Tunnel Extraction Machine (TEM)

Abstract

A Tunnel Extraction Machine (TEM) and its alternatives is a sustainable machine to excavate the tunnel or mine or dredge seabed in a rapid, efficient and cost-effective way as it allows large parts of the rock (or soil) to be extracted and pulled out of the tunnel or mine without necessity of digging or crushing them and with significantly reduced amount of the energy. Basically, it can excavate (cut) perimeter of the tunnel section in different shapes and sizes along with some other required longitudinal and transversal cuts and then extract and pull out the untouched and undug large portions of the rock or soil out of the tunnel.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A tunnel extraction machine  5  to extract and excavate material from ground, the machine  5  comprising:
 a hollow ring cutter head  10  with a plurality of openings  20  and a plurality of cutting tools  15  on its external face that is rotated around central axis of said machine  5  for excavation, 
 a cylindrical forward shield  35  which said ring cutter head  10  is rotatably mounted, 
 a plurality of drum cutters  25  with a plurality of cutting tools on their external faces that are rotated axially for excavation, 
 a central drum cutter holder  95  positioned at axial center of said machine  5  which said drum cutters  25  are rotatably mounted, 
 wherein tunnel face is only excavated at location of said ring cutter head  10  circumferentially and at location of said drum cutters  25  longitudinally while said machine  5  moves forward and concurrently unexcavated and untouched parts of tunnel  81  enter into spaces between said ring cutter head  10  and said drum cutters  25 , 
 whereby said drum cutters  25  will be rotated around central axis of said machine  5  for transversal excavation at their location as needed, 
 wherein unexcavated parts of tunnel  81  are extracted without necessity of digging them. 
 
     
     
         2 . The tunnel extraction machine  5  according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of cutter head drivers  40  mounted inside said forward shield  35  for rotating said ring cutter head  10  for excavation. 
     
     
         3 . The tunnel extraction machine  5  according to  claim 1 , further comprising a center cutter  30  and a center cutter drive  31  that is mounted within said central drum cutter holder  95  to excavate at central axis location of said machine  5 . 
     
     
         4 . The tunnel extraction machine  5  according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of drum radial drive  60  that are mounted on said drum cutter  25  in the space behind said ring cutter head  10  to rotate drum cutters  25  around central axis of said machine  5  and within said forward shield  35  whenever needed for transversal excavation. 
     
     
         5 . The tunnel extraction machine  5  according to  claim 1 , further comprising a cylindrical middle shield  36  at extension of said cylindrical forward shield  35 , a muck frame  21  comprising a central frame  92  located at central axis of said machine  5  which said drum cutter holder  95  is rotatably mounted, a cylindrical muck external frame  90  and a plurality of muck internal frame  91  that is connecting said central frame  92  and said external frame  90 , wherein said muck internal frame  91  are located behind said drum cutters  25  during moving forward of said machine  5 , wherein said external frame  90  is rotatably hold by a plurality of rollers  39  that are mounted on said middle shield  36 . 
     
     
         6 . The tunnel extraction machine  5  according to  claim 5 , further comprising a plurality of muck boxes  80 , wherein said muck boxes  80  are slidably located within said muck internal frame  91  and said cylindrical muck external frame  90 , wherein untouched muck rock  81  or soil within said ring cutter head  10  and said drum cutters  25  enters into said muck boxes  80  during moving forward of said machine  5 , wherein said muck boxes  80  can be rotated around central axis of said machine  5  by rotation of said muck frame  21 . 
     
     
         7 . The tunnel extraction machine  5  according to  claim 1 , further comprising a cylindrical rear shield  37  at extension of said cylindrical middle shield  36 , a central frame support  93  that is mounted on said rear shield  37 , wherein said muck central frame  92  is rotatably mounted on said central frame support  93 , wherein said central frame support  93  is preventing muck frame  21  to move backward or forward. 
     
     
         8 . The tunnel extraction machine  5  according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of cutter head screw conveyor  50  that are mounted at bottom of said machine  5  in space between said cylindrical muck external frame  90  and said cylindrical middle shield  36  to discharge the excavated muck from said ring cutter head  10 , whereby said screw conveyor  50  may be extended inside said ring cutter head  10  for better discharge of the excavated muck. 
     
     
         9 . The tunnel extraction machine  5  according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of muck box screw conveyors  51  that are mounted at lower part of said machine  5  in space between said cylindrical muck external frame  90  and said cylindrical middle shield  36  align with said drum cutters  25  to discharge the excavated muck from said drum cutters  25 . 
     
     
         10 . The tunnel extraction machine  5  according to  claim 1 , further comprising a central drum cutter holder rotator  56  mounted within said muck central frame  92 , wherein said central drum cutter holder rotator  56  rotates said central drum cutter holder  95  around central axis of said machine  5  during the transversal excavation. 
     
     
         11 . The tunnel extraction machine  5  according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of drum drives  57  mounted on said central drum cutter holder  95  and within said drum cutters  25  to rotate said drum cutters  25  axially for excavation. 
     
     
         12 . The tunnel extraction machine  5  according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of drum end drives  58  mounted within said drum cutters  25  and on a drum cutter base  59  with a plurality of drum rollers  55  sitting on said forward shield  35  to rotate said drum cutters  25  axially for excavation. 
     
     
         13 . The tunnel extraction machine  5  according to  claim 1 , further comprising a drum radial ring  61  which said drum cutters  25  are mounted, a plurality of drum radial ring drives  62  that are mounted on a plurality of brackets of said forward shield  35  and within space behind said ring cutter head  10  to rotate said drum radial ring  61  during transversal excavation of said drum cutters  25 . 
     
     
         14 . The tunnel extraction machine  5  according to  claim 6 , further comprising a plurality of muck box front cap  84  in open mode and  83  close mode by continuously connected front cap segments  101 - 106  that are engaged by a plurality of gate rod  111  that are mounted on a plurality of gate drive  110  to plurality of opening holes in the smallest said front cap segments  101 - 106 , wherein said gate drive  110  are sliding inward and outward on a plurality of gate rail  108  which are mounted on said muck frame  21 , wherein said front cap segments will close front of said muck boxes  80  by moving said gate drive  110  inward and will open front of said muck boxes  80  by moving said gate drive  110  outward, wherein said font cap segments  101 - 106  are located in space between said forward shield  35  and said external frame  90  and behind said ring cutter head  10  at open mode. 
     
     
         15 . A tunnel extraction machine  5  to extract and excavate material from ground, the machine  5  comprising:
 a ring cutter head  210 , 
 a plurality of cutter head pans  215  including a plurality of plasma torches  216  or water jet nozzles or microwave antenna that are rotatably mounted on said ring cutter head  210 , 
 a plurality of plasma torches  226  or water jet nozzles or microwave antennas mounted on a plurality of sliding pans  225  on a plurality of sliding rails  228 , 
 a central rail holder  295  positioned at axial center of said machine  5  which said sliding rails  228  are rotatably mounted, 
 wherein tunnel face is only excavated at location of said ring cutter head  210  circumferentially and at location of said sliding pans  225  longitudinally while said machine  5  moves forward and concurrently unexcavated and untouched part of tunnel enters into spaces between said ring cutter head  210  and said sliding pans  225 , 
 whereby said drum cutters  225  will be rotated around central axis of said machine  5  for transversal excavation at their location when needed, 
 wherein unexcavated parts of tunnel are extracted without necessity of digging them. 
 
     
     
         16 . The tunnel extraction machine  5  according to  claim 15 , further comprising a center plasma torch pan  230  or waterjet nozzles or microwave antennas and a center plasma ring driver  231  that is mounted within said central drum cutter holder  295  to excavate at central axis of said machine  5 . 
     
     
         17 . A tunnel extraction machine  5  to extract and excavate material from ground, the machine  5  comprising:
 a hollow ring cutter head  10  with a plurality of openings  20  and a plurality of cutting tools  15  on its external face that is rotated around central axis of said machine  5  for excavation, 
 a cylindrical forward shield  35  which said ring cutter head  10  is rotatably mounted, 
 a plurality of drum cutters  325  with a plurality of cutting tools on their external faces that are rotated axially for excavation, 
 a cylindrical middle shield  36  at extension of said cylindrical forward shield  35 , 
 a muck frame  21  comprising a central frame  92  located at central axis of said machine  5 , a cylindrical muck external frame  90  and a plurality of muck internal frame  91  that is connecting said central frame  92  and said external frame  90 , 
 a plurality of axial drum drives  350  that are rotatably mounted within said internal muck frame  91 , wherein said drum cutters  325  are rotated axially by axial shaft  351  connected between said drum cutters  325  and said axial drum drive  350 , 
 wherein said muck internal frame  91  are located behind said drum cutters  325  during moving forward of said machine  5 , 
 wherein tunnel face is only excavated at location of said ring cutter head  10  circumferentially and at location of said drum cutters  325  longitudinally while said machine  5  moves forward and concurrently unexcavated and untouched parts of tunnel  81  enter into spaces between said ring cutter head  10  and said drum cutters  325 , 
 whereby said axial drum drive  350  will be rotated axially within said internal muck frame  91  to rotate said drum cutters  325  during transversal excavation of the rock, 
 wherein unexcavated parts of tunnel  81  are extracted without necessity of digging them. 
 
     
     
         18 . The tunnel extraction machine  5  according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of hollow offset ring cutter head  410  with a plurality of openings  420  and a plurality of cutting tools  415  on its external face that is rotated around central axis of said machine  5  for excavation, 
 a plurality of drum cutters  425  with a plurality of cutting tools on their external faces that are rotated axially for excavation, 
 wherein tunnel face is only excavated at location of said ring cutter head  10  and  410  circumferentially and at location of said drum cutters  25  and  425  longitudinally while said machine  5  moves forward and concurrently unexcavated and untouched parts of tunnel  281  and  81  enter into spaces between said ring cutter head  10  and  410  and said drum cutters  425  and  25 , 
 whereby said drum cutters  425  and  25  will be rotated around central axis of said machine  5  for transversal excavation at their location as needed, 
 wherein unexcavated parts of tunnel  281  and  81  are extracted without necessity of digging them. 
 
     
     
         19 . A horseshoe shape tunnel extraction machine  550  to extract and excavate material from ground, the machine  550  comprising:
 a plurality of sliding or rotating rails  328  with a horseshoe shape in perimeter matching with shape of said machine  550  and a plurality of internal vertical and horizontal members, 
 a plurality of plasma torches  216  on perimeter of said rails  328  to cut circumferential of the horseshoe shape section, 
 a plurality of internal plasma torches  226  on internal members of said rails  328 , 
 wherein tunnel face is only cut at perimeter of said machine  550  circumferentially and at location of said internal members of rails  328  longitudinally while said machine  550  moves forward and concurrently unexcavated and untouched parts of ground  481  and  482  enter into spaces within perimeter and internal members of said rails  328 , 
 whereby horizontal or vertical members of said rails  328  are rotatable axially and radially and slidable for transversal cutting of the ground, 
 wherein unexcavated parts of ground  481  and  482  are extracted without necessity of digging them. 
 
     
     
         20 . A horseshoe shape tunnel extraction machine  550  according to  claim 19 , further comprising side plasma torches  227  on side faces of internal horizontal and vertical members of said rails  328  to avoid necessity of axial rotatability of members of said rails  328 .