The Robbins Company

Leif R Lindbergh

Richard J Robbins

Brent R Brown

Aaron J Shanahan

James C Moore

Timothy J Reilly

Ian R Cahoon

A tunnel boring machine () having a rotating cutter head () that rotatably supports a plurality of cutter assemblies (). A plurality of instrument packages () are attached to the rotating cutter head, each instrument package having a distal end in contact with an associated cutter assembly. The instrument packages include a plurality of sensors including an accelerometer (), magnetometer () and temperature sensor (), for monitoring the associated cutter assembly. The sensors are mounted in a distal end of the instrument packages that is biased to remain in contact with the cutter assembly. The instrument packages include a wireless transmitter, and they are interconnected in a mesh or peer to peer network. A power supply () such as a battery pack is provided for each instrument package. The data from the sensors may be used to control operation of the tunnel boring machine and/or to monitor the condition of the cutter assemblies.

Growing community of inventors

Seattle, WA, United States of America

Leif R Lindbergh