Gewerkschaft Eisenhutte Westfalia, Gmbh

Hochtief A.g.

Reinhard E Bokemeyer

Siegmund Hflm Babendererde

Hans Jutte

Adolf Foik

Dieter Stuckmann

Tunnel-driving apparatus utilizes a plurality of elongate drive or knife members arranged side-by-side and supported and guided for longitudinal movement on a frame. The members and the frame are advanced in succession during the driving process. Some or all of the drive members are hollow and accommodate telescopically extendible and retractible devices, conveniently of tubular form, used for treating the working face, for example, by conveying fluid to or from the face. The devices each have a series of cam-like projections engageable with spring-biased stops supported on the frame and the drive members. These stops serve to lock the devices in various positions and to automatically extend the devices from the members when the frame is shifted. The stops can be displaced however to generally engage the projections in such manner as to allow or prevent movement of the devices inwardly or outwardly of the drive members.

Apparatus for driving tunnels or the like

Tunnel driving apparatus has a shield with a plurality of cutter planks arranged side-by-side around the tunnel axis. The planks are supported and guided by two frames connected via a rigid bracing structure. One of the frames is provided with adjustable means capable of expanding or contacting the frame radially of the tunnel axis. The planks are advanced in known manner individually or in groups and the adjustable frame can be used to make the axes of the planks converge rearwardly of the tunnel driving direction when desired. Such control permits steering of the apparatus by making the reactive forces on the advancing planks cant the shield within a tapered gap between the planks and the tunnel wall. In addition the tendency of the frames to become jammed in the planks when being shifted up can be precluded.

Apparatus for, and a method of, driving tunnels

Apparatus for constructing an underground tunnel employs a drive shield composed of elongate drifting cutters disposed side-by-side in a circular configuration around a support frame. Hydraulic rams serve to advance the cutters and to shift up the frame when all the cutters have been advanced. The cutters have rear end portions which engage on a follow-up ring behind the drive shield. A platform is supported by the frame within the shield and carries some form of working appliance for detaching and removing the debris material. The platform also carries a rotatable concrete spraying device which serves to seal and secure the tunnel wall exposed when the follow-up ring is shifted up to the shield.

Apparatus for and a method of constructing a tunnel

A tunnel driving apparatus and method which utilizes a drive shield preferably composed of a series of cutter planks arranged side-by-side around the tunnel axis and supported by a frame. The shield is advanced in relation to the frame by displacing the individual planks, and the frame is subsequently drawn up by means of hydraulic rams. To support the rear section of the tunnel wall a rear shield is provided which is connected to the frame preferably through further rams. This shield is a shaped sheet metal structure open towards the floor and contacting the tunnel wall over the roof and sides. In performing the method, lining elements of circular or arcuate form are installed inside the rear shield prior to its shifting up. These elements can be disposed on a floor lining constructed in situ. As the rear shield is moved up fluid concrete is sprayed or otherwise introduced over the exposed tunnel wall in one or more layers to consolidate the lining elements into the support lining thus formed.

Useful improvements in apparatus for, and in methods of, constructing a

Tunnel-driving apparatus has a drive shield which can be composed of a series of planks arranged side-by-side around the tunnel and supported by a frame. The drive shield is advanced to penetrate the working face by operating hydraulic rams. To control and guide the shield and to inhibit rotary motion thereof a drifting cutter is positioned radially externally of the drive shield to cut a channel in the wall and preferably in the floor of the tunnel. In the latter case the channel can also be useful for drainage purposes. The drifting cutter is of elongate form guided for shifting parallel to the tunnel axis in advance of the drive shield. The axis of the cutter can be adjusted slightly by pivoting, for example, to control the guidance imparted by the drifting cutter.

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Offenbach, Germany

Reinhard E Bokemeyer