Material transport system for a slope tunneling machine

Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of inclined shaft tunneling machine material transport systems, belong to the field of inclined shaft excavation.A kind of inclined shaft tunneling machine material transport systems, including for rear lifting device and front lifting device, rear lifting device includes winch being arranged on trailer or including winch being arranged at the bottom of tunnel and the back rope wheel of the wire rope of winch being arranged on trailer winding;Middle lifting device is arranged on trailer before winch or back rope wheel, or winch or back rope wheel is arranged on the frontmost trailer to directly lift material from the rear of tunnel to the position of this trailer in turn and then transfer to front lifting device again.Using multiple lifting devices on trailer to carry out in turn relay transmission, finally material is transported to the required position of tunneling machine main machine, and then solve the problem that the construction efficiency is low and the maintenance difficulty is big in the prior art, and the track needs to be continuously constructed on the top of tunnel along with excavation, which leads to the track being fixed on the sidewall of tunnel for material hoisting.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a material transport system for an inclined shaft tunneling machine, belonging to the field of inclined shaft tunneling. Background Technology

[0002] In underground tunnel construction, tunnel boring machines (TBMs) are commonly used. Besides horizontal excavation, TBMs can also excavate tunnels at an angle, known as inclined shaft excavation. In inclined shaft excavation, especially upward excavation, the main unit is positioned at the top of the excavated tunnel, while the trailer is lower in height. During the TBM's excavation process, tunnel segments and cutting tools to be replaced need to be transported to the main unit. Since the main unit is at a certain height relative to the tunnel floor, these materials must overcome gravity to move upwards during transport. To improve transportation efficiency, existing technologies also include using cranes and other engineering machinery for material handling.

[0003] For example, Chinese invention patent application CN 112412478 A, published on February 26, 2021, discloses a tunnel inclined shaft construction system and method. This system includes a follow-up transport system, which comprises a winch at the bottom of the tunnel, a wire rope driven by the winch, and a reversing wheel installed on the inner wall of the tunnel top for guiding and reversing the wire rope. A track for arranging a crane is also installed above the trailer in the tunnel. When material transport is required, the winch first transports the material to the rear of the trailer. Just before reaching the trailer, the crane on the track continues to transport the material forward until it reaches the designated location.

[0004] However, in the above-mentioned technical solution, hoisting on the tunnel requires first drilling holes in the tunnel and installing rails to fix the rails to the tunnel ceiling. As the tunnel boring machine advances, the machine and the rails on the tunnel will become misaligned. To re-align the rails with the machine, further rail installation on the tunnel wall is necessary. In other words, the above technical solution requires simultaneous rail construction during the tunneling process, which affects construction efficiency. Furthermore, the extended length of the rail-mounted crane also increases the length requiring maintenance. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a material transport system for inclined shaft tunneling machines, which solves the problems of low construction efficiency and high maintenance difficulty caused by the existing technology of fixing tracks on the tunnel sidewalls for material hoisting, which requires the tracks to be continuously constructed at the top of the tunnel as the tunnel is being excavated.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention employs the following technical solution:

[0007] A material transport system for an inclined shaft tunneling machine includes a rear lifting device for transporting material from the bottom of the tunnel to a trailer position, and a front lifting device mounted on the main unit of the tunneling machine for transporting material from the rear end of the main unit to the front end. The rear lifting device includes a winch mounted on the trailer or a winch mounted at the bottom of the tunnel and a return rope sheave mounted on the trailer for the winch's wire rope to pass through. A middle lifting device is mounted on the trailer in front of the winch or return rope sheave for transferring the material transported by the rear lifting device to the front lifting device, or the winch or return rope sheave is mounted on the foremost trailer to directly lift the material from the rear of the tunnel to the trailer position and then transfer it to the front lifting device.

[0008] Furthermore, the front lifting device is a ring conveyor mechanism, which includes a first lifting section that lifts materials vertically upward and a second lifting section that lifts materials inclined upward from back to front. The second lifting section is located at the top of the main unit, and the ring conveyor mechanism is a scraper conveyor.

[0009] Furthermore, the front lifting device includes an annular conveyor mechanism arranged at the bottom of the main unit and tilting upwards from back to front to lift materials. The annular conveyor mechanism is a belt conveyor or a scraper conveyor.

[0010] Furthermore, the front lifting device also includes a crane installed on the top of the main unit, which is used to lift the material at the front end of the annular conveyor mechanism to the top of the main unit.

[0011] Furthermore, the central lifting device includes a track fixedly mounted on the top of the trailer and a track crane guided on the track.

[0012] Furthermore, the trailer is equipped with the aforementioned return rope pulley, which is arranged vertically and vertically with the track.

[0013] Furthermore, the rail crane includes a hook structure for lifting materials and a guide wheel structure connected to the hook structure and guided to move on the rail. The trailer is provided with a guide rope or guide rod extending forward and backward, and the hook structure is provided with a limiting structure that is guided and connected to the guide rope or guide rod.

[0014] Furthermore, two guide ropes or guide rods are provided and arranged in parallel on both sides of the track.

[0015] Furthermore, the trailer is equipped with a return rope pulley and a central lifting device, with the return rope pulley located on the rearmost trailer.

[0016] Furthermore, a folding boom crane is provided between the front lifting device and the middle lifting device for transferring materials from the middle lifting device to the front lifting device. The folding boom crane is installed on the tunneling machine host or trailer or on the connecting bridge or shotcrete bridge between the tunneling machine host and the trailer. The folding boom crane is equipped with a telescopic boom for spanning the tunneling machine host and the trailer.

[0017] The beneficial effects of the material transport system for the inclined shaft tunneling machine in this invention are as follows: This invention is pioneering. By setting a front lifting device, it facilitates the transport of materials from the rear end to the front end of the main machine; by setting a rear lifting device, it facilitates the transport of materials from the bottom of the tunnel to the trailer. Since the rear lifting device includes a winch mounted on the trailer, it facilitates the lifting and transport of materials inside the tunnel via wire rope. Alternatively, a return rope pulley can be installed on the trailer, and a winch can be installed at the bottom of the tunnel, facilitating the lifting of materials onto the trailer via wire rope wound around the return rope pulley. To enable forward movement of materials on the trailer, the return rope pulley or winch can be positioned at the very front. This way, when the return rope pulley or winch lifts, the materials can be lifted to a position close to the front lifting device, facilitating material transport. The material continues to be transported forward, or if the return rope pulley or winch is not positioned far enough forward, a middle lifting device can be installed on the trailer to transport the material to the foremost trailer, facilitating the transfer of the material to the front lifting device. In other words, the material transport system of the inclined shaft tunneling machine in this invention no longer requires the installation of tracks on the tunnel sidewall. Instead, multiple lifting devices are directly installed on the tunneling machine, allowing the material to be first lifted onto the trailer via the rear lifting device, and then relayed sequentially using multiple lifting devices on the trailer, ultimately transporting the material to the required position of the tunneling machine. This solves the problem of low construction efficiency and high maintenance difficulty caused by the existing technology of fixing tracks on the tunnel sidewall for material hoisting, which requires continuous construction of tracks at the top of the tunnel as excavation progresses. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of Embodiment 1 of the material transport system for the inclined shaft tunneling machine in this invention;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the return rope reel in Embodiment 1 of the material transport system for the inclined shaft tunneling machine of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the monorail crane in Embodiment 1 of the material transport system for the inclined shaft tunneling machine of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the folding boom crane in Embodiment 1 of the material transport system for the inclined shaft tunneling machine of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of the annular conveying mechanism in Embodiment 2 of the material transport system for the inclined shaft tunneling machine of the present invention.

[0023] In the diagram: 11. First lifting section; 12. Second lifting section; 2. Folding boom crane; 21. Telescopic boom; 22. Pitch adjustment cylinder; 23. Slewing cylinder; 3. Track; 31. Track crane; 311. Hook structure; 312. Brake; 313. Buffer; 4. Return rope pulley; 5. Material. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The features and performance of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to embodiments.

[0025] In this embodiment, a transport device capable of transporting materials is installed on the tunneling machine, so that the hoisting tool does not need to be repeatedly installed on the tunnel, and can move with the movement of the tunneling machine.

[0026] In Embodiment 1 of the material transport system for the inclined shaft tunneling machine in this invention:

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, the material transport system for the inclined shaft tunneling machine in this embodiment includes the tunneling machine main unit and a trailer located behind the main unit. The trailer has a gantry-type structure. As tunneling progresses, some consumable parts on the tunneling machine, especially at the cutterhead, will be damaged, such as cutting tools, fastening bolts, or pipes. This necessitates transporting new parts and assembly tools from the bottom of the tunnel to the main unit of the tunneling machine. Therefore, the first issue to be addressed is the transportation from the bottom of the tunnel to the trailer.

[0028] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, specifically, a tail lifting device is installed on the trailer of the tunneling machine to move material 5 from the tunnel to the rear end of the trailer, and a middle lifting device to transport material 5 from the rear end of the trailer to the front end of the trailer. In this embodiment, "front" refers to the direction from the trailer towards the main body of the tunneling machine, and "rear" refers to the direction from the main body of the tunneling machine to the trailer. Specifically, the tail lifting device includes a return rope pulley 4 installed on the trailer for winding the wire rope. The return rope pulley 4 is rotatably installed on the last section of the trailer, that is, on the section furthest from the main body of the tunneling machine. A winch is installed at the bottom of the tunnel, and a wire rope is connected between the winch and the return rope pulley 4. The wire rope is tensioned between the return rope pulley 4 and the winch. As the winch rotates, the wire rope also rotates synchronously. During the rotation of the wire rope, the material trolley can be pulled towards the tunneling machine. When the wire rope is connected between the return sheave 4 and the winch, the weight of the wire rope is also loaded onto the trailer. To avoid affecting the trailer's forward movement, the return sheave 4 is positioned on a section away from the main body of the tunneling machine, thereby reducing the impact of the wire rope on the trailer's movement. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the return sheave can be positioned on the foremost section of the trailer, in which case the central lifting device is unnecessary. Or, in other embodiments, the winch can be installed on this section of the trailer, with the return sheave located at the bottom of the tunnel. The structural configuration here can refer to the winch configuration described in Chinese invention patent application CN 114893244 A.

[0029] When the return sheave 4 finishes winding, the material 5 is pulled onto the trailer by the wire rope. At this point, the material 5 on the trailer needs to be transported forward. Therefore, the middle lifting device includes a track 3 installed on the trailer and extending in the front-rear direction, from the rearmost trailer to the frontmost trailer. The last section of the track 3 overlaps with the return sheave 4 in the vertical direction, facilitating the transfer of material 5 between the return sheave 4 and the rail crane 31. A rail crane 31, moving along the extension direction of the track 3, is guided on the track 3. The rail crane 31 includes a hook structure 311 for lifting the material 5 and a guide wheel structure connected to the hook structure 311 and guided on the track 3. Brakes 312 are installed at both ends of the guide wheel structure to prevent slippage. Buffers 313 are also provided at both ends of the track 3. When the guide wheel structure drives the hook structure 311 and the material 5 on the hook structure 311 to move to both ends of the track 3, the hook structure 311 and the transported material 5 will not shake much under the action of the buffers 313, thus ensuring the safety of the transportation process.

[0030] During transportation, the hook structure 311 on the rail crane 31, along with the transported material 5, may sway. Therefore, a limiting structure is needed to prevent the hook structure 311 from swaying excessively as it moves along the rail 3. Specifically, the trailer is equipped with guide ropes extending forward and backward parallel to the rail 3. The limiting structure includes a guide ring connected to the guide rope and a connecting rope connecting the guide ring and the hook structure 311. The connecting rope and the guide ring are fixedly connected to limit the movement of the hook structure 311. Specifically, two guide ropes are provided, arranged on both sides of the rail 3, so that the limiting structure provides balanced limiting of the hook structure 311, preventing the material 5 from tilting to one side when being hoisted. Of course, in other embodiments, the limiting structure can be a rigid limiting rod with a connecting ring at the end, in which case only one guide rope may be provided. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the limiting structure may not be provided, and the rail crane may be kept at a slow moving speed during hoisting. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the guide rope can be replaced with a guide rod, and correspondingly, the guide rod can be set to one or two.

[0031] In this embodiment, material 5 is first transported to the last section of the trailer via the return rope pulley 4 and the winch at the bottom of the tunnel. Then, material 5 is transported to the front of the trailer via the rail crane 31. Of course, in other embodiments, the rail crane may not be necessary. If there is space at the bottom of the trailer, the return rope pulley can be placed on the front section of the trailer. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the return rope pulley may be omitted, and only the rail crane is used. Or, in other embodiments, belt conveyors can be installed on both sides of the trailer for material transport.

[0032] like Figure 1 As shown, the trailer and main unit of the tunneling machine need to move independently, so the material transport device generally does not span between the trailer and the main unit. A front lifting device is also provided on the main unit for transporting material 5 from the rear end to the front end. The front lifting device includes a support bracket fixed to the main unit and an annular conveyor mechanism mounted on the support bracket. The annular conveyor mechanism has an annular transport structure, and to secure material 5 during transport, especially in inclined shafts, a material securing structure is also provided on the annular transport structure. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the front lifting device can be configured as a rail crane connected to the bottom of the main unit, using the rail crane to transport the material. Since the main unit and trailer need to remain relatively independent, the middle lifting device and the front lifting device are still independently configured in this case.

[0033] The annular conveying mechanism on the front lifting device is a scraper conveyor. The annular conveying structure is a rigid track with scrapers. The scrapers in the scraper conveyor form a material fixing structure, preventing the material 5 from sliding relative to the scraper conveyor during transportation. When changing tools, the tool is usually moved from above the tunneling machine main unit to the tool changing chamber for replacement. Therefore, it is best to transport the material 5 to the top of the front of the tunneling machine. The support bracket includes support legs for fixed installation on the tunneling machine main unit. The support legs are fixedly connected to the tunneling machine main unit, and a support plate is provided at the top of the support legs. The surface of the support plate forms the support surface of the support bracket, and the scraper conveyor is installed on the support surface of the support bracket. To achieve upward transport, the scraper conveyor is segmented. Specifically, the scraper conveyor includes a first lifting section 11 located at the rear end, inclined to the tunnel, and a second lifting section 12 arranged parallel to the tunnel axis, thereby realizing the upward transport of material 5. The first lifting section 11 spans the tunnel boring machine main body in the height direction, so that after passing through the first lifting section 11, material 5 enters from below the tunnel boring machine to above the tunnel boring machine main body. Of course, in other embodiments, the annular conveyor mechanism can also be set as a conveyor belt, with fixing holes on the edge of the conveyor belt for fixing materials and threading ropes for material transport. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the annular conveyor mechanism can also be set as a bucket elevator, which facilitates limiting the material during the upward lifting process.

[0034] In order to realize the mutual transfer of material 5 between the middle lifting device and the front lifting device, a transfer device is also provided between the middle lifting device and the front lifting device. The transfer device transports the material 5 in the front lifting device to the middle lifting device, or transports the material 5 in the middle lifting device to the front lifting device.

[0035] like Figure 4As shown, in this embodiment, the transfer device is a folding boom crane 2 with a mechanical arm fixed on the shotcrete bridge. The folding boom crane 2 includes a telescopic boom 21 that spans between the tunneling machine main unit and the trailer, facilitating the transfer of materials 5. Specifically, the folding boom crane 2 is fixedly mounted on the shotcrete bridge on the trailer. The folding boom crane 2 is equipped with a rotary cylinder 23 for mounting on the shotcrete bridge. The rotary cylinder 23 allows the telescopic boom 21 to rotate, thus facing either the trailer or the tunneling machine main unit. The folding boom crane 2 also includes a pitch adjustment cylinder 22 connected between the rotary cylinder 23 and the telescopic boom 21, which allows for pitch adjustment to adapt to more complex working conditions. The use of the folding boom crane 2 not only allows material 5 to be transferred between the middle lifting device and the front lifting device, but also allows the middle lifting device and the front lifting device to be desynchronized. When changing the cutting tools, only one cutting tool may need to be changed at a time, but multiple cutting tools can be transported through the middle lifting device in one transport process. At this time, the folding boom crane 2 places all of material 5 at the end of the tunneling machine main unit or leaves it on the middle lifting device. After the tunneling machine continues to tunnel for a period of time, the second cutting tool is changed.

[0036] Of course, in other embodiments, the rotating cylinder in the folding boom crane can be eliminated, preventing the crane from rotating and increasing the extension stroke of the boom. This increased extension stroke facilitates material transfer. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the folding boom crane can be mounted on the main body of the tunneling machine, extending the boom towards the trailer when material transfer is needed. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the folding boom crane can be mounted on the trailer of the tunneling machine. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the folding boom crane can be mounted on the connecting bridge. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the transfer device can be a flatbed trolley or a conveyor belt. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the transfer device can be omitted, and instead, the middle lifting device and the front lifting device can be extended so that they overlap vertically, allowing direct material transfer between the two material transport devices.

[0037] When material 5 needs to be transported, the winch and return sheave 4 are used to drive the movement of the tail wire rope, which in turn pulls the material trolley forward along the paved tunnel, transporting material 5 to the last trailer position. Then, the rail crane 31 moves material 5 from the rear of the tunneling machine's trailer to the front of the trailer. Afterward, under the action of the folding boom crane 2, the material 5 transported by the rail crane 31 is transported sequentially or all at once to the scraper conveyor of the tunneling machine's main unit. Finally, the scraper conveyor transports the required material 5 to the front of the tunneling machine's main unit, completing the transport operation.

[0038] In Embodiment 2 of the material transport system for the inclined shaft tunneling machine in this invention:

[0039] This embodiment is an improvement upon Embodiment 1, with a focus on refining the front lifting device. Specifically, as follows: Figure 5 As shown, the front lifting device includes a support bracket and a ring conveyor mechanism. The support bracket includes support legs for connecting to the main body of the tunneling machine. The support legs are connected to the bottom of the tunneling machine, and a support plate is connected to the bottom of the support legs. The ring conveyor mechanism is installed on the surface of the support plate. At this time, the ring conveyor mechanism only includes the second lifting section 12 arranged parallel to the tunnel. When transported to the front end, the material is still below the main body of the tunneling machine. To facilitate transport to the top of the main body of the tunneling machine, a crane can be installed on the top of the main body of the tunneling machine for final lifting. Of course, the ring conveyor mechanism can be set as a conveyor belt, a scraper conveyor, or a bucket elevator.

[0040] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. The scope of patent protection of the present invention shall be determined by the claims. Similarly, any equivalent structural changes made based on the description and drawings of the present invention shall also be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A material transport system for an inclined shaft tunneling machine, characterized in that: It includes a rear lifting device for transporting materials at the bottom of the tunnel to the trailer position and a front lifting device installed on the main unit of the tunneling machine for transporting materials at the rear end of the main unit to the front end. The rear lifting device includes a winch installed at the bottom of the tunnel and a return rope sheave installed on the trailer for the winch's wire rope to pass through. A middle lifting device is installed on the trailer located before the return rope sheave to transfer the material transported by the rear lifting device to the front lifting device. The middle lifting device includes a track fixedly installed on the top of the trailer and a track crane guided on the track. The track and the return rope sheave are arranged vertically at intervals and have overlapping parts in the vertical direction. The front lifting device includes an annular conveyor mechanism arranged at the bottom of the main unit and lifting the material upward from back to front, and a crane installed on the top of the main unit. The crane is used to lift the material at the front end of the annular conveyor mechanism to the top of the main unit. The annular conveyor mechanism is a belt conveyor, scraper conveyor or bucket elevator.

2. The material transport system for an inclined shaft tunneling machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rail crane includes a hook structure for lifting materials and a guide wheel structure connected to the hook structure and moved on the rail. The trailer is equipped with a guide rope or guide rod extending forward and backward, and the hook structure is equipped with a limiting structure connected to the guide rope or guide rod.

3. The material transport system for an inclined shaft tunneling machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: Two guide ropes or guide rods are provided and arranged in parallel on both sides of the track.

4. The material transport system for an inclined shaft tunneling machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The trailer is equipped with a return rope pulley and a central lifting device, with the return rope pulley located on the rearmost trailer.

5. The material transport system for an inclined shaft tunneling machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: A folding boom crane is provided between the front lifting device and the middle lifting device to transfer materials from the middle lifting device to the front lifting device. The folding boom crane is installed on the tunneling machine host, the trailer, or the connecting bridge or shotcrete bridge between the tunneling machine host and the trailer. The folding boom crane is equipped with a telescopic boom for spanning the tunneling machine host and the trailer.

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