Patent Publication Number: US-8113741-B1

Title: Boring machine with conveyor system for cuttings and method for boring therewith

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates generally to tunnel boring machines. More particularly, the invention relates to a boring machine which is adapted to install a plurality of differently-sized product casings in a bore. The invention relates to a conveyor system for such a boring machine that is adapted to remove material cut by the machine&#39;s cutter head. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Subterranean boring machines are used to install a pipe comprised of multiple casing sections or a similar product in the ground without excavating a trench for the pipe. Some boring machines are used to bore a generally horizontal hole and to install a plurality of pipe sections therein between a generally vertical launch shaft or pit and a similarly oriented target shaft or pit. The launch shaft or pit is excavated to a depth to permit the boring machine to be placed in alignment and on grade with the desired underground installation. Boring machines that are commonly placed in such launch pits generally include a track that is located at the bottom of the launch pit and oriented along the desired boring direction, and a carriage that rolls or otherwise travels along the track. The carriage includes a pusher mechanism that is adapted to move the carriage along the track between a start point and a terminal point, and a rotational mechanism that is adapted to rotate a tool carried by the boring machine. 
     In some conventional boring machines, a pilot hole is first bored along the centerline of the intended product bore. Some such machines use a small pilot head having an inclined face at its leading end. Typically, the pilot system will include a hollow casing, and the pilot head will include an illuminated target on its trailing end. A theodolite mounted at a fixed position in the launch pit apart from the boring machine is aligned so that an operator can view the position of the illuminated target on the pilot head with respect to the cross-hairs of the theodolite. The first section of the pilot casing and the pilot head are pushed into the ground in the boring direction by the pusher mechanism without rotating the pilot head. However, because the inclined face on the pilot head gives rise to a reaction force exerted by the soil through which the head moves, rotation of the head may be required to keep the head on the desired course, as indicated by the position of the target with respect to the cross-hairs of the theodolite. When the carriage reaches the terminal point of the track, the pilot head is disengaged and the carriage is withdrawn to the start point. Multiple sections of pilot casing are added, one by one, to the end of the pilot string and pushed by the pusher mechanism until the pilot head reaches the target pit. After the pilot hole is completed, a boring assembly having an outer diameter that corresponds to the outer diameter of the product casing to be installed is selected. This boring assembly, which comprises a support casing with a cutter head at the leading end and an internal material removal auger or other conveyor located behind the cutter head, is lowered into the launch pit and mounted on the carriage. The boring assembly is attached to the rear end of the pilot casing and aligned with the pilot hole. As the carriage is then pushed or driven along the track following the direction of the pilot hole, the cutter head is operated to bore a hole centered on the pilot hole, and the conveyor is operated to carry the cuttings back towards the launch pit. A plurality of spoil paddles located in a front section of the carriage sweep the cuttings out of the boring machine and into the launch pit through openings provided for that purpose. When the carriage reaches the terminal point of the track, the support casing and internal conveyor are disengaged and the carriage is retracted to the start point. The pilot head is removed from the pilot casing string in the target pit, and an additional section of support casing with an internal conveyor section is mounted to the carriage and attached to the casing and conveyor sections that were disengaged from the carriage. Then the carriage is engaged to drive the support casing further in the boring direction while operating the cutter head and the internal conveyor. Multiple sections of this cutting assembly are added, and the pilot system is removed, piece by piece, from the target pit, until the cutter head reaches the target pit. Then the support casing and conveyor sections are removed, one by one, as product pipe sections of the same outer diameter as the support casing are pushed by the carriage into the bore. 
     The Bohrtec subsidiary of Herrenknecht sells a machine which may be used for boring a small-diameter tunnel without first forming a pilot bore. The Bohrtec machine employs a boring assembly, carriage and track such as is employed by conventional machines that use a pilot bore, as well as a guidance system that allows an operator to view a target mounted on the back side of the cutter head through the hollow shaft of an auger conveyor. The cutter head of the Bohrtec machine is mounted to a steering module that is selected to match the diameter of the product casing to be installed. A support casing with internal auger conveyor is mounted behind the steering module to which the cutter head is attached, and the head is operated to cut the desired product bore. As the carriage pushes the cutter head in the boring direction while operating the cutter head and the internal auger, cuttings cut by the cutter head are carried by the internal auger through the support casing back to the launch pit. When the carriage reaches the terminal point of the track, the support casing and internal conveyor are disengaged and the carriage is retracted to the start point. An additional section of support casing with an internal conveyor section is mounted to the carriage and attached to the casing and conveyor sections that were disengaged from the carriage. Then the carriage is engaged to drive the steering module and support casing further in the boring direction while operating the cutter head and the internal conveyor. Multiple sections of this cutting assembly are added until the steering module reaches the target pit. Then the support casing and conveyor sections are removed, one by one, as product pipe sections of the same outer diameter are pushed by the carriage into the bore. 
     Yet another guided tunnel boring machine is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,282. This machine includes a guided steerable head that is attached to a support casing by a plurality of hinge assemblies. The steerable head includes an inner pipe and an outer pipe. The inner pipe is fixed to the outer pipe so as to form an annular space within which the hinge assemblies are mounted. The support casing located immediately behind the steerable head also includes an inner pipe that is fixed with respect to the outer casing so as to form a continuation of the annular space around the inner pipe of the steerable head to accommodate the hinge assemblies. Steering actuators are mounted within the annular space of the steerable head and operatively connected to the steering hinge assemblies. A cutter head is mounted in front of the steerable head, and a conveyor auger is located within the inner pipe of the steerable head and the first casing, which auger is adapted to convey material cut by the cutter head towards the launch pit. Hydraulic and control lines for the steering head extend from the drive carriage along the top of the support casings to a junction box located on top of the first casing. 
     NOTES ON CONSTRUCTION 
     The use of the terms “a”, “an”, “the” and similar terms in describing the invention are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising”, “having”, “including” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. The terms “substantially”, “generally” and other words of degree are relative modifiers intended to indicate permissible variation from the characteristic so modified. The use of such terms in describing a physical or functional characteristic of the invention is not intended to limit such characteristic to the absolute value which the term modifies, but rather to provide an approximation of the value of such physical or functional characteristic. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise specified herein or clearly indicated by context. 
     The use of any and all examples or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) herein is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and not to place a limitation on the scope of the invention, unless otherwise indicated by the claims. Nothing in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention. 
     Various terms are specifically defined herein. These terms are to be given their broadest possible construction consistent with such definitions, as follows: 
     The term “boring direction”, when used in describing the operation of a boring machine or the relative position of a component of a boring machine, refers to the direction of advance of the cutter head of the machine as the boring operation is carried out. 
     The terms “front” and “front end” of the boring machine refer to the end of the machine that leads in the boring direction. When referring to a component of the boring machine, the terms “front” and “front end” refer to that portion of the component that is nearer the front end of the boring machine. 
     The terms “rear” and “rear end” of the boring machine refer to the end opposite the front end. When referring to a component of the boring machine, the terms “rear” and “rear end” refer to that portion of the component that is nearer the rear end of the boring machine. 
     The terms “forward” and “in front of”, as used herein to describe a relative position or direction on or in connection with a boring machine, refer to a relative position towards the front end of the machine or towards the boring direction. 
     The terms “rearward”, “behind” and “rearwardly”, as used herein to describe a relative position or direction on or in connection with a boring machine, refer to a relative position or direction towards the rear end of the machine or opposite the boring direction. 
     The terms “product casing”, “product casing component”, “product casing section” and similar terms refer to a section of pipe or other product that is installed or intended to be installed in a bore. The term “product casing” may also refer to a plurality of sections of pipe or other product or product casing components that are joined, or intended to be joined, together. The term “differently-sized product casings” refers to product casings having different inside diameters and/or outside diameters. The terms “a selected one of the product casings”, “selected product casings” and similar terms refer to a product casing having an inside diameter that is selected for installation within a particular bore. The term “corresponds” and similar terms, when used to compare a diameter or other dimension of a component of the auger boring machine with a similar dimension of “a selected one of the product casings”, refers to the suitability of the component having such dimension for use in installing the “selected one of the product casings”. 
     The terms “internal casing”, “internal casing component”, “internal casing section” and similar terms refer to a section of the portion of the boring machine that is adapted to include an auger section which is adapted to rotate with respect to the internal casing. The term “internal casing” may also refer to a plurality of sections of internal casing or internal casing components that are joined, or intended to be joined, together. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention comprises a boring machine that is adapted to install a plurality of differently-sized product casings in a bore. The boring machine includes an internal casing which has a diameter less than that of all of the product casings that can be installed by the boring machine. The internal casing also has a longitudinal axis that is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the selected product casing to be installed so that an annular space is formed between the product casing and the internal casing. An auger is located within the internal casing and operatively connected to a rotational mechanism so as to rotate with respect to the internal casing. A rear bulkhead is located at the rear end of the auger, and a rear hopper is located behind the rear bulkhead. A cutter head includes a plurality of cutter blades that are attached to the front end of the auger, either directly or indirectly, and adapted to rotate therewith. A conveyor system for cuttings cut by the cutter head as the product casing is advanced in the boring direction includes the auger, means for directing material cut by the cutter head into the auger, and a transverse conveyor that is located behind the rear bulkhead in the rear hopper. The transverse conveyor carries material out of the rear hopper in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the auger. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the boring machine includes an adjustable support assembly that is adapted to be located between the outside surface of the internal casing and the inside surface of the selected product casing for maintaining the coincidence of the longitudinal axis of the internal casing with the longitudinal axis of the selected product casing, without closing off the annular space between the internal casing and the selected product casing. 
     In order to facilitate an understanding of the invention, the preferred embodiments of the invention, as well as the best mode known by the inventors for carrying out the invention, are illustrated in the drawings, and a detailed description thereof follows. It is not intended, however, that the invention be limited to the particular embodiments described or to use in connection with the apparatus illustrated herein. Therefore, the scope of the invention contemplated by the inventors includes all equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims, as well as various modifications and alternative embodiments such as would ordinarily occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as seem to them appropriate, including the practice of the invention otherwise than as specifically described herein. In addition, any combination of the elements and components of the invention described herein in any possible variation is encompassed by the invention, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly excluded by context. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The presently preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a boring machine constructed according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, showing the machine in a launch pit. 
         FIG. 2  is a partial perspective view of the boring machine of  FIG. 1 , showing a cutter head, a portion of a product casing, an internal casing, an adjustable support system and a transverse conveyor. 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view of a portion of the boring machine of  FIG. 2 , taken along the line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 , but modified to show a portion of a cutter head and an intact product casing.  FIG. 3  also shows a first-sized cutting head and product casing in solid lines, and the outline for a second-sized cutting head and product casing in broken lines. 
         FIG. 4  is a detailed view of a portion of the boring machine of  FIG. 3 , showing an internal casing joint between a pair of internal casing components of a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of an end flange of a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the end flange of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a clamp of a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of an adjustable support assembly of a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a partial perspective view of a portion of the boring machine of  FIG. 2 , with the cutter head and product casing removed. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a portion of the boring machine of  FIG. 2 , showing a cutter head and a portion of an internal casing. 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a portion of the boring machine of  FIG. 2 , which is similar in some respects to  FIG. 10 .  FIG. 11  illustrates details of a means for directing material cut by a cutter head into the internal casing. 
         FIG. 12  is a front view of the embodiment of  FIG. 9 , with the preferred adjustable support assemblies and the rear bulkhead removed. 
         FIG. 13  is a partial perspective view of a rear hopper and transverse conveyor which are a part of a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , boring machine  20 , comprising a preferred embodiment of the invention, is located in launch pit  22  and is shown as it would appear in the process of boring tunnel  24 . Boring machine  20  includes carriage  26  which is mounted on and adapted to move along track  28  in boring direction D. The carriage includes conventional rotational mechanism  29  for operating a selected one of a plurality of cutter heads, such as cutter head  30 , and conventional pusher mechanism  32  for pushing or driving the carriage along the track. 
     Boring machine  20  also includes a plurality of steering heads, including steering head  34 , and is intended for use in installing a plurality of product casings of various sizes, including product casing  36  (shown in solid lines in various drawings) and alternative product casing  38  (shown in dashed lines in  FIG. 3 ). Each product casing of a particular size, such as product casing  36 , that is installed in a bore is comprised of a number of product casing components that are joined together, end to end. Each cutter head and steering head is selected to correspond to the diameter of the tunnel to be bored and to the diameter of the selected product casing to be installed. Preferably, the steering head is welded to the front end of the first product casing section, and the cutter head is welded to the front end of the steering head. 
       FIG. 3  also shows (in broken lines) alternative cutter head  40 , along with cutter head  30 . Thus, the preferred boring machine includes a plurality of sets of cutter heads and steering heads for use in connection with a plurality of differently-sized product casings. The outside diameter of the cutter head and steering head in each set corresponds to the outside diameter of the selected product casing to be installed. Each of the product casings has a product casing longitudinal axis A (shown in  FIG. 3 ), a product casing outside diameter such as outside diameter OD 36  of product casing  36  (shown in  FIG. 4 ), a product casing inside diameter such as product casing inside diameter ID 36  of product casing  36 , and a product casing inside surface, such as product casing inside surface S 36  of product casing  36 . 
     The boring machine also includes internal casing  42  (not shown in  FIG. 1 ) having an outside diameter OD 42  which is less than the inside diameter of all of the product casings that can be installed using the machine. Preferably, internal casing outside diameter OD 42  is no more than about 60% of the product casing inside diameter of the product casing having the smallest product casing inside diameter that can be installed. Internal casing  42  is adapted to be placed within a selected one of the product casings with its internal casing longitudinal axis coincident with longitudinal axis A of the selected product casing, so that, regardless of which product casing size is selected, an annular space, such as space  44  shown in  FIGS. 2-4 , will be formed between outside surface S 42  of internal casing  42  and the inner surface of the product casing. Hydraulic lines, cables and wiring for the cutter head and steering head (not shown in the drawings) are placed within this annular space and protected from contact with the tunnel walls and from contact with material cut by the cutter head as boring is carried out. Furthermore, a laser guidance system for the steering assembly (not shown in the drawings) may be operated within the annular space, where it will also be protected. 
     Preferably, the internal casing comprises a plurality of internal casing components that are joined together end to end at a plurality of internal casing joints. As best shown in  FIG. 4 , internal casing  42  comprises a plurality of internal casing components, including internal casing components  46  and  48 . Components  46  and  48  are joined together at an internal casing joint comprising end flanges  50  mounted to adjacent ends of adjacent internal casing components  46  and  48 . As best shown in  FIGS. 4-7 , each end flange includes band portion  52  that is welded or otherwise secured to the outside surface of internal casing  42 , and upstanding rim  54  that is adapted to be engaged by clamp  56 . More particularly, each clamp  56  is adapted to encircle and engage the end flanges of adjacent internal casing components. As shown in  FIG. 7 , preferred clamp  56  is a band  58  having a pair of flange engagement sides  60  and a pair of ends that can be drawn together. One end includes a pair of spaced eyes  62  and the other includes engagement bracket  64  with engagement slot  66 . T-shaped head  68  of bolt  70  is adapted to be received in holes  72  in spaced eyes  62 , and threaded end  74  of bolt  70  extends into engagement slot  66 . Nut  76  threads onto threaded end  74  of the bolt and is retained within engagement bracket  64 . 
     The preferred boring machine also includes an adjustable support assembly that is adapted to be located between outside surface S 42  of internal casing  42  and the inside surface of each of the product casings for maintaining the coincidence of the internal casing longitudinal axis with the product casing longitudinal axis, without closing off the annular space between the internal casing and the selected product casing. Preferred adjustable support assembly  78  comprises a plurality of internal casing support legs  80  that are spaced around the periphery of the internal casing and along its length. Each support leg  80  includes a bearing pad  82  that is adapted to bear against the inside surface of the selected product casing, such as against product casing inside surface S 36  of product casing  36 . Adjustable support assembly  78  also includes internal support band  84  that is disposed around the periphery of the internal casing and welded or otherwise affixed thereto. Adjustable support assembly  78  also includes a plurality of leg supports  86 , each of which is adapted to cooperate with an internal casing support leg  80  in the preferred adjustable support assembly. Preferably, each of internal casing support legs  80  is provided with external threads and each cooperating leg support  86  is provided with corresponding internal threads, so that the length of the portion of each support leg  80  that extends from its corresponding leg support  86  can be adjusted, by threading the support leg into or out of the leg support, depending on the inside diameter of the product casing, such as product casing inside diameter ID 36  of product casing  36 . 
     The preferred boring machine also includes a material conveyor system for removing material cut by the cutter head. This system includes auger  88 , which is located within the internal casing and has front end  90  and rear end  92  (shown in  FIG. 3 ). Conventional rotational mechanism  29  is operationally attached to auger  88 , and the auger is adapted to rotate with respect to internal casing  42 , so that operation of the rotational mechanism will cause the auger to convey material in the internal casing towards rear end  92  of the auger. 
     The preferred boring machine includes a plurality of front bulkheads, such as front bulkhead  94  (shown in  FIGS. 3 and 11 ), each of which is adapted to be located around the internal casing behind the selected cutter head and in front of the adjacent steering head. One function of the front bulkhead is to insure that material cut by the cutter head does not get into annular space  44  between outside surface S 42  of internal casing  42  and the inner surface of the selected product casing. The preferred boring machine also includes a plurality of rear bulkheads, such as rear bulkhead  96  (shown in  FIGS. 3 ,  9  and  13 ), each of which is adapted to be located between the inside surface of a selected one of the product casings and outside surface S 42  of internal casing  42  near rear end  92  of auger  88 . Rear bulkhead  96  is also located in front of carriage bulkhead  98  (shown in  FIGS. 1-3 ), which is located at front end  99  of carriage  26 . Rear hopper  100  is located between the rear bulkhead and the carriage bulkhead. 
     As best shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , the preferred cutter head  30  for boring machine  20  includes a plurality of cutter blades  102  that are connected, either directly or through a linkage mechanism, to the auger. Each of cutter blades  102  has a plurality of cutter teeth  104  (not shown in  FIG. 11 ) mounted thereon, a front side  106  and a rear side  108 . The preferred material conveyor system also includes means for directing material cut by the cutter blades of the selected cutter head into the internal casing (or into the auger) so that rotation of the auger will convey such material towards the rear end of the auger within the internal casing. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated by the drawings, the means for directing material cut by the cutter blades into the internal casing comprises a plurality of collecting buckets  110  (best shown in  FIG. 11 ), each of which is mounted on the rear side of a cutter blade. These collecting buckets sweep material cut by the cutter blades into hopper  112  through hopper opening  114  as the cutter blades rotate. Hopper  112  is an extension of internal casing  42  and includes front end  90  of auger  88 . 
     Once material cut by the cutter head is swept into auger  88 , it is carried by the rotation of the auger towards the rear end of the auger and into rear hopper  100 . Located at the lower end of rear hopper  100  is transverse conveyor  116 , which is adapted to convey material out of the rear hopper in a direction transverse to the auger longitudinal axis, as best shown in  FIG. 12 . 
     To begin the boring of a tunnel in a desired boring direction and the simultaneous installation of a selected product casing, a launch pit and a target pit are excavated. Track  28  is placed in the launch pit and oriented in the desired boring direction D towards the target pit. Carriage  26  is then mounted on the track in the launch pit. A product casing is selected from the differently-sized product casings that may be installed using the boring machine, and a cutter head is selected so as to have a cutter head diameter which corresponds to the product casing outside diameter of the selected product casing. The selected product casing is installed over the internal casing and the adjustable support assembly is adjusted to maintain the coincidence of the internal casing longitudinal axis with the product casing longitudinal axis of the selected product casing. The selected cutter head is attached to the front end of the auger, and the pusher mechanism is operated to move the carriage from initial end  123  of track  28  to terminal end  124 , thereby advancing the selected cutter head, the selected product casing, the auger and the internal casing in the desired boring direction, while the rotational mechanism is simultaneously operated to rotate the auger and the cutter blades. When the carriage reaches terminal end  124  of the track, the rotational mechanism and the pusher mechanism are stopped, and the selected product casing, the auger and the internal casing are disengaged from the carriage. The carriage is then retracted from the terminal end of the track to the initial end of the track, leaving the selected product casing, internal casing and auger in the bore. An additional adjustable support assembly is mounted to an additional section of internal casing, an additional section of auger is placed within the additional section of internal casing, and an additional section of the selected product casing is placed over the internal casing and auger, so that the additional adjustable support assembly maintains the coincidence of the internal casing longitudinal axis with the product casing longitudinal axis. The additional sections of product casing, internal casing and auger are placed on the track in front of the carriage, and the front ends of the additional section of the selected product casing, the additional section of the internal casing and the additional section of the auger are attached to the rear ends of the casing and conveyor sections that were disengaged from the carriage. The rear end of the additional section of the auger is attached to the rotational mechanism, and the rear ends of the additional section of the selected product casing, the additional section of the internal casing and the additional section of the auger are attached to or engaged by the pusher mechanism. The carriage is then moved by operation of the pusher mechanism to advance the selected cutter head, the selected product casing, the auger and the internal casing from the initial end of the track to the terminal end while operating the rotational mechanism to rotate the auger and the cutter head. These steps are then repeated until the selected product casing reaches the target pit. 
     When the product casing reaches the target pit, the cutter head is removed from the assembly and the steering head is detached from the first product casing section. The internal casing and auger sections may then be removed, leaving the product casings in the bore. In one method of operating the invention, the carriage is employed to pull the internal casing and auger sections backwardly to the launch pit, where they are removed, one by one. In another method of operation, an alternative driving mechanism is placed in the target pit and employed to pull the internal casing and auger sections forwardly out of the product casing into the target pit. 
     Although this description contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments thereof, as well as the best mode contemplated by the inventors of carrying out the invention. The invention, as described herein, is susceptible to various modifications and adaptations, as would be understood by those having ordinary skill in the art to which the invention relates, and the same are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the appended claims.