US1530768A - Tunneling apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Patented Mar. 24, i925.

Unire-n `s'rarins ria ll y

Linares runnnnrne Application filed January 17, 18,22. Serial I'To. 523,864.

lassee, near Berlin, Germany, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in rIunneling Apparatus, of which the followmg is a specii'ication. i

invention relates to vtunnel shields and more lespecially-to a shield adaptedfor use in constructing tunnels under Water.,` t

According to the present invent-ion I provide the shield'W-ith a chamber or loclr open ing in front of and behind the shield, Where it can be closed by suitable gates, and further With a. rotary dredging device adapted to be actuated from Within and which detachee the earth and carriesv it into the lock wherein the earth is discharged through the shield into the tunnel. c

In the drawings aflined to this specilication and forming part thereof, a shield ein-` bodying my invention is illustrated diagrainmatically by Way of example. In the dravvingsf- Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section and Fig. 2 is a front View of my improved shield partly in cross section.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is the shield proper and 2O is the cylinder carrying it, said cylinder being capable of revolving within the tubings 25. A chamber or lock 2 is arranged in a central opening of the shield, the front end of the lock projecting into the. space 3 in front of the shield which is as a rule filled With Water, the front end of the chamber being surrounded by the annular boss d of the rotary dredger.

A plurality of arms 5 projecting radially from said boss have their end formed like buckets o-r cutting blades, and may be supported on the front Wall 1 by any suitable means (not shown). Channels 6 are provided on the arms 5 which register with openings in the boss Ll. yThe earth which is loosened or cut away from the bank by the arms a is raised by them and drops through the respective opening 'Z in the boss into an opening 8 at the top of the front portion of the lock chamber 2. The opening 8 can be closed from'within the tunnel byi a slide 9 fixed to a handle 21. vWith the lower portion of the inner end of the lock chamber 2 a discharge tube 22 is con` nected, which is gradually filled with the vearth discharged from the loclr 2. When the lock 2 and the discharge tube 22 are corn- NFFICE.. t

ilertely filled with earth, the opening 8 is i or mintureof 4earth and Water, as the case `may be, are discharged by supplying air under pressureto thev loclr chamber 2 after having opened the discharge :gate 22?' of tubel 22. The "Water may beV discharged alone in the space Iin front -of the Wall 1 by opening a valve 1l at the 4'bottomof the tube 22 and supplying air under pressuretofthe loci: chamber 2'vvhile the discharge gate 22 is` still closed. Then vthe discharge `gate is opened and the earth' may be dischargedV into the space behind theWall 1.

. In those cases Where thevrotary dredger can perform its Work by rotating in `one direction only, a single channel 6 onl each dredging arm 5 will sul'lice. yInthe modiication disclosed in the drawings, the arms 5 are shown as provided with a separate channel on either side so that the dredger Will do its Work in either direction, the channels Which face the direction of rotation, being in operation, While the others,

are'idle.

The dredging device 4, 5, 6 can be operated by various means. In the example illustrated, the boss l carries a cap 12 With steel teeth 23 secured to it and the cap yand the boss l are actuated together by a horizontal shaft 24 extending axially through the lock chamber 2. A helical conveyer 13 or equivalent conveying means may be secured to` the shaft, as shown in dotted lines, which moves the earth in the lock chamber 2 toward its rear end. The earth can also be scraped rearwards by meansof hoolrs y16. At the top of the rear end of the lock chamber 2, a man hole 14 may be provided. Rocks and other obstructions are removed, 'While the dredger is at rest, by means of tools, jet pipes or the like, which may be temporarily inserted in the Wall 1 as indicated at 15. The teeth 23 on the cap 12 form an excavation for the front end ofthe advancing lock 2.

,Where the Water can be removed from closed by mea-ns of the slide `9 and the earth v construction shown and described, for obvious modifications Will occur -to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A tunnel shield capable of operating under Water, comprising in combination a lock chamber extending thru the shield, means in front of the shield and adapted to be operated from behind the shield for detaching earth and for conveying it into the projected portion of said lock chamber and means operatable from Within the shield for closing said lock chamber against the out? Side for the purpose of removing the earth contained in the chamber to the interior of the shield.

2. A tunnel shield comprising in coinbiiia-l tion, a lock chamber extending through the shield, a shaft extending axially through said lock chamber, a toothed cap on the front end of said shaft and a rotar dredger 3. A tunnel shield comprising lin combina-` tion, a lock chamber extending through the shield, an annular boss encircling said chamber in front 0i Said shield, radial cutters on said boss, each cutter having at least one channel for conveying the detached earth into said chamber, said boss lia-ving an opening at the inner end of each channeled cutter, said chamber having an opening in its upper portion adapted to register with said boss openings as they pass by during rotation, and means adapted to be operated from Within the tunnel for closing said lock chamber opening, and means for removing the earth delivered into said lock chamber.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

ADOLF HAAG.

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