Did You Know...
...that Charles Goodyear performed some of his experiments on rubber while in debtor's prison? He was there so often he referred to it as his "hotel". Chronically in debt because of poor business sense and ill health, Goodyear depended on the generosity of friends and family. Even after he unlocked the secret to vulcanizing rubber, he was unable to improve his financial situation. When he died, his estate was $200,000 in debt.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7207632 | Shield system for coal mining A mining system for remotely mining ores and minerals which protects against falling rock and allows evacuation of a miner and conveying system in the case of a cave in. A shield is advanced into a mine. Within the shield, the miner and conveying system are also adv... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7070359 | Microtunneling systems and methods of use A tunneling system including a tunneling apparatus including a cutting structure for forming a borehole and at least one linkage section for transmitting a force generally toward the cutting structure is disclosed. A method of disposing a casing string within a subt... | 07/04/2006 |
| 7040712 | Shield tunneling method and shield tunneling machine An excavating drive (22) movable backward/forward is accommodated in a turnable body (9) which in turn is turnable about an axis perpendicular to an axis of and in a skin plate (7). A cutter device (38) ahead of a rotor (22) in the... | 05/09/2006 |
| 7025537 | Subterranean structures and methods for constructing subterranean structures One embodiment of the present invention provides for a subterranean structure, having a continuous ribbon slab having a plurality of flights fabricated from concrete. The ribbon slab defines periodic openings therein which generally align between adjacent flights. A... | 04/11/2006 |
| 6915864 | Cutter structure for shield machine In a cutter structure for a shield machine which advances by boring through a tunnel wall from inside an existing tunnel, the shape of an excavating surface on a work face formed by a cutter is set so as to have a smaller curvature than or an equal curvature to the ... | 07/12/2005 |
| 6698844 | Earth discharging device for upward-facing shield machine An earth discharging device, for a shield machine for constructing a tunnel in the vertical direction, has a pipe for discharging downwardly earth and sand that have been excavated by the machine as it advances upwardly. An elastic film-type valve is prov... | 03/02/2004 |
| 6595724 | Tunnel excavating machine and excavating method A tunnel excavating machine of high-speed construction capable of completely stopping invasion of water and allowing covering members to be assembled easily is provided. This tunnel excavating machine comprises: a cylindrical excavating machine main porti... | 07/22/2003 |
| 6485233 | Foaming composition A method of boring a tunnel through a stratum utilizing a shield tunneling apparatus, the process comprising the injection into the stratum at the cutting face of an aqueous material comprising (a) from 0.005-0.05% by weight of a polyethylene oxide of wei... | 11/26/2002 |
| 6431653 | Tunnel-boring machine and method of using the same The tunnel rock drill (100) for driving a tunnel bore optionally in open or shielded mode comprises a shield tail (33), which is connected to the drill head (10) and which covers optionally the bore wall over a defined length; a bracing device (20), which... | 08/13/2002 |
| 6375390 | Method for widening road, superhighway or railway tunnels, without interrupting the traffic A construction method for widening road, superhighway or railway tunnels, without interrupting the traffic flow includes a first stage of excavation; in steps, of the ground between the theoretical profile of the future widened tunnel and that of the orig... | 04/23/2002 |
| 6206478 | Tunnel excavator with crawler drive and roof support bearing frames The tunnel excavator (1) includes a cutter supporting body (3) provided with cutters (2) for excavating the earth. The tunnel excavator also includes crawlers (13) for moving backwards and forwards, and upper and side bearing frames (15, 16) which move ra... | 03/27/2001 |
| 6092963 | Tail structure of shield driving machine The present invention relates to a tail structure of a shield driving machine, and in particular relates to an improvement technique of the tail sealing portion of this type of shield driving machine, in order to eliminate wearing of the tail seal. The ta... | 07/25/2000 |
| 6082930 | Shield driving machine The present invention relates to a shield driving machine by which eliminates excessive work of the ground when working at a curved section while suppressing an increase of the sinking of the ground surface and securing a quickening in the stability of se... | 07/04/2000 |
| 6017095 | Tunnel boring machine with crusher The present invention relates to a tunnel boring machine particularly a micro-tunnelling machine having a cutting head rotatably mounted on the end of a housing and being driven by a first motor means and a rotatable central auger for removal of soil from... | 01/25/2000 |
| 5765925 | Tunnel boring machine for hard ground and soft ground A tunnel boring machine for boring a tunnel through hard and soft grounds includes a front body, a cutter head mounted to the front body and having a cutter for boring a hard round, and a drive unit rotatably supporting the cutter head for driving the cut... | 06/16/1998 |
| 5743676 | Method and device for keeping outfall drainage in service during sewerage construction In a method for keeping outfall drainage in service whilst constructing sewerage, wherein a main drain is laid in the position of an old drain or in a new line by pipe or shield tunnelling under closed or semi-open construction using a working pipe or shi... | 04/28/1998 |
| 5678957 | Method for underground excavation A method for underground excavation below an area, without opening the area above the excavation, the method comprising constructing at least a pair of diaphragm walls, the walls being at two opposite sides of the area and extend substantially from the su... | 10/21/1997 |
| 5538362 | Shield excavator A shield excavator for constructing a tunnel, a hole, a groove and the like having a polygonal, preferably, square section. The excavator (10) comprises: a cylindrical shield body (12) having a polygonal sectional shape; a cutter assembly (18) disposed at... | 07/23/1996 |
| 5527135 | Method for injecting lubricant or back-filling material into a space between the outside of double-wall pipes and the ground in the pipe-jacking method and an apparatus therefor A conduit comprised of double-wall pipes A is laid in the ground by the pipe-jacking method. Each of double-wall pipes A comprises inner pipe 1 and outer pipe 2 and is provided with sheath pipe 4 between inner pipe 1 and outer pipe 2 and with check valve ... | 06/18/1996 |
| 5460432 | Cutter head for a tunnel excavator In a tunnel excavator for tunneling by rotating a cutter head provided in front of a shield body to thereby excavate the working face of a tunnel using disk cutters attached to the front surface of the cutter head, the cutter head is composed of an annula... | 10/24/1995 |
| 5443305 | Tunnelling machine A tunnelling machine for large cross-section tunnels (with a 12 m diameter and more), as well as for excavating loose rocks leading to groundwater, has a shield with a cylindrical case. A front section (1) of the case is rotary. The front face (3) of the ... | 08/22/1995 |
| 5393172 | Shield tunneling machine A shield tunneling machine comprises a shield body having a soil chamber, an inside chamber and a partition wall. The soil chamber has a conical peripheral surface converging gradually rearward. A crankshaft having an eccentric portion is rotatably suppor... | 02/28/1995 |
| 5346331 | Shield tail sealing The invention relates to a shield tail sealing (7) for driving shields consisting of a basic body (2) made of elastomeric material and having a substantially rectangular cross section in the longitudinal direction and being inclined against the driving di... | 09/13/1994 |
| 5330292 | System and method for transmitting and calculating data in shield machine The present invention discloses a system and a method for transmitting data in a shield machine and for calculating the filling amount of a void by detecting the distance to the natural ground. The system and the method are capable of transmitting analogu... | 07/19/1994 |
| 5284403 | Control method and control equipment for drilling apparatus A method for controlling advancement of a drilling apparatus comprising a drill head having tools therein and at least one conveying tube is disclosed. The method utilizes changes in pressure sensed in the drill head or the conveying tube as a means for a... | 02/08/1994 |
| 5255960 | Tunnel drilling apparatus with drill waste removal A drill head for drilling a tunnel in rock or soil comprises a rotatable drill bit assembly and a cylindrical protecting tube. The bit assembly comprises a bit holder and a cylindrical drill bit. The bit assembly has a cylindrical surface which forms a co... | 10/26/1993 |
| 5236284 | Drilling apparatus and method for its control A drilling apparatus and a method for its control maintains the alignment of a drill head while driving a tunnel. The control is achieved by manipulating the center of gravity of a drill bit unit with respect to a line determined by two supporting points ... | 08/17/1993 |
| 5221160 | Subterranean connecting method for construction of shield tunnel and connecting apparatus therefor A disclosure is made of a subterranean connecting method and a connecting apparatus therefor which are suitable for use when two shield machines are used to excavate a pair of tunnel sections from both ends of a tunnel, and the tunnel sections are connect... | 06/22/1993 |
| 5199818 | Method and apparatus for detecting collapse of natural ground in shield driving method A method and an apparatus for performing measurement by a resistivity method in order to detect the thickness of a sludge layer on the outer periphery of a shield machine. A Wenner electrode row (14) on the outer periphery of the machine is used to measur... | 04/06/1993 |
| 5190407 | Rectangular shield excavating machine A rectangular shield excavating machine comprises a quadrangularly tubular shield body having a space for receiving an excavated matter at the front end, a rotor disposed in the space so as to be capable of being rotated onward and backward angularly arou... | 03/02/1993 |
| 5184918 | Recoverable tunnelling machine The tunnelling machine for driving inaccessible tunnels by pressing forward by means of tubes can be moved out again through the tunnel driven by it. For this purpose, an annular outer area (2b) is provided on the extracting tool (2), and one double casin... | 02/09/1993 |
| 5180252 | Earth pressure system shield process The invention relates to an earth pressure system shield process. First of all, an excavation additive consisting of the mixture of an agent for improving fluidity and viscosity of an excavated soil and a mud improving main agent is added (Ic, P2 | 01/19/1993 |
| 5174683 | Telescopic double shield boring machine The invention relates to a boring machine for digging tunnels in a wide variety of qualities of ground, of the type comprising a first front shield, containing the boring head, and the members for driving the same, and a second shield, fitted with posts o... | 12/29/1992 |
| 5171105 | Process and device for lining tunnels and ducts having circular and non-circular cross-sections, especially for canal and tunnel construction In a process and a winding device for lining elongated spaces such as tunnels or ducts of circular and non-circular cross-sections, especially for canal and tunnel construction band is employed. Tubes with various diameters and different cross-sections, b... | 12/15/1992 |
| 5156490 | Shield tunnelling apparatus A shield tunnelling apparatus is provided that includes a first tubular shield body in which a cutter assembly for excavation and a drive mechanism for driving the cutter assembly are disposed; a second shield body connected to the rear of the first shiel... | 10/20/1992 |
| 5125768 | Method and apparatus for the production of underground pipelines A method and apparatus for producing an underground pipeline from an excavated hole uses a drill head with a suitable tool attached thereto. Loosened soil is transported out of the drilled tunnel with a transportation drum containing an internal spiral. T... | 06/30/1992 |
| 5123708 | Shield tunnelling machine A shield tunnelling machine is provided. Such shield tunnelling machines include a tubular shield body; an excavating cutter assembly disposed on a front end of the body; a partition wall for defining the interior of the body into a front region and a rea... | 06/23/1992 |
| 5104261 | Tunnel boring machine Tunnel boring machine for reaming of a pilot tunnel (11). The machine housing (12) is provided with a projecting part in front of the boring head (13), said projecting part comprising a part (20) being fixed relative to the machine housing and a shield (1... | 04/14/1992 |
| 5102201 | Shield tunnelling machine A shield tunnelling machine is provided that includes a cylindrical shield body; a rotary cutter head disposed on a front end of the shield body and provided with a face plate having one or a plurality of slits extending in the radial direction; and inter... | 04/07/1992 |
| 5072992 | Shield unit A shield unit has a cylindrical shell made up of two sections arranged in succession one after the other, that is, a head section and a tail section which are connected by a traversing mechanism. The mechanism is a differential planetary gear train kinema... | 12/17/1991 |
