US 4,494,617 AGranted

Shaft boring machine

AssigneeHarrison Western Corporation

InventorLarry L. Snyder

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Abstract

A machine for boring a shaft in earth strata or the like. An annular support ring means having an outside diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the shaft which is selectively engageable or disengageable with the shaft wall by the use of clamping means is disclosed. A carriage means which is slidably mounted on the annular support ring means and orbital thereabout is also disclosed. A rotary cutting wheel means having a diameter substantially smaller than the diameter of the shaft is mounted on the carriage means and is axially displaceable with respect thereto for movement in a direction which may be parallel or inclined with respect to the axis of the shaft. Various drive means for moving the carriage means circumferentially about the annular support ring means, and for moving the rotary cutting wheel means in an axial direction with respect to the carriage means, and for rotating the rotary cutting wheel means are described. The use of the machine to make an overlapping helical path cut in earth strata whereby a generally cylindrical shaft is created is also described.

Claims96

Dependent claims

A machine for boring a shaft in earth strata or the like, the shaft having a generally cylindrical side wall and a face at one end thereof which is cut away by the machine, and comprising:

an annular support ring means for supporting the machine on the sidewall of the shaft during a cutting stroke having an outside diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the shaft for being located in closely spaced circumjacent relationship to the side wall of the shaft;
clamping means associated with said support ring means for causing selective clamping engagement of said support ring means with the side wall of the shaft to fixedly axially hold the machine in the shaft;
a carriage means movably mounted on said support ring means in fixed axial relationship thereto for 360.degree. circumferential movement thereabout and relative thereto;
carriage drive means operatively mounted between said rotatable carriage means and said support ring means for causing relative circumferential movement therebetween;
a rotary cutting wheel means having a central axis of rotation supported by said carriage means and adapted to be located adjacent the end face of the shaft and having a diameter substantially less than the diameter of the shaft for cutting the end face of the shaft in a continuous spiral path to elongate the shaft during each 360.degree. revolution of said carriage means;
cutting wheel drive shaft means supported by said carriage means for rotatably driving said cutting wheel means and having a longitudinal axis of rotation;
motor drive means operatively associated with said cutting wheel drive shaft means for causing rotation of said drive shaft means and said cutting wheel means;
cutting wheel support means for holding said cutting wheel means central axis of rotation and said cutting wheel drive shaft means at a fixed acute angle of inclination relative the axis of the shaft;
axial shifting means for enabling axial movement of said cutting wheel means and said drive shaft means relative to said carriage means and said support ring means toward and away from the end face of the shaft and for forcing said cutting wheel means into cutting engagement with the end face of the shaft during a single continuous extension of said axial shifting means as said cutting wheel means is carried around said support ring means whereby a continuous spiral cut of the end face is made during each 360.degree. revolution of said carriage means.

6 more elements

A shaft boring machine for boring a shaft in earth strata or the like, the shaft having a side wall and an end face wall upon which the machine is operative, and comprising:

peripheral support means having an outer peripheral configuration generally corresponding to the cross-sectional configuration of the shaft for being located adjacent the side wall of the shaft and for supporting the machine in the shaft;
clamping means associated with said support means for selectively causing said support means to be grippingly associated with the side wall of the shaft whereby the machine is supported in fixed axial relationship to the shaft, and to be non-grippingly associated with the side wall of the shaft whereby the machine is axially movable toward the face of the shaft;
movable carriage means mounted on said support means for 360.degree. circumferential movement relative thereto;
carriage drive means mounted between said support means and said carriage means for causing 360.degree. circumferential movement of said carriage means relative to said support means;
a drive shaft mounting means mounted on said carriage means for 360.degree. circumferential movement therewith;
an elongated rigid tube means slidably mounted in said drive shaft mounting means for axial movement relative to said carriage means toward and away from the face of the shaft;
a drive shaft means mounted in said rigid tube means;
a rotatable cutter wheel means mounted on one end of said rigid tube means adjacent the end face of the shaft and being operatively connected to said drive shaft means for rotatable cutting engagement with the end face of the shaft;
cutter wheel drive means operatively connected to said drive shaft means for rotatably driving said cutter wheel means during engagement of said cutter wheel means with the end face of the shaft;
and
axial shifting drive means operatively connected to said rigid tube means for causing axial displacement of said rigid tube means and said cutter wheel means relative to said carriage means axially toward and away from the end face of the shaft during circumferential movement of said carriage means relative to the end face of the shaft whereby said cutter wheel means makes a 360.degree. helical cut in the end face of the shaft during each 360.degree. revolution of said carriage means.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.