# US 8,540,319 B2 · Bit replacing device for excavating machine

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- Number: US 8,540,319 B2
- Document ID: US8540319B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/520,352
- Filed: 2010-12-16
- Published: 2012-11-01
- Granted: 2013-09-24
- Earliest claimed: 2010-01-29
- Assignees: Hitachi Zosen Corporation
- Applicants: Yasuharu Hanaoka
- Inventors: Yasuharu Hanaoka
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8540319B2

## CPC

- E21D 9/04: Driving tunnels or galleries through loose materials; Apparatus therefor not otherwise provided for {(E21D9/005, E21D9/06 take precedence; soil improvement E21D9/001; provisional protective covers E21D19/04)}
- E21D 9/0879: {the shield being provided with devices for lining the tunnel, e.g. shuttering}
- E21D 9/112: {by means of one single rotary head or of concentric rotary heads (E21D9/111 takes precedence)}
- E21D: SHAFTS; TUNNELS; GALLERIES; LARGE UNDERGROUND CHAMBERS (soil-conditioning or soil-stabilising materials C09K17/00; drilling or cutting machines for mining or quarrying E21C; safety devices, transport, rescue, ventilation or drainage E21F)

## Abstract

A valve containing portion (35) is formed behind a bit containing portion (34) which opens at the front surface of a main cutter spoke (21). A rotary valve (39) is rotatably disposed in the valve containing portion (35). A bit case (41) containing a roller bit (31) is moved so as to protrude from an attachment/detachment path (39) formed in a rotary valve (38) into the bit containing portion (34), and is fixed by a cotter (38) to support an excavating reactive force. Thus, the sliding gap of the rotary valve (39) is disposed in the bit containing portion (34) and the valve containing portion (35) to be covered with the bit case (41).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A bit replacing unit for an excavating machine, in which the excavating machine includes, in a front part thereof, a cutter head rotatably supported about an excavating machine axial center, a roller bit for crushing rocks and pebbles, the roller bit being disposed on a front surface of the cutter head, and a workspace in which an abraded roller bit can be replaced, the workspace being formed inside the cutter head, wherein
a housing is disposed in a front part of the cutter head,
a bit containing path is formed in the housing along an in-and-out axis along which the roller bit is extended and retracted,
a bit containing portion which opens at the front surface of the cutter head and a valve containing portion which is formed behind the bit containing portion are provided on the bit containing path,
an opening for replacement is formed in a direction of an insertion-and-removal axis at a predetermined angle relative to the in-and-out axis in the housing, the opening for replacement communicating with the valve containing portion and the workspace,
a rotary valve is provided in the valve containing portion, the rotary valve being rotatable about a rotary axis substantially perpendicular to the in-and-out axis and the insertion-and-removal axis,
an attachment/detachment path communicating with the bit containing portion is formed in the rotary valve,
a bit case containing the roller bit is removably inserted into the attachment/detachment path,
the rotary valve is turned at a predetermined angle to cause the attachment/detachment path to communicate with the opening for replacement, so that the bit case is movable between the attachment/detachment path and the workspace,
a bit extending/retracting mechanism for extending and retracting the bit case between the attachment/detachment path and the bit containing portion is provided on the rotary valve,
a first sealing material is provided for sealing at a gap between the bit case and the valve containing portion, and
a second sealing material is provided for sealing at a gap between a periphery of an opening of the attachment/detachment path and an inner surface of the valve containing portion on an outer peripheral surface of the rotary valve.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The bit replacing unit for an excavating machine according to claim 1, wherein
a reactive force support block is provided on a rear surface side of the bit case in the attachment/detachment path of the rotary valve, the reactive force support block transferring an excavating reactive force of the roller bit to the housing, and
a cotter for transferring the excavating reactive force is removably fitted between the bit case and the reactive force support block in the valve containing portion.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1, 2)

The bit replacing unit for an excavating machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein
the bit containing path penetrates through the cutter head,
the attachment/detachment path penetrates through the rotary valve,
the reactive force support block is removably inserted into the attachment/detachment path, and
the reactive force support block is removably inserted into the workspace from a rear opening of the attachment/detachment path of the rotary valve via the opening for replacement.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The bit replacing unit for an excavating machine according to claim 3, wherein
a first soil removal path containing the roller bit penetrates through the bit case in a direction of the in-and-out axis,
a second soil removal path communicating with the first soil removal path penetrates through the reactive force support block in the direction of the in-and-out axis, and
soil excavated by the roller bit can be discharged from the first soil removal path to a rear surface side of the cutter head via the second soil removal path.