking down of such material by the external pressure. It is well understood that the cost of such tunneling increases with the pressure which it is necessary to maintain within the tunnel by reason of the difficulty of working in air under heavy pressure and that such work is very dangerous, particularly in tunnels of large diameter, by reason of the great difference in the external pressures at the top and bottom of the tunnel, while the internal pressure must of necessity be the same at all points and will therefore be too great at the top of the tunnel or too ject to the difficulties and dangers above referred to and shall require very little, if any, air-pressure within the tunnel above the normal atmospheric pressure.

In accordance with the invention the end of the hood or shield which is advanced as the work of excavation progresses is 'provided with a bulkhead, which prevents the entrance of water or material within the tunnel and is provided with suitable tools to act upon the material in advance of the bulkhead, but operated by suitable means within the tunnel. Provision is also made for the removal of the material which has been acted upon by such tools.

It will be evident that this invention can 3 be embodied in many different forms of apparatus, as convenience in manufacture or in use or the nature of the material through which the tunnel is driven or the conditions under which the tunnel is driven may require. For purposes of explanation of the nature of the invention some of such forms of apparatus have been chosen for illustrabe more fully described hereinafter.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view, partly in plan and partly in horizontal section, of one of such forms of apparatus, some of the resented. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an inside elevation of the bulkhead shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing a different form of the apparatus. Fig. 5 shows in front elevation a part of the outer bulkhead shown in Fig. 4 and a part of the inner bulkhead,*and Fig. 6 is a detail view showing a portion of the rear face of the inner bulkhead.

At A in Fig. 1 is represented a casing or lining which is put in place within the hood or shield B as the latter is advanced, as is usual in the ordinary methods of tunneling. The particular construction ofsuch casing or lining is not material-to the present invention and may be of any usual or suitable character. The hood or shield B, which is advanced by means of hydraulic jacks b or otherwise as the tunneling progresses, may be of any desired shape in cross-section so far as concerns that form of the apparatuswhich is shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, although a circular cross-section is indicated. Inor near the forward end of the hood or shield is tightly secured a bulkhead O, which may be of any suitable construction, but is preferably cellular and sectional, as indicated in the drawings. The functions of this bulkhead in the are to prevent-the entrance of water and of material within the hood or shield and to support suitable tools for operation upon the ma terial in advance of the bulkhead, provision being made for operatingsuch tools from within the hood or shield and behind the bulkhead.

for supporting and operating the same will be varied according to the nature of the material to be operated upon and other condition in the accompanying drawings, and will casing in rear of the hood or shield being repconstruction represented in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 It is obvious that the tools and the means IOO (ions of their use. In the arrangement which has been chosen for illustration in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings each tool D, having a drill-head or bur or other suit-able head, as the case may be, is represented mounted in a sleeve or tube E, which has a universal hearing at e in a sleeve F. The sleeve or tube E may be provided with a suitable handle 6', by means of which the tool can be moved about in its universal bearing, and with a threaded hand-wheel e which engages the threaded shank d of the tool D, so that the tool may be advanced or retired within its holder E, as may be desired. The shank of the tool is also shown as connected by a flexible shaft 1) with a suitable motor B, so that it may receive the necessary cutting motion; but it will be evident that any suitable means may be em ployed for operating the tool. As a ronvenient means for permitting the complete withdrawal of a tool, so that it maybe repaired or replaced by another more suitable to the work, the sleeve F is made movable in the bulkhead C, so that the outer end of the tool maybe withdrawn to the rear of the outer face of the bulkhead. Suitable screws f are shown as engaginga flange of the sleeve and as threaded into the inner wall of the bulkhead to force the sleeve homeand retain it in position. The outer end of the opening in the bulkhead through which the tool is extended is ar ranged to be closed when the tool is withdrawn to the position indicated in the upper righthand corner of Fig. l, as by means of a gate c,which slides in suitable ways provided therefor. The gate is arranged to be operated from the inner side of the bulkhead and for this purpose may be provided with a rack 0', engaged by a pinion 0 The latter is carried by a shaft 0 provided at its inner end with a hand-wheel c The material which has been stirred up or broken up or otherwise reduced by the action of the tools or otherwise to small fragments should be removed without requiring any opening through the bulkhead which would admit water and material within the hood or shield. For this purpose, as represented in the drawings, a suitable pump G may be provided to force water through a suitable hose g and through the bulkhead into the space in front of the bulkhead, and another pump G and hose g may be similarly connected to the bulkhead to carry 01? the mingled water and material.

In order that the face of the material operated upon may be examined from time to time, a tubularshellH may be arranged in the bulkhead to inclose suitable lamps h, the shell being provided with openings h to permit the passage of the light outward upon the face of the material or upon the tools. Within the shell H is disposed a second tube 1, which is provided with an eyepiece 'L' at one end and a mirror 2" and suitable sight-openings 2' at the other end, thus permitting an examination of any of the tools or of any portion of the face of the work. The tube I is rotatable within the tube H and maybe provided with a hand wheel t to facilitate its movement.

The operation of the construction shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 3 of the drawings will be readily understood. When the hood or shield has been pressed forward by hydraulic jacks or other means as far as possible toward the face of the work, the tools are extended through the bulkhead, are set in motion, and are so manipulated as to sweep over the whole face of the work. Meantime the pump G is forcing in water and the pump G is carrying off the mingled water and detritus. As fast as the condition of the face of the work will permit the hood or shield is advanced, the easing or lining of the tunnel being carried on with the advance of the hood or shield.

In the construction represented in Figs. 4 and 5 the tools D are fixed to the outer face of the bulkhead, and the latter is rotated within the end of the hood or shield B. In order that the tool-carrier may be rotated regardless of the pressure at the end of the tunnel, while at the same time leakage into the tunnel may be prevented, the bulkhead is made double, the outer part or tool-carrier O being rotatable and provided with rollers and c to bear against the hood or shield 13 and against the inner stationary part C of the abutment. The carrier 0' is secured to a tubular shaft G which is mounted in suitable bearings in the fixed abutment C and in a bracket 13' and is provided with a gear 0 by which it may be driven from a suitable motor 0 Within the tubular shaft may be placed a pipe G which opens through the face of the outer abutment or carrier 0 in a central position, so as to receive the detritus which is carried upward by the tools and is allowed to fall across the open end of the pipe, and at the other end is connected by means of an ordinary sleeve-joint g with a suctionpump. (Not necessary to be shown in the drawings.) The pipe Gr within the tubular shaft is connected by a similar sleeve-joint with a force-pump, so that water may be forced into the space between the two parts 0 and O of the abutment for the purpose of balancing the pressure against the outer face of the outer abutment or carrier as well as for furnishing the water which is mingled with the detritus and carried oil? through the pipe G the water escaping around the edge of the outer abutment or carrier, and thereby preventing the accumulation of material between the carrier and the hood or shield,which would interfere with the rotation of the former.

It is desirable to provide for the withdrawal of the tools from time to time for the purpose of examination or repair, and for this purpose each tool is mounted upon a threaded shank d which is larger in diameter than the head of the tool and is screwed into the carrier from its inner face. The inner or fixed abutment (J is provided with a series of apertures 0 which correspond in number and ITO , abutment.

position with each series of tools D so that each tool can be withdrawn through the inner A bracket-arm D is arranged to be moved in a guide 01 parallel with the series of holes 0 and to support a shaft D which is provided with a hand-wheel d. The shaft D is formed at its end to engage the tool in line with it, is provided with a head (1 which fits snugly in the opening 0 and is also provided with a threaded portion (1 which is adapted to engage a threaded nut (1 carried by the arm D A gate o is provided for each hole 0 and is carried by a spindle 0 which is extended through the fixed abutment 0 When it is desired to remove a tool, the corresponding gate 0 is moved aside, and the shaft B is engaged with the tool and rotated until the tool has been screwed backward out of the carrier 0. At this time the threaded portion (1 of the shaft D engages the nut (1 and the contin ued rotation of the shaft carries the tool backward into the opening o until its outer end has passed to the rear of the front face, so that the gate 0 can be closed, thus preventing the entrance of water within the hood orshield. The head orfiange d prevents the passage of water backward through the hole a while the shaft or key D is being inserted. The modeof operation of this form of the apparatus Will be readily understood. The rotation of the outer abutment or carrier disintegrates the material operated upon, and the detritus is carried off through the pipe G in the manner already described.

It is to be understood that the forms of apparatus shown and described herein are merely two forms which may be used under particular conditions and are illustrative of the general character of the invention, which is not to be restricted to the features of construction and arrangement heretofore described.

I claim as my inventionl. Atunneling apparatus com prisingahood or shield, a bulkhead in said hood or shield comprising an outer rotatable part or toolcarrier and an inner stationary part, means to rotate the outer part and means to supply water under pressure to'the space between the outer and inner parts.

2. Atunnelingapparatus comprisingahood or shield, a bulkhead in said hood or shield comprising an outer rotatable part or toolcarrier and an inner, stationary part, means to rotate the outer part, means to supply water under pressure to the space between the outer and the inner parts, and a pipe carried through the bulkhead for removal of the detritus from the space in front of the same.

3'. A tunneling apparatus comprisinga hood or shield, a bulkhead in said hood or shield comprising an outer rotatable part or toolcarrier and an inner stationary part, antifriction-rollers between the rotatable part and the stationary part, means to rotate the outer part and means to supply water under pressure to the space between the outer and inner parts.

This specification signed and witnessed this 17th day of August, A. D. 1899.

, DAVID L. HOUGH.

In presence of- J. G. LIVINGSTON, ANDREW H. SCOBLE.