Abstract: A drive shield for tunnel driving has a plurality of cutters supported for longitudinal displacement on a frame. The cutters are hollow and contain double-acting hydraulic rams used to displace the cutters and the frame. The rams are linked to the cutters via alignable connector shackles and detachable bolts. To connect the rams to the frame use is made of coupling pieces which have spigots engaging through shackles on the rams. The coupling pieces pass through slots in the cutters and are guided on the frame for displacement to release or mate the spigots with the shackles.

Abstract: A tunnel drive shield has a front shield and a rear shield. The front shield is a knife shield, and the rear shield has a hood and a plurality of elongate members. The hood is connected to the front shield so as to be movable in all directions. Between the hood and the front shield (or the support frame for the knives of the front shield) is provided means for holding the two shields at a given angular setting. The connection between the two shields enables them to be angled relatively to each other to a limited extent in all directions, so that the original length of the entire drive shield is shortened, and the ability of the shield to negotiate curves is increased.

Abstract: Apparatus for use in driving tunnels or the like comprises a front drive shield composed, for example, of elongate cutter knives supported for longitudinal displacement on a frame. In order to control turning motion of the shield the shield is connected via hydraulic control rams to a rear abutment such as a follow-up ring structure. The rams are all inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the apparatus. The rams are divided into two groups inclined in opposite directions and the rams of each group can be subjected collectively to pressure fluid to impart a corrective torque to the frame.

Abstract: Tunnel driving apparatus incorporates a cutter shield with a plurality of drive members or cutters arranged side-by-side in a cylindrical array. The drive members are supported and guided for individual longitudinal displacement on a cylindrical continuous cowl or casing forming at least part of a support frame. Rams which serve to shift the drive members and the frame are coupled therebetween and extend through sealed openings in an end wall of a recess formed on the exterior of the cowl and open towards the drive members.To facilitate the creation of a concrete lining for the tunnel behind the cutter shield, a rear shield is formed by reduced rearwardly extending tails of the drive members. A further cylindrical casing locates within the rear shield and supports a pair of annular rings. One of these rings combines with a sheathing extending inside the further casing and the rear shield to form a concrete reception space.

Abstract: A tunnel drive shield has an arcuate support frame constituted by a pair of foot segments, a pair of wall segments supported by the foot segments and a ridge segment connecting the tops of the wall segments. The foot segments engage the tunnel floor, and the wall segments are braceable outwardly towards the tunnel walls. Each foot segment is provided with a pair of longitudinal floor skids displaceably mounted on the base thereof. Each foot segment is also provided with a pair of longitudinally-spaced, vertically-movable support feet, which are movable into contact with the tunnel floor to relieve, at least partially, the load on the floor skids. The support feet are used to support the shield while the floor skids are removed. The rest of the shield can then be dismantled within the confines of the tunnel.

Abstract: A tunnel drive shield comprises a cylindrical shell supported by two axially-spaced frames. The two frames are movable, relative to one another, in the direction of tunnel advance. In order to guide the two frames accurately, guide means interconnect the two frames, the guide means permitting movement only in the direction of tunnel advance. The guide means may be constituted by a plurality of telescopic guide devices. A knife shield may constitute the drive shield.

Abstract: The drive members of a drive shield, which are mounted side-by-side for longitudinal displacement as is known per se, are provided with seals or packings to close off the gaps between adjacent members. Each seal or packing is composed of two flexible resilient parts joined to respective drive members. The seal parts slidably engage one another in sealing fashion. The parts of the seal may be of the same or disimilar shape but at least one of the parts is hollow with an interior cavity which can receive pressure medium used to expand the part to urge the contacting surfaces of the parts into close sealing contact. Lubrication between the contacting surfaces to permit sliding can be achieved by employing a suitable lubricating agent as, or in, the pressure medium and by allowing some of the pressure medium to pass from the interior cavity to the contacting surfaces.

Abstract: Shield apparatus for tunnelling comprises a framework supporting drive members advanced individually or in groups as known per se. The framework and its drive members are carried by a pair of elongate floor beams arranged at the sides of the tunnel wall. Each floor beam has a longitudinal slot or groove therein which is open to the rear end of the beam. This slot or groove receives anchoring pins fitted in situ into the floor of the tunnel working so that the beams can slide along the pins in the direction of advancement.

Abstract: Apparatus for driving and lining tunnels utilizes a knife shield for driving a tunnel and shuttering for forming a concrete lining behind the knife shield. The shuttering is constituted by a plurality of shuttering elements, each of which is connected to, and inwardly off-set from, a respective knife. The shuttering elements are, therefore, advanced together with their knives and concrete is forced into the space between a shuttering element and the tunnel wall as that element is advanced.

Abstract: Apparatus for driving tunnels or the like employs a drive shield known per se, with drive members supported and guided on a frame. Rear extension members are linked to the drive members, preferably through units permitting relative displacement therebetween and these rear members form a rear shield for receiving supports and reinforcements for a permanent lining for the tunnel. A concrete spraying nozzle or the like applies a strip of concrete to the tunnel wall each time a rear member is shifted in the advancing direction. In this way a series of strips, preferably shape locked together at their ends, can be built up stage by stage to create the lining.

Abstract: A drive shield for use in a tunnel driving operation has an inner frame with hollow rings interconnected in a rigid fashion. A plurality of sharp-ended drive members combine to form a cylindrical shell contacting the tunnel wall. Rams serve to advance the drive members in the advancing direction either individually or in groups and to draw up the inner frame. Support devices of circuate shape form a second shell inside the drive members and support and guide the latter. Piston and cylinder units are interposed between the rings and the support devices and serve to displace the latter radially so that selected members can be forced against the tunnel wall with a greater or lesser pressure.

Abstract: Tunnel-driving apparatus utilizes a plurality of elongate drive or knife members arranged side-by-side and supported and guided for longitudinal movement on a frame. The members and the frame are advanced in succession during the driving process. Some or all of the drive members are hollow and accommodate telescopically extendible and retractible devices, conveniently of tubular form, used for treating the working face, for example, by conveying fluid to or from the face. The devices each have a series of cam-like projections engageable with spring-biased stops supported on the frame and the drive members. These stops serve to lock the devices in various positions and to automatically extend the devices from the members when the frame is shifted.The stops can be displaced however to generally engage the projections in such manner as to allow or prevent movement of the devices inwardly or outwardly of the drive members.

Abstract: A shield for tunnel driving operations comprises a plurality of elongate drive members supporting the tunnel wall at a forward region and carried by a frame. Rams serve to advance the members individually, or in groups, and to shift up the frame. Each drive member has a rear extension plate or tail extending rearwardly of the tunnel driving direction. Lining elements are assembled within a chamber defined by the tails and a space between the assembled elements and the inner surfaces of the tails is filled as the tunnel advances to create a permanent lining. The space is sealed off with the aid of seals effective between the longitudinal edges of the tails and with a radial seal or the like between the lining elements and the tails.

Abstract: Apparatus for and a method of laying a pipe line utilizes a drive shield for excavating an open trench and a receptacle for receiving the individual pipe sections. The receptacle has a rear wall with an opening provided with a seal engaging on part of the circumference of a pipe section extending into the interior of the receptacle. A plate is attached to the rear wall and has a seal which engages on the remaining part of the circumference of the pipe section so that the interior of the receptacle is sealed with respect to the exterior and the receptacle can be moved up to follow the progress of the drive shield. A pipe section employing an access tube projecting from its circumference can be accommodated by using a hollow unit having a seal also engageable on the circumference of the pipe section previously installed and communicating with the interior of the receptacle when the plate is removed or displaced. The unit then receives the access tube of the pipe section as the receptacle is moved up.

Abstract: Tunnel driving apparatus has a shield with a plurality of cutter planks arranged side-by-side around the tunnel axis. The planks are supported and guided by two frames connected via a rigid bracing structure. One of the frames is provided with adjustable means capable of expanding or contacting the frame radially of the tunnel axis. The planks are advanced in known manner individually or in groups and the adjustable frame can be used to make the axes of the planks converge rearwardly of the tunnel driving direction when desired. Such control permits steering of the apparatus by making the reactive forces on the advancing planks cant the shield within a tapered gap between the planks and the tunnel wall. In addition the tendency of the frames to become jammed in the planks when being shifted up can be precluded.

Abstract: Apparatus for, and a method of, laying a pipe line utilizes an advanceable drive shield composed of parallel displaceable cutter planks supported by a frame to excavate an open trench. Behind the shield is a receptacle which is closed to the trench and receives individual pipe sections for extending the pipe line through an opening in the receptacle. Some of the cutter planks and the receptacle are provided with gripping devices selectively operable to engage the trench walls to anchor the respective components against shifting forces. The receptacle is connected with the frame for movement therewith or for independent movement. A roller bed which can be raised or lowered or tilted in a universal manner is provided in the receptacle to receive the pipe section lowered into the receptacle. The frame also has an adjustable bulkhead at its front end which can be partly opened to allow material at the working face of the trench to enter the shield for subsequent removal.