WO2023242538A1

WO2023242538A1 - Apparatus for excavating material from the ground and conveying the material away and for creating subterranean space

Info

Publication number: WO2023242538A1
Application number: PCT/GB2023/051515
Authority: WO
Inventors: Senake Atureliya
Original assignee: Dogbot Technology Limited
Priority date: 2022-06-15
Filing date: 2023-06-14
Publication date: 2023-12-21
Also published as: GB202208826D0; GB2622764A; WO2023242538A4

Abstract

This invention describes a number of used for subterranean space and equipment for its construction.

Description

Subterranean space creation and utilisation solutions

Background to the invention

Whilst subterranean space construction is still widely used for drainage and rail as well as commercial and residential basements in high value urban locations, it is far less prevalent than low and high rise above ground construction because of greater timescales, cost and carbon emissions.

Whilst subterranean space is theoretically in plentiful supply the weight of the soil and objects such as building that rest upon it create huge compressive forces that increase with depth and must be resisted by any structure that is buried in the ground. To minimise the weight and cost of the structure required to counteract these forces structures such as manhole access chambers for access to buried pipes are constructed with a cylindrical form where possible. Where cost justified by high land prices non cylindrical spaces such as underground car parks and basements are built with thicker walls mostly of a steel reinforced concrete construction.

The approach taken by the manufacturers of most excavation machinery in service today is over engineering and the use of replaceable implements such as excavator bucket teeth. This has been justified to date because of the need to accommodate the unknown nature of the ground on different sites as well as the varying skill levels of operators however these approaches are becoming more problematic with the advent of emissions targets to address climate change.

Excavation for the creation of subterranean spaces is most commonly undertaken by mobile excavators which are machines with a bucket on the end of multi segment hydraulically actuated arm. The main drawback of this solution is that each segment and the actuator that drives it needs to be able to lift the weight of all of the segment and actuator between itself and the bucket as well as the bucket and its contents. Teeth mounted on the bucket and its edges are used to break up the ground which means that the force that the arm needs to apply can range from just the weight of material that the bucket can carry up to the force that the actuators need to exert upon the ground to cleave material away from it. For this reason the ratio between the bucket payload and excavator mass often exceeds 30 to 1. As an example one mini excavator widely used today weighs is 1200 kg but only has a bucket capable of digging out 40kg of soil. These high strength components and powerful hydraulic actuators as well as the wheeled base unit that needs to carry them are heavy and costly. Most machines built to date have diesel engines and with more than a quarter of a million excavators manufactured per year they make up a significant percentage of global emissions. It is currently proving very difficult to battery electrify mobile mechanical excavators because of the amount of large amounts of energy that they consume as current energy density of batteries is well below that of petrol or diesel. Manufacturers have launched battery electrified versions of their smallest machines but so far uptake has been low as the machines can only be operated for a part of a day before lengthy periods are needed for recharging and sale prices driven by manufacturing costs are more than double that of a diesel machine. Alternative approaches to battery electrification being put forward include hydrogen to be used in a fuel cell but environmentalists and industry worry that hydrogen made from oil using a low cost method will be used instead of that produced using electrolysis powered by renewable electricity.

There are two other types of excavating machine called chain trenchers and bucket wheel excavators which have implements which follow a cyclical path but these also have implements that are relatively blunt compared to that of the cutting edge used in the mechanisms described in this invention. With the limited pressure that they can impose these machines are used to excavate low strength material such as coal in the case of the bucket wheel excavator or to only dig out a limited cross section as is the case with the chain trenching machine. These machines also differ in that the have a multiplicity of implements that individually strike and cut thought the ground rather than a continuous edge.

Another frequent subterranean construction task include the installation of buried sewer or supply pipes as well as manhole access chambers. The current method of installation usually involves the excavation of an oversized void which means that time needs to be spent backfilling and compressing the ground.

Another potential use case for subterranean construction is the creation of below ground space for habitation or work or vehicle parking with or without above ground building on top of it. Subterranean space can have several environmental benefits including reduced energy usage and protection against some adverse weather conditions however with vertical walls thick steel reinforced concrete is needed to counteract the forces imposed by the weight of soil and surrounding objects resulting in high cost and embodied carbon emissions.

Our patent application GB2204247.7 encompassed excavation solutions based around rotating tube or ring shaped sharp cutting edges to reduce the force needed to cut through some types of material such as clay in the ground however some issues with those systems which have also been addressed by the inventive step described in this application.

Summary of the invention

This invention describes a mechanism that enable time and cost and emissions reductions both in the construction of subterranean spaces and through their use. The invention is described in the claims and as follows.

The present invention discloses apparatus for excavating material from the ground and conveying the material away, the apparatus comprising a mechanism to create temporary anchors in the ground.

Preferably, the mechanism to create temporary anchors in the ground comprises of a drill or drills.

Preferably, the apparatus comprises a Cartesian positioning system comprising a multiplicity of excavating and conveying mechanisms mounted thereon.

Preferably, the apparatus has powered wheels located on posts at corners of the apparatus.

Preferably, the apparatus is foldable.

Preferably, the apparatus comprises a multiplicity of frame tubes connected end to end by pivoting struts and further comprising a sliding internal tube arrangement to rigidly join said frame tubes. Preferably, the apparatus has a frame having a pair of parallel beams along which a carriage can move.

Preferably, the carriage comprises a looped bucket conveyor, the looped bucket conveyor further comprising cutting rings mounted on either side of the bottom of the conveyor.

Preferably, the apparatus comprises of a multiplicity of belt conveyors that have a multiplicity of pairs of flaps incorporated into their sides to enable material to be diverted sideways off them onto the ground below.

According to one embodiment of this invention there is an excavation mechanism that includes of a loop of material in the form of a multiplicity of tubes with one end pushed through the ground.

According to a preferred version of this invention the end of the tube that is pushed through the ground is sharpened to maximise the pressure on the soil for a given force applied by the cylinder.

Preferably, the apparatus has at least one sharp cutting or cleaving edge which moved along a path that is perpendicular or mostly perpendicular to the direction in which it is simultaneously being pushed through the ground.

Preferably, the apparatus has a multiplicity of right circular cylinders or right conical frustrams positioned at an acute angle to the ground which is rotated about their longitudinal axis whilst part of the sharpened cuting or cleaving edges on their lower ends are simultaneously pushed through the ground horizontally or mostly horizontally in such a way that they separate and lift material up and out of it to minimise the compressive forces between particles.

Preferably, the right circular cylinder that is positioned at an acute angle to the ground is first simultaneously rotated about and pushed along its longitudinal axis to get it into a position where part of it is buried in the ground so that it can subsequently be moved in a horizontal direction to cleave and lift material out of it. Preferably, the right circular cylinder or right conical frustram have their higher ends sealed off so as to form a bucket in which material that has been cleaved away from the ground can be collected.

Preferably, the diameter of the right conical frustram increase from the intake end to reduce the chance of objects such as stones from getting jammed between the rotating auger screw and inner surface of the frustram.

Preferably, material that has been cleaved away from the ground is pushed upward through the right circular cylinder or right conical frustram by a rotating auger screw mounted within it.

Preferably, the apparatus has a multiplicity of grinding wheels or other sharpening tools that can be brought to bear upon the section of the cutting edge that is not moving through the ground.

Preferably, the motion of the cutting or cleaving edge along its length is in one direction.

Preferably, the motion of the cutting or cleaving edge along its length is back and forth reciprocating motion.

According to a preferred version of this invention the tubes are in the form of a right cylinder.

According to another version of this invention the tube has a circular or elliptical profile.

According to a preferred version of this invention the tubes are rotated about their axis whilst being pushed through the ground to overcome static friction and assist with the cutting operation.

According one version of this invention the tube has a straight edge.

According to another version of this invention the tube has a wavy or serrated cutting edge so that just rotational motion about its axis causes it to repeatedly move towards and retract away from the material the ground. According to a preferred version of this invention when the edges of the tubes are being pushed into the ground the rotational motion about their axis is limited to just a few degrees clockwise and anticlockwise so that the frictional forces between the ground and tube do not cause excessive rolling or other movement in a direction tangential to the that in which they are being pushed.

According to a preferred version of this invention the tube or ring is rotated about its axis back and forth in an oscillating motion clockwise and anticlockwise by just a few degrees rather than being turned continuously in any particular direction to minimise the force that needs to be applied to counteract tangential motion due to it rolling as a result of frictional forces between its outer surface and the ground.

According to another version of this invention the cylindrical tubes or rings are rotated about their axes in a predominantly one direction either clockwise or anticlockwise.

According to a one version of this invention the cutting edges of the tubes have their lateral movement constrained whilst still being allowed to rotate about their axis by a multiplicity of pulleys that hold the edge of the tube captive whilst allow it to pass through them.

According to another version of this invention the cutting edge of the tubes have their lateral movements constrained whilst still being allowed to rotate about their axis by members attached via bearings to hubs held in position on their axis of rotation by a multiplicity of spokes arranged around them linking the hub to the tube walls.

Advantageously to enable the tube or ring to remove material from as close to a wall or other obstacle as possible the guide member attached to the hub of the tube or ring would project radially sideways rather than vertically out of the side of it as the top edge of the ring or tube would already be the most forward part of it as a result of it being inclined.

According to a one version of this invention the tube has a length that is greater than its diameter to give it structural rigidity to counteract the reactive forces encounter from the material in the ground when being pushed through it. According to one version of this invention where the excavation mechanism is a right cylinder the means of moving material up through the tube from the material excavating input end to the output apertures comprises of a cored or core less Archimedes screw.

According to another version of this invention where the excavation mechanism is a right cylinder the means of moving material up through the tube from the material excavating input end to the output apertures comprises of a semicircular or segment shaped paddle that moves down through the tube in the space above the material before rotating downward to become positioned below a portion of material and then moving up through the tube to push material upward toward an outlet.

According to a preferred version of this invention the tube is in the form of a ring with a length that is short enough for material ingested by the tube to push material within it from the material excavating input end to its output apertures.

According to one version of this invention the means to convey excavated material away from the output of the cutting rings or tubes comprise of any combination of a multiplicity of Archimedes screws or vacuum tubes or belt conveyors or pumps or buckets on the end of robot arms.

The present invention also discloses a material elevating mechanism to elevate material that has been cut away from the ground and deposited within it by the apparatus as described above, which comprises of a multiplicity of receptacles that move in a vertically orientated cyclical path.

Preferably, one or both ends of the rotating right circular cylinder or right conical frustram are supported and guided by a multiplicity of pulleys that trap their curved moving edges.

Preferably, the right circular cylinder or right conical frustram is supported by a shaft mounted along its longitudinal axis attached to it by a multiplicity of radial members.

Preferably, the radial members are arranged such that they pull against each other so that they only require tensile rather than compressive strength. Preferably, some of the radial members are used to cut up material that has entered the cylinder or frustram as they rotate.

Preferably, the radial members have cuting edges running along their lengths and rotate around their own longitudinal axis to speed up the rate at which they can cut through excavated material that they encounter.

Preferably a multiplicity of receptacles each comprise of two planar surfaces fixed at an acute angle to each other between which they can retain and lift quantities of excavated material that has been inserted between them.

Preferably, the receptacles are suspended between or fixed to a multiplicity of moving roller drive chains or cables or toothed belts that have their ends open in the zone adjacent to the output of the excavating ring or cylinder so that excavated material can be pushed rather than dropped into them in order to enable the receptacles and conveyor to fit within the cross sectional area of the void excavated by the digging cylinders.

Preferably, a multiplicity of conveyor buckets is suspended between or fixed to a multiplicity of moving roller drive chains or cables or toothed belts such that they remain orientated with their mouths facing upwards until inverted by guide rails at the emptying point.

Preferably, the looped elevating conveyor deposits excavated material comprises of receptacles mounted in friction or roller bearings between drive chains or cables or tooted belts so that they can rotate due to the gravitational force generated by their self weight and that of their contents to remain orientated with their mouths facing upwards until inverted by guide rails at one or more emptying points.

The material excavating and elevating system can be mounted on hydraulically or electrically actuated arms of a mobile excavator with a multiplicity of material removal systems within or adjacent to it. Preferably, the moving roller drive chains or cables or toothed belts that carry the receptacles or those that turn the excavating rings are also fited with digging implements so that they can remove any material above the cutting rings that has been left behind by them.

The material excavating and elevating system can be mounted upon a multiplicity of Cartesian positioning systems that comprise of a multiplicity of carriages that can move along a multiplicity of beams which themselves can in turn move along a multiplicity of other non parallel beams or tracks.

According to a preferred version of this invention a means of lifting material that has been excavated and ingested by cuting rings or tubes with a compact horizontal footprint comprises of a multiplicity of looped bucket conveyors into which the material is fed from the output apertures of the excavating rings or tubes so that it can then be carried upward in the conveyor buckets which can then be inverted to drop the material out onto a multiplicity of more horizontally inclined conveyors that passes through the centre of the looped bucket conveyor.

According to one embodiment of this invention a multiplicity of excavating and material conveying mechanisms are mounted upon a Cartesian positioning system.

Advantageously the Cartesian positioning system would incorporate mechanism that drill into the ground to create temporary anchors for the actuators which pull the excavating mechanisms through the ground to minimise the forces upon its frame.

Advantageously the Cartesian positioning system would incorporate folding mechanisms that enable it to be reduced in size so that it could be transported as a standard sized load on an industry standard sized flatbed truck.

According to a preferred version of this invention the Cartesian positioning system would be moved over the ground using powered wheels located on posts that can be positioned at the corners of the folded and unfolded frame. According to a preferred version of this invention the same actuator and ground anchor system that is used to move the excavating mechanism could be used to help move the folded or unfolded Cartesian positioning system over the ground.

Advantageously a multiplicity of frame tubes that are connected end to end by pivoting struts could be aligned end to end and then made into a rigid structure by sliding an internal tube contained within one tube across the join into the adjacent tube.

According to another embodiment of this invention a multiplicity of excavating and material conveying mechanisms are mounted upon a Rotary positioning system to enable it to precision excavate a cylindrical void into which cylindrical segments can be sunk and other components inserted to create a manhole access chamber.

According to another embodiment of this invention a multiplicity of excavating and material conveying mechanisms are mounted upon multi segment arms or Cartesian positions systems that are themselves mounted upon a mobile chassis to create a mobile excavator.

According to another embodiment of this invention the bucket of a conventional mobile excavator would be mounted to that it can be tipped up to empty its contents onto a material belt or bucket conveying system incorporated into the multi segment arm upon which it is mounted.

According to one version of this invention the conveyors within the excavators multi segment arm would feed the excavated material into a trailer being pulled by the excavator.

According to another version of this invention the conveyor within the excavators multi segment arm would feed the excavated material onto a multiplicity of end to end conveyors that are positioned by an automated system so that material can be deposited at a multiplicity of preprogrammed locations.

The present invention also discloses a cylindrical chamber sinking mechanism that incorporates a looped bucket conveyor fed by a multiplicity of excavating rings mounted on one or both sides of its lower end which rotate about their axes to dig out material mounted in a frame that enables it to moves along a circular path on tracks which are either temporarily mounted to or permanently cast into the body of a manhole access or other cylindrical chamber that sinks into the ground as the excavation mechanism removes material from within it.

The present invention also discloses an elliptical chamber sinking mechanism that incorporates a looped bucket conveyor fed by a multiplicity of excavating rings mounted on one or both sides of its lower end which rotate about their axes to dig out material mounted in a frame that enables it to moves along elliptical path on tracks which are either temporarily mounted to or permanently cast into the body of a manhole access or other elliptical chamber that sinks into the ground as the excavation mechanism removes material from within it.

According to one embodiment of this invention the void for a multiplicity of homes or workspaces would be excavated with walls that sloped at the angle of repose to minimise its strength requirements of the structure which in turn would reduce its economic and environmental cost.

Advantageously the self supporting sides of the void dug at the angle of repose for the subterranean structure would allow layers of waterproofing and insulating material to be laid down on the ground on the outside of the building structure so that its embodied mass could be kept warm and dry enabling them to act as a heat store to even out internal temperatures as they fluctuate between day and night.

Advantageously the void with sides at the angle of repose of the material of the ground could be precisely dug out by a multiplicity of the tube or ring based excavation mechanisms to avoid for backfilling and compression of the soil which would be difficult especially on an inclined surface.

According to one embodiment of this invention a subterranean space created underneath a roadway to enable the more efficient delivery or collection of groceries or other goods would incorporate a transfer system with an elevator system to accept and transfer a section of the floor of a purpose built delivery vehicle parked in a specific location above it to be lowered into the space for the automated unloading of containers the contents of which could then be dispensed to customers from a roadside or pavement mounted pick up kiosk. Advantageously the goods transfer hatch for the delivery vehicle stopped would located upon a raised section of road similar to a speed bump such that minimal amounts of water remained on top of it in rainy conditions.

Advantageously the same raised section of road would be shaped as to help the driver of the delivery vehicle position it correctly over the goods transfer hatch.

The present invention also discloses an arrangement of spaces having at least two partially or wholly indoor inhabitable spaces are arranged in a formation where one space is partially or wholly located below the gardens or outside space of the other indoor space in voids that have a multiplicity of walls some or all of which are sloped outwards so as to reduce the likelihood of the material of the surrounding ground collapsing into the void under its own weight.

Preferably, any of the spaces are split into a multiplicity of housing or work or storage spaces.

Preferably, roof slabs of the spaces located partially or wholly within the under garden or outdoor space voids extend past the cross sectional area of the voids that they cover and are thus partially or wholly supported by the material of the ground surrounding the voids.

Preferably, roof slabs of the indoor inhabitable spaces located partially or wholly within the under garden or outdoor space voids are supported by a multiplicity of their sloping and vertical, external and internal walls some or all of which serve the purposes of separating the space from the surrounding ground and supporting the weight of the roof slab and other overhead loads.

Preferably, roof slabs of the spaces located partially or wholly within the under garden or outdoor space voids are joined to a multiplicity of other external or internal walls so as to increase the structural rigidity of the structure.

Preferably, the connection between outward sloping walls of the structures within the voids and their roof slab enable some or all of the outward force generated by the tendency of the sloping walls of the structure to topple outward under their own self weight is counteracted by the inward force generated by the tendency of the roof slab to sag under its own self weight. Preferably, the size and slope and shape and extent of protrusion into the surrounding ground of the walls and roof slab and floor slabs of the structures are chosen so as to reduce or minimise the aggregate of forces that need to be counteracted so that the quantities and cost and embodied carbon of compressive strength providing material such as concrete and tensile strength providing material such as steel reinforcing bar or post tensioning tendons can also be minimised.

Preferably, waterproofing and insulation layers surrounding the spaces are installed onto the outward sloping surfaces of the voids before the walls of the structure are installed on top of and inside of them.

Preferably, a roof slab has an upper surface that is inclined to the horizontal plane and protrudes past the tops of the walls of the structure into the surrounding ground so that water above the roof slab drains off it and into the surrounding ground.

Preferably, material removed from the voids is used to increase the height of the remainder of some or all of the site upon which the higher level structures will be built thus reducing material disposal and transport costs and emissions.

Preferably, the inhabitable spaces that are partially or wholly located in voids below the gardens or outside space of the other high above ground level indoor spaces have their own outside spaces and street also at the same or a similar low level.

Preferably, above ground space and impact on occupants of the higher level structures of feeding natural light into the indoor inhabitable spaces located below the gardens or outside space of the other indoor spaces is minimised by using garden walls or furniture with transparent or translucent glazed apertures and mirror lined light tunnels incorporated into them.

Preferably, the voids are dug using a multiplicity of ground material dislodging and removal mechanisms mounted on a multiplicity of multi segment arm based positioning systems. The present invention also discloses a subterranean warehouse space installed into a void with sloping or vertical walls under an urban street or pavement or combination of the these fitted with an automated logistic storage system that moves objects delivered by delivery vehicle to storage locations within the space until required when it delivers them to people or delivery robots via a pavement mounted or roadside pick up point.

The subterranean warehouse space preferably has an unloading system that includes a means of accepting pallets or containers of products that are delivered through a multiplicity of apertures in the floor of purposed designed vehicles that stop in a one of a multiplicity of predetermined positions on the street above.

Preferably, the unloading system control system communicates with an autonomous or semi positioning and floor plate interlocking systems in the delivery vehicle so that it can raise a mechanism to support and then lower floor plates that have been released by the vehicle into the subterranean space for automated unloading before lifting and docking them back onto the vehicle.

The present invention also discloses a means of minimising damage to a digging component as described above, the means comprising a sensor to detect when the force to move the digging head through the ground is greater than expected thus indicating the presence of a buried obstacle together with the control and positioning system components to try different paths to dig around as opposed to through the obstacle.

Preferably, the means of minimising damage to a digging component captures and interprets data to predict the size and shape of a buried obstacle and call an operator to manually remove it if it cannot find a way to dig around it.

This invention will now be illustrated by reference to the figures listed below.

For clarity some elements within the figures have been shown as transparent when they would actually be made of opaque material. Figure 1 shows the way in which residential or commercial buildings can be fitted onto a plot of land by positioned some of them below the gardens or outside spaces of the others with reduced economic and environmental build costs achieved by constructing the below ground buildings with walls that do not need to counteract soil loads as they are built inclined at or greater than the angle of repose of the material in the ground.

Figure 2 shows a soil moving system that can be used to construct n excavation system comprising of a Cartesian positioning system with four carriage mounted excavation mechanisms and convening systems mounted upon it. - zig zag with sliding bolt to lock. Frame on wheels for quick deployment and removal - propelled by moving drill bits &/or powered wheels

Figure 3 shows an excavating mechanism based upon a tube that has one end pushed through the ground whilst it rotates back and forth around its axis.

Figure 4 shows how a variant of the excavating mechanism described in Figure 3 can be mounted upon a rotary positioning system within precast reinforced concrete cylindrical sections and used to sink the into the ground as part of the installation process for a manhole access chamber.

Figure 5 shows a variant of a typical mobile excavator that eliminates the time and energy wasted in the turn and empty cycle by having a bucket that tip excavated material into a conveyor that runs through its multi segment arm to deposit it in a trailer that it is towing.

Figure 6 shows an automated system unloading goods through the base of a delivery vehicle into a below ground automated warehouse located beneath a residential street for later pick up from a kerbside dispensing point by customers or delivery robots.

According to Figure 1 to maximise the utilisation of space a multiplicity of self contained apartments 1 or home extension spaces 2 have been constructed under the back gardens 4 of houses 3. To reduce material utilisation and cost the outer walls of the lower level space has been constructed with walls that slope at the angle of repose of the soil so that they do not need to support its weight. Storage cupboards 15 have been built behind the vertical interior walls to make good use of the available space behind them. Access stairs 7 from one of the houses to access its extension space 2 has also been build onto the sloping wall. The roof slabs of the apartments and extensions have domical shaped internally shaped surfaces 5 for optimal strength with tie bars 12 that run across them and long their edges. The green roofs or paved areas of the gardens above rest on top of the flat topped mildly inclined for drainage reinforced concrete tops of the roof slabs. The apartments 1 have courtyard gardens 11 accessed by a lower level common walkway 9. For optimal comfort and energy efficiency the waterproof steel reinforced concrete walls and roof and floor slabs 14 of the apartment interior spaces are thermally separated from both the cooler ground 8 and exterior courtyard garden areas by a layer of insulation 13. Sewer pipes 10 to serve the under garden apartments 1 and home extensions 2 are sited below the walkway 9 for easy access and maintenance. Trees 16 are best located away from the apartments in their low level courtyards or away from the houses in their front gardens to minimise the risk of damage due to root growth.

According to Figure 2 there is an excavation and construction robot with two Cartesian positioning systems one of which has a frame 33 is used to excavate material from one part of a site to lower its ground level whilst the other with frame 24 spreads the excavated material to raise the height of the ground in another. The excavating unit comprises of a carriage that moves along a pair of beams 28 with a looped bucket conveyor 29 mounted upon it and cutting rings 31 mounted on either sides of the bottom of the conveyor 29 to feed it with excavated material. The ring 31 has an actuator that is not shown which is used to rotate it about its axis. To minimise sideways deflection due to frictional forces between the ground and ring 31 it is rotated back and forth by just a few degrees whist pressed hard into the ground to dig out material 26. The same actuator is also used to rotate the ring 31 in one direction to feed the part of its edge buried in the ground up and through a resharpening tool that is not shown positioned near to its edge above the ground. The sharpening tool also has an actuator to bring it into contact with the ring edge when required to minimise excess wear on the ring 31. The excavating unit horizontal propulsion system 30 comprises of four motors that turn ground anchors in the form of 0.5m long drill bits. These are mounted on a common sliding frame with actuators that can moves them back and forth with respect to the excavation unit in the direction of excavation. Other actuators move the motors and drills downwards to anchor the frame to the ground or upward to retract the anchors. Using this horizontal propulsion system 30 and separate actuators that raise or lower the excavating unit it is initially moved both downward and forward simultaneously along its axis to sink it to an optimal depth with its hub is just above the ground surface. The downward motion is then halted and the horizontal propulsion system pushes the excavating unit horizontally to cut a trench at a constant depth. When the excavating unit reaches one end of the beams 28 they moved sideways by the width of the cut trench before the looped conveyor unit is tilted in the opposite direction with its top closer to the opposing end of the beams 28. This caused the cutting ring on its opposite side that cannot be seen in the diagram to be lowered down onto the ground and the process is repeated to cut a trench parallel and adjacent to the one just dug by moving the excavating unit along the beams 28 in the opposite direction. When the beams reach one end of the frame 33 their direction is reversed and they commence the excavation of a new layer by repeating the aforementioned steps. A force sensor or limit switch in an elastic mechanism in the horizontal propulsion system detects if the cutting ring 31 has hit a stone or other obstacle and if so then the excavating unit is moved backward slightly and either raised or lowered to try and either ingest the object or move over it. Material cut from the ground and ingested by the ring 31 is fed it into the open ended buckets of the conveyor 27. The buckets travel up the sides of the conveyor 29 and are inverted at the top causing the material 26 to fall out between the guide plates onto the belt conveyor 26. This moves it to the end of the beams 28 and deposits it into another bucket elevating conveyor 32 which is used to physically decouple the two position systems. The material drops out of the conveyor 32 onto the belt conveyor 23. The sides of the belt conveyor 23 has several pairs of flaps 22 incorporated into them enabling material 26 to be diverted off the belt onto the ground below. The frames of the positioning systems are supported by elevating posts to allow their height to be changed. Powered wheels 34 also allow the positioning systems to be moved around the site as required. As the ground level is built up under them in the area they encompass. Once the ground has been excavated or built the same positioning systems can be used for additive manufacturing. Fitted with nozzles that are not shown molten bitumen in tank 18 can be laid down to create a waterproofing layer or join the edges of waterproofing sheet. Urea foam in tank 19 ca be laid down to create an insulation layer or to join the edges of insulating sheets. Concrete in tank 20 can then be 3D printed to create a structure or used to fill form work moulds or to joint together precast concrete elements. A common pump 25 can be used for all three materials. Pipework would be routed through the cable chains 30 fastened to both perpendicular horizontal axis beams. According to Figure 3 shows the end view of an excavation system that is cutting a trench through ground 35. It comprises of a right cylindrical tube 43 and pardoned belt conveyor 42 mounted on a frame 46 that enable them to slide along the slide along the length of another belt conveyor 37. The tube 43 is held at an acute angle to a horizontal plane with the edge of its lower end sharpened so that it can cut through the ground. The tube 43 has a chain ring 45 located around its raised end. A roller chain connects the chain ring to the drive shaft of a gear motor 38 which is used to rotate the section of the tube edge that is above ground through a sharpening tool which is not shown. A plate 39 with two idler pulleys mounted upon it is moved from side to side to alternately shorten and lengthen the lengths of chain between the chain ring 45 and drive shaft 38 to cause the tube to rotate in an oscillating motion whilst excavating. The tube 43 is pushed through the ground 35 for a set distance driving cut material 41 into it. At the same time a lead screw drives the semi circular flap 44 down through the upper half of the tube to its bottom end above the material that has collected within it. When the positioning system stops pushing the tube through the ground, the flap 44 is rotated down into the material and then driven up the tube pushing the material in front of it upward with it into the looped partitioned conveyor 42. The conveyor belt and partitions move around a multiplicity of idler pulleys 36 drive by a motor 40 lifting the excavated material 41 upward until the belt is inverted and the material falls out onto the belt conveyor 37. The looped partitioned conveyor 42 has side plates 47 that prevent the material 41 from falling out of the ends of its partitions.

According to Figure 4 an excavator with rotating cutting ring 56 and looped bucket conveyor mounted in a frame 52 is removing material from the ground 58 within a precast manhole component 54 to cause it to sink into the ground. The wheels 57 sit on a track formed into the base of the manhole casting to allow the frame 52 to rotate within drive by a motor that is not shown. The cutting ring 56 and looped conveyor assembly can also be driven from side to side within the frame 52 to change the excavation radius. Excavated material is lifted upwards in the buckets 51 which are inverted at the top dropping the material out into the chute 50 which then drops it out onto the vibrating tray 49 as the excavator moves along its circular spiral path. The empty inverted buckets 53 move back down the opposite side of the conveyor to the ring 56 at the bottom ready for refilling. The tray 49 drops the material out onto the belt conveyor 48 which takes it away for disposal or further processing. According to Figure 5 there is a variant of the mobile excavators commonly in use today that has a bucket 65 that can be moved between a multiplicity of excavating positions and the invert material emptying position as shown by the rotary hydraulic actuator 74. Excavated material 69 is emptied into a buckets 73 mounted on the chain 66 of a bucket conveyor that is located within the hydraulically actuated multi section arm 67 of the excavator. As is common the inner arm 64 is mounted on a pivot pin 72 to allow it to be swing from left to right. As the conveyor chain 66 cannot bend in that direction of the pivot a second conveyor 62 in needed to transfer the material onward. The bucket 71 of the first conveyor is inverted and the contents drop into the buckets of the second conveyor 62 that carries the material under the cab 63 and up to a position 61 where it is inverted to drop its contents 60 onto the pile of material 69 accumulating in the trailer 68. The trap door 59 can be opened to empty out the contents onto the ground at a different location if desired. The excavator has tracks 70 to allow it to move over rough ground whilst pulling its trailer 68. For clarity only some of the buckets on the bucket conveyors have been shown in this figure.

According to figure 6 there is a residential street 86 with an automated distribution warehouse space 88 underneath it and a collection point 82 that can be accessed by customers or robots on the pavement 90. Product is being dropped off to the collection point by a van 78 which is shown with its rear bodywork cut away for clarity. After the van stopped in the appropriate position a rectangular section 75 of road has moved upward to lift a section of the floor 76 of the van upwards. Electrical bolts within the van will then be withdrawn so that the floor section 76 can be lowered down into the underground warehouse space 88 where it is unloaded using an automated handling system that is not shown. The unloading area 79 underneath the van is raised so that water runs off it in rainy conditions. Lines 74 painted on the road help the driver or autonomous guidance system of the van position itself correctly over the loading area. The facility provides a means for the local residents of the homes 80 on the street to have groceries or non food items delivered that they can pick up from the collection point 82 at their convenience. Delivery robots can also use the collection point 82 to be lowered down into or lifted up out of the warehouse for secure loading and recharging operations as required. The warehouse is shaped to fit around buried services such as the main sewer pipe 87 positioned below the centre of the road as well as waste pipes 84 from the houses and rainwater drainage pipes 85.

Claims

1. Apparatus for excavating material from the ground and conveying the material away, the apparatus comprising a mechanism to create temporary anchors in the ground that are positioned adjacent to the location at which forces are applied by the apparatus to the ground wherein actuators fixed to the temporary anchors apply forces to propel the excavation and earth moving mechanism through or along the ground.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the mechanism to create temporary anchors in the ground comprise of drills.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 to 2, wherein the apparatus comprises a positioning system upon which conveyors are mounted which are used to elevate loose excavated material which comprise of receptacles that move in a cyclical path.

4. A material elevating system according to claim 3, wherein the receptacles comprise of two planar surfaces fixed at an acute angle to each other between which they can retain and lift quantities of excavated material that has been inserted between them.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, the apparatus comprises a Cartesian positioning system comprising a multiplicity of mobile carriage mounted excavating and conveying mechanisms thereon.

6. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 3, comprising of a multiplicity of belt conveyors that have a multiplicity of pairs of flaps incorporated into their sides to enable material to be diverted sideways off them onto the ground below.

7. A cylindrical chamber sinking mechanism that comprises conveyors as per claims 1 to 4 comprising excavation and conveying mechanisms mounted in a frame that moves along a circular path on tracks temporarily mounted to or permanently cast into the body of the chamber.

8. The creation of a void suitable for subterranean construction, the void having one or more sides sloping at or greater than the angle of repose of the soil.

9. The use of the apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 18 for construction of voids as described herein.

10. A void suitable for subterranean construction according to claim 8 into which layers of waterproofing and insulating and structural shell forming material can be laid.

11. A void suitable for subterranean construction according to any of claims 8 to 23 wherein the void is adapted to be habitable.

12. A self-contained subterranean space comprising a void suitable for subterranean construction according to any preceding claim, further comprising a roof slab.

13. A self-contained subterranean space according to any of claims 8 to 12, further comprising vertical interior walls.

14. A self-contained subterranean space according to claim 13, further comprising vertical interior walls wherein at least one of said vertical interior walls bears the some or all of the weight of the roof slab and other loads above it.

15. A plurality of self-contained subterranean spaces according to any of claims 26 to 27, further comprising a common walkway.

16. An arrangement of spaces having at least two partially or wholly indoor inhabitable spaces are arranged in a formation where one space is partially or wholly located below the gardens or outside space of the other indoor space in voids that have a multiplicity of walls some or all of which are sloped outwards so as to reduce the likelihood of the material of the surrounding ground collapsing into the void under its own weight.

17. An arrangement of spaces according to any preceding claim, wherein any of the spaces are split into a multiplicity of housing or work or storage spaces.

18. An arrangement of spaces according to any preceding claim, wherein roof slabs of the spaces located partially or wholly within the under garden or outdoor space voids extend past the cross sectional area of the voids that they cover and are thus partially or wholly supported by the material of the ground surrounding the voids.

19. An arrangement of according to any preceding claim, wherein the connection between outward sloping walls of the structures within the voids and their roof slab enable some or all of the outward force generated by the tendency of the sloping walls of the structure to topple outward under their own self weight is counteracted by the inward force generated by the tendency of the roof slab to sag under its own self weight.

20. An arrangement of spaces according to any preceding claim, wherein the size and slope and shape and extent of protrusion into the surrounding ground of the walls and roof slab and floor slabs of the structures are chosen so as to reduce or minimise the aggregate of ferees that need to be counteracted so that the quantities and cost and embodied carbon of compressive strength providing material such as concrete and tensile strength providing material such as steel reinforcing bar or post tensioning tendons can also be minimised.

21. An arrangement of spaces according to any preceding claim, wherein above ground available and vegetation planted space is maximised by feeding natural light into the indoor inhabitable spaces located below ground using garden walls with transparent or translucent glazed apertures and mirror lined light tunnels incorporated into them.

22. A subterranean warehouse space installed into a void with sloping or vertical walls under an urban street or pavement or combination of the these fitted with an automated logistic storage system that moves objects delivered by delivery vehicle to storage locations within the space until required when it delivers them to people or delivery robots via a pavement mounted or roadside pick up point.

23. A subterranean warehouse according to claim 22, which has an unloading system that includes a means of accepting pallets or containers of products that are delivered through a multiplicity of apertures in the floor of purposed designed vehicles that stop in a one of a multiplicity of predetermined positions on the street above.