Abstract: The cutter head of a tunnelling machine is mounted for rotation about the axis of the tunnel and has a face extending on a plane perpendicular to that axis. The cutter head serves as a mount for a plurality of roller cutters, each of which is mounted in a box like saddle member fixed to the cutter head. Each roller cutter includes a frame having a shaft on which the roller cutter is journalled and a pair of end members which fit in recesses on the inside of the saddle member. These recesses open toward the rear of the cutter head to allow removal and replacement of cutters and cutter frames from the rear face of the cutter head. Each cutter frame is held in place by a wedge member on each side of the saddle and wedge members, one on each side, engage mating wedge surfaces on the saddle and the adjacent end member of the cutter frame so that movement of each wedge member by a jack screw in a direction transverse to the axis of the roller forces each end member forwardly in its recess.

Abstract: A bedplate is rigidly affixed relative to the tunnel floor and includes a centrally disposed shaft extending upwardly therefrom. A rotatable base member is mounted on the bedplate for rotation about the central shaft. A boring machine adapted to bore upwardly is secured to the rotatable base member. The boring machine is swung upwardly along a selected arc of vertical circle and the base member is rotated to a selected azimuth. Following rotation, the rotatable base member is itself rigidly affixed relative to the tunnel floor.