Continuous roof support system for tunnel boring
AssigneeDresser Industries, Inc.
InventorThomas Lonnie Arrington
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The roof of a tunnel being bored by a tunneling machine is continuously supported, using sections of lagging and ring beams. A shield is positioned over the earth boring machine. The shield includes a multiplicity of elongated members. The elongated members provide elongated recesses that will accommodate sections of lagging. A length of tunnel is bored, and a ring beam is implanted in the tunnel beneath the shield. The lagging may be manipulated in the elongated recesses in the shield and positioned proximate the roof of the tunnel supported by the ring beam. Additional lagging is provided by repeating the steps.
Claims4
An earth boring machine for boring a tunnel is subterranean formations and providing support for the roof of the tunnel using sections of lagging and support beams, comprising:
- a machine body section;
- a rotary cutterhead connected to the machine body section for contacting and disintegrating the subterranean formations;
- and
- shield means projecting from said machine body section, said shield means located immediately behind said rotary cutterhead, for temporarily supporting the roof, said shield means including a multiplicity of parallel beams spaced apart leaving openings between beams, said beams including a downward projection with the space between the downward projections being slightly larger than said sections of lagging whereby a section of lagging may be accommodated and moved into place on the support beams.
A method of tunneling and supporting the roof of a tunnel being bored by a tunneling machine, using sections of lagging and support beams, said tunneling machine having a shield positioned above the machine with space in said shield for sections of lagging, comprising the steps of:
- loading sections of said lagging in said space in said shield;
- boring a length of tunnel thereby moving said machine, said shield and said lagging forward in said tunnel;
- placing a support beam in said tunnel beneath said shield;
- moving said sections of lagging from said space in said shield onto said support beam beneath said shield;
- loading additional sections of said lagging in said space in said shield;
- boring an additional length of tunnel thereby moving said machine, said shield and said lagging forward in said tunnel;
- placing an additional support beam in said tunnel beneath said shield;
- and
- moving said additional sections of lagging from said space in said shield onto said additional support beam beneath said shield.
A method of tunneling and supporting the roof of a tunnel being bored by a tunneling machine, using sections of lagging and support beams, said tunneling machine having a shield positioned above the machine with space in said shield for sections of lagging, comprising of steps of:
- placing sections of said lagging in said space in said shield;
- boring a length of tunnel thereby moving said shield and lagging forward in said tunnel;
- placing support ring beam means in said tunnel;
- moving said lagging from said space in said shield onto said support ring beam means;
- placing additional sections of said lagging in said space in said shield;
- boring an additional length of tunnel thereby moving said shield and lagging forward in said tunnel;
- placing additional support ring beam means in said tunnel;
- and
- moving said additional sections of lagging from said space in said shield onto said additional support ring beam means.
An earth boring machine for boring a tunnel in subterranean formations and providing support for the roof of the tunnel using sections of lagging and support beams, comprising:
- a machine body section;
- a rotary cutterhead connected to the machine body section for contacting and disintegrating the subterranean formations;
- shield means positioned over said machine body section for temporarily supporting the roof, said shield means including a multiplicity of parallel beams spaced apart leaving openings between beams;
- said beams including a downward projection with the space between the downward projections being slightly larger than said sections of lagging whereby a section of lagging may be accommodated and moved into place on the support beams;
- at least one link element rotatably connected to said machine body section and rotatably connected to said shield means, said link element and said shield means adapted to be moved upward toward said roof and toward said rotary cutterhead;
- and
- thrust cylinder means connected between said machine body section and said shield means whereby actuation of said thrust cylinder means will move said shield means toward said roof and toward said rotary cutterhead.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.