Tunnelling machines and the like

Claim 2

In a tunneling machine, a frame structure having a front portion and a rear portion, a number of tunnel wall engaging shoes on said front portion engageable with walls of a tunnel for guiding the front portion in the tunnel, a number of tunnel wall engaging shoes on said rear portion engageable with said tunnel walls for gripping the walls, at least one power jack operable on a first axis transverse of the tunnel wall to move one of said shoes of the front frame portion to grip the wall for fixing the front frame portion in the tunnel, at least one power jack operable to move one of said shoes of the rear frame portion to grip the wall for fixing the rear frame portion in the tunnel, double-acting power means for moving one of the frame portions in nongripping position while sliding the shoes under pressure against the tunnel wall longitudinally of the tunnel relative to the other said portion for producing a walking action of the machine in the tunnel, and a cutter head assembly having at least two cutter heads with built in motor and motor driven rotary cutter mounted to swing on the front frame portion on a second axis transverse to the tunnel axis parallel to and offset from said first transverse axis a distance sufficient to make said cutter heads accessible for service.

Claim 3

A tunneling machine according to claim 1, having at least two cutter head assemblies each comprising at least two cutter heads, which cutter heads are mounted to swing on the front frame portion on two parallel axes transverse to the tunnel axis.

Claim 4

A tunneling machine according to claim 2, in which each cutter assembly comprises a segment carrying the cutter heads, said segment being in turn mounted to swing on the front frame portion on said second axis.

Claim 5

A tunneling machine according to claim 2, in which two cutter head assemblies with three cutter heads in each assembly are mounted individually on a segment member, said two segment members being in turn mounted to swing on the front frame portion on two parallel axes transverse to the tunnel axis which axes are offset from said first transverse axis.

Claim 6

A tunneling machine according to claim 1, in which each rotary cutter comprises a cutter disk provided with peripherally disposed kerf cutting teeth movable so as to undercut the tunnel wall material.

Claim 7

A tunneling machine according to claim 5, in which each rotary cutter comprises a cutter disk provided with peripherally disposed kerf producing elements and a number of reaming elements arranged axially behind said kerf producing elements.

Claim 8

In a tunneling machine, a frame structure having a front portion and a rear portion, a number of tunnel wall engaging shoes on said front portion engageable with walls of a tunnel for guiding the front portion in the tunnel, a number of tunnel wall engaging shoes on said rear portion engageable with said tunnel walls for gripping the walls, at least one power jack operable to move one said shoes of a pair of oppositely directed shoes of the front frame portion acting on a transverse axis of the tunnel to grip the wall for fixing the front frame portion in the tunnel, at least one power jack operable to move one of said shoes of the rear frame portion to grip the wall for fixing the rear frame portion in the tunnel, double-acting power means for moving one of the frame portions in nongripping position of its shoes while sliding the shoes under pressure agaiNst the tunnel wall longitudinally of the tunnel relative to the other said portion for producing a walking action of the machine in the tunnel, at least two cutter heads with built in motor and motor driven rotary cutters mounted to swing on the front frame portion on two parallel swinging axes transverse to the tunnel axis and offset from said transverse axis of said pair of oppositely directed shoes of the front frame portion, and double-acting power cylinder and piston and piston rod means in the front frame portion for swing each cutter head through an angle of more than 90* to produce a cut in the tunnel front.

Claim 9

In a tunneling machine, a frame structure having a front portion and a rear portion, a number of tunnel wall engaging shoes on said front portion engageable with walls of a tunnel for guiding the front portion in the tunnel, a number of tunnel wall engaging shoes on said rear portion engageable with said tunnel walls for gripping the walls, at least one power jack operable to move one said shoes of a pair of oppositely directed shoes of the front frame portion acting on a transverse axis of the tunnel to grip the wall for fixing the front frame portion in the tunnel, at least one power jack operable to move one of said shoes of the rear frame portion to grip the wall for fixing the rear frame portion in the tunnel, double-acting power means for moving one of the frame portions in nongripping position of its shoes while sliding the shoes under pressure agaiNst the tunnel wall longitudinally of the tunnel relative to the other said portion for producing a walking action of the machine in the tunnel, at least two cutter heads with built in motor and motor driven rotary cutters mounted to swing on the front frame portion on two parallel swinging axes transverse to the tunnel axis and offset from said transverse axis of said pair of oppositely directed shoes of the front frame portion, and double-acting power cylinder and piston and piston rod means in the front frame portion for swing each cutter head through an angle of more than 90* to produce a cut in the tunnel front.

Claim 10

A tunneling machine according to claim 7, in which the rotary cutter comprises a cutter disk provided with a number of peripherally disposed kerf cutting teeth.

Claim 11

A tunneling machine according to claim 7, in which the rotary cutter comprises a cutter disk provided with a number of peripherally disposed kerf producing elements and a number of reaming elements arranged axially behind said kerf producing elements.

Claim 12

A tunneling machine, according to claim 7 in which at least two cutter heads with built in motor and motor-driven rotary cutters are mounted to swing on the front frame portion on two parallel substantially vertical swinging axes transverse to the tunnel axis, the direction of rotation of said cutters situated adjacent the tunnel floor being such as to help to move debris towards the center line of the tunnel, and power means in the front frame portion for swinging said cutter heads towards said center line through an angle of more than 90* to produce a cut in the tunnel front.

Claim 13

A tunneling machine according to claim 10, in which a conveyor for debris is provided with a receiving end near the tunnel floor at a front end of the front portion substantially in the midportion of said front end between the two parallel swinging axes.