A tunnel boring machine includes: a disc cutter including a cutter ring; and a member for use in measurement of a wear amount of the cutter ring with a three-dimensional shape measurement device, in which the member is provided at a part constant in relative position to the cutter ring.

A guide of an excavation tool replacement device includes an inner guide member configured to guide advancing and retreating of an excavation tool, and an outer guide member configured to support the inner guide member such that the inner guide member is movable to a face side and an anti-face side. The inner guide member has, at a face side end thereof, a first sealing member configured to come into close contact with a gate plate from the anti-face side.

A guide of an excavation tool replacement device includes an inner guide member configured to guide advancing and retreating of an excavation tool, and an outer guide member configured to support the inner guide member such that the inner guide member is movable to a face side and an anti-face side. The inner guide member has, at a face side end thereof, a first sealing member configured to come into close contact with a gate plate from the anti-face side.

A cutter for a cutting unit used in cutting apparatus suitable for creating tunnels or subterranean roadways. The cutter includes a disc body having an underside, an upper side arranged substantially opposite to the underside, and a radially peripheral part. A plurality of buttons for abrading rock are mounted in the radially peripheral part of the disc body and protrude outwardly therefrom to engage rock during an undercutting operation, wherein at least some of the buttons have a cutting part having a dome-shaped cutting surface.

A tunnel boring machine having a cutting wheel equipped with a number of excavation tools provided with sensor units and, in a corresponding tunnelling method, only substantially fully worn excavation tools are able to be replaced using a data processing device designed with an advancement planning unit by detecting the current state of the excavation tools and predicting the state of the excavation tools on tool replacement predication planes lying in the advancing direction.

A tunnel boring machine for boring a tunnel in rock including: locating means mounted to a frame for supporting and locating the frame in a disposition with respect to a tunnel axis and a boring face of the tunnel being bored; a first boring assembly operatively associated with said frame for boring into an annular face surrounding a core substantially coaxial with the tunnel axis, the annular face being a portion of the boring face; a core removal assembly operatively associated with said frame and disposed axially with respect to said first boring assembly away from the annular face, said core removal assembly being operable for removing at the core exposed by the first boring assembly transverse to the tunnel axis to expose the remainder of the boring face; and drive means operatively associated with said first boring assembly for driving said boring assembly into the annular face.

A cutting assembly for a mining machine includes a central hub having at least one arm extending radially outwards from the central hub. The arm includes at least one cutting means carrier movably arranged for radial movement along the arm and a primary actuator configured to control the radial position of the cutting means carrier. The cutting assembly further includes a locking means movable between an unlocked and a locked position, wherein the locking means in its locked position locks the cutting means carrier to the arm such that radial movement of the cutting means carrier is prevented. The locking means includes at least one locking member provided on the arm such that the locking member is movable between an extended position and a withdrawn position. The locking member in the extended position extends to engage the cutting means carrier such that movement of the cutting means carrier is prevented.

A rapid construction method of pipe jacking for underground rescue tunnel with large section is disclosed. The present invention realizes rock breaking through the cutting head of a roadheader cutting unit, and pushes pipe jacking forward through a pushing thruster. During the process, a protecting bush fixedly connected with a stretchable part is adopted for circumferential support; and since the cutting head and the protecting bush occupy the rock breaking space, and the pushing thruster pushes pipe jacking forward to push the coal rock in the annular space to the circumferential direction, the effect of moving forward without slag discharge can be achieved. The present invention can establish a rescue tunnel quickly and effectively, which saves rescue time and greatly reduces the threat to the life safety of trapped people. The present invention can establish a fast and safe underground rescue tunnel with large section for the rescue of people.

A rapid construction method of pipe jacking for underground rescue tunnel with large section is disclosed. The present invention realizes rock breaking through the cutting head of a roadheader cutting unit, and pushes pipe jacking forward through a pushing thruster. During the process, a protecting bush fixedly connected with a stretchable part is adopted for circumferential support; and since the cutting head and the protecting bush occupy the rock breaking space, and the pushing thruster pushes pipe jacking forward to push the coal rock in the annular space to the circumferential direction, the effect of moving forward without slag discharge can be achieved. The present invention can establish a rescue tunnel quickly and effectively, which saves rescue time and greatly reduces the threat to the life safety of trapped people. The present invention can establish a fast and safe underground rescue tunnel with large section for the rescue of people.

In a device and a method for continuously driving a tunnel along a desired setpoint trajectory there is provision to influence pressing forces which are applied to installed tubbing segments by compactors using a control circuit, wherein, during the driving and during the installation of tubbing rings, an actual trajectory of the device remains in a region which is permissible for maintaining the desired set point trajectory.