MR. JOHN ELLIS TURNER, MSN
Nursing in Seattle, WA

4548443, Oct 22, 1985

Jul 3, 1984

6/627354

John Turner - Renton WA

The Robbins Company - Kent WA

E21C 2902

299 31

A tunnel boring machine including the following elements: (a) a full face rotary cutterhead; (b) a cutterhead support on which the cutterhead is mounted; (c) a gripper system carried by a gripper support frame for reacting thrust, steering, roll correction, and torque forces; (d) a conveyor system for transporting muck from behind the rotary cutterhead to a dump point rearwardly of the machine; (e) primary propel cylinders for advancing the cutterhead which are mounted between the gripper support frame and the cutterhead support, the primary propel cylinders consisting of a series of at least three pairs of double acting hydraulic cylinders arranged annularly in equally spaced apart locations and in a series of V-shaped configurations between the gripper support frame and the cutterhead support, each such pair of primary propel cylinders having an included angle between the cylinders of about 15. degree. and 60. degree. and with a line bisecting the included angle between the cylinders extending generally parallel to the longitudinal centerline of the machine; and (f) a hydraulic control system for controlling the pairs of primary propel cylinders to effect (1) axial forward thrust on the cutterhead by simultaneous actuation of all the primary propel cylinders while transmitting the reaction torque exerted on the cutterhead support by rotation of the cutterhead, (2) steering of the cutterhead support and the cutterhead by selective actuation of only a portion of the primary propel cylinders, and (3) roll corrections of the cutterhead support and the cutterhead by selective actuation of alternate members of the primary propel cylinders.

5205612, Apr 27, 1993

May 16, 1991

7/701503

David B. Sugden - Tasmania, AU
John Turner - Renton WA
Robert J. Boyd - Queensland, AU
Thomas M. Hartman - Des Moines WA
Gerald L. Dollinger - Bellevue WA
John G. Moore - Puyallup WA

Z C Mines Pty. Ltd. - New South Wales

E21C 2902, B62D 1120

299 10

Mining apparatus in which a cutting wheel supporting a plurality of roller-cutters rotates about a horizontal axis and is supported on a slewing boom for cutting a tunnel with a flat floor and roof and elliptical walls as it slews across a mining face. The slewing boom is supported on a main beam assembly, the front end of which rests on powered crawler tracks and the rear end of which passes through a gripper assembly which may be clamped between the floor and roof of the tunnel, and against which the main beam assembly may be urged forward for engaging the roller-cutters with the mining face. A preload crawler is urged against the roof of the tunnel above the powered crawler tracks to locate the main beam assembly rigidly relative to the tunnel such that the roller-cutters may cut the rock in the mining face with minimal loss of cutting force due to vibration.

5310249, May 10, 1994

Mar 8, 1993

8/027828

David B. Sugden - Tasmania, AU
John Turner - Renton WA
Robert J. Boyd - Queensland, AU
Thomas M. Hartman - Des Moines WA
Gerald L. Dollinger - Bellevue WA
John G. Moore - Puyallup WA

Z C Mines PTY LTD

E21C 3524, E21D 910

299 13

Mining apparatus is disclosed in which a cutting wheel supporting a plurality of roller-cutters rotates about a horizontal axis and is supported on a slewing boom for cutting a tunnel with a flat floor and roof and elliptical walls as it slews across a mining face. The slewing boom is supported on a main beam assembly, the front end of which rests on powered crawler tracks and the rear end of which passes through a gripper assembly which may be clamped between the floor and roof of the tunnel, and against which the main beam assembly may be urged forward for engaging the roller-cutters with the mining face. A preload crawler is urged against the roof of the tunnel above the powered crawler tracks to locate the main beam assembly rigidly relative to the tunnel such that the roller-cutters may cut the rock in the mining face with minimal loss of cutting force due to vibration. Apparatus for automatically controlling one or more of cutter penetration depth, cutter penetration rate and cutter slew rate, which includes a sensor for sensing a given mining machine parameter, a processor for processing the given mining machine parameter to provide one or more of an optimum cutter penetration depth, cutter penetration rate or cutter slew rate value, and a controller for controlling one or more of cutter penetration depth, cutter penetration rate and cutter slew rate based on the derived optimum value.

7832960, Nov 16, 2010

Dec 17, 2008

12/337113

Lok Home - Chagrin Falls OH, US
Brian Khalighi - Bellevue WA, US
John Turner - Newcastle WA, US

The Robbins Company - Solon OH

E21D 9/06

405146, 405141, 299 33

A tunnel boring machine is provided comprising a cutter head, a main beam, a first, second, and third shield; and a ground conditioning work zone within the first shield, a gripper assembly, a segment erector arm for lining the tunnel, and at least one propulsion mechanism. The ground conditioning work zone includes at least one probing device for probing the terrain ahead of the cutter head. The first shield is configured to be retracted relative to the second shield to provide access for the ground conditioning work zone to apply at least one ground support device. The at least one propulsion mechanism moves the cutter head, the first and the second shield forward while the third shield and the gripper assembly remain stationary. The ground support devices can include filling a hole with a ground conditioning agent; and placing a bolt, ring beam, mesh, or shotcrete in/on the tunnel wall.