Tunnel boring machine

A tunnel boring machine for boring a tunnel in rock including:

• a support structure;
• locating means operatively connected to said support structure for supporting and locating said support structure in a desired position with respect to the axis of a tunnel or a tunnel to be bored;
• a boring assembly operatively connected to said support structure for forward and reverse travel relative to said support structure, said boring assembly including a cutting head arranged to rotate about the tunnel axis for boring into an annular face about a core substantially coaxial with the tunnel axis;
• wherein said cutting head includes at least one set of cutting blades mounted for rotation about an axis extending radially across said cutting head, said cutting blades being arranged in spaced radial relationship from one another, each blade being arranged to cut a substantially circumferential cut with respect to the tunnel axis such that each cut is radially spaced from an adjacent cut;
• and
• drive means operatively connected to said cutting head and said at least one set of cutting blades for causing rotation of said cutting head about the tunnel axis and said at least one set of cutting blades about its radial axis wherein said drive means drives said at least one set of cutting blades about its radial axis independently of rotation of said cutting head.

A tunnel boring machine for boring a tunnel in rock including:

• a support structure;
• locating means operatively connected to said support structure for supporting and locating said support structure in a desired position with respect to the axis of a tunnel or a tunnel to be bored;
• a boring assembly operatively connected to said support structure for forward and reverse travel relative to said support structure, said boring assembly including a cutting head arranged to rotate about the tunnel axis for boring into an annular face about a core substantially coaxial with the tunnel axis;
• wherein said cutting head includes at least one set of cutting blades mounted for rotation about an axis extending radially across said cutting head, said cutting blades being arranged in spaced radial relationship from one another, each blade being arranged to cut a substantially circumferential cut with respect to the tunnel axis such that each cut is radially spaced from an adjacent cut;
• drive means operatively connected to said cutting head and said at least one set of cutting blades for causing rotation of said cutting head about the tunnel axis and said at least one set of cutting blades about its radial axis;
• a core removal assembly operatively connected to said support structure and disposed axially behind said cutting head, said core removal assembly being operable for removing the core exposed by the first boring assembly;
• and
• wherein said cutting head is a first cutting head and said core removal assembly includes a second cutting head arranged to rotate about the tunnel axis for boring into the core substantially coaxial with the tunnel axis;
• wherein said second cutting head includes at least one set of cutting blades mounted for rotation about an axis extending radially across said cutting head, said cutting blades being arranged in spaced radial relationship from one another, each blade being arranged to cut a substantially circumferential cut with respect to the tunnel axis such that each cut is radially spaced from an adjacent cut;
• and drive means operatively connected to said second cutting head and said at least one set of cutting blades for causing rotation of said second cutting head about the tunnel axis and said at least one set of cutting blades about its radial axis.

A tunnel boring machine for boring a tunnel in rock including:

• a support structure;
• locating means operatively connected to said support structure for supporting and locating said support structure in a desired position with respect to the axis of a tunnel or a tunnel to be bored;
• a boring assembly operatively connected to said support structure for forward and reverse travel relative to said support structure, said boring assembly including a cutting head arranged to rotate about the tunnel axis for boring into an annular face about a core substantially coaxial with the tunnel axis;
• wherein said cutting head includes at least one set of cutting blades mounted for rotation about an axis extending radially across said cutting head, said cutting blades being arranged in spaced radial relationship from one another, each blade being arranged to cut a substantially circumferential cut with respect to the tunnel axis such that each cut is radially spaced from an adjacent cut;
• drive means operatively connected to said cutting head and said at least one set of cutting blades for causing rotation of said cutting head about the tunnel axis and said at least one set of cutting blades about its radial axis;
• and
• wherein said at least one set of cutting blades includes a plurality of sets, the blades of each set being mounted on a common shaft and arranged such that in use the blades of one set follow the same substantially circumferential cuts made by a previous set to increase the depth of the previous cuts to a predetermined depth.