Machine for digging a trench and making a wall in said trench

A machine for digging a trench and making a wall in said trench, the machine being suitable for advancing along a path and comprising rear and front portions relative to the direction of advance of the machine, together with:

• excavator means disposed in the front portion of the machine and defining a substantially vertical cutting front;
• wall-forming means situated in the rear portion of the machine;
• and
• propulsion means suitable for causing the machine to advance along said path;
• the machine further comprising a central portion, controllable brake means for slowing advance or blocking at least one portion of the machine, and controllable connection and disconnection means for connecting and disconnecting the central portion respectively with the front and rear portions of the machine, thereby enabling the type of excavator means and the type of wall-forming means to be changed, wherein the excavator means are movable relative to the wall-forming means, and wherein the propulsion means are situated at least in part in the central portion of the machine and are suitable for moving the excavator means horizontally and/or vertically relative to the wall-forming means,
• wherein the controllable brake means comprise a front brake device comprising at least one actuator extending transversely relative to the path of the machine and co-operating with the front portion of the machine, said at least one actuator being provided at its free end with a friction plate suitable for being put into contact with a face of the trench when said actuator is actuated.

A machine for digging a trench and making a wall in said trench, the machine being suitable for advancing along a path and comprising rear and front portions relative to the direction of advance of the machine, together with:

• excavator means disposed in the front portion of the machine and defining a substantially vertical cutting front;
• wall-forming means situated in the rear portion of the machine;
• and
• propulsion means suitable for causing the machine to advance along said path;
• the machine further comprising a central portion, controllable brake means for slowing advance or blocking at least one portion of the machine, and controllable connection and disconnection means for connecting and disconnecting the central portion respectively with the front and rear portions of the machine, thereby enabling the type of excavator means and the type of wall-forming means to be changed, wherein the excavator means are movable relative to the wall-forming means, and wherein the propulsion means are situated at least in part in the central portion of the machine and are suitable for moving the excavator means horizontally and/or vertically relative to the wall-forming means, wherein the machine further comprises thrust means suitable for exerting horizontal and/or vertical thrust on the excavator means, and wherein the thrust means comprise at least one actuator engaged between the central portion and the front portion of the machine, disposed in a substantially vertical direction, and suitable for exerting vertical thrust on the excavator means.