Improvements in Apparatus for Driving Tunnels in Water-bearin Soil.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application. 18th May, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 15th Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 16th Feb., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Driving Tunnels in Water-bearin
Soil.
I, JOHANN HERMANN VERING, of the city and state of Hamburg, German
Empire, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
:-
My invention relates to apparatus for driving tunnels in water-bearing soil. The
improved apparatus forming the subject of the invention consists mainly in a shield
composed of an outer annular part, or ring, an inner part, or piston, adapted to slide
in the former, and means for alternately pushing the two parts forward while the
soil is being removed or displaced. Besides, the invention comprises contrivances. for
guiding the shield and imparting to the same the required direction and for scouring
the surfaces of contact between the two aforesaid parts by means of a current of
water, and the combination, with the shield, of an air-chamber and an air-lock for
allowing the excavating work to be carried out under air-pressure.
The said annular part or ring has at its rear end a cylindrical extension within
which the lining of the tunnel is built up, the said extension being tightened against
the lining by suitable means. For moving the ring forward it is provided with
hydraulic or screw-jacks.
The inner part, or piston, is fitted at the rear with a cylinder forming a chamber
from which the operations required for loosening and removing the soil in front of the
shield are carried out. This cylinder is arranged to slide in a cylinder connected by
a flange to the annular part or ring, a space being thereby formed which is put in
communication with a pump or an air-compresser, so that when water or air is forced
into the said space the piston will be driven forward. The operation of advancing
the piston may, however, also be performed means of jacks, as with the ring.
For keeping clean the joint between the ring and the piston, the latter is fitted
with a channel communicating with a water-supply-pipe and with the said joint.
The apparatus is guided in the finished portion of the tunnel by means of rollers
running on, or bearing against, rails, the bearings of the rear rollers being made
adjustable in view of allowing the direction of motion of the apparat: s to be
changed.

page_text: Both the ring and the piston are formed at the periphery of their face with sharp
edges for facilitating their penetration into the soil. For carrying out excavating
work under air-pressure, the aforesaid cylinder attached to the piston and forming a
working chamber, is provided with an air-lock and with means for supplying the
same with compressed air.
Data tha Civiannil day of Mo 1000
CARL PIEPER,
Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION..
Improvements in Apparatus for Driving Tunnels in Water-bearing
Soil.
I, JOHANN HERMANN VERING, of the city and state of Hamburg, German
Empire, Engineer, 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 :-
My invention relates to apparatus for driving tunnels in water-bearing soil. The
improved apparatus forming the subject of the invention consists mainly in a shield
composed of an outer annular part or ring, an inner part, or piston, adapted to slide
in the former, and means for alternately pushing the two parts forward while the
soil is being removed or displaced. Besides, the invention comprises contrivances
for guiding the shield and imparting to the same the required direction and for
scouring the surfaces of contact between the two aforesaid parts by means of a
current of water, and the combination, with the shield, of an air-chamber and an
air-lock for allowing the excavating work to be carried out under air pressure.
On the annexed sheet of drawings Fig. 1 represents in longitudinal section an
apparatus of my invention in working position within a tunnel. Fig. 2 is a transverse,
.section on the lines 1, 1 and 2, 2.
In Fig. 1 d is the annular part, or ring, and e the inner part, or piston, sliding in
the former. The ring d has at its rear end a cylindrical extension a, being flush on
the outside with the ring. Within this extension the lining A of the tunnel
(supposed in the drawing to consist of iron rings cast in segments) is built up. For
preventing an influx of water between the lining and the cylinder a, the latter is
provided with a sleevej of india-rubber or leather. The piston e is tightened against
the ring d by means of the stuffing-box i.
The said parts & and e may be alternately moved forward by any suitable means.

page_text: For moving the ring d the drawing shows the same provided with hydraulic jacks f,
having pistons the rods whereof abut against the lining A, so that after the pistons
have been pushed inward in the cylinders of the jacks and the lining has been
completed up to the outer ends of the piston-rods, the ring d may be pushed forward
by forcing water into the jacks. Instead of these hydraulic jacks screw-jacks or other
like devices may, however, be employed.
The piston e is fitted at the rear with a cylinder m, forming a chamber D, from
which the operations required for loosening and removing the soil in front of the
sbield are carried out. This cylinder is enclosed and arranged to slide in a cylinder p
connected by a flange p' to the ring d, a space being thereby formed, which is put
in communication by a pipe g with a pump or an air-compresser (not shown in the
drawing), so that, when water or air is forced into the space v, the piston e will be
driven forward. For keeping the joint between the ring d and the piston e clear of
sand, the latter is fitted with a channel k communicating by a pipe with the water-
supply-pipe w, and by holes with the said joint, this arrangement allowing the joint
to be scoured by a current of water.
The whole apparatus is guided in the finished portion of the tunnel by means of
eight rollers and running on, or bearing against, rails a', the rollers q having
bearings with fixed brasses, while the brasses of the bearings for the rollers are
adjustable by means of the screws s, in order that the direction in which the apparatus
is moved forward may be regulated, and that it may be changed in case the tunnel is
to be driven in a curve.
The ring is bevelled at the inside of its front end so as to present at its periphery
a sharp edge b adapted to penetrate with facility into the soil. The piston e, whose
face B is concave, has a like edge h. The soil in front of the shield may be removed
by any suitable means. The drawing shows for this purpose two pipes u passing
through the shield and made movable therein by means of balls t turning in sockets,
the said pipes being connected to a suction-pump (not shown in the drawing).
Through the pipes are passed smaller pipes for forcing water or air outward and
thus loosening the soil round about the end of the pipes u. In view of allowing
rotating stirrers to be employed for the loosening operation, the shield is provided in
its centre with a stuffing-box & forming a bearing for the shaft of the stirrers.
As it may happen that for carrying out certain parts of the excavating work, such
as the removal of stones, the shield has to be opened, and as in water-bearing soil this
can only be done under air-pressure, the chamber D is provided with an air-lock C,
and it is under these circumstances supplied with compressed air. The communication
between the chamber D and the outside of the shield is established by means of
apertures at the top of the inward extension E of the shield, which in the usual
course of the work are closed by the covers. At yy holes are arranged, designed
to have inserted thereinto, in case of need, perforated balls, alike to the balls t, and
through which rods may be passed for stirring the soil. Ordinarily the said holes are,
however closed by covers.
The operation by means of the described apparatus is carried out by first pushing
forward the ring d, the piston e meanwhile remaining stationary or being allowed to
recede in the measure as the soil is displaced by the ring. There upon the piston is
advanced while the soil is removed. In case a tunuel is driven at but a small ilepth
below the bed of a river, the soil may be simply forced upward into the river
subsequent to its being loosened.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In a tunneling-apparatus, the combination together of a ring d carrying a
cylinder p fixed thereto by a flange p'a piston e sliding in the ring d and having the
cylinder m, arranged to slide in the cylinder p, means for pushing the ring forward,
and pipe for introducing a fluid under pressure into the space formed between
the flange pl and the piston e, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
9

page_text: 7'
2. In a tunneling-apparatus, the combination together of a ring d carrying
bearings, rollers and 7. mounted in the said bearings, brasses for the bearings of
the rollers that are adjustable therein, screws s for adjusting the said brasses; rails a',
piston e, and means for separately advancing the ring and the piston, substantially as
and for the purpose described.
3. In a tunneling-apparatus, the combination together of a ring d, a piston e
having a stuffing-box, channel and perforations extending therefrom to the
periphery of the piston, and water-supply-pipe connected with the channel k;
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
4. In a tunneling-apparatus. the combination together of a ring d, a piston e with
cylinder m forming an air-chamber, the air-lock C, and means for forcing air into
the cylinder m, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated the Twelfth day of January 1889.
CARL PIEPER,
Agent for Applicant.