A shield tail brush device for a shield tunneling machine and a method of installing the same

Abstract

The application discloses a shield tail brush device and a mounting method, aiming at solving the problems of easy failure, serious slurry leakage and high risk of replacing the shield tail brush in the prior art. In the shield tail brush device and the mounting method, the newly added positioning ring fixed on the inner wall of the shield body plays a positioning role, and the tail brush mechanism fixed in the clamping assembly between the newly added positioning ring and the inner wall of the shield body and the clamping assembly are clamped in cooperation. The tail brush mechanism comprises a spring plate assembly and a protection plate assembly installed in a staggered manner, and a steel wire row brush fixed between the spring plate assembly and the protection plate assembly. The application adds one shield tail brush without removing the original three tail brushes and ensures that the original three tail brushes do not drag out the segment, which is not only convenient to install and simple to construct, but also has a good sealing effect, improves the construction quality and efficiency, avoids the problem of high risk caused by replacing the tail brush, and improves the safety of construction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of tunnel construction technology, specifically to a new shield tail brush device for a tunnel boring machine and its installation method. Background Technology

[0002] A tail brush is a device used to seal the tail of a tunnel boring machine (TBM). During TBM excavation, the tail brush provides a durable and reliable seal, preventing groundwater, slurry, and air from leaking out from the tail. The tail brush is typically installed on the outer perimeter of the TBM tail, parallel to the tunnel's design axis. Its main function is to fill the gap between the tail and the tunnel lining segments, preventing slurry and groundwater from seeping into the tunnel. It also prevents grout leakage caused by loose segment assembly.

[0003] In existing technology, the main structure of the shield tail brush consists of front and rear protective plates, a middle protective plate, stainless steel wire, mesh, and an outer cover plate. The front and rear protective plates are made of 65Mn material with a thickness of 1.0mm and HRC45±2. They are heat-treated using a special process, with an angle change of less than 5 degrees, ensuring angle support, achieving sealing performance, improving wear resistance, and protecting the stainless steel wire. The middle protective plate is made of 0.6mm 65Mn material, heat-treated using a special process to HRC45±2, with an angle change of less than 5 degrees, increasing angle support and ensuring sealing. The stainless steel wire is part 0.35 martensitic stainless steel wire, which undergoes a special bending process, with irregular 360-degree bending, and the amount of sealing grease used achieves the sealing effect. The mesh uses 40-mesh stainless steel wire. The outer shell is made of Q235 low-carbon steel hot-rolled plate and Q235 steel.

[0004] However, in reality, during the tunnel boring machine's excavation process, the original three tail brushes are easily damaged, causing serious grout leakage at the tail. Furthermore, directly replacing the original three tail brushes can easily cause the excavated soil to gush out and flood the tunnel boring machine, posing a high construction risk.

[0005] The information disclosed in this background section is intended only to enhance the understanding of the background technology of this disclosure and should not be construed as an admission or in any way implying that the information constitutes prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of at least one of the above technical problems, this disclosure provides a new shield tail brush device and installation method, which aims to solve the problems of poor pressure bearing effect, easy failure, serious grout leakage, and high risk of replacing the shield tail brush in the prior art.

[0007] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a new type of shield tail brush device for a tunnel boring machine is provided, comprising a new positioning ring for fixing to the inner wall of the shield, a clamping assembly fixed between the new positioning ring and the inner wall of the shield, and a tail brush mechanism fixed in the clamping assembly; the tail brush mechanism includes a spring plate assembly, a protective plate assembly, and a wire brush fixed between the spring plate assembly and the protective plate assembly, wherein the spring plate assembly includes at least one spring plate, the protective plate assembly includes at least one protective plate, and the spring plate and the protective plate are staggered; in use, the spring plate assembly presses the wire brush tightly so that it always fits tightly against the outer arc surface of the corresponding tunnel segment.

[0008] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the wire brush comprises at least one layer of wire bundle.

[0009] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the clamping assembly includes an L-shaped base plate, an upper pressure plate, and studs fixed between the L-shaped base plate and the upper pressure plate.

[0010] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the side end of the L-shaped base plate abuts against the newly added positioning ring, and the bottom end of the L-shaped base plate is fixed to the inner wall of the shield body.

[0011] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the upper pressure plate is provided with screw holes corresponding to the studs, and the studs are flush with the upper pressure plate.

[0012] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the spring plate assembly and the protective plate assembly are fixed to the L-shaped base plate at an angle.

[0013] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the protective plate is shorter than the spring plate, and both the protective plate and the spring plate are shorter than the wire brush.

[0014] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the wire brush is made by bending and fluffing the wires and filling the gaps between them with grease filler.

[0015] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a method for installing a new shield tail brush on a tunnel boring machine is provided, comprising the following steps: S1, Preparations before installation: After the tunnel boring machine cylinder is equipped with the corresponding extended pad, the entire ring segment is pushed to the state where the original first shield tail brush is not exposed, and a part of the original first old positioning ring is cut off. After the cutting is completed, the remaining old positioning ring is reinforced. S2, Install the new positioning ring: Install the new positioning ring to the inner wall of the shield body; S3, Install partial clamping components: After fixing the newly added positioning ring, clean the position on the inner wall of the shield where the clamping components need to be installed, then fix the side end of the L-shaped base plate to the newly added positioning ring, fix the bottom end of the L-shaped base plate to the inner wall of the shield, and finally fix the stud to the L-shaped base plate. S4, Install the tail brush mechanism: After the clamping components are fixed, install the spring plates marked as layer 1 in the packaging box onto the L-shaped base plate one by one according to the number on the spring plate packaging box. Then install the second layer spring plate onto the first layer spring plate in a staggered manner, and so on, layer by layer, until all layers of spring plates are installed. Then install the steel wire brush in sequence, and finally install the protective plate onto the steel wire brush in a staggered manner. S5, Install the remaining clamping components: After the tail brush mechanism is installed, install the upper pressure plate to clamp the tail brush mechanism with the L-shaped base plate, and the stud passes through the screw hole on the upper pressure plate, and then use some nuts to clamp it in an alternating manner. S6, Fixing Operation: After tightening, fix the connection between the upper pressure plate and the L-shaped base plate, and fix the upper pressure plate to the stud without the nut installed; then remove the nut used for tightening, and fix the remaining stud to the upper pressure plate; after all fixing is completed, cut off the part of the stud protruding from the upper pressure plate, and grind it to be flush with the surface of the upper pressure plate; S7, shield tail brush sealing operation: After fixing, apply grease to the wire brush by hand and press the grease into the gaps of the wire brush to make the gaps fully filled and compacted; S8, Tail shield brush adaptation work: After the tail shield brush device is installed, the segment assembly operation is carried out directly. After the first ring segment is installed, the cavity between the new tail shield brush and the original first tail shield brush needs to be filled with grease. Excavation can only be carried out after the grease is filled. During subsequent excavation, when the new positioning ring is seen at the tail shield, excavation needs to be stopped and the segment installed.

[0016] One or more technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application have at least the following technical effects or advantages: 1. Without removing the original three tail brushes and ensuring that the original three tail brushes do not drag out the tunnel segments, the new shield tail brush described in this application avoids the problem of soil gushing and flooding the tunnel boring machine caused by replacing the original tail brushes. It is not only easy to install and simple to construct, but also avoids the high risk caused by replacing the tail brushes.

[0017] 2. In this embodiment, since both the spring plate assembly and the protective plate assembly adopt the staggered installation technique of layer-by-layer stacking, the sealing effect can be effectively achieved, improving the problem of grout leakage at the shield tail; and the pressure-bearing effect is good, which improves the construction progress and construction quality.

[0018] 3. Since the protective plate and spring plate used in this embodiment are both shorter than the steel wire brush, and the spring plate acts on the pipe segment at a corresponding angle, they work together to achieve the best sealing effect and avoid grout leakage.

[0019] 4. Compared to conventional riveting connections, stud connections are easier to install on-site, reducing technical barriers and risks, and effectively shortening the construction period. Furthermore, removing the studs above the pressure plate and grinding them flush with the upper surface of the pressure plate effectively avoids the impact of protruding studs on the later segment assembly, thus improving construction safety. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a newly added shield tail brush device in one embodiment of this application.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a front structural diagram of the newly added shield tail brush device in one embodiment of this application.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the newly added shield tail brush device in one embodiment of this application.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a front view of the newly added positioning ring in one embodiment of this application.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the original shield tail brush position before installation in another embodiment of this application.

[0025] In the above figures, 1 is the L-shaped base plate, 2 is the upper pressure plate, 3 is the protective plate assembly, 4 is the steel wire bundle, 5 is the spring plate assembly, 6 is the stud, 7 is the newly added positioning ring, 8 is the old positioning ring, 9 is the original shield tail brush, and 10 is the inner wall of the shield body. Detailed Implementation

[0026] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "vertical," "horizontal," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. The terms "first," "second," etc., used in this application are used to distinguish the described objects and do not have any sequential or technical meaning. And the terms "connection" and "linkage," unless otherwise specified, include both direct and indirect connections (linkages).

[0027] This application provides a new tail brush device for tunnel boring machines and its installation method, solving the technical problems of existing tail brushes such as poor pressure resistance, easy failure, serious grout leakage, and high risk of replacement. To better understand the technical solution of this application, the above technical solution will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0028] Example 1 This embodiment discloses a newly added shield tail brush device for a tunnel boring machine. See [link to documentation]. Figures 1-4 Specifically, it includes a new positioning ring 7 for fixing to the inner wall 10 of the shield, a clamping assembly fixed between the new positioning ring 7 and the inner wall 10 of the shield, and a tail brush mechanism fixed in the clamping assembly. The newly added positioning ring 7 specifically adopts an arc-shaped steel bar with a pentagonal cross-section. The clamping assembly includes an L-shaped base plate 1, an upper pressure plate 2 that cooperates with the L-shaped base plate 1 for clamping, and studs 6 fixed between the L-shaped base plate 1 and the upper pressure plate 2. The upper pressure plate 2 is provided with screw holes corresponding to the studs 6. The studs 6 are welded flush with the surface of the upper pressure plate 2 and welded to the L-shaped base plate 1 at the bottom. The side end of the L-shaped base plate 1 abuts against the newly added positioning ring 7, and the bottom end of the L-shaped base plate is fixed to the inner wall 10 of the shield body. The tail brush mechanism includes a spring plate assembly 5 and a protective plate assembly 3 fixed at an angle to the L-shaped base plate 1 in sequence, and a steel wire brush fixed between the spring plate assembly 5 and the protective plate assembly 3. The steel wire brush includes two rows of steel wire bundles 4 of unequal length. The steel wire bundles 4 are made by bending and fluffing steel wires and filling the gaps with grease filler. In use, the spring plate assembly 5 presses the two rows of steel wire bundles 4 tightly so that they are always closely attached to the outer arc surface of the corresponding tunnel segment. In each shield tail brush, the protective plate assembly 3 specifically includes two protective plates, which are made of 1mm thick spring steel plates; the spring plate assembly 5 specifically includes five spring plates, which are made of 0.5mm thick spring steel plates of equal size; wherein, the protective plates are all shorter than the spring plates, the protective plates are shorter than the first row of steel wire bundles, and the spring plates are all shorter than the second row of steel wire bundles.

[0029] Example 2 This example discloses a method for installing a new tail brush on a tunnel boring machine. (See also...) Figures 3-5 In this embodiment, if a new tail brush is added directly before the first original tail brush 9, it will affect the segment assembly and may easily lead to the segment not being able to be assembled. Therefore, in order to reserve more space for the later segment assembly and facilitate segment installation, a portion of the original first old positioning ring 8 needs to be cut before installation, and the cutting of the old positioning ring 8 will not affect the overall strength of the tail shield. Specifically, after the tunnel boring machine cylinder is equipped with the corresponding extended pad, the entire ring segment is pushed to a state where the first original tail brush 9 is not exposed, so as to provide operating space for cutting the positioning ring. After the cutting is completed, the remaining old positioning ring 8 is reinforced by a 5mm fillet weld.

[0030] During installation, the newly added positioning ring 7 is first welded to the inner wall 10 of the shield body; the area on the inner wall 10 where clamping components need to be installed is cleaned, and then the side end of the L-shaped base plate 1 is abutted against the newly added positioning ring 7, and the bottom end of the L-shaped base plate 1 is fixed to the inner wall 10 of the shield body. All connections are spot welded. After all L-shaped base plates 1 are installed on the inner wall 10 of the shield body, all corresponding connections are fully welded to enhance stability; see [link to installation details]. Figure 2 Each shield tail brush consists of three L-shaped base plates 1, and each L-shaped base plate 1 is also welded with four studs 6 for installing and fixing the shield tail brush.

[0031] See Figures 1-2After welding the clamping components, install the tail brush mechanism. When installing the spring plate assembly 5, first install the spring steel plates marked as layer 1 in the packaging box onto the L-shaped base plate 1 according to the number on the packaging box. Then install the second layer of spring steel plates, and so on, layer by layer, until all layers of spring steel plates are installed. In each shield tail brush assembly, the spring plate component 5 requires five 0.5mm thick, equal-sized spring steel plates stacked sequentially. When installing the spring plate component 5, it is important to ensure that each adjacent layer of spring plates is staggered, and the installed spring plates form a 50-degree angle with the inner wall 10 of the shield. This angle allows the tail brush device to better fit the segments, effectively achieving a sealing effect, improving the shield tail grout leakage problem, and also enhancing the pressure-bearing capacity of the shield tail brush, thereby improving construction progress and quality. If the installation angle is greater than 50 degrees, the force exerted by the shield tail brush on the segments is greater, increasing the difficulty and time of segment installation, and also easily causing damage to the shield tail brush. If the installation angle is less than 50 degrees, the adhesion force of the shield tail brush on the segments is weak, easily leading to grout and air leakage. After the spring plate component 5 is completed, the wire bundle 4 and the protective plate component 3 are installed sequentially. The protective plate component 3 specifically consists of two relatively thick 1.0mm spring steel plates, which also need to be staggered. It should be noted that on each set of shield tail brushes, the installation width of the spring plate assembly 5 is greater than the width of the protective plate assembly 3, and the width of the upper pressure plate 2 is the same as the width of the protective plate assembly 3.

[0032] See Figures 1-2 After the tail brush mechanism is installed, the upper pressure plate 2, which is used to clamp the L-shaped base plate 1, is installed next. The studs 6 pass through the screw holes on the upper pressure plate 2, and each upper pressure plate 2 requires two nuts to be studded with the studs 6 in an alternating manner. After clamping, the connection between the upper pressure plate 2 and the L-shaped base plate 1 is welded, and the upper pressure plate 2 is welded to the studs 6 without nuts installed. Then, the nuts used for clamping are removed, and the remaining studs 6 are welded to the upper pressure plate 2. When performing the above welding, it is necessary to ensure that each connection is fully welded to improve the firmness of the shield tail brush. Since the studs 6 protruding too high above the surface of the upper pressure plate 2 will affect the subsequent assembly of the segments and may even damage the segment body, after all welding is completed, the protruding part of the studs 6 is cut off and ground to be flush with the surface of the upper pressure plate 2. Moreover, compared to the rivet fixing in the existing technology, using studs 6 instead makes construction easier, reduces the technical threshold and risk factor, effectively shortens the construction period, and improves construction efficiency.

[0033] To ensure the shield tail brush seal meets the initial requirements, after installation, the gaps in the wire bundles 4 need to be sealed with grease. The filling areas are the space between the protective plate assembly 3 and the wire bundles 4, the spaces between the wire bundles 4, and the space between the wire bundles 4 and the spring steel plate assembly 5. The grease should be applied densely. Specifically, knead the grease into a dough-like consistency, about the size of a handful. Then, use two putty kneading tools to open a gap in the shield tail bundles 4 and stuff the dough-like grease into the base of the shield tail bundles 4. Do not leave gaps between the dough-like grease pieces; stuff them one after another until the gaps in the wire bundles 4 are fully filled and dense. The quality of the shield tail grease application must be inspected by a civil engineer. The standard for acceptance is that each layer of grease is fully filled, without falling off or missing any areas. After the tail brush is sealed, the segment assembly operation can be carried out directly. After the first ring of segments is installed, the cavity between the new tail brush and the original first tail brush 9 needs to be filled with grease. Excavation can only begin after the grease is filled. During subsequent excavation, when the new positioning ring 7 is seen at the tail of the shield, excavation needs to be stopped and the segments installed.

[0034] Although some preferred embodiments of this application have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments as well as all changes and modifications falling within the scope of this application.

[0035] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A method for installing a new type of shield tail brush on a tunnel boring machine, characterized in that, This system is implemented based on a newly added shield tail brush device for a tunnel boring machine (TBM). The device includes a new positioning ring fixed to the inner wall of the shield, a clamping assembly fixed between the new positioning ring and the inner wall of the shield, and a tail brush mechanism fixed within the clamping assembly. The tail brush mechanism includes a spring plate assembly, a protective plate assembly, and a wire brush fixed between the spring plate assembly and the protective plate assembly. The spring plate assembly includes at least one spring plate, and the protective plate assembly includes at least one protective plate. Both the spring plates and the protective plates are installed with staggered joints. In use, the spring plate assembly presses tightly against the wire brush to ensure it always fits snugly against the outer arc surface of the corresponding tunnel segment. The installation method for the newly added shield tail brush includes the following steps: S1, Preparations before installation: After the tunnel boring machine cylinder is equipped with the corresponding extended pad, the entire ring segment is pushed to the state where the original first shield tail brush is not exposed, and a part of the original first old positioning ring is cut off. After the cutting is completed, the remaining old positioning ring is reinforced. S2, Install the new positioning ring: Install the new positioning ring to the inner wall of the shield body; S3, Install partial clamping components: After fixing the newly added positioning ring, clean the position on the inner wall of the shield where the clamping components need to be installed, then fix the side end of the L-shaped base plate to the newly added positioning ring, fix the bottom end of the L-shaped base plate to the inner wall of the shield, and finally fix the stud to the L-shaped base plate. S4, Install the tail brush mechanism: After the clamping components are fixed, install the spring plates marked as layer 1 in the packaging box onto the L-shaped base plate one by one according to the number on the spring plate packaging box. Then install the second layer spring plate onto the first layer spring plate in a staggered manner, and so on, layer by layer, until all layers of spring plates are installed. Then install the steel wire brush in sequence, and finally install the protective plate onto the steel wire brush in a staggered manner. S5, Install the remaining clamping components: After the tail brush mechanism is installed, install the upper pressure plate and L-shaped base plate to clamp the tail brush mechanism, and the studs pass through the screw holes on the upper pressure plate, and then use some nuts to clamp it in an alternating manner. S6, Fixing work: After tightening, fix the connection between the upper pressure plate and the L-shaped base plate, and fix the upper pressure plate to the stud without nuts; then remove the nuts used for tightening, and fix the remaining stud to the upper pressure plate; after all fixation is completed, cut off the part of the stud protruding from the upper pressure plate, and grind it to be flush with the surface of the upper pressure plate. S7, shield tail brush sealing operation: After fixing, apply grease to the steel wire brush by hand and press the grease into the gaps of the steel wire brush to make the gaps fully filled and dense; S8, Tail shield brush adaptation work: After the tail shield brush device is installed, the segment assembly operation is carried out directly. After the first ring segment is installed, the cavity between the new tail shield brush and the original first tail shield brush needs to be filled with grease. Excavation can only be carried out after the grease is filled. During subsequent excavation, when the new positioning ring is seen at the tail shield, the excavation is stopped and the segment is installed.

2. The method for installing the tail brush of a new tunnel boring machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wire brush comprises at least one layer of wire bundle.

3. The method for installing a new shield tail brush on a tunnel boring machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping assembly includes an L-shaped base plate, an upper pressure plate, and studs fixed between the L-shaped base plate and the upper pressure plate.

4. The method for installing the tail brush of a new tunnel boring machine according to claim 3, characterized in that, The side end of the L-shaped base plate abuts against the newly added positioning ring, and the bottom end of the L-shaped base plate is fixed to the inner wall of the shield body.

5. The method for installing the tail brush of a new tunnel boring machine according to claim 3, characterized in that, The upper pressure plate is provided with screw holes corresponding to the studs, and the studs are flush with the upper pressure plate.

6. The method for installing the tail brush of a new tunnel boring machine according to claim 3, characterized in that, The spring plate assembly and the protective plate assembly are fixed to the L-shaped base plate at an angle.

7. The method for installing a new shield tail brush on a tunnel boring machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The protective plate is shorter than the spring plate, and both the protective plate and the spring plate are shorter than the wire brush.

8. The method for installing a new shield tail brush on a tunnel boring machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The steel wire brush is made by bending and fluffing steel wires and filling the gaps between them with grease filler.

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