Tunnel boring machine with continuous forward propulsion

A tunnel boring machine comprising:

• a frame;
• a full face cutterhead on said frame having a plurality of cutting units, said cutterhead being rotatable with respect to said frame;
• two sets of three anchor shoes floating relative to said frame and being disposed circumferentially thereof, the anchor shoes of one of said two sets alternating on said frame with the anchor shoes of the other of said two sets with each such shoe occupying subs 60.degree. of the circumference thereof;
• gripper means floating relative to said frame and connecting the three anchor shoes of each of said two sets such that each set of said two sets of three anchor shoes are substantially sequentially gripped with respect to the tunnel wall independently of the other of said two sets of anchor shoes to anchor said tunnel boring machine;
• and
• thrust means connected to said frame and to each anchor shoe in said two sets whereby said thrust means is substantially sequentially activated such that said frame and the one of said two sets of three anchor shoes that is ungripped are advanced with respect to the one of said two sets of three anchor shoes that is gripped.

A tunnel boring machine comprising a frame;

• a cutterhead on said frame having a plurality of cutting units, said cutterhead rotatable with respect to said frame;
• two sets of three anchor shoes floating relative to said frame and being disposed circumferentially thereof, the anchor shoes of one of said two sets alternating on said frame with the anchor shoes of the other of said two sets, the three anchor shoes of each of said two sets being spaced substantially equidistant on said frame;
• two sets of three pair of floating gripper cylinders, one set of said two sets of gripper cylinders interconnecting one set of said two sets of three anchor shoes, and the other set of said two sets of three pair of gripper cylinders interconnecting the other set of said two sets of three anchor shoes such that each pair of gripper cylinders connect two anchor shoes of a set of three anchor shoes whereby each gripper cylinder of a pair is spaced from the other gripper cylinder of a pair longitudinally on the connected anchor shoes, each set of said two sets of three anchor shoes being substantially sequentially gripped and ungripped with respect to the tunnel wall independently of the other of said two sets of anchor shoes;
• and
• two sets of three thrust cylinder bipods connected to said frame, one set of said two sets of three thrust cylinder bipods being connected to one set of said two sets of three anchor shoes, and the other set of said two sets of three thrust cylinder bipods being connected to the other set of said three anchor shoes such that each thrust cylinder bipod is connected to a corresponding anchor shoe whereby said two sets of three thrust cylinder bipods are substantially sequentially actuated such that said frame and the one of said two sets of three anchor shoes that is ungripped are advanced with respect to the one of said two sets of three anchor shoes that is gripped.