Machine for cutting rock

Claim 2

A rotary cutter for cutting rock, which comprises: a rotary cutter body having a forward end face; a plurality of cutting teeth mounted on said cutter body and spaced around the periphery thereof; each of said cutting teeth having a cutting edge which is disposed radially beyond the periphery of said cutter body and axially beyond said forward end face; each of said teeth also having a back surface adapted to define before said forward end face a clearance space with rock being cut by said cutting edge; and a plurality of atomizing nozzles mounted on said cutter body and having outlet ducts directed to said clearance spaces defined by said teeth when cutting in rock; each of said nozzles comprising liquid supply means and air supply means operable to jointly supply a liquid coolant and compressed air, respectively, through said outlet ducts.

Claim 3

A cutter as set forth in claim 1, in which each of said teeth comprises a hard tip which is formed with said cutting edge and said back surface.

Claim 4

A cutter as set forth in claim 1, in which each atomizing nozzle is disposed between two peripherally adjacent ones of said teeth and has two outlet ducts respectively directed toward said teeth.

Claim 5

A cutter as set forth in claim 1, which comprises separate and mutually independent valve means associated with said liquid supply means and air supply means, respectively, and adapted to control the pressure and rate of the fluid flowing therein.

Claim 6

A cutter as set forth in claiM 1, in which each of said nozzles comprises: a diffuser having inlet and outlet ends; a nozzle tip closing said diffuser at said outlet end and formed with at least one of said outlet ducts; an air supply pipe forming said air supply means and coaxially extending into said diffuser from said inlet end thereof and having a nozzlelike constricted outlet portion; said diffuser defining with said air supply pipe an annular space around said air supply pipe; and a liquid supply pipe forming said liquid supply means and having a restricted outlet which opens into said annular space.

Claim 7

A cutter as set forth in claim 5, in which each of said liquid supply pipes comprises an insert having a longitudinal slot forming said restricted outlet.

Claim 8

A machine as set forth in claim 1, which comprises means for adding a foaming agent to said liquid coolant before said nozzles.

Claim 9

A machine for cutting rock, which comprises a support, and a plurality of cutters, each of which is rotatably mounted in said support and adapted to cut rock and comprises: a rotary cutter body having a forward end face; a plurality of cutting teeth mounted on said cutter body and spaced around the periphery thereof; each of said cutting teeth having a cutting edge which is disposed radially beyond the periphery of said cutter body and axially beyond said forward end face; each of said teeth also having a back surface adapted to define before said forward end face a clearance space with rock being cut by said cutting edge; a plurality of atomizing nozzles mounted on said cutter body and having outlet ducts directed to said clearance spaces defined by said teeth when cutting in rock; each of said nozzles comprising liquid supply means and air supply means operable to jointly supply a liquid coolant and compressed air, respectively, through said outlet ducts; each of said teeth being adapted to cut rock only in a predetermined angular range of its revolution; said machine further comprising valve means operable to supply liquid coolant to each of said nozzles only during a movement thereof inside said predetermined angular range; and means for supplying compressed air to each of said nozzles during a movement thereof inside and outside said predetermined angular range.

Claim 10

A machine for cutting rock, which comprises a support, and a plurality of cutters, each of which is rotatably mounted in said support and adapted to cut rock and comprises: a rotary cutter body having a forward end face; a plurality of cutting teeth mounted on said cutter body and spaced around the periphery thereof; each of said cutting teeth having a cutting edge which is disposed radially beyond the periphery of said cutter body and axially beyond said forward end face; each of said teeth also having a back surface adapted to define before said forward end face a clearance space with rock being cut by said cutting edge; a plurality of atomizing nozzles mounted on said cutter body and having outlet ducts directed to said clearance spaces defined by said teeth when cutting in rock; each of said nozzles comprising liquid supply means and air supply means operable to jointly supply a liquid coolant and compressed air, respectively, through said outlet ducts; each of said teeth being adapted to cut rock only in a predetermined angular range of its revolution; said machine further comprising valve means operable to supply liquid coolant to each of said nozzles only during a movement thereof inside said predetermined angular range; and means for supplying compressed air to each of said nozzles during a movement thereof inside and outside said predetermined angular range.

Claim 11

A machine as set forth in claim 8, which is adapted to supply compressed air to each of said nozzles throughout the revolution thereof.

Claim 12

A machine as set forth in claim 8, in which: each of said cutter bodies is formed with a plurality of peripherally spaced liquid supply bores and with a plurality of peripherally spaced air supply bores; each of said liquid supply bores is associated with one of said nozzles and communicates with said liquid supply means thereof; each of said air supply bores is associated with one of said nozzles and communicates with said air supply means thereof; said support carries in association with each of said cutter bodies a liquid supply slip ring held against rotation with said cutter body and having an arcuate distributing space arranged to communicate only with said liquid supply bores in said predetermined angular range; and said support carries in association with each of said cutter bodies an air supply slip ring held against rotation with said cutter body and having an arcuate distributing space communicating with said air supply bores and arranged to communicate with said air supply bores inside and outside said predetermined angular range.

Claim 13

A machine as set forth in claim 10, in which: all said slip rings comprise identical castings of plastics material; each of said liquid supply slip rings encloses an annular liquid supply conduit; each of said air supply slip rings encloses an annular air supply conduit; said distributing space of each slip ring consists of a peripheral groove, which contains a multiplicity of partitions dividing said distributing space into compartments; and an initially closed duct, which is adapted to be pierced, leads from each of said compartments to said annular conduit.

Claim 14

A machine as set forth in claim 10, in which each of said annular supply conduits consists of a flexible tube of plastics material.