US 4,270,876 A · Method of lining a vertical mine shaft with concrete

Abstract

The apparatus includes a cylindrical retainer form spaced inwardly of the wall of the shaft by the desired thickness of the liner to be poured and having overlapping edges which seal against concrete flow but permit the form to be contracted to a smaller circumference after the liner has hardened and is self-supporting. A curb ring extends downwardly and outwardly toward the shaft wall from the bottom of the retainer form to define the bottom surface of each poured liner section. An inflatable toroid forms a seal between the curb ring and the shaft wall. A form support gripper ring having gripper shoes laterally extendable under hydraulic power to engage the shaft wall supports the retainer form, curb ring and liner until the newly poured liner section becomes self-supporting. Adjusting hydraulic cylinders permit the curb ring and retainer form to be properly aligned relative to the form support gripper ring. After a liner section is self-supporting, an advancing system advances the retainer form, curb ring and form support gripper ring toward a shaft boring machine above which the liner is being formed. The advancing system also provides correct horizontal alignment of the form support gripper ring.

Claims26

Dependent claims

Apparatus for forming contiguous sections of a concrete liner in a vertical shaft in cooperation with a boring machine comprising:

retainer form means including an expandable cylindrical form having first and second overlapping edges;
first power means for moving said expandable form selectively between a first position of expanded circumference and a second position of contracted circumference;
curb means including sealing means at the bottom of said expandable form for forming a lower edge of a concrete section poured between said form and the wall of said shaft;
gripper means for frictionally engaging the wall of said shaft for supporting said retainer form means independently of said boring machine;
adjusting means for adjusting said panel means relative to said gripper means for rotational and translational motion, whereby said gripper means can be placed in gripping relation with the wall of said shaft and said panel means can be adjusted relative to said gripper means;
and
advancing means interconnecting said gripper means and said boring machine for lowering said form means toward said boring machine while supporting the weight of said form means on said boring machine.

4 more elements

A method of forming a concrete liner section about the periphery of a vertical shaft comprising:

supporting a boring machine beneath said form by engagement with the walls of said shaft;
constricting the circumference of a radially-expandable cylindrical retainer form to a diameter less than the inner diameter of the liner;
locating said form axially of said shaft at the elevation of the desired liner section;
expanding said form to define a liner space with the wall of said shaft;
attaching said form to said wall so that it is self-supporting;
filling said liner space with a quick setting concrete;
and
transferring the weight of said form to said boring machine after said concrete is self-supporting to the desired location of a subsequent liner section.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of lining a vertical mine shaft with concrete

Life of this patent

Method of lining a vertical mine shaft with concrete

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims26