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US 4,732,427 AGranted
Head intake for tunnelling machine
OwnerRichard Lovatinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus for tunnelling through soil, in which a cutting head is rotatably mounted on a housing and atmospherically sealed from the housing. A muck ring is located in the housing to collect loose soil through an opening into the chamber of the muck ring and the opening is closable to maintain a pre-set earth pressure in the cutting head.
Claims12
Apparatus for tunnelling through soil, comprising:
- a housing;
- a cutting head rotatably mounted on one end of the housing and closing said one end, the head being sealed from the housing,
- a muck ring fixed to the housing and projecting from the housing into the cutting head, the muck ring defining a chamber opening into the cutting head to receive loose soil collected within the cutting head;
- and
- closure means operable in response to earth pressure change within the cutting head to open and close the opening in the muck ring whereby a predetermined earth pressure is maintained in the cutting head.
2 more elements
Apparatus for tunnelling through soil, comprising:
- a cylindrical housing;
- a cutting head rotatably mounted on one end of the housing coaxial therewith and closing said one end, the head being sealed from the housing;
- a muck ring fixed to the housing and defining a chamber, the muck ring projecting from the housing into the cutting head and having an opening located to receive loose soil collected within the cutting head and falling by gravity through the opening into the chamber;
- means to remove the loose soil from the chamber through the housing;
- gate means to open and close the opening in the muck ring;
- and
- means responsive to earth pressure change within the head to operate the gate means whereby a minimum earth pressure in the cutting head is maintained.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.