Shield tunneling machine
AssigneeHitachi Shipbuilding & Engineering Co., Ltd.
InventorTadao Yoshikawa
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A shield tunneling machine having incorporated therein an earth removing apparatus which comprises a tubular casing having an earth inlet at one end and a closable earth outlet at the other end, and an earth transport conveyor rotatably provided within the casing and comprising a helically twisted strip. Unlike conventional earth removing apparatus which has a screw conveyor comprising a rotary shaft and a screw blade around the shaft, the apparatus can transport and discharge earth containing large solid fragments and therefore performs the desired function even when small in diameter, i.e. in shield diameter.
Claims8
A shield tunneling machine comprising:
- a hollow sheild main body;
- a cutter head rotatably disposed at one end of the main body and adapted to be driven by first drive means;
- a pressure chamber formed within the main body immediately behind the cutter head;
- an atmospheric pressure compartment formed within the main body in the rear of the pressure chamber;
- shaftless earth kneading screw means comprising a helically twisted strip rotatably provided within the pressure chamber, the earth kneading screw means being adapted to be driven by second drive means for kneading the excavated earth introduced into the pressure chamber through the cutter head;
- and
- an earth removing apparatus provided within the main body and holding the pressure chamber in communication with the atmospheric pressure compartment;
- the earth removing apparatus comprising a fixed tubular casing having at a front end portion thereof an earth inlet opened to the pressure chamber and at a rear end portion thereof a closable earth outlet communicating with the atmospheric pressure compartment, and a shaftless screw conveyor comprising a helically twisted strip rotatably provided within the casing, the screw conveyor being adapted to be driven by third drive means for conveying the excavated earth introduced into the casing through the earth inlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.