Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
  • E21D—SHAFTS; TUNNELS; GALLERIES; LARGE UNDERGROUND CHAMBERS
  • E21D11/00—Lining tunnels, galleries or other underground cavities, e.g. large underground chambers; Linings therefor; Making such linings in situ, e.g. by assembling
  • E21D11/40—Devices or apparatus specially adapted for handling or placing units of linings or supporting units for tunnels or galleries
  • E21D11/403—Devices or apparatus specially adapted for handling or placing units of linings or supporting units for tunnels or galleries combined with the head machine
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
  • E21D—SHAFTS; TUNNELS; GALLERIES; LARGE UNDERGROUND CHAMBERS
  • E21D9/00—Tunnels or galleries, with or without linings; Methods or apparatus for making thereof; Layout of tunnels or galleries
  • E21D9/06—Making by using a driving shield, i.e. advanced by pushing means bearing against the already placed lining
  • E21D9/08—Making by using a driving shield, i.e. advanced by pushing means bearing against the already placed lining with additional boring or cutting means other than the conventional cutting edge of the shield
  • E21D9/0875—Making by using a driving shield, i.e. advanced by pushing means bearing against the already placed lining with additional boring or cutting means other than the conventional cutting edge of the shield with a movable support arm carrying cutting tools for attacking the front face, e.g. a bucket
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
  • E21D—SHAFTS; TUNNELS; GALLERIES; LARGE UNDERGROUND CHAMBERS
  • E21D9/00—Tunnels or galleries, with or without linings; Methods or apparatus for making thereof; Layout of tunnels or galleries
  • E21D9/10—Making by using boring or cutting machines
  • E21D9/1006—Making by using boring or cutting machines with rotary cutting tools
  • E21D9/1013—Making by using boring or cutting machines with rotary cutting tools on a tool-carrier supported by a movable boom
  • E21D9/102—Making by using boring or cutting machines with rotary cutting tools on a tool-carrier supported by a movable boom by a longitudinally extending boom being pivotable about a vertical and a transverse axis

Definitions

• This invention relates to circular heading machines for excavating tunnels.
• An object of this invention is to obviate or mitigate the aforementioned disadvantage.
• a circular heading machine comprising an elongate machine body having at its forward end a forwardly directed cutter boom * mounted thereon, means to advance the machine body in step-wise fashion, means to limit peripheral movement of the cutter boom to form an accurate profile and a gathering apron at the forward extremity of the machine body, characterised in that the cutter boom is mounted on a sliding carriage longitudin ⁇ ally moveable on and independently of the machine body, a hood overlies the apron, a cage structure extends rearwardly from the hood structure and surrounds the boom cutter and sliding carriage and means are provided externally of the cage structure, directly behind the hood structure for erecting circular tunnel support structures over the machine body, erection of the tunnel support structures taking place simultaneously with operation of the cutter.
• the hood is a semi-circular member supported by hydraulic rams for height adjustment.
• Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a circular heading machine according to the invention
• Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1;
• Figs. 3 to 5 are side elevations of the machine illustrating, with Fig. 1, the cycle of operation;
• Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of the lines VI-VI of Fig. 1 showing tunnel support erection apparatus.
• Fig. 6A is a rear elevation of the lines VIA-VIA of Fig. 1 showing the rear support leg;
• Fig. 7 is a detail illustrating lagging between the tunnel supports;
• Fig. 8 is a detail illustrating a trailing arm.
• the circular heading machine has an elongate body 10 which mounts a cutter boom 11 at its forward end, the boom 11 being carried on a sliding carriage 12 which is slidably- moveable on the machine body 10 by thrust jacks 13.
• the cutter boom 11 carries a conical cutter head 14, by which a funnel 15 can be excavated; movement of the boom is manually controlled via tilting jacks 11A and slewing jacks 11B, by an operator seated in the sliding carriage.
• a gathering apron 16 of semi-circular form which carries windmill or gathering arms 16A and above the apron there is a semi-circular hood 17; this hood forms a stone/dust guard as illustrated in Fig. 1 for use as a temporary roof support if required and it may be provided with trailing fingers (Fig. 8) as hereinafter described.
• the hood is supported by hydraulic rams 17A which serve to lower the hood if necessary for the insertion of lagging strips 45 (Fig. 6) hereinafter described and to permit controlled lowering of the hood in the event of severe convergence or collapse of the roof.
• the apron and hood converge rearwards and termin-
• a profile collar 18' which can run round the inner face of the ring 18 thus limiting the movement of the boom.
• a tunnel-support mechanical erection apparatus 20 by which ring girders can be erected over the machine body as hereinafter described with reference to Fig. 6.
• a cage-s-tructure 21 is provided on the machine body below the level of the top of the hood 17 to ' enclose the boom 11 and carriage 12 and the support erection apparatus 20 is external of the cage 21.
• Tunnel support erectors can therefore work in safety on a platform 22 on the machine body even while the cutter 14 is in operation.
• a radial gripper mechanism 23 having three segmental grippers 24 which are radially extendible to engage the sides and floor of the excavated tunnel.
• Thrust jacks 25 and 25A are connected between the lowermost gripper 24 and an underframe 26 on the machine body 10 and between side grippers 24 and longitudinal beams 26A also on the machine body.
• the jacks 25 and 25A can extend to push the machine body forward; when the grippers are retracted the jacks 25 and 25A can be retracted to draw the gripper mechanism 23 forward.
• a segmental support leg 27 is mounted on the machine body 10 and is extended downwards to engage the tunnel floor when the gripper mechanism is to be retracted and when the side grippers are being adjusted to align the machine transversely, thus to hold the machine in its existing vertical alignment.
• the support leg 27 is part of a centering structure 27A which is transversely slidably
• the jacks 27B operate sequentially with support leg 27 to ensure that the latter is automatically centralised in the tunnel before engaging the tunnel floor.
• the side jacks 27B which are hydraulic jacks are connected through an equal split flow divider so that their flows are equal; thus if one jack engages the tunnel wall first, it will push the entire jack structure transversely relative to the machine body away from that side until the other side jack engages its side of the tunnel, after which the support leg 27 will be in a centered position relative to the tunnel. Once the support leg has been lowered, the rear end of the machine body can be transversely ad ⁇ justed via the side grippers 24 to give accurate direct ⁇ ional positioning of the machine required, as herein ⁇ after explained.
• the machine body carries an integral scraper chain conveyor section 30 which runs from the gathering apron, under the machine body then upwardly towards the rear end, exiting in a rearward extension 31 beyond the machine body for transfer of excavated minerals to a bridge conveyor 32 trailed by the machine.
• the bridge conveyor is aligned below conveyor extension 31 and on the former is slidably mounted a deflector structure 32A which when in one position is clear of material dropping on to the bridge conveyor 32 and when in the other position deflects the material on to the floor at the side of the bridge conveyor to create an infill 33 when required.
• the machine operates in cycles as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 to 5, and described herein ⁇ after.
• Tunnel support erection is carried out by erectors working on the platform 22 situated immediately behind
• a secondary platform 22A is provided on each side for erectors to fit tie rods 52 hereinafter described.
• Segments of ring girders 40 are delivered, e.g. by monorail (not shown) to the rear of the machine and delivered therefrom via a hydraulically driven chain hauled carrier 41 (Fig. 6) running via wheel 42 on a longitudinal structure 43 overlying the machine body to the erection area behind the hood 17.
• Structure 43 is bodily adjustable longitudinally and vertically relative to the machine body 10 by hydraulic rams 44 and 45 (Fig. 1) to manipulate the ring supports into position.
• the mechanical erector 20 which is a framework carrying a circular chain 46 (Fig.
• the positioned sections 40 and the entire structure 43 is lifted by hydraulic rams 45 to expand the positioned sections radially to provide room for the final section which is advanced into position either by moving struct- ure 43 bodily forward using hydraulic rams 44 or by advancing carrier 41 or both.
• a ring expansion joint (not shown) is then fitted and to give extra tunnel support the machine is designed to allow this expansion.joint to be located in different positions on adjacent ring girders so that the weakest point in the girder is not always, in the same relative position.
• the tie rods 52 (Fig. 6A) are loosely bolted to the previous ring and the entire new ring is drawn back on carrier 41 by the hydraulic rams 44. to abut against the tie rods.
• the new ring is then loosely bolted to the tie rods after which a final expansion of the new ring is carried out using known- methods, e.g. mechanical screw * jacks and final tightening of the bolts is made. Cycle.
• the machine operates in cycles as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 to 5 (in the latter Figs, the jacks 25A are omitted for reasons of clarity).
• the boom sliding carriage 12 is in its retracted position so that the cutter 14 is just clear of the mineral face.
• the side jacks 27A are extended to automatically centre the lower support leg 27 in the tunnel and then lower it to the floor.
• the gripper mechanism 23 is retracted (chain lines) and drawn forward by retraction of the thrust jacks 25 and 25A.
• the transverse alignment of the machine 10 is checked by known methods of alignment, e.g. laser beams 53 and target 54 on the machine and if necessary set to its correct position by pushing with the left hand or right hand wall gripper 24A against the tunnel wall thus sliding the machine across the centering structure 27A which is firmly located agains.t the tunnel wall.
• known methods of alignment e.g. laser beams 53 and target 54 on the machine and if necessary set to its correct position by pushing with the left hand or right hand wall gripper 24A against the tunnel wall thus sliding the machine across the centering structure 27A which is firmly located agains.t the tunnel wall.
• Lagging- 48 (Fig. 6) is introduced into arcuate slot 49 and info the space 50 between the hood 17 and the roof and a ring girder 40 is assembled and
• the cutter boom carriage is advanced to sump-in the cutter head and excavate to a depth of 0.5 metre 5 (Fig. 1).
• the head can move universally within the limits set by the profile ring 18 and forms a circu ⁇ lar hole slightly in excess of the required tunnel diameter with a new mineral face 35A.
• the carriage is then advanced again (Fig. 4) to sump in and excavate another 0.5 metre to form a new mineral face 35B.
• each hood plate 17 8 rearwardly extending fingers 55 are resiliently connected to the front edge of each hood plate 17 and extend back by such a length that they overlie not only the ring girder being erected but also the last fully erected ring girder.
• the structure 43 is manoeuvred to position the ring girder being erected and during the new cycle when the machine is pushed forward the trailing fingers 47 are drawn clear of the previously last erected ring girder to overlie the new last erected ring girder. Dust extraction ducts 56 are fastened to the
• CMPI machine body whereby when air is blown into the tunnel and over the machine, dust from the excavation will be drawn into the top of hood 17 and through the ventilation ducts 56 to exit from the rear into a dust collection unit (not shown) thus enabling the erectors to operate in a relatively dust free atmosphere.
• a hydraulic power pack 57 can be trailed behind the machine or, as illustrated in Fig. 1 located on the machine body and is used to power all the machine's functions.
• three radial grippers 24 are provided, i.e. the two side grippers plus the floor gripper. However, should conditions require it, a fourth gripper may be added to engage the roof in conjunction with the side and floor units. There are removable parts in the gripper shoes 24 which allow the grippers to 'straddle' .the ring girders if any increase or decrease in ring density is required.
• apron 16 and. ood 17 have alternat- ive bolting positions so that tunnels of varying dia ⁇ meters within the limits of plus or minus 0.25 metres from the norm may be worked.
• An advantage of the circular mining machine as hereinbefore described is that it allows erection of the tunnel support structure over the machine rather than behind it, thus reducing the 'prop-free front distance', i.e. the distance between the cut face and the last permanent tunnel support.
• the only part of the machine that can become trapped is the.hood 17, and another advantage, due to the feature of the boom carriage being moveable independ ⁇ ently of the machine, is that in the event of sudden convergence trapping the machine against further forward movement, the cutter can be advanced to cut a chamber and the mineral cut thereby can then be removed by hand by personnel gaining access to the mineral through the cage and apron/hood.
• a further advantage of the circular heading machine as hereinbefore described is its economic rate of advance, cutting 1 metre in each cycle in two cuts of 0.5 metre, while simultaneously allowing support erect ⁇ ion operations to be carried out in safety.

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Citations (11)

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• 1983
  • 1983-08-20 GB GB08322467A patent/GB2145134B/en not_active Expired
• 1984
  • 1984-08-14 ZA ZA846294A patent/ZA846294B/xx unknown
  • 1984-08-15 CA CA000461114A patent/CA1235150A/en not_active Expired
  • 1984-08-16 IN IN661/DEL/84A patent/IN161662B/en unknown
  • 1984-08-17 JP JP59503131A patent/JPS61500673A/ja active Pending
  • 1984-08-17 BR BR8407052A patent/BR8407052A/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1984-08-17 MX MX202424A patent/MX160500A/es unknown
  • 1984-08-17 IT IT67821/84A patent/IT1179051B/it active
  • 1984-08-17 ES ES535264A patent/ES535264A0/es active Granted
  • 1984-08-17 EP EP84903078A patent/EP0153935B1/en not_active Expired
  • 1984-08-17 WO PCT/GB1984/000285 patent/WO1985001081A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1984-08-17 AU AU33106/84A patent/AU570725B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 1984-08-17 DE DE8484903078T patent/DE3468480D1/de not_active Expired

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