Patents Assigned to The Robbins Company
  • Patent number: 5325932
    Abstract: A down remaining apparatus has an upper stabilizer which supports the down reaming apparatus in the bored hole. A plurality of wheel assemblies are radially attached to the hub of the upper stabilizer. Each of the wheel assemblies has rotatable tires oriented against the bored hole wall, and a rotatable overload wheel which contacts the tunnel wall upon compression of the tires. A weight assembly comprising a plurality of stacked plates is secured to the frame of the down reaming apparatus and has manways therethrough which allow passage of workers. A lower stabilizer provides additional support for the down reaming apparatus. A plurality of wheel assemblies are radially attached to the hub of the lower stabilizer. Each of the wheel assemblies has a rotatable wheel pivotally attached to the lower stabilizer hub and spaced therefrom by a compressible bumper which reacts against the bored hole wall to stabilize the down reaming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1994
    Assignee: The Robbins Company
    Inventors: Llewellan Anderson, Brian W. Kelley, Larry F. Rowe, Thomas C. Whitehouse
  • Patent number: 5308150
    Abstract: A down reaming apparatus including a cutterhead body and a plurality of arms radially disposed on the cutterhead body with cutter assemblies on each arm. A first arm has a given length and additional arms each are of different length. Arm extenders having cutter assemblies are attached to each arm such that the combined length of each of the arms and attached arm extender is substantially equal. Spacers are attached to at least one of the arms to increase the diameter of the cutterhead in conjunction with the relocation of each of the arm extenders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1994
    Assignee: The Robbins Company
    Inventor: Thomas C. Whitehouse
  • Patent number: 5234064
    Abstract: A roller cutter assembly comprising a cutter hub adapted for rotation with respect to a rock face and having a peripheral surface with an axially extending width. The first cutter ring is located on the cutter hub. A second cutter ring is also located on the cutter hub. Both the first cutter ring and the second cutter ring are adjustable between at least first locations and second locations along the width of the peripheral surface of the cutter hub such that reorientation of at least one of the first cutter ring and the second cutter ring on the cutter hub alters the axial spacing between the first cutter ring and the second cutter ring, resulting in alteration of the spacing of the cutters located thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1993
    Assignee: The Robbins Company
    Inventor: Carl E. Lenaburg
  • Patent number: 5234257
    Abstract: A mobile mining machine for cutting a tunnel in rock has a wheel-like cutterhead assembly supported by a pitch boom assembly that causes movement of the cutterhead assembly in the vertical plane. A swing boom assembly supports the pitch boom assembly and is supported by the main frame of the mobile mining machine. In one embodiment the swing boom assembly has a pivot axis that is tilted from vertical and swings the cutterhead and the pitch boom during mining to cut a tunnel having a wide, flat floor. During mining, a gripper assembly having a floor gripper shoe and a roof gripper shoe brace the mobile mining machine in the tunnel. Thrust is provided by thrust cylinders located between the gripper shoes and the main beam. Extension of the thrust cylinders moves the cutterhead assembly, main beam, and rear portion of the mobile mining machine forward relative to the gripper assembly due to slidable engagement of the main beam and gripper assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1993
    Assignee: The Robbins Company
    Inventors: David B. Sugden, John Turner, Robert J. Boyd
  • Patent number: 5205613
    Abstract: A tunnel boring machine includes a cutterhead having a plurality of cutting units and being rotatable on a machine frame. Two sets of three anchor shoes float relative to the frame and are disposed circumferentially, with the anchor shoes of the two sets alternating on the frame. The two sets of three anchor shoes allow continuous advance of the tunnel boring machine. Connection between the two sets of anchor shoes and the frame is provided by two sets of three thrust cylinder bipods. One set of three thrust cylinder bipods is connected to each set of three floating anchor shoes, with one bipod attached to each anchor shoe. All of the anchor shoes in each set are interconnected by three pairs of floating gripper cylinders, with each pair of gripper cylinders longitudinally spaced on the two anchor shoes that they connect. Each of the two sets of three anchor shoes is sequentially gripped and ungripped with the tunnel wall by the attached gripper cylinders and independently of the other set of anchor shoes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1993
    Assignee: The Robbins Company
    Inventor: Howard K. Brown, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5203614
    Abstract: A tunneling machine convertible between a "closed mode" and an "open mode" of operation, having a rotatable cutterhead with muck openings communicating with a pressurizable cutterhead chamber and a pressure maintenance system to stabilize the tunnel workface when operating in the "closed mode". In the "closed mode" low slurry flow is employed as a liquid pressure balance solely to support the unstable tunnel face. Low slurry flow is supplied through a pressure bulkhead sealing the cutterhead chamber and pressurized conveyor means through the bulkhead removes tunneled material from the cutterhead chamber. A pressure lock connected to the pressurized conveyor means transfers tunneled material to dewatering and reservoir/accumulator means operated at substantially atmospheric pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1993
    Assignee: The Robbins Company
    Inventors: Richard J. Robbins, David T. Cass, Peter B. Dowden
  • Patent number: 5192115
    Abstract: A mobile mining machine for cutting a tunnel in rock has a wheel-like cutterhead assembly supported by a pitch boom assembly that causes movement of the cutterhead assembly in the vertical plane. A swing boom assembly supports the pitch boom assembly and is supported by the base frame of the mobile mining machine. The swing boom assembly causes movement of the cutterhead assembly and the pitch boom assembly in the horizontal plane. During mining, a fixed front support and a fixed rear support anchor the mobile mining machine in the tunnel with front and rear crawlers raised from the tunnel floor. During re-gripping, the front and rear crawlers are lowered to support the mobile mining machine and the fixed front support and fixed rear support remain in contact with the tunnel floor. During tramming, the front and rear supports are raised for transportation of the mobile mining machine on the crawler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1993
    Assignee: The Robbins Company
    Inventors: Thomas M. Hartman, David B. Sugden
  • Patent number: 5192116
    Abstract: A gantry-type mobile mining machine includes a cutterwheel having an axis of rotation substantially parallel to the tunnel work face and carried by a boom assembly pivotally movable about an axis also substantially parallel to the tunnel work face and to the cutterwheel axis of rotation. A rotation assembly supports the boom assembly and cutterwheel and causes rotation of the cutterwheel and the boom assembly about an axis substantially perpendicular to the tunnel work face and to the cutterwheel axis of rotation, so that radial motion of the cutterwheel is possible in any desired direction generally parallel to the tunnel work face. A traverse assembly supported on a frame causes traverse movement of the cutterwheel, boom assembly and rotation assembly on the frame. Thrust cylinders thrust forward as a unit the cutterwheel, boom assembly and rotation assembly relative to the frame. A holding assembly secures the frame in the tunnel during thrusting by the thrust cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1993
    Assignee: The Robbins Company
    Inventors: John Turner, Neil J. Dahmen
  • Patent number: 5162322
    Abstract: This invention discloses the antianxiety properties of compounds of the formula: ##STR1## wherein n is 3 or 4, R is C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl or phenyl, and Ar is ##STR2## where Z is selected from H, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkoxy, C.sub.2 -C.sub.4 alkenyloxy or hydroxy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1992
    Assignee: A. H. Robbins Company, Incorporated
    Inventors: Chandler R. Taylor, Jr., L. Meredith Moses, Brian F. Kilpatrick
  • Patent number: 5127711
    Abstract: A hopper and hood combination for muck transfer in a tunneling machine, and a tunneling machine having the same, in which a muck collar is mounted to a cutterhead support and projects into a rotatable cutterhead. A muck chute on the muck collar feeds earth to an earth conveyer when the muck collar and muck chute are in a hopper orientation. The muck chute and muck collar are rotatable relative to the earth conveyor to a hood orientation in which the muck chute restricts earth flow to the earth conveyor. Rotation of the hopper/hood from one orientation to the other is by brief interconnection thereof to the cutterhead without any necessity for any disassembly or reconstruction of the tunneling machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1992
    Assignee: The Robbins Company
    Inventor: David T. Cass
  • Patent number: 5063228
    Abstract: Novel compounds of the formula: ##STR1## Where R.sup.1 is loweralkyl and R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are independently H, loweralkyl, aryl, or--NR.sup.2 R.sup.3 forms a heterocyclic group such as imidazole, morpholine, piperidine, or piperazine were found to exhibit cardiac arrhythmia correcting properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1991
    Assignee: A. H. Robbins Company, Incorporated
    Inventors: Albert D. Cale, Jr., Thomas W. Gero
  • Patent number: 5012878
    Abstract: Drive head apparatus for driving the drill string of a rock boring machine, such apparatus comprising one or two drill string connectors (28) (30) having resilient means such as a coil spring (66) acting therebetween, with respective floating bearings (62) (64) separably secured thereto and with each bearing arrangement comprising respective cooperating, axially fixed bearing seating surfaces (68) (86). Each floating bearing (62) (64) is in the form of a softer metal insert replaceable on the associated connector (28) (30) without replacement of the drill string connector (28) (30). A splined cylindrical drive insert (88) rotatably drives the drill string connector and is separable from the drive body (58) in which it is seated and is axially reversible to swap wear ends or is readily replaceable without need for replacement of the entire drive body (58).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 7, 1991
    Assignee: The Robbins Company
    Inventor: Llewellan Anderson
  • Patent number: 4908370
    Abstract: Compounds of general formula I: ##STR1## wherein: X represents oxygen or sulphur;R.sup.1 represents loweralkyl;R.sup.2 represents hydrogen, halo, 4,5-benzo, loweralkoxy, amino, methylamino or dimethylamino;R.sup.3 represents hydrogen or loweralkyl; andn is 1 or 2and their pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts have anxiolytic activity. In particular, they have activity against anxiety induced by the withdrawal from ingested substances such as narcotics (e.g. cocaine), alcohol and nicotine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 13, 1990
    Assignee: A. H. Robbins Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert J. Naylor, Brenda Naylor
  • Patent number: 4646853
    Abstract: A shaft boring machine including a rotatable cutterwheel assembly with a horizontal axis mounted on a carriage having vertical travel. The carriage is mounted on a slewing base frame and rotates about the vertical axis of the machine. An excavating unit for muck removal is mounted opposite the cutterwheel on the slewing base frame and loads directly from the shaft bottom into a muck hopper. When the hopper is full, it is discharged into a hoist bucket which is hoisted to the surface. The machine is positioned in the shaft by upper and lower gripper systems. Walking cylinders between the two gripper rings advance the machine up or down the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1984
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1987
    Assignee: The Robbins Company
    Inventors: David B. Sugden, David T. Cass, Peter B. Dowden, Nicholas A. Hynd
  • Patent number: 4548443
    Abstract: A tunnel boring machine including the following elements: (a) a full face rotary cutterhead; (b) a cutterhead support on which the cutterhead is mounted; (c) a gripper system carried by a gripper support frame for reacting thrust, steering, roll correction, and torque forces; (d) a conveyor system for transporting muck from behind the rotary cutterhead to a dump point rearwardly of the machine; (e) primary propel cylinders for advancing the cutterhead which are mounted between the gripper support frame and the cutterhead support, the primary propel cylinders consisting of a series of at least three pairs of double acting hydraulic cylinders arranged annularly in equally spaced apart locations and in a series of V-shaped configurations between the gripper support frame and the cutterhead support, each such pair of primary propel cylinders having an included angle between the cylinders of about 15.degree. and 60.degree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1984
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1985
    Assignee: The Robbins Company
    Inventor: John Turner
  • Patent number: 4548442
    Abstract: A first mobile mining machine for cutting mining tunnels in hard rock, which includes a horizontally swinging wheel-like cutterhead assembly mounted on a crawler and base frame assembly. The cutterhead assembly consists of a transverse horizontal axis wheel-like drum on which are multiple peripherally mounted rolling cutter units.A second mobile mining machine for cutting mining tunnels in hard rock, which includes a horizontally swinging and vertically ranging wheel-like cutterhead assembly mounted on a crawler and base frame assembly. The cutterhead assembly consists of a transverse horizontal axis wheel-like drum on which are multiple peripherally mounted rolling cutter units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1985
    Assignee: The Robbins Company
    Inventors: David B. Sugden, Bruce A. Waddell, James P. Kindsvater, Robert B. Moffat
  • Patent number: 4420188
    Abstract: Front and rear shields are telescopically joined together. The front shield carries a power driven rotary cutterhead means. Thrust rams are provided between the two shields for pushing the forward shield forwardly relative to the rear shield while the cutterhead means is being operated to mine the tunnel face, and also to pull the rear shield forwardly relative to the front shield. The rear shield includes a gripper assembly for reacting thrust and torque and a plurality of auxiliary thrust rams which extend rearwardly from the rear shield to react against forward end portions of a tunnel lining which is erected under cover of a tail section of the rear shield. A pair of side placed torque cylinders are interconnected between frame portions of the two shields and serve to transmit counter-rotational torque from the cutterhead support of the front shield back to the rear shield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1983
    Assignee: The Robbins Company
    Inventors: Richard J. Robbins, David T. Cass
  • Patent number: 4381038
    Abstract: A bit connectible from the lower end of a rotatably powered drill stem for enlarging a preformed pilot hole includes a cutter carrier frame on which are mounted a plurality of roller cutters having peripheral cutting edges which sweep concentric circles upon rotation of the raise drilling bit. The circles swept by the cutters collectively define a generally dome-shaped cutting profile of constantly changing curvature which forms a segment of a spiral curve so that as the cutting profile extends radially outwardly from the drill stem, its curvature progressively decreases. The rotating cutter carrier frame structure drives a flywheel assembly at increased speed through the intermediacy of a step-up drive system composed of two planetary gear drives coupled in tandem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 1980
    Date of Patent: April 26, 1983
    Assignee: The Robbins Company
    Inventor: David B. Sugden
  • Patent number: 4365677
    Abstract: Large hole boring equipment is used for boring a large diameter blind pilot hole. Then such equipment is removed from the hole and a room is blasted at the closed or blind end of the hole. Then the large hole cutterhead is replaced by a reamer and the equipment is inserted back into the hole. The reamer is an adjustable diameter type and its diameter is increased once it is within such room. A wrench carried by a drive head of a drilling machine is used to rotate a small diameter shaft which extends downwardly through the drill string to a lead screw which is a part of the reamer. Rotation of the lead screw causes axial travel of a lead nut. As the lead nut travels it moves a plurality of links which in turn swing a plurality of cutter carrying arms outwardly from the axis of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1982
    Assignee: The Robbins Company
    Inventor: Lloyd J. Owens
  • Patent number: RE31511
    Abstract: The main frame of the cutterhead comprises a plurality of radial spoke beams which are interconnected between a box-like hub structure and an annular box beam by which the cutterhead is mounted for rotation. Cutter mounting wells are defined by and between side wall portions of the radial spoke beams. The mined material passes rearwardly through the cutterhead via openings between adjacent radial spoke beams and open spaces in the cutter mounting wells. Cutter mounts span laterally between the side plate members and laterally brace the radial spoke beams in addition to mounting the cutters. The radial spoke beams curve rearwardly at their outer ends and connect to the annular box beam at a location spaced enough rearwardly from the front portions of the spoke beams that a room is defined within the cutterhead. Roller type cutters are installed onto and removed from the cutterhead frame from the rear side of the cutterhead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1981
    Date of Patent: January 31, 1984
    Assignee: The Robbins Company
    Inventor: Barry A. Spencer