The invention relates to a tunnel boring machine (103) in which the thrust cylinders (109) acting on a cutting wheel (106) are controlled by means of the direct input of coordinate values of a desired total center of pressure (151) in a coordinate system (154, 157) relating to the tunnel boring machine (103).

A tunnel boring machine includes: a cutter head; a cutter support; a cutter driving unit; a rotational position sensing unit; a strain sensor; and a data processing unit configured to calculate a force acting on the cutter head in association with the position of the cutter head in the rotational direction, based on sensing results of the strain sensor and the rotational position sensing unit.

A cutting unit for use with a cutting apparatus suitable for creating tunnels or subterranean roadways and the like, includes a cutting arm configured for pivotal movement around at least one pivot axis and a cutting head mounted to the cutting arm. The cutting head includes at least one rotatable cutting element for detaching material from a rock face, and a clearing arrangement mounted to the cutting arm. The clearing arrangement has a clearing blade for pushing detached rock material onto a loading table of the cutting apparatus, the clearing blade being guided by a first guiding mechanism to allow a free movement of the clearing blade in a first direction.

A cutting apparatus suitable for creating tunnels and subterranean roadways includes independently pivoting supports that each carry a respective independently pivoting arm and a rotatable cutting head. Each cutting head via the supports and arms, is configured to slew laterally outward in a sideways direction and to pivot in a vertical upward and downward direction. The supports and arms are mounted on a linear moving sled carried by a main frame.

A boring machine comprises a forward section, a rear section, a parallel link mechanism, stroke sensors, pressure sensors, and a controller. The parallel link mechanism includes eight thrust jacks that change the position and attitude of the forward section with respect to the rear section. The controller computes a target allocation force to be allocated to eight thrust jacks on the basis of the sensing result from the stroke sensors and the pressure sensors, and controls the thrust jacks to perform stroke control on six of the thrust jacks and perform force control on two of the thrust jacks.

A control system may be provided for operating a machine having a rotary cutting head. The control system may include a wrist capable of rotating about a wrist axis, a gear mechanism capable of driving rotation of the wrist. A cutting head may be attached to the wrist and capable of rotating about a cutter axis that is substantially perpendicular to the wrist axis. The control system may also include primary and redundant angular sensors capable of generating signals indicative of angular orientations of the wrist. The control system may additionally include a controller, capable of controlling operation of the wrist and the cutting head, comparing an actual angular orientation of the wrist to a target angular orientation, as indicated by the primary and secondary signals, and selectively inhibiting the cutting head from operating when the actual angular orientation differs from the target angular orientation by an operation threshold.

A boring machine comprises a forward section, a rear section, an articulation point, a parallel link mechanism, an input component, an articulation point position computer, and a jack controller. The parallel link mechanism includes a plurality of thrust jacks that change the position of the forward section with respect to the rear section. The articulation point position computer computes the position of the articulation point on the basis of the control inputs received by the input component, and the positions of the center line and center point of the rear section and the center point of the forward section. The jack controller controls the stroke amounts of the thrust jacks to produce movement corresponding to a curve generated from the positions of the center point of the rear section, the articulation point, and the center point of the forward section.

A device for supplying lubricant to a lubrication point in a machine, a tunnel boring machine, for example, includes a lubrication pump unit and a control unit. The lubrication pump unit is configured to supply a quantity of the lubricant to the lubrication point, and the control unit is configured to regulate the quantity of lubricant based on a sensor measurement signal. The sensor measurement signal may be based on a temperature measured in a region of the lubrication point, a pressure measured in a region of the lubrication point, a measured viscosity of the lubricant, a measured dielectricity of the lubricant, a measured water content of the lubricant, a vibration intensity measured at a part of the machine, or a measured rotational speed of a part of the machine.

A cutting assembly for a rock excavation machine having a frame includes a boom and a cutting device supported on the boom. The boom includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion supported for pivotable movement relative to the frame. In some embodiments, the first portion includes a first structure extending along a longitudinal base axis and a second structure moveable relative to the first portion in a direction parallel to the longitudinal base axis, and at least one bearing supports the second portion for movement relative to the first portion. In some embodiments, the second portion is pivotably coupled to the first portion by a universal joint, and a suspension system including a plurality of biasing members may be coupled between the first portion and the second portion.

A cutting assembly for a rock excavation machine including a frame. The cutting assembly includes a boom supported on the frame and a cutting device. In some aspects, the boom includes a first portion and a second portion, and the first portion includes a first structure and a second structure slidable relative to the first structure. The second portion includes a first member pivotably coupled to the second structure, and a second member pivotably coupled to the first member. The cutting device is supported on the second member. In some aspects, a material handling device is supported independently of the boom and movable between a retracted position and an extended position independent of the boom.