Method and apparatus for lining tunnel walls or tunnel ceilings with protective nets
AssigneesGeobrugg AG, Rock Engineering (Aust) Pty Ltd.
InventorShane Brown
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a method for lining tunnel walls or ceilings with protective nets or the like, web-shaped protective net material is unwound from a reel and is fastened to the tunnel walls or ceiling by tie bolts. The reel is rotatably arranged. The rotation of the reel about a shaft is controlled in order to unwind the protective net material, the shaft being mechanically moved in steps along the tunnel walls or ceiling together with the reel. The protective net material unwound in each step is preferably stretched and mechanically fastened. The individuals carrying out these processes are thus not exposed to any direct risk, while the lining process can be accelerated.
Claims18
A method for lining tunnel walls or tunnel ceilings with protective nets, comprising:
- arranging a reel of web-shaped protective net material on a shaft to enable the reel to rotate about the shaft,
- securing ends of the shaft, using a securing system,
- rotating the reel using a rotation system that engages with a surface of the reel to cause rotation of the reel, while the ends of the shaft are secured by the securing system, and thus unwinding of the protective net material from the reel, the rotation system comprising a pressure roller engaging with the surface of the reel, and
- controlling rotational movement of the reel by maintaining engagement of the rotation system with the surface of the reel during unwinding of the reel and selectively actuating the rotation system, while engaged with the surface of the reel, to provide for unwinding of the protective net material from the reel and for braking of the reel,
- the reel being movable along the tunnel walls or tunnel ceiling,
- wherein the step of controlling rotational movement of the reel comprises:
- controlling rotational movement of the pressure roller;
- and
- moving the pressure roller in a radial direction of the reel as the protective net material unwinds from the reel to maintain contact between the pressure roller and the surface of the reel.
An apparatus for lining tunnel walls or tunnel ceilings with protective nets, comprising:
- a shaft that rotatably supports a reel of protective net material such that the reel is rotatable about said shaft;
- a holder that secures said shaft, and
- a rotation system that controls rotational movement of the reel about said shaft while said shaft is secured by said holder, said holder being movable along the tunnel walls or tunnel ceiling,
- said rotation system being maintained in engagement with a surface of the reel during unwinding of the reel and selectively actuated, while engaged with the surface of the reel, to provide for unwinding of the protective net material from the reel and for braking of the reel,
- said rotation system comprising a rotatable pressure roller adapted to engage with the surface of the reel and a drive motor operatively connected to said pressure roller for moving said pressure roller in a radial direction of the reel,
- said rotation system being configured to control rotational movement of the reel by controlling rotational movement of the pressure roller and moving, using the drive motor, the pressure roller in the radial direction of the reel as the protective net material unwinds from the reel while maintaining contact between the pressure roller and the surface of the reel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.