Abstract: A telescoping tool includes a pole assembly, a driveshaft, a plurality of bearings, and at least one connection member. The pole assembly includes an outer pole and an inner pole. The inner pole is slidably received in the outer pole. The pole assembly is movable between a retracted configuration and an extended configuration. The driveshaft extends longitudinally in the outer pole and the inner pole. Each bearing of the plurality of bearings includes a driveshaft passage defined therein. The driveshaft passage receives the driveshaft therethrough. Each bearing further includes an end connection passage defined therein. The at least one connection member joins adjacent bearings of the plurality of bearings. The at least one connection member is disposed in the end connection passage of each of the adjacent bearings.

Abstract: A mobile tunnel boring unit is disclosed, comprising a support body driven by first drive means, the first drive means including a pair of spaced apart crawler tracks in contact with the tunnel floor and related track driving means to move the tracks. A cutter head drive means is located at an operatively front end of the boring unit, to which a rotatable cutter head can be fitted and rotatingly driven, in use, the cutter head comprising a full face cutter head fitted with cutters to bore a tunnel face. The cutter head is arranged to allow cuttings to pass through the cutter head for discharge into a muck hopper and onto a first conveyor arrangement, the cutter head drive means and a rear portion of the cutter head defining aligned central apertures to accommodate the muck hopper and a front part of the first conveyor arrangement. A telescopic shield arrangement is provided to shield the boring unit.

Abstract: An excavation machine having a cutter head with a large diameter while making it possible to excavate excavation objects such as hard bedrock etc. with high efficiency is provided. The excavation machine comprises an outer circumference cutter head 20 having a circular opening and being rotated and contacted to excavation objects and a small diameter cutter head 23 disposed in the opening and rotatable independently from the outer circumference cutter head. Rotation centers of the rotation disk and the rotation plate are gapped and the gap is shorter than a rotation radius of the small diameter cutter head.

Abstract: A device for boring a well. The device is attached to a motor that has a power shaft for imparting rotational movement. The device comprises a driver operatively connected to the power shaft, with the driver containing a tubular body, a first bit having a first end connected to the driver so that rotational movement of the driver is imparted to the first bit, and a sleeve disposed about the power shaft, and wherein the sleeve has a radial shoulder. The device further comprises a housing disposed about the driver and a second bit attached to the housing. A plurality of nozzles is operatively placed within the driver, and the nozzles deliver fluid flow to the second bit. The device may further include a planetary gear anchored to the radial shoulder, and wherein the planetary gear is adapted for imparting rotation from the driver to the housing in a counter radial direction.

Abstract: In a cutter structure for a shield machine which advances by boring through a tunnel wall from inside an existing tunnel, the shape of an excavating surface on a work face formed by a cutter is set so as to have a smaller curvature than or an equal curvature to the curve of a surface to be excavated on the outer face of the tunnel wall to be excavated. Since the shape of the excavating surface on the work face formed by the cutter is set by a curvature, upon advance of the shield machine by boring through the tunnel wall, the tunnel wall to be excavated, the shape of which is cylindrical, can be cut into by opening a hole which extends diametrically outward from the central portion of the cutter. As a result, the sections that are not cut into remain connected to the existing tunnel and will not enter the cutter chamber in lumps.

Abstract: Cutting heads, cutting head systems, and methods for creating an excavation in a mineral seam. A preferred cutting head includes a first body having a manifold for containing high pressure fluid and an axis of rotation generally parallel to the borehole, a first plurality of mechanical bits disposed on the first body, a first plurality of nozzles disposed around the axis of rotation for spraying the high pressure fluid, and a plurality of tubes fluidly coupling the manifold and the first plurality of nozzles. On supplying high pressure fluid to the manifold and rotating the cutting head about the axis of rotation, the nozzles create a generally circular, overlapping pattern of high pressure fluid in front of the cutting head, the pattern of high pressure fluid being directed to cut the borehole independently of the mechanical bits.

Abstract: A cutter head comprising a plurality of coaxially disposed transmission shafts including a central transmission shaft and at least two tubular transmission shafts with each shaft having a cutting member, the shafts being driven independently with one another and any two radially adjacent shafts being driven to rotate in opposite directions, wherein diameters of the shafts are determined in such a manner that a sum of cutting areas covered by the cutting members of the shafts rotating in one direction is substantially equal to a sum of the cutting areas covered by cutting members of the shafts rotating in the opposite direction.

Abstract: A method of rock cutting where, as a first step of each excavation cycle, a second open surface is created utilizing boring method and, as a second step, the excavation cycle is completed utilizing a shearing method; and a cutting element for excavation of rocks comprising both a boring tool and a shearing tool, wherein the cutting element can be remotely adapted either for boring or for shearing.

Abstract: A vertical hole excavating machine having a cutter head comprising: a first head supported rotatably about the axis of a cylindrical shield body at the lower end of the cylindrical body and having a central space vertically extending therethrough; at least one first cutter mounted on the first head to excavate earth under the first head; a second head disposed coaxially in the central space so as to be mounted or dismounted from above, and having a cylindrical portion for receiving matter excavated by the first cutter therein and a bottom plate for closing the lower end of the cylindrical portion; and at least one second cutter mounted on the second head to excavate earth under the second head. It is characterized in that the second head is further provided with a notch to receive matter excavated by the second cutter into the cylindrical portion.

Abstract: A shield tunnel boring machine having a parallel link excavator includes excess excavating cutters joined to the excavator and divided into a plurality of steps. The excess excavating cutters of the respective steps are coupled to separate corresponding jacks that are actuatable and controlled independently of each other for allowing the position of the machine to be effectively controlled to be able to quickly correct any undesired change in direction of the tunnel boring operation.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a tunnel-driving machine designed to bore a tunnel and having, in addition to a large outer cutter wheel, a smaller central cutter wheel which is mounted near the hub of the outer cutter wheel and which enables the formation of soil plugs and dead cores to be avoided along the longitudinal axis of the cutting wheel, thus reducing the resistance of the machine to forward motion.

Abstract: A shield advancing machine, comprising cutting tools (15) rotatably supported on cantilever arms (13, 14) being rotatable around an axis approximately extending in advancing direction and being swivellable in transverse direction to this axis, has a carrier (4) which is guided and supported in axial direction of the shield (1). A rotation drive (22, 33) for a rest (9) of the cantilever arms (13, 14) is provided on the carrier (4), and the cantilever arms (13, 14) as well as their swivel drive (16, 17) are linked to the rest (9).

Abstract: A shaft drilling machine comprises a drill head carrying drill tools thereon, a device for guiding the drill head in a shaft, a device for advancing the drill head in the shaft, and drive aggregates which are lowered into the shaft together with the drill head and driving the latter. A sluice for providing a rinsing fluid is arranged in a pilot drill. A rinsing conduit and an ascending conduit for extracting from the shaft a drilled material-rinsing fluid mixture generated during the drilling operation are connected to the sluice which is formed as a bucket wheel.

Abstract: A clamping device used for mounting die sections on machine platens, the device including a support carriage slidably mounted on the platen and having a clamp arm thereon. Means is provided for advancing and withdrawing the carriage from a die section on the platen and for moving the engaging end of the clamp arm toward and away from the platen, the carriage and clamp arm being activated from the periphery of the platen. Preferably, a camming assembly is engaged with an advancement screw and is slidably mounted on the platen to shift with the carriage. The camming assembly and the carriage are biased apart, but converge when the carriage contacts the edge of the die section in order to cam the clamp arm onto the die section.

Abstract: A method of producing an underground cavity in a driving shield advance operation comprises, prior to excavation, forming an annular slot corresponding to the contour and wall thickness of the shield ahead of the shield by using hot gas jets to form the slot and to separate a core from the surrounding rock formation, advancing the shield into the annular slot, and breaking out the core under the protection of the shield. The device for producing the underground cavity comprises a tubular drive shield adapted to be advanced into the cavity and having an interior support wall on which is rotatably supported a support member having an arm carrying a gas jet lance. The gas jet lance advantageously includes at least one gas nozzle directed forwardly to form an inwardly extending cavity ahead of the shield, and one or more nozzle discharges directing the gas laterally.

Abstract: A method for mechanically advancing clean cut underground mining galleries of various profiles, in which during a primary phase of the operation a pilot excavation of circular cross-section smaller than the final desired cross-section of the mining gallery is carried out and in which during a secondary phase of the operation, overlapping in time with the primary phase, the pilot excavation is widened to the desired finished cross-section of the mining gallery; and a machine for carrying out the method.

Abstract: A hole reamer according to the invention includes a main body or support with roller cutters rigidly connected to a drill stem, and an additional support with roller cutters arranged co-axially with the main body or support. A additional support device can move along the axis of the main body and is provided with a means to effect this longitudinal movement. The main body and additional support device are adapted to drill holes of one diameter with consequent reaming thereof.