US2012032494A1PendingUtilityA1

Underground boring machine

36
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Aug 3, 2010Filed: Aug 3, 2011Published: Feb 9, 2012
Est. expiryAug 3, 2030(~4 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Charl Christo VeldmanArthur Kenneth Möller
E21D 9/0879E21D 9/1093E21D 9/00E21D 9/112
36
PatentIndex Score
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Cited by
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Claims

Abstract

An underground boring machine includes a vehicle frame, a boom, and a boring cutter head. The boom includes a first end coupled to the vehicle frame and a second end. The boring cutter head includes a rotary joint, a first arm, and a second arm angularly spaced apart from the first arm. The rotary joint defines an axis of rotation and supports the boring cutter head for rotation with respect to the second end of the boom. The first arm includes a first end coupled to the rotary joint, a second end, and at least one disc cutter coupled to the first arm and oriented to engage the wall. The first arm extends from the first end toward the second end in a plane that is perpendicular to the axis of rotation. The second arm includes a first end coupled to the rotary joint, a second end, and at least one disc cutter coupled to the second arm and oriented to engage the wall. The second arm extends from the first end toward the second end in a plane that is perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . An underground boring machine for creating a tunnel in a wall, the machine comprising:
 a vehicle frame;   a boom including a first end coupled to the vehicle frame and a second end;   a boring cutter head including a rotary joint, a first arm, and a second arm angularly spaced apart from the first arm, the rotary joint defining an axis of rotation and supporting the boring cutter head for rotation with respect to the second end of the boom, the first arm including a first end coupled to the rotary joint, a second end, and at least one disc cutter coupled to the first arm and oriented to engage the wall, the first arm extending from the first end toward the second end in a plane that is perpendicular to the axis of rotation, the second arm including a first end coupled to the rotary joint, a second end, and at least one disc cutter coupled to the second arm and oriented to engage the wall, the second arm extending from the first end toward the second end in a plane that is perpendicular to the axis of rotation.   
     
     
         2 . The underground boring machine of  claim 1 , wherein the first arm extends radially from the axis of rotation. 
     
     
         3 . The underground boring machine of  claim 2 , wherein the second arm extends radially from the axis of rotation, and the first arm and the second arm are spaced apart by an angle of approximately 180°. 
     
     
         4 . The underground boring machine of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one disc cutter of the first arm is oriented such that the at least one disc cutter engages the wall at an attack angle as the first arm rotates about the axis of rotation. 
     
     
         5 . The underground boring machine of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one disc cutter of the second arm is oriented such that the at least one disc cutter engages the wall at the attack angle as the second arm rotates about the axis of rotation. 
     
     
         6 . The underground boring machine of  claim 5 , wherein first arm and the second arm define a first surface proximate the wall, and wherein the attack angle is approximately 10° with respect to a plane that is tangent to the first surface. 
     
     
         7 . The underground boring machine of  claim 1 , wherein the first arm and second arm define a first surface proximate the wall, wherein the first surface has a convex shape. 
     
     
         8 . The underground boring machine of  claim 1 , and further comprising at least one intake duct proximate the boring cutter head for collecting material that is liberated from the wall. 
     
     
         9 . The underground boring machine of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one intake duct is in fluid communication with a suction source. 
     
     
         10 . The underground boring machine of  claim 8 , wherein the material that is liberated from the wall is transported through a vacuum duct to a conveyor positioned behind the vehicle frame. 
     
     
         11 . The underground boring machine of  claim 8 , wherein the material that is liberated from the wall is transported through a vacuum duct to a collector. 
     
     
         12 . The underground boring machine of  claim 1 , and further comprising a profiling cutter head positioned behind the boring cutter head and proximate a floor of the tunnel. 
     
     
         13 . The underground boring machine of  claim 12 , wherein the profiling cutter head is pivotably coupled to the vehicle frame. 
     
     
         14 . The underground boring machine of  claim 1 , and further comprising at least one stabilizer cylinder for supporting the boring machine off of the floor and at least one gripper for supporting a roof portion above the boring machine. 
     
     
         15 . An underground boring machine for creating a tunnel in a wall, the undergound boring machine being supported on a floor defining a floor plane, the underground boring machine comprising:
 a vehicle frame for supporting the underground boring machine on the floor, the vehicle frame defining a frame axis that is parallel to the floor plane;   a boom including a first end slidably coupled to the vehicle frame, a second end, a first portion proximate the first end, a second portion pivotably coupled to the first portion, and a third portion proximate the second end and pivotably coupled to the second portion;   a boring cutter head including a rotary joint, a first arm, and a second arm angularly spaced apart from the first arm, the rotary joint defining a rotary axis and being rotatably coupled to the second end of the boom, the first arm including a first end coupled to the rotary joint, a second end, and at least one disc cutter coupled to the first arm and oriented to engage the wall, the second arm including a first end coupled to the rotary joint, a second end, and at least one disc cutter coupled to the second arm and oriented to engage the wall,   wherein the second boom portion pivots with respect to the first boom portion about a first axis that is substantially perpendicular to the frame axis,   wherein the third boom portion pivots with respect to the second boom portion about a second axis that is substantially perpendicular to the first axis, and   wherein the boring cutter head rotates with respect to the second end of the boom about the rotary axis.   
     
     
         16 . The underground boring machine of  claim 15 , wherein the boom slides with respect to the vehicle frame in a direction parallel to the frame axis. 
     
     
         17 . The underground boring machine of  claim 15 , wherein the first axis is substantially parallel to the floor. 
     
     
         18 . The underground boring machine of  claim 15 , wherein the first arm and the second arm extend radially from the rotary axis, and the first arm and the second arm are spaced apart by an angle of approximately 180°. 
     
     
         19 . The underground boring machine of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one disc cutter of the first arm is oriented to engage the wall at an attack angle as the first arm rotates about the rotary axis, and the at least one disc cutter of the second arm is oriented to engage the wall at the attack angle as the second arm rotates about the rotary axis. 
     
     
         20 . The underground boring machine of  claim 15 , wherein the boring cutter head further includes at least one intake duct proximate the first arm for collecting material that is liberated from the wall, wherein the at least one intake duct is in fluid communication with a suction source. 
     
     
         21 . The underground boring machine of  claim 20 , wherein the material that is liberated from the wall is transported through a vacuum duct to a conveyor positioned behind the vehicle frame. 
     
     
         22 . The underground boring machine of  claim 15 , further comprising a profiling cutter head positioned behind the boring cutter head and proximate the floor. 
     
     
         23 . The underground boring machine of  claim 22 , wherein the profiling cutter head is pivotably coupled to the vehicle frame. 
     
     
         24 . The underground boring machine of  claim 15 , further comprising at least one stabilizer cylinder for supporting the boring machine off of the floor. 
     
     
         25 . A cutter head for boring through a wall, the cutter head comprising:
 a rotary union defining a rotary axis and supporting the cutter head for rotation about the rotary axis;   a first arm including a first end, a second end, and at least one disc cutter, the first end being coupled to the rotary union, the first arm extending from the first end toward the second end in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the rotary axis, the at least one disc cutter being coupled to the first arm and oriented to engage the wall; and   a second arm angularly spaced apart from the first arm, the second arm including a first end, a second end, and at least one disc cutter, the first end being coupled to the rotary union, the second arm extending from the first end toward the second end in a manner that is substantially perpendicular to the rotary axis, the at least one disc cutter being coupled to the second arm and oriented to engage the wall.   
     
     
         26 . The cutter head of  claim 25 , wherein the first arm defines a first axis and the second arm defines a second axis, the first axis and the second axis extending radially from the rotary axis. 
     
     
         27 . The cutter head of  claim 26 , wherein the first axis and the second axis are spaced apart by approximately 180°. 
     
     
         28 . The cutter head of  claim 25 , wherein the at least one disc cutter of the first arm is oriented to engage the wall at an attack angle as the first arm rotates about the rotary axis, and the at least one disc cutter of the second arm is oriented to engage the wall at the attack angle as the second arm rotates about the rotary axis. 
     
     
         29 . The cutter head of  claim 28 , wherein first arm and the second arm define a first surface proximate the wall, and wherein the attack angle is approximately 10° with respect to a plane that is tangent to the first surface. 
     
     
         30 . The cutter head of  claim 25 , further comprising at least one intake duct located proximate the first arm and positioned to collect material that is liberated from the wall. 
     
     
         31 . The cutter head of  claim 30 , wherein the at least one intake duct is in fluid communication with a suction source.

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