Improved Appliances or Apparatus for Driving Subterranean Tunnels or Galleries.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Oct.,
1895
Complete Specification Left, 2nd July, 1896-Accepted, 8th Aug., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by the Firm of F. C. GLASER, of 80 Linden Strasse,
Berlin, in the Empire of Germany, Engineers.]
Improved Appliances or Apparatus for Driving Subterranean
Tunnels or Galleries.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery
Lane, in the County of London, Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to appliances or apparatus for driving tunnels or galleries
more particularly applicable for driving in quicksand and in soft or aqueous
strata.
I will describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawing in which
Fig. 1 shews a longitudinal section, and Figs. 2 and 3 cross sections on lines A A
and B B.
It consists of the tubular shield D¹ D2, the rear end of which encloses a short
length of the lining T of the finished tunnel or gallery while the fore part, which
is constructed with a slope, penetrates into the ground.
The iron lining of the tunnel or gallery consists of separate rings and of outward
projecting ribs R arranged between these rings.
By means of the said ribs the stiffness of the tunnel wall is increased, and the
rear part of the shield casing is guided, leaving annular spaces between the
lining T and the shield D2 which can be filled up with cement through the holes O
formed in the rings so as to form by these means, in a safe manner, an outer lining
of cement to the tunnel or gallery.
The said openings O also enable the annular space to be filled up that is left by
the tubular shield D¹ D' as this is driven forward.
The shield is divided by the air tight partition N into two chambers I and II
filled with compressed air, the outer chamber I being enclosed at the rear end by
the wall M fixed to the finished tunnel lining, and having an air sluice V, while
the other chamber II is closed at the front end by the step-shaped wall K lying
against the face of the working.
The driving forward of the shield, which is followed by the building-in of the
tunnel or gallery rings, is effected by the greater air pressure existing in the
chamber I and by the presses P, which bear on the one hand against the finished
lining of the tunnel, and on the other hand against the partition N.
In order to facilitate the forcing forward of the shield in curves, the tubular
sides thereof are made of two parts D' and D2 which fit together with overlapping
spherically shaped surfaces at U, and are adjusted relatively to each other by the
extension or shortening of the screws S connected to both parts, without materially
narrowing the internal space of the shield or forming external projections which
would interfere with the advance thereof.
The excavation of the face of the working is effected by the openings formed in
the stepped face K of the shield, which are closed by covers, such excavation
being effected solely through the horizontal holes so long as there is danger of the
compressed air escaping.

page_text: Otherwise the excavation is also effected through the vertical openings, the air
pressure employed being such as to balance the counter pressure exercised by the
water or soil.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improved Appliances or Apparatus for Driving Subterranean
Tunnels or Galleries.
1, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery
Lane, in the County of London, Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
,
This invention relates to appliances or apparatus for driving tunnels or galleries
more particularly applicable for driving in quicksand and in soft or aqueous
strata.
I will describe the same with reference to the drawings accompanying my
Provisional Specification, in which Fig. 1 shews a longitudinal section, and Figs. 2
and 3 cross sections on lines A A and B B.
It consists of the tubular shield D¹ D2, the rear end of which encloses a short
length of the lining T of the finished tunnel or gallery while the fore part, which
is constructed with a slope, penetrates into the ground.
The iron lining of the tunnel or gallery consists of separate rings and of outward
projecting ribs R arranged between these rings. By means of the said ribs the
stiffness of the tunnel wall is increased, and the rear part of the shield casing is
guided, leaving annular spaces between the lining T and the shield D which cau
be filled up with cement through the holes O formed in the rings so as to form by
these means, in a safe manner, an outer lining of cement to the tunnel or gallery.
The said openings O also enable the annular space to be filled up that is left by
the tubular shield D D' as this is driven forward.
The shield is divided by the air tight partition N into two chambers I and II
filled with compressed air, the outer chamber I being enclosed at the rear end by
the wall M fixed to the finished tunnel lining, and having an air sluice V, while the
other chamber II is closed at the front end by the step-shaped wall K lying against
the face of the working.
The driving forward of the shield, which is followed by the building-in of the
tunnel or gallery rings, is effected by the greater air pressure existing in the
chamber I and by the presses P, which bear on the one hand against the finished
lining of the tunnel, and on the other hand against the partition N. In order to
facilitate the forcing forward of the shield in curves, the tubular sides thereof are
made of two parts D1 and D2 which fit together with overlapping spherically
shaped surfaces at U, and are adjusted relatively to each other by the extension or
shortening of the screws S connected to both parts without materially narrowing
the internal space of the shield or forming external projections which would
interfere with the advance thereof.
The excavation of the face of the working is effected by the openings formed in
the stepped face K of the shield, which are closed by covers, such excavation
being effected solely through the horizontal holes so long as there is danger of the
compressed air escaping.
Otherwise the excavation is also effected through the vertical openings, the air

page_text: pressure employed being such as to balance the counter pressure exercised by the
water or soil.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. Constructing the wall of a tunnel which is partly enclosed in a driving shield
of rings provided with openings and of outwardly projecting ribs arranged
between the said rings, substantially as described and shewn in the accompanying
drawing.
2. Constructing the shield casing in two parts meeting each other in a spherical
surface U and capable of being moved relatively to one another by means of
screw-bolts S, substantially as described and shewn in the accompanying
drawings.
3. Providing the front part of the shield with a step-like closure wall K, in the
steps of which openings capable to be closed are arranged for removing the ground,
substantially as described and shewn in the accompanying drawing.
Doted this 2nd day of July 1896.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.