Tunnel boring machine

An elongated tunnel boring machine, having a central longitudinal machine axis, for boring a linear tunnel section in a linear boring mode of operation or a curvilinear tunnel section in a curvilinear boring mode of operation;

• the tunnel having an end face and a peripheral side wall including a floor portion, a ceiling portion, and opposite side wall portions spaced from a central longitudinal tunnel axis;
• and the tunnel boring machine comprising:
• rotatable cutting wheel means at the front end of the machine and having a central axis of rotation which is coaxial with the machine axis and adapted to be selectively located at a desired position approximately at the laterally opposite portion of the central longitudinal tunnel axis and held against the tunnel face during rotation for cutting material away from the tunnel face to elongate the tunnel and extend the central longitudinal tunnel axis in a selected direction;
• extendible and retractable thrust means, including a forwardly extending piston-rod means operably connected to said cutting wheel means and a rearwardly extending cylinder means operably supporting said forwardly extending piston-rod means, and a plurality of annular shield thrust devices operatively attached to said piston rod means, by an annular shield device and selectively engageable with an associated tunnel lining for selectively causing forward movement of said cutting wheel means against the tunnel face in the cutting mode of operation during a cutting stroke, said thrust means being selectively operable to cause forward relative axial movement between said piston-rod means and said cylinder means along the machine axis from a retracted position to an extended position to move the cutting wheel means forwardly relative to said thrust means during a cutting stroke in the cutting mode of operation and from the extended position to the retracted position to move said thrust means forwardly relative to said cutting wheel means in the non-cutting mode to prepare the machine for the next cutting stroke;
• motor means operatively connected to said rotatable cutting wheel means and mounted in a forward portion of said piston-rod means for selectively causing rotation thereof in a cutting mode of operation and stopping rotation thereof in a non-cutting mode of operation;
• extendible and retractable rear end clamping and positioning means for fixedly locating and holding the rear end portion of the machine between opposite tunnel side wall portions with the rear end portion of the central longitudinal machine axis located in approximately coaxial relationship with the laterally adjacent portion of the central longitudinal tunnel axis in the linear boring mode and with the rear end portion of the central longitudinal machine axis located in approximately intersecting relationship with the laterally adjacent portion of the central longitudinal tunnel axis in the curvilinear boring mode, and being selectively movable between outwardly extended engaging positions and inwardly retracted non-engaging positions relative to the tunnel wall to facilitate repositioning of the machine between cutting strokes;
• pivotal connecting means between said rear end clamping and positioning means and the rear end portion of the machine to provide at least one pivotal axis which intersects the central longitudinal machine axis for enabling the central longitudinal machine axis to be laterally pivoted displaced relative to the central longitudinal axis about said pivotal axis during a cutting stroke in the curvilinear boring mode of operation;
• and
• extendible and retractable front end clamping and positioning means for fixedly locating and holding the front end portion of the machine between the opposite tunnel side wall, portions with the central longitudinal machine axis located in approximately coaxial fixed relationship with the central longitudinal tunnel axis in the linear boring mode and for adjustably locating and holding the front end portion of the machine between opposite tunnel side wall portions during a cutting stroke with the central longitudinal machine axis in variably displaced laterally offset relationship with the central longitudinal tunnel axis of the last bored tunnel portion in the curvilinear boring mode by lateral pivotal displacement about said pivotal axis.

An elongated tunnel boring machine, having a central longitudinal machine axis, for boring a linear tunnel section in a linear boring mode of operation or a curvilinear tunnel section in a curvilinear boring mode of operation;

• the tunnel having an end face and a peripheral side wall including a floor portion, a ceiling portion, and opposite side wall portions spaced from a central longitudinal tunnel axis;
• and the tunnel boring machine comprising:
• rotatable cutting wheel means at the front end of the machine and having a central axis of rotation which is coaxial with the machine axis and adapted to be selectivley located at a desired position approximately at the laterally opposite portion of the central longitudinal tunnel axis and held against the tunnel face during rotation 1/2 for cutting material away from the tunnel face during rotation] for cutting material away from the tunnel face to elongate the tunnel and extend the central longitudinal tunnel axis in a selected direction;
• extendible and retractable thrust means, including forwardly extending piston-rod means operably associated with said cutting wheel means and rearwardly extending cylinder means operably supporting said forwardly extending piston-rod means, and a plurality of annular thrust devices operatively attached to an annular device, for selectively causing forward movement of said cutting wheel means against the tunnel face in the cutting mode of operation said piston rod means being selectively extendable to cause forward relative axial movement to move the cutting wheel means forwardly during a cutting stroke and being retractable to move said cylinder means forwardly relative to said cutting wheel means to prepare the piston rod means for the next cutting stroke;
• motor means operatively connected to said rotatable cutting wheel means for selectively causing rotation thereof in a cutting mode of operation and stopping rotation thereof in a non-cutting mode of operation;
• extendible and retractable rear end clamping and positioning means for locating and holding the rear end portion of the machine between opposite tunnel side wall portions with the rear end portion of the central longitudinal machine axis located in approximately coaxial relationship with the laterally adjacent portion of the central longitudinal tunnel axis in the linear boring mode and being selectively movable between outwardly extended engaging positions and inwardly retracted non-engaging positions relative to the tunnel wall to facilitate repositioning of the machine;
• pivotal connecting means between said rear end clamping and positioning means and the rear end portion of the machine to provide at least one pivotal axis which intersects the central longitudinal machine axis for enabling the central longitudinal machine axis to be laterally pivotally displaced relative to the central longitudinal tunnel axis about said pivotal axis during a cutting stroke in the curvilinear boring mode of operation;
• and
• extendible and retractable from end clamping and positioning means for fixedly locating and holding the front end portion of the machine between the opposite tunnel side wall portions with the central longitudinal machine axis located in approximately coaxial fixed relationship with the central longitudinal tunnel axis in the linear boring mode and for adjustingly locating and holding the front end portion of the machine between opposite tunnel side wall portions during a cutting stroke with the central longitudinal machine axis in variably displaced laterally offset relationship with the central longitudinal tunnel axis of the last bored tunnel portion in the curvilinear boring mode by lateral pivotal displacement about said pivotal axis.