Tunneling machine

Claim 2

A tunneling machine comprising: a main support frame having front and rear sets of telescoping legs adapted for outward extension to grip the tunnel wall; a movable frame which is supported within the main support frame in nonrotative but longitudinally movable relationship thereto; a generally circular cutting wheel at the forward end of the machine; a drive shaft carried within the movable frame and rotatable relative thereto for imparting rotating drive to the cutting wheel; rotating drive means carried on the movable frame for drivingly rotating the drive shaft; a main bearing assembly including a stator having a generally hollow cylindrical configuration, a rotor disposed within said stator, and bearing means supporting said rotor for rotation relative to said stator; said drive shaft terminating rearwardly of said main bearing assembly and said rotor having its rearward end removably coupled to said drive shaft and its forward end removably coupled to said cutting wheel, said stator having its rearward end coupled to the forward end of said movable frame; and forward thrust drive means carried on the main support frame and drivingly coupled to said stator for advancing the cutting wheel, movable frame, and drive shaft whereby the rotating drive from said rotating drive means is concurrently imparted through said drive shaft and said rotor to said cutting wheel.

Claim 3

A tunneling machine as claimed in claim 1 which includes auxiliary shoes cooperatively associated with the front and rear ends of said movable frame for supporting both frames when the main support frame is being advanced to a new position within the tunnel, and wherein the front auxiliary shoe is attached to said stator of said main bearing assembly.

Claim 4

A tunneling machine as claimed in claim 1 which includes removable bolts attaching said rotor to said cutting wheel, attaching said rotor to a drive gear coupled to said drive shaft, and attaching said stator to said movable frame.

Claim 5

A tunneling machine as claimed in claim 1 which includes a female drive gear removably attached to the rearward end of said rotor by means of bolts, and a male drive gear attached to said drive shaft, said drive gears being relatively slidable longitudinally of said drive shaft.

Claim 6

A tunneling machine as claimed in claim 1 which includes a mating pair of driving gears which drivingly couple said rotor to said drive shaft, one of said driving gears being attached to said drive shaft and the other of said driving gears being attached to said rotor, said gears being slidable relative to each other along the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft whereby longitudinal vibrations imparted from the cutting wheel to the rotor are not transmitted to said rotating drive means.

Claim 7

A tunneling machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the couplings of said rotor to said drive shaft and to said cutting wheel are arranged for easy detachment, and wherein the couplings of said stator to said movable frame and to said forward thrust drive means are also arranged for easy detachment, whereby said main bearing assembly may be easily removed and replaced in its entirety.

Claim 8

A tunneling machine as claimed in claim 6 which includes a mating pair of driving gears which driVingly couple said rotor to said drive shaft, one of said driving gears being attached to said drive shaft and the other of said driving gears being attached to said rotor, said gears being slidable relative to each other along the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft whereby longitudinal vibrations imparted from the cutting wheel to the rotor are not transmitted to said rotating drive means.

Claim 9

A tunneling machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said bearing means includes separate radial bearings disposed between said stator and rotor at their forward and rearward ends, respectively, and a thrust bearing disposed between said stator and rotor intermediate their ends, said thrust bearing being retained between an interior thrust collar of said stator having a forwardly facing thrust shoulder and an exterior thrust collar of said rotor having a rearwardly facing thrust shoulder.

Claim 10

A tunneling machine as claimed in claim 8 wherein said radial bearings include cylindrical bearing members, and said thrust bearing also includes cylindrical bearing members disposed perpendicular to the bearing members of said radial bearings.

Claim 11

A tunneling machine as claimed in claim 8 wherein the couplings of said rotor to said drive shaft and to said cutting wheel are arranged for easy detachment, and wherein the couplings of said stator to said movable frame and to said forward thrust drive means are also arranged for easy detachment, whereby said main bearing assembly may be easily removed and replaced in its entirety.

Claim 12

A tunneling machine as claimed in claim 10 which includes a mating pair of driving gears which drivingly couple said rotor to said drive shaft, one of said driving gears being attached to said drive shaft and the other of said driving gears being attached to said rotor, said gears being slidable relative to each other along the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft whereby longitudinal vibrations imparted from the cutting wheel to the rotor are not transmitted to said rotating drive means.

Claim 13

A tunneling machine as claimed in claim 8 which includes a mating pair of driving gears which drivingly couple said rotor to said drive shaft, one of said driving gears being attached to said drive shaft and the other of said driving gears being attached to said rotor, said gears being slidable relative to each other along the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft whereby longitudinal vibrations imparted from the cutting wheel to the rotor are not transmitted to said rotating drive means.

Claim 14

A tunneling machine comprising: a main support frame having front and rear sets of telescoping legs adapted for outward extension to grip the tunnel walls; a movable frame supported within the main support frame in non-rotative but longitudinally movable relationship thereto; a drive shaft supported by the movable frame in rotatable relationship thereto; rotating drive means carried on the movable frame for drivingly rotating the drive shaft; a main bearing assembly including a stator having a generally hollow cylindrical configuration, a rotor disposed within said stator, radial bearing means supporting said rotor for rotation relative to said stator, and thrust bearing means for driving said rotor forward when said stator moves forward; said stator having its rearward end removably coupled to the forward end of said movable frame; said drive shaft terminating rearwardly of said main bearing assembly, and said rotor having its rearward end removably coupled to said drive shaft; a generally circular cutting wheel at the forward end of the machine, removably coupled to the forward end of said rotor; and forward thrust drive means carried on the main support frame and drivingly coupled to said stator for advancing the bearing assembly, drive shaft, movable frame, and cutting wheel while a rotating drive is concurrently imparted from said rotating drive means through said drive shaft and said rotor to said cutting wheel; the attachment of said stator to said forward thrust drive means being also removable whereby said main bearing assembly may be detached as a complete unit from the remainder of the tunneling machine.

Claim 15

A tunneling machine comprising: a main support frame having front and rear sets of telescoping legs adapted for outward extension to grip the tunnel walls; a movable frame supported within the main support frame in non-rotative but longitudinally movable relationship thereto; a drive shaft supported by the movable frame in rotatable relationship thereto; rotating drive means carried on the movable frame for drivingly rotating the drive shaft; a main bearing assembly including a stator having a generally hollow cylindrical configuration, a rotor disposed within said stator, radial bearing means supporting said rotor for rotation relative to said stator, and thrust bearing means for driving said rotor forward when said stator moves forward; said stator having its rearward end removably coupled to the forward end of said movable frame; said drive shaft terminating rearwardly of said main bearing assembly, and said rotor having its rearward end removably coupled to said drive shaft; a generally circular cutting wheel at the forward end of the machine, removably coupled to the forward end of said rotor; and forward thrust drive means carried on the main support frame and drivingly coupled to said stator for advancing the bearing assembly, drive shaft, movable frame, and cutting wheel while a rotating drive is concurrently imparted from said rotating drive means through said drive shaft and said rotor to said cutting wheel; the attachment of said stator to said forward thrust drive means being also removable whereby said main bearing assembly may be detached as a complete unit from the remainder of the tunneling machine.

Claim 16

A tunneling machine as claimed in claim 13 which includes a mating pair of driving gears which drivingly couple said rotor to said drive shaft, one of said driving gears being attached to said drive shaft and the other of said driving gears being attached to said rotor, said gears being slidable relative to each other along the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft whereby longitudinal vibrations imparted from the cutting wheel to the rotor are not transmitted to said rotating drive means.

Claim 17

A tunneling machine as claimed in claim 13 which includes a plurality of removable bolts coupling the rearward end of said rotor to said driving shaft and a plurality of removable bolts attaching said stator to said movable frame.

Claim 18

A tunneling machine as claimed in claim 13 wherein said cutting wheel and said rotor have a centrally located recess formed therein, and which further includes a center drill disposed at the center of said cutting wheel and in front of said recess, and resilient support means disposed within said recess and attached to said center drill for drivingly supporting the same.

Claim 19

A tunneling machine as claimed in claim 16 wherein said resilient support means includes spring means compressible in a direction perpendicular to the plane of said cutting wheel, and means confining said spring means in a compressed condition at a predetermined initial force level.