Method and device for transporting overburden away during tunnelling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9518465-B2
Application number	US-201314434304-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 7, 2013
Priority date	Oct 19, 2012
Publication date	Dec 13, 2016
Grant date	Dec 13, 2016

Abstract

A method and device for transporting overburden away during tunneling includes a seal that separates a first portion and a second portion of a transporting screw arrangement. As a result, in open tunneling or in earth-pressure-assisted tunneling, when the seal is closed, overburden can be transported out of a first opening, arranged ahead of the seal in the direction of removal and, in fluid-assisted tunneling, when the first opening is closed and the seal is open, the overburden can be transported into the second portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for conveying excavated material away during tunneling, comprising the following steps:
providing a first conveying system and a second conveying system, the second conveying system disposed downstream of the first conveying system;
opening, in a first mode of operation, a first opening of the first conveying system together with closing a second opening located downstream of the first opening and between the first and second conveying systems to separate the first and second conveying systems;
operating the first conveying system in the first mode of operation with the second conveying system deactivated;
closing, in a second mode of operation, the first opening, together with opening the second opening;
operating both the first and second conveying systems in the second mode of operation;
wherein the first mode of operation is one of an open tunneling operation and an earth pressure balance operation and the second mode of operation is a slurry tunneling operation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said closing step further comprises removing material from a flushing chamber.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said closing step further comprises introducing flushing liquid into the flushing chamber.

Assignees

• Herrenknecht Ag

Inventors

• Burger Werner
• Strässer Michael

Classifications

• E21D9/13

  using hydraulic or pneumatic conveying means · CPC title

• E21D9/124 Primary

  Helical conveying means therefor (E21D9/13 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21D9/12 Primary

  Devices for removing or hauling away excavated material or spoil; Working or loading platforms (underground transport E21F13/00) · CPC title

• E21D9/065

  with devices for provisionally supporting the front face · CPC title