Tunnelling and lining machine

Tunnelling and lining machine for forming a tunnel with a substantially cylindrical wall,

• the machine having a rear end and a front end,
• a longitudinal axis extending between the rear end and front end, and a structure extending between the rear end and front end,
• a hollow center of the structure accommodating conveyor means for conveying material longitudinally along the structure,
• a digging head at the front end of the structure for cutting the working face of the earth to be tunnelled, and means mounting the digging head on the structure,
• a rotor mounted concentric with the structure behind the digging head to be rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the structure,
• drive means for driving the rotor in rotation,
• the rotor comprising means for feeding outwardly towards the wall of the tunnel a flexible band of material to form a helical winding from the band contiguous to the substantially cylindrical wall of the tunnel,
• the means for feeding the flexible band outwardly comprising a reel mounted on the machine for receiving a spiral winding of the material of said band and having an axis of rotation parallel to that of the rotor,
• an ejector on the rotor, at least one pair of rollers in the ejector with a nip between the at least one pair of rollers,
• the at least one pair of rollers being adapted to receive the band tightly in its nip,
• the rollers comprising at least one drive roller and means for driving the at least one drive roller whereby the band may be drawn from the reel and ejected outwardly from the ejector towards the wall of the tunnel, and
• the said means for driving the at least one drive roller and the drive means for driving the rotor in rotation are arranged to drive the said roller at a peripheral speed slightly greater than the tangential speed of the rotor in rotation.