US1716125A - Method of lining tunnels with concrete and apparatus therefor - Google Patents

Description

June 1929- R. c. HACKLEY METHOD OF LINING TUNNELS WITH CONCRETE AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Original Filed March 26, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR.

BY r ATTORNEYS.

June 4, 1929. R. c. HACKLEY 1,716,125

METHOD OF LINING TUNNELS WITH CONCRETE AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Original Filed March 26, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i M$5MMmW a i IN V EN TOR.

' A TTORNEYS.

Patented June 4, 1922.

UNlTE STATES nane FFICE.

ROY C. HACKLEY, OF BERK ELEY, CALIFORNIA.

Original application filed March 26, 1924, Serial No. 702,056. Divided and this application filed February This invention relates to a method of lining tunnels with concrete, and an apparatus therefor, and is a division of my application Serial Number 702,056, filed March 26, 1924, which resulted in Patent 1,619,297 of March 1,1927.

The object of the present invention is to provide a rapid, economical and efficient method and apparatus whereby tunnels and like structures may be lined and if desired reinforced with concrete.

The invention embodies the forming of concrete footings at each side of a tunnel; the use of a trackway between the footings; the setting of anchor bolts in the concrete footings; the use of collapsible forms which are adapted to be supported by the concrete footings and secured by the anchor bolts; the use of a portable carriage movable on the trackway whereby the forms may be raised into position and similarly lowered and removed after use; a concrete gun with an extended discharge pipe for delivering concrete to the forms when in place, and a portable carriage for the gun and discharge pipe movable on the trackway and independent of the forms and the carriage co-operating therewith.

The construction of the apparatus employed and the method of setting the forms supporting the same and of delivering the concrete thereto will be described in detail, having reference to the accompanying specification and drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a tunnel showing the forms in place and also the position of the concrete gun when delivering concrete thereto. 7

Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the tunnel, said section showing the carriage whereby the molds or forms are raised into position and whereby they are lowered and removed.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the concrete Fig. 4 is an end-view of the same.

b Fig. 5 is a plan view of the distributing Fig. 6 is an end view of the same.

Fig. 7 is a detail view showing the form employed when pouring footing concrete.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, A indicates the bottom of the tunnel and 2 the arch or top thereof, the general sectional contour of the tunnel being shownin Fig. 2.

Adapted to be placed within the tunnel are Serial No. 167,934.

a series of collapsible forms such as indicated at B, and adapted to deliver concrete thereto are a concrete gun C and a discharge pipe D. The concrete gun is carried by the carriage and similarly the discharge pipe D. The discharge pipe is extended in some instances as much as fifty feet or more, and it is supported in its extended position by means of a structural beam in the form of a cantilever as indicated at E, the discharge pipe being supported in such an elevated position that it is adapted to pass inwardly between the roof of the tunnel and the top of the forms, thus permitting a number of forms to be set up before the pouring of the concrete is commenced.

The apparatus employed is operated by air under pressure and embodies means for controlling the pressure and flow of the air which is delivered to the chamber of the concrete gun. This gun receives a mixture of concrete in predetermined batches, and the concrete is discharged through the pipe when air pressure is applied. The pipe extends inwardly between the roof of the tunnel and the top of the molds or forms, and as such delivers the concrete where required; the operation of the device being such that a predetermined section or length of the tunnel may be lined with concrete in a minimum of time.

The concreting operations are carried on in two states; first, a set of footings, is constructed, then the sides, and the arch. Ingeneral, the method is as follows: Behind the shovel which takes out the main excavation, the carpenters set a six by eight inch timber on either side of the tunnel, as shown at 3 in Fig. 2; the timbers being set to exact line and grade at a certain distance out from the center line of the tunnel. Rails of suitable size, such as shown at 3 are spiked to these timbers and these rails form a trackway for a carriage which will hereinafter be referred to as a jumbo, the jumbo being indicated in general at F. This carriage is the advance guard for the lining equipment, and is provided with a working platform 4 on which are mounted pneumatically driven machinery, such as drills, hammers, chippers, etc. This pneumatic machinery is used to trim ofi any points of rock which may have been overlooked in the main excavation.

The jumbo also carries a horseshoe-shaped template which is used to test clearances; any point of rock, for instance, within twelve inchesof this template, must be trimmed ofi.

After the trim jumbo has passed, the rock is thoroughly washed with water under pressure, and the steel footing forms are set on the timbers 3. These forms are constructed of sections ten feet long, about two feet wide, and as a rule, one hundred feet are set up at one time. At intervals of two and one-half feet, anchor bolts are inserted through holes provided in I the forms. The footing concrete indicated at 5 is then poured on each side of the tunnel and is permitted to set. The forms are then removed and the anchor ing bolts are thus left in the set concrete and will project outwardly for a distance of approximately six inches, these bolts being employed for the purpose of supporting the side and arch forms, as will later be described.

The footings are also provided with keyways or recesses, as shown at 6, so that a good bond is made with the sides and arch when the main lining concrete is finally poured.

A suitable mixer is employed at the portal of the tunnel, and concrete is brought into the tunnel or to the concrete gun in cars having a suitable capacity, for instance three cubic yards, the cars hauling the concrete being pulled by electric or gasoline-driven locomotives or other means, as may be desired. Thesecars are also employed for the purpose of delivering concrete when the footings are being poure After the footing concrete has set, usually about six days, the steel arch forms generally indicated at B are placed in position. These forms have a suitable width, for instance ten feet, and each consists of sections which are hinged together as indicated at 7, there being three sections, to-wit,-an arch section 8 and two side sections 9. The hinging of the sections is of considerable importance, as it permits the forms to be collapsed and to be passed under sections still in place. The forms are supported by a traveller or carriage such as indicated at Gr. This traveller runs on the rails, and its deck is provided with four jacks such as indicated at 10, which are em ployed for the purpose of raising and lowering the form sections.

The lower ends of the forms are secured to the footing concrete by means of the anchor bolts already referred to, and they are secured by nuts when in place. To remove the forms, the nuts are taken ofi, thus allowing the sides to swing in on their hinges. The whole form may then be lowered by the jacks and the distance which they are lowered is that indicated in Fig. 2, which shows that it is sufli' cient to allow the carriage, together with the form supported thereby, to pass through the forms remaining in place. The forms can thus be advanced when the concrete has set 'sufliciently to permit their removal, and the operation of setting the forms and pouring the concrete may thus be fairly continuous.

Any suitable means may be employed for the two ends of the cable up and down the tunnel it is also possible to employ the cable for the purpose of moving the gun carriage and the jumbo.

Five ten-foot sections or molds are usually set up between each move of the concrete gun and its carriage. The first of the section is set up ten feet ahead of the end of the previous pour, and by the time four sections have been set, the whole bulkhead can be removed and the fifth section placed in the gap; that is, a bulkhead must be placed between the last form and the sides and roof of the tunnel when the concrete is being poured, as the concrete would otherwise run out through the sides. A new bulkhead is thus placed in position whenever a new set of forms is moved into place.

The bulkheads found most convenient for this sort of work consist of short pieces of one-inch boards, which are secured to the end of the last steel form by means of angle-iron bolted to the same.

The concrete gun is set at one side of the carriage supporting the same and at a point so low that concrete may be delivered thereto by gravity from the threecubic yard cars. A short movable chute connects the car gate and the gun, so gravity delivery to the gun is possible. When the gun has received 1ts charge the door is closed by a cover or heavy clamp, and air pressure at 110 pounds per square inch is admitted through sultable means. The concrete leaves the gun through thedischarge pipe D, the pipe running on easy curves to the top center of the tunnel arch, where it passes over the forms for a d stance of approximately fifty feet. The discharge end of the pipe terminates in a box such as indicated at 18 (see Figs. 5 and 6) from which the concrete passes to either or both sides of the forms as desired.

The distributor box extends at right angles to the discharge pipe and is provided with a gate 18, adapted to be inserted at either side of the discharge pipe, so as to control the d1- rection of discharge of the concrete. Thereby the concrete may be made to discharge 1n either direction at'right angles to the discharge pipe, or the gate may be removed and the concrete allowed to discharge in both directions.

This box, with its open ends, serves as a baflle or stop to slow up the concrete and prevent it from being scattered over the arch forms. The air which has finished its work escapes without building up pressure in an undesirable way, while the right angle turn which the concrete must make to pass out of the box slows down the mass just enough so in the pipe itself. The weight of the entire apparatus from gun to discharge end of the pipe is supported by the carriage. way the weight is taken care of by the tracks which also support the jumbo and the formsupporting carriage previously referred to. By this apparatus. it is possible to place the concrete in the arch anywhere within a range of fifty feet, thus keeping it level and evenly distributed.

The concrete gun proper may be of any suitable type.

The container is provided with a filling opening through which each'batch of concrete is delivered, and the opening is in turn provided with a closure, such as generally indicated at 30, which is securely fastened when air under pressure is delivered to the interior of the container. The forward end of the container is provided with a cone-shaped nozzle, as shown at 31, and this is in turn flan ed as indicated at 32, to permit the steel disc arge-pipe D to be connected thereto. A smooth, continuous, uninterrupted passage is thus formed. between the interior of the container and the discharge-pipe, and choking or blocking .of the nozzle is thus prevented.

Having thus described my invention,what

claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. An apparatus of the character described, comprising forms spaced from the walls of a tunnel, a concrete gun,

In this a carriage therefor,

a cantilever beam extending. forwardly from the carriage, a conveyer pipe connected with the gun and having a horizontally extending section supported by said beam and adapted to be positioned between the forms and the tunnel walls, a distributor on the discharge end of the conveyer pipe having lateral discharge openings, and means to control said discharge openings, whereby the concrete may be discharged laterally in either or both directions.

2. An apparatus for introducing concrete between a tunnel bore and supporting forms spaced therefrom, comprising a concrete gun, a relatively long conveyer pipe connected to said gun and hayipg a horizontally extending section adapted to be supported between the forms of the tunnel and the boring of the tunnel at the top of the latter, a distributor for the dischargeend of the pipe, comprising a box-extending at right angles to the pipe and open at either end, and means for controlling'said openings, whereby concrete may be discharged laterally in either or both directions.

3. An apparatus for use in lining tunnels, comprising in combination forms spaced from the walls of the tunnel, a concrete gun, a carriage therefor, a relatively long conveyer pipe extending from the gun longitudinally of the tunnel and occupying a horizontal position between the forms and the Wall of the tunnel at the top of the latter, whereby the pipe may be moved back and forth when the carriage is operated, and distributor means on the end of the pipe, open at its sides to permit material to be discharged laterally of the pipe in either direction, and closed at its forward portion to prevent the material frombeing discharged in a direction longitudinally of the pipe.

ROY C. HACKLEY.

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