Sealing method of sealed segments of a tunnel

Claim 1

A method of sealing two segments of a tunnel lining, said segments having opposing inclined faces comprising the steps of: a. forming grooves in the direction of breadth of the faces to be united; b. holding a key segment between said opposing faces so that said key segment can be pushed between said opposing faces; c. fixing in said groove an elastic material to project outwards, said material having a thickness greater than the depth of said groove, said elastic material being composed of at least one hard elastic core material and at least one soft elastic coating material covering the exposed side of said core material; d. extending the surface of said plastic coating material gently in an arc-shape to both edges of said groove, so that adjoining segments including said key segment may be united with each other when said sealing material between said segments is extended out; and, e. forcibly uniting the faces of said segments with the corresponding faces of said key segment, whereby said hard elastic core material is stretched in the direction of the breadth of the groove so as to substantially fill said groove and said soft elastic coating material is stretched to fill the joints between adjacent faces.

Claim 2

A method of sealing together stone-like segments of a tunnel lining having opposed longitudinal inclined faces, comprising the steps of: a. forming a groove in both inclined faces in the direction of breadth of an upper part of said faces to be united; b. disposing a key segment to be held between said opposite faces; c. fixing in said groove at least one hard elastic material having an arcuate outer surface and a breadth greater than the depth of said groove, while coating said elastic sealing material in the area adjoining a lower part of the faces to be united with a paste type material so as to hold said key segment therebetween and further coating said paste type material on said key segment in the direction of the upper part of said faces to be united, so that said adjoining segments may be united when stretching said elastic material and the paste type material between said faces; and, d. forcibly uniting the faces of said segments with the corresponding faces of said key segment, whereby said hard elastic material is stretched in the direction of the breadth of the groove and said paste type material fills the joints between adjacent faces.

Claim 3

A method of sealing stone-like arcuate segments of a tunnel comprising the steps of: a. forming a contoured-shaped groove in each of the opposing faces of each segment in conformity with the contours of the segments; b. fixing in the grooves of each segment a hard elastic material nearly equal to the depth of said groove, while providing in the groove of at least one segment a soft elastic material, which covers the exposed side of said core material and projects outwardly from said groove, said projecting elastic material being put between said faces so as to stretch out so that all said adjacent segments are united; and, c. forcibly uniting the opposing faces of said segments, whereby said hard elastic materials are stretched in the direction of the breadth of the grooves so as to substantially fill said grooves and said soft elastic material is stretched to fill the joints between said faces.