IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING THE DEBRIS FROM TUNNELS, DRIFTWAYS, OR ADITS
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Charles Denton Abel at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd April 1881. A communication
from abroad by Emil Schrabetz, of Vienna, in the Empire of Austria, Civil
Engineer.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 28, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING THE
DEBRIS FROM TUNNELS, DRIFTWAYS, OR ADITS." [A communication from abroad
by Emil Schrabetz, of Vienna, in the Empire of Austria, Civil Engineer.]
According to this Invention the rapid removal of the debris from the workings
of narrow tunnels, driftways, or adits, is effected without interfering with the work
of the excavators, by providing boxes or receptacles which are conveyed to and
from the head of the workings along one or more overhead railways, so that
instead of, as at present, causing the debris to be charged into receptacles which
the men themselves have then to convey to the rear, thus interfering more or less
with the work of the excavators, the men charging the receptacles do not leave
their position in front of the workings, the receptacles when filled being raised to
the overhead railway along which they are conveyed to the rear by any convenient
means.
For these purposes, according to one arrangement, an overhead rail is suspended
by brackets from transverse beams carried by uprights at the sides of the tunnel
or driftway. The rail may be in long continuous lengths, or for facility of rapid
erection and removal it is made of short 'lengths having tapered ends that overlap
each other, and are secured to the brackets by keys or bolts.
The brackets are adjustable in height on the beams so as to adjust the level of
the rail, either by means of wedges, or by forming the pendant part separate from
the part secured to the beam, and providing both parts with toothed or notched
faces that take into each other, and are secured by a ring embracing both when
adjusted to the desired height. The rail may be provided with shunts and switches,
when there is only one line of rails, for trucks running in both directions to pass
each other, or there may be two or more lines of rails. The trucks consist of
metal frames with wheels running on the rails, and with pitch wheels or barrels
over which pass chains or cords for raising and lowering the boxes charged with the
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page_text: debris. The axes of these pitch wheels or barrels have ratchet wheels rotated by
levers carrying pawls, the levers being by preference of short length, and provided
with sockets or pins to which may be temporarily connected long levers for working
them from the floor of the tunnel..
The boxes may however be raised by simply hauling at the chains or ropes
without gearing, or the boxes may be lifted by hand, and either be suspended from
hooks on the carriages, or they may have loops at their upper ends with one or
more rollers by which they are hung directly on to the rails without separate
carriages; or again, where compressed air or water pressure is available, the raising
may be effected by means of a small motor engine worked by air or water pressure.
The boxes may either consist of simple rectangular receptacles, by preference
suspended by chains attached to trunnions situated at or near their centre of
gravity, so that they can be readily tipped over so as to deliver their contents into
the waggons for the debris at the rear of the workings, or they may be constructed
of two halves hinged together at their upper edges and held together by a suitable
bolt or catch at bottom. To the two halves are secured the ends of a toggle, to the
middle joint of which is attached the suspending chain, so that on releasing the said
bolt or catch, the pull on the toggle by the chain will cause the two halves to: open
at bottom and deliver their contents into the waggon. Or in place of emptying the
boxes into the waggon they may be lowered with their contents into the latter, to
be discharged outside the tunnel.
According to another arrangement in place of or in combination with the fixed
overhead railway is provided a portable length of overhead railway, consisting of a
framing or carriage running on wheels on the floor of the tunnel, on the top of
which are one or more beams with rails projecting at the front end sufficiently.
beyond the carriage to extend to the tunnel head, so that the trucks with the boxes
can run thereon right up to the place where they are to be charged, while at the
rear end the beams either butt against the end of a fixed overhead railway, so that
the trucks can run from the one on to the other, or the beams are inade to
overhang sufficiently for the waggons to be brought underneath them for receiving
the debris from the boxes. These portable railways when brought into position"
are secured by strutte against the roof and sides of the tunnel, the strutts.
consisting by preference of screw, spindles screwing into cylindrical sockets which
are turned by means of spanners. The carriages with the portable railway may
extend either the whole or part of the width of the tunnel, and they may have
either a double or single line of railways, or the trucks carrying the boxes may
be made the full width of the framing running on two rails, in which case, for
the convenience of working, the levers for raising the boxes, the shafts, with the
pitch wheels and gearing may be arranged in diagonal positions. If the rails are
made to overhang the wheel base of the carriage considerably, they may be
supported by trussed or strutted bearers, and also by detachable struts connected to
wheels running on the floor.