Abstract: A hard rock trench cutting machine includes a main body assembly, a cutter wheel assembly, and a longitudinal thrust assembly. The main body assembly includes two longitudinally extending cantilever support booms each having a forward portion and a rearward portion. The rearward portions of the support booms are connected to four side wall support feet which move laterally relative to the support booms between a retracted position and an extended position. The cutter wheel assembly includes a cutter wheel frame slidably disposed on the forward portion of the support booms. A cutter wheel drum carrying a plurality of roller cutters is rotatably carried by the cutter wheel frame for rotation about an axis. The longitudinal thrust assembly extends between the main body assembly and the cutter wheel assembly for pushing the roller cutters against the trench end face.

Abstract: A mineral mining installation intended for mining thick seams is composed of a series of units arranged alongside the mineral face and interconnected via a shifting system employing hydraulic rams operable to shift individual units. Each unit is a two story construction with a rigid underframe with roof and floor parts interconnected by pillars or walls to provide a winning chamber accessible to the face and an access chamber remote from the face and capable of housing vehicles and other equipment. On top of each underframe, to complete the unit, is a top frame composed of telescopic props resting on the roof part of the underframe and supporting a roof girder. At least one winning machine and conveyor is arranged within the forward regions of the frames of the units, and usually in the winning chambers; and the machine serves to hew mineral from the face.

Abstract: A tunneling machine is described which uses an array of impact tools for cutting a deep kerf that defines the wall of the tunnel. The impact tool provides impact blows through drill steels to which drill bits are attached. A substantial portion of the drill steels extend through webs which provide bearing support and alignment for the drill steels and bits on a dynamic basis while the kerf is being cut and the webs also permit the drill steel to bend; thus providing clearance between the impact tool and the wall of the tunnel. The webs also provide control of the sideways motion of the bit, while at the same time, providing for full impact blows to be delivered to the working face.

Abstract: This invention concerns a mine roof support of the kind comprising a floor beam, a roof engaging canopy and a plurality of extendible struts such as hydraulic jacks supporting the canopy from the floor beam. The invention comprises the provision of a flap pivotally connected along one edge of the canopy such that outward pivotal movement thereof may cause it to engage the canopy of an adjacent support. Hydraulic jack or equivalent means are provided acting between the canopy and the flap to urge the flap outwardly. The flap provides effective sealing of the gap between adjacent canopies in a line of roof supports and also enables each canopy to be positioned accurately between adjacent supports during advancing movement of the support.

Abstract: A machine for excavating underground galleries, comprising a frame displaceable within a gallery, an arm pivotally connected to said frame, means for adjusting the orientation of said arm in a plurality of directions, said arm having a rotary tool carrier provided with cutting tools distributed over the periphery thereof located to operate in a plane perpendicular to the direction of the arm, the machine having means enabling the pivotal connection between the arm and the frame to occupy two distinct alternative positions, in each of which positions the means supporting said pivotal connection can be immobilized.

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.

Abstract: An improved shoring machine for tunnel construction in which a load-bearing structure provided with shores for shaping and shoring up the tunnel is supported on skids with the structure supported on the skids and shores, the skids being guided for vertical and horizontal movement and having wings, portions of which have matching holes arranged in overlapping relationship together with a beam having a bottom surface located in the space between each pair of skids and provided with a plurality of teeth arranged to be accommodated within said holes, the teeth being long enough to serve an anchoring elements on the tunnel floor when projecting through the holes to facilitate the advance of the frame and to permit changes in the direction of movement of the frame to the right or left, the beam being pivoted at its front end on one pair of skids about a transverse axis and the beam having a back end connected through a hydraulic cylinder to the load-bearing structure with the hydraulic cylinder being arranged to re

Abstract: The machine includes two half-frames vertically arranged side by side, with two parallel vertical shafts respectively supported by the two half-frames. A separate turret is pivotally supported around each of the shafts, each turret having a cutting head which can rotate around a horizontal axis and which is equipped with tools for excavating. The two half-frames are slidably movable horizontally in relation to one another, with a control member connected between the half-frames for controlling the relative movement, the two half-frames being selectively positionable on the gallery floor by said relative movement, one half-frame being movable while the other half-frame remains fixed in position.

Abstract: A mining system for extraction of coal or the like from narrow seams has a conduit system for pneumatic conveyance of mined material. A leading section of apparatus comprises a cutter head assembly driven by an air motor which exhausts into the conduit system. The leading section includes further an anchoring means which is changeably mounted thereon to permit advance of the leading section and cutter head assembly, and ground contact means for pivoting of the cutter head from side-to-side.

Abstract: A normally generally horizontal cylindrical open-ended casing having a cylindrical rotor coaxially mounted therein for rotary and axial movements, the rotor having a rear end forwardly spaced from the rear end of the casing and a boring head on its front end projecting forwardly of the front end of the casing. At least one motor is mounted in the casing for imparting rotation to the rotor. A pair of fins are mounted in the casing for movements radially through openings in the casing to engage earth material to control rotation of the casing on its axis in the ground. Fluid pressure rams operate to impart limited axial movements to the rotor and boring head relative to the casing and radially extending and retracting movements to the fins. Controls for the rams and motor provide for common operating pressures to the rams and motor.

Abstract: Tunnel excavator for forming an upper half annular hollow space in the solid earth. The excavator has an arch shaped shield provided with a plurality of chambers in which excavating machines are located. Each of the excavating machines is swingably supported in the respective chamber and gripper means for securely abutting against the outer and inner surfaces of the solid earth formed by the upper half annular hollow space is located in each of the chambers. Thrust generating means is connected between the respective excavating machines and the respective gripper means so that the excavating machines can be advanced by the action of the thrust generating means when the gripper means is actuated to abut against the earth.

Abstract: A tunneling shield for shielding the area of a tunnel between first and second tunnel machine assemblies which are longitudinally, relative to the axis of the tunnel, movable relative to each other comprising a plurality of extendable and retractable support beams, the longitudinal axes of which are substantially parallel with the axis of the tunnel. The support beams may be disposed near the wall of the tunnel at circumferentially spaced intervals from each other an connected at each end to a first and second tunnel machine assembly by flexible joints. Each of the support beams may comprise first and second telescopically engagable members to effect extension and retraction of the support beams in response to relative movement between the first and second machine assemblies.

Abstract: A rock excavating machine for forming an arch type underground roadway includes a base carrying a forwardly extending cutter carrying arm having a cutter for cutting rock adjacent to the roadway floor and an upwardly extending cutter carrying arm having a cutter for cutting rock adjacent to the raodway roof. The forwardly extending cutter is mounted on an arm which swings around a vertical axis, and which is elevatable along the vertical axis. The upwardly extending cutter carrying arm swings around a horizontal axis. Roof support jacks and beams are mounted on the base rearwardly of the cutters. Lateral jacks anchor the machine in the tunnel during cutting.

Abstract: A tunneling machine is disclosed for boring a side drift extending from a main tunnel. The earth boring machine includes a main beam assembly for longitudinal disposition within said tunnel. A cutterhead support assembly is connected to said main beam. A cutterhead assembly including a cutterhead is mounted on said cutterhead support assembly for rotation generally about the longitudinal axis of said tunneling machine. Power means are coupled to said cutterhead assembly for rotation of the cutterhead. A first vertical gripper assembly is slidably connected to said main beam assembly and engageable with the back and the invert of said tunnel for facilitating the advance and guidance of said main beam, cutterhead support, cutterhead assembly, and cutterhead. Guiding thrust means are provided between said first vertical gripper assembly and said main beam assembly for providing a horizontal guiding force to said main beam assembly.

Abstract: An apparatus for tunnelling through soil, of the type in which a conical cutting head is rotatably mounted coaxially on a cylindrical housing and a toothed cutter bar is mounted radially on the cutting head adjacent an aperture in the cutting head. A flood door is mounted on the cutting head and is movable to open or close the aperture. Preferably a pair of doors are individually operable to converge or diverge in varying the size of the aperture. The cutter bar may be movable radially outward beyond the circumference of the cutting head to describe an arcuate path eccentric to the face of the cutting head.

Abstract: In the underground mining of friable mineral deposits such as bituminous sands, method and apparatus are disclosed in which a working crosscut in the mineral deposit, is established, connecting two parallel operating tunnels, the front wall of the crosscut being unsupported and forming the mining wall, the roof and rear wall of the working crosscut being separated from the mining equipment by a novel mining shield comprising a plurality of forwardly inclined, base supported arch members positioned in adjacent abutting relationship and each independently advanceable towards the mining wall. A conventional mining machine is employed under the mining shield in the working crosscut, operating across the full width of the mining wall. As the mining machine removes a cut, apparatus upon the mining machine advances individual mining arch sections forwardly into the mining face the depth of the cut, leaving the backs unsupported and free to collapse behind the advancing mining shield.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method of in situ extraction of a constituent of a rock formation, e.g., copper deposits or particular petroleum deposits as found in oil shale, and to a method of preparing the rock formation for in situ extraction of the rock constituent. Various embodiments of a side excavating machine are also disclosed for preparing the rock for in-situ extraction of a constituent therefrom. The excavating machine breaks the rock in-situ in a manner to form a narrow, horizontal flow-directing chamber in the rock-filled with fluid-permeable broken rock.

Abstract: A tunnel boring machine comprising a rotary cutterhead assembly, a cutterhead support assembly on which the cutterhead assembly is mounted, a gripper assembly for gripping the wall of the tunnel, and a pair of elongate support members connecting the cutterhead support assembly and the gripper assembly. The support members each have a torque reaction end connected either to the gripper assembly or to the cutterhead support assembly. Apparatus associated with the torque reaction ends prevents pivotal movement thereabout of the support members in the plane perpendicular to the plane in which the support members lie.

Abstract: The invention provides a tunnelling shield including a plurality of axially extending rams fixed therein for thrusting against a tunnel lining erected behind or within the rear portion of the shield, a fluid pump, a motor for driving the pump and a fluid reservoir for supplying fluid under pressure to the rams, the improvement wherein the fluid pump and the motor are mounted on the inner periphery of the shield at the bottom of the shield and at least one fluid reservoir is mounted on the inner periphery of the shield at a location spaced from the fluid pump and the motor.