Cutting apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017306756-A1
Application number	US-201515517247-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 2, 2015
Priority date	Oct 6, 2014
Publication date	Oct 26, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A cutting apparatus suitable for creating tunnels and subterranean roadways includes independently pivoting supports that each carry a respective independently pivoting arm and a rotatable cutting head. Each cutting head via the supports and arms, is configured to slew laterally outward in a sideways direction and to pivot in a vertical upward and downward direction. The supports and arms are mounted on a linear moving sled carried by a main frame.

First claim

1 . A cutting apparatus suitable for creating tunnels or subterranean roadways and the like comprising:
at least one arm pivotally mounted to the apparatus and arranged to pivot in an upward and downward direction; at least one arm actuator arranged to actuate pivoting movement of the at least one arm about an arm pivot axis; a rotatable cutting head mounted at the at least one arm, the head being rotatable about a head axis oriented to extend substantially transverse to the arm pivot axis; a drive motor unit for supplying a drive power; and a cutter gear drive train coupled between the drive motor unit and the cutting head for transmitting the drive power to the cutting head, wherein the drive motor unit includes a plurality of drive motors, each drive motor being coupled to the drive train and supplying a portion of the drive power.

2 . The cutting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cutter gear drive train includes an input shaft, all of the drive motors being coupled to the input shaft.

3 . The cutting apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the cutter gear drive train includes an input gear wheel on the input shaft, all of the drive motors being coupled to the input gear wheel.

4 . The cutting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the drive motors are identical.

5 . The cutting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the drive motors are controlled for a simultaneous start and/or end of operation.

6 . The cutting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the drive motors are controlled for a time-delayed start and/or end of operation.

7 . The cutting apparatus of claim 6 , wherein a time delay between two drive motors is in the range of 0.1 to 5 seconds.

8 . The cutting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cutter gear drive train includes a first stage gearbox and a second stage gearbox coupled in series to the first stage gearbox, wherein the input gear wheel is part of the first stage gearbox.

9 . The cutting apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first stage gearbox is a spur gear.

10 . The cutting apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the second stage gearbox is a planetary drive.

11 . The cutting apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the second stage gearbox is a two-stage planetary drive.

12 . The cutting apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first stage gear box and the second stage gearbox are reversibly coupled to one another.

13 . The cutting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the drive train has a first side facing the cutting head and a second side facing the drive motor unit, and a water conduit extending from the first side through to the second side for supplying water to the cutting head, wherein the cutting head includes a water manifold coupled to the conduit at the second side, the water manifold distributing the incoming water to a number of water outlets on the periphery of the cutting head.

14 . The cutting apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a main frame having generally upward, downward and side facing regions; a first and second support pivotally mounted relative to the main frame via respective first and second support axes aligned generally upright relative to the upward and downward facing regions such that each first and second support is configured to pivot laterally in a sideways direction relative to the side facing regions; at least one first and second support actuator to respectively actuate independent movement of each of the first and second supports relative to the main frame, wherein the at least one arm is a first arm; a second arm, the arm pivot axis being aligned in a direction extending transverse including perpendicular to each support pivot axis to enable the first and second arms to pivot independently of one another and to pivot relative to each of the respective first and second supports in an upward and downward direction relative to the upward and downward facing regions the at least one arm actuator being a first arm actuator; and a second arm actuator, each actuator being arranged to actuate independent pivoting movement of the first and second arms relative to each of the respective first and second support.

15 . A modular cutting apparatus drive train kit for the cutting apparatus of claim 1 , the kit comprising:
a plurality of first stage gearboxes; and a plurality of second stage gearboxes, wherein each of the first stage gearboxes and second stage gearboxes include correspondingly shaped male and female positioning devices, the positioning devices matingly engaging each other when coupled, each one of the first stage gearboxes being arranged for reversible coupling to each one of the second stage gearboxes.

16 . The modular cutting apparatus drive train kit of claim 15 , wherein the first stage gearboxes are spur gear drives.

17 . The modular cutting apparatus drive train kit of claim 15 , wherein the second stage gearboxes are planetary drives.

18 . The cutting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein all the drive motors are identical.

19 . The cutting apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first stage gearbox and the second stage gearbox include correspondingly shaped male and female positioning devices, the positioning devices matingly engaging each other when coupled.

Assignees

• Sandvik Intellectual Property

Inventors

• Scherz Georg
• Haberer Christoph

Classifications

• E21C25/06

  Machines slitting solely by one or more cutting rods or cutting drums which rotate, move through the seam, and may or may not reciprocate · CPC title

• F16H37/02

  comprising essentially only toothed or friction gearings · CPC title

• E21C27/24 Primary

  by milling means acting on the full working face {, i.e. the rotary axis of the tool carrier being substantially parallel to the working face (similar machines for tunneling E21D9/1026)} · CPC title

• C01B33/035

  by decomposition or reduction of gaseous or vaporised silicon compounds in the presence of heated filaments of silicon, carbon or a refractory metal, e.g. tantalum or tungsten, or in the presence of heated silicon rods on which the formed silicon is deposited, a silicon rod being obtained, e.g. Siemens process · CPC title

• F16H2057/0235

  specially adapted to allow easy accessibility and repair · CPC title